I had a problem with Facebook the past 24 hours. They needed me to verify my identity by confirming I am who I am (like Popeye) by making me identify pictures of my Friends. Fine, except that the pictures that they used were in most cases people's baby pictures and pics of their cats. Dumb. Anyhow, problem now solved and I'm back on Facebook.

Adobe's announcement of a definitive move to the Cloud is proving to be very controversial, and somewhat misunderstood. I am currently in Chicago filming a Lightroom 5 tutorial with Jeff Schewe and we have been discussing the issue between ourselves. It's complicated.

We are shooting a roundtable video discussion on the topic and will be posting it here on the site in a couple of days.

 "Every time I go back to a module I had already seen, I learn additional things.  I have never seen tutorials that have the excellent mix of what the features are, 
how to use them, enough of the under-the-hood information 
and concepts so that I can utilize the features creatively and efficiently, 
and just enough humor to keep the motivation level high.  Wow!"

Ilford has recently introduced five new inkjet papers. How do they compare to the previous "gold standard"? Find out in our latest paper review article, writtten by Mark Segal and Michael.

"Yes I downloaded the videos. THEY ARE AWESOME!!! I learned so much I think my brain is going to explode.

I saw loads of questions and comments all over the Web yesterday about Adobe’s announcements. The new features part got lots of love. Adobe’s new subscription-only plan for their Creative Cloud software, not so much (and that’s being kind), so I thought I’d do a quick Q&A giving my take on it all.

Q. Scott, should I be freaking out?
A. Absolutely not. I saw a lot of nasty comments yesterday (I’m sure you did, too), but a lot of what I read was based on mis-information or was just plain wrong. 

Q. Can you give me an example?
A. Sure. I read a bunch of people in forums claiming that Adobe isn’t going to release any bug fixes for Photoshop CS6. Actually, Adobe said just the opposite. They said they would be updating CS6 with bug fixes as necessary — they’re just not adding any new features (well, technically they did go back to CS6 and add a major new feature —- they added the HiDPI support for computers with high dpi displays, like the Retina display on the MacBook Pro, but you know what I mean).

Q. So, Adobe isn’t going to add any new features to Photoshop CS6?
A. Um…no, but that’s not new. I don’t remember Adobe ever going back and adding new features to a previous version of Photoshop once a new version has been announced. 

Q. So they announced a new version of Photoshop?
A. Yup. It’s called Photoshop CC (for Creative Cloud), and it’s got a bunch of new features, and it’s the 2nd feature update they’ve issued for the Creative Cloud. 

Q. I heard we have to subscribe to get these new features. Is that true?
A. Yup. The new features aren’t being added to the old version of Photoshop (CS6), so to get the new features you’ll need to subscribe. 

Q. So I have to pay $50 a month to get these new features!!!!
A. Nope. For some reason, everyone is acting like you have to subscribe to the complete Creative Cloud program to get the new features in Photoshop. Actually you subscribe to just Photoshop by itself for $19.95 a month (Adobe calls this a “Single App subscription”). By the way, this $19.95 Photoshop-only subscription thing isn’t new (it just seems like nobody really knows about it, so everybody’s all focused on the $50-a-month thing). 

Q. But Photoshop CS6 came out just over a year ago. Now I have to shell out $20 a month?
A. Nope — they have a discount for folks who already bought CS6 (or CS5, CS4 even back to CS3) — they get a one-year intro-deal on a Photoshop CC subscription for just $10 a month and they get all the new features (along with any new ones that are released, for as long as they’re subscribed). 

Q. So then I don’t actually have to pay $50 a month for Photoshop?
A. That’s right — the $49.95 monthly subscription is only if you want the full Creative Cloud, which gives you all the Creative Suite Master Collection Applications as well, like InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Muse, and on and on, plus a bunch of new Cloud-based services.

Q. Yeah, but if I bought CS6 and now I want to move to the full-blown Cloud, I’m hosed right? 
A. If you bought CS6 and want to move up to the complete Creative Cloud, there’s a deal where you can get the whole shebang for just $19.95 a month (same price as just Photoshop alone, but you have to already be a  CS6 user to qualify). Here’s a link to the page where I found it.

Q. But I’m a photographer and I only use Photoshop. This doesn’t sound like a very good deal.
A. If all you use is Photoshop, I agree, and I wouldn’t get the complete $49.95 monthly Creative Cloud subscription — I’d just go with the $20 Photoshop-only monthly subscription instead. 

Q. What if I use Photoshop and Lightroom. Is it a good deal then?
A. I think it will be before too long (Adobe sneak peeked some cool stuff for photographers on “The Grid” last week), but honestly right now there’s not a really strong case for photographers with the complete Creative Cloud. For example, you could buy the Lightroom 5 upgrade for $79 (I’m assuming it’ll be $79 ’cause that’s what it cost last tim), and then if you’re already a Photoshop user using anything from Photoshop CS3 to CS6, just spend the $10 a month on Photoshop.

So, take the $79 plus $120 for the Photoshop CC  Single App subscription, and you’re around $200. If you went with the complete Creative Cloud subscription you’d be paying $600, so by just getting those two programs (upgrading to Lightroom 5 and subscribing just to Photoshop CC), you’re saving $400 by going this way, and you still have the latest versions of the best image-editing duo on the planet. 

Q. So when does the complete Creative Cloud subscription math work out?
A. As soon as you find yourself using two or more programs (not including Lightroom). So, if you use Photoshop and InDesign, or Photoshop and Premiere Pro, or Photoshop and Muse or any other couple of Adobe programs, the deal goes from “Meh” to “Hey!!!” For example, our in-house video team thinks the complete Creative Cloud is the best thing since sliced bread because they use lots of Adobe applications. For our graphic designers, it rocks for them too because none of them uses just Photoshop. The more programs you use, the more sense it makes. This is why, right now, I don’t think it makes that much sense for photographers, who are going to use just one or two programs (if you count Lightroom, which is included in the complete Creative Cloud) but I think that will change in the future as Adobe adds more photographer-centric features. 

Q. But what if Adobe raises the price on me?
A. I doubt I’ll be in my 60s and the price for the Creative Cloud will still be the same. At some point, it’ll probably go up, but any company can raise the price of any of their products at any time, just like the US Post Office does with the price of a stamp (and most companies do pretty regularly, which is why everything costs us more today  from milk to gas to coffee). Also, just like any product, you don’t have to buy it if they do raise the price. 

Q. So what happens if I can’t pay my subscription one month?
A. The same thing that happens if you can’t make your car payment. Two big burly guys come to your house in the middle of the night and take back your copy of Photoshop.

Q. Really?!
A. Well, they don’t come to your house per se (they do it digitally), but why chance it?

Q. I read that the Creative Cloud apps run in a Browser. Is that true?
A. I can’t believe I keep reading this, but no. No, no, no. They don’t run in your browser. All the Adobe desktop apps in the Creative Cloud  (like Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.) run like they always did — on your desktop. But instead of getting a box shipped to you, you just download the software from “The Cloud.”

