Prepping Photos for Web Sites and Blogs

I usually shoot for maximum image quality in the camera so that I always have the option to make large prints, project onto a large screen or do major manipulations to the file. This means shooting RAW files with the camera mounted on a tripod and the shutter triggered with a remote or the self-timer. When downloaded to my computer from the memory card these original files are quite large, require adjustments to exposure, saturation and contrast and cannot be recognized by most web software or even many image editing programs.

This original image of otters is 4272x2848 pixels and has had basic exposure, saturation, contrast and color adjustments done in Adobe Camera RAW. It was then converted to a .psd Adobe Photoshop file.

Once photo files are transferred from the camera memory card to my computer, I check them for sharpness and delete any files that are not sharp because of camera movement, subject movement or bad focus. These RAW format files are 4272x2848 pixels out of my DSLR camera and 16-bit.

The sharp files are then adjusted for exposure, contrast and color. These adjustments are all done in Adobe Camera RAW or another RAW file converter. They are saved as .psd Adobe Photoshop files and the original RAW file is retained so that the option of a different "development" in the future is retained.

The .psd file is fine-tuned as needed in Adobe Photoshop, PaintShopPro or a similar editing program. These adjustments are always made on layers to retain the original file intact. If cropping is needed, as is the case with this otter photo, that is done next. After cropping the file size is 2950x1967 pixels. This file is saved with a "cropped" appellation.

This is the cropped, 8-bit, 1000 pixel wide .jpg file called "mg3209-otter-cropped-web" on my photography hard drive.

For general full-column web use I then re-size the longest dimension to 1000 pixels while retaining the same image proportions. This file is changed to 8-bit and saved as a medium quality .jpg file with a "web" appellation added to the end of the file name. I will generally save this web version to the file folder containing images for use on a particular web site or blog.

For a file that was properly exposed in the camera using the correct color balance setting and is not overly contrasty, this entire process from camera memory card to uploaded to a blog takes 5-10 minutes. Some files, of course, require considerably more work(and time).

Food Photography - Because We All Have To Eat

Bananas

I have made my living as a professional chef for more than thirty years but always kept photography separate, concentrating on nature, landscapes and wildlife, architecture, cars, almost anything except food. A few months ago I fully realized this gap in my subject matter and decided to do something about it. This realization came about because I was considering starting another blog about healthy eating.

The new blog would need photos. It did not make sense to me to try to source these photos elsewhere when I could do it myself and get exactly what I needed for each post. So I began a new photographic journey to teach myself food photography.

Following my usual path, I started reading books, doing on-line research, checking out existing food related blogs and studying the illustrating photos in the big food print magazines. My food shots gradually began to improve as I learned from outright mistakes and near misses. I do not yet feel I have developed a real personal style in food photography but am definitely making progress.

Here are a few of the results so far that I am happy with:

Vegetable Saute

Shiitake Mushrooms

Cinnamon Sticks

Roasted Coffee Beans

I will continue on this journey and continue to learn. The healthy food blog(ThinkEatBeHealthy) is now a reality and you can see more of my food photos there.

Android cat composite

 

I took a real day off today(at least most of it), did a little recreational reading and spent a few hours playing around with a couple of free photo apps for my Android phone/camera. Since the old black cat was being cooperative, I was able to cycle through almost all of the various options available and get direct, side-by-side comparison shots. This type of experimentation gives me a basis for deciding when and for what subjects I would use any of these variations in "real world" photography. At any rate, the cat and I both had fun and I will now be keeping a sharper eye out for more of these apps.

How low can you go?

Photography, like most art, benefits from brutal and ruthless editing. How much can be cut out in order to focus attention on the main subject? Removing as many possible distraction and detractions as possible from the frame results in a photograph with much more impact.

So, how low can you go? How simple can a photograph be while communicating the photographer’s intent to the viewer? The answer is: much simpler than many photographers think.

There are many routes to simplicity and maximum visual impact. Controlling depth-of-field with lens aperture to eliminate background distractions is common. Bright spots in the background, even if very de-focused, also draw attention and need to be controlled. Colors can be distracting(hence the emotional and graphic impact of black-and-white photography) and can often be controlled by careful choice of viewpoint(remember that monochrome images can be blue-and-white or red-and-white as well as black-and-white). Lines and shapes that break through the edges of the frame can draw attention away from the main subject and lessen impact. Clutter(aka “too much stuff”) within the frame makes it difficult for a viewer to figure out what the main subject of the photograph is supposed to be.

