Six Important Aspects of Monitor Calibration You Need to Know

Monitor calibration might seem complex. Perhaps it is, but you’ll soon be comfy with it if you can grasp some of the basic principles. It’s just a question of breaking the subject down. In this article, we’ll look at six aspects of a seemingly dark art, and how to calibrate your monitor.

1) Luminance / Brightness Level

One thing to know about monitor luminance (or brightness, in simple terms) is that it’s typically the only genuine hardware adjustment you can make to an LCD monitor. You are basically altering the backlighting with a dimmer switch.

The above is only untrue if you select a luminance setting that is lower than your monitor can naturally reach, in which case a software adjustment comes into play. Ideally, you don’t want this, since it eats into the monitor’s gamut (the range of colors it produces) and leaves it open to problems such as banding.

Always use software that tells you how bright the monitor is and lets you adjust it interactively.

Software versus hardware

Software adjustments are the ones that go through the graphics processor, while hardware adjustments are those that bypass the GPU and address the monitor directly. The former may cause problems in some cases, which is useful to bear in mind. Expensive monitors tend to allow more in the way of hardware calibration, enabling a higher image quality.

What setting to use?

Monitor luminance is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2), sometimes referred to as “nits”. A new LCD monitor is usually far too bright (e.g. over 200 cd/m2). Aside from making screen-to-print matching hard, this reduces the monitor lifespan.

You need a calibration device to measure the luminance of your monitor and always return it to the same level, as the backlighting slowly degrades. The trouble with using onscreen monitor settings to do this (e.g. 50% brightness) is that their meaning changes over time.

X-rite i1Display Pro

The arbitrary setting

Although arbitrary, the 120 cd/m2 setting that most software defaults to is a fair place to start. Most monitors can reach that level using the OSD brightness control alone, without resorting to reducing RGB levels and gamut. The setting you use is not critical unless you are explicitly trying to match the screen to a print or print-viewing area.

Dictated by ambient light

Ideally, you should control the ambient lighting in your editing area so you’re free to set the luminance you want. The monitor should be the brightest object in your line of vision. If you’re forced to edit in a bright setting, luminance must be raised so that your eyes are able to see shadow detail in your images. Some calibrators will read ambient light and set parameters accordingly. In controlled situations, this feature is needless and even unhelpful.

The paper-matching method

Many printers set their monitor luminance very low. By this, I mean between 80-100 cd/m2. The idea is to hold a blank piece of printing paper up next to your screen and lower the luminance until it matches the paper, or just set a low level so that this is more likely.

Potential downsides include a degraded monitor image since not all monitors can achieve this low luminance level without ill effect. Still, you could try it. This is about finding what works for you and your gear.

Matching the print-viewing area

Another way printers set monitor luminance is to match it to the lighting of a dedicated print-viewing booth or area. Although the light in this area may differ to that of the final print destination, it’s useful to note that monitor calibration is never quite an exact science. As well, print display lighting is always adjustable in its intensity. Using this method, the monitor luminance might be as high as 140-150 cd/m2. This setting should be natively achievable by any monitor.

2) Color Temperature / White Point

Most calibration programs will default to a 6500K white point setting, which is a cool “daylight” white light. This is usually close to the native white point of the monitor, so it’s not a bad setting, but you needn’t accept the software defaults.

By Bhutajata (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Gentle calibration – native white point

If you own a cheap consumer-level monitor or a laptop with low-bit color (that’s most laptops), it’s a good idea to choose a “native white point” setting. This is only typically available with more advanced calibration programs, including the open source program DisplayCAL.

When you choose a native white point or anything “native” in calibration, you are leaving the monitor untouched. Because this means there are no software adjustments being made, the display is less likely to suffer from issues such as banding.

Correlated color temperature

In Physics, a Kelvin color temperature is an exact color of light that is determined by the physical temperature of the black body light source. As you probably know, the greater the heat, the cooler or bluer the light becomes.

Monitors don’t work like this since their light source—LED or fluorescent—doesn’t come from heat. They use a “correlated color temperature” (CCT). One thing to know about correlated color temperature is that it’s not an exact color. It’s a range of colors. This ambiguity is not ideal when trying to match two or more screens.

By en:User:PAR (en:User:PAR) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

This illustration, above, of the CIE 1931 color space plots Kelvin color temperatures along a curved path known as the “Planckian locus”. Correlated color temperatures are shown as the lines that cross the locus, so for instance, a 6000K CCT may sit anywhere along a green to a magenta axis. A genuine 6000K color temperature would rest directly on the Planckian locus at the point where the line crosses, so its color is always the same.