Q. I also read you always have to be online because it checks every day to see if your subscription is current. What if I’m not online when they check each day?
A. It’s my understanding that if you’re an annual subscriber, it only checks once-a-month to confirm your registration — not every day, all day, and annual subscribers can actually be off-line for up to 99 days straight and it still keep their subscription active (but I can’t remember ever meeting anyone who was offline for 99 days. I did hear stories of a Grandmother in Wyoming once though). For monthly subscribers, I think you can be offline for around 37 days, but still — I don’t know where this whole “check every day” thing came from either, but my advice would be; when they come to check, quickly turn out the lights and hide behind the couch.

Q. Will that work?
A. I’m not certain, but again, why chance it?

Q. Why is Adobe the only one doing this?
A. Actually, they’re not (look at AutoDesk, Audible, Microsoft, iTunes Match, Amazon Prime, etc.), and I imagine within just a couple of years (or less), this subscription model will become the norm. Don’t shoot the messenger. Shoot Brad instead.

Q. Hey, I bought CS6 last year. Aren’t I entitled to these feature updates for free?
A. Well, every time Adobe releases a new version of their software, only people that buy the new software get the new features. If you look in your copy of CS5, you won’t find any of the CS6 features in there — only the people that bought CS6 get them. When you bought CS6, you bought it based on the features that were in there at the time, and that’s exactly what you got. There was no promise that if Adobe came out with new features that you’d get them — new features always go in the next version of the software.

Q. Well, that’s not exactly true. Creative Cloud subscribers got those features free!
A. That’s true, because subscribers get new features free, as soon as they’re ready, so they’re always on the latest version of the software.

Q. So basically, Adobe is using that as a marketing thing to get people to subscribe to the Creative Cloud?
A. Well…yeah. Cloud subscribers get the new features free as soon as they’re ready. It made me want to subscribe.

Q. That’s not fair!
A. You seriously need to find the person who, at some point in your life, mistakenly told you that life was fair and clonk them with that round cardboard tube that comes inside Christmas wrapping paper.

Q. What if I don’t want to subscribe? What if I don’t want to “rent” my software?
A. You don’t have to. You can still buy the retail version of Photoshop CS6 just like always, and you’ll own it and there’s no monthly fee. 

Q. Well, how much does Photoshop CS6 cost?
A. I believe it’s $700 (ish).

Q. Wow. Renting doesn’t sound so bad now. 
A. I know, right?

Q. I know you said we can still buy Photoshop CS6, but I just scoured Adobe’s Website and I can’t find any link to it at all.
A. Me either. I searched all over, even got friends to help search with me, and I couldn’t find it for a long time (apparently buying CS6 includes a game of “needle in the haystack” first) but eventually I uncovered it. Here’s the link.

Q. So Scott, what do you think is a fair price for a bundle of both Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5?
A. A bunch of folks watching our live broadcast with Adobe’s Tom Hogarty thought the sweet spot for a bundle of the two of them would be $20, and I agree — that would be ideal. Probably isn’t going to happen, cause that would be both at about $10 a month, and one costs $700 and one costs $149. If you’re thinking, “Hey, $15 sounds great” I wouldn’t hold my breath for that either. I think $24.95 would still be really reasonable, but of course it’s not up to me. 

Q. So have you talked to Adobe about all this new pricing stuff?
A. Absolutely. I’ve been out there for meetings, I’ve had numerous conference calls, I’m on an Adobe advisory board, and I’ve been in close contact with Adobe over all of this and I’ve given my opinion to the point that I can’t believe they would actually continue to take my calls. But at the end of the day, I can only offer advice and give them the perspective of the 70,000 NAPP members I represent, but I’m not the Adobe CEO, and product pricing is not my call to make.

This is the product direction Adobe chose going forward, made by people with a much higher pay grade than me. I’m glad they asked at all. Most companies wouldn’t have. I also think they really listened (not just to me, but a wide range of industry influencers and longtime customers and I think that’s why some of the pricing deals and discounts are as low as they are. $10 a month for the latest Photoshop? That’s a pretty unbelievable price honestly — lower than I thought they’d ever go). But the software market has changed tremendously in the past few years and they have to do what they feel is best course for their products and their company going forward. By the way, this subscription model isn’t just where the future of software in general is going. It’s already here (as I mentioned earlier).  

Q. Do you think Adobe will change their mind about this?
A. No. This isn’t a decision they made two weeks ago, and Adobe knows there are a ton of people who already subscribe to the Creative Cloud (the last figure I heard was over 500,000 subscribers and growing, which is pretty staggering) and there are a ton of people who absolutely love the Creative Cloud, the tools it brings and the opportunities and doors it opens. I run into people while I’m out on tour who wouldn’t go back to the old way if you paid them, so while it may not be perfect for everyone just yet, this is pretty much just “Creative Cloud 1.0.” I’m honestly surprised at what Adobe has added in just one year, and I’ve seen some things that are coming, and I imagine before too long everybody will want to be in on this because Adobe is working on some truly groundbreaking stuff. 

Q. I know, I know, but I’m just so mad about all this!
A. Change freaks a lot of people out, and all the misinformation out there hasn’t helped either. But just know that you still have lots of options, so don’t feel like you’re being forced down one particular road. You can subscribe to just Photoshop. You can buy and own Photoshop CS6. You can join the whole Creative Cloud, or not. You can keep the software you already have and keep using it for years. You can sit on the sidelines and just see how this whole thing plays out, but regardless, you still have options. 

Q. So what are you going to do?
A. I subscribed to the Creative Cloud about two weeks after Adobe announced it, and I love it. I do use more than just Lightroom and Photoshop (I’ve been using InDesign all day today), and for me, and for my company, it not only makes sense, it saves me money. I’ve spent my entire career waiting 18 to 20 months for Adobe to release new Photoshop features. Now, I get them as soon as they’re ready. The waiting is over, and the decision was an easy one, but again, I had options. You do, too. 

I hope that helped to clear some things up.

Best,

-Scott

A key aspect of successful landscape photography is image sharpness.  Usually, it is desirable to ensure that all elements of a scene, whether close or far, are captured in sharp focus.  This can prove to be challenging and, if not achieved with the click of the shutter, cannot be corrected later during post processing.

One approach that is often taken is to use the smallest aperture available, e.g. f/22, to obtain the largest depth of field.  Whilst maximising the depth of field is a good intent, using such a small aperture will actually result in softer images due to an effect known as diffraction.

Most lenses are at their sharpest when used at apertures between f/8 and f/11 and whilst hypefocal focussing may allow you to capture an entire scene acceptably sharp in one image using these apertures; it is always still a compromise between a number of factors and there will be times when you cannot generate enough depth of field to capture a whole scene at optimum sharpness.

That is where focus stacking comes in.

Focus stacking is the technique of stacking (or blending) a number of images that have been focussed at different points throughout a scene to give a final image that contains the sharpest portions of the originals, seamlessly blended into one.  It isn’t as laborious as it sounds and can give really good results, rendering scenes far sharper than possible in just one exposure.

