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• Portrait Poses Part II

Learn a new approach to portrait poses that is guaranteed to make your subject love their pictures! Become the master of illusion to hide a multitude of sins, and bring out the best in your subject.

In Part I, we talked about techniques to minimize the appearance of asymmetry and irregularities in your subject’s face, thereby making them look more attractive.

In this section, we talk about the best positioning of your subject’s body relative to the camera.

Positioning Your Subject

Shooting your subject straight on, square to the camera, is generally not a good idea. Head on portraits are very direct, and can sometimes take on a confrontational appearance.

It’s better to angle the shoulders, rather than shooting them square on. The shoulders take on importance in the image simply by because the head, which is the main focus of the portrait, sits on top of them. They also gain visual weight from being the widest part of the body. Since we don’t want all the attention to go the shoulders, we want to minimize their visual impact by turning them to make take up less visual space.

Another benefit of angling the shoulders is that it can lead the viewers eye into the portrait and toward your subject’s face. 

Portraits shot straight on are often unflattering. © Peter Ainley

The portrait is more engaging when the subject leans toward the camera. © Peter Ainley

When you are leaning toward someone, it conveys interest and a sense of engagement. To engage the viewer of your portrait, have your subject lean in toward the camera, and drop her front shoulder. To give a similar impression, photograph your subject from slightly above, so she is looking up into the lens.

Portraits shot from below are unflattering. The subject can appear distant or unapproachable. © Peter Ainley

When you shoot from below, you get an unflattering view into the subject’s nostrils! © Peter Ainley

Never photograph from below.  You don’t want to be shooting up into someone’s nostrils!

A relaxed subject looks natural, not stiff. To help your subjects relax, make them comfortable. If you can, shoot them while they are seated. The best position is to have them sit backwards on a chair so that they can lean on the chair back. Make sure the chair back is not too high, so that you can get that "lean-in" pose.

Check out this great, relaxed portrait of my friend, made by photographer Thilo Vogel.

Subject leaning on the back of a chair gives a relaxed pose.
© Thilo Vogel

If the subject must stand, again, try to give them something to lean on. have them place their weight more on their forward foot so that they are leaning toward the camera.

A few more tips on portrait poses…

If the subject is standing, then twist the upper body slightly at the waist. This will make the waist appear slimmer.

To minimize the appearance of the thigh, cross one leg over the other.

Arch the back to emphasize the chest.

Don’t overdo any of these, and don’t do all three at the same time. Your subject will look silly, if they can even stand at all!

 

Review portrait poses: Part I.

Or, you may want to visit the next section on portrait lighting.

 

• Home
• Portrait Photography Tips
• Portrait Poses

Learn a new approach to portrait poses that is guaranteed to make your subject love their pictures! This approach avoids formulas, and has you pose your subject according to characteristics of their individual face. Become the master of illusion to hide a multitude of sins, and bring out the best in your subject.

As you learned in the photography portrait tips section, the best poses are the ones that maximize the perceived attractiveness of your subject. That means creating the illusion of symmetry and minimizing the prominence of any irregularities in the face.

When you first approach your subject, scan the face quickly to determine whether there are any asymmetries or irregularities. You must learn to make these observations quickly and discreetly.  It can be very disconcerting to your subjects if you spend a long time scrutinizing their faces!

Asymmetry and Irregularities

Typically, each person’s face contains some kind of asymmetry.  A common example is for one eye to be larger than the other. Another example is when one cheek is fuller than the other. 

When positioning your subject, you want to shoot from the side of their face that will minimize the asymmetry.  So, if one eye is larger than the other, you should turn the person so that the larger eye is furthest from the camera. Objects that are further away from us are perceived as being smaller, so by putting the larger eye further away, it makes it appear smaller, thereby balancing the perceived size of both eyes.

In the images below, you can see that one eye appears bigger than the other in the image on the left, but the two eyes appear equal in size in the image on the right. The only difference in the portrait poses is which side of the subject’s face is turned toward the camera.

When this subject is shot from his left side, his left eye (on the right side of the image) appears larger than his other eye. A hollow is also visible in his left cheek. © Julie Waterhouse Photography

When this subject is shot from his right side, however, his eyes now appear equal in size. The cheek hollow is de-emphasized by turning it away from the camera. © Julie Waterhouse Photography

Facial irregularities include any distinct feature that stands out from the "norm", such as bumps, moles, discolorations, and — a common one — crooked noses. If you can hide an irregularity by turning it away from the camera, all the better. Otherwise, you can make it appear smaller by turning that side of the face away from the camera. Finally, to disguise a crooked nose, you want to shoot “into” the curve, so that the nose appears straighter.

In the pair of portrait poses above, a hollow is visible in the subject’s left cheek. It is more prominent in the left image. When the right side of the face is closer to the camera, the hollow is further away, partially hidden, and thereby minimized.

Note that this subject has deep-set eyes. Visit the portrait lighting page for techniques to position your strobes to reduce the "hooded eye" look that deep-set eyes can suffer from.

 

Let’s contrast the portrait poses of straight on versus an angled body.

In the image below, shooting the subject straight on, or square to the camera, reveals two distracting imperfections. Her right eye (on the left side of the image) is lower than her right eye, and her left cheek (indicated with the arrow in the image below) is fuller than her right.

Portrait shot square to subject. Note that one eye is lower than the other,
and one cheek is fuller than the other.
© Peter Ainley

The image below is shot with the flatter cheek toward the camera. This actually places more emphasis on the full cheek, as the bulge is emphasized in profile.

Portrait shot with the flatter cheek closer to the camera.
This has the negative effect of emphasizing the full cheek.
© Peter Ainley

To de-emphasize the fullness of the cheek, the image below is shot "into" the full side of the face. This has the effect of flattening out the cheek and balancing the face.

Portrait shot with the full cheek closer to the camera.
This flattens the full side out to provide overall balance to the face.
© Peter Ainley

Note that we have also solved the problem of the uneven level of the two eyes. By shooting from the subject’s left side, and with the head slightly tilted, you no longer notice that one eye is lower than the other.

To learn lighting techniques to minimize the shadows that are causing both cheeks to look somewhat full, visit the portrait lighting page on reflectors.

Note that correct portrait lighting is also based on characteristics of your subject’s face.

 

To continue this topic and learn more about portrait poses, go to the next section, where I’ll talk about positioning your subject’s body relative to the camera.

 

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• Portrait Lighting: Part I

Portrait Lighting

Learn studio lighting techniques that are based on characteristics of your subject’s face, and not on formulaic and complex lighting diagrams. Light your subject in the most flattering way; slim down round faces, and avoid shadows in the wrong places.

Positioning Your Strobes

Portrait photography textbooks are full of complicated lighting diagrams that show you where to place the lights and camera relative to the subject being photographed.  What they often fail to take into account is that every human subject is unique.  Our faces are all different.  As such, the best place to put the lights and camera varies according to the face you are shooting.

 

The first question to address is where to place the key light. Just like the decision about where to position the face relative to the camera, this depends on the shape of the face being photographed. 

Studio Lighting Techniques: Lighting the Eyes

First you must determine the height at which to place the light.  Your range of choice depends on how deep-set the subject’s eyes are.  If the eyes are deep-set, then the light cannot be placed too high, or else the brow will cast a shadow over the eyes, giving them a "hooded" look.  It’s very important that this not happen.  When a person’s eyes are hidden or shaded in any way, it gives the impression that they are not trustworthy.  Place the light only to a height where the eyes remain well-lit, and have catch lights.  Without catch lights, the eyes appear dull and lifeless.

The light is too high; the brow casts a dark shadow over the eyes. © Julie Waterhouse Photography

A lower light fills in the shadows under the brow and provides catch lights in the eyes. © Julie Waterhouse Photography

This subject has deep-set eyes, and a prominent brow. In the image on the left, the eyes are being shadowed by the brow. No catch light is visible. There’s also an unflattering dark shadow being cast under the nose. This looks a bit like a mug shot!

