PictureCorrect.com: Fireworks Photography Guide on Sale Until July 4

With 4th of July Independence Day celebrations quickly approaching, we have been receiving requests for more training on how to photograph fireworks. Fireworks photography is indeed one of the most daunting types of photography. This in-depth tutorial eBook explains the process from start to finish, everything from gear and camera settings to composition and post-processing to achieve great results with fireworks of any kind. Currently 55% off to help photographers prepare for the July 4th! Deal ending soon: How to Photograph Fireworks Guide at 55% Off

The How to Photograph Fireworks eBook

A common result of photographers new to fireworks photography is capturing nothing but bright white spots instead of colorful bursts. But with the guidance of this eBook in hand, you should be fully prepared to photograph brilliant fireworks displays. While the exposure fundamentals of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are essential to great fireworks, it’s important to also be aware of the right accessories and set up for your shots correctly.

How to use bulb mode for long shutter speeds

Some of the Many Topics Covered (50 Pages):

• Equipment & Accessories Needed
• Using a DSLR for Fireworks
• Using a Point & Shoot for Fireworks
• Composition
• Using a Neutral Density Filter
• Country Shutter Technique
• Post Processing
• Conclusion

In-depth tutorials on how to photograph fireworks in challenging conditions

Like post processing in general, there are a myriad of ways to approach the post processing of fireworks shots. To start, they describe general tips and explain how they are universally applicable, and then they apply the techniques to example photos, explaining how they change the overall result.

Pages from How to Photograph Fireworks

How to Photograph Fireworks is a downloadable eBook PDF file, which can be viewed on a number of devices – laptop and desktop computers, iPhone or Android devices, iPads, and other tablets.

How to Get a Discounted Copy Before July 4:

It is currently 55% off until the 4th of July to help photographers prepare for fireworks shows! It also carries a 90 day guarantee, if you do not find the eBook useful just let us know to receive a full refund. So there is nothing to lose in trying it.

Deal found here: The How to Photograph Fireworks eBook at 55% Off

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PictureCorrect.com: Interesting Photo of the Day: Milky Way Over Pfeiffer Beach

The Milky Way is out there day and night. But we can’t see it in its full glory with our naked eyes. Thanks to long exposure photography, seeing something as surreal as our own galaxy is possible. The following image by photographer Michael Sidofsky over Pfeiffer Beach, California, is a brilliant example of this:

“Milky Way Over Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California” by Michael Sidosfsky (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

The image is a composite of two exposures taken back to back. For the foreground, Sidofsky exposed the shot at ISO 1600, f/2.8 for 6 minutes. And for the sky, he shot it at ISO 6400, f/2.8, and 25 seconds to ensure that no star trails were formed and to reduce the amount of noise and collect more light from the foreground.

Doesn’t the image make you feel like you could just swim away into the galaxy?

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PictureCorrect.com: Rescuing an Average Landscape Image with the Tone Curve

When heading out to take some landscape shots, good results aren’t always guaranteed. Some days are better than others, like when you end up with beautiful looking images as planned. For those days that are against you, editing can be a last resort to transform an average looking image to something that’s print worthy. Photographer Adam Karnacz from First Man Photography takes you through some advanced editing techniques that’ll help you do just that:

Karnacz had a plan to photograph a wetland with the mist hanging above the water, along with the early morning sunlight coming in from the side. However, as time passed, he came across two problems:

1. The mist started clearing up quickly.
2. First light from the sun was blocked by the trees on the bank, which meant that he had to wait longer to take the image (with no mist).

Although he had scouted the location well, this is a classic example of how things don’t always go the way you planned.

Adjusting Colors Using the Tone Curve

In Lightroom, you have the option to work with either the entire RGB channel, or the individual Red, Blue, and Green color channels when using the tone curve. To have greater control over each color, it is a good idea to work with individual channels. What you need to understand when working with the tone curve is that:

• The left side of the tone curve affects the shadows, and the right side affects the highlights.
• Pulling the tone curve upwards adds the particular color, while pulling it downwards shifts the color to the opposite end of the spectrum.
• Understanding the color wheel is essential to have a better understanding of the shift in color.

Once you are happy with the edit, don’t forget to increase the brightness to get the file print-ready. This is to compensate for the fact that paper is not backlit like our displays which can make the image appear darker.

“How many of the pictures do you have in your library that you could pull out from the past, apply a slightly different editing technique, and still make something worth printing?”

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PictureCorrect.com: Landscape Photography: Steps to Improve

How many times have you been driving and wanted to stop and take a shot of that breathtaking landscape. You then stop, look around and the shot even looks better. Your heart even skips a beat. You go for it and return to the car with a huge smile.

Photo by Giuseppe Milo; ISO 400, f/8.0, 1/450-second exposure.

When you get back home you download your pictures, process them, and then you find out that what you shot was not what you placed your eyes on. What went wrong? Well, it’s simple; your lens and the sensor of your camera do not work like your eyes and your brain. You select different parts of the scene and produce beauty out of them—your sensor doesn’t.

So what do you do? For landscape photography, you need time and a couple of tips; follow them, practice, and your shots will improve.