Though color temperatures might not mean the same thing from one monitor to the next, calibration software should be more precise. It’ll use x and y chromaticity coordinates (seen in the graph above) to precisely plot any color temperature. Thus, theoretically, you should be able to match the white point of two different monitors during calibration.

Even if you manage that, gamut differences are still likely to complicate things. It’s often easier to forget about matching screens and just use the better of them for editing.

Matching print output

Your chosen white point won’t always match the light under which you display or judge prints. For that reason, you might want to experiment with settings. Remember you’ll harm image quality if you bend the white point far from its native setting. In calibration, you’re often seeking a compromise and/or testing the boundaries of your monitor’s performance. Once you know these changes may cause problems, you can reverse them easily.

3) Gamma / Tonal Response Curve (TRC)

Digital images are always gamma-encoded after capture. In other words, they’re encoded in a way that corresponds to human eyesight and its non-linear perception of light. Our vision is sensitive to changes in dark tones and less so with bright tones. Although digital images are stored thus, they are too bright at this point to represent what we saw. They must be decoded or “corrected” by the monitor.

By I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

A digital camera has a linear perception of light, whereby twice as much light is twice as bright. Gamma encoding and correction alters the tonal range in line with the human vision, which is more sensitive to changes in shaded light than in highlights. By the way, the gradients in the above image are smooth. Any color or banding you see is caused by your monitor, and harsh calibration will make it worse.

This is where the monitor’s gamma setting (or tonal response curve) comes in. It corrects the gamma-encoded image so that it looks normal. The gamma setting needed to achieve this is 2.2, which is also the default gamma setting in calibration programs. However, this is another setting that you may stray from if your software allows it.

Gentle calibration – native gamma setting

Like the white point setting, the gamma setting is a software adjustment that might degrade the monitor image. If you calibrate with a native gamma setting, you are less likely to harm monitor performance. The only trade-off is that images outside of color-managed programs might look lighter or darker. However, inside color-managed programs, images will display normally.

4) The Look-Up Table (LUT)

Once you’ve dialed your settings into the calibration software, what happens to them next? They’re attached to the ICC profile (created after calibration) in the form of a “vcgt tag”. This then loads into the video card LUT (look-up table) on startup, at which point the screen changes in appearance.

Having said the above, if you’ve chosen only native calibration settings, you’ll see no change to your screen at startup. The Windows desktop may look different under a native gamma setting since it is not color aware. A Mac desktop will remain unchanged.

With expensive monitors, the LUT is often stored in the monitor itself (known as a hardware LUT), bypassing the GPU. One benefit of this is that you can create many calibration profiles and switch easily between them. This is not possible with most lower-end monitors.

5) Third-party calibration programs

High-end monitors come with software that allows all sorts of tricks, but most monitors and programs are less flexible. It’s worth noting, though, that some calibrators work with third-party programs, no matter what software they came with. Conversely, some tie you down to proprietary software, so this is worth checking when you buy a calibrator.

Ironically, one of the things more advanced programs let you do is nothing. In other words, they let you choose “native” calibration settings. Look at DisplayCAL or basICColor programs if you want more flexibility, but check for compatibility with your device first.

6) Calibration versus Profiling

The word “calibration” is an umbrella term that often refers to the process of calibrating and profiling a monitor. However, it’s useful to note that these are two separate actions. You calibrate a monitor to return it to a known state. Once it’s in that state, you then create a profile for the monitor that describes its current output. This allows it to communicate with other programs and devices and enables a color-managed workflow.

DisplayCAL info at the end of calibration and profiling. Gamut coverage is the proportion of a color space the monitor covers. Gamut volume includes coverage beyond that color space.

If you can’t afford a calibration device, it’s better to calibrate it using online tools than to do nothing at all. You’ll still need to get the luminance down from its factory level. Check things like black and white level on a website such as this.

You can’t create a proper profile for your monitor using software alone. Any software that claims to do this is using either a generic profile or the sRGB color space.

Finally

I hope this article has helped your understanding of monitor calibration. Ask any questions you like in the comments below and I’ll try to answer them.

The post Six Important Aspects of Monitor Calibration You Need to Know by Glenn Harper appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Review of the DJI Spark Drone

DJI doesn’t particularly need an introduction. Their Phantom series brought drone video to the average Joe, while the Mavic Pro brought it closer to the tech and vloggers communities. Now, the DJI Spark aims to bring it to everybody. This tiny wonder goes places no toy drone could hope to go and really packs the tech of its older siblings into a tiny package.

