Photography 101, On the Editing Floor: Post-Production

So you went out, bought your camera, took your photos (paying heed to lighting and composition!). Now you’re ready to edit them. This has become increasingly easy to do if you’re working with digital photography. There are many high-quality photo editors available. 

Gimp 2.2 by Luana on Flickr.  All Rights Reserved

Adobe Lightroom 4 is software used by many professional photographers, it works on a Mac or PC computer and allows you to run batch edits across a large collection of photographs at one time.  Lightroom allows you to tweak and improve your photographs but retains the original file for archival purposes.  Adobe Photoshop is also a popular choice for editing your photos (there are many versions available from consumer to pro level).  Picassa is free software that allows you to do some quick, easy edits (add colour filters, adjust saturation, the “I am feeling lucky” edit option will quickly fix any glaring problems with your photos).  iPhoto for Mac users is easy to use and allows you to quickly share photos with friends, save photos in web-friendly file sizes, and upload your photos to social media websites. 

Visit PC Magazine for more information about photo editing software (includes reviews)

Photography 101: Photographing People

Photographing people, especially if you don’t know them well, can be one of the hardest things to do. Some people may not want to have their picture taken. In some cultures, taking someone’s picture is considered to be very bad luck. Your subject might just be very camera-shy. Taking photos of people requires flexibility, patience, and respect. Don’t take pictures of someone who really doesn’t want his or her picture taken. It probably wouldn’t come out well anyway.

You will also likely have to overcome some of your own trepidation when you begin photographing people, but, if done well, these images will be some of the most interesting and rewarding pictures you can take.

 So how do you make sure you get the best photo possible?

1. Get Close. It may make you nervous to get in someone else’s space, and you should probably ask permission before you do so, but you’ll be able to get a much more intimate, interesting photo this way.

2. Don’t Force It. Say cheese! Staged photographs can look cheesy, canned, or just plain boring. Sure, there’s a time and a place for people giving their best megawatt smiles all in a row, but the best photos of people tend to be the ones where they’re being natural (well, as natural as possible with a camera sticking in their face). People often start out quite stiff and nervous when you’re taking pictures of them “in the wild,” as I like to call it. My solution to this is to persist and stick around. After you take a gajillion photos, they will have stopped worrying as much about how they look and what you’re doing.

3. Take Some Time. If you have the luxury of hanging out with a person or group of people for a while, you’ll have more opportunity to get shots while they go throughout their days. This will provide you with some variety, and will give you a chance to take spontaneous, unstaged photos. Keep your camera on you at all times and be ready for any opportunity! Here’s a good tutorial if you want more info.

Photography 101: Shot Composition

Ok, so now you’ve thought about lighting. What’s next? Well, you have to figure out where you want your subject in the picture. We’ve all seen photos where the person is in the dead center of the shot, surrounded by giant swathes of unused, meaningless space. So, first thing’s first –

Think about EVERYTHING in your picture

Really spend some time thinking about where you want to take your shots. Is there something interesting or unique about the place you’ve chosen to shoot? Is there a reason to include lots of background behind, or around, your subject? Is there an interesting pattern in the picture (repetition in shapes, figures, etc)? Is some random guy’s foot sticking into the bottom right corner of your frame?

There are a lot of elements in this shot, but they come together in a unified way.

Avoid the Center 

Our instinct when we take a photograph is to shoot the subject right in the middle. If the subject is the most important thing, why shouldn’t it be in the middle? That’s how we know what to look at, right? 

Wrong. Luckily, we have developed the capacity to infer the importance of objects in ways other than calculating how close to the center of a picture they appear. It looks pretty uninteresting and uninspired, doesn’t it? Instead of doing this, experiment with angles and perspective. Remember the “Rule of Thirds”: Every picture can be divided into nine segments in three sections. Your subject should never be right in the middle section. Instead, try moving it (or at least part of it) into the left or right sections.

Experiment! 

Now that most casual photographers have moved into digital and away from film, you have lots of chances to take that perfect photograph, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Sometimes breaking all the rules can result in something you never expected. [insert final photo…of something] For more information and tutorials, go here and here.

This shot is interesting because of the unconventional angle.

Photography 101: Light

Now that you’ve decided on the camera you want, you’ll need to figure out what photos to take – and how to take them. To do this, you need some basic information on key photography concepts, like lighting and shot composition, and you’ll also need to know some tips and tricks for photographing different kinds of subjects. This series of blog posts will address these topics. We’ll begin today’s lesson with lighting. The first thing you have to decide is what kind of light you want.

 Hard Light 

“Hard” light comes from direct sunlight and very bright sources of light. It can also be produced by shining a small, direct source of light on your subject. Hard light can be useful for edgier, grittier photography. Knowing this, it makes sense that hard light will also bring out (and even exaggerate) any less-than-perfect qualities in your subject, so it tends to be less popular for traditional portraits.