Maximize Depth of Field

The general rule for landscape photography is to keep as much of the scene in focus as possible. This means that you have to maximize the depth of field or DOF. In other words you have to choose a small aperture setting (remember small in this case means a large number) to obtain a greater depth of field. Such as f/8 and higher. The greater the DOF, the more focus you will achieve. This also means that your shutter will stay open longer.

Stabilize Your Camera

Since you are now using a longer shutter speed to maximize your Depth of Field, you need to ensure that your camera is stable and not shaking. The best thing to do is to use a tripod and a cable or wireless shutter release mechanism so your camera will not shake and your photo will be not blurry.

Choose a Focal Point

Decide what your central point will be. What is your subject, where is it, what size is it, does it have enough contrast with the rest of the picture, and how does its shape compare to the rest of the composition? Your central point, know as focal point, is what will make your shot stand out and keep the eyes of the viewer from wandering. The focal point in landscape photography can take the shape of many different things: a building, a tree, a rock, a person, etc. The placement of your subject is very important; use the rules of composition for this purpose.

Keep the Horizon Level

Your horizon is the next step to consider and an important one. Make sure your horizon is straight and in the lower third or the top third of the photo. The rule of thirds applies very well to landscape photography.

Use Leading Lines

Now look for lines in your shot. Lines are a way to guide the eye. It gives your image a sense of direction. Lines should direct the viewer toward your subject. A line can be a road, a river, a shoreline, mountain edges, etc.

Include a Foreground Object

Another element of your landscape composition that can create an amazing landscape shot is a foreground object. This creates depth in your shot and prevents it from being flat. The foreground will help you balance your image.

Photo by Albert de Bruijn

Show Movement

When possible convey and transmit the movement that you see: wind, water, moving clouds, a bird. A static image is less dramatic than one that showcases movement; it adds drama and creates a point of interest.

Shoot During the Golden Hours

Shoot landscapes either early morning or at dusk; light is the best at this point, and colors, textures, and patterns will pop out and impact your image.

Change Your Perspective

Take your time before taking the final shot. Try different points of view. The same image will look completely different if you go lower or if you go higher. So walk around, climb a little, get on your knees or in a ditch. You will be surprised at what you see.

About the Author:
This article was written by Joaquin Duenas. PhotoBlog: theduenitas.blogspot.com. The Duenitas Digital World is based in Miami, Florida and covers South Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America.

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PictureCorrect.com: Interesting Photo of the Day: Shadows in the Wind

Have you ever come across an image that makes you wonder about what’s really going on in it? Such images can confuse you but they still manage to look interesting. Take a look at the following image taken by photographer Garret Suhrie. Is it a real image or is it contrived? And even if it is a real image, how was it taken? Or, how was it manipulated? Read along to find out:

“Shadows in the Wind” by Garret Suhrie (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

The image is a 2-minute exposure that Suhrie took using a 400mm lens at f/4.5. Since he took the image in the early morning, he also had to use a 10 stop ND filter to be able to use such a slow shutter speed. This allowed him to photograph the shadows cast by the columns on the windmills’ spinning propellers. And what’s really fascinating about the image is how those shadows feather off into nothingness.

Also, the compression caused by the 400mm focal length has made it appear like the turbines are very close to each other. Almost like they’re placed against a flat surface in a two-dimensional fashion. This gives the illusion that they’re some sort of pipelines coming out of a blue wall.

To be honest, the image looks very odd, but in a pleasing kind of way. It’s in fact a very clever shot by Suhrie. What do you think about the image?

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PictureCorrect.com: Using an 85mm Prime Camera Lens

Portrait photographers love the 85mm lens. The compression that it produces is flattering, and it’s easy to isolate the subject thanks to the creamy background that the lens is able to produce. This does not necessarily mean that the lens is only good for taking portraits. Practically, the lens is very versatile and you can take fantastic landscape, architecture and even street photos with it. So if you’re looking to level up your photography and videography game, using an 85mm lens can be a great way to do so. Photographer Jason Vong shares more on this topic in today’s video:

You’ll rarely see somebody with an 85mm lens walking around in the streets. They’ll probably be using something in the range of a 35mm to 50mm. What this means is that, if you take photos using an 85mm lens, they will come out with a look that’s pretty unique. Even smartphones with a multi-lens array cannot replicate the look of an 85mm lens. Therefore, you instantly have an upper hand and your images with stand out from others’.

You also have an advantage with an 85mm lens when shooting in a cluttered environment. The compression of the 85mm pulls the background closer to the subject and turns it into an interesting backdrop. If that’s not enough, step up to f/1.8 or f/1.2 and you can easily get rid of distractions by melting them away into the bokeh. However, if you’re trying to work in layers, stepping down to about f/2.8 or smaller can be a good idea. This provides more context and adds meaning to the image. Otherwise, everything will appear too blurry.

Be sure to watch the complete video for more tips when using an 85mm lens. Will you be getting one for yourself?

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PictureCorrect.com: Interesting Photo of the Day: Standoff Between Heron and Hawk

The Internet’s favorite kind of nature photo is an anthropomorphic nature photo. Sure, we could look at pretty photos of birds if we wanted to, but isn’t it cooler to look at birds acting like humans?

“Hands up” by Georg Scarf (Via Imgur. Click image to see full size.)

