Category: Technique
Peter Marshall over at the About.com Photography website has written an interesting article about digital exposure and how to ensure that you get it right.
“The most common fault shown in digital pictures is burnt out highlights, often seen as skies devoid of detail, just clear white, or sometimes even with areas of false colour. You also don’t need to look far to find pictures lacking in shadow detail, with empty black areas where there should be subject.
Contrast is a related problem, and many digital pictures are far too bright and contrasty, while others show a bright sky with everything else looking dull and dark. “
Website: Photography at About.com - “Getting Digital Exposure Right”
Peter Marshall over at the About.com Photography website has written an interesting article about digital exposure and how to ensure that you get it right. “The most common fault shown in digital pictures is burnt out highlights, often seen as skies devoid of detail, just clear white, or sometimes even…
Photo.net have published a technique-based article simply called “Backgrounds”, which discusses how to make sure that the background in a photograph complements the main subject, rather than detracting from it. Reading this makes a very pleasant change from reading about yet another new digital camera!
“The first step to improving the backgrounds in our photos is to be conscious of the background’s importance to our photos. We must know that the right backgrounds can make our shots stand out. This often means simply paying attention to what is behind out subjects during our photography sessions.
Unfortunately, the complete solution is not nearly as simple. The normal goal is to keep the subject as the center of interest in a picture (not to be confused with the center of a picture). Your eye should be drawn to the subject in the final image, and the background must not be distracting from the subject. Shots must be setup to take advantage of a clean or pleasing background.”
Website: Photo.net - Backgrounds
Photo.net have published a technique-based article simply called “Backgrounds”, which discusses how to make sure that the background in a photograph complements the main subject, rather than detracting from it. Reading this makes a very pleasant change from reading about yet another new digital camera! “The first step to improving…
In his latest article Michael Reichmann reminds us all to immerse ourselves in the moment and take a proactive approach to photography, backed up by some great images taken with the Sony DSC-F828 digicam.
“As I photographed I noticed another photographer working the scene. Like me he walked around the pier area taking his photographs. Once the sun had risen and it was time to head back to the hotel for coffee our paths crossed and we chatted for a few minutes. I’d noticed that he’d not been shooting very much, and so I asked him how he’d made out. “Not great,” he said. “I only took a few shots because not much was happening.”
During the 60 minutes that I’d been out shooting I had taken 130 frames.”
In his latest article Michael Reichmann reminds us all to immerse ourselves in the moment and take a proactive approach to photography, backed up by some great images taken with the Sony DSC-F828 digicam. “As I photographed I noticed another photographer working the scene. Like me he walked around the…
The website LTL Imagery have recently published a number of articles which deal with the thorny issue of colour management and monitor calibration. If your prints don’t look like the image on your monitor, then give these articles a try…
Introduction to Color Management
Website: LTL Imagery
The website LTL Imagery have recently published a number of articles which deal with the thorny issue of colour management and monitor calibration. If your prints don’t look like the image on your monitor, then give these articles a try… Introduction to Color Management Accurate Monitor Display Monitor Calibration Website…
Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen has just published 2 more excellent articles on his website Petteri’s Pontifications. “Kwik ‘n’ Dirty Color Management” is a how-to article on setting up a simple color managed system for processing digital photos. “Is Slide Really Better?” is an investigation into the qualities of slide, negative, and Canon 10D RAW digital, from the point of view of an amateur photographer.
