The following is an excerpt from the SLR Lounge Lightroom Workflow System Workshop on DVD, a system designed to increase your post production speed by 5 to 10 times! Click here to learn more.

In this article, we are going to talk about creating a develop preset that you would like to apply to all of your images when they are first imported into Lightroom.

Although Adobe’s RAW image processing is extremely powerful, one common complaint is that your images may look flat and colorless at first. Often photographers will lament how beautiful their colors looked on the back of their camera.

Well, in an effort to fix this problem and make our images automatically look a little more crisp and vibrant when we first bring them into Lightroom, we’re going to create a “Standard Import” preset.

For this tutorial we will use the following image as our example:

Basic Adjustments Panel

The goal for a standard preset is twofold:  First, to simply help every image look a little better overall, of course. Secondly we also want to apply default settings such as a personal blend of sharpening, lens corrections, or other calibration-related things.

First, let’s tackle the Basic Adjustments.  Open the Basic Adjustments panel in the Develop Module and apply the following settings:

The idea here is that you want to keep detail in any bright highlights or deep shadows, but do it without making the image look flat overall.  This is why we bring down the highlights to -20 yet push the Whites up to +10, and the same with the Shadows and Blacks. The image gets a little “punch” to it, without blowing out any highlights or clipping any shadows.

To enhance that subtle punch a little further, next we’ll boost both the Clarity and Vibrance to +15.  Note that we leave alone settings like Saturation and Contrast, because for the most part those adjustments are too strong for them to be applied to every single image.

Of course, YOU should tailor the adjustments to your own personal style!  Usually however we advise that going too much further than subtle editing should be saved as a separate preset that you use part of the time, but not necessarily 100% of the time.

The goal, of course, is to minimize the amount of editing you have to do to the majority of your images.  If for example you find that 80-90% of the time you wind up adjusting some of these settings even further, or less, …then you might as well create your Standard Import preset that way because it will minimize the amount of editing you have to do later, even if you have to undo one or two settings just 10-20% of the time.  See how that works?

To be avoided, however, is using a standardized preset to cover your habitual mistakes.  A good indicator for this is is if you feel like you ought to adjust your Exposure slider in your standardized preset.  Unless you have a very good reason; you’ll probably want to simply work to meter and expose your images better in the first place!

Detail Panel Adjustments

In the Detail Panel, we are going to apply our own special blend of sharpening that we apply to 99% of our RAW images.  These settings are shown below:

Sharpening is definitely one of the most subjective aspects of post-production, however this “recipe” is our tried-and-true blend for RAW images, and we use it for all types of images from general portraits, weddings, and details.

So adjust the settings to your taste, however just remember that your goal is for these settings to become the foundation for all your images!  Try out these settings on many different types of images, and settle on something that works best for all of them.

Lens Correction Adjustments

Another common issue on DSLR cameras and lenses these days is vignetting.  By default, we prefer to correct for a slight amount of vignetting by dialing our Lens Corrections’ “Manual” tab to the following settings:

Again, if you commonly shoot with certain lenses that have less vignetting, or more, then feel free to adjust these settings slightly.  Or, of course, if you actually utilize vignetting in your personal style, then feel free to zero-out this adjustment.

If you followed our adjustments approximately, then your final image will look something like this:

To see the real difference in the processing, let’s zoom in a bit:

Again, the goal here is not to make the image over-the-top contrasty or colorful, just to und0 the “flatness” that you initially see in your RAW images.

Saving the Standard Import Preset

If there are any other settings you would like to add to your “Standard Import” develop preset, do that now.  For example certain cameras may need adjustments in the Camera Calibration section, to correct for faint hues or tints in the shadows or highlights.  There are also Camera Profiles that attempt to emulate specific in-camera colors, (“Faithful”, “Neutral”, Landscape”, etc.) …however in our opinion the “Adobe Standard” profile is the best.

When you’re ready to create a preset, open the Develop Module’s left-hand panel and click the little plus sign on the Presets tab:

In the New Develop Preset window you can select which adjustments become part of this preset.  You may wish to only select a few parameters, such as for the specific tabs which we adjusted, however consider selecting “Check All” so that this preset can be used to reset images entirely.