This moment—of a mighty grey heron threatening a hawk—was captured by Luxembourgish nature photographer Georg Scarf, who shot it with a Nikon D4S with a 300mm lens. Because nature photography calls for extremely fast shutter speeds, Scarf opted for a 1/1600 second exposure, compensated by an aperture of f/2.8 and an ISO of 1600.

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PictureCorrect.com: Easy Indoor Flash Photography Tips

The availability of light can be greatly reduced whenever you’re working indoors. This is why many wedding and event photographers work with on-camera flash setups and speedlights. These are solid light sources and can yield great results when used properly. But because a flash is still small, the light it produces is harsh, resulting in unflattering results. In today’s video, we have professional wedding and portrait photographer Vanessa Joy with Adorama TV who shares some useful techniques that you can use for indoor flash photography:

If you’re a beginner photographer, you may be tempted to point the flash directly towards the subject. That makes sense, right? But it has some negative repercussions. You get unflattering light, harsh shadows and specular highlights on the subject’s face. So, as much as possible, avoid using a flash by pointing it directly towards the subject.

As Joy shares in the video, a better way to use flash indoors is to place your subject close to a white wall and bounce the light off that wall and onto the subject. You’ll need to angle your flash to ensure that the light is being reflected properly, which may take trial and error to set up. With this method, the wall will act as the light source, which is much bigger and more diffused than the tiny flash. This makes the light softer, so the shadows also appear softer, and the subject is more uniformly lit. Keep in mind that this method can result in unwanted color-casting on your subject—however, you can easily take care of this in post. In case you don’t have easy access to a wall, Joy shares how you can use a reflector to get the job done.

Keep these tips in mind for your next indoor flash photography session. You’ll be surprised by how much better your images will come out.

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PictureCorrect.com: Long Exposure Landscape Photography with Minimalism

Photographs with a minimalistic approach tend to stand out from the rest. That’s because a successful photograph with a minimalistic approach often provokes a deeper meaning while having a composition that appears pretty simple. And even if you aren’t so great at capturing such though provoking photographs, you can give it a shot using a long exposure technique. In this video, photographer Brendan van Son shows you how you can create minimalist photographs just around your neighborhood:

“Minimalist photography is about making the choice to remove things from your photo rather than add elements.”

It’s a natural tendency to want to include more and more in our composition. But in reality, doing so can make the image more busy, cluttered, and visually confusing. Such images can overwhelm a viewer, and even dilute the perceived value. Minimalist photos on the other hand only present the viewer with what they need to see.

A basic approach to minimalist photography is to compose by including the one thing that you want to show. Remove everything else. If need be, you can even use a longer lens. To keep things even more simple, you can try removing color and shoot in monochrome. If there’s something that’s constantly moving, long exposure works pretty well too as it adds a dreamy feel to the overall image.

So the next time you’re out taking photos, try and visualize your composition in a simpler way. Subtract instead of adding in elements, and see how the image changes.

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PictureCorrect.com: 7 Tips for Taking Care of Your Camera (Video Tutorial)

Taking proper care of your gear ensures that you won’t break the bank too often. It also means that your system will work consistently to deliver expected results. COOPH has put together seven tips that you can follow to take good care of your camera:

(for those of you reading this by email, the video tutorial can be viewed here)

1. Proper Cleaning

Dust is one of the greatest enemies of a camera and lens. And there’s so much of it present around us that our gear can be easy victims if we don’t clean it regularly. Ensure the following when cleaning your camera and lenses:

• Use a blower and brush to blow the bigger dust particles off of the gear’s surface.
• To get rid of the finer, stubborn particles, use a lens cloth and wipe gently.
• Use a cleaning solution to clean the contact points.
• Use a rocket blower to get rid of the dust inside the camera. Be sure to have the sensor pointed toward the floor while using the blower. Also, maintain a gap between the blower tip and the sensor, and be sure not to touch the sensor.

• If the dust particles remain on the sensor even after using a blower, set the camera to cleaning mode and use a gel stick or swabs. Be sure to be gentle when doing so. If you’re not confident, seek professional help.
• To ensure that the sensor is free from dust, photograph a long exposure of a clean white wall and move the camera around. Then view the image on your computer screen for thorough inspection.

2. Lens Swapping

When you detach the lens from the body to swap lenses, both the lens and the camera become vulnerable. External factors like water and dust can easily land on the inner part of the camera and the lens, thereby damaging them.

• Never change lenses in the rain. Get to a dry location, like inside your car.
• Make sure it’s not windy with dust blowing all over when you swap your lens.
• Learn to change lenses quickly. By reducing the time you take to change lenses, you reduce the possibility of dust particles entering the system.

3. Get a UV Filter

Get a good quality UV filter for your lens. This protects the front element of your lens from bumps and scratches. However, it’s better not to use UV filters of low optical quality, as they will adversely affect image quality.

4. The Hand Strap

A hand strap can be a lifesaver. Just thinking of dropping your camera can give you nightmares, right?

5. The Lens Hood

A lens hood does more than make your setup look “professional.” It provides shade to the front element of the lens, thereby preventing ghosting and flares. And, if you happen to bump your lens when carrying your camera around, the lens hood takes the damage and protects the lens.

6. The Dry Bag

“Standard Ziplock bags combined with used silica bags make a perfect DIY dry bag.”