The initial image, shot at f/8, lacked front-to-back sharpness as there was not sufficient depth of field. ISO100, f/8, 2 secs

In the field…

As you will be stacking the images into one, aside from the point of focus, you want the individual photographs to be identical in all other respects.  Therefore, it is best to have the camera positioned on a tripod and use a remote release.

Using your optimum aperture (can easily be determined for a given camera/lens combo using focus charts, however you will most likely find that f/8 is a good starting point), take the required number of images focussed at different points throughout the frame.

A minimum of two images are required, i.e. one focussed for the foreground and one focussed for the background, however an additional third image, focussed for the middle ground can also be a good idea.

A comparison of a 100% crop of the foreground from two images, one focussed for the foreground (left) and one focussed for the background (right).  Both shot at ISO100, f/8, 2 secs.

A comparison of a 100% crop of the background from two images, one focussed for the foreground (left) and one focussed for the background (right).  Both shot at ISO100, f/8, 2 secs.

Back at home…

Open the two images in Photoshop and create a new file that contains both images as different layers, in the one file (to make life easier, name the layers accordingly, e.g. near, far).

Select both layers and go to Edit > Auto-Align Layers to ensure both images overlay perfectly.  Select the ‘Auto’ option, and deselect the ‘Vignette Removal’ and ‘Geometric Distortion’ options.

Then select Edit > Auto-Blend Layers, and choose ‘Stack Images’, ensuring ’Seamless Tones and Colours’ is selected.

The Auto-Blend dialog box

At this point, Photoshop will determine the sharpest portions of each image to incorporate into the final image, and apply a mask to each layer.  Below you can see the layer masks applied to the two images.  In this instance, you can see the rocks in the lower portion of the image are the main area selected by the layer mask for the ‘near’ layer whereas the rocks in the middle distance and the background mountains are incorporated from the ‘far’ layer.

The automatically generated layer masks, applied to each layer, includes the sharpest portions of each layer (shown in white).

It is worth checking the image at 100% zoom to ensure that there are no strange artefacts caused by poor blending of any moving grasses or branches.  These can be fixed by manually painting white or black on to the relevant layer mask (remember: white reveals, black conceals).  For those using Elements, if you are only using 2 or 3 images, it is possible to do the blend manually using layer masks and white/black gradients.  In some instances, it actually gives better results, with fewer ‘blending artefacts’ to do the blend manually.

Once you are happy with the blend, merge the layers to give your final, focus stacked image.

The final image with good sharpness from the foreground rocks right through to the mountains in the background

It may not be immediately apparent when showing images at web resolutions, but the difference in the overall sharpness when using optimum apertures and focus stacking is astounding when printing images.  To be able to focus stack, it only takes a little more forethought when out capturing the scene, and a few short processing steps when back at your computer so why not give it a go the next time you are out photographing landscapes.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Getting Landscapes Sharp: Focus Stacking

Introduction

This article is an excerpt from the newly released and critically acclaimed Natural Light Couples Photography Workshop by SLR Lounge. This 8 hour workshop on DVD has been designed from the ground up to teach photographers how to create professional portraiture using just a camera, reflector and their creative eye. Master planning, posing, lighting, shooting and post producing beautiful natural light portraiture in this gold standard workshop. Learn more by clicking on any of the links above, or at the end of this article.

Article Overview

If you have ever shot portraiture, then you probably know how difficult it can be to get your subjects to be comfortable when in front of the camera. Probably one of the biggest challenges in creating a great portrait is getting your subject to emote the types of expressions that you want for your imagery. It is a challenge that every portrait photographers will face virtually on every single shoot, which is why it is such a large area of focus in our workshop.

We have found that the majority of people have a hard time in front of your camera for two primary reasons. If you can address and resolve these two issues, then you will immediately find an improvement in the emotion you are capturing within your subjects and images.

So, let’s jump in and discuss these two issues and how we can resolve them.

Reason 1. Clients Lack Basic Posing Experience

Professional actors and models are comfortable with being in front of a camera because for the most part they know how to act/pose in front of a camera. But, let’s be honest, as portrait photographers, the majority of our clients are going to be people that aren’t professional actors and models.

Instead you will generally have clients with little or no experience at all in front of a camera. Due to this lack of experience, your subjects are naturally going to be nervous because they do not know how to pose or what looks good in front of a camera.

The beginning of every shoot for our studio, Lin & Jirsa Photography, starts the exact same way. We start each portrait session by teaching our clients several simple posing techniques. We refer to our posing system as “Foundation Posing Framework” and we teach it extensively on the Natural Light Couples Photography Workshop and all the images that we will be showing here are from the workshop.

Now, when we instruct clients, we are avoiding a lot of the details and technical explanations. What we are doing, is simply giving them a foundation of what to do in general when posing. This Foundation Posing Framework creates a simple and common set of posing vocabulary making it incredibly simple to communicate poses to your subjects.

When starting the instruction, I ask my clients, “Have you ever wondered why celebrities always look good when they pose on the red carpet? It’s cause they know the posing basics! Do these things, and all your friends will wonder why you guys are so photogenic in every photo you take.”

Before teaching them the basics, I generally will take a quick photo of them. Once they have learned the basics, I take another portrait simply with the intent of showing them how big of a difference the posing tips made, and how great they look in the photo. Virtually every time my clients see that first great looking shot, they immediately and visibly relax. They now know that look great, and that they can rely on you, as the professional, for posing instruction. At this point, I remind them that I will be helping pose them throughout the shoot, so they don’t need to feel like they have to remember everything they just learned.

Now this entire process only takes about 10 minutes. You will not only start capturing better photos and expressions from the start of your shoot, you will also find that about half way through a portrait session, your clients will start doing all the posing on their own! All you have to do is use keywords from the Foundation Posing Framework and say, “V-up and look at each other” and boom, they do it all by themselves!

Reason 2. Your Clients Don’t Know You Yet

The second reason reason why your clients will feel awkward during the photo shoot is really common sense. It is simply because they are not comfortable with you yet. Hence, they will be more reserved with their emotions, (especially if they have just barely met you for the first time!) making it difficult to capture natural and genuine expressions.

The bottom line is that you will have to connect with your clients in a personal way, as quickly as possible, and have more than just a surface level “photographer-subject” relationship.

On the Natural Light Couples Photography Workshop, we show a lot of the interaction that I have with Ryan and Jackie. Ryan and Jackie are our actual clients, and this is my first time shooting them. So you can literally watch me build up this relationship during the shoot as I joke around and have fun with them.

Since each photographer has their own personality and shooting style, they will connect with their clients differently. I tend to joke around a lot with my clients, self-deprecate, poke fun, tell stories, etc. Anything I can to help them feel like I am their friend, not just their photographer.

Interestingly enough, I find that if I focus on the guy, making sure he is having a good time, the girl is quick to relax as well. This is because in general, we have found that guys generally are not into taking photos. Instead, the guy is going along with it essentially as a “favor” and the girl is constantly worrying about whether he is bored, having fun, acting natural, etc. So, once the guy is having a good time, the girl stops worrying about him and relaxes as well.