Name this preset “00 Standard Import”, and be sure to put the two zeros at the beginning (or a similar code) so that this preset shows up at the top of your list of presets for easy access. Similarly, you may want to create a new folder and give it a numerical name so that all your presets show up at the top of the Presets panel, instead of below the (annoyingly un-deletable) Adobe-included Lightroom Presets.

Applying the Preset During The Import Process

Now that you have saved this new preset, you can apply it any time when you’re working on images in Lightroom.  However there is another awesome tool that we can utilize which will help us automate or workflow overall.

When you get back from a photo shoot with images that are ready to be imported into Lightroom, you’ll be able to apply this preset to all your images during the import process!

Open the import dialog box by either clicking on the Import button at the bottom of the left-hand panel of the Library module, or simply type the hotkey “Ctrl + Shift I”.

On the right-hand side of the import panel, you will see “Apply During Import” and the first option will be for develop settings.  Find your Standard Import Preset and select it.

By default, these options will remember themselves the next time you import images, so don’t forget this in case you want to change or stop using presets during the import process.

One of the main advantages of setting up your workflow this way is that, by applying a preset such as this during the time of import, combined with the option tell your computer to render previews after it is done importing, (in the “File Handling” section above) …you can tell Lightroom to import an entire photo shoot, apply a preset to every photo, and then render 1:1 previews all at once!

At the end of a long photo shoot or wedding day or whatever, this allows you to simply download and backup your photos once, then commence the Lightroom import workflow and go to bed.  By morning you’ll have your entire Lightroom catalog full of images with the preset and full previews ready to go!

Conclusion

It takes time to fine tune your own “Standard Import” preset and get it to work on the majority of your images, but once you develop it you can save hours and hours of post-production time.

Once we have created a standard preset for all our images, theoretically in post-production we will mostly spend our time just editing certain settings on an image-to-image basis, such as white balance and exposure.  Even these settings can be adjusted in batches though. (This is why we did not adjust the settings for White Balance and Exposure in the Basic Panel for the “Standard Import” preset.)

The SLR Lounge Workflow System Workshop on DVD

The SLR Lounge Workflow System Workshop on DVD takes everything that we taught in the Lightroom 4 A to Z Workshop on DVD and builds by teaching you how to maximize your shooting and post processing efficiency and workflow. This 7 hour DVD covers data safety procedures, file management, culling standards and overall develop techniques to increase your post production efficiency by up to 15x! In fact, using this Workflow System we can cull and edit over 1,500 images per hour! Don’t believe us, watch the teaser video! The Workflow System is also available as a part of the Lightroom 4 Workshop Collection. To learn more, click this link.

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 Create a “Standard Import” Preset in Lightroom 4

I had noticed this lighting scheme earlier in the song and missed it, focusing elsewhere. But when guitarist Brendt Allman went into his solo, I waited to see if it would happen again. Sure enough, it did. EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II. ISO 3200, 1/200 f/2.8.

A few years ago, I managed to start working with one of my favorite groups of musicians, a progressive heavy metal band from Pennsylvania called Shadow Gallery.  This has led to me collaborating with them in a number of ways.  I did some publicity photos for them, shot a music video (in another first for me) that ended up getting play on MTV in Europe, and in what I consider a career highlight, shot my first concert performance- which also happened to be their first concert performance.

Having never shot a live performance, I didn’t know what to expect.  I knew the venue was a small local place, so I had no idea what the lighting would be like. I came prepared with two lenses, an EF 24-105 f/4L and EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, as well as a 580EX II speedlite. I wasn’t sure the speedlites would be allowed, and even if they were, felt they would limit my shooting since I’d have to wait for the recycle. I used two cameras- a Canon EOS 7D and a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. Both are capable of relatively high ISO’s, which I knew I’d be using in a dimly lit concert venue. By raising the ISO, it minimized how hard the flash would have to work.  I experimented starting at ISO 800, and finally settled on ISO 3200 a song or two into the show.