Website: Petteri’s Pontifications: Kwik ‘n’ Dirty Color Management
Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen has just published 2 more excellent articles on his website Petteri’s Pontifications. “Kwik ‘n’ Dirty Color Management” is a how-to article on setting up a simple color managed system for processing digital photos. “Is Slide Really Better?” is an investigation into the qualities of slide, negative…
Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen has published an eloquently written article called “Sermon From A Raw Convert”, which takes a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the RAW file format, and explains why Petteri has opted to shoot in RAW mode rather than JPEG. It’s also a direct response to a similar article by Ken Rockwell, who argues that JPEG is the way to go. I’ll let you read both articles and make up your own minds…
Website: Petteri Sulonen - “Sermon From A Raw Convert”
Website: Ken Rockwell - “JPG vs RAW vs TIFF: Get it Right the First Time”
Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen has published an eloquently written article called “Sermon From A Raw Convert”, which takes a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the RAW file format, and explains why Petteri has opted to shoot in RAW mode rather than JPEG. It’s also a direct response to…
Photo.net have published a basic and easily understandable guide to the often confusing subject of image size:
“The confusion seems to arise because people aren’t sure of how these are related. They wonder if ppi affects the size of the image you see on a monitor screen. We know that displays are measured in pixels (e.g. a 1024x1280 display), and that screens are a given with (e.g. 15”), it seems logical that the pixels/inch setting should affect the size of the displayed image. Logical maybe, but wrong. Although monitors do have a measurable figure for ppi (pixels per inch), the ppi information in an image is NOT used for monitor display in web browsers.”
Photo.net have published a basic and easily understandable guide to the often confusing subject of image size: “The confusion seems to arise because people aren’t sure of how these are related. They wonder if ppi affects the size of the image you see on a monitor screen. We know that…
Professional photographer Alain Briot is certainly in demand today, as another of his articles has been published on the Luminous Landscape website. “How to Select the Best “film” for a Specific Image with both Film and Digital Capture” is the fifth part of Alain’s Aesthetics and Photography series:
“Which “film” to use is as relevant today as it was when film was the only choice. This is because film meant, and still means, which kind of photographic images we want to create. We make choices regarding “film” unconsciously, whether we know it or not. We make these choices when we convert an image from Raw to Photoshop. We make these choices when we adjust scanner settings, and we make these choices when we fine tune an image for printing. Knowing why we make these choices, and how to make the appropriate choices to achieve a specific result, will no doubt result in better images. It will also result in images whose final appearance is under our control rather than under the control of the film, the camera or the software we use.”
Website: Luminous Landscape - Aesthetics and Photography Part 5
Professional photographer Alain Briot is certainly in demand today, as another of his articles has been published on the Luminous Landscape website. “How to Select the Best “film” for a Specific Image with both Film and Digital Capture” is the fifth part of Alain’s Aesthetics and Photography series: “Which “film”…
Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen has published a comprehensive guide to the world of digital black and white photography. It’s an excellent article that’s well worth bookmarking and printing out for future reference.
“Black and white was what first got me “seriously” into photography. While I never attained real mastery in black and white printing, I have spent a long time in various darkrooms. I still enjoy the aesthetic of black and white a great deal, and of course have tried to get the “look” I like in digital as well. Thanks to a lot of experimentation, some reading up, and tips from people who are a lot better at it than I am, I’m finally starting to see the kinds of results I wanted. In particular, thanks to Jim Fuglestad, aka Shutter at DPReview, who thought up the “dodge and soft light” technique described in this essay.”
Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen has published a comprehensive guide to the world of digital black and white photography. It’s an excellent article that’s well worth bookmarking and printing out for future reference. “Black and white was what first got me “seriously” into photography. While I never attained real mastery in…
About.com have just published an interesting 5-page guide to creating panoramic images with a digital camera, including techniques for taking the photos and joining them together.
“Film has a lot to offer the panoramist, but with the increasing adoption of digital cameras, these potentially offer a much cheaper route to making digital pictures. Many digital cameras have a special ‘panorama’ mode to encourage this, and software for stitching several shots into a panorama is often provided with the camera.
Recently, I’ve been trying this out, both with a consumer camera, a small Canon Digital Ixus 400, and also with a Nikon D100 DSLR. The results are encouraging, although nothing commercially available can yet match the true panoramic camera loaded with film for ease of picture taking.”
