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  • Follow These Long Exposure Tutorials To Make Your Ordinary Images Look Extraordinary

    Follow These Long Exposure Tutorials To Make Your Ordinary Images Look Extraordinary


    Long exposure photography is a genre where you intentionally increase the exposure time to blur certain parts of the image but there is also night sky photography or other night photography where long exposure can be made to capture as much light as possible. When you capture long exposure images depending on the time of the day and amount of light, you may need to increase the exposure times and sometimes use an ND or Grad-ND filter to lengthen the exposure times.

    Photo by Lopez Robin

    Besides using ND filters, you will also need accessories like a stable tripod and a remote release to avoid camera shakes. Long exposure photography can be applied to many genre of photography besides the landscape photography where this technique is more commonly used. In this article, we have put together a bunch of tutorials for you to get an understanding of long exposure photography and improve your skills.

    Photo by Gerald Berliner

    When capturing long exposure images, a few factors need to be kept in mind. The light in the location and how it is illuminating the subject, the time of day and what the end results would be, stabilising the camera, using the right settings based on the light and other elements, etc. Besides, you will need to use required accessories to get the best results. Check out these four easy to follow tips that will help make your long exposure photos successful.

    Photo by Nathan61

    If you are looking for a few more quick tips on capturing long exposure images, the above article has a few tips on the factors and settings you need to consider for good long exposure shots. There is also a useful chart that will help you to calculate your applied settings for normal light situations into the language of long-exposure photography.

    Image by BenFrantzDale 

    Capturing long exposure during the day time can be quite tricky because the light can be bright in most situations and you will need to cut down light based on how long you need the exposure time to be. This is where ND filters come in handy and they come in various strengths. Check out the above article to learn how to use an ND filter for day time long exposure photography.

    Here are some more handy tutorials:

    Photo by Jason Row

    Architectural elements can be great subjects in a long exposure photograph. If shot under the right light conditions and other elements in the frame like clouds or light trails architectural structures can lead to very interesting photographs. The above article is a quick guide on long exposure architectural photography.

    Photo by H Matthew Howarth

    Just like how you capture long exposure photographs during the day time, you can capture stunning long exposures at night too. Remember that you will definitely need a tripod and a shutter release to capture sharp images without any blur due to camera shake.

    Photo via Pixabay

    Night time photography can be interesting if you add a dynamic element to the frame. If you can safely photograph the light trails from traffic or from other interesting subjects like a carousel or a Ferris wheel, these can add visual interest and a story telling factor to the image. Here are some quick tips in the article above.

    Long exposure photography is so fascinating that it does not stop with capturing just light trails, moving water or clouds, star trails and so on, but can also be extended to capture sun trails. Here is an article that shares the work of photographer Kristian Saks and the process of how he captures these images.

    Photo by Federico Alegría

    Now if you are a street photographer, you are surely missing out on some creative photography if you do not capture long exposure street photos. Yes, long exposure is a great way to add a dynamic element to street photos and will help you to capture intriguing photos. The above article will help you with some tips to capture long exposure street photos.

    Photo by Jason Row

    There are times when we capture long exposure images that we think are technically perfect but the results may be very disappointing. The most common mistakes are camera shakes, colour shifts, noise, diffraction, internal reflection, etc. The article above will help you understand why these mistakes can happen and how you can rectify them.

    Photo by Diego Vitali

    Some situations will help some photographers capture long exposure images by just handholding their camera if they have a somewhat steady hand. But when you become quite serious about this craft and look to capture perfect and sharp photos, you will need to invest in some very essential gear. Here is what you need to capture the best long exposure shots both during the day and at night.

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  • Hate Editing? Try These Lightroom Tips

    Hate Editing? Try These Lightroom Tips


    For some, poring over Lightroom for hours on end to create the perfect edit, is the only way to go. For others, the mere thought of sitting down at a computer and fashioning raws into something more usable is at best an inspiration for procrastination and at worst something to avoid all together.

