“Field Test: The Hasselblad True Zoom Camera and Moto Z Smartphone” plus 9 more: Digital Photography School |  |
- Field Test: The Hasselblad True Zoom Camera and Moto Z Smartphone
- How to Create a Solid Backup Strategy for Your Photos
- A Fun Project You Can do in Your Own Home – How to Create a Physiogram
- 9 Ways to Ensure You Get Sharp Images When Photographing People
- The Power of a Photograph – Iconic Moments Captured as Images
- dPS Writer’s Favorite Lenses: I’m Torn Between My Nifty Fifty and 70-200mm F2.8
- How to Enhance your Black and White images with Infrared Photography
- Why Learning the Pen Tool in Photoshop is Worth the Effort
- Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Portraits
- 21 Dramatic Black and White Portraits
| Field Test: The Hasselblad True Zoom Camera and Moto Z Smartphone Posted: 07 Mar 2017 10:00 AM PST It’s impossible to ignore the fact that camera phones are becoming increasingly better. With impressive image quality and the ability to add on and shoot with mobile phone lenses, the case for replacing your dedicated camera with your cell phone is becoming more compelling by the day. However, one aspect of camera phones really hasn’t seen much improvement: ergonomics. Shooting with a camera phone is for some still pretty awkward and difficult to get used to. Here’s where the Hasselblad True Zoom comes into play. Below are some notes and observations from a week-long experiment of shooting with the Hasselblad True Zoom and Moto Z smartphone.
What is the Hasselblad True Zoom?The Hasselblad True Zoom makes your smartphone feel and function like a point-and-shoot camera. It is one of many Moto Mods available to add extra features to Motorola Moto Z smartphones, so all mods are limited to use on the Moto Z phones only. All Moto Mods attach to the phone via extra strong magnets, and can easily be detached. To be perfectly honest, the Moto Z smartphones have superb native cameras. The Moto Z Force Droid, in particular, is very impressive and it even outperforms the Apple iPhone 7. This is to say that image quality is great with or without the Hasselblad True Zoom mod, but it is certainly nice to have some of the mod’s extra features.
Hasselblad True Zoom Specs
The goodBy far the best part of about the Hasselblad True Zoom is the fact that it allows you to use a phone (somewhat) like a real camera! Physical camera controlsFor those of us who despise having to pinch to zoom on a mobile phone, the Hasselblad True Zoom is a welcome relief. The mod is complete with a physical shutter release button and a physical zoom switch to operate the mod’s 25-250mm-equivalent range. There’s also an on/off button to turn the camera off and on without having to first unlock the phone.
Ability to control the camera via a touchscreenAfter the mod is attached, the phone’s stock camera app switches over to “Professional mode.” This mode allows for manual camera control via the phone’s touchscreen. While you don’t have true manual control over every aspect of the camera (more on that below), you can adjust certain features such as ISO, capture mode (e.g. Action, Portrait mode, etc.), and choose to shoot in RAW or JPG format.  Professional mode options. Comes with a carrying caseWhile you can operate your phone as usual even with the mod attached, you’ll probably want to remove it occasionally. Luckily, a solid carrying case with a wrist strap is included so you can keep your mod safe when you aren’t using it. What could be improvedFor every positive feature listed above, there’s an aspect that could be improved. Limited manual controlManual camera control on the Hasselblad True Zoom mod is still pretty limited. While it’s nice to be able to adjust the ISO, it’s not possible to adjust aperture or shutter speed. It’s a real shame, considering the native f/3.5-5.6 aperture available.
Extra physical features missingThe addition of a physical shutter button and zoom toggle is very welcomed and makes it easier to operate your phone like a true camera. However, two key features are missing. First is a wrist strap that attaches to either the phone or camera. Considering how expensive the devices are and how bulky they can get, a strap would add a sense of security. Second is a tripod thread. Since you don’t have full manual control over the camera, many low lighting shots revert to settings with incredibly slow shutter speeds, resulting in blurry images when shot handheld. Also, trying to take advantage of the mod’s 10x zoom feature while also holding the camera steady is incredibly tricky. There are some sample images below that demonstrate these focusing problems. The ability to shoot with a tripod would greatly enhance the resulting images.