When Working with Solo Subjects Repeat Everything Above

The same rules still apply when shooting a subject solo, whether it is for portraiture, editorial or fashion. Prior to the photo shoot, we talk about everything except for photography with the client. Instead, get to know your client and just have a good time. This conversation before the shoot helps to break the ice and will make your client feel comfortable during the shoot since your client will look at you as more of a friend, a real person, and less as a photographer.

Once you start the shoot, remember to still coach your subject and show them some shots taken at the very beginning of the shoot. Seeing great photos of themselves right at the start of the shoot will again help them to realize they already look great, so they can relax and have a good time.  

If they point out something that they don’t like in your initial photos, you can keep that in mind throughout the rest of the shoot and maybe show them images again here and there to make sure they are happy with the photos.

Conclusion & Learn More!

If you are interested in learning more, join us on the Natural Light Couples Photography Workshop. This 8 hour workshop on DVD teaches photographers how to create professional portraiture using just a camera, reflector and their creative eye. We cover how to:

1. Plan and prepare a moodboard with clients
2. Pose and instruct clients using the Foundation Posing Framework
3. Modify and perfect the scene’s natural lighting with a simple reflector
4. Work through 5 different scenes and locations utilizing different set props and activities
5. Compose and shoot consistent, creative imagery
6. Post produce a professional final product

Learn more by Clicking Here.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

How to Help Your Clients Feel Comfortable In Front of Your Camera

Normally every time you take a photo, you want the subject to be as crisp and clear as possible. However, today, we will talk about a technique that hides almost everything from the viewer, leaving it all to the imagination and delivers a stunning effect at the same time.

“Girl and Sunset” captured by Arman Zhenikeyev (Click Image to See More From Arman Zhenikeyev)

Silhouettes are used by artists and professionals to convey drama, emotion in a simple yet striking manner and we are going to give you a quick run down on how you can create magical silhouettes with your camera.

1) Look at your sources of light

Typically, when you take a photo, there are two sources of light, the natural ambient light and the light of your flash.

The first thing you need to do to get a silhouette is force the flash of your camera off. That way, you will heighten the contrast of the subject and ensure that the subject comes out as dark as possible.

The second thing to do is to identify the sources of ambient light. Silhouettes come out best when there is only one source of light ( eg: sunlight ) against which you can place your subject. If there are multiple sources of lights, try to shut down some of them or choose the brightest one for maximum effect.

“Morning Blue” captured by Björn Lexius (Click Image to See More From Björn Lexius)

2) Compose your image

Create a mental picture of what you want to shoot. The magic of silhouettes is all in the shapes you create, so think about whether you want to capture dancers, romantic love scene or something else. This of course depends to some extent on your subject too.

Once you have a mental picture, place your subject in front of the light source and get the shape you want. If you are unsure of what you want, just try out some forms and see what you like. If you are taking the silhouette of a person, try to experiment with the positioning of their hands or features of the face – remember, its a silhouette so you’ve got to express it with the boundary of the object.

3) Fool your camera

Now this is the tricky part. Most cameras today are extremely intelligent, in fact so intelligent that as photographers we need to fool them sometimes to get what we need. To understand this bit, we need to get into metering of the photo.

Metering is the way in which a camera determines how to expose the photo. Remember, a camera can’t see colors, it can only sense the intensity of light – so when you point it to a scene, it sees shades of gray, finds the middle shade in the scene and sets the exposure accordingly.

“People Against the Sun” captured by Jimmy Drougo (Click Image to See More From Jimmy Drougo)

This effectively means that if you are shooting a dark subject, the camera will figure it out and will increase the exposure to compensate. Now that’s not what we wanted, did we? The way out is to point the camera to the brightest patch in the scene and press half the shutter button ( this is when it does metering, so we are making the camera feel that the scene is really bright ) and then move the camera to the desired scene while holding the shutter button half down.

When the desired composition is achieved, press the shutter button completely to capture the photo. Thats pretty much it – you now have a great silhouette shot.

About the author:
Pranav Bhasin is an avid photographer and provides photography learning tutorials on his blog (lifeblob dot com). He also likes to interact and help amateur photographers.

Go to full article: Silhouette Photography Tips and Tutorial

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

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It’s free, we don’t share your details with anyone and you’re welcome to unsubscribe any time if you don’t find the deals to be for you.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

DEAL: Save 30% off Phil Steele’s Headshots and Portraits Course

Adobe started moving everyone to the cloud months ago and we’ve covered it extensively on Photofocus. From the very beginning, there’s been weeping and gnashing of teeth that has bordered on hysteria. In fact, in some cases, it’s mostly faux outrage based on greed, silliness, stupidity, disinformation, mob mentality, entitlement issues and misinformation.

Let’s set some ground rules. Adobe is in business to make money. How they choose to do it is up to them. If you don’t like their business model, move on. Nobody is holding a shotgun to your head making you buy their products. There are lots of alternatives. If you’re unhappy switch. But don’t cry like a 13-year old girl claiming you’ve been wronged. You haven’t. You have free choice. But for people like me, the switch to the Creative Cloud has been a Godsend. I personally couldn’t be happier about the plan. I get more frequent updates. Switching computer platforms is now easier than ever because Adobe’s license doesn’t say I have to use a certain computer. I can authorize or reauthorize as I need to. I can get updates automatically, etc.

And just to get some of the stupid stuff out of the way – Adobe has never been and is not now my sponsor. I happen to like their products. They’ve made me a lot of money. Do I wish they were cheaper? Absolutely. I also wish a Ferrari 458 was cheaper than a Kia Soul but you get what you pay for. So with that all out of the way, here are the 10 reasons I think the haters are mad about Creative Cloud.

1. The haters simply don’t understand it. The mob is mad – well so they are mad. The comments I’m seeing on the Internet are full of misinformation, disinformation and outright lies. My Grandfather Bourne used to say, “Any fool can get a mob to tear down a barn. But it takes talent and skill to get folks to help build one.” This is a predictable reaction from the mob to which I reply “Yawn.”

2. The haters think that their boxed software is now somehow worthless. Nothing could be further from the truth. Adobe promised to do bug fixes on CS6 and has even added some new features. Nobody was owed those new features. Adobe just gave them away. So if you have purchased CS6 then you have a working piece of software that will run as long as you have a computer. And you can still buy CS6 today. Nobody is stopping you. Also, if you buy Lightroom in a box, you’re entitled to ACR updates for LR4 which will work in CS6.

3. The haters say Adobe is greedy. Apparently they didn’t see that Adobe just made CS2 free of charge (edit). How greedy of them. Here’s the link — http://www.adobe.com/downloads/cs2_downloads/.

4. The haters think that the only subscription Adobe is offering is $50 a month. As I stated above (and I state below) that’s not true. But for $50 a month you get EVERYTHING and it ends up being a better deal than ever before in my opinion.

5. The haters think that there is no upgrade path from CS6 to the Creative Cloud. Bullpucky. Adobe offers upgrades all the way back to CS3 at a discounted rate. Adobe didn’t have to do that but they did and I think it was generous of them.

6. The haters think Adobe shouldn’t ever raise prices. At the same time, the haters all expect their bosses to give THEM raises. They buy cars, food, clothes, gasoline and all sorts of things that cost more than they used to without claiming an international conspiracy – yet when/if Adobe raises prices the sky is falling.