    Lightroom, particularly if you do not use it much, can be a daunting and overwhelming program. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you adhere to the 1/99% rule you will soon find yourself getting great shots with minimal effort. The 1/99% rule suggests that you use 1% of the features, 99% of the time. That is something that is perfectly possible with Lightroom. Today we are going to tell you how.

    Preselection

    One of the biggest mistakes you can make, and one that will definitely put you off editing, is to simply sit with Lightroom and edit each and every photo. This is a time consuming and fruitless pursuit.

    It’s much better to use Lightroom’s simple but powerful rating system to find the best images to edit. In the Library module, open the first image of the shoot. You can create your own system but for simplicity, if the image is not worth editing, do not give it a rating. If it’s a maybe, assign it a 3 star rating. If it’s a must edit, give it 5 stars. You can easily assign the star rating using the number keys on your keyboard. Then hit the right arrow to advance to the next image and rate that. In no time at all you will have a selection of 5 star images to edit. Use the filters at the top of the Library module to filter 5 star images only.

    Screenshot of Lightroom Library Moduile with images rated by stars
    Knowing which images you want to edit is half the battle.

    Make Use Of Presets

    If you really do struggle with editing, then presets are the way to go. Whilst there are a number of photographers that sell presets, there is also a very good selection provided by Adobe.

    To apply a preset open the image in the “Develop” Module. On the left side of the screen you will see a plethora of different types. You don’t actually have to click on a preset to see what it will look like on your image. Instead simply roll your cursor over each of them. When you find one that you like, click it and the preset will be applied.

    If there is a particular preset that you find yourself gravitating to often, you can choose to apply it on import. To do this, in the import window, to the right click on “Develop Settings.” You will see all the presets that you have installed in a drop down list. Simply select the one you like and all images will have that preset applied as they are imported.

    Don’t worry if you are not happy, you can clear any preset by right clicking on it in the “Library” module and selecting “Develop Settings” – “Reset.” This will return the image to its out of camera look. You can do this to multiple images by holding “CMD/CTR” and left clicking all the images you wish to reset. Then with the mouse over one of the selected images, use the same procedure.

    Screenshot of before and after images using Lightroom Presets
    Carefully chosen presets can save large amounts of time

    If you prefer not to use a preset, Lightroom allows you to make automatic corrections. These can be very useful for very quick edits.

    In the “Develop” Module under the “Basic” tools there are two “Auto” options. The first, at the very top is called “Auto.” When you click this, Lightroom will work out what it thinks the image needs based on the histogram. It will apply exposure, contrast and saturation as well as lifting shadows and dropping highlights. It’s not a perfect tool, but for quick edits, it does a decent job.

    The other very useful tool is the “White Balance dropper” tool. It is found at the top left of the White Balance section.

    To use this tool simply click on it and move the dropper to a section of the image that you know to be a neutral grey. Lightroom will then correct the white balance to make sure that grey area becomes neutral.

    Screenshot of Auto tools in the Lightroom Develop module
    Make use of Lightroom’s auto tools

    Use The Basic Editing Sliders

    If you want to have a little more control over your images, then confining yourself to the basic correction tools is a good way to go. These are Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Blacks and Whites.

    For a very simple, fast edit, first move the Exposure slider, to get the bulk of the Histogram to the middle. Then simply move the Black slider until the edge of the histogram hits the left side. Do the same with the White slider until the histogram hits the right side. This will give you optimum contrast and exposure. If you want to edit a touch more, use the Highlight and Shadow tool to get the look you want.

    If you like that look you can then apply it easily to the other 5 star images in your shoot. To do this, simply right click on the edited image, select “Settings” – “Copy Setting” then from the window click ‘Check All.”

    Now you can scroll through your 5 star images and apply that setting to each one. To do that, bulk select the images in the “Library” Module, right click on one of them and select “Develop Settings” – “Paste Settings.” You might need to go back and tweak one or two, but overall this should give you a fast and consistent edit.