SizeIt’s impossible to ignore the allure of being able to shoot and carry a Hasselblad camera that fits into your pocket. The only problem is this camera won’t quite fit in your pocket unless you’ve got exceptionally large ones. While the bare Moto Z phone is slim enough to be tucked into most pockets, the camera mod adds just enough bulk to make the device difficult to carry. The carrying case is nice for protecting the mod, but it’s an awkward size that won’t fit into most pockets or purses. Uncertain futureMoto Mods are a brand new concept for Motorola, a company recently taken over by Lenovo. Thus, the future of the Moto Z phone line and Moto Mods as a whole is pretty uncertain. No one knows if the next generation of Moto Z phones will be compatible with the Hasselblad True Zoom, or if the Moto Z line will continue at all. As a result, this can be a risky investment. In ConclusionThe Hasselblad True Zoom is a step in the right direction for mobile photography. Having physical controls to better control smartphone cameras are welcome additions, but there is certainly room for improvement in future iterations. What do you think about the idea of the Hasselblad True Zoom? Would you pick one up to try for yourself? Hasselblad True Zoom Sample Images
| ||||
| How to Create a Solid Backup Strategy for Your Photos Posted: 07 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST Most people take reasonable precautions when engaging in activities that are potentially unsafe or harmful, like wearing seat belts in a car or even washing your hands before eating. The benefits of these basic procedures are easy to understand which is one reason these practices are so widely adopted. But things look quite different where our digital lives are concerned; in other words, a backup strategy. Every mobile phone, laptop, and personal computer stores your photos, documents, and other data on either a small memory chip or a spinning hard drive and it is not uncommon for these to fail. In fact, due to the nature of how hard drives (which are still by far the most common method of storing data) operate, they are guaranteed to wear out over time. It’s just a question of when. Anyone even remotely concerned with making sure their digital files are safe and accessible one, five, 10, or even hundreds of years from now needs to have a solid backup strategy in case the unthinkable happens.  Don’t let your photos disappear when your computer fails. The challengeOne problem with creating a backup strategy is that it can seem so complex and convoluted it’s difficult to even know where to begin. From clouds to closets to safe deposit boxes, the world of data backup has so many options it’s enough to make your head spin. I’m going to explore three common options in this article, but before I get too far I want to remind you of the words of Carl von Clausewitz who said, “The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.” Don’t get so caught up with finding the ideal backup strategy that you don’t do anything at all. The important lesson, no matter which method you use, is to create copies of your data – especially your photographs – so you can still get them if something bad happens. 3-2-1 StrategyOne of the best ways to approach backing up your data is the 3-2-1 strategy:
This might seem like a lot of hassle, but it’s similar to most things in life that require small behavioral changes. Once you get over the initial setup of utilizing a backup strategy it becomes a habit or better yet, a completely transparent activity that just happens in the background. As someone who has lost data, and has had friends and family lose thousands of photos thanks to computer failures and hard drive corruption, I can confidently say that it is well worth your time to back up your data. It won’t save your physical life, but it could save your digital life.  A good backup solution doesn’t have to be complicated and can help make sure your memories stand the test of time. Option #1 – External hard drivesInside nearly every personal computer is a spinning hard drive that rotates at a mind-numbing speed of 5400-7200 rotations per minute, every day, for as long as the computer exists. Over time, hard drives have proven themselves to be simple cost-effective vessels for storing massive amounts of data. However, their mechanical nature makes them not only prone to failure but quite expensive and time-consuming to recover your files and photos if something does happen. Because of these caveats, one of the simplest methods of backing up your data is to use software to make a clone of your hard drive onto – you guessed it – another hard drive. This duplicates everything on your computer so you can instantly access it in the case of an emergency. Thanks to the relatively inexpensive nature of external hard drives and backup software (which is often bundled with hard drives) the process is mostly painless.  Backup hard drives are a cheap and effective way of making sure your data is safe. File recoveryMostly, that is, until it comes time to actually recover your data. In my experience, this method of file backup is best when your entire computer dies and you need to start from scratch, at which point a clone of your hard drive can be used to create an exact copy on a new computer. I have had to do this a few times with excellent results, and except for re-registering some serial numbers with Adobe I was up and running again in no time. However, if you accidentally delete some data, such as an entire folder of images, and need to recover just those specific things from your backup it can be tricky depending on the software solution you are using. Apple’s Time Machine, for example, is designed to facilitate the easy recovery of an entire computer’s worth of data but many people (myself included) have found themselves more than a little frustrated when restoring individual files or folders. Microsoft includes software called Backup and Restore which will do the same thing for Windows users. Either one of these is a great solution if you want a simple way of making sure all the data on your computer is saved and stored in the event of a complete hard drive failure. One significant benefit of both Time Machine and Windows Backup and Restore is that they run automatically in the background so you never have to think about it once you set them up. However, one drawback is that because they only backup to external hard drives, if you lose data to a catastrophic event such as a fire or flood, chances are your backup drive will be toast also. For that reason I like to keep a second backup hard drive at the office where I work and switch the hard drives out every Monday. That way even if my house explodes in a freak meteorite incident everything but the very latest files and photos will still be available on my backup drive at work.  Mac users can use Time Machine to easily create automatic backups on an external hard drive. Extra optionsIf you really want to go the extra mile with an external hard-drive-based backup plan, you can set yourself up with a multi-drive solution where all your data is copied to not only one, but several hard disks at the same time. This is called a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Drives) system and while it’s more costly than a single drive solution, it’s virtually guaranteed to protect against data loss. If one of the drives in a RAID array fails you can usually just swap it out with a fresh drive and continue backing everything up. Finally, if you are going to use external backups it’s important to keep them encrypted so prying eyes or thieving scoundrels can’t peek at your data. Time Machine lets you do this with the click of a mouse, and Windows has an option to do this as well using a setting called BitLocker. This adds a huge layer of security to your backups while taking almost no effort on your part. I highly recommend doing this.  BitLocker offers a great solution for Windows users who want a simple and effective backup strategy. Hard drives are so cheap these days that it’s hard to go wrong with this type of solution. If your backup drive ever goes belly-up you can buy another one for the price of a few movie tickets. I recommend buying a drive that is double the capacity of your computer’s internal hard drive which means you can restore old copies of files long after they have been deleted from your computer. Option #2 – Save your data to the cloudIf you don’t want to bother with the hassle of setting up an external hard drive, encrypting your data, and switching out drives every week or every month, another good option is to go with a cloud-based backup service like CrashPlan, BackBlaze, or Carbonite. These companies offer paid plans that backup all the data on your computer, or just a portion that you specify, to their own servers automatically. In terms of convenience, these services are hard to beat since they require almost no interaction from you after the initial setup. DrawbacksOne of the downsides is the price, as they require a recurring monthly or yearly fee which, though usually not too expensive, can add up over time. They also make the act of restoring all your data, such as in the event of a fire or flood, more difficult than just hooking up a spare hard drive with a full copy of everything. Thankfully many cloud-based services will actually mail you a hard drive with a full copy of your data on it for an additional fee if you really need to do a full restore of your entire computer. You also have the option of logging into your account from a web browser and selectively downloading individual files or folders, which can be useful if you just need to retrieve specific items and not restore your entire computer.