In the image on the right, the light has been lowered to a level to fill in the shadows under the brow, and add catch lights to the eyes, bringing them to life. The subject looks more approachable in this image!

If the eyes are not deep-set and the brow is not prominent, the light can be placed as high as you like, while preserving catch lights. Your decision can then be based on other factors, like the time of day you wish to emulate (the height of the light mimics the height of the sun in the sky), and the photography portrait lighting style you wish to use.

 

Studio Lighting Techniques: Rounding or Slimming the Face

Next you need to decide whether to place the light facing the subject, or off-center. Once again, look to your subject’s face for guidance.  Determine its shape. It may be round, oval, heart-shaped (an upside-down triangle), or square.

Generally, you want to minimize the roundness of a very round face by elongating it a little, or soften the edges of a very square face.  Think of a round face like moon. To produce a full moon, the sun is shining directly at the moon. When the sun is positioned so that it shines from the side, you get a "slimmer," crescent moon. In the same way, by placing the light off to one side of a round face, you put the far edge of the face into shadow, immediately narrowing it. 

In contrast, you may want to fill out a very narrow face. By placing the light more centrally, you maximize the amount of the face that’s visible in the light, thereby rounding it out (like the full moon).

Portrait Lighting: Part II – "Choosing Your Lighting Style" gives more detail on positioning the lights to change the appearance of the face shape.

Studio Lighting Techniques: Creating Mood

How many lights do you use? At what strength? The photography portrait lighting you choose depends on the purpose of the shot, and the mood you are trying to create. Is this a glamour shot, or a corporate portrait?

If you use a single key light, with no fill light, you will achieve very dramatic light. You will have high contrast (particularly if the background is not lit), and more shadows. The "harder" (more focused, less diffuse), the key light, the more contrast, and the more drama.

A fill light decreases contrast and reveals more details in the dark areas of the face. The fill light should be less intense, and more diffuse ("softer") then the key light. The lower the intensity of the fill light, the more dram remains in the shot. Having a fill light with more than half the intensity of the key light will produce a low-contrast image with less drama.

It is common to places the fill light in line with the direction of the camera lens. The fill light will shine from just behind and above the photographer.

As an alternative to a fill light, you can use a reflector to "bounce" the key light back towards the subject to fill in shadows.

Photography Portrait Lighting: Using Reflectors

Reflectors are used to reflect, or bounce, light back onto your subject, thereby reducing shadows.  They can be critical when doing portrait photography, to minimize harsh shadows on the face. 

Reflectors are usually white, silver or gold.  The color of the reflector will affect the color of the light on your subject.  A gold reflector will warm up your subject.

You can purchase collapsible, two-sided reflectors at your local camera store. You can also easily make a reflector at home by gluing aluminum foil onto a piece of cardboard. 

The cheeks are emphasized by strong shadows. There is also a shadow under the chin. © Peter Ainley

Using a reflector to bounce light toward the subject fills in deep shadows. © Peter Ainley

In the portrait lighting on the left, there are dark lines under this subject’s cheeks which make both cheeks look more full. To get rid of these, use a reflector positioned below the subject’s face to bounce some light at the subject, and fill those shadows. (Note that in this case, I actually prefer the image on the left, which has more definition in the cheeks).

Photography Portrait Lighting: Using Diffusers

A diffuser is made of translucent material, allowing some, but not all light to pass through. In this way, it softens the light, and reduces glare and harsh shadows.  Diffusers eliminate unattractive contrast, and even out the tonality in the image. . A diffuser is held between the subject and a light source in order to soften that light source. It can be used with an artificial light, or with the sun; either way, it behaves the same.

Next, learn more about the four traditional lighting styles of photography portrait lighting: Broad, Short, Butterfly and Rembrandt.

 

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• Professional Photography Equipment

Take a Peek Inside My Camera Bag!

I find it interesting to know what other photographers are using in the way of gear, as well as in the digital darkroom. Sometimes I come across an idea I haven’t seen before, and I learn about a new tool that can help me in my craft. I thought I’d share what camera, lenses, accessories, hardware, software, and of course toys, I use, in case it helps any of you. Along with each item of professional photography equipment, I’ve included a brief and informal review of what I like (or sometimes don’t like) about it.

 

Cameras and Lenses

Canon EOS 60D DSLR Camera

Canon 60D camera

Before I moved up to the more profesional photography equipment of the 5D Mark II, I owned the Canon 40D, which is an older generation of the current Canon 60D. I had no complaints with the camera. It was my trusty sidekick for a good few years. If I hadn’t wanted higher quality images for stock and print-making, I would have had no reason to move up.

Note that Canon has repositioned the 60D out of the semi-pro market. In particular, they have changed to a plastic body from the old magnesium alloy. Thus the 60D is not quite a continuation of the old X0D line. Nevertheless, this is a great camera for the serious amateur looking to move up from the Rebel. This is an 18MP camera with a 1.6x crop factor. It has good picture quality, and handles noise well up to about ISO 800. The new addition in this model is, of course, video.

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Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera

Canon 5D Mark iii camera

I’ve now moved up from the X0D series to more professional photography equipment. I love my Canon 5D Mark II! It has a great compact shape for a full frame camera, compared to the clunkier 1D series. That’s great for me, since I’m not too keen on lugging around pounds and pounds of gear.

The sensor was a big selling point for me. It’s got amazing picture quality. When I was shopping, I was comparing it to the Canon 7D. Since I don’t really need the faster frame rate offered by the 7D (most of what I shoot doesn’t move, so I’m typically on a tripod), that was not a factor. However the 7D was appealing because of the price, and I didn’t mind the 1.6x crop factor that it has. What convinced me to get the 5D Mark II in the end? Besides the glowing reviews from my colleagues who own this camera, it was a review I found online that placed images shot with each camera at various ISO settings side by side. The difference was marked. I was sold by the clearly superior picture quality of the 5D Mark II. Since I’m selling my images, quality is important to me.

From what I hear, many videographers are loving the Canon 5D Mark II for its great video capabilities. This is an added bonus for photographers, as the industry embraces video more and more.

Note that the 5D Mark II is also sold as a kit with the 24-105mm f4 L lens. That’s a lens I have in my bag. See my review below.

The Canon 5D Mark III is now available. It’s too soon for me to make a switch, but I’d love to get it for the better handling of noise at high ISO. That would be useful for all the night photography I’m now doing.

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Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Autofocus Lens

Canon 24-105mm lens

Canon 28-135mm

I used to own the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer USM Autofocus Lens as my lens in this focal range. For around USD$440, its a good "walking-around" range. However, I found that the image quality wasn’t what I required. I did a side-by-side comparison with my other lenses (at the time, my 100mm macro, my 70-300mm DO, and my 16-35mmL) shooting at f/8, and setting the lens at a variety of focal lengths (28mm, 100mm, and 135mm), and found it to be noticeably softer than my other lenses in every comparison. That’s not unexpected, given the quality of the other glass. It did let me know that it was time for me to upgrade!

Canon 24-105mm

I replaced that lens with more professional photography equipment in the form of the Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens that comes in the 5D mark ii kit. It’s perfect for my kind of shooting (mostly on a tripod, shooting landscapes, and "details"). The other option in this range is the
Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens which is another fantastic lens. For my purposes, I traded off the fast f2.8 of that lens (less important to me, because I’m typically on a tripod) to have the bit of extra focal length. Either lens is terrific; your choice depends on what kind of shooting you do. If you photograph a lot of people, street photography, or motion in general, you’ll probably prefer the faster glass of the 24-70mm.

