Spot focusingPreparing for print

2015 ISSUEJULY

GUIDEPHOTOGRAPHYSLR

JULY EDITIONDIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE EDITOR TANYA PUNTTISLRPHOTOGRAPHYGUIDE.COM

2015

cover photo © Kim Goodling (USA)

Our online photography course now comes with four e-books: Aperture Explained, Mastering Shutter Speed, Understanding ISO and Going Manual. If you are yet to download them, look under the ‘Files’ link beneath our facebook group header image (students only).

Enrol now http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/online-courses.shtml

in this issue

Student image © Leanne Allford (Australia) ISO 100 | Aperture F 5.0 | Shutter Speed 1/2500

Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at,

then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.

~ Don McCullin

Student image © Denise Jackson-Cook (Australia)Learning to look for light!Aperture f/3.2 | ISO 100 | Shuer Speed 1/500 second Changed in Lightroom to black & white

Photographing white birds in harsh day light

As photographers you always hear that lighting is important. However it’s also important to have a full understanding of camera settings to control light that isn’t ideal. Take the day I shot this image below for example. It was taken at 12:30pm (mid-day). The image you see is straight out of the camera (apart from cropping).

Many photographers will tell you there is nothing harder than trying to Many photographers will tell you there is nothing harder than trying to photograph a white bird on a bright sunny day. So how was I able to capture this much detail in the feathers? The answer to that question is ‘Spot Metering’.

Spot Metering For Birds

I took this shot below to give you an idea of the lighting conditions and what the camera does when kept to the default metering system. As you can see it’s very ordinary and not ideal. The bird is over exposed with no detail seen in it.

Here is another example, again photographed in harsh lighting with ‘Spot Metering’.

These two images on the left were taken a minute apart, the same bird, scene, and lighting. No editing has been done; they are as they were straight out of the camera. Notice in the second photo, much of the bird’s body is over-exposed with very little detail in its shoulder and neck area. The difference between the two images is that the first image was taken with ‘Spot Metering’.

I’ve kept the focal points overlay turned on to show you where I focus when I’ve kept the focal points overlay turned on to show you where I focus when photographing birds. I find when shooting white birds using spot metering, I get a much better result when aiming the focal point directly at the body. Every time I nail this, I end up with an image where the bird has detail in the feathers and the background is darkened beautifully, helping to isolate the main subject, making it less ordinary.

I’ve set my aperture to f/5.6, which means even though I’m aiming the focal I’ve set my aperture to f/5.6, which means even though I’m aiming the focal point at the body, the eye also is still in sharp focus. Recall from the Aperture e-book (students only), that aperture is like a circle of focus. Depending on your aperture setting, any part of the bird that is within the same distance to you, will also be in sharp focus.

Had the bird been flying horizontally across the scene, I’d have increased my Had the bird been flying horizontally across the scene, I’d have increased my aperture f/number to f/7.1 to compensate for the wings being closer to you in distance than it’s head. This way, when I set continuous shooting with AI-Servo, all I need do is concentrate on keeping the bird’s body in the middle of the frame i.e over the focal point.

Student image © Jackie Clark (Australia)

Intentional Movement

Student image © Fiona Horne (UK) Monthly Challenge - took a little while to get the effect I wanted but think I got there in the end - started as a portrait then turned clockwise into landscape and shot as I pressed the shutter.Aperture f10 | Shutter Speed 1/5 | ISO 100 | Focal length 18mm

Student image © Gretchen Hummel Knuffke (USA)Aperture f/1.8 | Shutter Speed 1/4000

Student image © Sandra Fry (Australia)

Student image © Dave Brazeau (Canada)

Student image © Daphne Stevens (Canada)Shutter Speed 1/1600 | Aperture f/5.6 | ISO 600

(student profile)

http://www.rfcphotography.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/photographybyrfc

http://www.rfcadvertising.com

Now and then we have a member who plods along nicely enjoying their Now and then we have a member who plods along nicely enjoying their photography, then all of a sudden something clicks and out of the blue they start uploading one great shot after another. Ron coutts is one such member. He is a true gentlemen who always has a kind word to say to others, helping out in our private facebook group (students only) whenever he can. His photography these past few months in particular has gone leaps and bounds. Browsing through his images, it’s hard to believe he’s only been photographing for a little over a year! It’s clear to see he has what it takes to move into the professional arena and we It’s clear to see he has what it takes to move into the professional arena and we look forward to watching what path he takes.