Hard light works well here.

Soft Light 

Also called “diffuse light,” soft light is indirect and can come from a larger light source (not like the direct sun, more like a light that is bounced off a wall to fill a room). Soft light does exactly that – it softens your subject. It’s often a very popular light for portrait and glamour photography. Think of movie stars in the 1930s and 40s who always looked like they were being shot through gauze (which they often were!). That’s the kind of effect you’re going for here.

Flickr user Lizbokt

Photography 101: Highlights, Shadows, and Artificial Light

These are other major considerations when you’re thinking about lighting. You’ll need to play around with where you are in space to ensure that the direction of your light is illuminating your photograph in the way you want. For example, if you’re shooting someone in direct sunlight on a bright day, you may not even be able to see his or her face because of the shadows that will fall on it. Try varying your shooting locations and angles to get the best pictures you can. Play around with it! Experimentation in photography is a key to success.

Many things are wrong in this photo.

This one is much better! Can you see why?

Another thing to take into consideration is artificial light. Of course there are many sources of artificial light, but for the purposes of this beginners’ tutorial I’m only going to talk about the one you’ll most likely encounter – the flash. Using your camera’s flash can be great in low-light situations, but often the flash will wash out and flatten your subject. Think about when professional photographers use flash bulbs. You’ll usually see them use bulbs in conjunction with other gear – like umbrellas, light diffusers, etc. The flash, on its own, can be a harsh mistress. See what happens when you don’t use it. Sometimes this will mean you have to hold the camera quite still, but you may like the outcome!

Photography 101, Part V: Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras

If you want to take excellent images on par with a DSLR but want a lighter, more compact camera, you should consider buying a mirrorless camera (or sometimes called a compact system camera). These cameras have the same sized sensor as a DSLR (allowing for high image quality) and you can take pictures in manual mode or simply “point and shoot.” The removal of the mirror and optical viewfinder reduces the bulk of the camera body. Although it will be a bit of a stretch to fit this camera into a pocket, it is lightweight and can be easily stashed in a small camera bag or purse – no need to carry this camera around your neck!

next-gen interchangeable lens camera.  LoneWalkerNYC on Flickr.  All Rights Reserved

DPReview compiled a comparison of leading cameras in this field

Photography 101, Part VI: The Best Camera Phones

Many people are interested in documenting their lives via social media like Facebook and Twitter. Technology now allows us to take photos, upload them, and tag ourselves – and our location – all on the same device. Camera phones are now ubiquitous, so how does yours compare?

The iPhone 4 is top rated for photography. Nick Morris, all rights reserved.

Predictably, the slick Apple iPhone 4’s camera wins out in this category. Apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic make it even easier to edit and add effects to your snapshots after the fact. But for those of us not in the cult of Apple, there are other options. The HTC Evo3D, an Android phone, is another great choice, as are the Motorola XT720 and the Samsung Galaxy. Tech Radar has a great list – they’ve taken the same pictures with 10 different camera phones and reviewed them accordingly.

Of course the sky is (almost) the limit when it comes to a camera, but hopefully this guide has gotten you to think about what might work best in terms of your own needs and values. I encourage you to do plenty of research before buying your camera – the websites I’ve linked to above are great places to get expert advice and ensure that you make the best purchase possible. Happy shooting!

Photography 101, Part IV: The Best Entry-Level DSLR Cameras

For the true photography aficionados, the DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera) will be the best choice. These cameras can get very expensive indeed, so I’m just looking at the basics here (which could still cost you between $500 to $1000). Canon and Nikon tend to collect the most accolades in this category.

The Canon EOS Rebel is a very popular choice, and is consistently rated at the top of “Best of” lists. The Nikon D3100, 5000, or 5100 come next, followed by the Sony Alpha (model SLT A37 or 57). These cameras will produce excellent image and video, and you will be able to tweak a lot of settings on them – they’re very much made for customization, if that’s your goal. Many of these cameras come with good “starter lenses,” which you may eventually want to upgrade if photography becomes a true passion for you. See recommendations and ratings here and here.

A DSLR with wide-angle lens will produce great photos. Joseph Lamperez, all rights reserved.

Photography 101, Part III: The Best Budget Cameras

The trusty, budget-friendly Lumix DMC-FH25

 “Budget” can be a hard word to define when you’re discussing electronic gear, but here I’m discussing cameras that are under $200 (sometimes well under). I’m somewhere between this category and the above in terms of my own values as a photographer, so I chose to purchase a Panasonic Lumix (model DMC-FH25). It’s not the fanciest of the Lumixes, but it’s a solid camera that didn’t break the bank, and it’s consistently top-rated. Unlike some of the more expensive compacts, the budget cameras may not have great zoom capabilites, may have a slightly lower resolution, etc. But these are great for photographers who want the ease of taking pictures without having to fiddle with a ton of settings – much of the time the “Automatic” setting will be optimal.