The great thing about musical performances is the lighting is generally pretty

This shot was early in the show, and I was experimenting with flash for my exposures. I used the built-in flash on the EOS 7D, and set the flash exposure compensation to -1 so as not to overpower the ambient. The result was good fill on his face, while the stage lighting created a nice backlight. The slower shutter speed of 1/100 allowed some motion blur in the hair, but that adds to the energy of the image. ISO was only 800 here, as it was the first song and I was still experimenting.

interesting, if not all that bright.  What I wanted to do was figure out, when the lights were at their brightest, what my exposure should be.  I had the luxury of an opening act to shoot some tests. In addition, I wasn’t limited to just three songs like you might be with more well-known performers. I had an entire two hour show, so I took the first two songs to really nail my exposure down.

Even when using flash, I wanted to balance the flash with ambient light, not overpower the ambient lighting.  To do this, I shot in Manual mode.  I set my aperture wide open at f/2.8 or f/4 depending on the camera.  I wanted a shutter speed fast enough to stop any movement on stage, so I ended up settling on 1/200 for the most part. Knowing the 7D would be a bit noisier at the high ISOs due to the smaller sensor, and that the lens I was using was a stop slower, I put the 24-105 on that camera and shot it at 1/100 at f/4 to give it an extra stop of exposure.  That allowed some motion blur to creep in, but for the most part I lost very shots due to motion blur.

The constantly changing lighting meant that some shots just vanished as I pressed the shutter button.  The lighting was frantic and pulsing and constantly changing. But after a song or two, it got easier to predict the patterns, as well as see where the band members liked to stand so I could plan for a shot. After a time I ditched

the flash and opted to shoot sequences at 8 and 10 frames per second to be sure I caught a good expression or peak action. In some cases, I’d catch great lighting for an instant, and then wait to see if the lighting sequence repeated and I could catch it again.

Overall, it was a great experience, one I hope to repeat again some time. It was the perfect combination for me- great music and photography.

After a while I turned off the flash and raised the ISO up. Shooting using only the ambient light created some dramatic lighting situations. EOS 7D, EF 24-105 f/4L IS/ ISO 3200, 1/100, f/4.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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

My First Concert: Lighting Craziness

Read Composing with Curves, choose one of the types of curves mentioned (‘C Curves’, ‘Arches’, ‘S Curves’, ‘Circles’ or ‘Implied Curves’) and go out and try to capture some of them.

Once you’ve taken your ‘Curves’ Photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSCURVES to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Headshots challenge – there were some great shots submitted.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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

Curves: Weekly Photography Challenge

Stock photography has been going through an evolutionary process since the beginnings of photography as a popular hobby, and continues to be an industry in search of itself. The foundation is well established, but the end means is being continually in a state of flux by technology.

From its inception stock photography has been the process of making photographs on a speculative basis, for the most part, and despite the changes in the industry this notion has not changed.  Up until the early 1980’s, the collectives and libraries concentrated on global spot news, photo essays and photojournalism with a particular emphasis on editorial content.

One of the most respected of these original agencies, Black Star, who opened their doors in 1936, and remains a force in the editorial world to this day.  Many of the leading magazines, such as Time and Life, owe countless covers and visual content to Black Star, and its stable of noted photographers such as Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and other others.

Capa, Cartier-Bresson, and fellow photographers George Rodger and Chim Seymour would eventually move on and start the agency Magnum Photos. Magnum also attracted the best shooters of the day and concentrated on covering global wars and human interest photo essays.

Both Black Star and Magnum continue to be leading editorial content providers and are very selective of the photographers they will represent, ensuring editorial integrity as a cornerstone of their respective businesses.

Although there were stock houses concentrating their efforts on licensing commercial and advertising photography before the 1980’s, Miller Services and  Comstock were several of earliest libraries that blazed the way for photographers to have the possibility of earning a living shooting stock images exclusively.  As commercial image libraries matured, along came the likes of Tony Stone, Masterfile, Image Bank and many others. These agencies would license image rights, as opposed to selling a picture in what was known as a Rights Managed business model. Consequently an advertiser licensing the image could be assured of not having the image also licensed by a competitor, and this exclusivity came with a premium pricing formula.