I did find a number of negative reviews on the Internet that debated whether the 24-105 was really professional photography equipment worthy of the L-Series rating. From what I could tell, there were some problems with specific lenses early on, which Canon rectified with replacements, and it may be that the bad reputation stuck. I’ve seen plenty of excellent reviews of the lens, and I’m delighted with mine.

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Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens

Canon 16-35mm lens

I bought version I of this lens (it was upgraded to a "II" lens in 2007) when I still had a camera with a 1.6x crop factor. With the full frame 5D Mark II, I now enjoy the full effect of the wide angle. The glass is excellent professional photography equipment quality, and the quick and quiet AF makes this a fabulous lens. You won’t be disappointed.

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Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM Lens

Canon 70-300mm lens

I love a telephoto! I use a long focal length a lot. What I don’t love is lugging a heavy lens with me as I hike up hills for hours at a time to get the shot! I thought long and hard about what lens to get in the telephoto range. Canon has some beauties. My shooting partner of many years had the big, white Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Autofocus Lens and I was spoiled for a while to be able to have him carry it, while I borrowed it when I wanted to! If you’re not fortunate enough to have your own camera sherpa, then you may want to consider doing what I eventually did. I acquired the 70-300mm DO lens. DO lenses are marked with a green band around them, instead of the L-series red band marker. DO stands for "diffractive optics." From Canon’s description:

I have been very happy with this compromise. My 70-300mm lens is about the same physical length as my 16-35mm, although the barrel is bulkier. In my lens tests, I’ve found the image quality to be excellent. For those of you who can’t, or simply don’t want to carry around a heavy lens, I recommend you take a look at this one.

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Canon Telephoto EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM Autofocus Lens

Canon 180mm macro lens

I shoot a lot of macro images, and in moving to a full frame camera, I felt I’d really miss the apparent magnification of the crop sensor if I stuck with my old 100mm macro lens. Although the "magnified image" is still there within the full frame image — you just have to crop out the center to achieve the same thing — it’s very hard to pre-visualize such an image, and I’d prefer to have all my megapixels devoted to the close-up section that will be my final photo. That meant I had to bite the bullet and abandon my long-loved and previously favorite lens, my 100mm macro, in favour of a 180mm macro. Suffice it to say that I have a new love in my life now! The 180mm macro is a fabulous lens. It’s definitely serious professional photography equipment, often used by doctors to photograph medcal images. The quality is excellent, it’s tack sharp, and it works very well for the selective focus style of shooting I use. Although the minimum aperture is 3.5, not 2.8 like my old 100mm lens, the extra focal length means that I can still get the soft focus look that I love in my selective focus images.

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Canon Telephoto EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Autofocus Lens

Canon 100mm macro lens

Although I didn’t have the 100mm L-series (Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens), for 60% of the price, this macro lens produced excellent quality images for me for many years. Being a fixed focal length, the glass was good and gave me very sharp images. The f2.8 aperture gave me the soft look I love in my selective focus images. Until I acquired the 180mm macro lens, this one was a favorite of mine, and probably my most-used lens. I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending it.

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Camera Care and Transport

 

Visible Dust Ultra Sensor Clean Arctic Butterfly 724 (Super Bright) Bundle for 1.6x (16mm) Sensors

Camera sensor cleaning

I hate spending hours of painstaking work in post-processing to remove dust spots, so when someone at a photography tradeshow pitched me on the Visible Dust arctic butterfly and sensor loupe, I decided to give it a try. I have been very pleased with the results. The sensor loupe lets me clearly see where the dust spots are on my sensor. No more cylce of guess-work: clean, take test shot of blank wall, download image, view at 100%, and then repeat several times. Now it’s easy to see when you’ve got it all. I also really like the brush, which uses static charge to attract the dust spots, and pull them off the sensor. The brush won’t work for the sticky dust that you sometimes get, but this kit also comes with a swiper and cleaning fluid to take care of that too. This system works well for me.

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Lowepro CompuTrekker Plus AW Camera Backpack

Camera laptop bag

I originally got this backpack because I travelled a lot for my IT job. I wanted to be able to take my laptop with me on the plane, along with all my camera gear in case I got a few moments away from the job to photograph. Of course, I wanted to take it all as carry-on. This backpack works well; there’s lots of room for your camera and lenses inside, and the padded cells are customizable by moving around the dividers, which are attached with Velcro. There’s also a padded slot for your laptop to slide in, so it fits between your back and the camera gear when you carry it. The "AW" (all-weather") designation means that the pack also comes with an all-weather cover. Finally, a must-have for me, there’s a padded waist strap so that the weight will sit on your hips rather than your shoulders — a must for long treks through the airport!

I’m no longer traveling for an IT job, but I still use the backpack all the time in my own business. When I travel for a photo shoot, it’s great to be able to take along the laptop to download images. I also use the pack when I’m giving presentations, and need the laptop for that, and the camera gear for giving a demo.

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Domke Photo Vest

Camera vest

There are many professional photography equipment systems out there for carrying your gear: belts, packs, slings, and vests. After looking into a few, I settled on this vest. I like to go hiking with my camera gear, and take pictures along the way. What I like best about the vest is the accessibility of my equipment. I keep my camera around my neck (I have a strap that distributes the weight well), and everything else in the vest pockets. That includes my lenses, filters, spare batteries, cable release, and even snacks and water. It’s very convenient. I always disliked hiking with a backpack. When I came upon something interesting to photograph, I’d have to drop the pack, open it up, and find what I wanted. By then, I might have lost the photo opportunity. With the vest, I know exactly where to reach to get what I need, and I can do it quickly.

There are a couple of waterproof pockets at the front, and a couple of zippered ones as well, so you can keep things like your car keys safe from slipping out. As an added bonus, it’s machine washable.

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Close-up and Product Photography

 

Manfrotto Focusing Rail

(aka Manfrotto 454 Micrometric Positioning Sliding Plate)

Focusing rail

A focusing rail is fairly specialized closeup professional photography equipment that can be enjoyed by the serious amateur as well. This rail is a recent acquisition for me, so I’m still getting used to it. So far, I like it a lot; it gives me much more control when I want to get in closer to my subject. Instead of trying to move my tripod legs just a hair (without losing my composition altogether), or attempting to move the subject closer (not always possible), I can fine-tune my position by sliding my lens a touch closer or further using this plate. I’m guaranteed to only move in one dimension, and not slip a bit from side to side.

In the future, I can see buying a second plate, and mounting them together so that I have this control separately in each of two directions, not just one.

This particular rail seems to give good value for money. Some of the rails are much more expensive. This one meets my needs without breaking the bank.

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Kenko Extension Tubes

Kenko extension tubes

If you love closeup photography, you need to own a set of extension tubes! They are not too expensive (certainly not when compared to the cost of a macro lens), because they contain no optical elements. Their purpose is to move the focal plane of the lens further from the sensor, which allows you to focus on a closer subject, thereby achieving greater magnification. The tubes usually come in a set of three, each of a different length. They can be used individually, or stacked together.

You can use the tubes as a way to try out closeup photography by adding them to one of your existing lenses to make it close-focusing. You can also stack the tubes with a macro lens for even greater macro capability.

I use these tubes made by Kenko. They make versions for the different camera mounts (Nikon, Canon etc). They do preserve the electronic connections, so automatic focusing and metering still work.

Given how much I love macro photography, these are a must have for my kit!

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Photek Background Support System

Backdrop stand

I use the Photek background support system as my portable backdrop stand. It is great professional photography equipment for your own studio, or to take with you on location. It is quick and easy to set it up and take it down. There are two stands that operate the same way as your typical light stand, and then a pole that runs between them. The pole is composed of four 3-foot segments that can be used to create a width of 3, 6, 9, or 12 feet. Your backdrop material hangs from the pole. The whole set up is very stable. The system also comes with a robust canvas carrying case that holds all the parts, making it truly portable. This is good value for money.