7. The haters think that if they create PSD files and then stop subscribing they will never be able to open those files again. This is just plain stupid and just plain wrong. I know of about 10 different software programs that not only open but manipulate PSD files. You also always have the option of saving TIFF files, etc.

8. The haters think that Adobe will somehow slow down improvements once they have people on the subscription model. Nothing could be further from the truth. Do you think that once you’re married you never have to brush your teeth again? They have more incentive than ever to improve the program. If they don’t keep it current, then you cancel your subscription and switch to something else. They will also have more development money since they won’t spend so much time fighting piracy. (See #10 below.)

9. The haters say you can’t get Lightroom unless you subscribe. That’s an outright lie. Are you people listening? Lightroom is available IN A BOX for about $100. It gives you ACR and that ACR works in several Adobe products including your boxed copy of CS6. You can ALSO get Lightroom as part of Creative Cloud but it’s not required.

10. (This is the REAL reason for 90% of the noise!) The haters are mad because they realize they can no longer pirate copies of Photoshop.

Several people have written me email saying they will “Never do business with Adobe again.” I kept those and I’m betting a good portion will give up their faux outrage and return to the fold soon. And when I catch them I’m going to out them :)

On a serious note. I know change is hard. This post was written tongue-in-cheek but there’s truth to every line. Some very small portion of you legitimately can’t afford the few extra dollars this will cost. I do feel that pain, but I also know there are lots of other low-cost or even free options. If you truly can’t afford Creative Cloud then you should avail yourself of those options. But if you can find the money for constant camera/lens upgrades, for photo books, workshops, conferences and photo magazine subscriptions and then you want to cry poverty, you’re only fooling yourself.

Change is hard. Prices go up. The planet still spins on its proper axis. Give it time. I’m sure there will be something else in the photo world to get all worked up about soon enough.

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Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

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You may recall the unique star trail timelapse films done by Gavin Heffernan of Sunchaser Films. The popularity and positive response to the first videos inspired Heffernan to reassemble his crew and make a trip to Death Valley for round two. The desert setting in southern California provided the talented photographer with a playground of endless natural wonder to document. In his latest production, Death Valley Dreamlapse, which you can see below, viewers are invited to indulge in the mystifying startrails, the mysterious sliding rocks, and a coronal mass ejection (CME) that produced a red aurora-like mass in the nigh tsky. Take a look:

At the time of creating the films, Heffernan didn’t realize what good timing he had, as he was completely unaware that he would be treated to the CME. As he was reviewing his footage the next morning, while still on location, he noticed the red glow in many of the shots and was unsure of what the phenomenon was. The CME is especially noticeable in the image below.

Desert
 aurora
 over 
Death
 Valley
 National
 Park,
 California 
on
 March
 17th.
 2013.
 Believed
 to
 be
related
 to
 a 
CME
 (Coronal
 Mass
 Ejection)
 solar
 event
 that
 night,
 which
 likely
 triggered
 what
 we
 see.

 Captured 
by 
Gavin 
Heffernan.

To capture the assortment of imagery found throughout Death Valley Dreamlapse, Heffernan set up with an intervalometer, two Canon EOS 5D MK III‘s, with a 24mm/1.4 and a 28mm/1.8 lens. Check out the behind the scenes footage that John Brookins put together to learn more about Sunchaser Films time in the desert, right here:

Much of the footage was made using standard timelapse techniques–taking multiple images at a specific time interval and editing them together to create a moving image. The visually stunning star trails are made by repeatedly taking 25-second long exposures of the stars and stacking them together in post using software called StarStax. The stars remain still, but as the earth rotates on it’s axis it causes the stars to appear as trails on the long exposure–think of it as light painting with the stars.

Galactic
 star
 trails
 over
 the
 magical
 sliding
 rocks
 of
 Racetrack
 Playa
 in
 Death
 Valley
 National
 Park,
 California. Captured
 by 
Gavin
 Heffernan)

“We also tried out some new timelapse techniques, like moonpainting the foreground landscapes (0:53 — 1:20), and also some experiments merging regular timelapse footage with star trails — a technique we’ve been calling starscraping. Star Trails shot at 25 sec exposures. No special effects used, just the natural rotation of the earth’s axis.”

Go to full article: Death Valley Dreamlapse Photography Project

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

With the advent of digital cameras and the huge amount of features, close-up photography has become the domain for everyone. The simple macro feature on the current generation of digital compacts has opened up this world to virtually anyone with a camera. Of course the ideal situation is the use of SLRs but is not limited to them.

“The Red Intruder” captured by Francois Novecento Boutiee (Click Image to See More From Boutiee)

One of the first accessories I bought for my film SLR way back in the 1980s was a set of close-up filters that screwed on the end of my lens. This added a new dimension to my photography and I was able to get in really close to my intended subjects, flowers. Although, I did dabble a bit in shooting some of the slower insects and bugs. But flowers were still my focus. Here are some simple tips that will help you shoot better flower photos.

1. Weather conditions and lighting

It is totally useless if you plan to shoot flowers on a day when high wind speeds are predicted. Movement is critical especially when shooting close-ups and your image will be spoiled if you don’t take this into consideration. Lighting is critical as you need to shoot under conditions that enhance colours and allow as much natural light as possible. Unless you’re using a ring flash with a digital SLR you are too close to use the on camera flash system. Never shoot at midday as the lighting is harsh and lacking in contrast.

2. Select the right flower

Getting your lighting, exposure and composition perfect and then finding that there are blemishes on the flower’s petals or leaves is a let down. Always inspect the chosen subject before setting up your equipment and make sure that it’s almost perfect.

“Cornflowers” captured by Donaldas Urniežius (Click Image to See More From Donaldas Urniežius)

If there are little imperfections, change the angle of view or shoot the opposite site of the flower. You can also remove offending petals and leaves if they do not leave gaps and make the image look imperfect.

3. Check the background

You are limited to how many angles you can shoot from if the flower is in a garden and not a studio. Make sure that the flower or flowers you choose have a background that is simple and uncluttered and enhances the overall quality of the flower image. If it doesn’t, then consider using a piece of card that compliments the dominating colour of your chosen flower. Your focus must be on the flower and a viewer’s eye should be attracted to the flower and not the background.

4. Use a tripod

A tripod is essential to flower photography as you need as much light as possible when using a narrow depth of field or focus and if you need a wide aperture the shutter speed is often slower. A slow shutter speed will always be a problem and this limits hand holding due to camera shake.

5. Composition

Flower shots always look their best when taken from the side. Shot from above they don’t have same appeal as when taken from the side. Use the rule of thirds placing them in a slightly off centred position and never right in the middle of the image. Getting in closer will always add to the composition. If you are shooting macro you’ll see details that really create an interest.

“Rinascita” captured by Alessandro De Matteis (Click Image to See More From Alessandro De Matteis)

Creating your own indoor studio and shooting picked flowers is a simple process. Use natural light from a window and a simple coloured background and stunning images will result. Be prepared to experiment and practise your techniques.

