Reverse Lens Macro: Close Up Photography Lesson

This is the third in a series of four lessons on close-up and macro photography by Andrew S Gibson, author of Up Close: A Guide to Macro & Close Up Photography.

In my previous articles I looked at two easy techniques for getting closer to your subject – using close-up lenses and extension tubes (you can catch up on them here and here).
In this lesson I’m going to take a look at a technique you can use to get even closer – reverse lens macro.
If you already own a 50mm prime or standard kit lens (around 18-55mm focal length range) then reverse lens macro is also the least expensive way there is to get up close.
The reverse lens technique involves turning the lens around so that the rear element points outwards, and the front element faces the camera body. You can buy special adapters to attach the reversed lens to either your camera body or another lens.

If you haven’t seen this in action before, it may seem like bit of a strange thing to do. But it works. The above diagram shows why. In normal use, a 50mm lens focuses light from far away so that the image is much smaller and can be recorded by a digital sensor or on film.
Reverse the lens and the opposite occurs. The 50mm lens magnifies what it sees, giving near life-size reproduction.
There are two ways you can use the reverse lens technique:

1. Single lens reverse macro

Use a reversing ring (illustrated above) to attach your reversed lens to your camera. You can buy these adapters inexpensively from Amazon or eBay. One side screws into the end of your lens like a filter, the other attaches to your camera’s lens mount.

The photo above shows how it works.
This technique works well if you have a lens with a manual aperture ring. Depth-of-field decreases as you get closer to your subject, and at the high magnifications obtained by reversing a 50mm lens, you need to stop down to increase the zone of sharpness.
If your reversed lens doesn’t have a manual aperture ring, you can’t stop down and are forced to work at the maximum aperture of your lens. However, don’t let this stop you trying out this technique – take a look at the work of Roni, who uses a reversed 50mm lens at its widest aperture, to take some beautiful photos.

2. Twin lens reverse macro< ?h3>
Use a coupling ring (shown above) to attach your reversed lens to another lens. The reversed lens acts like a powerful close-up filter (I covered close-up filters in more depth here).
A reversed 50mm lens has a strength of +20 diopters. A reversed 24mm lens has a strength of +41.6 diopter. Considering the most powerful close-up lens I know of has a strength of +10 diopter, you can see how powerful this technique is.

The above photo shows how I use this technique. I attach a reversed 50mm lens to my 85mm prime lens. In this set-up, the 85mm lens is called the primary lens and the reversed lens the secondary lens.
You can try this with any lens as the primary lens. The longer the focal length, the more magnification you’ll achieve. The important thing is that the filter thread sizes match, or are close to each other, so you buy a coupling ring that will join them together. You have the option of using a coupling ring combined with a stepping ring if you need to.
The advantage of twin lens reverse macro is that you can leave the reversed lens open at its widest aperture. You stop down the primary lens instead to increase depth-of-field.
Depending on the lens that you attach the reversed lens to, you can achieve up to 3x life-size reproduction. That’s three times as close as most macro lenses.
Caring for the reversed lens
The reversed lens technique does leave the rear element of your reversed lens open to the elements. You should always take care with the reversed lens to avoid scratching the exposed element.

If you have an extension tube, you can attach it to the reversed lens (see photo above). This helps protect the rear element and also acts as a lens hood.
Image sharpness
The reversed lens technique gets you so close to the subject that it’s virtually impossible to hand-hold the camera. For best results, use a tripod to keep the camera steady, and a cable release to fire the shutter.
I find it best to use this set-up indoors, especially for delicate subjects like flowers. If you try it outside, the slightest breeze will move the flower and spoil the photo.
For best results (in terms of image sharpness) stop down the primary lens to at least f4. This increases the depth-of-field and also avoids softening of the image that can happen when you use the twin lens reverse macro technique with the primary lens at it’s widest aperture settings.
Lighting

You can use natural light to illuminate your subject, as long as you don’t mind using a tripod and long shutter speeds to obtain the required exposure.