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Interfit Pop Up Photo box

Photobox

A "photobox" is a cube with translucent sides. You put items inside that you want to photograph. The sides act as diffusers, giving you a soft, even light. It’s great for doing product photography, and I use it all the time to photograph flower closeups in the studio.

I actually use the Cameron Photobox, which includes a blue, a green, a white, and a gray backdrop. The top and front are removable (as a unit). The Cameron box seems to be hard to find these days, so I’ve linked here to the Interfit version, which looks very similar, and comes in a few different sizes. The large 48" cube comes with a black and a white backdrop cloth, while the 36", 24", and 20" models come with a removable blue backdrop cloth.

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Wimberley Plamp

Wimberley Plamp

You’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not you can use a "plamp." Plamp is short for plant clamp. The idea of this tool is that you can clip one end to a table, or your tripod leg, and the other end holds onto a plant step to hold it steady in the position you want. The articulated arm in between can be twisted to any position you wish (although it is quite stiff, so fine adjustment in difficult). The arm is about 2 feet long, and comes with an optional 1 foot extension.

If you’re trying to use the plamp in the field, it may be even more useful for holding things out of the way. It will hold a stem, but you must be careful because the plastic grip can easily bruise a delicate stalk. Also, if it’s windy, the plamp may hold the stem, but the flowerhead can still move in the breeze! I don’t use it all the time, but every once in a while, it’s exactly what I need.

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Photography Filters

 

These days, many filters can be added in post-processing, and it’s no longer necessary to carry them in the field. There are a few, however, that you must use at the time of shooting, because you cannot create the effect after the fact.

Professional photography equipment includes quality filter brands such as B&W, Zeta (the top of the line filters by Kenko, who bought Hoya), Schneider, Rodenstock, and Heliopan.

Circular Polarizing Filter

Polarizing filter

The circular polarizing filter cuts reflections, including those caused by water droplets in the sky. This means it can darken skies, making them more blue, and cut surface glare from water, allowing you to see beneath. Technically, what the lens is doing is filtering out light that is polarized perpendicularly to the axis of the filter. You can rotate the filter while it’s attached to the lens to adjust the degree of polarization.

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Neutral Density Filter

Neutral Density filter

A neutral density filter is a uniformly gray filter that blocks out one or more stops of light, without changing the colors of the image. It is useful when you want to slow down your shutter speed or open up your aperture more than the current lighting conditions would permit, for example when photographing a waterfall.

 

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Graduated Neutral Density Filter

Graduated neutral density filter

A graduated neutral density filter is usually gray at one end, fading to clear at the other. Like a regular neutral density filter (see above), it also blocks out one or more stops of light in the gray area, without changing the colors in the image. It is useful for shooting landscapes where the sky is much brighter than the foreground. The soft transition line of the filter can be placed so that it lines up with the position of the horizon. The filter reduces the overall dynamic range of the image, so you can avoid blowing out highlights and blocking up shadows at the same time.

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Best Camera Accessories

 

Gitzo Tripod

Gitzo tripod

Gitzo is known for making professional photography equipment, and I love my Gitzo tripod. It’s made of carbon fiber, which keeps it light for me to carry around, yet it’s still solid and stable. They don’t make my model any more, but there are many new ones to choose from. Some factors to consider when picking yours include:

• Choose the right height. You should be able to easily raise your camera to your own eye level; tall people sometimes need a tripod with extra height.
• Find a tripod that supports at least the weight of your camera plus heaviest lens.
• Decide whether you want a rapid center column to quickly give you an extra boost of height.
• Don’t forget to check and how low to the ground you can support your camera. It’s easy to focus on the height, and forget that sometimes you want to be right at ground level. Tripods with a centre post sometimes don’t go as low as you’d like.
• Decide how many leg sections you want. Mine has three, which is all I’d want. At four, I worry that I’m starting to lose stability.

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Gitzo Ballhead

Tripod ball head

I also love my Gitzo ballhead! I have an old-school Gitzo centre ballhead. Once again, my model is no longer available, but the replacement ones are no doubt even better. When you’re looking for a tripod head, pay attention to the weight capacity of the head, and whether or not it has a separate locking control for panoramic rotation (very useful).

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Manfrotto Quick Release

Manfrotto quick release

Years ago, before I had a Gitzo tripod head, I had a Manfrotto one. At the time, I also invested in the Manfrotto quick release system. I kept it when I switched to Gitzo, and have always liked it. I’ve seen other release systems that don’t look as "quick" to me! Some of them have you slide the camera onto a rail and lock it down. I really like my Manfrotto release because I just clip the camera in and go. There’s a little locking pin that you can flip across to make sure it’s secure, but it’s super fast to use. I can clip in and clip out in a second.

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Acratech Spirit Level

Camera spirit level

I always prided myself that I could tell if I had the horizon straight when I was shooting, however, many of my pictures told a different story! Sometimes a tree that’s been bent by the wind, or some tricky angles in the landscape, can throw off your perception. This little gadget might seem a bit pricey, but it’s a lifesaver. No more crooked horizons! I use it all the time. It slips right into the flash hotshoe on top of your camera, and its double axis bubbles let you check both horizontal and vertical alignment simultaneously.

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Photoflex LiteDisc

Photography reflectors

What photographer can live without a reflector and diffuser? Well, perhaps if you’re just photographing landscapes, you use the clouds as your diffuser! Otherwise, professional photography equpiment for shooting people, products, and close-up nature nearly always includes reflectors and diffusers. The size you need depends on the size of your subject.

It’s easy to make your own, however, the do-it-yourself kind tend not to be too portable. These ones for Photoflex are great because they fold up and pack small. The have a variety of sizes and colors, including their popular 5-in-1 version shown here. I have a set I’ve made myself and use in my home studio, but I still own the Photoflex folding kind so that I can take them on location.

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Fun Photography Toys

Lensbaby

If you haven’t heard of a lens baby, you owe it to yourself to check it out! Much cheaper than the glass of a high quality lens, it’s made for being creative. The idea behind it is that there’s one sweet spot of sharp focus in the image, with graduated blur of everything around. You can move that spot of focus around by bending (yes, bending!) the lens, or twisting it, depending on the model. You can find out more about them on the Lensbaby website. They provide a new challenge, a new way of seeing, and endless hours of fun.

I have the a Lensbaby from the "Control Freak" series depicted here (I can hear my friends saying "How appropriate!" right now…). I use mine all the time, in combination with the 4x and 10x close-up filter macro kit that comes as an optional extra.

Lens baby

Be sure to check out the Composer, Muse, Transformer and Scout series as well. Each one has its own interesting twist, from fisheye to tilt-shift (for certain camera mounts only). Such fun toys!

Note that the Lensbaby comes in different versions with mounts appropriate for your brand of camera. They are currently available for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, and Olympus 4/3rds SLR camera lenses.

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Pinhole Body Cap

Pinhole body cap

Have you ever wanted to explore pinhole photography? How about if you could adapt your digital SLR camera to be a pinhole camera? Well, you can. I discovered a pinhole body cap that does just that. It fits over your camera’s lens mount just like the plastic body cap you got with the camera originally. However this cap has a built in pinhole. The instructions will tell you what focal length and f-stop it’s rated at (mine is 50mm, f/227). This one from Lenox Laser is available for Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax mounts.

If you’re in Canada, you can also look for the Rising brand pinhole ‘Lens’ Obscura Adapters.