As with any photography take you time to think before shooting but also to get the composition perfect. Don’t be afraid to vary your angles and work at getting a good focal point. Overall, flower photography is exceptionally rewarding so work at it and create great images.

About the Author:
Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography. He has produced 21 Steps to Perfect Photos; a program of learner-based training using outcomes based education.

For Further Training, Deal Ending Soon!

As spring is here and flowers are blooming many readers have sent us requests for more flower photography help. The 2nd edition of this flower photography guide has been completely revamped. We reached out to the publisher who agreed to give our readers 25% off which ends Friday.

The deal can be found here: Wildflower Photography Guide

Go to full article: Tips For Photographing Flowers

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

The shutter speed has an affect on your exposure when shooting time-lapse motion (and can serve as an additional exposure control). When shooting under bright light, you’ll keep the time the shutter is open very short.  For low-light you’re going to need to open things up a bit.

However, shutter speed much more significant than just exposure control. The decision to use a short or long shutter can have considerable impact on the quality of motion in your image.

A short shutter (1/125 or faster) depicts motion that is sharp and staccato in its movement.

A longer shutter (1/30 or less) progressively elongates and stretches movement. This is the effect you see when the brake lights of cars appear as long streaks on a highway or running water seems fluid and without detail.

Short and long shutter speeds are techniques you use in your still photography, and they can work in time-lapse photography to stunning effect.

_______ 

This Post Sponsored by:

lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

The HDR Learning Center Check out new ways to use High Dynamic Range photography to make compelling images.  Free tutorials and posts to get results. Produced in partnership with HDR Soft.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one. Click here and use the code photofocus to get a 15% discount.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

Timelapse videos are awesome, and tilt-shift lenses are awesome, and when you put them together, you create something amazing. But tilt-shift lenses are not exactly something just anyone can buy. They’re very expensive, and it’s hard to justify investing that amount of money into one lens. Luckily, we have an alternative: Photoshop. In this easy-to-follow tutorial, Julieanne Kost explains every step you need to take in order to create your own tilt-shift timelapse using Photoshop CS6:

At first, the whole tilt-shift lens blur alpha mask Photoshop batch thing seems pretty complicated, but Julieanne has a skill for explaining things very clearly and concisely, especially for showing how to do the advanced technique rather than just add a blur gradient.

Recording a series of actions will allow you to batch process hundreds of images very quickly

The result of the tilt-shift timelapse is beautiful, and leaves the door open to lots of photographic possibilities. Of course, this technique doesn’t have to be used for a timelapse video. This could also work on a single image in which you want a tilt-shift perspective.

For Further Training on Time-lapse Photography:

There is a popular COMPLETE guide (146 pages) to shooting, processing and rendering time-lapses using a dslr camera. It can be found here: Time-lapse Photography Guide

Go to full article: How to Achieve a Realistic Tilt-Shift Timelapse Effect in Photoshop

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Hadouken photography is a case of life imitating art – it’s named after the “Street Fighter” video game series and aims to portray larger-than-life battling with a virtual aesthetic. Hadouken photography is shot using the levitation technique. The distinguishing feature separating hadouken from other action-oriented photography is that it is not attempting to mirror a real fight so much as faithfully model a “Street Fighter” battle. More simply, one model is usually “attacking” the other and sending them flying through the air:

Alamby and Kai W from DigitalRev TV demonstrate a number of techniques to pull this off. In terms of the content of the picture, they dictate that the expression of the models should evoke the power of the fight; for example, if one is being held aloft by a “Darth Vader choke grip,” their face should be wide-eyed with terror while the rest of their body seems to hang uselessly.

Kai W gets a feel for how his body would react to a rehearsed kick or magical blast by jumping several times and correcting his positioning. Compared to Alamby, his limbs are pointed in the opposite direction of the force, and in most of the shots he gives a much greater impression of actually being hit.

The actors play an important role, but so do the camera settings. The duo give some good suggestions, such as adjusting the shutter speed to remove or allow blur, to give the impression or motion or suppress it.

If the goal is to suppress it, it’s best to take the picture while the model is “at rest” in the air, at the height of their jump. If you’re going for a strictly “Street Fighter” image, then having the fighters pose in front of a background which is not too varied (such as a wall) can give an authentic “Street Fighter” backdrop which doesn’t draw attention away and can emphasize a model’s movement even more so.

Go to full article: Ideas for Levitation Photography: Hadouken Style

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

I’m humbled to make another appearance on Guest Blog Wednesday. I can’t fathom what in the world Scott was thinking when he thought to have me return for a third time, though. When I think about the giants of photography who have shared their knowledge as Guest Bloggers, the pressure of trying to articulate something that will be worthwhile overwhelms me. I’ve gone to the well twice now and I’d like to think that I did so without completely embarrassing myself. Maybe I should have quit while I was ahead, but here I am, this time writing about golf photography and how I shoot the sport.

The quiet before the storm at the Augusta National clubhouse

Golf photography is really no different than any other type of sports photography, or really photography in general. Each genre or sport has its ins & outs, nuances and idiosyncrasies that aren’t necessarily difficult to grasp, but it sure helps if you’re aware of them before you head out to shoot. Here are some preliminary thoughts, followed by a more detailed discussion on equipment, positioning and the types of shots I look for when I shoot the sport of golf.

Walking to the 18^th green with Peter Hanson

One thing I have discovered is that golf is one of the most physically demanding sports to shoot, at least the way I go about shooting events and tournaments. I’m sure you’re sitting there, scratching your head when you read that since golf is not typically thought of as a physically demanding sport. But when I shoot a PGA golf event, it’s almost always as a Tournament Photographer or for a wire service. Therefore, my job is either: 1) to follow an assigned group for most of a round, occasionally catching up with or dropping back to follow other groups on the course; or 2) to photograph players in contention and the “name” players. That means I don’t hunker down in one place and photograph the golfers as they come through that spot on the course. My photo obligations require that I do a lot of walking (and running).

Consider that most any PGA golf course is approximately 5 miles in length. Add to that going from greens to tee boxes, constantly moving from one side of the fairway to the other to get into position, etc., and it is not unusual for me to log in some 6 to 7 miles on any given day…with approximately 40 pounds of camera gear attached to my body in some fashion or another.

Jim Furyk tees off on #18 at Augusta National

I also make it a priority to capture images from unconventional vantage points. This requires a lot of extra climbing, squatting, sprinting, wading or other forms of physical exertion. For example, in order to capture the image above of Jim Furyk teeing off on #18 at Augusta National,  while Furyk’s playing partner was putting out on the 17^th green, I sprinted to the CBS TV tower which is located behind the 18^th tee box. I climbed the 40 or so rungs to the platform above, took several shots of Furyk, and climbed back down. As soon as I hit the ground, I sprinted up the 10^th fairway which parallels #18 to catch up with Furyk before either he or his partner hit their approach shots to the green. Whew.

