A Guide to Post Processing Your Images: Photo Nuts and Post
I’m extremely excited today to be able to announce the launch of a much anticipated eBook – Photo Nuts and POST by Neil Creek.
- In January 2010 we released the first eBook in this series – Photo Nuts and BOLTS which is all about understanding how your camera works and how to take full control of it.
- In January 2011 we released Photo Nuts and SHOTS which built upon the first eBook to cover techniques and tools to use your camera to take great photos.
- Today – January 2012 we release Photo Nuts and POST – which is all about what to do with your images once you’ve taken them.
While the first two Photo Nuts eBooks are all about taking the best photos possible (the only real place to start with great photos) – Photo Nuts and POST is about helping those photos to come to life.
What is it About?
This is not an eBook about making bad photos look amazing. Neil’s written two eBooks already emphasising the importance of getting the best possible photo when you take that photo. Rather this is an eBook about taking those photos and turning them into a finished, polished and appropriately prepared photo for whatever need you have (online sharing, printing or publishing).
As I wrote in the forward of this eBook:
For years my own approach was to avoid post-production; my mindset was that great photographers always got it right in camera anyway and that any processing work was somehow ‘fake’. Over time, however, I’ve come to see the benefit of some gentle processing on my images – not to hide anything but to bring them alive and to reflect the reality of the scenes and subjects that I capture.
While getting your photos right in camera is the only real place to start, this ebook is all about putting the tools and techniques in your hands to take those good images and lift them to new levels through post-production.
I was delighted to work with Neil on this ebook because his approach to post-production is similar to my own. I therefore trust that you’ll also enjoy learning about how post-production can help unleash the potential in your own images.
Who is Photo Nuts and POST for?
- Those who want to process their photos and don’t know where to get started
- Anyone who is skeptical about processing but is keen to explore it
- Photographers who see amazing photos online and want their own photos to look like them
- Anyone who struggles with an aspect of processing for eg – workflow or culling a big shoot
- Anyone who has just started learning processing and wants to take it further
If you own a dSLR camera you owe it to yourself to learn about digital post processing.
FAQ
- What post processing software does this eBook teach? – this eBook is written to be as software-agnostic as possible, but by necessity some of the terminology and examples may be influenced by Neil’s personal choice of Adobe’s Lightroom. Screen shots of examples are mostly from Lightroom, but he has striven to keep them relevant to other software choices.
- Can I read it on my iPad – yes. This eBook is a PDF and can be read on your computer or any other PDF reading device. To read it on your iPad simply download it to your computer and then upload it to iBooks (or any other PDF reading app).
- Is it Guaranteed? – yes, like all of our eBooks if you buy a copy and find it doesn’t suit your needs just contact us within 60 days of purchase for a full no questions asked refund.
- Is there a hard cover version? – Unfortunately not – we only do eBooks at this point in time.
- Got Questions or Needing Help? – If you have any problems with the purchase or download simply contact our friendly support staff. Please include the name of the eBook you are asking for support on as well as your PayPal email address if you have made a purchase.
Special Launch Discount: 33% Off
To celebrate the launch of Photo Nuts and POST we’re offering it for $19.99 – 33% off the normal price.
For more information on it check out the Photo Nuts and POST
Or to secure your copy directly, simply click the Download it Now button below.
You’ll be taken to a page where you can make your payment via PayPal or Credit card and get immediate access for download.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
A Guide to Post Processing Your Images: Photo Nuts and Post
33 Inspirational Images that Feature Patterns and Repetition
Our world is filled with patterns. They’re everywhere when you start looking for them and they can be a powerful element to think about when out and about with your camera.
Below are 33 images that feature patterns of different kinds. Some are found in architecture and some in nature. Some of these patterns are exact geometric patterns, others are less so, but still feature repetition. Enjoy! (PS: click each image to be taken to the photographers flickr page where you can learn more about the image).
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
33 Inspirational Images that Feature Patterns and Repetition
How to Photograph Fireworks Displays
Do you want to know how to photograph fireworks? With New Years Eve just days away I thought I’d refresh this article in which I give 10 Fireworks Photography tips to help you get started.
Fireworks Displays are something that evoke a lot of emotion in people as they are not only beautiful and spectacular to watch but they also are often used to celebrate momentous occasions.
I’ve had many emails from readers asking how to photograph fireworks displays, quite a few of whom have expressed concern that they might just be too hard to really photograph. My response is always the same – ‘give it a go – you might be surprised at what you end up with’.
My reason for this advice is that back when I bought my first ever SLR (a film one) one of the first things I photographed was fireworks and I was amazed by how easy it was and how spectacular the results were. I think it’s even easier with a digital camera as you can get immediate feedback as to whether the shots you’ve taken are good or not and then make adjustments.