One of the major drawbacks of cloud-based backup options involves actually getting your data to them in the first place. While broadband internet access is becoming increasingly common around the world, upload speeds still lag far behind download speeds. According to BackBlaze, a typical home internet connection will let you upload 2GB to 4GB per day, which means it could take several months to backup your entire hard drive! If you shoot in RAW and are constantly filling up your memory cards, you might find cloud-based backup services to be quite limiting unless you have a very fast internet connection! Other cloud-based options are available that specifically address the needs of photographers. Google Photos allows unlimited storage for JPG pictures up to 16 megapixels, and Amazon allows unlimited photo storage for Prime members. Flickr, that longtime stalwart of online photo sharing, gives users 1TB (Terabyte, or 1024 GB) of storage for free. Services like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Apple’s iCloud offer paid plans that allow you to backup massive amounts of photos and other data for a fee while also syncing them across your devices.  Even if you already share pictures on social networks, it’s a good idea to have a full backup of all your images and a dedicated cloud-based solution is a nice way to accomplish this. Shop around for the best cloud option for your needsIf you are thinking about using a cloud-based solution I would encourage you to investigate some options and see what you think would work best for your needs. I have used CrashPlan, BackBlaze, and Carbonite, as well as solutions like Arq which store your data on the Amazon cloud. Each of these has its own strengths and weaknesses and because of that, it is difficult to recommend a single cloud-based solution as every individual has their own needs. All of them are good, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them if you currently don’t have a backup solution in place. I also like to caution people that when you utilize free services like Google Photos or Flickr it’s a good idea to review their Terms of Service so you know exactly what information and personal data you are giving up in exchange for the free use of their storage. Option #3 – DVDs and Blu-RaysLongtime computer users might fondly remember the days when CD-ROM drives first entered the scene. In those heady days of the mid-1990s the idea of putting as much data as you could fit on an entire 500MB hard drive onto one single CD was basically a computing miracle, and as CD drives became more prevalent they also became a good way to backup data such as documents and photos. However as digital cameras rose to prominence in the early 2000s it became painfully obvious that backing up data to CDs and, subsequently, DVDs was too slow and cumbersome to be a good solution. Burning the discs took time, and getting files off them could be a chore especially as more and more computers abandoned these types of disc drives altogether. So why in the world would this type of solution even be considered as part of a balanced backup strategy in 2017?  Behold the classic Compact Disc. You might not give this type of media much thought nowadays, but it can still be an essential component of a comprehensive backup strategy. Cost and drawbacksThe answer to this question is mostly related to cost. Blank discs are cheap, and even if your computer doesn’t have a disc burner you can buy an external one for about $50-100. CDs hold about 600 MB of data, or enough for your vacation photos if you shot on medium-quality JPG. DVDs hold about 4.5 GB of data or a couple months of pictures (if you shoot RAW this will be more limited). Blu-Ray discs hold about 25GB of data or enough for an entire year’s worth of JPG images which make them very well suited for long-term image backup. Even if you already use a hard drive or cloud solution, it’s still a good idea to make regular backups of your pictures to some type of physical disc that you can then store in a safe deposit box or even mail to a trusted friend or family member. One of the notable downsides to disc-based backups is that this media is prone to the same harsh realities of time as any hard drive. Sooner or later all discs that you create at home will fail due to a concept known as “bit rot” which is when the layer of dye inside a CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray that actually contains your data deteriorates over time. It might be a few years or 50 years, but it’s almost certainly going to happen to every disc you burn. Thankfully some drives are capable of burning a special format of Blu-Ray called M-Disc which is supposed to keep your data safe for hundreds of years. Even though the actual discs are a little more expensive it could be well worth it to make sure your images aren’t lost to dust and decay over the years.  It might be worth your time to dust off that old DVD or Blu-Ray burner and use it as part of your photo backup plan. Annual planWhen adding a disc-based component to your backup strategy I recommend making it part of an annual ritual instead of something you do monthly or weekly. Get a Blu-Ray burner so you can store all your pictures from the whole year and make the process of burning a disc and taking it to a safe deposit box an annual tradition. It might seem silly at first, but it could really save your digital life if you ever need it. The SolutionThe great challenge with backing up your digital images is that all methods have their positive and negative aspects, no one single solution is best. And very few things in life are truly permanent, so even if you physically print your pictures they will eventually fade and will also be susceptible to mold, moisture, or physical damage. Any digital backup option is better than none at all. If you leave your photos on your computer or phone without duplicates then you are at risk of putting all your eggs in one basket which is almost certainly guaranteed to fail. The solution, then, is to do something to make sure your pictures don’t meet a premature digital demise. It could be a second hard drive, a cloud-based solution, making a Blu-Ray disk, using a combination of all three, or another method I didn’t even mention. My father still has a hard drive sitting in his closet filled with thousands of images he may never see again. The disk failed years ago and was not backed up. The same thing has happened to many photographers around the world. Don’t let it happen to you. Read more here: What about you? What solution do you use to make sure your pictures are backed up and ready to access if you need them? There are hosts of other solutions I didn’t address in this article and I’m sure other DPS readers would like to know what ideas you have and what works for you. Please share in the comments below. The post How to Create a Solid Backup Strategy for Your Photos by Simon Ringsmuth appeared first on Digital Photography School.      | ||||
| A Fun Project You Can do in Your Own Home – How to Create a Physiogram Posted: 06 Mar 2017 10:00 AM PST Anyone who has ever experimented with shutter speed knows that long exposures can yield some pretty interesting results. Whether it’s light painting at night or capturing the motion blur of a running river, long exposures can truly transform an image. A physiogram is a slightly different take on long exposure projects like light painting. It’s a technique that can easily be done in your living room, with no assistant required. Although the resulting images may look complex, the process to create a physiogram is actually very simple.