You can also use flash. You don’t need a specialised macro flash – I use a Canon Speedlite with a small softbox. That’s all I used to take the above photo. The diagram shows the set-up.
Kit lenses

I’ve used a 50mm prime lens to illustrate this article, but don’t forget you can try this out with just about any lens, although 50mm seems to be the ideal focal length. Kit lenses like the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS II pictured above work great.

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Source : http://digital-photography-school.com

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7 Tips for Improving Your Wildlife Photography

Ever since digital SLR technology has become more readily available, more and more people have become photography enthusiasts, and more and more photography enthusiasts have started venturing into a genre previously reserved for only a select few…Wildlife Photography. It seems that this field, in conjunction with Landscape Photography, has really seen a huge growth spurt in these last few years…at least as it pertains to the amount of people practicing them as serious hobbyists or budding professionals. This is especially true in my native country of South Africa, where it’s long been many a family’s tradition to visit legendary self-drive safari locations such as the Kruger National Park. Having neighbouring countries like Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe also doesn’t affect this trend negatively!
Yet, spend some time on your favourite online photography forum (at least those that allow the posting of photos) or on other sites like Facebook, Google+ or Flickr where photo-sharing is common…and you might notice that not every photo taken of a wild animal really speaks to you. I’m not sure whether many folks just snap away and hope the image comes out half-decent, or whether many just think that they’re doing their subjects justice when the truth cannot be further from it. Let me say outright that no offence is intended and I also take photos that fall into these categories – in fact I do it on every photographic trip that I undertake. Yet, it’s stepping beyond that and getting that rare image that ticks all the right boxes that we all need to strive for, and to be prepared when the opportunity comes along to capture it.

In today’s article, I will attempt to provide you with some easy-to-apply tips or advice for improving your Wildlife Photography. Some of them might seem like common sense, and you’ve probably read a similar list of “how-to’s” elsewhere, but remember that common sense is not so common at all these days and that everyone has their own take on things, however similar they may be. I do think I will cover a few points that are not just based on pure technical skill – photography is after all an art-form, and sometimes we need to be freed up to put down the vision we have in our mind’s eye rather than stick to conventions and norms.
Here is a quick overview of the points I will cover in this post:

1. Know your gear
2. Know your subject
3. Know the “rules” | Break the “rules”
4. Work the light
5. Shoot wider | Shoot Closer
6. The More, the Merrier
7. How low can you go???
8. The Content-Technicals Dichotomy
9. Patience isn’t a virtue…it’s a necessity
10. BE THERE & ENJOY IT!

These are the points I try to cover when leading a photographic safari or presenting a workshop as well. Take note that I include the genre of Bird Photography in my definition of Wildlife Photography.
Let’s get cracking, shall we?

1. KNOW YOUR GEAR

This sounds like the biggest cliche?…but you know it’s true. The really great action-packed moments in wildlife photography last on average (based on my experience) between 5 and 20 seconds. If you are not intrinsically familiar with the settings of your camera or the abilities of your chosen lens, you WILL either miss it or blow the images you do manage to capture.

• Know what the minimum shutter speed is at which you can obtain a sharp image with your camera/lens combo;
• Know the added margins that the in-camera or in-lens stabilisation gives you;
• Know how to quickly toggle between focus points or focus modes;
• Know how high you can push your camera’s ISO setting and still achieve acceptable results…

In general, I like to say you need to be able to make most, if not all, of the necessary adjustments to your exposure/focus settings without lifting your eye from the viewfinder. The action you see between the cheetahs in the following image lasted all of 10 seconds, even though we sat with them for more than an hour.

