Subscribers view basic photo montage technique video here. Try the full screen option on the video control bar.

Here’s something a little different for prophotolife, an eight minute video on basic photo montage technique. As you may know, I like to do most of my work during exposure and usually don’t spend a whole lot of time in post-production. Just a little knowledge can go a long way, though, when experimenting and having fun putting together simple compositions like the one in this video. Luckily, my business partner, Bob, is a Photoshop wizard and enjoys spending his days creating the really complex photo composites for our studio.

I’ll mention that our studio owns a copy of every version of Photoshop from PS 4 through to our current CS3 Production Premium Suite for our Mac computers (that’s a lot of money spent with Adobe over the years). But for this video I used the entry-level Adobe Photoshop Elements for Windows because that’s what’s loaded on my blogging laptop and I always think it’s interesting to see what can be done with simple equipment. There was a hack done to the software (as mentioned) since PS Elements doesn’t normally include layer masks, an important feature for photo editing.

Here’s the link to the Free Layer Mask Tool for Photoshop Elements, in case you’re interested. And if you’re interested in trying out any of the Adobe products, from Elements to CS4 to Lightroom 2, they’re all available as free trial downloads at the International Adobe Store. It’s nice to try before you buy.

Below is a closer look at the result the model photo and layer mask produce when paired together. You can see that on the mask “white reveals and black conceals”. Extrapolate a bit and you’ll see that various shades of gray reveal proportionate amounts of the underlying image.

And here are all of the elements that were paired together for the final image: the wall, the model and the “burned edges”, created with the black paintbrush.

Amazon.com has a variety of learning materials available for more information on Photoshop Elements and the creative possibilities.

photo copyright 2008 Dave Wendt

What do you get by mixing equal amounts of DIY-crazy photographers and The Monster Garage? The Ansel Mt. Adams racer, of course (named after the great photographer, Ansel Adams, and Cincinnati’s historic Mt. Adams area). This is a just for fun, lighthearted look at a 1930′s view camera that’s been converted to a working soap box derby race car.

I’m fortunate to be a member of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers), a diverse group of professional photographers from all sorts of specialties. This 2008 Red Bull Soap Box Derby entry was the brain child of member Wilbur Montgomery (featured in the video interview below), a jovial character that typifies the fun nature of the group. Wilbur pulled this vintage camera out of mothballs, rounded up a few of his closest friends and team Ansel Mt. Adams was born. Noted automotive photographer Dave Wendt lent his skills to capture the beauty of the completed camera car in the accompanying photo (that’s the Cincinnati skyline in the background).

Along with chapter president Joe Harrison, I’m now working on a documentary video to chronicle the team’s journey to the finish line. Dozens of chapter members attended the crowded event and have provided video and still photographs, so this has been really fun to work on. The completed video is slated to appear at our Best Damn Photoshop Workshop #5 on November 6^th, here in Cincinnati. Until then we have this short video to offer, an interview with Wilbur that explains a little background and sets the stage…with maybe just a bit of extra drama thrown in. Isn’t editing great? Here’s the teaser:

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Everything happens for a reason and it’s given me time to cruise around the ‘net, looking at some interesting videos from other sources. Here are three very different video links for inspiration / consideration:

(1) GIANTS: RAPID FIRE PHOTO SEQUENCE (1:51)

The New Jersey Star-Ledger newspaper put together this stop motion sports video that I found interesting. It’s a series of still photo bursts stitched together as a video. I understand that some SLRs can do this right in the camera, including an entry level model like the D60. Not still photography, not video…but I want to try it! I think it might look interesting using slow shutter speeds sometimes, adding blur to the image series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNmCn8eapIE

(2) PROOFING WITH PORTABLE DVD (4:22)

The last time I needed a guest video I turned to David Tejada. He happens to have an existing video that complements the tethered capture video we ran last week here on prophotolife. David shows how to connect your DSLR to a portable compact DVD player screen for review. If you haven’t seen it, it’s very cool. http://davidtejada.blogspot.com/2007/12/proofing-with-portable-dvd.html

(3) MODEL POSING 101 (2:21)

This video was created for models (not photographers) by the massive Ford Model Agency. I held back a few chuckles, especially when the ultra-thin supermodel showed how to look even ultra-thinner. But the tips are sound, translate well to any model and could be useful to beginners. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFKrrdJxakE

I hope there’s something of interest here. We’re shooting all day Tuesday and Thursday so hopefully I can get everything “back” in place and returned to normal today!