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Computer Hardware and Software

Apple MacBook Pro

Apple MacBook laptop

These days, professional photography equipment extends beyond the realm of cameras and lenses into the world of computer hardware and softare. I recently made the switch from the PC world to the land of Apple, and I’m quite happy with my choice! I debated for a long time between getting an iMac desktop and a MacBook Pro laptop. In the end, I chose the laptop, since I do a lot of presentations, and need a portable computer for those. In addition, I really couldn’t stand the glossy screen of the iMac. I found the glare very distracting, and didn’t think I could live with it for my picture editing. I chose the 15" antiglare screen for my MacBook Pro, and got an external monitor and keyboard so I can use it like a desktop when I’m in my home office. Because the on-board hard drive is a little small, I also got a 2TB external hard drive to hold my Lightroom catalog and all my photos. Since I typically do my photo editing in "desktop mode," this works out fine. I just plug in the hard drive while I’m in the office.

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Hengedocks Docking Station

Hengedocks docking station

Since I frequently switch between laptop mode and desktop mode with my MacBook Pro, I really wanted a docking station so I could just plug my Mac in and pull it out without having to fiddle with all the cables every time. Apple still doesn’t make docking stations for their laptops, and for a long time there wasn’t really a good third party solution. Collective internet wisdom guided me to Hengedocks, and I’m very happy with the result. It took a little tweaking at the start to get the cables seated properly in the dock, but once I got past the initial setup, the dock worked like a charm. I pull my laptop in and out several times a day wth no problems. At just under USD$75 (for the 15"), The cost is very reasonable, too.

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Dell UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor

Dell U2410 monitor

My Sony Artisan CRT monitor was getting old and tired, and I figured it was time to make the move to a new LCD monitor. After doing my homework on the internet, I came up with the Dell UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Widescreen LCD High Performance Monitor with HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort and HDCP as my monitor of choice. It works with both Mac and PC (make sure you use the menu to adjust the color settings for a Mac, as they default to PC). The color is rich, the image is sharp, and the matte screen has no glare. I’m really happy with this monitor. I’ve been able to calibrate it successfully with my Spyder software.

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LaCie Hard Drives

Lacie hard drive

What photographer doesn’t need extra hard drives? I have quite the setup with my system. My Mac hard drive is backed up using Time Machine to an external drive. My main photos drive is also an external, which gets backed up to yet another drive (a NAS drive in this case). I’ve found La Cie drives perform well and are reliable. I own two of them.

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SanDisk
ImageMate All-in-One USB 2.0 Reader

Sandisk card reader

If you shoot a lot, you definitely want a card reader so that you can speed up the process of downloading images from your camera to the computer. I can’t imagine having to cable my camera to the computer every time and use that slow connection. With a card reader, you just plug your card into the slot, and boom! Your images start downloading. You can configure the software that will open when the card is inserted; for me, it’s Adobe Lightroom. I use a slightly older model of the Sandisk reader depicted here, and it’s great. It reads all card formats.

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Wacom Tablet

Wacom tablet

I am addicted to my Wacom tablet, and I couldn’t process images without it. It took a little getting used to at first. I pushed myself over a few days of intense editing to use only the pen tablet, and by the end, I was hooked. After using the pen, the mouse feels cumbersome and clunky compared to the fine control I have with the pen.

I do find that I like it better when I use the in "mouse mode" so that the positions on the tablet are relative, rather than being mapped directly to the screen. That will be up to you to test out, but you do have the option.

I use the old Graphire4 model from Wacom. The Graphire line has since been replaced by Bamboo, so take a look at those. For professional photography equpiment, also consider the more expensive Intuos line, which may suit your needs. The 4"x5" size is recommended for use with laptops. It’s more portable, and is good for laptop-sized or smaller screens. The 6"x8" is recommended for desktops. I actually use the 4×5 size with my desktop and larger screen, but that may be why I prefer to use the pen in "mouse mode." The Wacom tablet definitely makes my "can’t live without it" list.

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Datacolor Spyder3Pro Display Calibration System

Spyder software

If "calibrate monitor" is still on your todo list, it’s definitely time to get yourself the right tools. Monitor calibration is essential if you edit your images. After all, if you are playing around with the colors, how do you know what they are supposed to look like if you don’t know that your monitor is displaying colors in a standardized way?

I’ve been using the Spyder 2 to calibrate for years now. The new and improved Spyder 3 has since come along to replace it. It works through a device that is placed on your screen to read red, green, blue, and gray color values produced by the accompanying software program. Based on the readings, the software creates a color profile for your monitor that then gets loaded when you boot your computer. You need to repeat the process every few weeks, which is why it’s good to own your own calibration device.

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Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

I’m a big fan of Adobe Lightroom software, and have been using it since one of the earliest versions. There are a couple of different scenarios for which Lightroom makes a good choice.

If you’re a pro, you’ll love the catalog organization, and keywording capabilities in Lightroom. There are also great tools for rating and color coding your images, as well as comparing images side by side to select your best shot from among many similar ones. You’ll enjoy the ability to generate a customized website to show selects to customers with a few fill-in-the-blanks and one click. You can do your printing right from Lightroom, too.

If you’re just starting out, and are looking for an excellent photo editor that covers all the basics, and then some, Lightroom is a great choice. It’s less complex that Photoshop, but has all the ability of a good RAW editor to manage exposure, plus some quite sophisticated tools for adjusting color, dust spot removal, lens correction, sharpening, black and white conversion, and much more. In each version, the tools get a little more sophisticated, and Lightroom now has the ability to do many local corrections as well as the global ones. In addition, you get all the great features mentioned above that a pro would want. The file organization, printing, and web capabilities are valuable for photographers at any level.

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Adobe Photoshop CS5

Adobe Photoshop CS5

If you’re looking for more sophisticated editing than Adobe Lightroom provides, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the answer. I use it in conjunction with Lightroom for those images where I want to do something extra. It works seamlessly with Lightroom; you can open an image from Lightroom into Photoshop, make your changes, and have the resulting file automatically saved back into the Lightroom catalog. From a creative standpoint, there’s not much you can’t do with Photoshop. If you think of something, there’s probably a third party plug-in for it! I’m a regular (daily!) user of Photoshop, and can’t live without it.

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• Home
• Learning Digital Photography
• Project 365

Project 365, or making one photo a day, is a great way to stretch your photographic creativity. Get the behind the scenes scoop on Barbara Bender’s 52-week variant of this photography project, where she talks about her experience shooting one photo a week to help her make photography a priority.

My 52 Week Photographic Project:
Thoughts at the Halfway Point

by Barbara Bender

Week 14
© Barbara Bender

Almost 6 months ago, Julie began a 365 project in which she made a commitment to make one photograph each day for one year. I was very intrigued by this, and was inspired to try to do a project 365 myself. I started mine a few weeks after Julie, so I am almost midway through as well.

Like Julie, I wanted to find a way to ensure that I’d photograph on a more regular basis. The demands of daily life often interfered with getting out with my camera, and the structure of a project would force me to make shooting a priority. However, I decided that Julie’s plan to make one photograph per day would be too onerous, so mine entails making one per week, for 52 weeks. Like Julie, I resolved to shoot specifically for the project; photographs made for other shoots or projects would not count.

I wanted to establish another specific goal in addition to that of ensuring regular photography. I have always enjoyed photographing in ordinary places and finding things to shoot in situations where there doesn’t appear to be much to photograph, and I wanted to further develop my skill in doing just that. To accomplish that goal, I set up certain limitations. I would only make my project photographs in my home or within a mile of it. Home for me includes our cottage in Muskoka, Ontario, and our winter property near Phoenix AZ, as well as our primary residence just north of Toronto. We moved into our new house in Ontario just over six months ago, so it’s still relatively unfamiliar photographically, but our other homes are places in which I’ve made many photographs in the past. The challenge would be to "see" familiar sights and situations in a different way and think of fresh approaches in photographing them. Since I knew I would be also be doing some traveling during the 52 weeks, my project 365 images during those times would have to be made in whatever hotel I was going to stay in, or on hotel property. Photographing still life set-ups was allowed in any of the above locations, provided the items were already there. The idea was to use what was available, not to buy or search for anything new and exciting. Any camera technique at the time of capture would be "legal", as well as manipulation in Photoshop, provided the subject matter remained identifiable. Again, the purpose was to use what was available and find ways to work with it.