2. KNOW YOUR SUBJECT

Goes without saying, right? Since much of wildlife photography is based upon capturing fleeting moments of natural history (read: interesting poses or behaviour), it pays to be able to somewhat predict your subject’s behaviour beforehand. Given, not every species is as predictable as the next, but there are patterns of behaviour ingrained into every animal species. Knowing your subject can make the difference between being ready and prepared for capturing that “golden moment” and watching it fly by you in agony. There is only one way to get to know wildlife…spend time with them. Don’t just hang around for a few minutes and seek out the next subject if the one you are observing or photographing isn’t delivering the goods. Sit with them. Watch them. Wait. This also ties into patience, which I will discuss in more detail later. The image below was captured by knowing what the Lilac-Breasted Roller was going to do to its grasshopper-lunch, and being ready for it.

3. KNOW THE “RULES” | BREAK THE “RULES”

There are certain unwritten rules that form the foundation of good photography – regardless of genre. And of course then there are certain “rules” that find their application mostly in the genre of Wildlife Photography. Understanding proper exposure and the use of the histogram, for example…and proper composition using a guideline like the “rule of thirds” are all important aspects to ingrain in your subconscious and to incorporate in your ability to instantly capture that fleeting moment properly.
In this genre, much is made about eye contact with the subject, as this gives “life” to the image. In the case of Avian Photography (Birds), this gets taken a step further in the sense that the “head angle” in relation to the camera’s imaging sensor needs to be at least perpendicular to it, but ideally turned a few degrees towards the sensor (and obviously thus turned towards the viewer who ultimately gets to view the image captured by the sensor).
The image below, for example, follows strong “rule-of-thirds” compositional guidelines.

Once you know the “rules” and the guidelines, and once you know when and how to apply them, it’s time to start breaking out from them. Test the boundaries a bit, you know? You don’t want your photos to always look like stock-standard images that every second photographer is getting. Take a look at the image below. I mentioned the “need” for eye contact. Yet sometimes it can work to shoot an image in which the subject is not giving the photographer eye contact, as this often means the animal is busy with something else, too busy to turn its attention to you.

4. WORK THE LIGHT

The first piece of advice I got from a professional wildlife photographer when I started shooting, is to stick to the hours of golden light. This means getting up early in the morning and being in the field before sunrise, and going out in the afternoon to make the most of the last hours of sunlight. The light over midday (mostly between 11h00 and 16h00, at least where I live) is generally harsh and robs images of that spunk that it needs. The exception is an overcast day, when the clouds act like a massive soft-box to filter out the light evenly. On days like that I shoot all day as long as there are willing subjects!
Since photography is all about painting with light, you need to know how to use the light to your best advantage in wildlife photography as well. Often we will find ourselves in a position where the light isn’t ideal, or, heaven forbid, the light is sweet but from the wrong direction…and we also aren’t always in a position to move around to a better spot. The good news is that light from the wrong direction can add lots of mood to an image. Shooting into the light is tricky to pull off, but if you adhere to tip #1 (Know your Gear) you can get some pretty interesting images from a less-than-ideal light position. The image below is one such a photo.

5. SHOOT WIDER | SHOOT CLOSER

Too many wildlife photographers get fixated on what I call the “focal-length debacle”, where it becomes an obsession to have the longest/biggest lens possible. Now I know this is location-dependant as you might need more than 600mm just to get any shot at all in certain wide-open spaces, but the issue I want to tackle is more related to our obsession to get as close as possible to the animals and isolate them totally from their environment. The result is often an image that looks like it could be taken of a captive subject in a controlled location, with a perfect smooth background and no idea of the real environment in which it finds itself.
Challenge yourself to shoot at a wider angle to give the viewer a better idea of where you took the image and where your subject has to carve out a living in the wild. This is applicable to any species you photograph – from the squirrel to the deer to the elephant. The elephant below was photographed with a wide-angle lens and a polarising filter to give you a sense of the environment as well as to make the most of the clouds and sky.