Great photographers use the same editing process for every frame as writers use for every article. Avoid giving too much information at once(keep each frame and each article focused on one subject). Remove all clutter not contributing to the intended idea or emotion (i.e. visual “clutter”, “fluff” adjectives, more than one point of focus, etc…). Always know before tripping the shutter what the main subject of that frame is.

Tripods are a great editing tool for photographers. Using a tripod slows down the process of making a photo. More attention can be paid to the edges of the frame, to the background and to the content of the frame. Depth-of-field can be checked. Point of view can be minutely adjusted for the most impact and fewest distractions.

Make a habit of using these techniques and more “ooh’s” and “ah’s” will come your way. Photos containing just enough information to get the intended across to the viewer have much greater visual and emotional impact than photos containing too much information(remember the old Police song?). These ideas are what is really behind the old maxim “if you want better photographs, get closer”.

Sunday gear round-up 10/17/2010

*Look for much higher resolution images from cell phone cameras soon. Sony is now making 16.4-mega-pixel and 8.1 mega-pixel “Exmor R” back-illuminated CMOS sensor chips. Sony has also designed the world’s smallest and lightest high performance auto-focus lens modules to match the new sensors. The pixels on the 16MP chips are only 1.12 microns across. Sony claims high sensitivity and low noise by using a unique formation of photo diodes.

*Timbuk2 now has a “stealth” camera bag that looks like an ordinary messenger bag. It is designed for smaller SLR/DSLR cameras and accessories. The bag also has a slot for a small laptop computer. It will be offered in two sizes and three colors starting at around $130. Timbuk2 calls the new bag the “Snoop”.

*Fujifilm will begin selling a totally new “professional” quality compact digital camera early next year. The new camera will be called the “Finepix X-100” and is aimed at pros wanting a small and light back-up to a DSLR or a high quality travel camera. It will have a 12 mega-pixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor exclusive to this model. The fixed lens will be 23mm(35mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of f/2. The lens uses aspherical elements, a nine blade diaphragm and can focus down to 10 centimeters. The camera will also have HD video capability. The closest competition will be Sigma’s “DP” models. This is the type of camera I like to take along on casual walks or errands in town when the SLR is too much but top quality is still required.

*Lensbaby has two new products on the market. The “Scout” is the company’s first lens without any tilt movements and comes standard with the 12mm fish-eye optic installed. It is also fully compatible with all of the other optic modules(double glass, single glass, etc…). The lens lists for $250.

Maybe even more interesting is Lensbaby’s new “Tilt Transformer” adapter. Currently available only for Micro-four-thirds and Sony alpha-NEX mounts, the Tilt Transformer gives any Nikon-mount lens tilt capability. I would really like to see this adapter is a Canon APS mount to accept Canon full-frame lenses.

*The social/art network Deviant Art is teaming up with the Fotolia stock-sales site. Deviant Art members will be able to sell their work through Fotolia and license Fotolia works for their own use. The partnership is being compared to the Getty Images/Yahoo partnership.

Creative Zooming

Zoom lenses are popular with most photographers because of the added versatility they offer compared to fixed-focal-length(prime) lenses. A zoom lens allows the photographer to choose the point of view and then vary the perspective/background by changing the focal length and distance to the subject with a single lens. Zooms also let photographers change the subject size in the image and/or the framing without physically moving to get closer or farther away from the subject.

In addition to the conventional selling points, zoom lenses offer important creative possibilities not available when using prime lenses. One creative use of zooms is to change the focal length during a long exposure. The result is a subject centered in the frame appears to be exploding or imploding depending which direction the focal length changes. This technique has endless possible variations all starting from the same point.

A slow shutter speed is required, preferable at least ½ second or longer. Enough time is needed to smoothly change focal lengths during the exposure. If a sharper main subject is desired, part of the exposure should be at a constant focal length and only part of the exposure zoomed. Another way to get a sharper main subject is to use flash. The long shutter speeds required can be achieved by combinations of: low ISO speeds, small f-stops(f/16-f/22) and use of polarizing and/or neutral-density filters.

This technique is best accomplished with the camera locked down on a solid tripod. Hand-holding will produce much less predictable but possibly more interesting results. Unlike the usual compositional advice, zooming during exposure normally looks best with the main subject centered in the frame(that is where the explosion/implosion lines converge).

Every photographer should experiment with all of the variables to find the results they prefer. Once that result is achieved this is a very repeatable technique. Always try variations for different subject matter. If using flash, try both first-curtain and second-curtain synch to see the difference and decide which is preferred. Try zooming both short-to-long and long-to-short-the results will not be the same.