Several of the early agencies accepted image out-takes from assignment shoots; however, they soon realized good stock photography had a unique look and feel and those agencies that didn’t maintain high content standards were eventually swallowed and spit out by the dedicated and exclusive stock houses.

During the so-called heydays of the 90’s and early into the new millennium, skilled stock photographers were experiencing annual sales figures in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more.  Many photographers would claim their average license fee was in the vicinity of $400 per license, and monthly revenue with the better agencies could be estimated to average around $17.50 to $20.00 per image on file, per month, and with some select artists that number was much higher. These were no longer the days where stock images were outtakes from an assignment, but highly executed imagery with very sophisticated and targeted approaches to visually portray the art directories anticipated copy writing.

In the early 1990’s Corel™, out of Ottawa, Canada, started buying images outright for inclusion in CD bundles that being sold to a relatively new player in the field – desktop publishing.  By the mid-90’s Adobe Photoshop™ was coming into the mainstream, and digital camera’s of some consequence were starting to appear by the year 2000.  Next was the digital revolution and the start of a whole new business model in the world of stock photography.

In 2000, based out of offices in Calgary, Canada, a new upstart called iStockphoto would turn the stock photo business into a period of uncertainly.  Based on a concept of primarily giving access to amateur photographers the opportunity to earn a few bucks from their pictures, microstock was born. No longer was stock photography the exclusive milieu of dedicated full time image makers.

Seasoned stock photographers had difficulty comprehending why anyone would want to give an agency their work for a royalty as low as 15%, especially when traditional stock was providing photographers, on average, 50% of the license fee. There was even further confusion when the micro agencies demanded the photographer ensure the image was categorized, captioned, keywords applied and a myriad of other backend metadata duties became the requirement of the photographer; this work that had previously been completed by the agency as part of their cost in the Rights Managed world.

Many cigar chomping photographers dismissed this new revolution that came crashing at their doors in the form of microstock. Within a very few years there was a deluge of microstock agencies available to photographers —mostly amateurs with no previous skill or training—but with the technology advances in both cameras and post production software it quickly became inevitable this tidal wave was here to stay and would be a storm that would inflict change in its evolutionary wake.

Many agencies today continue to offer Rights Managed content for their clients, clients who require the knowledge that they have the opportunity to license an image with some degree of exclusivity. These rights managed images continue the trend of being highly executed stock images with unique looks and feel. The same agencies also offer Royalty Free images for those clients who are not concerned if their business competition uses the same images in similar media.

While microstock initially featured the work of amateurs, there have been professional photographers who have learned how to make the model work for them, and, indeed, work very well. However, the majority of microstock contributors continue to be the part-time pro, or amateur, who are complacent with potentially earning a few bucks for pizza and beer.

It really is anyone’s guess at this juncture what the long term prospects for stock photography as a business will be, and whether the photographer will have the capacity to develop a successful business model. The one thing that is showing trends is the very fact that a phenomenal number of images are being loaded to stock photography portals every day. As with any business, stock photography also subscribes to the concept of supply and demand. With such an oversupply of certain categories the price for images has plummeted. In some cases agencies are giving away images for free in an effort to keep those potential clients who are browsing their site.

One thing is certain, good stock images will always be in demand. The question is whether they can be created and marketed in such a manner that everyone can earn a living? With a royalty retention of 20%, or less for the photographer, it is highly unlikely the ROI (Return on Investment) will be sufficient to justify being a full-time, exclusive stock photographer.

Who knows, in 5 years everything will probably have changed again.

Postscript:  In Part III we will start discussing the process of how to learn what makes a stock photograph. 

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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

So You Want to Be a Stock Photographer, Part II

Photo by peter bowers

Most Pro landscape photographers recommend shooting either at (or around) dawn or dusk in order to capture their scene in the ‘golden hours’ when the light is at it’s best (in fact some will rarely shoot at any other time of day).