While a Ziplock bag makes the setup air-tight, the silica bags prevent condensation by absorbing moisture. You can store your lenses inside using this setup if you have to leave them unused for some time.

7. The Dust Blocker

If you’re planning to travel around in dusty conditions, shower caps make for handy dust blockers. Place your camera inside a shower cap and you won’t have to worry too much.

Be sure to use these simple tips to take care of your precious gear. Proper care will definitely add more life to your camera and lenses.

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PictureCorrect.com: 🌞 Tips for Better Summer Photography

Warm, sunny days and summer vacations encourage you to get out more with your camera. How can you take full advantage of the season to create great images?

“Canoes on Lake Moraine” captured by edwademd (Click image to see more from edwademd.)

1. Tell the story of summer

Photography is a form of communication. You want your images to tell the story of summer and how it makes you feel. Think about what summer means to you, and strive to capture that in your images.

Does summer mean picnics, building sand castles at the beach, car rides with the top down, or playing Frisbee with the dog? Do you think of blue skies, blazing heat, and cornfields? Is summer a time to spend at the cottage with your family, fishing, swimming in the lake, and roasting marshmallows on the camp fire? Does it mean eating ice cream, soaking up the air-conditioning at the mall, and wearing flip flops?

These activities can all be turned into iconic images that capture the mood of summer. The most important thing is for you to make your images personal and to photograph the subjects that represent summer for you.

2. Use color effectively

I live in Canada, where winter paints everything in black and white and creates a colorless landscape. Each year, I look forward to summer, because it brings with it rich and saturated colors. Including strong, bright colors in your pictures already gives an indication to the viewer that it’s summertime. In addition, the choice of which specific colors you include can help you tell your summer stories more effectively; color choice can determine the mood of the image. Warm colors bring to mind the warm temperatures we enjoy in summer. Using warm tones in your images or a splash of vibrant red, orange, or yellow, lends an impression of heat to your photograph. In contrast, you can also make use of cool colors to create a feeling of refreshment. For instance, the blue of a swimming pool can help your viewer imagine the restorative power of a dip in chilly water.

“Summer Funnin” captured by John Davies (Click image to see more from John Davies.)

The trick is to use color deliberately so that it enhances your message. An orange beach towel can make the sand look hotter than a purple one. A blue patio umbrella can make the shade look cooler than a red one.

3. Avoid harsh light

The bright and sunny days of summer are often the worst time to take pictures. If you are photographing people in the middle of the day, the bright light can create dark shadows on their faces or cause them to squint if they are looking into the sun. To avoid this, try to move people into the shade to photograph them. Alternatively, if the shot is being posed, you can use a diffuser to soften the light. A diffuser is simply a piece of translucent material which scatters light rays. Diffusers reduce glare and harsh shadows. They eliminate unattractive contrast and even out the tonality in an image.

Rather than buying a diffuser, you can have a friend assist you by holding up a bed sheet or frosted white shower curtain. Remember to place the sheet or diffuser between the sun and your subject. Another way to avoid the harsh light of the summer is to shoot during the “golden hour.” Golden hour is the half hour before and half hour after sunrise or sunset. At this time of day, the sun’s rays fall at more of an angle, creating longer and softer shadows and warmer, gentler light. Sometimes it’s best to spend the afternoon in the pool and then pull out your camera in the evening!

“Summertime Sunshine” captured by Stewart Butterfield (Click image to see more from Stewart Butterfield.)

With these tips in hand, get out there and start photographing! Capture warm and colorful images of the subjects that say “summer” to you.

About the Author:
Julie Waterhouse is the author and photographer behind the Ultimate Photo Tips website. Stop by for more photo tips and inspiration. Julie is passionate about photography, and loves to teach workshops, coach one-on-one, and share her passion in any way she can. Her photo tips website was born out of a desire to reach even more budding photographers. Julie is a digital fine art photographer who resides in Markham, Canada, close to the local farmland and woods she loves to photograph.

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PictureCorrect.com: Interesting Photo of the Day: Rappelling into a Cave

Dogs are pretty amazing pets. They can help us de-stress a lot after a tough day at work. While it’s a great having them around at home, it can be an equally great experience for the dog and the owners to go out occasionally on some adventure trips together. However, based on the level of thrill you’re aiming for, you may need to prepare your pet accordingly. Take for instance photographer Carson Schmeck and his dog. He went that extra mile to train his dog to get her to be comfortable while hanging on a harness so that they could go cave diving. Check out the insane shot that he was able to capture:

“Cave Diving with a Dog” by Carson Schmeck (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

Schmeck took the image on a Sony A7III with the Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 lens with a 1/160-second exposure, f/2, and ISO 800. He purposely underexposed the image by 0.3 stops to ensure that the highlights were well preserved. Looking at the final image, we can say that it was a great decision. The light rays have added such a magical touch to the image.

Taking the image was not an easy task. He first had to hike to the cave to set up the camera and then climbed up to rappel down. To take the photograph, he set his camera to interval shooting mode and programmed it to take an exposure every 1 second.

“I had a non-photographer friend there to make sure no one swiped my camera. It took about 30-45 minutes to go back out, rig everything, and start the rappel.”

Seeing the result, we can say that all his effort really paid off. Excellent job by Schmeck on this one.