A good budget camera will still capture plenty of detail.

See CNet’s list of the best budget cameras here.

Photography 101, Part II: The Best Cameras for Travel

Negril, Jamaica, 2011. Ali McGhee, all rights reserved.

If you’re on the road, or in anther country, you probably don’t want to add a huge, expensive camera to your load. Great travel photography opportunities can happen when you're least expecting them, so it's a great idea to bring a camera you can comfortably carry with you most of the time. You'll also want a camera that can take a little bit of a beating, since travel often means being faced with inclement weather and other less-than-ideal circumstances. Flashy cameras might also get you into trouble in certain areas, so simpler-looking is always better. When traveling, it’s best to look for a compact camera that will still take quality photographs, because (of course) you want your vacation pictures to look good!

Always be ready with your camera in case you go somewhere photo-worthy!

Top-rated cameras for this purpose are the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30, the Nikon Coolpix S9300, the Canon PowerShot SX260, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. See a full list of top-rated travel cameras with reviews here and here.

Photography 101, Part I: The Camera

Interested in photography? You’ve come to the right place! The good news is that taking pictures has only gotten easier to do. Since the word was first coined in 1839, the technology of picture-taking has become both more sophisticated and more accessible. As photography has become increasingly popular, and as the number of devices that can take photos have grown exponentially, options can feel overwhelming. This post will guide you through some of the choices you’ll be faced with as you start taking pictures.

Decide What You Value

This is not yet about deciding what you feel is picture-worthy. It’s a little more fundamental, and you should think about it before you even pick out your camera. Ask yourself: what do you value most in terms of your own photo-taking practice – affordability, portability, quality? Do you want to take pictures of your vacations or document your family? Use photos to check in on Facebook or become a professional portrait photographer? Your answer can change later (or you can have multiple answers!), but when you’re just starting out, think about your most basic needs and work to meet those first. It’s easy to be excited by all the bells and whistles of fancy cameras, but be realistic about what will serve you best. Throughout this series of posts, I'll be compiling a list of cameras suitable for a few different purposes. There is some overlap, as well (for instance, many budget cameras--the second area I'll be reviewing--are also good compact/travel cameras).

 Herbert George Ponting and Telephoto Apparatus, Antarctica, January 1912

Image standards

This is about the nuts and bolts – the technicalities of file types and attributes that will make your images viewable to your readers.

First of all – file formats.
GIF for graphic elements with large blocks of similar colours, for example logos.
JPG for photographs
PNG combines elements of both GIF and JPG

Here is a web site that summarizes the differences and gives some examples.
http://www.sitepoint.com/gif-png-jpg-which-one-to-use/

What if your file is not in the format you want? Most photo editors such as Photoshop can convert your file and save it in multiple formats. Check out this list of free online graphic converters: http://www.internetymultimedia.com/?q=node/58

A word about file size: As a general rule, provide the smallest file size that will meet the quality requirements of your user. For example, a photograph of a work of art that your may need to be examined in great detail will require a larger file size than a photograph that is provided as a general illustration on your site.

Adjusting the resolution (expressed as dots or pixels per inch, or dpi/ppi) can help to achieve this objective. You can do this in Photoshop using the Image Size dialogue box.

 Here is a portion of a photograph that is originally a 180 dpi JPG (175kb)

 This can be reduced to 72 dpi (124kb) without a huge loss of quality:

But if this 72 dpi photo is cropped to show just a small detail, things can get fuzzy!










Remember – once the pixels are gone, they’re gone! Always save your original photos in their highest-quality format and resolution so that you have more pixels at your disposal for future close-ups.

Four techniques for better photos

Angle, Closeness, Rule of Thirds & Light
This week we studied four basic techniques to improve our photography.

Angle
Angle can increase the drama or excitement level in a photograph. Below is flat, right-angle bench:



The angle influences the visual reception of a "subject" by the audience by manipulating the points of emphasis.

Closeness
Use closeness to compose a better photo. This first clock is too far away:



The distance from the "subject" in the first picture makes it hard to focus on the clock, while the second one draws the attention towards the theme of "time" and helps the audience to focus on the intended content of the photograph.

Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds encourages us to compose the subject of our photograph at intersections. In the first photo, our intended subject (the rock) is squarely in the center of our photo, causing us to lose focus on the subject, diverting our attention to other parts of the frame.



In the second image, the rock is made more interesting by placing the horizon line at 'rule of three' intersections.

Light
Another key to make your photograph better is to make the maximum use of the light. Natural light is almost always better than artificial light. Cloudy days often provide the best light. The first photo is taken indoors under fluorescent lighting.



The second photo is taken outside on a cloudy day.

If you'd like to see more of our photos, have a look at the DHSIdesign Flickr pool.