The flip side to shooting wider is – you guessed it – shooting closer…and I mean REALLY CLOSER. Get in-your-face close (by moving your position or by changing effective focal length by using a longer lens with optional teleconverter) to create different and interesting studies of the animals/birds you photograph. This will also help you think in terms of more abstract compositional arrangements. Have a look at this photo of a Cape Buffalo for example.

6. THE MORE, THE MERRIER

No real intricate explanation needed on this one. In wildlife photography – one is company, and two is often a crowd, especially when there’s food or shelter involved. If you have a good view of more than one member of a species – stay a while! Look at the images below. First up – a solitary African Spoonbill, minding its own business on a perch, happy as can be. Throw another Spoonbill into the mix, and you have a recipe for good interaction.

7. HOW LOW CAN YOU GO???

This is not a trick question, nor is it a call to be “Jack-be-nimble-Jack-be-quick” and do the limbo. The point-of-view of a wildlife photograph is just about everything. How you portray your subject can make all the difference in the world. In short – try to get an eye-level perspective (even lower if you can). This brings the viewer of your image right into the scene and confronts them with the view of the world from your subject’s perspective. Obviously “eye level” is relative (you will pretty much always be at a lower perspective than for example a giraffe), but you get the idea. Always bear in mind the constraints of your environment. In most reserves in South Africa you are not allowed to get out of your vehicle in the field. This restricts you to a certain perspective.
Look at these images for illustration. The first African Painted Dog was photographed from an open game viewer. The result is a somewhat bland shot – nothing special in my eyes. The second one, however, was taken lying flat on my stomach in a sandy riverbed not 20 meters from the pack of canines, and the Alpha Male was checking me out…this perspective makes the image come alive.

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/10-tips-for-improving-your-wildlife-photography#ixzz20wtEgRBi

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Using HDR instead of Fill Flash to Deal with High Dynamic Range

HDR has made a very negative name for itself but in some situations it can be a life saver. One instance where I have started to use it recently is in situations where I would have previously used fill flash if I wanted a more even exposure.
To experiment with this method I set up a deliberately problematic scene. A gloomy garage with window light reflecting on a metal surface. Dark shadows and extreme highlights on the subject – a car. Fill flash can also be used to reduce the contrast in a scene by artificially lightening the shadows. With window lit scenes or shiny subjects you can get an annoying flash reflection or odd shadows so I decided not to use flash and try the HDR route.
I set up an initial shot with just basic settings. Normal exposure with a small amount of negative exposure compensation to reduce highlight burn. A low iso to maximise available dynamic range. On checking the histogram and the blinkies in image review it was obvious it was going to need something extra. The result was the car1 image.

I tried the 4EV in the HDR menu as a starting point. That was better but still not adequate. Judging by the histogram only the maximum 6EV setting would be enough. There was still a little amount of highlight burn but as that was mainly a window reflection on metal it was fine. It is also worth experimenting further with positive and negative exposure compensation and checking the histogram and blinkies to see which combination of HDR, low iso and exposure compensation gives you the most pleasing results. Change one value at a time and review the image each time to see whether your changes are an improvement. The final result was car2.jpg.

Without knowing it was an HDR you’d probably have no idea as it is not the sort of scene you generally associate with it. As can be seen from the original car1 image the shadows are dark and there is a burnt out highlight on the bodywork. In the HDR car2 image you have some background detail, detail in the shadows and the highlight is also more controlled. The difference is quite subtle but it looks more of a balanced exposure and natural scene.
To create an HDR without an in built mode on your camera you need to use the bracketing function and bracket over the same distance eg 4 ev so -2, 0 & +2 with 3 exposures. Generally 3 or 5 images are sufficient. You can then use software to combine them. The most common of which is photomatix. It will probably need some more tweaking as generally photomatix seems to err on the side of garish.
Other situations scream HDR loudly so I no longer bother even trying with normal exposure.