Specs of the DJI Spark

The DJI Spark is not much more than palm-sized, and I don’t have particularly big hands. Weighing in at 300 grams (little more than half a pound), you’d think it wouldn’t be up to much, but as I live close to the sea, most of my flights have been in high winds. The DJI Spark has coped admirably, especially considering its petite frame.

Aerial views are a breeze in the wind with the DJI Spark.

Toy drones for practice

Let me give you a little of my drone background. I’ve wanted a drone for ages, but with my history of new gear accidents, added to seeing some of my friends destroy really expensive drones, I avoided getting a good one. Instead, I bought loads of toy drones and learned to fly them. While my agenda was always to get a proper drone, flying toy drones is a lot of fun. Best of all, the price means you’re not afraid of crashing them. I found this a great way to get comfortable with flying.

A seascape frame from a DJI Spark video.

Let’s look at the rest of the DJI Spark’s specs. It has a 12MP JPEG only stills mode, with video capabilities limited to 1080p 30fps video. This camera sits on a 2-axis gimbal, which, while not in the league of the 3-axis capabilities of bigger drones, works quite well in practice.

The field of view is 25mm equivalent and looks great. The battery is an intelligent type and has its own firmware independent of the drone itself. Charge time is quick, and as well as the dedicated charger, there’s a micro USB port on the drone that can be used to charge the battery. That’s handy when you’re out and have a power bank at the ready.

DJI Spark Options

The DJI Spark comes as a standalone device, flown via the DJI Go 4 app for $499 and as the Fly More kit combo with a controller, spare battery, prop guards, 3 battery charger and a bag for $699. Don’t waste your money on the basic version. Get the kit. Why?

Well, flight time is quoted at 16 minutes, but it’s less in practice. You’ll need the extra battery after your first flight because you’ll want to fly more! But the main reason is the controller. With just the phone, you’re limited to using an ad hoc phone Wi-Fi network to control the Spark. This is a meager 30m radius. You’ll run out of fun really quickly.

In Flight

Now for the crucial question. How does it fly? After flying toy drones for a while, I’m well used to how the controls work. My left hand has throttle and spin, with the right doing forward/back and left/right. It becomes natural quickly. Because the DJI Spark uses GPS for positioning, as soon as you stop flying, the drone stops moving. It’s locked solidly in place.

I began using the Beginner mode from the phone only and moved to the controller once I was comfortable. Beginner mode reduces both the distance and speed the Spark can travel. It’s perfect for learning the ropes.

There’s one thing I will stress. Compared to toy drones, the Spark almost flies itself. It makes me regret not getting a proper drone sooner. However, those toy drones did give me more confidence in flying. If you’ve been holding out and just want a drone with a quality camera for basic photography, this is the one for you.

Issues

Are there any issues with the DJI Spark? Yes. I’m happy enough to use JPEG and there are exposure controls available, but there is one thing that I’m not happy about, sharpening issues. In-camera sharpening on the files is horrible. I’m sure they would print fine, but looking at the files at 100%, it’s just horrible. There’s no way to turn it down either. Obviously, DNG would be better, but that’s a selling point of the Mavic Pro.

100% view showing the weird sharpening and artifacts with the JPEG.

The flight time for the Spark is quite low in comparison to its older siblings. It’s quite long compared to toy drones though and comparing battery sizes, it’s not a wonder. For the size of the drone, the flight time is acceptable.

The App

The DJI Go 4 app is easy to use and contains all the information you need while flying. High wind warnings, along with information on the home point and general flying information show on the screen as you fly. Height, distance and velocity show on the bottom of the screen. There’s a compass in the bottom left. Always check the direction the drone is facing before take off so you can align the drone if it goes out of visual range.

Gesture Control

The big selling point in DJI’s advertising is Gesture Control. To use this, you power it on (single tap, then long hold on the power button), then tap twice. If the sensors pick you up, the props will start to rotate and the Spark will take off.

A series of gestures control the device and placing your hand under it will make it land on your palm. Does it work? Yes, it does. Is it a gimmick? Yep, it’s fun, but only up to a point. Flying with the controller is the only way to go. You get bored with the Jedi palm control rather quickly, though most people find it really impressive.