If your photography allows it this is a great way to view a large histogram and to check critical sharpness of the photos enlarged to 100%. The files can be easily managed and the good ones immediately tagged as you shoot. Small, hidden details become visible. For our commercial photo studio this is definitely the hot setup. And here’s a little bonus: the Canon software allows automatic captures at predetermined intervals for time lapse photography!

Shooting tethered can be both simple and complicated. The process (once you have it setup) is quite simple both in principle and execution. The complicated part can be figuring out what “capture” software will work with your particular SLR. If you have the latest, greatest camera model there may not be anything on the market that will work with it quite yet. The software developers can be a few steps behind the hardware developers at times so definitely check to make that your particular model is supported, regardless of what software you‘re interested in.

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I’ve used Canon, Nikon and Fuji cameras tethered with great results. I’m honestly not current on how the other manufacturers handle tethered capture but I believe Sony, Pentax, Fuji and Olympus package some sort of capture software with their cameras (as does Canon). Nikon asks that you buy their software in order to shoot tethered (Amazon stocks the Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 Software Full Version for Nikon DSLR Cameras). If you’re currently shooting tethered it would be great to hear how you handle the connection, what camera brand and model you’re using and what software.

Because I own Canon cameras and they include capture software with the new cameras that’s what I’ve used in the video (it was easy and accessible). It was necessary, though, to update my software to the latest versions after loading (by searching the Canon USA consumer support site). You can use both the Canon’s software and Nikon Capture for Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X.

Think of tethered capture as two different jobs being accomplished:

1. The tethered capture of images to a folder on your hard drive
2. The viewing of those captures in a viewing and processing software that reads that folder. It can be either part of, or independent from, the capture software.

I’ve mentioned the camera manufacturer’s softwares. There are some popular, full-featured third-party softwares that do both of the above jobs, they both capture and allow image processing:

• Phase One’s Capture One Pro V3.7 PC/Mac Software (our favorite at Daylight Photo)
• For Mac users, Apple’s Aperture 2
• Bibble Labs Bibble Pro Workflow Software Version 4.9

If one of these softwares supports your camera (here’s the big disclaimer: ALWAYS check to make sure your camera is supported) then you should be good to go.

Some photographers really like to use the capture software from their camera manufacturer and then read the folder and manage the files as they shoot with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom! This “hybrid” method is very popular and gives great control (it is especially popular with local Nikon users, I‘ve noticed).

Most cameras shoot tethered using USB 2.0 cables, check to make sure you’re not using Firewire. If so, you’ll want to use complimentary Firewire extension cables. The USB cables mentioned in the video (in addition to the one supplied with your camera) are a 10-foot USB 2.0 Extension Cable and a USB Repeater Cable LSZH – 16ft/5m.

Okay, that’s as much as I can cover on the topic in one Monday, if you have anything to share or contribute please let us know and thanks in advance!

video episode 28

I’m often asked, “how do I calibrate my monitor”? What exactly is color management and what are the benefits? The implementation of a good color management system will help you get consistent results when viewing your photos on-screen and when printing them. While implementing color management isn’t critical for the hobbyist, it sure can be nice to make prints that look the image on your monitor.

I’ll be honest, color management was a difficult concept for me to grasp in the beginning. In this video I’d like to share the very non-technical explanation I’ve used to personally understand it. Hopefully it will remove a little of the mystery and encourage you to explore the further, more technical details. With a little understanding and the right tools (like the Eye-One Display 2 Monitor Calibrator) you can become your own professional monitor calibration service.

As mentioned in the video, the place to find technical specifications is UPDIG.ORG (Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines). You will also find more information in my earlier post: studio color management system.

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Some further thoughts and link to the gallery:

View the gallery of final images from the shoot here.

No two photographers have the exact same approach to photographing people (or any subject, for that matter). Here’s how I like to approach portraits:

1. For casual portraits I like to “build” the photo. There’s no pressure on any of us to get things right on the first exposure. I like to take a photo, check exposure, take another, check poses, and continue to warm up the subjects so they’re comfortable, talking with them and letting them know there’s no pressure. ***Business portraits are the exception to this rule. If someone is in a hurry I concentrate on making the first shot as perfect as possible.
2. A tendency is to concentrate on the baby right off the bat, trying to get a good expression. I prefer to get the adults composed and settled before asking anything of the little ones. We don’t want to wear the little ones out before the basic pose is sorted out.
3. Take breaks every once in awhile. If you’re going to be distracted for a moment let your subjects know it’s okay to relax for a bit. Even if you’re not behind the camera, some subjects stay focused on it.
4. I use my hands a lot to point out what direction I would like the subject to turn or how to pose. Many times I jump into the picture and show someone exactly how I would like them to stand or sit. This helps them see what I’m talking about and it also helps me make sure that what I have in mind is not too uncomfortable or difficult to do.
5. As I’ve mentioned before, I first like to see how people naturally stand and then try to guide them. It’s important to remember that, in family photos like these, we’re working with real people and not models. It’s okay to mold and bend models into your personal vision of a photograph, but in family portraits something of the person should be retained. Make sure they’re happy and comfortable with how the shoot is proceeding and with what you’re asking them to do. Unlike supermodels, if they’re not comfortable it will show through.