Of course it’s not just a matter of going out finding a fireworks display – there are, as usual, things you can do to improve your results. With New Years Eve just around the corner I thought I’d share a few fireworks digital photography tips:
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1. Use a Tripod
Perhaps the most important tip is to secure your digital camera to something that will ensure it doesn’t move during the taking of your shots. This is especially important in photographing fireworks simply because you’ll be using longer shutter speeds which will not only capture the movement of the fireworks but any movement of the camera itself. The best way to keep your camera still is with a tripod (read our series on tripods and how to use and buy them). Alternatively – keep in mind that there are other non Tripod options for beating camera shake.
2. Remote Release
One way to ensure your camera is completely still during fireworks shots is to invest in a remote release device. These will vary from camera to camera but most have some sort of accessory made for them. The other way of taking shots without touching your camera is to use the self timer. This can work but you really need to be able to anticipate shots well and its very very hit and miss (read more on remote shutter releases).
3. Framing Your Shot
One of the most difficult parts of photographing fireworks is working out where to aim your camera. The challenge you’ll face in doing this is that you generally need to aim your camera before the fireworks that you’ll be photographing goes off – anticipation is key. Here are a few points on getting your framing right.
- Scope out the location early – Planning is important with fireworks and getting to the location early in order to get a good, unobstructed position is important. Think about what is in the foreground and background of your shots and make sure you won’t have people’s heads bobbing up into your shots (also consider what impact you’ll have on others around you also). Take note of where fireworks are being set up and what parts of the sky they are likely to be shot into – you might also want to try to ask some of those setting up the display for a little information on what they are planning. Also consider what focal lengths you might want to use and choose appropriate lenses at this time (rather than in the middle of the show).
- Watch your Horizons - One thing that you should always consider when lining up fireworks shots is whether your camera is even or straight in it’s framing. This is especially important if you’re going to shooting with a wide focal length and will get other background elements in your shots (ie a cityscape). Keeping horizons straight is something we covered previously on this site and is important in fireworks shots also. As you get your camera on your tripod make sure it’s level right from the time you set up.
- Vertical or Horizontal? – There are two main ways of framing shots in all types of photography, vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape). Both can work in fireworks photography but I personally find a vertical perspective is better – particularly as there is a lot of vertical motion in fireworks. Horizontal shots can work if you’re going for more of a landscape shot with a wider focal length of if you’re wanting to capture multiple bursts of fireworks in the one shot – but I don’t tend to go there that often.
- Remember your framing – I find that when I photograph fireworks that I spend less time looking in my viewfinder and more looking at the sky directly. As a result it’s important to remember what framing you have and to watch that segment of the sky. Doing this will also help you to anticipate the right time for a shot as you’ll see the light trails of unexploded rockets shooting into the sky.
4. Focal Length?
One of the hardest parts of photographing fireworks is having your camera trained on the right part of the sky at the right time. This is especially difficult if you’re shooting with a longer focal length and are trying to take more tightly cropped shots. I generally shoot at a wider focal length than a tight one but during a show will try a few tighter shots (I usually use a zoom lens to give me this option) to see if I can get lucky with them. Of course zoomed in shots like the one to the left can be quite effective also. They enable you to really fill the frame with great color. Keep in mind however that cropping of your wider angle fireworks shots can always be done later to get a similar impact in your photography.
5. Aperture
A common question around photographing fireworks displays is what aperture to use. Many people think you need a fast lens to get them but in reality it’s quite the opposite as the light that the fireworks emit is quite bright. I find that apertures in the mid to small range tend to work reasonably well and would usually shoot somewhere between f/8 to f/16.
6. Shutter Speed
Probably more important to get right than aperture is shutter speed. Fireworks move and as a result the best photographs of them capture this movement meaning you need a nice long exposure. The technique that I developed when I first photographed fireworks was to shoot in ‘bulb’ mode. This is a mode that allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter (preferably using a remote shutter release of some type). Using this technique you hit the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it’s finished exploding (generally a few seconds).
You can also experiment with set shutter speeds to see what impact it will have but I find that unless you’re holding the shutter open for very long exposures that the bulb technique works pretty well.
Don’t keep your shutter open too long. The temptation is to think that because it’s dark that you can leave it open as long as you like. The problem with this is that fireworks are bright and it doesn’t take too much to over expose them, especially if your shutter is open for multiple bursts in the one area of the sky. By all means experiment with multiple burst shots – but most people end up finding that the simpler one burst shots can be best.
7. ISO
Shooting at a low ISO is preferable to ensure the cleanest shots possible. Stick to ISO 100 and you should be fine.