However, one of the problems associated with shooting at this time of day is that while the sky will often have enough light in it the foreground of your images can sometimes end up being a little underexposed and featureless.

One way to get around underexposed foregrounds is to include water in that area of your shot and to get it reflecting light from the sky.

This is a particularly effective technique at sunrise or sunset when there’s color and interesting cloud formations in the sky (and reflections in the water).

It may take a little experimentation with different positions to shoot from in order to get the right part of the sky in the reflections but with a little trial and error the effect can be quite stunning and a much brighter and more balanced image.

Even if you don’t get perfect reflections the light coming from the water can help balance the shot and help you overcome underexposed foregrounds.

Photo by IrenaS

Photo by Bram & Vera

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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

Using Water to Lighten Landscape Photos

1. Get up Early

The best light to capture most kinds of subjects is in the golden hours- one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset (depend off course on where you are on the globe). So get up early to get that amazing photo opportunities, while all the other tourists are still asleep.

2. Do your research

Don’t leave it to chance and learn as much as you can about the place you are about to travel. The more you know, the more “intelligent” your images will be.

3. Learn your Craft

Don’t waste your expensive traveling time on learning how to operate that new camera, lens or flash. Do your homework at home.

4. Choice the Right Lodging

Staying on the center of town, or having a room with wonderful views can create a lot of great photo opportunities.

5. Say Hello

Learn how to say “Hello” in the local Language, and greet the locals when taking their photo.

6. Get Inspired

Watch the portfolio of other photographers in order to get new ideas and get inspiration. You can read the interview I did with Steve McCurry, the photographer of the “Afghan girl”, to get few great tips for a true master.Also, If you perceive yourself as an artist, you must acknowledge the work of other artists. Do not underestimate inspiration: visit art galleries, attend some photography lectures, listen to classical music, read good books.

7. Feel the Place

Photography is not only about visual inspiration. Try the local food, smell local markets and hear local music, this will help you to better understand the story of the place.

8. Find a Fixer

Talk to locals and seek their advice on great photo opportunities in their own country.

9. Travel Light

Don’t take your entire house with you. When I travel I take with me only two lenses: One zoom and one prime lens. This is extremely important tip if you plan to do some hiking or trekking.

10. Get off the Beaten Path

Yes I know that in Cuba they smoke cigars and that in Thailand they have monks. Tell your viewers something fresh and new. Share your own point of view of the place. You will be able to do so, only after following tip number 2 and 6.

11. Don’t try to get it all in once

Don’t try to see everything on your limited time. It is much smarter to get a better understanding about each place you visit on your journey. Slow things down, and your images will get better.

12. Travel Slow

If time allows you, always choice to travel by train or bus over flying. As it will allow you to have better Interactions with the locals.

13. Leave the Camera Behind Sometimes

Don’t spend your entire trip looking through the lens. Enjoy your time just traveling and enjoying the ride.

14. Keep it Natural

One of the most important and influential photographers of all time, Henri Cartier Bresson- Never ever used flash in his photography. A practice he saw as “impolite…like going to a concert with a pistol in your hand.” Try to learn how to use and enjoy the benefits of natural light before you buy that expensive flash or reflector.

15. Get Higher

Every good travel photo series must have at list is one bird’s eye view of the place (Being referred sometimes as the “establish shot”). Find yourself a vintage point overlooking the entire city or town.

16. Stop with the Excuses

“Well, if I had an expensive camera and lenses like you have” or “If someone would pay me to travel”, or “but, you have so much time on each destination”.

All of those, are excuses I often hear from my travel photography students. Excuses they tell themselves to answer the question of “Why cant I get Strong images?”
So, A. My first newspaper published cover image, was taken using a pocket camera.
yes, equipment is important and it certainly makes life easier. But don’t forget the camera is just an instrument. A “pipe” which captures your vision and thoughts. Do not cry over the equipment you don’t own. spend the time and money to learn photography, reading books about it and travel as much as you can.