Another variation of this technique is to shoot many exposures at slightly different focal lengths and combining all exposures into one image(this could be done on one frame of film). The result will be a “stepped” zoom look without the streaks of a continuous zoom. This is also best done with the camera on a tripod to keep framing and focus constant.

New Techniques to keep creativity alive

Keeping photography “fresh” is all about maintaining an open mind to new techniques. This often means applying already-used techniques in new ways or new situation or to new subject matter. A willingness to experiment this way is the key to maintaining creativity. No one has difficulty falling into a rut. Getting out of that rut requires some effort.

The hardest part for me is taking the time and effort to try something new. For me, creativity requires periodically and consciously coming to a complete halt and taking the time to think and speculate about new possibilities. There has to be a willingness to suspend judgments about the possible outcomes. The time must be taken to execute the new ideas and process the results.

This is the way the standard catalog of photography techniques is expanded. It is how the accepted range of subject matter is enlarged. Occasionally setting time aside for experimentation and to just play around with new ideas is what keeps creativity alive.

The photo illustrating this article is a good example. I went to the local park as usual with the intention of getting my morning walk and perhaps some wildlife or nature photos. For the past few days I have been thinking of changing my profile photo on FaceBook. While on a boardwalk through a forested area, quite dim under the foliage and just after sunrise, I decided to take a few minutes to experiment. For my usual nature shots in these conditions I would use a DSLR at ISO800 on a tripod without flash. I took out my compact Canon G10, set ISO200 and f/5.6 with built-in flash “on”. This gave a meter-recommended shutter speed of ¼ second. Holding the camera at arm’s length, I took a dozen shots while spinning slowly in place. The result was three “usable” photos and a new technique that I will continue to use in a variety of situations and subjects.

I have used camera motion during long exposures before, primarily for panning moving subjects but also to render more dream-like and abstract images of trees. Flash combined with slow shutter is also not a new technique but previously I always had the camera locked down on a tripod combined with second-curtain sync. The result is some new creative excitement and thoughts about how to apply this technique to other situations and subjects.

Using the most basic camera equipment-Part 4

This is the fourth and final installment of this series exploring photography using only the most basic of “modern” digital camera gear: one “beginner’s” camera body and two “kit” zoom lenses. I will talk about techniques to optimize the image quality from any camera/lens combination and how these techniques minimize image quality differences between “basic” and “top-of-the-line” equipment.  Part 1 covered my reasons for doing this prolonged experiment. In Part 2 I talked about why I enjoyed using the minimal “amateur” kit. Part 3 discussed the things I missed most about not having a complete “professional quality” camera system.

We will start out by taking a look at some of the differences between “entry-level” and “professional” camera bodies and lenses. There are plenty of differences but not necessarily the ones beginning photographers assume. This will tie the reasons why “basic” equipment is often perceived to produce inferior image quality to more expensive gear.

The most noticeable differences between the two levels of gear are size and weight. The two are tied together and the reason “better” gear is both larger and heavier is build quality. “Professional” cameras and lenses are designed for heavy, every-day use in tough conditions and for continual rough treatment during frequent travel. The bodies and lenses are built inside a metal skeleton, usually with shock-absorbing materials between the skeleton and internal mechanical/electrical components and often with more shock-absorbing material between the skeleton and external shell. Heavily stressed components such as the mechanical shutter and controls in a body or the focus and zoom mechanisms in a lens  are much tougher and longer-lasting than those used in “starter” gear. “Professional” camera bodies have larger memory buffers and faster processing software to allow faster frames-per-second burst rates for more frames than “amateur” bodies. The high-end bodies include a lot more “bells & whistles” features and lenses will have internal focusing and constant apertures throughout the zoom range. “Professional” lenses will often feature elements of special-formulation glass and/or aspherical elements to further minimize optical and color distortions. Some of these differences have a slight impact on final image quality but most do not affect image quality at all.

Another difference between the two levels of gear is price. The “professional” equipment can easily cost five to ten times as much as the “entry-level” gear. This price difference pays for all of the upgraded features listed in the previous paragraph. I expect “professional” gear to last for many years of hard use, taking hard knocks in extreme weather conditions and being constantly vibrated by car and plane travel. It is always a pleasant surprise when an “amateur” body lasts me more than a year or two. This is one of the areas that cheaper gear has really improved in recent years. My Canon digital Rebel XSi and “kit” zooms are nearly two years old and going strong.

The “real” differences of final image quality between “professional” and “amateur” camera equipment are caused by the way the gear is used. There are many techniques used by professional photographers wanting maximum image quality in each and every frame that most casual and beginning photographers don’t know about, don’t think about or just think are too much trouble to deal with. Professional and top amateur photographers do use these techniques, every frame, and that makes the real difference in final image quality.