Sport Mode

In the center of the controller is a button marked sport. This removes the handbrake and turns the Spark into a fun monster. It isn’t immediately obvious that you don’t need the app to fly the Spark. Turn on the controller, then turn on the Spark. Once connected you can fly the Spark directly from the controller with Sport mode on.

I found that it wouldn’t fly for me without Sport mode on. Aim the two joysticks in and down to start the propellors, then throttle to take off. Enjoy! It’s fast and furious, but watch out with braking as it needs room to stop or reverse even.

Verdict

The DJI Spark is a great starter drone with a usable camera. It’s fun to use and easy to fly. If you need 4K and DNG, don’t even look at it, go for the Mavic Pro. If these aren’t an issue, you’ll love the Spark, but save yourself some pain and get the kit version.

Pros

• Small size.
• Stable even in high winds.
• Good mix of control options.
• Beginner mode useful for learning to fly, as is the in-app Flight Academy.
• Fun. It’s just loads of fun, especially in controller only Sport mode.
• Controller flying is great.

Cons

• JPEG only, with terrible sharpening.
• 1080p with only 30fps. Obviously, a tactic to upsell to one of the big brothers.
• Low flight time; acceptable, but still a con.
• Needs controller for best use, but the kit is a great value.

The post Review of the DJI Spark Drone by Sean McCormack appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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A Guide to Creating Stunning HDR Images

The simple contrast between light and shadow can have a powerful effect on a photographic image. In fact, quite often you may find that contrast is what inspires you to photograph a particular scene or subject in the first place. Sometimes, however, the contrast of a scene exceeds the ability of your camera to contain all of that information. Fortunately, with the help of powerful software such as Aurora HDR 2018, you can transform a scene with high contrast into a stunning photographic image with tremendous detail. In this article, I’ll show you how it’s done.

Photographing the Scene

The first step in creating a high dynamic range (HDR) image is to capture a sequence of photos. Put simply, when you aren’t able to capture a single photo that includes detail in the darkest shadows and the brightest highlights of a scene, you’ll want to capture multiple exposures and blend them together with software such as Aurora HDR 2018.

Most cameras include an automatic exposure bracketing (AEB) feature that can help streamline the process of capturing the several exposures which are needed to create an HDR result. If your camera only enables you to capture a bracket of three exposures, you can separate the exposures by two stops each. If you are able to capture a bracketed sequence of five or more photos you can separate the exposures by one stop each. It is highly recommended that you use the RAW capture mode for these exposures, to ensure there is maximum information available for creating your final image.

In most cases you will want to keep the lens aperture setting fixed, altering the shutter speed for each frame to adjust the exposure. This will help ensure consistent depth of field in the scene. The ultimate goal is to be sure that you have one exposure that is dark enough to include full detail in the bright areas of the scene, one exposure that is bright enough to include full detail in the dark areas of the scene, and exposures in steps of one or two stops to transition between the darkest and brightest exposures.

Creating the Initial HDR

There are two basic steps to creating a final HDR image. The first is to assemble the multiple exposures into a single image with a tremendous amount of information. The second is to perform what is referred to as “tone mapping” or translating the huge range of tonal and color values into the range of values available for a “normal” photographic image.

With Aurora HDR 2018, there are a couple of ways you can start the process of creating the initial HDR image. If you’re using other software such as Lightroom or Photoshop as the foundation of your overall workflow, you can employ Aurora HDR 2018 as a plug-in for these other software tools. The other option is to simply open the original captures directly from within Aurora HDR 2018.

Open your images

When you initially launch Aurora HDR 2018 you’ll see the “Open Image” button. You can click that button, or choose File > Open from the menu to get started. Note, by the way, that you could also take advantage of the “Batch Processing” option to assemble multiple HDR images in a single process.

After selecting the option to open images, you can navigate to the folder containing the photos you want to assemble into an HDR image, and select those images. Then click the Open button to initiate the process of creating your HDR image.

The images you selected will then be presented as thumbnails so you can confirm which photos are going to be assembled into an HDR image. More importantly, however, you can adjust the settings for how the individual captures should be combined.

HDR options and settings

Almost without exception, you’ll want to turn on the “Alignment” checkbox. Even if you used a tripod when capturing the bracketed frames, it is possible that there was a tiny movement of the camera during the capture process. By having the Alignment checkbox turned on, Aurora HDR 2018 will analyze the contents of the images and fine-tune the positioning of each to ensure perfect alignment.