 This double-physiogram was created by photographing part of a physiogram, covering the lens mid-exposure, swinging the LED in a different direction and resuming exposure.
What is a Physiogram?Physiography is actually a field of geography that studies the processes and patterns found in the natural environment. The name physiogram is apt because it is a photographic study of the patterns and movement of a suspended object. Imagine an object tethered to a string and suspended from a fixed point. If you push it, the object will swing around in a neat circular motion at first, completing each rotation in roughly the same place each time. However, as the object loses velocity, it will complete an orbit that is increasingly smaller than the last one. The sequence of rotations that the object takes while it swings around isn’t visible to the naked eye. Fortunately, however, we can use photography to reveal these fascinating patterns. By attaching a light source like a flashlight or LED (don’t use a laser pointer – they can wreck your camera’s sensor!) to a rope or string and allowing the object to swing, we can view the entire path of the object in a single long exposure. The resulting photograph or physiogram reveals fascinating patterns and shapes.
What you will need
Note: the tools in the Light Painting Brushes set can work as your light source for this and add color to your physiogram as well. How to create a physiogramTake the LED and tie the length of string to it. Small LED lights on keychains are great because they won’t smash your lens if they fall. They also have a narrow light for better line definition and come with a key ring and chain for hanging perfectly vertical. You can usually pick one up at discount stores.  These novelty keychains are great for creating physiograms because the light source is narrow and bright. They are also easy to suspend from the ceiling. You can depress the ON button with a bit of duct tape. Take the other end of the string and attach it to the ceiling with a pin or hook. You want to fix the LED so that it will swing easily, about a meter and a half (5 feet) above the camera to start. Your camera will be positioned on the floor directly beneath the LED, so make sure each component is securely fastened. Having a UV filter fixed to the lens is a good idea, just in case something does drop on the camera.  The view looking up – I attached my keychain to a length of string suspended from a removable hook in the ceiling Camera setupTo photograph nice clean lines of light, we will need to focus the camera on the head of the LED. This can be difficult when the camera is laying on the floor, and the LED is hard to define against the background of the roof. Instead, place your camera directly underneath the LED and place a piece of white paper beneath the camera to mark the spot (you may need to mark an X on the paper as your camera cannot focus on just white, it needs contrast). Then, take your camera and position it beside the hanging LED. Autofocus on the piece of paper and once it locks, turn the autofocus function off. To start off, set your exposure time to 30 seconds at f/16 with 100 ISO. Position your camera beneath the LED, turn the LED on and turn out the room lights. Give the LED a good push, but be careful not to swing it so hard that it goes out of frame. Wait until the light settles into an even motion and press the shutter button.  This exposure was taken directly after I swung the LED. The rippled effects are due to the light source moving out of sync with the rest of the pendulum set-up. As centrifugal force takes over, the lines become smoother. Once your exposure is complete, have a look at the results! This project does require some trial and error to perfect, adjustments to your pushing technique, exposure time, and changing the length of the string or the light source are all ways you can refine the final image. A shutter release cable or remote trigger is handy too if you are experiencing camera shake.  The physiogram was made with a flashlight. The lines look thicker because the light from it is wider. Using a small LED means that you will see more defined lines. Tidy it up in PhotoshopAlthough you need a dark room to properly photograph a physiogram, you may find that part of the background still shows up in your photographs. This is caused by the light of the LED spilling around the room as it swings. The easiest way to fix this is by adjusting the black point in Photoshop. By adjusting the black point, you can reset what is interpreted as the blackest point in an image, without compromising the white light of the physiogram.  The roof and light can still be seen in this image due to the light spilling from the light source. Adjusting the black point in Photoshop is the easiest way to darken the background without affecting the pattern of the physiogram First, open your image in Photoshop and select Curves (in the adjustment layers panel or via Image > Adjustments > Curves). Click on the eyedropper tool with the black ink and the cursor will change to the eyedropper icon. Now click on an area in the background of the image, preferably a lighter tone that occurs consistently throughout the unwanted backdrop.  Click this eyedropper.  Then click on an area of the background you want to be pure black.  And voila!  See how much cleaner the background is now. As soon as you click an area in the image, any tone up to the selected tone will be reset to read as completely black. It may take you a few tries to get the background uniformly dark (if you don’t like what it did, undo it click a different spot). This will also get rid of light fittings from your image as well as the hook that fixes the LED to the roof. Spice it up a littleOnce you get the hang of creating physiograms, switch it up a little! You can put layers of cellophane, glad wrap or glass over the lens for different textural and color effects. Change the light source, string length or zoom in and out during the exposure to create different pattern results. This is a great opportunity to have fun and experiment, so enjoy! If you have kids they will love helping you with this project. Please give it a try and post your results in the comments below.  I used glad wrap over the lens to soften the lines of this physiogram. The sharp lines indicate the beginning of the exposure with no glad wrap. The softer, more central lines have been taken with the glad wrap over the lens towards the end of the exposure.  Some lines in this physiogram aren’t visible. The beak of the Angry Bird keychain blocked light from the LED. I quite like the effect, however.  To create the multi-coloured effect in this image I used the gradient tool and blending layers function in Photoshop
The post A Fun Project You Can do in Your Own Home – How to Create a Physiogram by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.    | ||||
| 9 Ways to Ensure You Get Sharp Images When Photographing People Posted: 06 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST If you are struggling with soft or blurry images, you are not alone. Many photographers have difficulty with getting crisp, clear, in-focus images. This is especially true when taking pictures of people. It can be done, though, if you take the right steps. Try out these nine tips to make sure you get sharp images when you are photographing people. With a little practice, you should start seeing results right away.