Website: About.com - Digital Panoramics
About.com have just published an interesting 5-page guide to creating panoramic images with a digital camera, including techniques for taking the photos and joining them together. “Film has a lot to offer the panoramist, but with the increasing adoption of digital cameras, these potentially offer a much cheaper route to…
ePhotoZine have added 4 new articles to their Techniques section for the month of January. “Using a Neutral Density filter” explains the benefits of having this much under-used filter in your camera bag, “How to photograph fireworks” is fairly self-explanatory and “Use your computer to create a silhouette” shows how to use the Threshold control in Photoshop to take out all the colour from an image. The fourth technique, “Setting up a darkroom”, is perhaps one that will be read by less people…
Website: ePhotoZine - January Techniques
ePhotoZine have added 4 new articles to their Techniques section for the month of January. “Using a Neutral Density filter” explains the benefits of having this much under-used filter in your camera bag, “How to photograph fireworks” is fairly self-explanatory and “Use your computer to create a silhouette” shows how…
Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen has published a comprehensive guide to the world of wide-angle photography, explaining what it is, the characteristics, what it can be used for, and how to use it effectively. An excellent article that’s well worth bookmarking and printing out for future reference.
“The problem with wide-angle photography is that it’s… wide. That is, if you point your camera at a random subject, you’ll get a lot of things inside the frame. Some of them will very likely be dark, others will be light, some will be near, some will be far. This introduces all kinds of complications, and in fact turns many of the usual rules, techniques, and even desirable lens characteristics on their heads.”
Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen has published a comprehensive guide to the world of wide-angle photography, explaining what it is, the characteristics, what it can be used for, and how to use it effectively. An excellent article that’s well worth bookmarking and printing out for future reference. “The problem with wide-angle…
About.com Photography editor Peter Marshall has published an in-depth guide to taking pictures of Christmas Lights with a digital camera. He explains 3 techniques that you can use - long exposures, combining exposures and flash.
“Larger public displays, floodlit buildings and the like are often easier to photograph than smaller and simpler ones, not least because there is more light. The problem with many small displays is really that the overall lighting is often very low.”
Website: About.com - Holiday Lights - Digital
About.com Photography editor Peter Marshall has published an in-depth guide to taking pictures of Christmas Lights with a digital camera. He explains 3 techniques that you can use - long exposures, combining exposures and flash. “Larger public displays, floodlit buildings and the like are often easier to photograph than smaller…
About.com has published a 5 page article called “Working with Digital” which is aimed in particular at professionals and serious amateur photographers. The article examines the issues of Problems in buying digital cameras, Costs, dust and camera backup, Digital Negatives - using Raw format, JPEG and TIFF Formats and Compact Flash and Microdrives.
“Most photographers are likely to lose customers if they are unable to supply digital images. Many picture libraries are moving over to digital, and if you cannot supply them they will go elsewhere. Many - if not most - magazines seem to expect digital files. Some expect to get work cheaper because it is digital, which presents a problem.
For many areas of photography, working digitally is now essential if you want to stay in business.”
Website: About.com - Working With Digital
About.com has published a 5 page article called “Working with Digital” which is aimed in particular at professionals and serious amateur photographers. The article examines the issues of Problems in buying digital cameras, Costs, dust and camera backup, Digital Negatives - using Raw format, JPEG and TIFF Formats and Compact…
Norman Koren has written a very useful article which explains how to extract the greatest tonal quality and dynamic range from your digital photos, which in turn will help you to make better prints.
“Prints made from images captured on digital cameras can have extraordinary tonal quality, comparable to the finest full-toned traditional prints. But to reach their full potential they must be processed properly, which involves changing default camera settings and moving away from standard file formats. This page covers the key steps for achieving ultimate tonal quality, which include,
- Storing images in RAW format—the image sensor’s native format,
- Converting and editing images using file formats with a bit depth of 16 (48-bit color or 16-bit B&W), and
- Using curves to adjust tones.”
Website: Norman Koren - Tonal quality and dynamic range in digital cameras
Norman Koren has written a very useful article which explains how to extract the greatest tonal quality and dynamic range from your digital photos, which in turn will help you to make better prints. “Prints made from images captured on digital cameras can have extraordinary tonal quality, comparable to the…
Roger Cavanagh has written an informative article that attempts to explain the differences between assigning a profile and converting to a profile in Photoshop, something which I’ve never fully understood before…(found via digicamera.net
“It’s important to understand one key distinction between assign and convert: assigning a profile/colour space to an image does not change the underlying colour number data, but converting to a different colour space does. If you assign the wrong profile, there is no damage to the file. You can simply assign the correct profile. However, the colours you see on the screen will change because the colour numbers are mapped into a different colour space. Colour spaces are three-dimensional and can differ in size and shape.”