Next, click the popup with the gear icon to adjust the settings for assembling your HDR image. If there was any movement of subjects within the frame, such as people or cars, or even trees blowing in the breeze, you’ll want to turn on the “Ghost Reduction” checkbox. In many cases having this option enabled can completely eliminate the “ghost” effect that results from objects moving within the frame from one exposure to the next.

Once you have turned on the “Ghost Reduction” checkbox, you can choose which exposure to prioritize by selecting it from the “Reference image” popup. In most cases, you will want to choose the image that would provide the best overall exposure if you hadn’t captured bracketed exposures in the first place.

You can also choose the strength setting for ghost reduction, depending on how much movement there was in the scene you were photographing. If there was minimal movement in the scene you can use the “Low” option. However, there are also settings for Medium, High, and Highest to help you achieve good results even when there was considerable movement within the scene you photographed.

Other settings

For many situations where you might employ HDR techniques, you may be photographing a scene with relatively low light levels. If so, you can turn on the “Color Denoise” checkbox to apply noise reduction to your original captures as Aurora HDR 2018 is processing them.

It can also be helpful to turn on the “Chromatic Aberration Removal” checkbox so that any color fringing that appears in the captures can be removed. This fringing is most common when using a wide-angle lens to photograph a high-contrast scene, but it can also occur with other lenses or photographic situations.

Once you have established the desired settings for the assembly of your HDR image, click the “Create HDR” button. Aurora HDR 2018 will then combine the multiple exposures you selected into a single high dynamic range result.

Presets and Beyond

Put simply, an HDR image contains a greater range of tonal information that can actually be displayed on a computer monitor or presented in a printed output. It is, therefore, necessary to translate that huge range of information into the range used for a normal digital photo. That process is referred to as “tone mapping”. Fortunately, Aurora HDR 2018 makes it easy to exercise considerable control over the interpretation of your image during this process.

One of the great features of Aurora HDR 2018 is the ability to use a variety of presets to quickly achieve the optimal look for your image. Even better, these presets are presented as thumbnails that provide an actual preview of the effect you’ll achieve with each preset. In other words, there is no guessing involved. You can browse the preset thumbnails, and easily find a good starting point for processing your photo.

The presets are organized into categories, so you can start by clicking the “Categories” popup at the center of the thumbnail display at the bottom of the Aurora HDR 2018 interface. Choose a category from the popup (including an option to view all presets at once), and then browse the thumbnails to find a preset that looks good to you. To apply the effect, simply click on the thumbnail for the desired preset.

Adjust to your taste

Of course, the presets are merely a starting point in the process of optimizing your interpretation of the HDR image. You can still exercise tremendous control over the image with a variety of adjustments.

First, you can tone down the effect of the selected preset by reducing the strength with the “Amount” slider. As soon as you select a preset, you’ll see a slider on the thumbnail for that preset. Simply drag that slider to a lower value if you want to reduce the strength of the overall effect.

In addition, there is a wide variety of adjustment controls available on the right panel within Aurora HDR 2018. The preset you selected will have changed the value for many of these controls, but you can go far beyond the effect applied by that preset.

You will probably want to get started in the “HDR Basic” set of controls, where you can fine-tune the overall color and tonality of the image. For example, you can bring out more detail in darker areas of the image by increasing the value for Shadows. In the Color section, you can adjust the intensity of colors in the photo.

Many options available

You’ll then want to move on to some of the other powerful adjustments available. The HDR Structure section provides controls for enhancing the overall appearance of detail in the image. You’ll also find a variety of special effects available, including a polarizing filter effect, graduated adjustments to refine the top or bottom areas of the image, color tinting, dodging and burning, a vignette effect, and much more.

Be sure to also take a look at the Lens Correction and Transform controls available via a popup at the top of the right panel in Aurora HDR 2018. These enable you to correct for lens distortion as well as perspective issues caused by your position relative to the subject you photographed.

As you refine the settings for the many available adjustments in Aurora HDR 2018, you will likely find it helpful to see a “before” and “after” view of the image. You can click and hold your mouse on the “Quick Preview” button (the eye icon) at the top-center of the Aurora HDR 2018 interface to see the image without any adjustments applied. Then release the mouse to see the final effect. You can also enable the Compare view with the button to the right of the Quick Preview button.

Tone mapping a single image

By its nature, creating a high dynamic range image involves capturing multiple exposures and combining them into a single image with tremendous detail. However, the powerful adjustments available in Aurora HDR 2018 can also be used to improve the appearance of a single photo.