1. Shutter SpeedIf you set your shutter speed too slow, chances are that your images are not going to be as sharp as you want them to be. Make sure to set your shutter speed at least the same speed as the focal length of your lens. To be extra sure, you could even double it. For example, if you are shooting with a 35mm lens, make sure your shutter speed is set to 1/35th (doubled – 1/70th) or faster. If you are shooting with an 85mm lens, set the shutter speed to 1/90th (double to 1/170th) or faster.  Shutter speed 1/1640th of a second. 2. Steady HandsTo hold your camera steady, firmly plant your hands on your camera and make sure that you are not shaking, even slightly. Ideally, a tripod could eliminate the possibility of this, but if you are shooting handheld, make sure to keep things as steady as you can. Even the slightest movement could cause your photo to become out of focus.  Shot handheld. 3. Set Your Focal PointThere are a few ways to set your focus, but one great way is to set your focal point to the center focal point on your camera and focus in on the person you want to photograph. You can change the points around, but generally, the center one will give you the clearest focus.  Shot with the camera set to the center focal point. 4. Look at the EyesIf you are taking a photo of just one person, set your focus on their eyes. The eyes are generally what will stand out in a great portrait, so making sure that they are in focus is key. Remember those focal points? Make sure that center one is lined up right on their eye.
Note: if the person is posed slightly sideways, always focus on the eye closest to the camera. 5. Pose ThemIf you are taking a photo with more than one person or a family, the way you pose them can affect the sharpness and focus. An easy pose which helps to make sure the focus will stay sharp is lining them up. Keep everyone on the same plane (equidistant from the lens). This will be helpful especially if you are still learning manual shooting mode, and working with your aperture. When you pose a group of people for a picture and they are in multiple lines, or if you have some closer to the camera, while others are farther away, this could make it more difficult to get everyone in sharp focus.
6. Setting Your ApertureThe wider you set your aperture, the greater the chance there may be some parts of the image that are out of focus. Remember how you’re going to pose them? When you pose the people in a line on the same plane, you can keep your aperture wider and lower the risk for a blurry photo. It is also easier to shoot with a wider aperture if you are just photographing one individual.  Shot at aperture f/2.2 7. Focus on the Person Closest to YouIf there are many people in your photo, set the focal point on the person closest to you. Ideally, this person will also be in the center of the group. This will help to make sure that they are in focus as well as any people in the photo that are behind them. Then, adjust your aperture to make sure all group members will be in focus. 8. Choose Your LensNot all lenses are created the same and some are better at capturing sharp images than others. It’s not necessarily always the most expensive lenses either. A good starter lens that has great focus and won’t break your bank account is the 50mm f/1.8. A few other great lenses that generally produce sharp photos and aren’t as pricey are the 85mm f/1.8 or the 50mm f/1.4.  Shot with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. 9. Clean Your GearIf you’ve tried all these steps and you are still experiencing soft, blurry pictures, it may be time to clean your equipment. If it’s been awhile (or if you’ve never had it cleaned), take your camera and lenses into a local camera shop you trust and have them clean your gear for you. Hopefully, that will make a big different in the sharpness of your images. Now you try it. Next time you go out to photo shoot, think about these steps and carefully plan to get sharp images. Don’t just assume it’s automatically going to happen. With practice you will get it, so keep trying. The post 9 Ways to Ensure You Get Sharp Images When Photographing People by Emily Supiot appeared first on Digital Photography School.    | ||||
| The Power of a Photograph – Iconic Moments Captured as Images Posted: 05 Mar 2017 10:00 AM PST As photographers, we have a great power. We can capture moments in time that are unique, iconic, emotional and powerful. Photography has the power to change things.  By Bronson ABbott See some of the ways that photographs have this power:
How do you use your photography in powerful ways? What are you favorite iconic photographs from history and why? Please share in the comments below about how you feel photography is powerful in our lives. The post The Power of a Photograph – Iconic Moments Captured as Images by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.    | ||||
| dPS Writer’s Favorite Lenses: I’m Torn Between My Nifty Fifty and 70-200mm F2.8 Posted: 05 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST  I use my 50mm lens almost exclusively when I’m shooting abstract images. I won’t lie to you, I’m genuinely torn here. There are two lenses that I could probably say were my favorites. One of those lenses became my favorite out of necessity. It was the only one I owned when I first started shooting with a DSLR. The other became favorite because of its versatility and something much more personal than professional.  This image was shot with my 50mm lens. It was one of my first attempts at fine art photography. It’s so sharp.  The large aperture of the 50mm allowed me to shoot during low-light situations. It all started with the 50mm lensLet’s head back in history to 2006 when I bought my first DSLR. I found a used Canon Rebel for sale online for $200. It came with a 50mm prime lens. That was fantastic; it was in my budget. I didn’t have a lot of money at the time as I was raising three kids under the age of six. I struck a deal with the seller, and I was in business. When I went to my first camera course, the instructor laughed when he saw my gear. I thought, at first he was making fun of my gear. But, I was wrong, he was excited for me. He said having just the one lens would push me to be creative and to learn and find out how to take great photos. I would have no choice but to think about my composition because of the limitations of my gear. He said he wished all of his students were as limited as I was and that relying on gadgets and a zoom lens stunted creativity. They could essentially cheat instead of learning to see the photograph and position themselves correctly. He inspired me to push myself to learn everything I could about 50mm.  