8. Switch off your Flash
Shooting with a flash will have no impact upon your shots except to trick your camera into thinking it needs a short exposure time. Keep in mind that your camera’s flash will only have a reach of a few meters and in the case of fireworks even if they were this close a flash wouldn’t really have anything to light except for some smoke which would distract from the real action (the flashing lights).Switch your flash off.
9. Shoot in Manual Mode
I find I get the best results when shooting in manual exposure and manual focus modes. Auto focusing in low light can be very difficult for many cameras and you’ll end up missing a lot of shots. Once your focusing is set you’ll find you don’t really need to change it during the fireworks display – especially if you’re using a small aperture which increases depth of field. Keep in mind that changing focal lengths will mean you need to need to adjust your focusing on most lenses.
10. Experiment and Track Results
Throughout the fireworks display periodically check your results. I generally will take a few shots at the start and do a quick check to see that they are OK before shooting any more. Don’t check after every shot once you’ve got things set up OK (or you’ll miss the action) but do monitor yours shots occasionally to ensure you’re not taking a completely bad batch.
Also experiment with taking shots that include a wider perspective, silhouettes and people around you watching the display. Having your camera pointed at the sky can get you some wonderful shots but sometimes if you look for different perspectives you can get a few shots that are a little less cliche and just as spectacular. Most of the best shots that I’ve seen in the researching of this article have included some other element than the fireworks themselves – whether it be people, buildings, landmarks or wider cityscape perspectives.
More Tips from DPS Readers
- “Find Out the Direction of the Wind – You want to shoot up wind, so it goes Camera, Fireworks, Smoke. Otherwise they’ll come out REALLY hazy.”
- “Also, I find that if you shoot from a little further back and with a little more lens, you can set the lens to manual focus, focus it at infinity and not have to worry about it after that.”
- “Remember to take advantage of a zero processing costs and take as many pictures as possible (more than you’d normally think necessary). That way, you’ll up your chances of getting that “perfect” shot.”
- “Make sure you are ready to take pictures of the first fireworks. If there isn’t much wind, you are going to end up with a lot of smoke in your shot. The first explosions are usually the sharpest one.”
- “Get some black foam core and set your camera to bulb. Start the exposure when the fireworks start with the piece of foam core in front of the lens. Every time a burst happens move the foam core out of the way. You will get multiple firework bursts in one exposure”
- “Another tip I would add to this is pre-focus if possible (need to be able to manually focus or lock down focus for good) before the show starts so other elements in the frame are sharp They did mention that you only need to focus once but its a lot easier to take a few shots before the show starts and check them carefully rather than wait until the show has begun and you are fiddling with focus instead of watching fireworks!”
Tell us your fireworks display photography tips in comments below. Don’t forget to tell us which city you’re in and what the fireworks are like there!
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PS: Got some fireworks photos to share with us? Head over to our forum where there are a few fireworks photography discussions taking place.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
How to Photograph Fireworks Displays
How to Take Beautiful Bokeh Christmas Images [With 31 Stunning Examples]
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas… and in our forums I’ve noticed more and more great Christmas images being shared – some of which feature a technique that is always popular at this time of year – Bokeh Christmas lights shots.
The technique takes a bit of experimenting and practice but is relatively simple to do. You need some Christmas lights and a camera lens with a reasonably ‘fast’ aperture (or a large aperture).
The key is to shoot at the larger end of your available aperture – this throws the background (and foreground) of your shot out of focus and any Christmas lights in the foreground or background will become little balls of light.
As you’ll see in most of the images featured in this series – the technique is particularly good if you also have some element in your shot that is in focus. This ‘subject’ might be a person, a pet, a Christmas decoration or something else.
You can make the little balls of light bigger by increasing the distance between your in focus subject and the out of focus lights in the background.
While most of the images in this series have the Christmas lights in the background of the image (behind the subject) it is also possible to create the little bokeh balls of light by putting the lights in the foreground of your image (in front of your subject). You can see this in the image below. The impact is a little different as the bokeh balls will cover part of your subject.
Another popular technique is to create different shaped bokeh. You can make stars, hearts or even little snow flakes like the image below.
To get these different little bokeh shapes is pretty simple. You just need to make a little cutout ‘mask’ for your lens. Rather than go over how to do it here check out this video tutorial that will walk you through it here.
The other way to change the shape of your bokeh balls is to experiment with different apertures. You’ll find that in most cases the larger your aperture the rounder the ball – but go for a slightly smaller aperture you may find your bokeh becomes more hexagonal (or Heptagonal or Octagonal… the number of sides will depend upon how many blades your lens has).
The different ways of using this bokeh Christmas lights technique is only limited by your imagination. Here are some more examples to give you ideas. Enjoy!