To use Aurora HDR 2018 to process a single image, you can simply open that image. Instead of selecting multiple exposures when you initiate the process of working in Aurora HDR 2018, you can select a single image. The overall workflow is exactly the same as when assembling an HDR image from multiple exposures, and all of the same adjustments are available.

So after getting familiar with the use of Aurora HDR 2018 to process a series of exposures into a single stunning HDR result, you can use the same basic process to apply similar adjustments to individual photos.

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Only the beginning

The ability to assemble multiple exposures into a single image containing a tremendous amount of detail and texture provides you with incredible creative control as a photographer. Aurora HDR 2018 provides a powerful solution for creating high-quality HDR images and creating unique interpretations of those images with a variety of features and effects.

In this article, you’ve learned the basic process of creating great HDR images using Aurora HDR 2018. But this is only the beginning. If you spend a little time exploring the many adjustments available within Aurora HDR 2018, you’ll be able to create stunning HDR images with ease.

Disclaimer: Machpun is a Paid Partner of dPS

The post A Guide to Creating Stunning HDR Images by Tim Grey appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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How to Find Interesting Subjects for Photography in a Boring Place

One of the common complaints I hear about photography is from people who struggle to find interesting things to take photos of. I understand the frustration. Some people are lucky enough to live in photogenic places that other people have to travel to see. But lots of people live in places where it’s genuinely hard to find interesting subjects for photography.

So, what do you do when this happens to you? Here are some ideas to help you find interesting subjects and inspiration.

Food photography

Okay, I admit that people taking photos of their brunch with smartphones and uploading them to Instagram is getting old. But don’t let this put you off taking food photos at home. The nice thing about food photography is that it combines two hobbies – cooking (or baking) and photography. If you’re a good cook, it could be the perfect subject you.

There are two sides to food photography. One is the ability to prepare food so that it’s photogenic enough for a photo. The other is to provide the right environment to show the food off at its best.

If you don’t have what you need already that does involve a small investment. Think chopping boards, wooden tables, hand-made plates, and so on.

For lighting, nothing more sophisticated than window light is required. But you can also use it as an opportunity to practice your flash skills. I made this photo below using natural light.

Flower photography

It’s quite possible that you don’t need to look any further than your backyard for an interesting subject. Most people have flowers in the garden. If you don’t, perhaps you know somebody who does. There may also be a park or botanical garden nearby that provides an interesting selection of flowers to photograph.

To be successful you’ll need to get close to the flowers using extension tubes, close-up lenses or a macro lens. It’s a good way to practice your macro and close-up techniques.

I made this photo in a local park.

Build a studio

The advantage of photographing food or flowers is that you can set up your photos indoors. There’s no need to worry about the weather or light, as window light is beautiful enough for both types of photography.

But why not take it further and set up an indoor studio? It’s possible to create a studio in the smallest of spaces. If you have any doubts about this then check out Nick Fancher’s book Studio Anywhere. It’s full of ingenious tips and tricks for setting up a studio in the tightest of spaces.

Note you can read more from Nick in these dPS articles:

• How to Create Dramatic Portraits in Your Garage
• Making the Most out of the Photography Stuff You Have Already
• How to Create Dark Moody Low-Key Portraits with Minimal Gear

Get a model

Once set up, you need a subject. We’ve already looked at food and flowers, but you can take it a step further by finding local people to model for you. Whether you’re looking for models or characters, friends and family are a good way to start. Once you’ve got a few shoots under your belt – and the start of a portfolio – you can approach other people to see if they’d be interested in taking part.

I made this portrait using a single Canon Speedlite flash in a 90cm Lastolite softbox.

Start projects

Feeling inspired yet? My next tip holds the true key to finding interesting subjects in boring places. There’s no better way to become a better photographer than to start a project. They are so good for improving your photography skills that even pros regularly set themselves personal projects.

Projects can be simple, or they can be complex, expensive and time-consuming. But don’t feel intimidated by grand projects – you can get started with a modestly ambitious project.

For example, over the last few years I’ve spent time photographing dancers, craftspeople, artists, musicians, parkour and circus performers. Here’s a photo I made recently of a dancer.

The reward of these projects has been twofold. On one hand, I’ve made some interesting photos and portraits for my portfolio. On the other, I’ve met lots of new and interesting people and made new friends. I’ve had experiences that I would never have had if I had not created these projects.