The church sceneis one such situation. As soon as I walked in I knew. 5EV seemed to be about right to retain some mystery. 6EV seemed to over emphasize the green reflection from the window which I didn’t want. It’s quite common for churches not to want flash photography so this was ideal. I’m also a tripod hater so having a method which generally allows hand holding is also high up on my list.
Using HDR in these situations has proved to me that it has a real use in photography.

Source :  http://digital-photography-school.com

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Review Nikon Coolpix P510 Digital Camera - Red + Case and 8GB Memory Card (16.1MP, 42x Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD

 

Technical Details

• Highly sensitive, back-illuminated 16.1MP CMOS sensor and EXPEED C2 processor - means even clearer shots in low light situations
• Record-breaking NIKKOR 42x wide-angle optical zoom lens (24-1000mm equivalent) - go further with powerful wide-angle to super telephoto coverage. From group shots to close-ups, this lens offers superb precision and sharp resolution
• Advanced Lens Shift Vibration Reduction (VR) - Nikon's second-generation vibration reduction system reduces the effect of camera shake in real time and lets you use slower shutter speeds.offers superb precision and sharp resolution.
• Full 1080p HD movie recording with stereo sound and still image capture,Built-in GPS with logging function
• Nikon Coolpix P510 + Case and 8GB Memory Card

More info detail...

Nikon Coolpix P510 Digital Camera - Red + Case and 8GB Memory Card (16.1MP, 42x Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD

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BEST PICTURE ON DAY

Source

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Review Nikon Coolpix P510 Digital Camera - Red (16MP, 42x Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD

Well worth the wait!
I'm so pleased I hung on for the release of this camera having nearly bought a different one a couple of months ago. It is my first Nikon, having had Fujifilm cameras before which I did really like but the lure of having an obscene 42 x optical zoom was just too tempting! Even at full zoom you get nice clear shots and the whole camera just seems to be much more user...

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Nikon Coolpix P510 Digital Camera - Red (16MP, 42x Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD

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Nikon Coolpix P510 to favor 42x Optical Zoom

Tokyo, Japan - 25 optical zoom? 30? Nikon outperformed that superior ability of optical zoom camera with a lot of vendors candidate Coolpix P510 series.

Capability up to 42x optical zoom which is owned by a series in the category of point-and-shoot below. Superzoom camera's center of flooding the market, but with the presence of P510, it seems to be a point-and-shoot with the world's longest zoom.

Problems often arise when using long zoom is image blur due to the occurrence of shocks on the device (camera shake). But Nikon overcome this by placing Redution Vibration technology (VR) image in order to maintain stability.

Nikon P510 16.1 MP CMOS sensor wear. With photo geotagging capabilities built-in GPS and video recording with full 1080p resolution is another specification that has, thus as reported by Mashable, Thursday..............................

More info detail................. 

Nikon Coolpix P510 Digital Camera - Gunmetal (16MP, 42x Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD

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Understanding the Lightroom Catalog and File Management System

The SLR Lounge Lightroom 4 DVD

This tutorial has been transcribed from the SLR Lounge Lightrom 4 DVD, a 14 hour A – Z video tutorial guide on mastering Lightroom 4 including over 6 hours of developing techniques!

Introduction

It is absolutely vital that every photographer using Lightroom has a full understanding of the Lightroom catalog system in order to prevent workflow issues. While this article may sound basic, even the most advanced Lightroom users will probably find some golden bits in this article, so don’t skip! In this article, we will be covering several main points which are stated below:
1) Non-Destructive Editing
2) Lightroom Previews
3) Understanding the Catalog System
4) File Management
5) One Catalog or More?
6) Recommended Best Practices

1. Non-Destructive Editing

We commonly hear the term non-destructive editing vs destructive editing. But, let’s take a brief moment just to discuss it to make sure we are all on the same page in regards to what is non-destructive editing. Non-destructive editing simply means that any modifications made to an image are not changing the original image. This would mean that with a non-destructive editor (i.e. Lightroom) you would be able to revert back to the original image at any point in time, regardless of how long or how many changes have been made. Photoshop on the other hand would be an example of a destructive editor since changes that are made to an image are saved directly over the original image, thus destructively editing the original file. For this reason, when we work in Photoshop we always suggest that you are work in PSD files and creating multiple layers to ensure that we preserve each change or step all the way back to the original file. So, if Lightroom isn’t actually modifying images, then what are we seeing when we modify develop settings inside of Lightroom.