Hey, that’s it for this outdoor portrait video series! I want to give a huge “thank you” to my friends Kelly K., Bob S., Jason P. and Melodie J. for helping put it together, it wouldn’t have been possible without them.

And thank you for tuning in. If you’ve enjoyed watching the videos and they’ve been a help, I hope you’ll consider shopping at Calumet Photographic for your future photo needs, large or small. Not only do they have a great selection, prices and service, it also helps out prophotolife when you link through us to Shop Calumet Photographic – It’s Where the Pros Go.
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The day of socializing was just part of the magic, the resulting photos are the other part. Check here for a list of participating cities and click any listing to find a link to that city’s Photo Walk Flickr group. Okay, I’m biased, I admit: here’s a link to the Cincinnati pics.

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The gallery of images may be found here.

Today’s video is a direct continuation of last week’s video episode 25, outdoor portrait photography tips #1. In this video we look a bit more at the approach to portraits and attention to details.

These images were shot wide open at f4 on the relatively affordable Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM Lens with the 5D. Shutter speed was around 1/80 of a sec at ISO 100 so a tripod was called in to duty.

White balance was set to daylight and I planned to do an overall RAW batch color correction in post, bringing up shadows and warming things up a bit. The very final image (using the white reflector to bounce back light from the gold reflector) was nice and warm, right where I wanted it, so these images are left uncorrected so you can see the difference in the progression. The legs on the reflector set allow it to be set up horizontally, also, as you can see in the video (once again, the Calumet 42×78″ Aluminum Frame with Translucent Fabric and Leg Set).

Some photographers may want to shoot a gray card in this setting and use it to balance overall color in post-production. That’s perfectly fine and on a commercial shoot where clothing color might be critical I would do that. For portraits I’m aiming for color that is aesthetically pleasing (warmer than neutral), not perfectly color-accurate, so I didn’t bring out the gray card.

Next week: outdoor portrait photography tips #3…

For the next three weeks we’ll be looking at outdoor portrait photography tips. Hopefully this episode will help out if you’re interested in ideas on how to photograph a senior portrait. It’s pretty timely, too, since DIYPhotography.net is running their Portrait Professional 8 Giveaway at the same time. If you’re looking for portrait photography inspiration, check out all the entries so far in the DIYPhotography.net flickr pool.

The day of video shooting was perfect in most all respects except for one challenge we hadn’t encountered before: swarms of deafening locusts! If we were just shooting photos I could have blocked it out, but there was Bob, headphones on, shaking his head and laughing for a number of takes when the locusts would really kick it up. Sometimes ya just gotta plow on through. In the end it all worked out great but the things you learn along the way…

Notes:

The sun was low in the sky for these backlit images (it was mid-morning) and we shot around f5.6 – f8 with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM Lens on our Canon 5D. With the lens around 100mm and the background way in the distance, we achieved a very out of focus background. I’ll mention that the floor below the subject was red in color and reflected a lot of red into the image, most of which was pulled out when the RAW files were processed. In next week’s video I mention how photographing around trees and bushes reflects a lot of green, so be aware of your surroundings in regards to the color and direction of the light.

The gallery of still images from this shoot may be viewed here. You’ll recognize the photo equipment used in this video from video episode 24, location lighting gear (laptop stand, reflector frame, battery powered strobe). I’m becoming addicted to the aluminum frame reflectors and will use two of them in the next video for some really cool results. Having messed with the plastic ones “back in the day” these are a great leap forward.

You can find the affordable aluminum frames and all of the other gear used in this video at Calumet Photographic.

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If you’re not yet familiar with his videos, David has a whole bunch of informative, original videos available on his blog. Lots of cool stuff and problem solving! He also shares his lighting skills through the Small Strobes Big Results workshops.

I remember when lighting instruction could only be found on VHS tapes (if you could find them) and it wasn’t that long ago. Times have changed immensely. Feel free to post any other links to your favorite instructional videos below, it’s always cool to see recommendations.