Reach out to new people

The great thing about projects is that they give you an excuse to contact people who may be interested in taking part. For example, let’s say you’d like to start a project photographing dancers. There may be local dance schools you can approach or Facebook groups for dancers. You can get in touch, explain your project idea, and ask if anybody is interested in taking part.

The hardest part is getting started. After your first photo shoot, you will have some photos to show other people. Also, the person you photographed might be able to introduce to other people who could be interested in taking part.

Projects are a fantastic way of finding interesting subjects to photograph. I’m sure that wherever you live, no matter how boring it may seem, there are people nearby doing interesting things that could make a great photo project.

I made this portrait of a local singer after getting in touch by email and asking if she’d like to take part in a shoot.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these ideas give you a head start on defeating boredom and finding interesting things to photograph in your area, no matter how boring or uninteresting it may seem.

Do you have any suggestions for finding interesting things to photograph? Please let us know in the comments, I’d love to hear them.

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If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about the creative side of photography then please check out my ebook Mastering Photography. It shows you how to take control of and be creative with your digital camera, no matter what your skill level!

The post How to Find Interesting Subjects for Photography in a Boring Place by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Contest – Win One of 3 Online Photography Courses from New York Institute of Photography

Over the last few years here at dPS, we’ve run some incredibly popular competitions with one of our partners – the New York Institute of Photography – to give away to lucky dPS readers some of their great online photography courses.

Due to popular demand – we’re doing it again this week.

Contest

Win One of THREE Online Photography Courses from New York Institute of Photography

For this contest, NYIP is giving away THREE prizes.

Each will be won by a different dPS reader. Here’s what you could win:

Fundamentals of Digital Photography Course – worth $749

This is one of NYIP’s most popular courses. The beginner digital photography course is meant to help you master your digital camera.

• Learn the basic functions of your camera so you can begin to shoot in manual mode.
• Professional photographers will show you how to see the world like a photographer.
• Complete a series of photography projects that help you practice your new skills.
• Your teacher will work with you, review your photos, and help you improve throughout the program.
• By the time you finish, you will have the skills and knowledge to take professional-quality photographs.
• NYIP Graduates are eligible to become certified by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA).

Photo Credit – Dennis Asfour

All students get the benefit of online courses they can work through at their own pace, as well as one-to-one feedback from professional photographers on their work!

How to Win

To win this competition you’ll need to:

Watch the video below and visit the course page HERE:

Leave a comment below and tell us why you’d like to enroll in New York Institute of Photography. Please note: there is a limit of one entry per person.

Do this in the next two weeks and then on October 15, 2017, the team at NYIP will choose the best three answers and we will announce the winners in the following days.

The deadline to enter is October 9, 2017, Midnight PDT. Comments left after the deadline will not be considered.

By “best” – we’re looking for people who understand what NYIP is, what the course offers, and how it suits their needs. There’s no need to write essay length comments to win – but we’re looking to hear what you like about NYIP, the course and how it would help your development as a photographer.

This competition is open to everyone around the world no matter where you live, but there is only one entry per person, please. To enter – simply leave your comment below.

Don’t forget to share this post with your friends!

Learn more about New York Institute of Photography here.

Disclaimer: NYIP is a paid partner of dPS.

The post Contest – Win One of 3 Online Photography Courses from New York Institute of Photography by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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How to Use Plastic Wrap to Create Neat Color Special Effects

In this article I’ll show you how to use a common household item, plastic wrap, to make creative images with colored filter special effects.

Plastic wrap (a blanket term for Saran Wrap, Glad Wrap and Cling Wrap) is a clear plastic film typically sold in rolls or boxes with a serrated edge. Usually used for sealing food items like sandwiches to keep them fresh for longer, plastic wrap is an incredibly versatile material. Great for a picnic or practical jokes, it’s also a useful tool for creative photography.

If you’re looking to add something a little different to your portfolio, plastic wrap is a simple, low-cost option. Using a rubber band, a camera, and some markers, you can easily create a colored filter out of plastic wrap – adding an experimental edge to your photographic repertoire.

The science

Like many great scientific discoveries, plastic wrap was discovered by accident. Ralph Wiley, a lab worker at The DOW Chemical Company was having trouble washing out a beaker which contained a substance he couldn’t scrub clean. He called the substance “Eonite” named after an indestructible substance created by chemist Eli Eon in the Little Orphan Annie comic book strip. DOW researchers adopted the substance, using it to create a greasy, dark green film they called “Saran” and shared it with the military to spray on fighter jets as a guard against sea spray.

