Category: Technique
Earthbound Light is running a weekly series of photography tips; the latest one looks at using Levels in Photoshop to correct the exposure of your digital photos.
“So, you’re trying to learn how to optimize your photos in Photoshop. Nothing radical, of course. Basically just the digital equivalent of what has been done in the traditional darkroom for years. With any number of ways to do even simple things, Photoshop can seem a bit overwhelming at first though. We looked last week at Brightness and Contrast and discovered why they really don’t work that well. Now it’s time to follow though on my promise to explain why Levels is a much better alternative.”
Earthbound Light is running a weekly series of photography tips; the latest one looks at using Levels in Photoshop to correct the exposure of your digital photos. “So, you’re trying to learn how to optimize your photos in Photoshop. Nothing radical, of course. Basically just the digital equivalent of what…
PC REview have published a good introductory article about the white balance setting on your digital camera.
“On most digital cameras the user will find the white balance setting defaults to “Auto” mode. This setting works in most situations but is not very accurate. To achieve greater accuracy one needs to go into the menu mode and set appropriate preset white balance setting which could be “sunny”, “cloudy”, “flash”, “incandescent”, “fluorescent” etc. Some cameras have even greater control in the sense that the provided presets can be greater in number and may cater to something like “beach”, “snow”, “night scene” etc etc. It is always a good idea to use the specific preset as these settings will achieve better colour accuracy than by just using “Auto”. In my opinion “Auto” really means “Average”, come to think of it, that is what it really is. Why settle for average, when your camera has the required controls, use it to your advantage!”
Website: PC Review - White Balance
PC REview have published a good introductory article about the white balance setting on your digital camera. “On most digital cameras the user will find the white balance setting defaults to “Auto” mode. This setting works in most situations but is not very accurate. To achieve greater accuracy one needs…
Digital Outback Photo have today published ab article by Byron Jorjorian that will interest anyone who is interested in making some money from their photography by selling them as stock images.
“The images in your files have a value which can be calculated. I like to use a conservative value of $1.00 per image in your files, per year. In other words, if you have 10,000 “marketable” images in your files, they have a potential value of at least $10,000 per year, each year, from here forward. The key word here is “marketable”. This doesn’t necessarily mean a “fine art photograph”. What it does mean is an image that is well exposed, composed and appropriately sharp, with a clear subject. What you are looking for is an interesting image like you might see in a book, magazine, calendar or advertisement.”
Digital Outback Photo have today published ab article by Byron Jorjorian that will interest anyone who is interested in making some money from their photography by selling them as stock images. “The images in your files have a value which can be calculated. I like to use a conservative value…
Landscape photographer Andy Lim has published a short but sweet guide to the basics of photography (digital and film) with lots of sample shots to clearly illustrate the point (found via brownglasses.com
“On consumer digital cameras, the terms optical zoom and digital zoom are common. When shopping for a digital camera, ignore the digital zoom. What you should look for is the optical zoom capability, because what is captured using optical zoom is what the lens actually sees. Digital zoom is basically using in-camera software to enlarge the center pixels in the photo, resulting in loss of detail and sharpness.”
Website: Andy Lim’s Photography Basics
Landscape photographer Andy Lim has published a short but sweet guide to the basics of photography (digital and film) with lots of sample shots to clearly illustrate the point (found via brownglasses.com “On consumer digital cameras, the terms optical zoom and digital zoom are common. When shopping for a digital…
The Malaysian-based website Star Online has published (in English) an interesting article on underwater photography, with loads of tips and techniques for you to use.
“In the old days, scuba photography was a prohibitively expensive hobby as special underwater casings for SLR cameras could cost up to RM10,000 and beyond. Also, there were a limited number of underwater-only film cameras.
But with the advent of digital cameras and ready-made casings for them, scuba photography has become a much more affordable pursuit. For instance, the 5 Megapixel Olympus C-5060 digital camera and its casing (that we used during a hands-on workshop conducted by Olympus Malaysia at Berjaya Redang Beach Resort in October) costs under RM4,000.”
The Malaysian-based website Star Online has published (in English) an interesting article on underwater photography, with loads of tips and techniques for you to use. “In the old days, scuba photography was a prohibitively expensive hobby as special underwater casings for SLR cameras could cost up to RM10,000 and beyond…
Popular Photography have published a handy, easy-to-understand overview to the different file formats that digital cameras use.