    Screenshot of a simple, basic edit in Lightroom
    Roker lighthouse in Sunderland showing a minimal edit in Lightroom
    Use just the 6 basic sliders. By Jason Row Photography

    Find A Workflow That Suits You

    Repetition is a good way to get efficient in Lightroom, so developing your own short workflow will help you breeze through the editing process. It doesn’t have to be complicated, just import, rate, quick edit and export the ones you want to show.

    By repeating the same workflow you will soon find yourself being able to edit images in minutes rather than hours.

    Editing can be an off putter to some photographers. It can be time consuming and frustrating. However using some or all of the tips above, you will soon find editing in Lightroom doesn’t have to be a chore. The end benefit will be a definite upturn in the quality of your images. That has to be a win-win.

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  • Check Out These Tutorials To Capture Unique Urban Photos

    Check Out These Tutorials To Capture Unique Urban Photos


    Many photographers consider urban spaces as boring locations to photograph, due to the fact that they may be too busy and/or cluttered. Moreover, these places can be quite crowded most of the time and noisy too, but if you are willing to slow down, and take time to observe and photograph some unique and interesting shots, then urban spaces provide a lot of photographic opportunities.

    Urban spaces or cities provide opportunities for several genre of photography like architecture, street, urban wildlife, etc. It is always recommended to scout locations beforehand, get to know the area and study how light falls in a particular area during certain times of the day, etc., so you can come back with very compelling photos.

    Here are some tutorials that we have put together, so you can get some ideas and be inspired to photograph in urban spaces.

    Here is a tutorial or a walkthrough for an interesting start on how urban spaces can be photographed. This article includes a lot of sample images with details along the way to give you an understanding of how light, perspective, angles, etc., can be used to capture interesting urban photographs.

    Photo by Hongmei Zhao

    When we hear the word landscapes, we immediately think about natural landscapes in the wilderness like the ones that have meadows, grasslands, hills and mountains, beaches etc. Landscapes can be also extended to urban areas where urban landscapes can be captured as they are quite interesting if you follow some tips.

    Photo by Adam Borkowski 

    While many photographers choose to stay indoors on rainy days in order to protect their gear and themselves, these days provide great atmosphere for photography and many creative opportunities. Urban landscapes transform into magical spaces during or after a rain and with some precautions and safety measures, one can capture stunning urban photos on a rainy day. Here are some tips for rainy urban photos.

    Photo by Gil Ribeiro

    Cities are places where something keeps happening all the time – there are a lot of stories, events, cultural activities and so on, that can be photographed. Besides, cities provide great opportunities to capture architecture during various times of the day and seasons, street photography, environmental photos, etc. Here are some ideas to capture stunning city photos.

    Photo by Jason Row

    Street photography in a city can offer unique perspectives on what is happening in a city and the light falling through tall buildings and alleyways can offer interesting compositions and stories. Right from train stations to city centres, each space provides different stories and elements that can be used to capture the life in the city. A keen eye for details and a story telling mind is all that you need for capturing great street photos in a city. Here are some tips and ideas.

    Photo by Marc Kleen

    A lot of people choose to live in cities because of the vibe and the other interesting things they can experience there. Cities are also spaces that are filled with architecture and other structures, both new and old. It is not just about capturing the buildings in a city, but also the life there, that makes for epic cityscape photographs. Here are some ideas on how to capture cities in unimaginable ways.

    Photo by Abigail Keenan

    Do you live in a city? If so, are you bored of photographing the place that you live in? We all have this habit of not photographing the places we live in, because we see it all the time and don’t feel that it has anything new or interesting to contribute. If that is the case, you are wrong. Your city has a load of photographic opportunities and you need to look at it with the eyes of a tourist. Read to find out how!