Week 6
© Barbara Bender

So far, this project 365 has been a challenging, fun, and very useful experience. Some weeks have been difficult because a busy schedule resulted in a mad rush to fulfil my weekly image obligation. Other times I initially wasn’t in the mood to shoot, or had trouble seeing or finding things to photograph. However, once I got going, I could usually get into it and found things to work with. On the other hand there were many weeks when I was very inspired to make photographs, and the challenge then became deciding which of my many choices would be selected as my project image. What I found interesting was the fact that the situations I found so fascinating one week might have been the very same things that seemed boring and hum-drum the previous week, if I even noticed them at all. I must confess that there were times when I was tempted to stockpile extras from the "good" weeks to use when I wasn’t inspired, was too busy or not in the mood. I’m glad I resisted the urge to cheat, because there was always something interesting to shoot, even if at first I thought I wouldn’t find a subject.

There were one or two weeks when I planned in advance what I was going to photograph. and at one point, even made a list of possible things to shoot. However, for the most part, I found things to photograph almost by chance, when I wasn’t actively looking for something. It’s not that had never noticed many of these sights before, because in many cases, I had; over the years I have developed the habit of looking at things, wherever I am, with a photographic perspective. The difference is, that because of the demands of the project 365, I actually photographed them instead of merely being aware of them. This has been an extremely positive aspect of doing this type of project… the motivation to actually get my camera and use it!

I strongly believe there are things to photograph in every situation, and doing this project 365 has reinforced my belief that, although it is certainly wonderful to travel and shoot exotic sights, it is definitely not necessary to do so. The sense of discovery in finding something interesting when I least expect it, and figuring out how to photograph it, is, for me, far more gratifying and exciting.

Week 21
© Barbara Bender

Julie has kept herself "honest" by posting her images on Flickr each day; I have done the same by uploading mine each week, to my website. I think that "going public" in some way by declaring your intentions and sharing the results is essential when doing a project. Knowing that others are following your progress is a strong motivator to continue. There are many ways to share images online, and I strongly encourage this practice.

In addition to posting my weekly image, at the urging of Larry Monczka, a good friend and fellow guest contributor to this site, I posted a short text entry for each week’s image, describing why I made each photograph, and in some cases, how I technically handled the situation. Keeping a diary/blog of this project has added another dimension to the project that has been fun and useful.

The beauty of doing a photographic project 365 is that it is a self assignment. This means you can set up your parameters and goals in ways that work best for you. You can elect to do a daily shoot during vacation times, if that is more convenient. You can choose a specific time of day to make your all photographs. You may decide to restrict yourself to using a certain lens, or capture technique or shooting location. You may select a specific subject or theme, and explore those in depth over time; red things, reflections, street signs, doorways…it doesn’t matter. The important thing is to challenge yourself in some way and commit to the discipline of a stated shooting schedule.

All in all, I am enjoying this process immensely and am grateful to Julie for inspiring me to do it. Not only am I photographing frequently and developing my skills, I am learning more and more about how and why I shoot what I shoot. Even though I have another six months until I complete my project 365, I am still enthusiastic and am already starting to think about what I want to do for my next one!

Week 7
© Barbara Bender

 

About Barbara Bender

 

Barbara Bender is a freelance professional photographer and writer who uses various creative techniques, emphasis on design, and simple, often graphic composition to make photographs which are frequently expressive in nature. Her photographs have been featured in such publications as Nature’s Best Awards Issue, Black and White Magazine, and Color Magazine. A series of articles on photographic Creativity and Playfulness was featured in PhotoLife Magazine in 2010. Over forty-five of her images have been used as book covers for Guernica Editions. As an active member of the Greater Toronto Council of Camera Clubs, she gives presentations and workshops on various photographic topics.

www.BarbaraBenderPhotoArt.com

 

Next, you may want to explore your photographic creativity with some creative photography ideas.

• Home
• Basic Digital Photography
• Sensor Dust

Dust is your enemy. It’s important to keep your sensor clean and "schmutz-free!" Get the scoop on camera sensor cleaning, and keeping it clean.

What are those Spots?

Sensor dust is simply dust particles that adhere to the digital sensor of your camera. They can get onto your sensor when you change lenses. They result in dark gray "spots" on your image.

Dust spot
© Julie Waterhouse Photography

Close-up of the dust spot
© Julie Waterhouse Photography

 

Diagnosing Different Kinds of Dust: Mirror, Sensor or Lens?

If you see spots when you look through the viewfinder, they may be on your mirror, your lens or your sensor. To check where they are, take a picture of a blank, light-colored wall. Transfer the image to your computer, and magnify it to 100%, then scan it up and down, looking for spots.

If you find no spots, then the dust is most likely on your mirror, which lifts out of the way when the picture is taken.

If you do find a spot, then the dust is either on your lens or your sensor. If you switch lenses, and the spot is still there when you take another picture, then the dust is on your sensor.

How to Clean Your Sensor

My two favorite tools for camera sensor cleaning are made by the company Visible Dust, and they are the Arctic Butterfly®, and the Sensor Loupe™.

The Arctic Butterfly is a brush with bristles that are battery powered to spin. As they spin, they build up a static charge. You then pass the brush close to the sensor (without actually touching it), and the dust particles are attracted to it and lift off the sensor.

Arctic Butterfly
Camera sensor cleaning

If the Arctic Butterfly fails to remove the sensor dust, then it likely contains a sticky substance, and you will have to get a little more aggressive with your camera sensor cleaning. For that kind of problem, I use a little plastic spatula made by Copper Hill Images wrapped with a Pec Pad (a clean, non-abrasive, specialty cloth pad), with a drop of Eclipse optic cleaner, and carefully wipe across the sensor.

To get a good view of your sensor, and immediately see whether your have eliminated all the sensor dust, I highly recommend the Sensor Loupe. It is a magnifying glass that fits over your sensor, and has lights around it so that you can clearly see a magnified view of your sensor.

How do you access the sensor in your camera?

Normally, when you detach your lens and look inside your camera, you see the mirror. The sensor is located underneath it. Most DSLRs have a camera sensor cleaning mode that you can turn on through the menu system. When activated, this mode locks the mirror up, and keeps it raised until the camera is turned off. The sensor behind the mirror is then exposed. To activate sensor cleaning mode, your battery must not be close to empty (it would be bad if you were poking around the sensor, and the mirror suddenly came crashing down because the camera battery died and shut off the camera!).

Self-cleaning

These days, the newer DSLR’s have a self-cleaning mode that activates whenever the camera is switched off. Since getting a camera with that feature, I haven’t been troubled nearly as much with sensor dust; it seems to be very effective.

Keeping your Sensor Clean

Cleaning your sensor is a hassle, so the best thing to do is to try to keep it clean. Here are a few tips for keeping the sensor dust away.

1. 1. Change lenses quickly so the sensor is not exposed for long. Lens changing is the activity that is most likely to expose your sensor to dust.
2. 2. Change lenses inside. If that is not possible, then turn your back to the wind and hunch over to avoid dust blowing in.
3. 3. Turn off your camera and point it straight down when changing lenses. When the camera is switched on, the sensor creates a small charge of static electricity, which can attract sesnor dust. If you switch off the camera, the static charge dissipates and reduces the likelihood of getting more dust on the sensor.
4. 4. Vacuum the dust from your camera bag frequently.
5. 5. Store your camera with its back up, and make gravity work for you.

 

Next, you may want to visit our page on professional photography equipment to learn about the tools that I use.