“When an image is captured by your camera’s digital sensor, a series of settings are applied as alterations to the original raw data. In many high-end cameras, this raw data can be retrieved “un-touched” as a RAW file, but most digital cameras save your photos as JPEGs. In addition to “alterations” for sharpness, white-balance, and the rest (which are either selected by the camera’s default settings or set by you), the choice of file format that the image is saved in can have a profound affect on overall quality. Get it wrong, and there’s little that can be done even in Photoshop.”
Popular Photography have published a handy, easy-to-understand overview to the different file formats that digital cameras use. “When an image is captured by your camera’s digital sensor, a series of settings are applied as alterations to the original raw data. In many high-end cameras, this raw data can be retrieved…
About Photography’s latest article, Delivering Your Images, looks at preparing your images for both printing and your clients.
“Delivering Your Images follows on from a previous feature ‘Sharpening & Workflow’ and gives some suggestions on how to deliver your work to clients, as well as looking at getting ready to print your images. It looks at issues around file types, file sizes and quality (and what clients really want when they say “300 dpi”.) Some ‘do’s and don’ts’, whether you should make your own prints, and some basic advice on print profiles.”
About Photography’s latest article, Delivering Your Images, looks at preparing your images for both printing and your clients. “Delivering Your Images follows on from a previous feature ‘Sharpening & Workflow’ and gives some suggestions on how to deliver your work to clients, as well as looking at getting ready to…
If you have just bought your first digital camera and are wondering what some of the features actually do, then Bob Atkins’s guide to the basics is a great place to start learning.
“Sensitivity settings on digital cameras are the equivalent of ISO ratings on film. Just about every digital camera will have settings with a sensitivity equivalent to ISO 100 film and ISO 200 film. Many will have an ISO 400 setting, but above that the images from cameras with small sensors gets pretty noisy. The more expensive digital SLRs with much larger sensors have much higher sensitivity settings. At ISO 400 they are virtually noise free and some can go as high as ISO 3200 or even ISO 6400!”
If you have just bought your first digital camera and are wondering what some of the features actually do, then Bob Atkins’s guide to the basics is a great place to start learning. “Sensitivity settings on digital cameras are the equivalent of ISO ratings on film. Just about every digital…
Digital Outback Photo have published a comprehensive tutorial on upsizing digital images using Photoshop CS.
“Whenever the topic of interpolating digital files for the purpose of large print output is mentioned, you usually hear arguments break out over which method is the “best” one. The most popular methods of interpolation mentioned are usually some form of stepped bi-cubic interpolation in imaging programs such as Photoshop, or the use of programs specifically dedicated to accomplishing this task like the Genuine Fractals interpolation product or Q-Image?s printing program. While most of these traditional methods work fairly well, they all have their shortcomings. Over time I have tested virtually every method available…”
Digital Outback Photo have published a comprehensive tutorial on upsizing digital images using Photoshop CS. “Whenever the topic of interpolating digital files for the purpose of large print output is mentioned, you usually hear arguments break out over which method is the “best” one. The most popular methods of interpolation…
About.com has published a good guide to getting out and about during the winter months with your camera.
“The hours of daylight are shorter in winter, but this doesn’t really alter the possibilities for most types of photography. For working outdoors, the lower height of the sun in the sky means that you get more interesting lighting - assuming the sun is visible. Often in summer the light across the middle of the day is uninteresting as the sun is too close to overhead, while in winter you can work through the day. Winter tends to give more variable weather too, sometimes creating additional interest.”
About.com has published a good guide to getting out and about during the winter months with your camera. “The hours of daylight are shorter in winter, but this doesn’t really alter the possibilities for most types of photography. For working outdoors, the lower height of the sun in the sky…
About Photography’s latest article, Sharpening & Workflow, is a great introduction to the trciky subject of sharpening, as well as reviewing two popular software tools, PhotoKit Sharpener and FocalBlade.