The 50mm lens is ideal for portraits. It’s lightweight and easy for me to move around with. I shot landscapes, portraits, macros, and everything in between. I love my 50mm lens because it’s light-weight and affordable. But, I love my nifty 50 because my photos are tack sharp. The bokeh with it is beautiful too, and I love experimenting with the larger aperture. The lens offers photographers so many creative possibilities. Seriously, what lens could be better?  This is one of the rare times that I was able to use my 50mm with my family. My second love – the 70-200mm f/2.8 I love the bokeh in this shot. The 70-200mm f/2.8 is awesome for this feature. Well, it’s time for my second love to make an entrance. I love my 70-200mm f/2.8. This lens was also my first big glass purchase. I scrimped and saved for months to be able to buy it. At the time it seemed like an immense sacrifice, but it was worth it. The lens is very versatile. I can use it for portraits, indoor sports, macro shooting, and candid images on the street. Really, I can use it for anything. It’s not overly heavy so I can hand hold it for extended periods of time, which is very nice. The large aperture is helpful for low light situations or when I need a fast shutter speed. It’s tack sharp, and the bokeh is beautiful. I take it everywhere. My 70-200mm has been on canoe trips and suffered rainstorms (albeit covered with a large garbage bag). It is my workhorse.  The focal length of the 70-200mm is perfect for so many types of shots including street shooting or silhouettes at the beach. All the reasons I listed, however, are not why this lens is my favorite. There is one thing about this lens that makes it unique. This one thing is more personal than it is professional. Those of you who have children will totally connect with me on this element. The longer focal length of this lens means that I can capture authentic images of my family. My kids are very much sick of their mother taking their photos. They’ve been there and done that far too much. I can never get them to cooperate when I use my 50mm. Instead, my 70-200mm allows me to capture them from a distance. I can be discreet and not invade their fun. I can catch them laughing and acting naturally. Some of my most cherished shots have come from moments like this. I’m sure my family knows I have my camera out and pointed at them, but because I’m not right in their faces they forget about me. Or at the very least they can ignore me. It’s the one thing I can’t do with my 50mm, and for this reason, the 70-200mm wins a special place in my heart.  I like shooting landscapes with the 70mm range on this lens. There are emotional ties to this lens He was just having fun. He wasn’t aware of my presence with my camera. Yes, his face is a little soft, but this shot is emotional and personal, not professional. Forget all the features and the specs. I’m not overly worried about chromatic aberration or vibration reduction controls. The 70-200mm holds a place in my heart because it allows me to capture the love and adoration I have for my children. I can make precious memories. My 70-200mm is an emotional favorite. It’s a very personal preference. It is a beautiful, durable, incredible lens that helps me succeed in my business – but it also helps me to capture personal memories.  Capturing joy; I think it’s a great reason to love this lens.  I could have zoomed in more, but I wanted to capture the environment too. Your favorite lensWhat’s your favorite lens? Share it with us in the comments below. Maybe you love your inexpensive 18-55mm kit lens. Tell us why. We want to hear your stories. Forget the specs, what kinds of joy does the lens bring to your life?  My teenager has become so jaded that my 70-200mm is the only way I can capture images of him. The post dPS Writer’s Favorite Lenses: I’m Torn Between My Nifty Fifty and 70-200mm F2.8 by Erin Fitzgibbon appeared first on Digital Photography School.    | ||||
| How to Enhance your Black and White images with Infrared Photography Posted: 04 Mar 2017 10:00 AM PST This article will give you some tips on how you can enhance your black and white images by using infrared photography.
Infrared photography for something differentAre you a fan of black and white photography? Like many, I love a good black and white image. The mood you can exude from the shadows and light always fascinates me. When I was new to photography, I mostly avoided black and white landscapes. I used it mainly a handy way to hide the sporadically bizarre white balance my old Olympus EPL1 used to occasionally surprise me with. Infrared photography (IR) also took a while to attract my attention. I wasn’t a huge fan of the typical false colour images, but quite liked the black and white IR photos, particularly the work of Simon Marsden. If you haven’t explored his portfolio of dark and atmospheric infrared film photography, you are missing something unique. Anyway, after a while, I started doing more black and white landscape images, and eventually followed the urge to get into IR images purely for their unique monochrome potential.
I went down the path of buying a modified camera off Ebay. You can buy anything from a point and shoot to a full frame DSLR, and everything in between. If you have an old body you can always get it converted, but it’s worth checking the cost against buying one that’s already been modified. I picked up an Olympus EPM1 for around AUD $300 ($230 USD). The advantage for me was being able use the same lenses and batteries I already had for the EPL1. Why buy a modified camera rather than use IR filters?Filters are a great and relatively inexpensive way to get into IR photography, but they have their limitations. The main attraction of a modified camera is that you are not limited to the long exposures needed for an IR filter. You can capture sharp images in any conditions, and can be more creative with your exposures (e.g. pick the perfect shutter speed for moving water). You can shoot handheld from any point of view without being limited by a tripod.