Adam Scott at Amen Corner during the Masters

Despite being worn out by the end of a tournament, I enjoy shooting golf the way I do. Because I spend so much time with any given group of players each day, and have done so for several years, my face has become familiar to many of them. The same goes for network commentators and other media personalities who cover PGA tournaments. By avoiding certain faux pas and going about my business in a professional manner, I have developed an amicable relationship with many players and media types. That goes a long way towards making my job a lot more pleasant than it might otherwise be. Just as with any type of photography, gaining the respect and friendship of people with whom you have to work only serves to make life a lot more enjoyable.

A couple of years ago, I took a Flip video camera with me to the Tavistock Cup in Orlando, Florida, a PGA sanctioned golf event I have had the pleasure of shooting as a Tournament Photographer for several years. The idea was to create a video that would provide a glimpse of what it’s like inside the ropes as a credentialed photographer and to briefly touch on topics such as equipment, vantage points, and the types of images I look for when shooting. In the process of shooting the video clips, I unintentionally digressed and engaged some players and commentators with lighthearted conversation. Our exchanges illustrate just how much more fun it is to do a job when you’re on good terms with those around you. Before I begin to provide you some additional thoughts on shooting golf, feel free to take a peek at the video.

Let’s shift gears and take a look at equipment that allows me to get the job done.

Matt Kloskowski and I clowning around at this year’s Tavistock Cup before the first group of players tee off. (Photo by Steve Gustafson)

I typically carry at least two camera bodies, and most of the time three. In the photo of Matt Kloskowski and me (above), I have a D3S with a Sigma 15mm f2.8 fisheye on the left strap of a Black Rapid 2-camera strap and a D3S with an 80-200mm f2.8 on the right strap. A D300 is attached to a 200-400mm f4 lens, mounted on a monopod. This is a very typical outfit for me when heading out on the course in terms of lenses and camera body configuration unless I want to go light; then, I’ll drop one of the camera bodies. The upside of going with two camera bodies is less weight to carry; the downside is having to swap out lenses on one of the camera bodies when the need arises.

The Black rapid straps allow me to quickly grab either camera body and swing it into a shooting position due to its unique design. Another feature of Black Rapid straps is the very effective way camera bodies hang while walking or shooting with the monopod mounted camera – they are completely out of the way when not in use. If your photography requires quick access to strap mounted camera bodies and/or moving around with camera bodies on straps, Black Rapid straps are the bomb.

The photo of Matt and me also depicts another piece of gear that I can’t live without – a Think Tank modular belt/lens pouch system worn on my waist. I usually attach three lens pouches to the belt and another one designed for personal items, lens caps, extra batteries, and snacks. I carry two lenses in the pouches – a 17-35mm f2.8 wide-angle lens and a 35-70mm f2.8 lens. A Nikon SB 900 strobe sometimes goes in the other lens pouch for shooting late afternoon images with fill light after play has concluded, during awards presentations, or other such moments. Otherwise, I’ll carry a bottle of water in the third lens pouch.

Tiger Woods, up close and personal smacking a drive

There’s no getting around the fact that in order to shoot golf, a long lens is essential. Long lenses allow you to set up down the fairway from players and still shoot tight. Just as with any sport, tight shots of athletes with the ball and their face in the frame are very desirable as they capture the athletes’ facial expression in the heat of the moment. A long focal length allows you to get those shots without any chance that shutter noise will bother the players.

In order to capture the golfer’s face and the ball in the frame, it’s all a matter of timing. Fire the shutter too soon and the club head hasn’t made contact with the ball, which to me results in a blah image. Fire too late and the ball is long gone, even at 11 frames/second. Sometimes it takes a hole or two to get into a rhythm but after a bit I tend to find that rhythm and get a feel for just when to start pushing down on the shutter.

I try to position myself on the opposite side of the player’s hand dominance so that as he swings, his face will be visible. For right-handed golfers that means positioning myself to the left of the player and the opposite for lefties.

It should go without saying that the last thing you want to do when shooting golf is to disrupt a player’s swing with a burst of shutter clicks that they can hear as they swing. Even when I’m positioned down the fairway far enough away so that my shutter will not be audible to players, I still refrain from starting my burst of images until just before the club head makes contact with the ball.

Peter Hanson

Over the past couple of years, my long lens choice has shifted from a 400mm f2.8 lens to my now favorite, daytime, long sports lens – a Nikon 200mm-400mm f4. I often use a 400mm f2.8 lens for sports, but for golf I prefer to go with the 200-400mm. Golf is shot in plenty of light so I don’t need the extra speed of an f2.8 lens and the 200-400mm is significantly lighter than the 400mm f2.8. That’s important when you have to walk/run/sprint over 6-7 miles of golf course during the day while carrying equipment.

If I need to go really long, I’ll attach the 200mm-400mm to my trusty old Nikon D300, a DX-sensored body that has a 1.5X focal length multiplier. That effectively turns the 200-400mm lens into a 300-600mm lens at f4, which is as long a focal length as I ever need. Even though the D300 is several years old, at the ISOs I use during the day (usually ISO 200, and hardly ever above ISO 400), the noise level of the D300 is unnoticeable. If I feel that I can get by without needing to reach out with a 600mm focal length or when heavy overcast conditions force me to shoot with an ISO above 400 in order to maintain a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 second, I’ll attach the 200-400mm to a D3S camera body and goose the ISO to whatever setting is necessary.

Rickie Fowler

I like a slight bit of blur on the club head and ball to create the feeling of motion in an image, but not too much. 1/1000 second shutter speed is fast enough to give me just enough blur. A shutter speed slower than that will often result in the club head or the ball being too blurred for my taste.

Adam Scott tight pose shot

Webb Simpson full length pose shot

“Pose” shots add to a collection of images. I refer to the shots above as “pose” shots – images that depict the golfer at the very end of their swing as they watch the ball’s flight. These can be full frame of the golfer or tight, depending on the look I am after. They’re the easiest of all the shots to capture but are a great addition to an image set. The “pose” can be photographed many ways, and the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Wide angle image from the tee box

You may have noticed that I carry a couple of wide-angle lenses in addition to a long lens. I do so because I like to supplement tight action shots with pageantry, artsy fartsy, and wide-angle action images.

On at least one or two holes, I will position myself behind players and shoot with a wide-angle lens, sometimes at a slight angle to the players and sometimes directly behind them.  These vantage points produce something different from the typical out-in-front stuff and add variety to the collection of images I turn in. I may sit on the ground and shoot up (as in the image above) or stand/kneel while I shoot (as in the image below).

Wide angle image on the course

Don’t be fooled by the images above as they give the appearance that I am some distance away from the payers.  As with rear view mirrors, objects are much closer than they appear when using wide-angle lenses, so you MUST be careful not to fire the shutter until after the players have hit the ball – unless of course you dream about being yelled at by the golfer or his caddy. If you don’t believe me, fire your shutter within earshot of Robert Allenby or Bubba Watson, or God help you Tiger Woods, during their backswing. I’ve seen them and their caddies humiliate photographers to the point of tears.

Players approach the 18^th green during the Mercedes-Benz Championship at Kapalua

Approach shots to #3 at Augusta National

Another use for the wide angle set up is picturesque shots of the golf course and panoramic shots of the players and galleries (as shown above), which gives viewers a feel for the ambiance of the event.