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
How to Take Beautiful Bokeh Christmas Images [With 31 Stunning Examples]
21 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits
Image by Daniel Zedda
One of the most effective pieces of lighting gear ever invented is available to almost every photographer in the world… unless you’re living in a cave (and even then you might have one).
Image by Anna Gay
It’s the window.
Image by Eric Meuller
I hear many photographers asking about what lighting gear to purchase to light their portraits – but I’m a firm believer that the natural light provided by a window can often do the job as well – if not better – than any expensive gear that you might buy.
Image by Meredith Farmer
Here’s a collection of images that were all taken predominantly with natural light – in most cases at or near a window. Enjoy.
Image by Shandi-Lee
Image by Paul Goyette
Image by John Meuller
Image by Mr Story
Image by Beni Ishaque Luthor
Image by Gabriela Camerotti
Image by The Q
Image by Sebastiano Pitruzzello
Image by Gabriela Camerotti
Image by Jay Ryness
Image by Raymond Larose
Image by gabriele fanelli
Image by Sebastiano Pitruzzello
Image by Jay Ryness
Image by Drew Herron
Image by brice hardelin
Image by Lauren Nelson
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
21 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits
Halloween Photography Tips
With Halloween just a few days away I thought it was time to update our Halloween Photography Tips article with some new information and photos.
Photography Tips to Keep in Mind for Halloween
There are plenty of subjects around to photograph at Halloween ranging from the traditional jack-o-lantern through to people in costume, to trick or treat ‘treats’ etc. It’s a time of color, emotion and lots of interesting subjects.
The keys to capturing them are not that different from the normal keys to good composition in photography. As you photograph Halloween this year keep in mind some of the basics of good digital photography. I’ve selected the following tutorials that we’ve written before that should be helpful in your Halloween photography:
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Find Points of Interest
Before hitting the shutter ask yourself ‘what is the focal point (or point of interest) in this image?’ All good images have something in them that holds the attention of those who view them – learn more about focal points and how to enhance them here.
Rule of Thirds
One way of enhancing the composition of your shots is to place your points of interest inn smart positions. While the rule of thirds can be broken with great effect it’s a useful principle to keep in mind.
Fill Your Frame
Halloween is a time of drama and you can add to this in your images by getting in nice and close and filling the frame with your subjects. Whether it’s people or objects – getting in nice and tight will usually add punch to your shots.
Give Subjects Space to Look into
When photographing people one of the most effective compositional techniques is to use the space around their faces effectively by giving more room on the side of their face that they’re looking into.
Find Fresh Angles
I suspect that the day after Halloween that photo sharing websites will be filled with images of pumpkins that all look much the same. Make your images stand out by finding fresh perspectives to shoot from.
Photograph the Details
It’s easy to be distracted by the flashy parts of a time like Halloween but it’s often when you step back, take a look around and notice the smaller details that you find the ‘money shots’. Times like Halloween are filled with all kinds of smaller details and photo worthy moments including decorations, carving the pumpkin, people getting dressed in costumes, sleeping kids at the end of parties, bags full of treats at the end of the night, the ‘fangs’ in Aunt Marie’s mouth, before and after shots of parties, close ups of food etc
Group Photos
Halloween is a time that people gather together and it’s an ideal time to practice your group photo techniques.
Image by John Althouse Cohen
Candid Photography
Halloween parties are a great time to get your camera out for some candid photos of your friends and family having a great time dressed up in all manner of costumes. Check out these 11 candid photography techniques.
Shooting in Low Light
The type of images that come to mind when I think of Halloween are fairly dark and spooky ones – candles in pumpkins etc. After all, the real action of Halloween seems to happen after dark. As a result you’ll want to think carefully about the light sources for your shots.
To really capture the mood of these situations you’ll want to avoid the stark and bright light of flash photography (or will want to at least pull it back a few stops and diffuse it) and so you’ll need to switch off your flash and do one (or all) of three things to some extent (this is from our exposure triangle series of posts):
- increase your ISO – the larger your number the more sensitive your image sensor is to light and the darker conditions you can shoot in without having to slow down shutter speed. On the downside you’ll get more grainy/noisey shots.
- slow down shutter speed – choosing a longer shutter speed lets more light into your camera. On the downside you’ll see any movement in your shots blur (which might add to the spookiness of the image but could also ruin it). Consider using a tripod if you lengthen your shutter speed.
- use a larger Aperture – this widens the hole in your lens and lets more available light in. It will also lessen the depth of field in your shots. If you have a DSLR with a few different lenses is to use the ‘fastest’ lens you own as it will let you choose larger apertures. For example my f1.4 lens handles low light much better than my f4 lens.
Diffuse Your Flash
Another strategy that I’ve heard of some readers doing at this time of year is diffusing the flash on your camera with colored cellophane to try to lesson its impact upon your shot and also to give the light it produces a glow that might add to your shots – Red might be a good color to try. You’ll probably want to test this before the big night as getting the right density of diffuser will be critical.