 

• Home
• Basic Digital Photography
• RAW vs JPEG

Understand the considerations of the RAW vs JPEG file formats, and which one you should be using. What is raw? What is JPEG? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

When you take a picture with your digital camera, it is stored as a file, first on your camera’s memory card, and later on your computer’s hard drive. This file can be in one of several formats. The most common ones used for storing images on your memory card are raw and JPEG. Let’s take a look at each one.

RAW vs JPEG: What is Raw?

When comparing RAW vs JPEG, I like to think of raw image data like unbaked cookie dough. It has all the ingredients mixed in, but it can still be shaped in any way, and then baked. Raw is so named because it represents unprocessed data. It is not actually a single file format at this stage. There are actually many raw camera formats out there used by different cameras, and even digital scanners.

A raw image is meant to record everything that your camera sensor "sees" as accurately as possible, along with information about the conditions of shooting, i.e., the metadata such as your camera settings, and lens used.

You can also think of it like a digital negative that still has to undergo processing in the digital darkroom to produce the final image. Raw data cannot be read by image programs, other than ones specialized to read camera raw. Usually, you read your raw files with a raw converter that allows some image processing and adjustments before turning the file into a "digital positive" like a JPEG (or a TIFF, or other format).

RAW vs JPEG: What is JPEG?

When comparing RAW vs JPEG, if a raw image is like unbaked cookie dough, then a JPEG is a fully baked cookie.

All cameras record the image data in a raw file format first. However, if you are shooting in JPEG mode, the camera’s hardware will choose some automatic, pre-determined settings such as brightness, contrast, white balance, saturation, sharpening, and finally compression, and bake them in to your image. It will then throw away all the existing raw data.

Digital Photography Basics
© Julie Waterhouse Photography

 

RAW or JPEG: Which Should You Choose?

 

Advantages of shooting in JPEG

1. JPEG files are much smaller than files in raw file format, and you can fit more on a memory card. They are also more easily transmitted over the internet, which is good for news photographers.

2. Many photographers don’t want to spend the time to post-process their files, and are happy to take the camera’s settings, which can still produce a decent image. JPEG quality is just fine for family snapshots, and news photos.

3. When comparing raw vs JPEG, consider whether you are photographing a lot of motion. With cameras which can’t write quickly to the memory card, it might be better to shoot in JPEG if you are shooting in burst mode, to capture many images quickly. JPEGs take less time to write to the card.

Advantages of Shooting in Raw vs JPEG

1. By preserving the complete, original image data, you will be able to go back to your image in the future and re-process it in a different way if you have new ideas, or if a new and improved image processing technology becomes available in the future.

2. Consider raw vs JPEG in terms of preserving the original image data. Raw files are tagged with whatever settings the camera used, however, unlike with a JPEG, the actual image data has not been changed. You are able to set whatever white balance or contrast, etc. you want to after the fact, with no image degradation. In contrast, once you bake in white balance to a JPEG file, you can never properly adjust it later. Also, changes you make after the fact to a JPEG image will result in image degradation; each time you save a JPEG file, you lose data, since it is a lossy compression format.

3. If you are going to be adjusting your images through post-processing, possibly the most important advantage of raw vs JPEG is the amount of data that is stored. when you shoot in raw file format, you are shooting in 16-bit mode (i.e., a 12-bit recorded image).

A 12-bit image contains 4,096 brightness levels, in contrast with an 8-bit JPEG image, which has only 256. This becomes significant when you are trying to bring out detail from the shadows. Because the brightest parts of the image contain exponentially more data than the darkest parts, this means that you have very little information in the shadows. With a 12-bit image, only 128 of your entire 4,096 brightness levels are found in the darkest fifth of the image. For an 8-bit image, there are a measly 20 levels in the darkest range.

If you want to make an adjustment to recover shadow detail, would you rather be working with an 8-bit image or a 12-bit one?

Digital Photography Basics
© Julie Waterhouse Photography

 

RAW vs JPEG: Raw Converters

You need special software to convert your raw files to a format that’s readable by other image programs. Files in raw file format are encoded differently by each camera manufacturer, and are sometimes even different between camera models. Consequently, camera manufacturers provide camera raw converter software when you buy your camera. This software is typically only "so-so" in terms of performance, features and user interface, and rarely "great."

Luckily, you have some great alternatives available. There are many raw converters on the market. I’ll mention the two most popular here.

The Camera Raw converter that is built into both Adobe Photoshop® CS and Adobe Lightroom® supports just about every raw file format on the market. It is excellent quality and full-featured. The disadvantage is that you have to buy the whole software package, and not just the converter. This was more of an issue when the converter was only available in Photoshop. Now that it is available in the lower-priced Lightroom software, it’s a great deal in my opinion. Lightroom is an excellent raw converter, and provides a host of useful image management features as well.

If you are looking for a standalone raw converter, consider Phase One’s CaptureOne. It’s available in various versions to support the different camera formats, and is priced according to the corresponding supported camera cost (i.e., support for the low-end DSLRs costs less than for the high-end DSLRs).

© Julie Waterhouse Photography

 

RAW vs JPEG: What is DNG format?

Digital Negative (DNG) arrived in 2004, and is an open raw image format created and owned by Adobe. What does it mean to be "open?"

Today, each camera manufacturer has its own, proprietary raw format, and often more than one for the various camera models that they produce. An open format is the opposite of proprietary. It means the details of the specification are published publicly for anyone to see, and rights are granted for anyone to use the format royalty-free.

What’s the advantage of DNG format to you, the photographer? It means that you are not tied to a particular manufacturer’s format. If your camera maker went bankrupt tomorrow, how would you read your files? Well, you’d still have the software you have today. How long would that last, though? Floppy disks are a thing of the past now, so perhaps in ten years time, it won’t be easy to read a DVD.

To me, however, the above is not a compelling argument to rush and use DNG format now. There are DNG converters available now, and if at any time my camera manufacturer does go bankrupt, there will be a window of time where I can make the conversion if I need to.

The real advantage is for the photographic marketplace as a whole. Today, there are dozens, even hundreds of raw formats that must be supported by every piece of software that wants to do image manipulation. How much easier (and cheaper!) it would be to develop such software if there were only a single industry standard format to support. Ideally, everyone from the camera manufacturers on down would adopt the standard, and then we’d all be speaking a universal language, and no conversion would be necessary. That’s the direction many are trying to encourage the industry to go. You have some time to wait and see how things shake out.

The compelling reason to convert all your files now rather than later is that if you believe this is where we’ll ultimately end up, and you are continuing to produce mountains of raw files in the meantime, then you’re going to have one mammoth task on your hands to convert your existing stockpile of images to DNG format when the time comes.

 

Next, you may want to visit another digital photography basics page to learn why you MUST add "calibrate monitor" to your workflow.

• Home
• All About Photography
• Taking Photos of People

How do you overcome your fear of taking photos of people? If you’re shy, it can be a challenge! Are you usually the one shooting from across the street with a long lens? Of course, that means you can never use the photos commercially, because you’d have to actually talk to someone to ask them to sign a model release!

Have you ever spotted a real character, or wanted to take photos of people who represent the region where you’re traveling? But you’re not sure how they’ll react, or whether they’ll want to be compensated, and so you pass up the opportunity?

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Water is one of my favorite subjects to photograph. In this article, Barbara Bender shares loads of creative and original ideas for doing water photography of water in all its forms, from liquid to frozen. She also provides some useful tips to help you get the technical details right. Enjoy her helpful explanations and her stunning images!

Water: Not Just for Drinking!

by Barbara Bender

Water. It has no colour. It’s transparent. It’s common.
Doesn’t sound too promising as a photographic subject, does it?
Yet in spite of these seemingly uninspiring characteristics, water photography can provide you with endless possibilities in countless situations for making interesting images.