Maximizing image quality with any camera:
First and most important is to use a tripod with image-stabilization turned off whenever possible. A tripod is much superior to any image stabilizing technology built into a camera body or lens. I f it is not possible to use a tripod, use a monopod with image-stabilization on instead. A tripod will deliver maximum sharpness every frame by eliminating camera shake during exposure. Additional benefits are the ability to use lower ISO’s for minimum digital “noise” as well as better color and dynamic range. A tripod mounted camera promotes more care with framing, composition and focus. The ability to use longer shutter speeds also allows the use of smaller lens’ apertures to maximize sharpness and/or depth of field(most lenses are not at their sharpest at maximum aperture). Using a self-timer or remote shutter release and avoiding shutter speeds between ¼- and 1/60- seconds will reduce camera vibration during exposures even more.

Color accuracy and fine details can often be further enhanced by using a polarizing filter. A polarizer can reduce or eliminate color cast reflections which mask true subject colors and mask fine detail. Using a lens shade designed for a particular lens also helps in these two areas by minimizing internal lens reflections that reduce image contrast and detail.

Get the best exposure each shot to maximize the amount of data in every image. More data means greater ability to adjust the image in editing software without degradation. Digital camera sensors produce more depth of data at higher exposure levels than in the shadow areas of the image. Keep the exposure histograms turned on and pay attention to them. Do a test to see how much a scene can be over-exposed on the camera histogram and still have retrievable detail in the highlights. Give as much exposure as possible to every frame for maximum data and then adjust as needed in editing software.

Using the most basic equipment-Part 2

This is the second of a four part series exploring photography using nothing but the most basic of equipment. I will discuss the best parts of using a minimalist camera kit. In part 1 I talked about some of my reasons for doing this. A discussion of what I miss most about not having a full-blown, “professional quality” camera system will follow in Part 3. Finally, in Part 4, some of the “real” reasons for perceived quality differences between “cheap, entry-level” and “top-of-the-line professional” equipment are discussed.

Using only one camera body and two zoom lenses has been an enlightening experience in many different ways. I was always anxious about equipment failure and “needed” to have at least one back-up camera body “just in case”. There was the feeling that not having a wide enough or long enough or fast enough lens should not ever be an excuse for missing a shot. Rain or heat or snow or blowing sand and salt spray were not reasons not to use the camera when there are a couple of spares if one develops a problem. For most lens focal lengths I had both a “standard” lightweight and a “professional” f/2.8 version. The result was a full 45-pound backpack plus tripod that went everywhere with me.

The very best part of using only a minimalist two-lens kit is its weight. My back and neck thank me every day for the change. Now a half day hike along the beach requires only a medium-sized fanny pack to carry everything. The whole enchilada consists of one body, two zoom lenses, one polarizing filter(conveniently fits both lenses),  a shoe-mount flash and either a carbon tripod with ball head or a carbon monopod with tilt head. I also carry a Canon G10 compact digital camera in its own shoulder pouch and a pair of Nikon 10x25 Trailblazer waterproof binoculars. Well under ten pounds for everything and nothing on my back. Freedom!

There is also the freedom from choice, which was unexpectedly quite liberating. No more deciding between the “old” Minolta Maxxum 7D or the “amateur” Sony Alpha100 or the Sony Alpha700 camera bodies. The new Canon digital Rebel body produces better image quality at higher ISO’s than any of them. No more choice of Minolta 16mm fisheye or Minolta 17-35mm “g” lens. Gone is choosing the Minolta 75-300mm f/5.6 or the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8. All of these lenses produced  approximately equal image quality. The two zooms in the new Canon kit are just as good or better and also very lightweight.

I have recently added a set of automatic Kenko extension tubes for macro work and a Lensbaby “Composer” just to have fun. I had a Lensbaby “3G” for the old Minolta/Sony kit and loved it. The “composer” is smaller, light, easier to pack and carry and does almost everything the “3G” could. It all still fits in the fanny pack or cargo pants.

After the first year the anxiety about equipment failure went away. I realized that these newest cameras, even though very compact and light-weight, were pretty tough and fairly well sealed against the elements. The main reason for previous camera break-downs was dust or water intrusion causing either mechanical or electrical failures. I am pretty hard on my gear and have no problems after two years. No dents or dings(polycarbonate is amazingly resilient), no worn-through paint(that polycarbonate again), no intermittent electrical problems(lighter weight and tougher shell mean less internal shock from a fall) and no dirt inside the mirror box or prism, which surprises me more than anything else.