A very subtle red and blue colored filter adds a little color to this image of a Ferris wheel.

Saran works by polymerizing vinylidene chloride with acrylic esters and unsaturated carboxyl groups to create chains of vinylidene chloride. What does that mean? Simply put, the process results in a film with molecules bound so tightly that very little can penetrate it. The chemists at DOW eventually removed Saran’s green color. They also removed an unpleasant odor the Saran emitted when exposed to oxygen. It was first sold for household use in 1953.

A surreal green shade created with a plastic wrap filter colored with green marker.

Plastic wrap in art

While handy in the lunchbox or fridge, plastic wrap is also a great material to experiment with creatively. Artists have used plastic wrap in sculpture, painting and as a prop for photography. Many well-known fashion designers have created clothing from layers of plastic cling film for the runway.

Because of its relatively clear composition, plastic wrap is great for forming a barrier between your camera lens and foreign materials. Recently, I applied a layer of Vaseline to plastic wrap stretched over the front of my camera lens. The result was a fine, misty effect without the agony of a greasy camera.

This image was captured using plastic wrap over the lens with a red section on the upper half and a green colored portion below.

Creating a colored special effects filter

You will need:

• A piece of plastic wrap at least 30cm in length and width.
• Camera and lens.
• Permanent markers.
• A few rubber bands.

Adding color

To create a colored filter for your camera, first you will need to add some color to your plastic wrap! The easiest way to do this is to stretch the plastic wrap over your lens and color in the plastic within the circle. However, this method is a little risky. If the plastic wrap is pierced, you will end up drawing on your lens or lens protector (cap).

Instead, take your lens cap or lens and place it on the plastic wrap. Trace a circle around the outside. Now you’ll know where you should color your plastic wrap to get full coverage of the lens. To minimize the use of plastic here, you can trace multiple outlines of your lens on the same sheet of plastic wrap as I’ve done below.

Use the same sheet of plastic wrap to create different effects, making it easier to keep for later and minimizing waste.

Finally, add color to the sectioned-off portion of plastic wrap, make sure you use quality permanent markers. Low-quality texters won’t leave any visible color on the plastic wrap and the ink from non-permanent markers simply slides off the plastic (onto your hands or something worse).

You can color in your circles any way you would like. For a full effect, color in the whole interior of the marked out circle with one or two colors. For a softer gradient, draw a light squiggle. You can color in the center of the circle and leave the perimeter clear, or vice versa. Don’t be afraid to experiment here!

The effect of a portion of plastic wrap colored entirely green and placed over the front of the lens.

Coloring only the outer perimeter of the plastic wrap filter produces a fish-eye effect.

Create an eerie atmosphere with a thick layer of red permanent marker.

Time to photograph

When you are happy with the colors of your circles, select one and lay it carefully over the front of your lens. Fix the filter in place with a rubber band, but don’t pull the plastic wrap too tightly or it will split.

When the filter is fixed properly to the lens, it’s time to get photographing. Because your camera will have difficulty focusing with the layer of colored plastic wrap in the frame, you should use manual focus over automatic. Because the filter will cut down the light reaching your sensor, you may also need to increase your exposure time or adjust your aperture accordingly.

Also, be sure to check the rubber band is fitted snugly around your lens. You don’t want it to come flying off, especially when photographing portraits!

Using colored plastic wrap can add an effect imitating the light leaks produced with partially exposed film.

Finishing up

Once you are happy with your photos, take them back to have a look on your computer. As I mentioned before, the filer may cut down the amount of light reaching your sensor. This could result in photographs that lack contrast. Photoshop is your friend here.

Open your images in Photoshop and adjust the Curves layer to increase contrast. For more intense colors you may also want to adjust the Vibrance and Saturation of the image with the Vibrance and Saturation tool.

Adjust the Curves tool for more contrast in your images.

Adjust the Vibrance and Saturation tool for more intense colors.

Your Turn

Once you’ve got some quirky plastic wrap photos, please share them in the comments below. And remember to keep your filters for later. You never know when you might need them. Fold them down or scrunch them into a loose ball, they last for ages. Have fun.

An apocalyptic scene created with red ink that completely covers the plastic wrap filter.

Loosely fixing colored plastic wrap to the lens, mirrors the view through a window on a rainy day.

Pulling the plastic wrap taut reduces glare.

An image with a slower shutter speed creates light trails as if looking through a window with raindrops on the outside.

The post How to Use Plastic Wrap to Create Neat Color Special Effects by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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