And B. For my first 8 journeys, no one paid me anything. I worked very-very hard at my day job for a whole year, and then I spend my money on traveling. I slept in some shitty places got bus rides from hell. This lifestyle requires commitment. And today, even as I get paid for traveling somtimes. The lengths are usually one to two weeks per assignment. Two weeks to come back with an amazing results. Not excuses like “but it was raining and I was sick” are accepted.

So, stop the excuses, and get back to work.

17. Find Yourself a Master

: the best way to learn (anything) is by watching a master working on his craft. Try to find a photographer which you can accompany as his assistant. It is true that most travel photographers like to travel alone. But it doesn’t have to be a travel photographer. Most of my knowledge about using light, I learned from a great fashion photographer, which I served him as an assistant for a while.

18. “Exotic” can be found Anywhere

No matter where you live in the world: New York, the Middle East or a small village in France. Try to see the beauty of the place you live in. if you will find the beauty of that place and bring within your images, people will follow.

19. Don’t stop Traveling

A good travel photographer must keep is portfolio alive. Keep on traveling, and as the last tip mentioned: you don’t have to travel to far and exotic places to do so. As it is very easy to travel to India and get “good” travel photography. Try to bring the beauty of your own local town. Travel to the nearest market or attend the next festival as a way to keep your craft improving.

20. Be Human

Treat your subject as well as you can. Don’t shoot people from a far distance, don’t shot people who don’t want to get snapped. If you promise to send their photos, please do so. This will ensure that the photographer that will come after you will be received with a smile. And don’t forget, sometimes it is best to just leave the camera behind and enjoy the ride.

Oded Wagenstein is a Travel photographer and writer. He is a regular contributor to the National Geographic Traveler magazine (Israeli Edition) and his images have appeared in many national and international publications and websites.
He is known for his intimate culture portraits. In his works he put the emphasis on understanding the culture and achieving good relationship with the person being photographed pre-shooting.

You can join his Travel photography group on Travel photography group on Facebook and continue to discuss on travel and people photography.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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

20 Photography Tips Every Travel Photographer Must Know

You may question why I selected the Samsung WB250F for review after my less than positive review of the Galaxy, a camera replete with all sorts of problems like dust on the sensor, poor ISO performance and an inordinately long startup time!

My reasons: Samsung is now a major player in electronics, especially smart phones and the like, so a reasonably priced device such as this is worthy of attention.

The Samsung WB250F has an 18x zoom which begins on a usefully wide 24mm 35 SLR equivalent focal length and reaches out to a 35 SLR equivalent of 432mm.

Samsung has evolved its innovative Wi-Fi technology by creating SMART CAMERA 2.0: with it images and video can be sent simultaneously to a smartphone or tablet (using the Android OS) via a Wi-Fi connection.

Samsung WB250F Features

The maximum image size is 4320×3240 pixels, enabling the output of a 37x27cm print.

Full HD video at 1920×1080 pixel resolution can be shot in MPEG4 format. The quality is about as good as you get from a still camera, although with a little focus hunting mid zoom.

You can shoot stills mid video recording: a tiny icon of each still shot pops up on the LCD each time it is shot.

The external controls are sufficient to get the camera going:

Top: on/off button; shutter button and zoom lever; Wi-Fi button; raise the flash button; mode dial with positions for auto, PASM, smart capture, best face exposures, W-Fi setup, a ‘magic’ button which allows you to do some extreme fiddling with saved shots … like arrange or edit several shots, create a GIF animation, apply a filter to video, etc.

Rear: menu; replay; trash; traverse through saved images; video record button; the control dial has positions for flash, macro, single/continuous shooting; display options.

There is a collection of 12 photo filters you can apply to saved image: from ink and oil painting to cartoon effect, sketch to retro (sepia) and more.

The screen menu is reasonably comprehensive but not daunting. The touch screen makes life with the WB250F extremely easy.

Startup Time

About two seconds from start up I could shoot the first shot; each shot came in about a second apart.

Distortion

No distortion evident at the wide or tele ends of the zoom.

ISO Speeds

By ISO 1600 it appeared that definition had lowered. By ISO 3200 definition was even lower but surprisingly noise had not risen substantially.