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PictureCorrect.com: 5 Practical Tips on Black-and-White Landscape Photography

Black-and-white landscape photography is a great way to emphasize the rugged landscape, patterns and textures of a scene. With no colors to distract viewers, your lens can focus on the mood, story, feeling and emotions of the scenario. In this video, photographer Chris Sale shares five practical tips on black-and-white landscape photography with some editing tips:

As landscape photographers, we love shooting during golden hours, and for good reason. However, as the light gets harsher, it shouldn’t necessarily mean that shooting time’s over. “Bad light” is where a greyscale image can help your images shine. During harsh light, you get higher contrast in your scene, which works great for black-and-white photography. The difference in light and shadows adds a sense of depth to your image. Also, you can use the contrast to direct the viewers’ eyes to where you want—usually towards the brightest part of the image.

“Great black and white images rarely happen by accident.”

You can rarely get a good-looking black and white image just by taking colors out of a color photo. Instead, you need to shoot with intention. So it’s important to visualize the scene in black and white first to get the best results. If it’s difficult to imagine, use the monochrome picture profile in your camera or your smartphone to help you visualize. You’d be surprised how helpful it can be.

Sale also demonstrates how you can put these tips into practice to take great black-and-white images. Be sure to watch the complete video, as he also shares some handy tips to better edit your black-and-white landscape photos.

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PictureCorrect.com: Low Light Wedding Photography Tips

There is nothing nicer than using a high quality prime lens and shooting wide open, it can be quite liberating especially when coupled with a full frame camera. It gives you the ability to almost see in the dark. Small changes in light can be used to create dramatic images and the shallow depth of focus lets you draw the eye and hide unflattering distractions. It is a great tool at a wedding but if all of your pictures are shot like this it can be boring too. So what is the answer?

Photo captured by Alan Langley

You may reluctantly have to take that flash out of your bag and actually use it. Think of it not as a bright light source to be used in the event of a lighting emergency but as a creative lighting tool that can be used to supplement the light in most situations. On or off camera you have at your mercy fantastic device that is just waiting to help you. The only problem is you are going to need to learn how to use it.

Simply connecting it to the hot shoe and relying on it’s auto capabilities is really not going to cut it. Now you have decided to use it the options are limitless and that little flash opens up a whole new world. Even with it on the camera, possibly the most uncreative place for it you will be amazed at what it can do once you consider it to be your friend. Even when using your trendy f1.2 wide open, a little pop of carefully directed flash can transform your image even if it is used just to provide a little catchlight.

The next stage is to take the flash off camera and use some kind of remote triggering to fire it. There are many choices ranging in price but whatever you select the trick is understanding the limitations of your equipment. There are simple wireless triggers which liberally just fire the flash or some of the higher end flashes have remote triggering built in.

Photo captured by Alan Langley

My standard wedding light rig is my camera equipped with an on camera flash but in addition I have a wireless trigger and two remote flashes set up on stands. I then always have plenty of options, I can shoot natural light, I can use TTL or I can mix it all up. The key advantage is the amount of control I have, not just in lighting a dark room but in complimenting existing lighting. I try and use my lights when doing the formals – even if it is a nice day that little bit of extra fill can give the pictures another dimension. There are occasions of course when I avoid flash and one of these is during the wedding ceremony itself. In this situation the pop of a flash can seriously detract from the moment.

Of course using flash brings it’s own problems. All of this extra equipment can detract from your creativity, it is something else to worry about and something else to go wrong. Another issue is light balance – the colour of your flash is unlikely to match any existing light so be careful. You obviously can use gels to balance the colours but in a fast moving wedding situation this is not always possible.

Photo captured by Alan Langley

Once you are comfortable with the mechanics and basic principles then there is nothing to stop you experimenting with light modifiers. Umbrellas, reflectors and snoots all enable you to to direct the light and further unleash your creativity.

About the Author:
Alan Langley (doverdesign.co.uk) is a professional wedding photographer at Kent Wedding Photographers.

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PictureCorrect.com: Interesting Photo of the Day: Fishbowl Astronaut

Creativity sure has no boundaries. All you have to just put your head into a certain matter and then it’s the sky that’s the only limit. And when you’re a photographer, you have the advantage of materializing your creativity and capturing it in a frame. This is exactly what event and portrait photographer Niki Phillips did when he took the following image:

“Reflecting Back at the Universe” by Niki Phillips (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

Phillips shot the image with a Sony A1 and Sigma 85mm Art lens at f/2.8, 1/60s, ISO 250. And if you’re wondering how he was able to execute this brilliant shot, the details are interesting.

Phillips actually had his wife put a fish bowl on her head and pose in front of a TV with a space wallpaper on it. He also used a Godox light behind her on the floor for the purpose of illuminating the background. So, although it looks like the subject is looking out of the spacecraft window, the reality is far from it – excellent execution we must say.

“I very much wanted to create an astronaut-type look. I like how it turned out and hope you all do too.”

It is also worth noting that Phillips went a step ahead and added the stars in the background in post-production. Besides adding to the depth, it has further added to the “authenticity” of the image.

In fact, the image looks so good that one could easily confuse it for being a movie poster. Even Phillips’s wife looks no less than the main character in the astronaut movie. Hats off to the photographer’s creativity and brilliant execution skills.