Jack-o-Lanterns
Photographing Jack-o-Lanterns is particularly tricky as to get the full effect of the glowing inside the pumpkin is a bit of a tightrope walk between overexposing and underexposing due to the light and dark patches in the shot you take. Instead of just one candle inside it is probably worth using two or three to give a little extra light. Also take a number of shots at different exposures (exposure bracketing) and you should get one or two that give you the impact you’re after.
Got some Halloween Photos to Share? Post them we’d love to see them over at our Forum.
PS: here’s one more shot from one of our forum members who has submitted some amazing pumpkin carving photographs here:
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Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
7 Creative Ways to Use A Ring Flash
Ring flashes (or ring lights) provide some awesome light. They are very common with the fashion industry where they are used to create a glamorous look. However if you want to use one the lights they use on high-end fashion shots, be prepared to say good bye to a couple of Big Ones. The oddly shaped – around the lens – modifier, combined with lots of lighting power does not come cheap.
Luckily new, easy on the pocket, rings lights like the Orbis ($200) and the DIY Ring Flash ($25) provide access to this wonderful tool to the budget minded photographer as long as they own a small hot shoe strobe.
With the wider availability of ring flashes, I thought it would be nice to explore seven ways (both orthodox and unconventional) to use ring flashes.
Use It For Subtle Fill
The most common use for a small ring flash is to use it to create a subtle fill light. Since the light is coming from 100% on-axis, it has very little effect on the scene other than to provide additional light.
Photographer Benjamin Von Wong explains how you create such a photograph:
Use It For Framing
Though it is not trivial, it makes sense to use the ring of light coming from the strobe as a framing element – it provides a perfect white circle of light:
The interesting thing, is that using an ultra wide lens (like 8mm wide) you can also use the edges of the ring as framing element while placing the lens behind it. This is demonstrated by photographer Fallon Chan
Use It To Expose Details On a Hard Light Shot
David Hobby A.K.A Strobist came up with one of the coolest and interesting ways to use a ring flash. Using several strobes as hard lights he creates a contrasty scene. Then he uses a ring flash as fill to add details to the final photograph. you can learn more about this technique here and here.
Use If For Interesting Catch lights
One of the most visible signatures of ring lights is the unique shaped catch lights they produce.
Since the light is coming from a bagel shaped source, they catch light it produces is bagelled as well. This is wonderfully illustrated in John Winters photograph.
If you are going towards this look, one thing that you need to take care of is the distance between the ring flash and your subject. The closer the ring light, the more prominent the catch light effect will be.
Of course, if you are into catch lights, you may want to try having your subject ware sunglasses. While I am not sure that this would qualify as ring light per se, the effect is well worth trying. And if you want to take this into extremes you can always add some star patterns into the ring light.
Use It As Key
Of course it is always an option to use a ring flash as strong key light or even a single light. This is where you can see the “signature” lighting pattern of the ring light at its best. Note the halo of shadow originating around the model as the light hits her exactly from the lens center.
Use It For Macro
If you opt to photograph the small things, a ring flash is your perfect companion. Its even illumination is great for macro shots where you need very soft light.
Use it As Softbox
Lastly, you can forget the fact that this is a ring flash at all and simply use it off camera and off axis as a small softbox.
This is exactly what Tomer Jacobson did for Nadia, his model. Using a Lastolite Triflector Speed-Lite as soft glamorous light with a ring flash coming from top left and actually acting as a softbox to add a bit of directional light.
Your Turn
Are you using ring flash at all? Got any favorite ring flash image? How will you use (or have you used) a ring flash to take great photographs?
About The Author
Udi Tirosh runs DIYPhotography, and makes great photography products.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
7 Creative Ways to Use A Ring Flash
How to Take Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids: New dPS eBook
Today on dPS I’m excited to announce an eBook that is for parents, grandparents or anyone else with kids in their lives – an eBook that is all about helping you to take Gorgeous Photos of Kids. It’s called ‘Click!‘ and you can read all about it here.
My Motivation for Publishing this eBook
It’s an eBook that I have always wanted to publish, and I wanted to share with you personal story that I think explains why…
Recently I was invited to a kids party of a family friend. As usual I took along my digital camera to capture the event. I didn’t take a lot of shots that day but did take a few candid shots of the 3 year old birthday girl enjoying her big day – which I later emailed to the family.
I didn’t think much of it at the time – the shots were not my finest work.
However a couple of days later I received a call from the girls mother. She was obviously moved by the photos – shots that she described as the best ones they had of their daughter and images that would help them remember that day forever.