It is also much quicker. When using filters, you need set your focus before attaching the filter which can become tiresome. I used to take my IR camera with me for a run along the river. Without the need for a tripod, I could travel light and take quick photos whenever an interesting composition presented itself.
What can infrared photography bring do for a landscape photographer?Perhaps the most striking characteristics of infrared photography are the typical white vegetation, black water, and dark skies. You can create punchy, high contrast images. The middle of the day works best for these type of shots. Perfect for those landscape photographers that hate early mornings! If you like capturing the complex patterns in clouds, you’ll find that the black skies really allow the clouds to stand out.
IR also gives you clarity. Any haze visible to the eye tends to disappear in infrared photography. So you can achieve a very crisp and contrasty look.
The deciding factor for me was tone. I found the infrared monos gave me a wonderful palette of greys and blacks to work with, particularly for trees and vegetation. The balance between light and dark just seems easier to manage in infrared and really lets you produce some unique images.
ProcessingSo what processing should you use for infrared photography? The short answer is not much really. Experiment to find out what works for you. Myself, I don’t normally use Lightroom or Photoshop, so my workflow may be a little different than yours. But the principles will be the same. I import my raw images into Corel’s AfterShot Pro, which is a handy little raw file editor. Here I’ll straighten the image, adjust the exposure, and maybe increase the contrast if required. My infrared raw files come into AfterShot Pro displaying blue-grey hues, which is a good starting point for me. From here I export them as TIFFs into PaintShop Pro. PaintShop Pro has a “Black and White Film” effect that lets you apply a colour filter to your image. Changing your filter between blue, red, and green gives a different result. From here it is a matter of personal taste adjusting the light and dark of your image, the white and black points to suite the image, and maybe applying curves as appropriate.
What is the Secret Sauce?Infrared photography is wonderfully clean and crisp. But what if you love that IR film look with a ghostly flare? But when you apply it to a proper infrared image as a starting point, you get a wonderful controlled flare effect. It doesn’t quite match the often spooky and surreal results Simon Marsden achieved with IR film, but it does get you a lot closer than anything else.
The flare can be applied to give a sense of mystery, mood, and surrealness that is hard to replicate any other way. Are there any downsides to infrared photography?Not really. The only big drawback you’ll find is that you cannot use your favourite filters. Standard neutral density and polarizers do not work in the IR spectrum. If you sky is very bright and your subject is dark, you’ll just have to blend a few different exposures. Shooting in RAW of course gives you more leeway, but my Olympus files are not as forgiving as my Nikon files when recovering blown highlights.
The only other thing I notice is that some people get so enamoured by the white leaves and black sky effect that they forget to put their attention on the composition. Yes, everything looks cool in IR, but don’t take pictures of everything. Aim for strong compositions and uncluttered images. IR really shines with a minimalist approach.
Many dismiss infrared photography as an oddity; a strange niche that is a bit too left of centre for them. Others just think it is too hard and expensive to get into. But if you like creating black and white images that stand out from the crowd, I’d suggest you have a crack at it. You’ll find it a challenge but also quite rewarding.
The post How to Enhance your Black and White images with Infrared Photography by Matthew Larsen appeared first on Digital Photography School.    | ||||
| Why Learning the Pen Tool in Photoshop is Worth the Effort Posted: 04 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST Recently, I had a conversation about the selection tools in Photoshop and which one would be best for isolating an image from the background. The main bone of contention my colleague had with the Pen Tool was the simple fact that it is frustrating to come to terms with if you are a complete novice and it does require considerable time and effort to master. With so many other quicker ways to make a selection in Photoshop, why bother with the Pen Tool? I do agree that it is not the most intuitive tool straight out of the box. However, of all the selection options in Photoshop’s armory, the Pen Tool is the most accurate for making selections. If you need to make selections which require straight lines and curves then the Pen Tool is the one to use.  A tent cut out using the Pen Tool in Photoshop and place against a different background. What makes using the Pen Tool for the first time a little daunting is getting used to its behavior which is different than the other selection tools in Photoshop. However, if you are faced with a complex selection such as cutting out hair or a tree with a multitude of branches, I wouldn’t hesitate but to use the the Refine Edge feature, Channels or Color Range. Right tool for the right job. In this article, I will demonstrate why I use the Pen Tool and believe it is worth the time and effort required to learn how to use it well. Where is the Pen Tool in Photoshop? The Pen Tool is just located above the Text Tool. The Pen Tool is located just above the Text Tool on the main Photoshop toolbar. As you can see from the fly-out menu, there are five features (options) to the Pen Tool. Directly below the Text Tool, you will see a White Arrow, this is the Direct Selection Tool (and if you hold down your mouse the Black Arrow appears which is the Path Selection Tool). I’ll explain the importance of these tools later on.  Direct Selection Tool