“FocalBlade (FB) is designed as a single pass sharpening plugin, and seems to me the ultimate of its type. It allows you to separate the sharpening of edges from the sharpening of surfaces and also offers to attempt to fix sharpening haloes. One advantage of the plugin is that it can be used in either novice or expert mode. Another useful feature is the ability to save presets. “
About Photography’s latest article, Sharpening & Workflow, is a great introduction to the trciky subject of sharpening, as well as reviewing two popular software tools, PhotoKit Sharpener and FocalBlade. “FocalBlade (FB) is designed as a single pass sharpening plugin, and seems to me the ultimate of its type. It allows…
Photo.net have posted a new article which attempts to clear up the confusion concerning focal length, field of view and digital multipliers and how they relate to each other.
“The field of view of a lens (sometimes called the angle of coverage or angle of view) is defined as the angle (in object space) over which objects are recorded on the film or sensor in a camera. It depends on two factors, the focal length of the lens (see above) and the physical size of the film or sensor. Since it depends on the film/sensor size it’s not a fixed characteristic of a lens and it can only be stated if the size of the film or sensor it will be used with is known. For a lens used to form a rectangular frame, three fields of view are often given; the horizontal FOV, the vertical FOV and the diagonal FOV.”
Website: Photo.net - Field of View - Fisheye and Rectilinear lenses
Photo.net have posted a new article which attempts to clear up the confusion concerning focal length, field of view and digital multipliers and how they relate to each other. “The field of view of a lens (sometimes called the angle of coverage or angle of view) is defined as the…
“How to Create a Portfolio of Your Work” is the eighth part of Alain’s Aesthetics and Photography series over on the Luminous Landscape website:
“Creating a portfolio is an important aspect of being a dedicated and committed photographer. It is also relatively easy once the hurdles that have stopped so many have been pushed out of the way. Creating a portfolio allows you to see what you have accomplished so far and where you are at right now. It also allows you to plan what you want to focus on in the future. In this sense it is a landmark event that will stay as a record of what you accomplished in photography up to this point. Once completed it will make it easier for you to chart the course ahead, plan your future assignments and schedule your upcoming shoots. Your sense of purpose and direction will be enhanced once the completion of a successful portfolio is behind you.”
Website: Luminous Landscape - Aesthetics and Photography Part 8
“How to Create a Portfolio of Your Work” is the eighth part of Alain’s Aesthetics and Photography series over on the Luminous Landscape website: “Creating a portfolio is an important aspect of being a dedicated and committed photographer. It is also relatively easy once the hurdles that have stopped so…
In their latest article Digital Outback Photo urges everyone to backup their photos, and presents their own specific way of doing this using Wiebetech drive bays and Hitachi disk drives.
“Some people say that disks are getting cheaper and cheaper per GB. True, but the needs for storage grow even more. Here are some of the reasons:
- Cameras have higher pixel count
- Resulting images get stored in 16bit
- Photoshop layers add even on top
- The need to have multiple backup versions of your files
It is very clear that you need external storage disks to handle the flood of images.”
In their latest article Digital Outback Photo urges everyone to backup their photos, and presents their own specific way of doing this using Wiebetech drive bays and Hitachi disk drives. “Some people say that disks are getting cheaper and cheaper per GB. True, but the needs for storage grow even…
Colour Confidence Press Release 28/10/04
* ‘Guidance for Digital Photography’ document introduced by Colour Confidence
* Introduces digital photographers to the benefits of colour management
* Downloadable FREE from www.colourconfidence.com
* Available in French, Spanish and German by end of the year
Birmingham, UK, October 26 2004 - Colour Confidence, the colour management division of TypeMaker, today announced the availability of its ‘Colour Confidence Guidance for Digital Photography’ - a comprehensive document produced to introduce digital photographers to the considerable benefits associated with colour management. The guide - introduced in light of the growth in digital photography - is downloadable free of charge from www.colourconfidence.com - the company’s online store that offers the widest range of colour management solutions anywhere on the Internet or high street.
With sales of digital cameras growing to 18 million across Europe in 2003, and a staggering 1.8 billion images printed from digital files across Western Europe (Data sourced from PMAI) there was a real need to introduce a concise guide detailing the critical role colour management plays in modern-day photography. To reflect this trend and Colour Confidence’s continued growth across Europe, the guide will also soon be available in French, Spanish and German.