At first I thought she was being a little overly generous with her compliments but as we spoke I realised that the photos I’d taken had had a profound impact upon this mother. The reality was that not only were they the ‘best’ photos she had of her daughter – they were among only a handful of shots she’d taken in 3 years.
She had some good reasons – she was busy, she didn’t feel she had a good enough camera and her early attempts didn’t produce results that motivated further attempts.
The shots she did have were largely either the backs of her daughters head as she ran away, tantrums as a result of her daughter not wanting to pose for shots or overly staged and obviously posed shots that didn’t really capture anything of her daughter.
As a result – she was feeling guilty about the lack of shots she’d taken and feared not having anything to look back on when her daughter was grown up.
“I could never take photos like yours of my kids!” was a statement that has really stuck with me since that day.
I’ve heard that comment so many times from friends and family members but the reality is that you don’t need years of training or expensive gear to take beautiful photos of children.
I was moved by the story – photographing my kids is such a big part of my life. While I relate to the challenges my friend faced I also know the joy taking photos can bring.
And that’s why I always wanted to publish a guide to kids photography.
Gorgeous Kids Photos Are Not Out of Your Reach
Great photos of kids don’t just happen – but they’re not out of reach your reach.
So when Commercial children’s photographer – Rachel Devine – offered to write an eBook guide to Kids Photography with dPS I jumped at the chance.
Rachel is all about photographing kids in a way that captures their emotion, personality and story.
She teaches how to not only take photos of your kids – but how to take photos that you’ll treasure forever because they communicate something that transports you back to that moment in time through the stories they tell.
The resulting eBook – Click is a resource that puts gorgeous images of your kids well within your reach.
Inside: Beautifully Illustrated and Practical Advice
7 Reasons ‘Click’ is the Kids Photography eBook for You
- because it is about taking images that reflect the personality of children
- because it is comprehensive – Click covers every stage of photographing kids – from preparation, to shooting through to post production
- because it is not about the gear it is about working with what you have and improving your technique
- because it is practical – you’ll not just learn theory, you’ll be encouraged to put it into action with practical questions to consider and projects to try
- because it has variety – featuring case studies and interviews with a 5 other photographers – you’ll be exposed to a number of approaches to kids photography
- because it is inspiring – this eBook is full of stories and images that will motivate you to explore the possibilities
- because it isn’t just about how to ‘make’ kids ‘pose’ and stay still – its about creating images with meaning that tell your kids story
Who is Click for?
If you have kids in your life – this is an eBook you’ll want whether you be a parent, grand parent, uncle, aunt, friend or child care giver.
Written with all levels of photographers in mind – Click is for anyone who points a camera of any kind at the children around them.
What Does it Cover?
Click is a 100 page resource that is broken down into 7 chapters:
- Think – a challenge to rethink how you approach photographing kids
- Prepare – some of the practical things to consider before you start shooting including gear, settings, exposure, styling, light, composition, color and more
- Smile – tips and tricks on working with kids
- Refine – post-production, editing, printing and sharing your images
- Research – seeking new inspiration and styles (includes project ideas to try)
- Push – 7 photo setups you can try to help you push your own boundaries
- Look – case studies, interviews and photos with 5 amazing kids photographers
Download Your Copy Today – 30% Off
I’m very excited about this eBook and know it will help many in capturing the important moments memories that all families have.
To celebrate the launch of this exciting new eBook we’re releasing it for a limited time with a 30% discount. Normally $29.99 USD today you can download your PDF copy for just $19.99 – just hit the ‘download it now’ button below or check out the eBook information page here.
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Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
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5 Ideas to Kick Start Your Photography Again
Image by Eric May
Last week I was speaking with an amateur photographer who told me that he’s been struggling for photographic inspiration and ideas lately.
He reflected that he felt like he’d become something of a lazy photographer and was in a bit of a rut – always photographing the same things in the same ways.
I shared a number of ideas from my own experiences of seeking photographic inspiration (some of which I’ll share below) but it struck me halfway through the conversation that a lot of the ideas I was suggesting was actually about him limiting himself in his photography in some way – in order to find inspiration.
Let me explain by looking at 5 photography ideas that I shared with him.
Note: by no means am I suggesting that these are the only ways to get inspired – they’ve just helped me at times.
5 Ideas to Kick Start Your Photography Again
1. Fixed Focal Length Shoots
I wrote about this recently in a challenge here on dPS. The idea is to choose a focal length and only shoot at it for a period of time.
While many of us have become used to (or reliant upon) shooting with a zoom lens – there’s something about shooting with a prime lens (fixed focal length) that makes you think about the composition of your shots a little more.
So choose a focal length that you don’t shoot at much and stick with it for a week and see how you go (and if you don’t have a prime lens to do this with – use your zoom but simply stick at one end of its range for a week).