2. Lightroom Previews

When we see changes being made inside of Lightroom as we are adjusting Develop settings, what we are seeing is actually just a “preview” of what that image would look like were the settings applied to the image. These settings and changes that we are making, won’t actually be applied to the image until you “Export” the image from Lightroom. When you Export the image, Lightroom will take the original file, process it with the settings that were used on that file, and save it as a separate file based on your Export Settings.

Message shown in Lightroom 4 when previews are being rendered

Ever notice while moving from one image to the next (particularly in the Develop Module) that Lightroom pauses and shows “Loading” as shown above? This is Lightroom preparing the image previews on the fly. To save time, we always recommend that prior to developing your images you “Render 1:1 Previews” for all of your images. You can do this by going into the Library Module, turning off all filters so all images are visible, then selecting the following from the menu:
Library –> Previews –> Render 1:1 Previews
This will save enormous amounts of time during developing since Lightroom will no longer have to pause to render a preview when moving from image to image, or when zooming into an image.

3. Understanding the Catalog System

So, given that Lightroom is a non-destructive editor and what we see inside of Lightroom is simply a preview, then what exactly is being stored inside of the Lightroom Catalog file? The Lightroom Catalog file, or .lrcat file, only contains information. In fact, you can think of the .lrcat file as simply a giant database storing the metadata, attributes, develop settings and any other organizational information related to your images. However, the actual images ARE NOT being stored in the Lightroom Catalog. Lightroom is simply referencing those images at a particular location on your hard drive. Knowing this is important because when Lightroom asks you if you want to “backup your Lightroom Catalog” you know then that you are only backing up the information and not the actual images themselves.
During import, there is an actual option where you can backup the actual images in the catalog, however beyond this feature you will need to make backups of your images on your own. This backup option can be found by going to the Import Dialogue (Ctrl + Shift + I or Cmd + Shift + I for Mac).
Then selecting the “Make Second Copy To” option in the File Handling Panel on the right side of the Import Dialogue.
If you wish to make an entire backup of the images within a catalog along with the catalog file directly from Lightroom, there is one other option available.
From the Library Module, Right Click on the folder containing your images in the Folders Panel in the Left Panel display. Select “Export this Folder as a Catalog” and choose a destination as shown below.
This option will take all of the images within the folder and export them as a completely new catalog with its own .lrcat file. It will also preserve all existing develop settings, metadata, attributes, etc. On a side note, it is also useful for making a selection of images, and breaking of just the selected images as a new catalog.

4. File Management

Since Lightroom only stores the information related to your photos, we know that Lightroom has to be pointing or referring to the images somewhere on your hard drive. If you have ever had the ? appear over an image in Lightroom, or had Lightroom tell you a file is “missing” it is because Lightroom has essentially lost the reference to where those images are located as shown below?

This will happen when you move or rename image locations outside of Lightroom. In this situation, you simply need to tell Lightroom where the images have been moved to. For this reason, we recommend putting the Lightroom catalog and the original images into the exact same folder.
So, for example if we just got back from London and I wanted to import my images into Lightroom. I might create a new folder called:
2012.03.01 – London Family Trip
Inside of that folder I would have catalog and images stored in the following folders
00_Originals
Catalog
It would look like the following:

Because the images and the catalog file are in the same parent folder, if I need to move my catalog I can take everything at once by simply moving the 2012.03.01 – London Family Trip folder. If I rename the same parent folder to something else, the Lightroom Catalog would still link to the images correctly since they are stored in the 00_Originals folder inside of the parent folder.
However, if I need to change the name of the 00_Originals folder at any point in time, this is a change that you will want to make from Lightroom by Right Clicking on the folder and “Renaming” it. If you make this change from your OS file system, then the image locations will be broken inside of Lightroom, and you must update it manually.
If your images are missing, to update the location simply Right Click again on the Folder and select “Find Missing Folder” selecting the new updated location for your images as shown below.