Colour Confidence Press Release 28/10/04 * ‘Guidance for Digital Photography’ document introduced by Colour Confidence * Introduces digital photographers to the benefits of colour management * Downloadable FREE from www.colourconfidence.com * Available in French, Spanish and German by end of the year Birmingham, UK, October 26 2004 - Colour Confidence…
Adobe have just published a series of new articles about digital photography, written by some of the leading experts in the industry. “From the Digital Negative (DNG) specification to industry-leading Adobe Photoshop CS software, Adobe offers essential tools for digital imaging. Explore these papers and primers - written by some of the biggest names in the industry - to learn more about the new world of digital photography.
Website: Adobe - Digital Photography White Papers and Primers
Adobe have just published a series of new articles about digital photography, written by some of the leading experts in the industry. “From the Digital Negative (DNG) specification to industry-leading Adobe Photoshop CS software, Adobe offers essential tools for digital imaging. Explore these papers and primers - written by some…
Histograms are now widely available on many digital cameras, but what do they actually do? PCMagazine has most of the answers in a short article called “Harnessing Histograms” (found via Digicamera.net).
“Histograms are not widely understood, but taking a few moments to learn about them can improve your photography significantly. Histograms can show you clearly and immediately whether your images are overexposed, underexposed, or just right, and help you to make any necessary changes in order to compensate when reshooting the scene.”
Website: PCMagazine - Harnessing Histograms
Histograms are now widely available on many digital cameras, but what do they actually do? PCMagazine has most of the answers in a short article called “Harnessing Histograms” (found via Digicamera.net). “Histograms are not widely understood, but taking a few moments to learn about them can improve your photography significantly…
Michael Reichmann has published a great article about developing your own personal photographic vision and ultimately “learning to see”.
“Possibly the biggest curse of the digital photography revolution is that it has excessively focused photographer’s attention on technology, rather than vision. We now have tools that allow us to take very sharp pictures indeed, but a sharp photograph of a fuzzy concept is of little interest or value to anyone.
Why then do the majority of photographers, magazines and enthusiast web sites concentrate almost exclusively on gear, secondarily on technique, and hardly at all on how to see? The answer is simple - it’s easier.”
Website: Luminous Landscape - Learning to See
Michael Reichmann has published a great article about developing your own personal photographic vision and ultimately “learning to see”. “Possibly the biggest curse of the digital photography revolution is that it has excessively focused photographer’s attention on technology, rather than vision. We now have tools that allow us to take…
Depth of field is one of the most crucial things to understand if you ever want to become more than a snapshoot photographer. Bob Atkins has a decent article which attempts to explain what it is, with some info about how it works with digital SLRs like the EOS 10D.
“Depth of field is also NOT directly related to background blur. Depth of field equations tell you over what range of distances objects will appear to be acceptably sharp (or at least not unacceptably unsharp). It tells you nothing about how much blur there will be of objects well outside the depth of field. That’s governed by different physical parameters and determined using totally different equations, and it’s something I intend to address in a future article.”
Website: Bob Atkins- Digital Depth of Field
Depth of field is one of the most crucial things to understand if you ever want to become more than a snapshoot photographer. Bob Atkins has a decent article which attempts to explain what it is, with some info about how it works with digital SLRs like the EOS 10D…
In his latest eassay Michael Reichmann explains what he thinks separates a snapshot from a fine-art photograph.
“Every photographer is a snapshooter at heart. I don’t know of a fine art photographer, regardless of their pretentious, who didn’t also take snapshots. Especially pictures of members of their family, and in particular children and babies. It simply goes with the territory of being a photographer and of having taking photographs as a way of life. It’s how we see the world and how we share it with others.
Most of the time these family photos and snapshots end up in an album, and occasionally, if they’re really good, as a framed print. But once in a very rare while an image can rise above its origins and become a fine art print. This essay is a detailed look at the esthetic as well as the technical decisions that went into the making of Baby and Watering Can, seen above.”
In his latest eassay Michael Reichmann explains what he thinks separates a snapshot from a fine-art photograph. “Every photographer is a snapshooter at heart. I don’t know of a fine art photographer, regardless of their pretentious, who didn’t also take snapshots. Especially pictures of members of their family, and in…