    Photo by Michael Discenza

    Have you seen wildlife in urban spaces? Unlike capturing wildlife photographs in the wild by staying very far away from the animals and birds, urban wildlife that are used to humans around them can be captured up close as they mostly stay close to human residents, parks, etc. The wildlife in urban spaces can be interestingly photographed against daily happenings in the cities and towns. This article gives you tips on how to photograph urban wildlife.

    Photo by Luna Wang

    Besides all the stunning subjects and cityscapes in urban spaces, if you are a photographer interested in capturing portraits, cities offer amazing opportunities to capture interesting portraits. Some very interesting geometrical compositions can be used to capture portraits in urban areas, Here are some tips to start with.

    Also, if you are interested in learning about geometrical compositions, check out this article – How To Use Geometry For Creative Composition In Photography

    Photo by greekfood-tamystika

    We have all heard of the golden hour as the best time to photograph anything because of the glorious, soft but dramatic light the sun casts during that time. Do not pack your camera bags after sunset, because the blue hour is one of the best times to capture very emotive and soft photos especially in the city when the lights are just turned on. Here is how to shoot cityscapes during the blue hour.

    Photo by Mick Haupt

    If you are someone interested in urban decay, or wish to shoot something different in urban spaces,, then urban decay is a genre that will be of interest to you. Moreover these spaces will not be crowded, so you can take time to explore and capture them from unique perspectives and angles. Make sure you have permission to enter and photograph these spaces as some areas and buildings may have restrictions or may be private. Here are some tips for you to get started.

    Photo by Patrick Tomasso

    Finally if you are interested in black and white photography, urban spaces are great because of the light, textures and drama they can lend to great black and white photographs. Make sure that you have a good tonal range in the scene so the resulting black and white image is powerful. You need to learn to see in black and white in order to capture images to convert to black and white.

    Photo by Jason Row

    If you want to check out some creative urban photos, check out these “Urban Etchings” by Grant Legassick, which is a definitive study of an urban environment comprising multiple images layered over one another, giving the impression of a fine, delicate pencil drawing or metal etching. These images are mind-blowing and the photographer shares how these were made.

    Photo by by Grant Legassick

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  • Follow These Tutorials To Capture Night Sky Objects With The Camera You Have

    Follow These Tutorials To Capture Night Sky Objects With The Camera You Have


    Night sky is an addictive subject to photograph and if you look closer, there are many night sky objects that you can photograph, other than the moon and the Milky Way. On very clear nights, you will be able to see a lot of nebulae, star clusters, cloud complexes and even a galaxy without the aid of a telescope.

    Right now it is the Milky Way season in the Northern Hemisphere, but for those who live in the Southern Hemisphere, there are many objects in the Winter sky that are worth photographing. If you are new to astrophotography, start by photographing the moon and then move on to photograph the Milky Way, before working towards photographing deep space objects.

    Grab your Milky Way Photography Blueprint for free right here.

     

    In this article here, we have put together a collection of tutorials that are highly detailed and provide you with every information you need to photograph the sky at night. Don’t forget to check out the “Further Reading” section.

    Let us start with the Moon which is the natural satellite to our planet Earth and it is one of the closest and brightest subjects in the night sky, that you can easily photograph. If you observe the moon over a few weeks, you will get an understanding of the phases of the moon, its rising and setting time, etc. You just need to do a little bit of planning to get the best shot.

    Graphic by Light Stalking

    If you are wondering what if you do not have a camera yet, but only a smartphone that you use to capture photos right now? Smartphone technology has advanced quite a lot in the recent years and they can be used to capture beautiful images of the moon and some brighter objects in the night sky. Especially if you are a a beginner in astrophotography, with some practice and knowledge, you can capture interesting photos of the moon with your smartphone.

    Photo by Dahlia Ambrose using Samsung Galaxy S22 – 20x digital zoom. ISO 25, 69mm, -0.2 ev, f/2.4, 1/583s. Cropped to fill the frame.