Water On Baking Pan in the Kitchen
© Barbara Bender

Large Bodies of Water

In addition to being the subject of the usual waterscapes, oceans, lakes, and rivers contain vast amounts of the liquid itself to work with. Although water has no colour, it reflects whatever is nearby, and large bodies of water usually appear blue because of the reflection of the sky. However, because conditions can change, there can be enormous variation in hue, and the appearance of the water can vary dramatically with the weather and time of day. Often, particles suspended in the water and the composition of the bottom itself can affect the colour as well, especially in oceans. Colour can also vary according to the depth of the water. It is not uncommon to see many bands of varying blue, turquoise and green all at the same time, in the same location, as lighting conditions change.

Waves, Hawaii
© Barbara Bender

Closer to shore, there can be reflections from boats, buildings, trees, or docks et cetera to work with. When the surface is still and glassy, these reflections can be almost mirror-like, and the presence of ripples and swells can distort the reality of what is being reflected into fantastic abstracts of colour, shape and line.

Moving water in the form of waves, waterfalls, and currents can present different kinds of opportunities for water photography. By experimenting with various shutter speeds at the time of exposure, water can be captured either quickly, rendering it into frozen, glass-like shapes and droplets, or slowly, resulting in soft, ethereal, milky impressions. Often, such photographs portray the water as a feature of the larger landscape. For a change, try to photograph just the water itself, or include only small sections of the shore or rocks in order to convey its behaviour as it moves around or against these obstacles. Don’t shoot only one or two frames. Make dozens of photographs for each shutter speed setting. Because water is moving at different speeds and configurations, each image will be different. Remember that you can also pan during the exposure, moving your camera in different ways. Digital cameras come into their own for this kind of water photography play. Just be sure to have lots of memory cards and fresh batteries.

Bala River
© Barbara Bender

Water in Containers

Swimming pools, bathtubs, sinks, and potholes, can all contain water and provide possibilities for water photography. In these instances, it’s more about shooting through the water for the unique effects it can cause, rather than photographing the water itself. Because the amount of liquid in such containers is much smaller, the colour can take on the hue of the vessel itself, or whatever is nearby. Reflections are often easier to find and work with because the surface is generally quieter. Clean water is clear, making it possible to see the details of the container distinctly, so you can photograph items or details on the bottom or in the water itself. These often can appear distorted because of the subtle movements of the water, and therefore are more visually interesting. The physical phenomenon of refraction adds an exciting visual dimension, as these objects or details appear bent or distorted. Even chaotic patterns of light bouncing off the bottom of the vessel can make unique photographs.

Swimming Pool Steps
© Barbara Bender

 

Water in Action

You can photograph water which flows from fountains, faucets or garden hoses. Play with various shutter speeds here as well. Backlighting in these situations can add a lot of drama and interest. During heavy rainfalls, if your camera is well protected, try to capture the streaks of rain with both fast and a variety of slower shutter speeds, and also shoot through the deluge itself. Heavy rain can soften and distort the appearance of whatever is behind it. Try photographing through rain-splattered or streaming windows or car windshields.

 

Water in Other States

Not only can water be photographed in a liquid state, images can be made of it when it is in solid or vapourous forms. Snow, ice, frost, steam, rainbows and clouds are all made out of water. Try to make these the subject of your water photography. After a period of windy weather, isolate snow drift patterns and capture the undulating forms. Remember that snow is very light in tone, so you will have to overexpose to some extent to preserve the brightness. Also, snow can take on colour from light. Shadowed areas can appear blue on sunny days, and early and late in the day, can appear golden. Experiment with different shutter speeds when attempting to capture falling flakes.

Ice in lakes, rivers or even puddles can present a variety of colours, cracks, bubbles and patterns to experiment with. Gorgeous frost patterns can be photographed on windows that are not well insulated. If you live in a warm climate, shoot ice cubes or containers of frozen water which you’ve made yourself in the kitchen. Try suspending petals, leaves or other objects in the water before freezing and photograph them.

Puddle Reflection
© Barbara Bender

Mist and fog, composed of minute water droplets, obscure and soften details and features, and can be used to create images which can be moody and evocative. Often these conditions can be quite delicate in appearance, so preserve the lightness by overexposing slightly.

Cloud formations are fascinating to work with, and constantly change shape and colour with the weather and time of day. Make them the main subject of your water photography for a change.

Clouds
© Barbara Bender

Water is available to photograph in some way, anytime and anywhere. So, take advantage of this free, abundant substance. It might be common, but the results can be anything but ordinary.

…And don’t forget to drink your eight glasses a day while you’re at it!

 

About Barbara Bender

 

Barbara Bender is a freelance professional photographer and writer who uses various creative techniques, emphasis on design, and simple, often graphic composition to make photographs which are frequently expressive in nature. Her photographs have been featured in such publications as Nature’s Best Awards Issue, Black and White Magazine, and Color Magazine. A series of articles on photographic Creativity and Playfulness was featured in PhotoLife Magazine in 2010. Over forty-five of her images have been used as book covers for Guernica Editions. As an active member of the Greater Toronto Council of Camera Clubs, she gives presentations and workshops on various photographic topics.

www.BarbaraBenderPhotoArt.com

 

Next, you may want to explore your photographic creativity with some creative photography ideas.

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• Worldwide Camera Club Competition

Top Photographs:
Worldwide Camera Club Competition

Here are the top photographs from our Worldwide Camera Club Competition! Camera clubs from around the world submitted their amazing photographs for a friendly challenge to determine the best of the best. The subject matter was open — photographer’s choice. Each club submitted their best single image. And now, the results are in!

Jump to:
The winning image
The runner-up
A list of the 5 top photographs
A video presentation of more of the top images

 

The results of the Worldwide Camera Club competition are in!  We had entries from countries far and wide, including Canada, South Africa, the USA, and New Zealand.

Overall, the judges thought that the submitted images were great, and it was difficult for them to narrow down their choice to the final winners!  It was a close race between the top two images.  After much discussion, they have arrived at a decision.

And the Winner is…!

“Great Egret with its Reflection”
© Arnold Dubin
Camera Club of Brevard, Satellite Beach, Florida, USA

Congratulations to our first place winner, the Camera Club of Brevard in Satellite Beach, Florida, USA!  Arnold Dubin represented his club with his beautiful winning image titled “Great Egret with its Reflection.”  Visit the club website at http://www.ccbrevard.com

 

The Runner-up

“Jackal-Vulture Fight”

© Mitchell Krog
Krugersdorp Camera Club, Krugersdorp, South Africa

Congratulations also go to our runner-up, the Krugersdorp Camera Club in Krugersdorp, South Africa!  Mitchell Krog represented his club with his exciting capture titled “Jackal-Vulture Fight.” Visit the club’s website at http://www.kameraklub.co.za

 

The Five Top Photographs

The five top photographs picked by the judges were:

Great Egret with its Reflection (Winner), by Arnold Dubin of the Camera Club of Brevard in Satellite Beach, Florida, USA. http://www.ccbrevard.com

 

 

 

Jackal-Vulture Fight (Runner-up) by Mitchell Krog of the Krugersdorp Camera Club in Krugersdorp, South Africa. http://www.kameraklub.co.za

 

 

Stairway to Heaven by Joe Statuto of the Northeast Photography Club, Scranton, PA, USA. http://www.nephotoclub.org

 

 

Kokerboom Quiver by Michelle Slater of the Fish Hoek Photographic Society, Cape Town, South Africa

 

 

 

Fish Dish by Cosima Ray of the Tauranga Photographic Society in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. http://taurangaphoto.org.nz/

 

 

Video Presentation

To see more of the top photographs from the contest, please enjoy our video.

 

I really enjoyed all the images that were submitted. Thanks to all the clubs who participated!

~Julie Waterhouse
Founder, Ultimate Photo Tips