I have also thoroughly enjoyed the experience of finding ways around the new kits limitations. Sort of a re-learning of some of the basics of photography and an acceptance of the focal lengths available. Having so little to use made me realize how little is really needed. It has certainly changed my thinking about what other equipment I would like to have and why I want it.

Using the most basic equipment-Part 1

This is the first of a four part series exploring photography using nothing but the most basic of equipment. In part 1 I talk about some of my reasons for doing this. Part 2 will discuss the best parts of using a minimalist camera kit. A discussion of what I miss most about not having a full-blown, “professional quality” camera system will follow in Part 3. Finally, in Part 4, some of the “real” reasons for perceived quality differences between “cheap, entry-level” and “top-of-the-line professional” equipment are discussed.

Some readers might be wondering why someone with so much photography experience is using such basic “entry level” equipment. There is a good reason I chose this camera kit and why I have continued using it for nearly two years. I would like to tell a story about it. It is a story about putting myself in the shoes of someone just getting started in photography and having a very limited budget for equipment. It is the story of finding out whether it is really possible to produce a steady stream of “professional quality” images with a minimal amount of cheap equipment and how that equipment withstands fairly heavy daily use in not always camera-friendly conditions.

I have a lot of enthusiasm for photography and like nothing better than to get others excited about it, too. The most common complaints from beginner/sometime photographers is they are not happy with the quality of their photos and they can’t afford a “good” camera body and ten “professional” lenses and the top-of-the-line flash needed to get the quality photos they want. It is a very common misconception that more expensive, even “professional” camera bodies and lenses will improve the photographs people take. There is very little truth in this belief, even less so with modern digital equipment than with the film cameras and lenses of 15 or 20 years ago. Computer-aided-design for lens optical formulations, modern composite materials for camera bodies and even lens mounts, cheaper fabrication methods for specialty glass and the advent of molded as opposed to ground lens elements have all contributed to a much more level playing field concerning final image quality between the cheapest and most expensive products in any maker’s camera and lens lines-ups.

The old saying “the photographer makes the photo, not the camera” has always been basic to my personal philosophy. Not quite two years ago all of my gear was stolen from my car trunk after a wedding shoot and I had to start over completely from scratch. Having used Minolta film and then digital bodies and lenses for 30 years, and then continuing with Sony, it was time for a change. I settled on Canon because I really liked their lens selection, range of bodies, compact cameras and reputation. As an introduction to the Canon system I purchased the most basic complete kit I could find for under $800: digital Rebel XSi body with 18-55mm and 55-250mm image stabilized kit zooms. This could just as easily been a similar “intro” kit from Nikon or Pentax or Sony or Olympus, etc… I wanted basic functionality with the cheapest lenses at a rock-bottom price just like someone looking for their first “real” camera outfit would be likely to buy.

My idea was to debunk the “better, more expensive” equipment myth. Right out of the box I was amazed at the image quality of the “kit” lenses: sharp and contrasty throughout the full zoom range, no obvious vignetting at the corners and minimal barrel/pincushion distortion. Weight of the new body plus both lenses was about half of my previous “professional” body with 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom. Size was also much smaller all around, requiring some getting-used-to because my hands are large but much easier to pack and carry around. The body gave me more megapixels and a full stop more speed without obvious noise than my previous bodies. So far, so good. Anyone would find it difficult, in a side-by-side comparison on a monitor or with prints, to tell whether an image was made with a Rebel XSi body and 18-55mm IS zoom or with a D700 body and 24-105mm “L” lens.

Welcome to the Florida Image Tools blog!

I am John W. Rivard and this is Florida Image Tools, a companion blog to the Florida Image Tools web site. I will supply a steady stream of information about photography in Florida. A wide range of topics and personal opinions will be presented. My goal is to make using a camera to make great photographs of the sunshine state easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

I have been using a camera since long before autofocus or digital capture were available. My tools of choice are Canon digital cameras and lenses, Adobe PhotoShop running on HP computers and prints from a 13” wide-body HP printer. Extras include a Wacom pen tablet, extra Western Digital hard drives for storage, a sturdy tripod & ball head, a monopod and a small laptop computer for traveling.

 Some of the topics covered here will be new camera equipment releases and occasional reviews, computer hardware and software for photography and photography techniques and tips. Florida’s many public parks, attractions and other photogenic areas will be covered. Tips for traveling with photography equipment, whether by car or commercial plane are also planned. And I will leave myself open for anything else related to Florida photography that inspires my writing bug.

I hope you enjoy this blog. Please let me know in the “comments” if you do. Also please let me know if you don’t like a post and feel free to suggest new topics.