Ron Coutts

Mount Warning Focal length 24mm | Aperture f-9 | shuer speed 1/1250sec | ISO 100Hand-held, 4 shot panorama, stched, cropped & edited in Photoshop

How did you first become interested in photography?

About two years ago, I was heading down to Northern NSW to go camping, and I saw About two years ago, I was heading down to Northern NSW to go camping, and I saw Mount Warning in the distance. I did something I had never done before, I pulled the car to the side of the road, got out and took a picture with my Smart Phone camera – the only camera I'd ever owned. Given the majesty of the vista before me, the resultant shot was decidedly underwhelming!! I have no idea why it became so important to me to capture that view the way I had envisioned it, but it seriously played on my mind. So much so, that six months later, when the kids asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I said “A camera. But a *good* one; one that you can change wanted for Christmas, I said “A camera. But a *good* one; one that you can change the lenses on”. Such was the limit to my knowledge of cameras – I figured if you could change the lenses, it had to be good. I had no idea they were called 'DSLR's'; I had no idea of what I was going to do with it when I got it; I just knew that if I wanted to have any chance of capturing that mountain, I needed a 'proper' camera. So they got me a Nikon D5100 that Christmas. And I haven't looked back. I've been back to shoot Mount Warning (about a two hour drive) at least a dozen times since.

What do you enjoy most about being a photographer?

I'd say the 'artistry' for want of a better term. I'm a Graphic Designer by trade, and I I'd say the 'artistry' for want of a better term. I'm a Graphic Designer by trade, and I studied Fine Art at University, so it's probably fair to say I've always had a bit of a creative streak. So photography isn't exactly something out of left field for me even if it did take me fifty years to come to it. For me, photography is seeing something (I consider) interesting, trying to shoot it in a way that captures more than the sum of its parts, then processing that image so it looks like the vision I had in my minds eye. It is my belief, that our eyes/minds/imaginations are much more powerful than the camera's ability to record digital information on a sensor, more powerful than the camera's ability to record digital information on a sensor, so for me the post processing is just as important if you are going to breathe your version of life into that vision.

What’s your favorite photograph that you’ve taken and why?

My favourite photograph is the last good one!! Which is the preparation for the My favourite photograph is the last good one!! Which is the preparation for the next good one. That is a really hard question. There's a pic of the Byron Bay Lighthouse I took just after starting this course, and when I looked at it I thought 'Wow, I can actually take a decent pic'. I was surprised, but it was a point in time, that made me think … keep going. Then I captured a Water Dragon Lizard (I think that's what they're called), and the colours and the detail in that image blew me away, and that made me think … keep going. The first shot I took with a 10-20mm wide angle lens had me laughing with glee I was so happy with it. My first moon wide angle lens had me laughing with glee I was so happy with it. My first moon shots had me ecstatic and I loved my first sunrise so much I had a canvas print done!! And, I think I finally captured my vision of Mount Warning (I think). But I did a portrait of my kids ... and I love it.

How has our photography course helped you?