Bunker shot from the side

If I could only get one image during an entire day of shooting it would have to be the bunker shot. To me, these golf images are just this side of Elvis cool. I mean, what’s not to like? The ball is typically easy to capture in the frame as it doesn’t travel as fast a tee shot or a fairway approach shot, the cloud of sand adds drama and action to an image, and you have many options when it comes to composition – you can shoot from the side of the player, directly in front, with a horizontal orientation, a vertical one, you name it, and the images always look great.

Bunker shot from directly in front

Any time a player hits an approach shot to a green, I am secretly rooting for a big splash in the sand. As soon as I see that, I boogey for position while thinking through the kind of image I hope to get. This is where the 80-200mm lens comes in handy as it gives me great flexibility in composing the image. My preference in vantage point is in front of the player so the bunker shot is being hit almost directly at me. Having said that, bunker images can also look pretty sweet when shot from the side and the sun highlights the sand. I try to vary focal lengths and position as the day progresses for the sake of variety, shooting tight, medium and wide. After all, isn’t variety the spice of life?

Ricky Fowler

Freddie Couples

Let’s move on to the putting green. My go-to lens on putting greens is the 80-200mm because its focal length is great for variety in the shots I can take. There are many kinds of images you can shoot once the players make it to the green, such as players placing their ball on their ball marker, reading the green (alone or with their caddy), or actually putting.

To finish up, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a few other things I look for during a tournament. At the end of the day, the obligatory trophy presentation and celebration shots are a must. These are usually straightforward, grip & grin type shots but they’re part of the gig.

Every now and then I get lucky and a unique moment presents itself, as it did after Webb Simpson received the Payne Stewart salver for being low medalist at the 2013 Tavistock Cup. While all of us photographers were busy scurrying around to get shots of the winning team with the Tavistock Cup trophy, Simpson walked over to the gallery off the 18^th green, unnoticed by the gaggle, to find his wife and kids. I had already gotten my shots of the winning team with the trophy and was about to head to the media trailer when I saw Simpson walking towards the green, salver and family in tow, and a huge smile on his face. The wind was blowing his wife’s and kids’ hair, which made for a perfect Kodak moment that no one seemed to notice. Thankfully, I was still locked and loaded and got what I think was one of my best images of the day.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one last category of images that I always look for. Art shots, or as I refer to them artsy fartsy shots, can be found all over the golf course. They can be as simple as a scenic shot of a player teeing off (above), the Golf Channel’s David Feherty trying to extract co-commentator Gary McCord’s head from the rear end of a bull (below), or golf bags lined up and ready for play (also below).

I believe I’ve now beaten the golf photography horse deader than a doorknob so I will wrap up. I hope that the information provided is useful, and as always, my thanks to Scott and Brad Moore for being kind enough to have me appear on Guest Blog Wednesday one more time. Stay thirsty, my friends.

Mike Olivella is a professional photographer based in Tallahassee, Florida. Mike specializes in sports, outdoor and studio photography and is on the photo staff of the Florida State University Athletics Department. Mike also shoots sports for two wire services. You can see more of Mike’s work at BaselineShots.com or follow him on Google+.

he Diffuse filter is very subtle option in the Stylize set.  It may take a few passes to be noticed (especially on a hi-res photo). It attempts to diffuse an image to make the selection look less focused. This can work well to create areas of distress in a photo (especially when combined with blending modes).

1. Select the layer in the Layers panel.

2. Choose Filter > Convert for Smart Filters.

3. Choose Filter > Stylize > Diffuse.

4. Choose a method from the window.

• Normal moves pixels randomly
• Darken Only replaces light pixels with darker pixels
• Lighten Only replaces dark pixels with lighter pixels
• Anisotropic shuffles pixels toward the direction of least change in color

For this example, I used Darken Only.

5. Press Command+F (Ctrl+F) to repeat the filter.

6. Blend each filter by clicking the blending arrow in the Layers panel.

Double-click the blending arrows to access blending modes and fade options

7. Change the mode and opacity for the first filter instance.

Use Mode and Opacity to refine the effect

Options like Multiply, Overlay, or Soft Light tend to work well.

8. Repeat as needed for other instances

The blended filter creates both a pop in contrast and an organic distressing to image details.

_______ 

This Post Sponsored by:

lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

The HDR Learning Center Check out new ways to use High Dynamic Range photography to make compelling images.  Free tutorials and posts to get results. Produced in partnership with HDR Soft.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one. Click here and use the code photofocus to get a 15% discount.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest on Jenni Hogan’s “Next Big Thing” podcast a couple weeks ago to talk a bit about my life path(s), pivot points and the way that creativeLIVE is systematically re-shaping access to the best education.

For those who don’t know Jenni, she’s a super smart, sharp journalist who has a passion for connecting with like-minded people who impact, inspire and inform. Equally at home in the worlds of tech, media and fashion, Jenni pressed me on my origins as a creative, from my early pivots away from school and PhD’s in philosophy of art to my career as a photographer and entrepreneur.

In these days of media sound bites, those of us who are lucky enough to get a stage rarely get to give lengthy accounts of our experiences. This is a more lengthy account.

What we discuss:
-beginning as a photographer
-how “making it” is really not “making it” at all – just another chapter
-my #1 iTunes app from 2009 (Wired, Macworld, NYT top app) Best Camera – and what I learned
-how creativeLIVE came to be
-how creativity is the new literacy and cL is a big part of that future.

Big thanks to Jenni for having me on the show. Here is the complete podcast, below:

Photo by Denis Tangney, Jr.

I will be teaching four free photo classes in Saint Louis this weekend. If you’re in the area, come on by.

• Photoshop for the Beginner (May 10th 2—3pm)
• Working with Raw Photos in Adobe Camera Raw (May 10th 5—6pm)
• Making Great Black and White Photos (May 11th 10—11am)
• Secrets of Photoshop (May 11th 1—2pm)

The event is at

Creve Coeur Camera
Address: 11615 Olive Blvd, Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Phone:(314) 567-3456

_______

This Post Sponsored by:

lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

The HDR Learning Center Check out new ways to use High Dynamic Range photography to make compelling images. Free tutorials and posts to get results. Produced in partnership with HDR Soft.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one. Click here and use the code photofocus to get a 15% discount.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo – Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

You’ve always wanted to catch one awesome photo of lightning striking down on Earth’s surface.

Turns out we’ve been doing it wrong this whole time.

Phillip Stearns figured it out: Step 1 — throw out your camera. Step 2 — expose your film with 15,000 volts of electricity.

Inspired by the science between cameras and our very own eyes, Phillip turned to experimenting with peel-apart instant film.

He starts by pouring household chemicals (like bleach) onto the film to manipulate color and then touches a neon tube ballast to the film to electrocute the surface.

The result is a dreamy rainbow of lightning-like images emblazoned onto a final print.

It’s no wonder that Phillip’s main work has dealt with digital glitches. You might call this the ultimate analog equivalent of a glitch.

You can watch how it all goes down in this awesome video.

Extra cool thing: Learn how to make emulsion lifts with instant film!

Phillip Stearns’ Electrified Instant Film

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