5. One Catalog or More?

We often are asked whether photographers should have only one Lightroom Catalog for all of their images, or have multiple Lightroom Catalogs for every single shoot. There are most certainly benefits to each, the two primary benefits are discussed below:
Catalog Size – The biggest drawback to having a single catalog file for all your images is the catalog size. Despite what Adobe says, Lightroom catalogs do indeed slow as the catalog sizes increase. Now, this isn’t typically noticeable until you reach around 15,000 + images within a single catalog. However, there is a difference. If you do have large catalog sizes, we would recommend using the File –> Optimize Catalog feature from time to time to optimize the catalog efficiency. The other downside to having large catalogs is having large image folders where your images are stored. Transferring or backing up from one drive to another can become extremely cumbersome.
Usability – The biggest benefit to having a single catalog file for all your images is the fact that all your images can be searched, found and edited within a single Lightroom catalog. Since Lightroom catalogs are independent of each other, images within other catalogs cannot be searched and found from Lightroom, unless that specific catalog is open.

6. Recommended Best Practices

So, in regards to the question above, here is what we would recommend, though each one of you will need to make the final decision on your own depending on your workflow and preferences:
The Casual Shooter – For the casual shooter that shoots maybe 10 – 25 pictures a week, we would recommend that you put all of your images into a single Lightroom catalog as you will benefit most from having all of your images stored in one single location. Perhaps every 10 years or so, when your catalog exceeds 15,000 – 20,000 images, then you might want to archive your existing Lightroom catalog and create a new one.
The Frequent Shooter – For the frequent shooter who captures around 50 – 250 images a week, I would recommend that you create a yearly Lightroom catalog file. This will make sure your Lightroom catalogs still remain efficient in terms of speed, while still having decent usability given that to find a particular image, you just need to know the year it was shot.
The Event Shooter – For the event shooter who frequently captures around 1000+ images per event/shoot, I would recommend that you create a Lightroom catalog for each client/event. For the event shooter, efficiency is the primary priority since you need to be able to move through catalogs, edit, transfer and archive at a good speed. The downside here is to find images for say a portfolio, you will need to pull up each client’s catalog.

7. The Lightroom 4 DVD

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial! For those of you that truly want to master every facet of Lightroom 4, be sure to check out the SLR Lounge Lightroom 4 DVD . Quoted as the best and most comprehensive video tutorial guide with nearly 14 hours of education covering every LR4 topic from A – Z including over 6 hours of basic and advanced developing techniques specifically for Lightroom 4.

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com

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How To Get Photograph Lightning Well

How To Get Photograph Lightning Well

Being one of the most unpredictable forces of nature, lightning storms present a unique challenge for most photographers.  We’ve all seen powerful photos of lightning in action and you may be wondering how you can capture the majesty of a storm the next time you’re fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to witness one.  While a lot matters on what Mother Nature decides to do with all that electricity, the tips below should help in capturing a great shot of lightning.

1. Use a steady surface – While a tripod typically works best, in reality any steady surface will work.  Some people use a beanbag or other malleable item, like a pillow.  This will be import as #2 is….
2. Long Shutter Times – While lightning is unpredictable, it’s extremely hard to make a decent capture by tripping the shutter when you see a flash.  There are some fancy remote controls that have the ability to trip when the flash is sensed, but I’m guessing you don’t want to invest in these types of gadgets.  Depending on your cameras ability to manage noise on slow shutter speeds, using a timing of 30 seconds can work well. The bulb setting can also be handy if you have a way to keep the shutter open.
   