When I received the DSLR for Christmas, I promised myself I would learn how to When I received the DSLR for Christmas, I promised myself I would learn how to use it. I realised, if I was going to leave it on auto, I may as well have stuck with the Smart Phone camera (which would have been a lot cheaper!!). The problem I had was, where to start??? So much to learn, and so many variables. All the information is certainly available on-line (and I'm a real 'Google is your friend' advocate), but prioritising what information I needed to know first so it came together in a logical fashion was doing my head in!! And I knew nothing. That is certainly where this course helped me. The logical 'chronological' order that the certainly where this course helped me. The logical 'chronological' order that the lessons are laid out in meant that I was building on knowledge gained from lesson to lesson – otherwise, I would have been trying to teach myself about white balance before I even knew the difference between f-4 and f-22, and I would have skipped ISO all together because it seemed too hard. That, and the membership to the collective – the Facebook group. It's an invaluable classroom in and of itself – plus it gives you the confidence to actually display your work, and get feedback.

What plans do you have for the future of your photography?

I actually have a five-year plan I'm working towards. I work for myself as a Graphic I actually have a five-year plan I'm working towards. I work for myself as a Graphic Designer, so it's really no great leap to see how photography could fit into that paradigm. At the moment I'm working at putting together a marketing strategy aimed at (hopefully) moving more prints. But over and above that, I plan to get more into portraiture, so I'm also working my way toward that. I am now starting to feel that the shotgun spray, hit and miss style that I enjoyed so much when I started this journey is slowly becoming a thing of the past, and I'm getting closer and closer to being able to nail more than I miss with some actual deliberation. I know I still have being able to nail more than I miss with some actual deliberation. I know I still have a long way to go, but my working knowledge of my camera and technique is growing every time I shoot, so I'm getting closer. I would like to think that at some point within that five year period, I will be able to put the word 'professional' in front of the word photographer – here's hoping.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share with us?

The same thing, that through the ages every parent has told their children, and The same thing, that through the ages every parent has told their children, and everybody know it to be true … practice. It doesn't matter what it is, sport, learning a musical instrument, baking a cake or photography. If you want to improve there is only one way and there are no shortcuts … practice. Some will take to it quicker and easier than others, some will have a natural ability, some will have to work harder. But nobody gets to be good, better or best without … practice. And if you love what you're doing, then the practice becomes part of the joy of doing it.

See more of Ron’s photography over at https://www.facebook.com/photographybyrfcSee more of Ron’s photography over at https://www.facebook.com/photographybyrfc

Student image © Susan Becker (USA)180mm focal length | Aperture f/5 | Shutter Speed 1/200 | ISO 200

Student image © Joy Keeling Bobrink (USA)

Student image © Nola Gray (Australia)Focal length 35mm | Aperture f/10 | Shutter speed 1/10 sec | ISO 100

Student image © Kim Morris (USA) ISO100 | Aperture f/2.8 | Shutter Speed 1/2500

On the following pages Peta Heffernan kindly shares with us her technique for compositing images.

Composite Imagery

Student image © Peta Heffernan (AU)

Student image © Daphne Stevens (Canada)

© Helen Walker (AU)

Take your photo on a plain background or green screen

Open your image in Photoshop

Select the Magic Wand on the left, ensuring the Magic Wand tool (A) is selected down the bottom.

Begin the selection process by holding the Magic Wand against your image then left click to select. If you over select you can either Cntl Z to undo the last selection or alternatively there is a subtraction button down the bottom which will allow you to undo a little bit at a time

Once your entire image has been selected choose the Background Eraser Tool and begin removing the background as below, revealing a transparent background

Unless you have done an absolutely amazing job with your Magic Wand you will probably have a few little areas that have not been erased. Personally I do these touch ups once I have added the new background to my image.

The next part it to select your background. Open File and select your image. I’ve chosen a jungle theme for my image. There are plenty of sights available that have free background images available to download

The next step is to select your edited image from the Photobin in the bottom left hand corner and place it as a new layer onto your chosen background. This is the stage now that I like to erase any of the bits that were missed with the Magic Wand.