What were your first thoughts when you first saw it? We’d love to hear your thoughts as well. So, be sure to share them in the comments section below.

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PictureCorrect.com: Camera Metering Modes Tutorial

It’s frustrating when an image turns out bright or darker than you would have liked. To better understand how to get correct exposures, you need to understand the different ways a camera meters light. Photographer Saurav Sinha shares his insight on three basic metering modes:

To form an image, cameras need to focus the light being reflected from the subject. The camera’s light meter evaluates this reflected light to estimate a proper exposure. Basically, there are three metering modes that you can use to expose the subjects properly.

Evaluative/Matrix Metering

This is the most commonly used metering mode and is also set as the default option in many cameras. In this mode, the camera divides the entire scene into various zones and calculates an average exposure for the entire frame. However, a slightly greater weight is given to the zone with your focus point.

Greater priority is given to zone 3 as the subject is in that zone

This mode works great when the lighting is uniform. For most photographers, this is the “set it and forget it” metering mode. So unless the lighting is very challenging, you can get away with using this mode.

Center-Weighted Metering

The name says it all. In this mode, the center of the frame is given the highest priority. When metering in this mode, the portion of the frame that lies at the center will be properly exposed.

You can still use this metering mode if the subject isn’t in the middle of the frame. Simply set the subject to the center of the frame once to take the exposure reading, lock the exposure, recompose with the subject placed where you want them, and take the shot.

You can use this metering mode when the subject is backlit or in other challenging lighting situations where evaluative/matrix metering cannot function properly.

Spot Metering

If you need to meter precisely for a very small area of the frame, spot metering is the mode to go for. This mode is more accurate than the center-weighted metering mode. Also, while center-weighted metering mode is restricted to the center of the frame, spot metering is linked with the focus point. The camera will thus ignore the rest of the scene except for the focus point.

The leaves are overexposed when shot in matrix/evaluative metering mode.

The leaves are exposed properly when shot in spot metering mode.

As with center-weighted metering mode, use the spot metering mode when the lighting is complex, and when the subject occupies a tiny area of the frame.

No matter what metering mode you prefer to use, always refer to the histogram. The histogram tells you exactly if the shot is properly exposed or not.

Which metering mode do you prefer?

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PictureCorrect.com: Improved Color Consistency With Low Light: DeNoise AI v3.7

In photo editing news, the new Denoise AI v3.7 introduces improved color consistency with Low Light v4, updated TensorRT models, and important stability improvements and bug fixes. It has just been released and goes on sale today. See how it works here: Denoise AI Version 3.7 Photo Editor

Updated: Topaz Denoise A.I. (See How it Works)

DeNoise AI v3.7 at a glance:

• Improved color consistency with Low Light v4 – Improvements to how they trained Low Light v4 allows it to provide more consistent color while reducing blotchiness in the highlights and shadows.
• Updated TensorRT models – Users of supported NVIDIA GPUs will experience performance improvements, especially when using the RAW model.
• Important stability improvements and bug fixes – Additional camera model RAW files are now supported, including the highly requested Olympus OM1. Bug fix highlights include plugging up a memory leak when batch processing using the RAW model, improved handling of batch import into Adobe Lightroom Classic, and a new workflow that prevents crashes when applying the RAW model to Canon CR2 files.

Other Changes:

• Added new processing error messages (updated wording, missing model dialogs, etc)
• Added ability to cancel update in manual update mode
• Added Ctrl/Alt/Shift + Scroll shortcuts for Masking mode to change radius/softness/opacity
• Added show password toggle on the login screen
• Added a Lightroom Classic troubleshooting link under the Help menu on Mac
• Changed JPG and PNG quality/compression sliders go from 1-100 now instead of 1-10
  – JPEG quality settings should now get reset to 95 whenever the user last used anything 30 or lower (prevents bad saves)
• Changed default quality from 90% to 95% when preserving input settings to match default JPEG quality
• Removed animations when loading files which should make the program feel faster

Improved color consistency with Low Light

Other Fixes:

• Fixed CR2 files crashing on open
• Fixed Lightroom not being able to import all images in large batch imports
• Fixed memory leak when saving a large amount of RAW images
• Fixed JPG DPI not being saved when overwriting file
• Fixed TIFF metadata being lost when overwriting file
• Fixed apply/cancel both being hidden when in external editor mode with no images selected
• Fixed black block issue on first proc on Mac
• Fixed Make/Model exif data not being written correctly when it comes from manufacturer specific tags
• Fixed issue where PS last filter would freeze forever
• Fixed issue where PS last filter wouldn’t show the preview for the image being processed
• Fixed issue where manual update would be disabled after adding strokes in masking mode
• Fixed mouse area for the file list view delegate not taking the entire area
• Fixed zoom and view selection buttons being enabled when exporting
• Fixed links inside of dialog boxes not being link colored
• Fixed CoreML cache not being cleared between app updates which caused some processing errors
• Fixed file list view height being incorrect when exporting in plugin mode

“As I think back over the last 10 years of software improvements, there is nothing that has changed my photography in as big of a way as DeNoise AI has. I used to be hesitant to photograph at ISO 1600. Now, I don’t even think twice about using ISO settings that are double, and even triple, that because I know I can easily get rid of it.” -Matt Kloskowski

How to Get DeNoise A.I. for a Discount Today:

To celebrate this update the company is currently offering it at 25% off. It is the final day of the update sale if you want to give it a try. Plus our readers can save even more by using the coupon code DENOISE15 at checkout.