   

   Copyright Elsie esq.
3. Horizon Up – It’s safe to say most of the lightning action you will see will in the sky.  I know it’s obvious, but it needs to be stated that your field of view will be skewed toward the sky then.  Depending on how close the lightning is, you’ll be including more blank looking sky than normal.  But fear not; that sky becomes far more exciting when the lightning starts
4. But Include Something Interesting – While the action will be in the sky, don’t forget to keep something in the frame to give relevance and perspective to the shot.  Buildings are a favorite, but really, anything that can give an idea of the size of the storm works well.
5. Manual Focus – It’s best to use manual focus when shooting in lightning situations.  Mainly because the view will probably be at night (but not always) with a fair amount of darkness.  Rather than allow your camera to hunt around for something to focus on with each new shot, get a good manual focus on the sky and leave it there.
6. Manual Shutter/Aperture Too – As mentioned in #2, if your camera has the ability to set the shutter speed, pick a long shutter time and a fairly wide aperture.  The action will be far from you so a wide aperture and shallow depth of field won’t be a problem (unless you have some very near objects you’d like to include).
   
   

   Copyright akeg
7. Stack ‘em – If you can keep your camera in a steady spot, shot after shot, you can use stacking software to combine multiple strikes into one image. You’ll often have many unexciting shots with maybe just a single strike or faint action between clouds.  These can all be combined to make a spectacular image.
8. Be Patient – This is a big one and a key to success.  Get familiar with your gear and settings so when there is a lightning storm you can set up the camera and then let it do its thing while you enjoy the show.  You’re going to have a number of times when you miss “the shot” for one reason or another.  Don’t sweat it.

Shooting lightning storms can be a very enjoyable experience but it takes a little practice to get it just right.  Follow the steps above and you’ll be well on your way to creating electrifying photos (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun!).

Source : http://digital-photography-school.com

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Review Canon EOS 600D Digital SLR Camera (inc. 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens Kit)

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To be fair, there isn't a abundant accord of aberration amid this and the 550d, but I went for it for the articulate screen.</p><p>This has accepted advantageous for demography shots of baby accouchement as you can abode the camera bottomward at their acme and compose the attempt after laying on the floor. Rather than attractive through the appearance finder you can about-face to 'live view' area the photo you booty will be apparent on the lcd panel. This is additionally acceptable for demography photos of flowers in meadows etc, you can get some absolutely beginning attractive viewpoints.
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I got this camera to booty me to the abutting level, from a Canon Ixus 800 point and shoot (which in itself is a actual acceptable camera).</p><p>As I capital to absolutely footfall up the affection of my photos I didn't get the kit lens, but instead started off with the Canon 50mm 1.8 II lens, which is about £85. This lens is belled for demography actual aerial affection photos for little money. (Be acquainted that austere lenses for these cameras are usually hundreds of ££ each). I additionally got a Trascend 16GB chic 10 anamnesis agenda which can handle photos and video abduction actual quickly.................

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Review Canon PowerShot SX220 HS Digital Camera - Grey (12.1MP, 14x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

Stunning camera I adore this camera. Why? Because I get a higher percentage of good shots out of it than from any other camera I have, and that includes a few DSLRs, and the video is ridiculously good. Is the image quality as good as a DSLR or even a micro 4/3 system camera? No, but it's not far off, and a shot that's perfectly exposed and focused and free of camera shake on a smaller... Read the full review ›

Canon Warranty The Powershot SX220 HS does take good pictures, but for me the Canon Warranty lets it down. I had the camera for about 6 weeks when i noticed the lens cover would not fully open or close, and because i've had the camera over 30 days amazon did not want to know, so i contacted canon support which was rubbish, the first e-mail i got back was telling me to clean the CF card... Read the full review ›

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Review Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Camera New Release

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