Select the eraser tool, ensuring Eraser is selected in the bottom left hand corner and zoom right in on your image so you can tidy up your image. Adjust your brush size accordingly. I like to take the opacity down quite a lot and go over a section a couple of times rather than have a harsh erased line around the hair etc

Once you have done all your spot corrections with the eraser it’s time to move your image into place. Select Image, Resize, Scale and move the image layer into your chosen position, adjusting the size to �t the background image accordingly

Once you are happy with position, eraser corrections etc you need to merge the layers.Select Layer, Merge Visible. This now creates one layer.

Finish o� your image with a Border, Frame and Text if required

Cropping For Print

Have you ever taken a photo, then when prinng the image you need to crop the scene to fit the paper? This is actually normal.

You may have noced when looking through the main se ngs on your You may have noced when looking through the main se ngs on your DSLR, one that refers to aspect rao. You’ll find many DSLRs by default have an aspect rao of 3:2, which prints perfectly to a 4x6 inch print. While other digital cameras use 4:3 aspect rao. Neither 3:2 nor 4:3 matches 5x7 or 8x10 prints, which means almost all images need to be cropped in some way to fit the "standard" photo print sizes.

Think of it similar to trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It’s just Think of it similar to trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It’s just not going to happen.

So how do you avoid having to crop part of your image when ordering certain sizes?

The soluon is easy! Make sure you leave some breathing room when The soluon is easy! Make sure you leave some breathing room when you are shoong by going a lile wider than needed. This will ensure no part of your subject will be cut off when you have a print made that isn’t the same aspect rao as your camera’s sensor. This is especially important when working for clients. Don’t give them an image that is cropped so ghtly there is no room to move when it comes me to print.

by Tanya Puntti

This past week I run a few of our students through my prinng process to help them beer control color accuracy when sending images to an online service or prinng from home. This had me thinking maybe there are others who would also benefit from these ps.

Color management is based on the use of color profiles. The two most common Color management is based on the use of color profiles. The two most common working profiles are sRGB and AdobeRGB. You have most likely seen these already when going through the main se ngs on your DSLR camera. AdobeRGB can represent more colors than sRGB i.e more saturated colors. However many online services sll print with standard sRGB (check their FAQ).

When preparing images in Photoshop, it's always best to stay in RGB for as long When preparing images in Photoshop, it's always best to stay in RGB for as long as possible to ensure the image remains opmised during the print process. In the last step, save a master sRGB copy before applying the appropriate paper / profile and adjusng if required.

So how do I go about acheiving this?

The first step is to make sure your monitor is fully calibrated. May edion of our The first step is to make sure your monitor is fully calibrated. May edion of our student magazine had an arcle on calibraon: hp://issuu.com/slrphotographyguide/docs/slrphotographyguide-may2015

Preparing images for print

Next you need to make sure your eding soware is working in sRGB color space.

It’s also important to check every image you open is loading with sRGB color space. If you are using Photoshop and you see this screen when opening an image, check the blue links along the boom. If it doesn’t say sRGB, click the link to edit it.

Once the image is open, click along the top toolbar on View | Proof Setup, and make sure Internet Standard RGB (sRGB) is checked.

When you are done eding your image, the next step is to proof the image using the paper profile (ICC Profile). These are normally available on the website of the paper company for download. If you are using a 3rd party prinng service, you might need to ask them what ICC Profile they print with. Check their FAQs as well. If you can’t find it, I recommend scking with sRGB profile.

To do this click on View | Proof Setup again, but this me choose ‘Custom’. From there you can choose the paper type you are planning to print on.

When it comes me to print, let Photoshop Manage Colors and make sure the Printer Profile matches the same paper you chose when proofing the image earlier.

One more p, before prinng the image, turn your brightness down to around 20% brightness. This will help with images that print too dark.

© Will Dielenberg - Pano 2014 Finalist Torquay, Victoria, Australia.

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Did you know our online photography course

now comes with downloadable cheat sheets?

"If you haven't taken advantage of printing the cheat sheets, I strongly suggest you take time to do so. These alone are worth

the price of the course." ~ John Smith (student)

Check out our online photography course over at

http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/online-courses.shtml