Website: Roger Cavanagh - Assign vs Convert
Roger Cavanagh has written an informative article that attempts to explain the differences between assigning a profile and converting to a profile in Photoshop, something which I’ve never fully understood before…(found via digicamera.net “It’s important to understand one key distinction between assign and convert: assigning a profile/colour space to an…
Part 4 of landscape photographer Alain Briot’s Esthetics and Photography series of articles has just been published by Luminous Landscape.
“Light, time and over again, has been part of the most important aspects of our lives and has played a major role in our existence. Today still, our lives are ruled by light and darkness, as most of us rise at dawn and go to bed after dark. We work during the day and we rest during the night.
As landscape photographers we abide to the same schedule. We follow the sun in its migration while the earth rotates upon itself and circles around the sun according to, respectively, a one day and a one year path in the sky. Our days are organized around the 24 hours the earth takes to make a complete rotation around its axis. Our yearly calendar is based on the one year journey that the earth makes around the sun. The sun, and more importantly the light it sheds upon the earth, control our lives.”
Website: How to Find the Best Light
Part 4 of landscape photographer Alain Briot’s Esthetics and Photography series of articles has just been published by Luminous Landscape. “Light, time and over again, has been part of the most important aspects of our lives and has played a major role in our existence. Today still, our lives are…
ePhotoZine have added 4 new articles to their Techniques section for the month of November. There are two useful Photoshop tutorials, “Using Curves Adjustment Layers to tint photographs” and “How to create a natural looking shadow on a selection”, while “Using your camera’s white balance mode” teaches you how to use the white balance mode to ensure accurate colour in all lighting situations. I didn’t bother reading the rather strange tutorial “Use your web browser as a quick visual cropping guide”...
Website: ePhotoZine - November Techniques
ePhotoZine have added 4 new articles to their Techniques section for the month of November. There are two useful Photoshop tutorials, “Using Curves Adjustment Layers to tint photographs” and “How to create a natural looking shadow on a selection”, while “Using your camera’s white balance mode” teaches you how to…
Michael Reichmann has published a great article on his Luminous Landscape website which clearly explains how to use contrast masks in Photoshop to open up the shadow areas of an image. This looks like a brilliant and relatively simple technique that you will use again and again.
“Given that digital cameras have a dynamic range of 5-7 stops (about the same or slightly greater than transparency film), one often finds that the shadow areas of a frame are rendered darker than one would wish. What to do?
The solution is to use what is called a contrast mask. This is now done digitally, but it is nothing new. It’s been around since the early years of the 20th Century. This used to involve the production of a B&W negative copy of the original which was then placed in superimposition with the positive while a print was made. This caused a flattening of the contrast as shadows received extra exposure while highlights were held back.”
Website: Luminous Landscape - Understanding Contrast Masking
Michael Reichmann has published a great article on his Luminous Landscape website which clearly explains how to use contrast masks in Photoshop to open up the shadow areas of an image. This looks like a brilliant and relatively simple technique that you will use again and again. “Given that digital…
Photoxels have published a guide to Area Focus, which apparently is one of the three focusing modes found on newer digital cameras. I must admit to never using or seeing this feature before, but if your camera has this mode and you’re unsure of how to use it, then the Photoxels tutorial is a good read.
“Area Focus extends Center Focus by allowing the AF frame to be moved anywhere on the screen. So now, if your subject is to the left of center, instead of moving the camera left, pre-focusing and then moving the camera back, all you do is move the AF frame left instead while keeping the camera still!”
Website: Photoxels - Area Focus Tutorial
Photoxels have published a guide to Area Focus, which apparently is one of the three focusing modes found on newer digital cameras. I must admit to never using or seeing this feature before, but if your camera has this mode and you’re unsure of how to use it, then the…