How the Pen Tool worksPhotoshop is a pixel image editor. The Pen Tool creates an outline or path (vector shape) by using anchor points. These paths can be opened or closed and can be viewed in the Paths panel (which similar to the Layers panel) where each path can have its own layer. You can then make a selection from a path. This means that you are working non-destructively on your image which is always a good thing. These paths can be saved and re-edited over and over. So the time spent on a selection can be saved for future use or further refined at a later date. Working with PathsI thought a video would be a good idea to illustrate how the Pen Tool works in Photoshop. The Pen Tool is a little harder to grasp initially in comparison to the other tools in Photoshop. I hope you find it useful. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comment section below. With Photoshop open, select the Pen Tool. Make sure you have the Paths option selected in the Options Bar (as shown below). Click anywhere on the canvas to create an anchor point and click again to create a second anchor point, this will draw a straight line. Click three more times and you will have created a square path.  The Path selected in the Options Bar in Photoshop.  Click on the canvas to apply anchor points which create straight lines.  Click four anchor points to create a square or rectangle path. If you go over to the Paths panel, you will see that the path is stored here. You can name it, for example, “square”. Click on the downward arrow at the top right-hand corner and select Make Selection. A pop-up dialog box appears. I usually select 0.3 pixel for feather radius. Click Ok and the familiar marching ants appear on your image, as your selection.  To save a path, click on the word path in the Paths Panel.  Name the path that you have just created. Using curves with the Pen ToolThat was straight forward but what if you want to make a selection with curves. This is where the Pen Tool gets a bit tricky. This process is similar to above, but to create a curve, you need to click and drag until control handles appear on both sides of the anchor point. To make this easier to follow, let’s draw a circle shape with the eclipse tool while holding the Shift key.  To help us draw a circle using the Pen Tool, let’s create a circle shape first using the eclipse tool while holding down the Shift key. Click and drag on any part of the perimeter of the circle and release your mouse/stylus. Continue around the circle and click and drag again in the direction that you are making the selection. Now you have a curved line between the two anchor points. Hold the Cmd key and the cursor will change to a white arrow head. This is the Direct Selection Tool. Keep holding the Cmd key and move over to one of the control handles, click on it and move the handle. The cursor now becomes a black arrow head and the curve line can be modified to mould exactly around the circle shape. Release holding down the Cmd key and the cursor returns to the Pen Tool.  Click and drag to create the first anchor part with control handles.  Continue clicking and dragging around the circle until you have traced a full outline of the circle.  Now to make a selection from the path, go over to the Paths panel and click on the downward arrow top right-hand corner and select Make Selection.  I have hidden the circle shape in the Layers panel to show only the marching ants where the selection has been made from the path. When you have gone around the circle shape to close the path, a small degree sign symbol appears beside the arrow-head to denote that this is the end-point of the path. Using the Pen Tool is a case of practice, some patience, and time to get used to it. Keyboard shortcutsThe following keyboard shortcuts, which are in close proximity to each other, will speed up things. I tend to delete one of the control handles when I make a selection. Hold down the Alt key and click on the anchor point. I find this makes the selection process faster.
Let’s take a look at two examples of the Pen Tool in action.I’ll begin with an easy example, I’m going to cut out this beach ball and put it on a different background. I added a shadow, a gradient overlay, and some burning to give it a more realistic look. In the next example, I cut out the tent using exactly the same method as described above.  Beach ball shot on a table in my back garden.  The beach scene that will be the new background.  The beach ball was isolated and cut-out using the Pen Tool then placed onto the beach background.  I added a shadow underneath the ball to match the midday sun of the background image.  A gradient overlay was added to match the light of the background and some burning underneath the ball was done as well. I shot the tent in my back yard and will replace the background with a forest scene. I added some curves adjustments and a gradient overlay to create the impression that the tent was shot against this background. If this were a client brief, I would have added grass using the Brush Tool around the base of the tent to reinforce a more natural look.  The tent as shot in my back yard.  The forest background.  The cut-out tent, reduced in size slightly and placed against the new background.  A close up showing how accurate you can be with the Pen Tool. I did further retouching to match the light of the background with the tent. You can see the final image below.
SummaryThe Pen Tool is excellent for making those selections where accuracy is important. There is a definite learning curve for mastering how it works. With a bit time and practice, you will find it easier to use and if your work requires isolating objects/subjects from their backgrounds then the Pen Tool is a must. It’s not the fastest tool to work with, but that said, the positives outweigh the initial teething problems. Pros:
Do you use the Pen Tool? What is your favorite selection method? Please leave your comments below. The post Why Learning the Pen Tool in Photoshop is Worth the Effort by Sarah Hipwell appeared first on Digital Photography School.    | ||||
| Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Portraits Posted: 03 Mar 2017 10:00 AM PST  By Johnny Silvercloud In these 21 images, we looked at some great examples of black and white portraits. Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White PortraitsThis week we’ve also had a few articles that may help you with this challenge:
Share your images below:Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.  By Carlyle Ellis Photography/Human Quotient  By Carlyle Ellis Photography/Human Quotient  By fiction of reality  By Tinker & Rove Share in the dPS Facebook GroupYou can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well. The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White Portraits by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.    | ||||
| 21 Dramatic Black and White Portraits Posted: 03 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST There is something timeless about a black and white portrait. Let’s look at a few examples from several photographers. Here are 21 fine examples of dramatic black and white portraits.  By Dragos Jianu  By Luigi Morante  By Elvin  By Cerisse ?  By FREDBOUAINE ?  By Matthieu Potin  By Ivan Constantin  By Pierre Lognoul  By Kirtap Novar  By Michael Salvato  By Thomas Hawk  By Roberto Taddeo  By Anne Worner  By Daniel Sjöström  By Raúl González  By Pierre Lognoul  By stephane  By M Meijerink  By Ines Njers The post 21 Dramatic Black and White Portraits by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.    |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Digital Photography School. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments :
Post a Comment