    And, did you know that the moon is not just white, but has some colours due to the mineral deposits on its surface? If you zoom in on live view with a long lens, on a very clear night, you will be able to observe these colours faintly. You can photograph the moon and bring in those beautiful colours and this article will help you achieve that. It is interesting and can be done during any phase of the moon, but remember that you will have to take a series of shots to get the best results in terms of colours and details.

    Photo by Dahlia Ambrose

    We have heard of rules for correctly setting exposure for certain subjects in photography, rules that do not need to be followed as such, but rules that can help you get started initially and then can be refined further according to the situation. One such rule to capture the moon is the Looney 11 rule which can be a start to estimate exposure times. We will summarise the rule here:

    • Set aperture to f/11 and shutter speed to the reciprocal value of ISO.

    Check out the article to learn more about this rule.

    Graphic by Light Stalking

    We live in the Milky Way galaxy and it is one of the easiest subjects to photograph, after the moon. Depending on the time of the year, you will be able to photograph only specific areas of the Milky Way galaxy. The core is the most stunning region and it is above the horizon at night, a few months every year. So keep an eye on the weather forecast and find the darkest location possible and photograph the Milky Way with the camera you have in hand.

    Photo by John Lemieux

    If you want to go a bit further after some experience and photograph a nebula, the Orion Nebula is one of the easiest to capture and one that is most commonly photographed too. You can use the camera that you have in hand and a moderate focal length lens to capture the frames and then with some detailed post processing, you will have a beautiful image. You will need to capture a series of shots including calibration frames and everything is explained in detail in this article.

    Photo by Dahlia Ambrose

    Now, similar to the rule we mentioned above to set exposure for moon photography, if you are a beginner and not sure where to start in terms of settings for your night sky photography like stars, nebulae, etc., start with the 500 rule. It is not very accurate, but is a great start to get an image of the stars, galaxies and the Milky Way. Here is the rule summarised below:

    • Set your camera to ISO 3200 or 6400, your Aperture to f/2.8 (or as wide as possible) and your shutter speed to 500 divided by the focal length of your camera, taking into account the crop factor of your camera.

    There is also a 600 rule where you replace the 500 above with 600 and see if it works better than the above setting.

    Snapwire at Pexels

    With more advanced cameras and sensors, sometimes the 500 or 600 rule may not get you the best results, especially if you want to have a large print. Sometimes there may be some trailing in the stars instead of point sharp stars. To avoid this situation, the photographer needs to calculate exposure based on the type of camera and lens combination.

    A formula was devised by Frédéric Michaud for the Société Astronòmique du Havre called the NPF rule which is quite complex, where

    • N stands for aperture, the letter N is used to represent aperture in optics.
    • P for photosites or pixel density or pixel pitch (distance between two pixels)
    • F for focal length

    If you have an app called PhotoPills, you can easily calculate exposure times using the NPF rule on that app.

    Screenshot from PhotoPills App showing different exposure times for two different full frame cameras

    Star photography is easy, but in order to get the best results like sharp and noise free images, there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind. It also requires you to choose the right location, weather conditions, keep an eye on the moon phases and use the right tools and accessories to get the best shot. Last but not the least, patience and practice is key to perfect star images.

    Photo by Skeeze

    Cameras come with noise reduction features called high iso noise reduction and long exposure noise reduction. Many photographers seem to be confused if they need to leave these settings on for astrophotography, in order to get the best results. Depending on what you are shooting, these features can cause some delay in sequences, can cause heat, and also remove faint star details. Read to find if you should leave these settings on or off for astrophotography and why.

    Image by Benjamin Voros

    When capturing night sky or dep space object, you are working with very little light and longer exposure times. Factors like heat due to long exposure and high iso can induce thermal and/or digital noise in these photographs that can leave unwanted effects/artifacts in the images that also greatly reduce the sharpness and quality of the image. Here are some ways in which noise can be reduced in your night sky images.