Samsung WB250F Review Verdict

Quality: average snapshot.

Why you would buy the Samsung WB250F

: looks good in white; budget-priced, compact, easy-to-use stills and video camera.

Why you wouldn’t: your ambitions run higher; no HDMI output.

Overall, this is an impressive little camera. It could easily replace my family snapper bought two years ago at twice the price!

Excellent value!

Available in two colours; white and cobalt black.

Samsung WB250F Specifications

Image Sensor: 14.2 million effective pixels.
Sensor Size: 7.67mm CMOS.
Lens: f23.2-5.8/4.0-72mm (24-432mm as 35 SLR equivalent).
Stabilisation: Optical image.
Exposure Modes: Auto, Program AE, shutter and aperture priority, manual.
Metering: Multi, centre-weighted, face detection.
Shutter Speed: (Auto) 1/8 to 1/2000; (Manual) 16 to 1/2000 second.
Continuous Shooting: 6 shots at 8 fps.
Memory: micro SD, SDHC, SDXC.
Image Sizes (pixels): 4320×3240 to 1024×768.
Movies: 1920×1080 and 1280×720 (both 30fps); 640×480 (60fps) and 320×240 (30fps), 240 web.
Viewfinder: 7.6cm LCD (460,000 pixels) touch screen.
File Formats: JPEG, MPEG4.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 3200.
Interface: USB 2.0, AV, Wi-Fi, DC input.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion.
Dimensions:107x62x22 WHDmm.
Weight: Approx. 226 g (ex battery).
Price: Get a price on the Samsung WB250F at Amazon.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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

Samsung WB250F Review

Once you start looking for them, you will find them everywhere.

Curves make an image easy to look at by leading the viewer’s eye through the frame. It is almost as if the photographer takes the viewer by the hand, draws them into the landscape, and points the way. The viewer’s eyes are compelled to follow the line.

Curves are graceful, rhythmic, dynamic and add energy to an image. They can separate or connect elements or simply offer a balance.

Look for C Curves

C curves, or semi-circles, are probably the easiest curves to find since almost any curve qualifies. It can be anything from the gentle curve of a seashore, lakeshore, a rounded rock, or grasses blowing in the wind.

While visiting a plantation I was immediately drawn to these live oak trees with branches that curve over the entire lawn forming a canopy overhead.

Boone Hall Planation in Charleston, South Carolina

Arches

Arches are another form of curve. They can be found naturally in rock formations if you’re in the right part of the world, or you can find them commonly in architecture. I like to make images with multiple arches if possible and take advantage of repeating curves.

Archway in Balboa Park, San Diego, California

S Curves

S curves can have a mesmerizing effect on the viewer as their eyes sweep back and forth through the frame. They also create a sense of depth as the eye moves from foreground to background.

S curves can be found in the natural flow of a river, a winding road, or a pathway.

Colorado River, Arizona

Circles

Circles can be found in nature from ripples in a pond or puddles of water, or in many man-made objects.

Often in architecture you can find compositions that combine multiple curves as well as some lines that add depth and variety to the image.

Rotunda in the Legislature, Victoria, British Columbia

Implied Curves

Perhaps the most effective use of curves are the images that are much more subtle that the examples shown above: implied curves.

They are created when objects in the frame imply the shape. Rather than the shape jumping out at you in the bend of river, the photographer has to put a little more work into composing an image to make the elements in the scene form a shape, or by recognizing and taking advantage of a shape when it happens.

I was ready to make this image at Mono Lake, California, from a lower perspective when I realized that if I stood up and made it at eye level, the tufa formations would form an S shape.

At Custer State Park, South Dakota, I was following a herd of bison when this mother looked back toward her calf and I saw the S shape right away.

Tips:

• Remember you are guiding the viewer’s eye so choose carefully where you want the the eye to enter the frame and where it should go from there.
• Other compositional “rules” can also be applied. For example, you can have a symmetrical composition or follow the rule of thirds as well as having a curve shape in the frame for an effective and dynamic image.
• Make sure the image is well balanced with your curve not too close to the edges of the frame.