Deal ending soon: DeNoise A.I. Photo Editor Update Sale

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PictureCorrect.com: Interesting Photo of the Day: Car Trail Under the Milky Way

Long exposure technique in photography is a great tool you can use to bring your creative vision to life. It allows you to create photographs that are generally not possible for us to see in the moment. Long exposure photography opens up doors to capture the unseen and also lets you use the world around you as a canvas and light as your paintbrush. Take for instance the following image taken by photographer Chase Dolan:

“Light Trail Under the Milky Way” by Chase Dolan (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

The image is a composite of two different exposures. He took a tracked image of the sky to capture the Milky Way and then a separate image of the foreground. He then blended these two images together to get the final result. Both of the images are 4-second exposures shot at 24mm, f/3.2, and ISO 1600 using the Sony A7RIII camera with the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens.

If you think about it, Dolan has done an excellent job by capturing the brilliance of the cosmos and the earth’s landscape, along with a touch of mankind. While the beautiful mountains glow under starlight from the Milky Way, the light trail from the car further adds to the brilliance of the image. The light trail also works great as a creative leading line. Follow the path of the light and it’ll take you through the entire image.

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PictureCorrect.com: Landscape Photographer Shares Advice for Mountain Camping

What better way to get up and close to nature and take some gorgeous landscape shots than by camping out? And the great thing about camping out is that you not only get to take some incredible photos, but you’ll also get to go out on a great adventure. Besides photography purposes, this can be great for the physical and mental well-being of an individual. In today’s action-packed video, we have landscape photographer Thomas Heaton who shares his experience of camping out in the mountains:

The main agenda why Heaton heads out to camp is to take some sunset and sunrise photos. However, throughout his journey, he comes across many different photo opportunities for which he shares his photo techniques and thought-process.

An important thing that you can notice in the video is how wild and dynamic nature can be out there. While it may be bright and sunny one moment, things can suddenly change the next moment. This essentially leads to two important conclusions. First, if you see a photo opportunity, be sure to make the most out of it immediately and not wait for it for too long. Next, if you’re planning to spend the night outdoors, you really need to think everything through. This means getting ready and carrying the right supplies for you and your camera.

Towards the end of the video, you’ll get to witness valuable learning. While Heaton’s struggling to compose the early morning sunrise, it is only when he looks in the opposite direction that he realizes a gorgeous scene waiting to be photographed. So, when you’re out in nature, be sure to keep all of your senses alert. You never know what you’ll come across.

Whether or not the idea of camping in the mountains might’ve crossed your mind, we highly recommend that you watch this complete video. After all, it is not good just for your photography, but for your body and soul as well.

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PictureCorrect.com: Photography Basics: Qualities of Natural Light

We all know that we need light to take pictures. If you’re planning to take pictures outdoors during the daytime, you might believe that light is the least of your concerns. While that might be somewhat true, many people don’t realize that natural outdoor lighting has an effect on the overall look of their pictures. Natural light has different qualities. It may have warm tones or cool tones. Natural light can also be soft or hard. The quality of the light that shows in your images will depend on outdoor conditions (weather) as well as the time of day you are taking pictures.

photo by kewlscrn

Something else to consider is the fact that sunlight creates shadows. Shadows are a part of nature, but depending on your subject, those shadows could enhance or detract from your picture. Another reason to “see the light” when you are taking pictures outdoors is the fact that the available light influences camera exposure settings that will produce a properly exposed picture. You can’t change the natural lighting outdoors, but paying attention to light will help you make better decisions about how and when you might want to take your pictures.

Cloudy Days and Sunny Days

Direct, bright sunlight on a clear day is considered to be hard light. Depending on the angle and intensity of that light, sharp edged shadows may be cast on your subject. Those shadows work well for some subjects, such as landscape scenes, but a portrait that shows one part of the subject’s face in shadows is usually not very flattering. Bright light and shadows also create more contrast in an image. Pictures with higher contrast will bring out more details in a subject or scene.

photo by William Warby

The light on a cloudy, overcast day is not as bright or as hard as the light on a sunny day. Pictures taken on cloudy days have much less contrast than those taken on bright, sunny days. Pictures taken on cloudy days have very soft shadows, if there are any at all. The overall light on a cloudy/overcast day is pretty even, making it ideal for portraits. Take note that pictures taken in shaded areas on clear days will have pretty much the same light qualities as those taken under very cloudy conditions.

Color Tone and Time of Day

Many people don’t think about the color tone that will be in their pictures while they are taking the shots. Yet, as previously mentioned, the color tone in the atmosphere can have a distinct effect on the overall look of your pictures. The color tone on a very cloudy or overcast day is considered to be cool. The overall tone on a cloudy day is slightly bluish and gray. The natural colors of a scene or subject taken on a cloudy day will still show in your images. However, they won’t appear to be as bright or vivid as the same subject taken on a clear day. The colors will appear to be more subdued or cool.