    This is how noise looks in photographs – this is for illustration purposes only. Image by MartinThoma

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  • 21 Photographs Of Trees – Interesting Compositions With These Silent Giants

    21 Photographs Of Trees – Interesting Compositions With These Silent Giants


    Trees – we find them almost everywhere around us, even in the most urban spaces where they are grown to add some life to the lifeless concrete jungles. While trees may be a common subject found easily, and one that is used to frame other subjects or as a supporting element in photography, it is quite difficult to effectively photograph them on their own, especially their grandeur or their importance in a particular space.

    Photo by Mel

    When photographing trees, importance needs to be given to the gear, especially lenses used, location, angles and perspective, composition, weather, atmospheric conditions and the right light. Although trees are difficult to photograph, the process of slowing down, waiting for the right light and capturing a compelling shot can be very rewarding. Try using interesting compositions like framing, juxtaposition, reflections, centered composition, patterns, etc.

    Here are 21 photographs of trees that make use of interesting compositions.

    If you are already familiar with basic compositional guidelines like the rule of thirds or the leading lines and wish to take your compositional skills to the next level, we recommend you to check out this eBook “Advanced Composition” by Photzy, that will help you turn your photographs into works of art.

    Photo by Henrik Hansen
    Photo by iuliu illes 
    Photo by  Adrián Valverde
    Photo by  Jessica Furtney
    Photo by Oli Gibbs
    Photo by  Ian Wagg 
    Photo by Jeremy Bishop 

    If you wish to move beyond the rule of thirds and other simple compositional guidelines to advanced techniques that use curves, repetitions, light and shadows, focal points, etc., then we recommend you to check out this eBook “Advanced Composition” by Photzy which is a 239 pages practical guide, that is packed with training, assignments, lessons and plenty of quizzes to test your knowledge.

    Photo by Chad Stembridge 
    Photo by Intricate Explorer 
    Photo by Redd Francisco 
    Photo by Maksim Shutov 
    Photo by Meg MacDonald
    Photo by Mahrshi Bisani
    Photo by Daniel Peters

    Using basic compositional guidelines all the time can make your photographs look similar and sometimes boring. There are plenty of ways to compose an image other than the basic ways and this eBook “Advanced Composition” by Photzy will show you 47+ ways you can move beyond the basic rule of thirds.

    Photo by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič 
    Photo by Angelika P
    Photo by Casey Horner
    Photo by Dave Hoefler 
    Photo by deshawn wilson
    Photo by David Clode 

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  • Save on Sony gear with these early Black Friday deals

    Save on Sony gear with these early Black Friday deals


    Sony makes some of the best camera gear around right now, with cameras and lenses suitable for high-level pros and complete beginners. Right now, you can take advantage of these Sony early Black Friday deals on a selection of equipment covering that spectrum. Whether you are picking up something for yourself or shopping for a generous gift for someone you know, these deals will give you up to $200 in savings.

    A 24-70mm is a must-have tool for just about every photographer. This standard zoom offers a bit of every focal length in one, meaning you don’t have to swap lenses as often. The Sony 24-70mm f/4 Vario-Tessar is a budget-friendly 24-70mm that still offers plenty of quality. It’s also very compact and lightweight, making it easier to travel with and hold during long shoots. This lens is a great beginner lens, so if you are shopping for a newer photographer, it would be a great bet.

    More Sony early Black Friday deals

    Deals on Sony cameras

    Deals on Sony zoom lenses

    Deals on Sony prime lenses





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  • Tired of missing focus? Try these 6 simple steps.

    Tired of missing focus? Try these 6 simple steps.


    It’s the old school methodology but it is particularly helpful if you’re using a wide angle lens. Stopping down really far to f/8 – f/16 increases depth of field which makes small focus errors less of an issue. See my post on Hyperfocal Distance for more help. On most cameras it may be referred to as focus priority release. Essentially with this setting you’re telling the camera not to…

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