Variation: another option for this is to choose a lens that you may not have used much before. Many photographers buy multiple lenses but then stick with one, ignoring others. Alternatively swap lenses with a friend for a week or even try renting one for a short period.
2. The 1 Roll Rule
Image by Paul G
I was out shooting with a photography enthusiast friend recently and was amazed at the number of shots he took. At one point we were photographing his son (who was quietly playing with lego) and my friend shot off a burst of 20 or so shots at 4 frames per second.
Considering his son was sitting still and only really moving his fingers for those few seconds I did wonder at the need to shoot so many shots.
Of course I also know the temptation – shooting heaps of shots is easy to do. It doesn’t really cost you anything (although fills up hard drives pretty quick) and some might think it increases your chance of capturing the perfect moment.
The problem is that when you rely upon the quantity of your shots to improve the quality of your images that you can easily become lazy and complacent.
Here’s my challenge – next time you go out on a shoot – limit yourself to 36 shots (the number in a roll of film). In doing so you’ll find yourself really thinking about your shots. You’ll time them better and make sure each shot counts!
3. Turn Off the Live Preview/Review
Image by Alan Antiporda
Speaking of old school film photography – do you remember that feeling when you got to the end of shooting a roll of film and wondering how your shots would turn out?
You’d put the film in for processing and wait a week or so for them to be ready and then go to the photo lab with anticipation… rip open the package and go through them one by one – reliving the moments you captured a week or so ago?
I love that digital photography gives us instant access to the images we take – but sometimes I wonder if by having that little screen on the back of our cameras we might be missing something from the experience of photography?
There are certainly advantages of being able to quickly review our shots or compose them on a larger screen – but similarly to my point above on shooting lots of shots I wonder if the instant review could be making us a little lazy? We’ll just keep taking shots till we’re happy.
I personally also find myself looking at my camera a whole lot more than I am looking at the scene in front of me and wonder if some of the joy of the moment could be lost.
So try this – turn off your LCD screen. Some cameras let you do this in your settings while others might take a little self discipline to do this – but I’d be interested to see what impact it has.
4. Manual Focus
Image by Shazeen Samad
Shooting recently with the Leica M9-P (a fully manually focused camera) reminded me how little I shoot with manual focus these days.
I admit it – I’ve become lazy and have relied too much upon Auto Focus.
Shooting with the M9-P also reminded me how focusing manually can open up all kinds of possibilities. Just thinking about your focus rather than relying upon those 21 auto focal points your camera has (or how every many there are) puts you in a different frame of mind.
I find shooting in manual focusing mode makes me slow down a little, consider my shots and get a little more creative.
So switch to Manual Focusing and see what impact it has on your photography! I’d love to hear how it goes for you in comments below.
5. Limit Yourself to an Aperture
Image by Travis Lawton
I was flicking through some of my shots recently in Lightroom and as the images opened in front of me I noticed something that I’d not considered much before. Almost every shot I’d taken over a month or so had been taken at the maximum aperture of the lenses I was using.
I was shooting wide open almost all of the time.
There were a number of reasons for this – partly I shoot a fair bit indoors where the extra aperture lets more light in – but I guess it is also part of my style. I love narrow depth of field shots – bokeh is my friend.
However I wondered whether by shooting wide open so much I perhaps was ignoring other possibilities. Perhaps some of my portrait work would have been better if I shot with a smaller aperture and included more in focused backgrounds to give my subjects context (environmental portraits).
For the next week I began to shoot with a smaller Aperture – it was challenging at first and I wanted to give up – but at the end of the week I realised I was again being more thoughtful with my shots and had expanded the possibilities of styles at my fingertips when shooting.
Share Your Ideas for Finding Photographic Inspiration
These are about half of the ideas I shared with my friend – I’ll write up the others in the coming week – but in the mean time I’d love to hear ideas from others too. What do you do when you find yourself in a photography rut needing inspiration?
Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
5 Ideas to Kick Start Your Photography Again
Family Portraits Do’s and Don’ts
For a photographer, skills in family portraits are are essential and are usually the bread and butter for up and coming photographers. Looking at the history of photography, one of the first popular uses the camera was not for abstract art, or photographing the family pet, but for photographing people and their families. Because of the expense and difficulty of each photo taken, they became masters at getting things right the first time and being able to fit in as many people as possible into the frame. In order to hone in on the small things that make a difference in this classic and often overlooked form of photography, I have come up with my five DO’s and five DONT’s of Family Portraits. I’ve also included a few examples from portrait sessions we have done.