On a clear day, during the hour or two after sunrise, the early morning light has a warm, yellowish color tone. The same is true for the hour or two before sunset. The hour or so after sunrise and before sunset is known as the golden hour(s). Many photographers love taking pictures at these times because of the warm tones, but also because the light is not as hard or harsh as it might be around midday. Since the sun is still near the horizon during these hours, it produces long shadows. However, these shadows are not quite as sharp and hard as shadows produced by midday sunlight. As the sun continues to rise, the warm tones gradually fade during the hours from mid-morning to midday.

Photo captured by Oliver Pacas; ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/2500s.

The light at midday is considered to be neutral or colorless (as far as color tone). However, the midday light is the hardest light of the day and produces hard, sharp edged shadows. This type of light may work well for some subjects, but it is probably the least desirable type of lighting for portraits. After midday, the tone of the light in the atmosphere gradually begins to become warmer as we head into late afternoon. We then head toward another golden hour before sunset. All cameras have a white balance feature, which is designed to make sure that anything white in a scene shows as white in the picture. However, depending on your camera settings, it might cause the warm glow to be eliminated from your picture. On the other hand, your camera also has settings that can enhance the warmth or coolness of your images. Check your camera’s manual to see which white balance setting will work best for the effect you want.

Once again, you can’t change outdoor conditions when you’re taking pictures. But you should get to know how natural light affects your photos. There may be times when you have something specific in mind as far as what type of natural light would work best for a particular scene or subject. Now, since you know the main qualities of natural light, you will be able to make good decisions as to how and when you take those pictures.

About the Author:
Keith Jones writes for https://www.easybasicphotography.com/, a site geared towards beginners through serious amateurs who want to learn a little more about basic digital photography.

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The post Photography Basics: Qualities of Natural Light appeared first on PictureCorrect.

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PictureCorrect.com: Interesting Photo of the Day: Rolling Fog at Mount Tamalpais

Fog is tricky. There are extreme variations of opinions on fog depending on how and where you come across it. For instance, if a dense layer of fog covers up the beauty of your location, you might not like it. Visibility gets impacted, and many people even feel suffocated. However, if you get to observe fog rolling up on a distant landscape, you might wish that it would stay that way forever. The latter can be a truly magical sight to witness. Quite luckily, photographer Kyle Meshna captured beautiful waves of rolling fog at Mount Tamalpais, and it appears divine:

“Rolling Fog at Mount Tam” by Kyle Meshna (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

The image is a 25-second long exposure that Meshna took on a Sony A7RIII with the Sony 100-400mm GM lens at 256mm, f/10, and ISO 64. To achieve the long exposure he used a PolarPro ND1000, which is a 10-stop neutral density filter.

It’s fantastic how Meshna has captured such perfect looking waves. It’s so good that it almost appears unreal. Thanks to the long exposure, there’s a silky effect to the fog wave. The smoothness in turn has given a dreamy mood to the image. And since he shot the image during sunset, the golden light has added some vibrance to the already beautiful image.

Have you been lucky to witness such a beautiful moment? How was your experience?

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PictureCorrect.com: 10 Nature Photography Tips for Beginners

One of the many beautiful aspects of nature is that it’s ever-changing. The color of the surroundings changes with the seasons, and this allows nature photographers to capture the various moods of nature. Photographer Gary Reed shares some great beginner tips for nature photography:

During the entire shoot, Reed uses his Sony A7RIII with the Tamron 300mm f/2.8 lens coupled with the Kenko Pro 300 3X adapter. Because of the nature of his setup, Reed uses manual focusing along with focus magnification and focus peaking to nail his focus.

Use a tripod and 10-second timer

When you use lenses with long focal lengths, be aware that things will get very shaky. At the longer end of telephoto lenses, even a slight shake of the camera gets multiplied. Failing to manage such shakes can render your shots useless. A tripod is thus essential whenever using long lenses.

Also, Reed suggests that you use a 10-second timer and press the shutter release button very gently when taking photos.

Balance the tripod

If you opt to use a gimbal with your tripod setup and you find yourself on uneven ground, either lower or raise one of the legs of the tripod. Since gimbals don’t have a mechanism to adjust the horizontal balance, this is the easiest way to achieve overall balance.

Don’t delete in the bush

When you’re out in the field taking photos, do not delete photos. It’s always great to have many options to choose from when you get home. Who knows if the image that you deleted was better than the one you opted to keep? You cannot trust the small screen on the back of your camera. Besides, your memory card can hold tons of images anyways.

Take lots of shots

Don’t shy away from taking multiple photos of the same subject. Change your distance, shoot from different angles, change your perspective, and do whatever you can to create multiple options for yourself.

Take images in both landscape and portrait orientation

Imagine how bad you would feel if you wished that you had taken a particular image in another orientation. Take every shot in both landscape and portrait orientation.

Prepare yourself for the weather

On cold days, wear warm clothes and carry a hot drink. And don’t forget your gloves, as the metal tripod can be freezing to touch.

Prevent condensation

Water vapor can condense on photography gear in extreme weather conditions. To prevent condensation when moving in from the cold weather, leave your gear in the car or unheated garage for about half an hour. Then, bring it into your warm house but don’t wipe it for another half an hour or so; wait for the gear to dry up before cleaning it.

Be sure to put these nature photography tips into practice and share your experience!

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