Give yourself a challenge and go on a photo shoot with the goal of finding curves and use them to add interest and beauty to your compositions.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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

Composing with Curves

Dragonflies are among the most photogenic insects. They usually have bright contrasting colors that make them really stand out in their natural environment, and their large size makes them easy to photograph with a standard telephoto lens.

However, there are a few difficulties with photographing them too: they get scared easily and sometimes it seems like they just never land somewhere and take a break so you can photograph them!

So, here are a few things to keep in mind when photographing these amazing insects:

1. Look for them near ponds and streams

Most dragonflies hang out very close to bodies of fresh water: lakes, ponds, and streams. So, when you’re scouting out places to photograph them, make sure it’s a place where you can walk right up to the shoreline of the water (some nature preserves are in fragile habitat, so they won’t let you get too close to the water).

Some species can be found farther away from water too (such as the Variegated Meadowhawk pictured above), but you’ll find the most dragonflies near freshwater.

2. They’re most active on sunny days

Dragonflies need the heat of the sun to warm their bodies and fly, so they’ll usually be most active on clear sunny days.

But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for them on cloudy days too. They’ll be a lot harder to find on cloudy days, but they’re also a lot easier to approach since it’s harder for them to fly away without the heat of the sun. You’ll also get a nice softly diffused light on them with cloudy skies.

Each weather condition has its advantages and disadvantages.

3. Be very very patient with them!

It’s very easy to scare dragonflies and sometimes it may seem like they NEVER land, but the key is patience. If you scare them away, then be patient–they’ll likely come back to that same spot to perch (dragonflies typically return to the same perch all day), you might just have to wait for ten minutes.

Also, some species perch a lot more than others, so again the key to photographing those species who don’t perch often is to wait patiently or wake up super early and try to photograph them before sunrise–if you’re lucky, you’ll even catch a few of them covered in dew.

4. Position your camera so its sensor is parallel to the dragonfly’s body

You only get one geometrical plane of sharp focus, so it’s important to put as much of your subject in this plane as possible. You can do this by carefully positioning your camera so its sensor is parallel to the body of the dragonfly. Then, just make sure you focus on the eyes of the dragonfly.

5. Take shots from lots of different angles

One of the most rewarding parts of photographing insects (or anything in nature) is that it helps you identify your subject–it gives you an opportunity to look more closely at them. However, sometimes the only thing that separates one dragonfly species from another is a few dots on their wings. So, it’s good to shoot photos from lots of different angles to help you identify the dragonfly later.

6. Pay attention to the background

When you’re photographing such an interesting subject like a dragonfly, it’s easy to focus entirely on them and forget about your background. But, a good background is important for any kind of close-up photography, because it can really help draw attention to your main subject: the incredible looking dragonfly.

So, when you’re out there looking for dragonflies to photograph, pay close attention to your background. Ideally, you want it to contrast with the colors of the dragonfly.

7. Use a small aperture — between f/11 and f/16

One of the most frustrating parts of photographing dragonflies is getting their entire body in sharp focus, since you won’t always be able to photograph them with your camera parallel to their body.

So, one way to deal with this is to use a fairly small aperture, usually somewhere between f/11 and f/16 works well. This will also put more of your background in focus, so make sure you find a dragonfly with a background that’s very far away (at least a few feet).

What did I miss?

If you have another tip for photographing dragonflies, then please share it with us by leaving a comment below. Thanks!!

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a nature photographer, software engineer, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of southern California. Read more of his articles on nature photography at PhotoNaturalist.

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 Photograph Dragonflies

I’m not sure why I ended up on this quest – perhaps it’s some subconscious therapeutic activity from growing up as the red headed kid with freckles – but I love some of these shots.

While the freckles in many of these shots have been highlighted a little with some post production – hopefully they provide some of you fellow freckle faced photographers with some inspiration

Click the images to be taken to the photographers Flickr page to learn more about them and the images in this post.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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

15 Fantastic Freckle Photos