Family Portraits DO’S
1) Do squish your groups together
Most likely, even though they are family they won’t be getting close enough. Maybe it’s an American personal space thing, but it’s always been an issue for me and having everyone in tight truly makes a difference in the tone of the picture. When families are physically close, it emits a warmth and visually shows what families should be like…close. Even if you are photographing the Adam’s family, when you get everyone rubbing shoulders they look like a model family and the overall composition is more finished than a typical snapshot. As a starter, try having people stand at slight angles with shoulders overlapping. Also, consider the age of your family. If Grandma is present, make sure you have a chair for her. If grandma and grandpa are both there, you’ll will need two chairs.
2) Do coordinate clothing
Before you meet with your family you should guide them in a wardrobe choice. Ultimately it is up to them and their families style to choose what they wear but simply reminding them to possibly overlap in a color scheme, avoid extreme colors, prints and logos on their clothing can make a big difference. This will give you an easier time post production, and you will have both options in color and black and white. As I said, it’s their picture and their choice, but a casual recommendation from a professional is usually appreciated.
3) Do check the screen for blinking
Shooting and shooting is OK for one or two people, but in a larger group it can be hit and miss and you may miss that one photo where everyone has their eyes open. I used to think “Hey, its digital. I’ll use the rapid fire method and surely I’ll get one right.” After a few sessions of transplanting eyes from one photo to another in Photoshop, I’ve changed my methods. You can get away with a weak smile but if someone looks like they are sleeping or on drugs in their first family portrait in 10 years, the customer may not be too happy. With experience you learn to quickly scan across everyone’s eyes in an instant.
4) Try and be funny to get some genuine smiles
A few cheesy jokes work surprisingly well to break the tension. A typical photographer joke might be saying “Ok, I need everyone to get in focus.” Or asking everyone to strike their best glamor pose. Other ways to get a smile is to get them doing something they don’t normally do. Have them try jumping, running, human pyramids or whatever comes to mind. If you have a one-liner you’ve used SUCCESSFULLY, or a creative and fun pose, sound off in the comments for the rest of us.
5.) Do try and blur the background
Choose the largest aperture setting you can, while still keeping everyone sharp. An aperture of 2.8 might make the trees and shrubbery look silky smooth, but it might make Uncle Bob at the end of the line look fuzzy. This is especially a problem when everyone is standing on different focal planes. The solution is often to shoot a few clicks smaller than the lenses widest aperture, then use the preview screen and zoom button on your camera to make sure everyone is looking good. Then adjust and continue. If you’re really serious about this, I’ve even heard of photographers setting out cups length-wise on a picnic table to estimate the distances you start to loose focus. Seems extreme to me, just don’t forget about Uncle Bob.
Family Portraits DON’TS
1.) Don’t forget to check ALL your basic camera settings before clicking away
ISO (go as low as possible), Image Size (RAW, fine), Exposure Compensation, Metering etc. It would be sad to get to the end of a great session and realize you didn’t change the low quality settings from the last time you used your camera shooting Garbage Pal Kids you planned on selling on Ebay. Of course in-door and out-door settings will differ as will naturally lit an artificially lit.
2.) Don’t let your subjects tilt their heads into each other
This is fine for your everyday Joe at the family Bar-b-que, but not a paid photographer. Subjects tend to think they will fit into the picture better if they tilt and lower their heads. Funny thing is, I’ve even caught myself doing this when I was being photographed. Watch for it and avoid it. There is always the lovey-dovey pose where they intentionally lean heads in, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
3.) Don’t sound insecure
Don’t say things like “This isn’t working.” Rephrase it into a positive, “Great, lets try a few more positions.” The more you tell them the pictures are looking great the better looking the pictures will get. Think high fashion cliche’s like, “Love it,” “Your beautiful,” “What a great one.” If you act like you have never seen such great photos the energy will give you just what your looking for and they will show confidence in their smiles.
4/5.) These last two may seem to contradict each other so I want to put them together. 4.) Don’t let Mom run the show. 5.) Don’t be afraid to let Mom, Dad, and kids come up with ideas and posing.
First about Mom. We all remember the drill, no running, no jumping, no dirt, and pretty much no fun until after the pictures. If you do this you can get a treat on the way home. This is probably the best way to ruin family picture day for the rest of every 8 year old’s life. Besides the fact that it is almost impossible to control what 8 year old’s do, it makes for bad portrait sessions. If you are sensing a strong arm from Mother, make sure to get the squeaky clean formals done right off the bat. They are easy and traditional. After that let mom know that you’ve got it covered and now you want to have fun with the kids. Let them be kids, let them wrestle and play and capture them at their best. Once in awhile you will find families that are more relaxed. They may have seen fun family photos of their friends and want do do some in a similar fashion. Take their suggestions without letting them think you have none of your own and work them in. Often they will turn out great and they’ll feel like they had a little more to do with the pictures than just a pretty face.
Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
Family Portraits Do’s and Don’ts