I am about to reveal something that I have never told anyone before in my life. So drop everything you are doing and focus solely on this article.  It may just change your life. I am about to reveal the most important piece of equipment I use for my photography. If I use this piece of equipment properly, it really doesn’t much matter what other gear I own. I can almost always capture images I am happy with. I’m not exaggerating when I say this equipment has the potential to improve your images ten-fold, maybe even one-hundred-fold. I truly don’t think I could live without it. I don’t carry this equipment in my camera bag, but I try to make sure it is always with me. And, no, it’s not my tripod, even though I do always carry one. Now, you’re probably thinking there’s a catch. It must cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. But shockingly, I did not pay a single dime for it.

This piece of equipment is…. (drumroll, please) … my brain! Now, I certainly don’t claim to have the most advanced brain, and it is far from the newest model. There are many better, shinier brains out there. However, I try to make up for its obvious limitations by using it as much as I possibly can. I try to constantly experiment with different ways of shooting, and I read advice from photographers I admire.

I blended separate exposures of the sky and land during twilight to maximize detail and minimize noise in this image. This would have been difficult, perhaps even impossible, without my brain.

I have seen people out shooting with very expensive photo equipment, who unfortunately appear to have left their brains in their car. Others seem to have forgotten it entirely, leaving it somewhere back home. I met a man in Peru who had all the latest photo equipment. He was a hobbyist, but had better gear than I did. However, I later saw him off in the distance taking handheld shots of his wife. He had a flash that would go off with every shot, but it was pointed straight up into the air, while he was shooting straight ahead. I thought that if only he had remembered that extremely valuable piece of equipment between his ears, he could have saved a ton of money and gotten better images with a camera phone. Then again, he may have been an undercover operative sending secret messages to aliens above him with his flashes. I may have been too quick to judge.

Only your brain can determine when the lighting and clouds will be best at a certain location, how to best compose the shot, and the proper camera settings to get the image you envision. The role of photography gear is rather limited compared to this.

When I saw storm clouds throughout the sky at Arches National Park, I knew this would be an ideal time to capture even lighting throughout the scene in an ultra-wide image of Double Arch. I stitched many images to capture a 270-degree view in all directions.

I’m not saying that other photo equipment is of no value. It certainly is. But I don’t recommend becoming a “gearhead” and constantly reading up on all the latest equipment, thinking that a new lens or camera will magically improve your images. Rather, you should spend time learning the craft of photography, either through books, videos or articles or by experimenting out in the field. As you learn, you’ll also come across information on what types of photo equipment work best in different situations. If you find you can’t quite get the shots you want, you will know what new equipment might help with this. You can then do research on which camera or lens is rated best for your specific need. This is a practical and cost-effective way of adding equipment only as you truly need it.

I did recently purchase a dome for a GoPro camera, as this allowed me to capture over/under water photos in the Cook Islands. With a specific need in mind, the new equipment was very useful.

I’ve owned the same primary camera and most of the same lenses for five years now. During this time, I believe my photography has improved significantly. Since I can’t attribute the improvement to the photo gear, I figure it must be an unbelievable run of dumb luck or an upgrade to my brain. Hopefully, it’s the latter. I have a bad back that has prevented me from shooting nearly as much as I used to. I therefore find that carefully planning my shots and making the most of the time I have to shoot is of the utmost importance.

I’ve also learned more about post-processing images, which is vital, especially for my night photography. I’m able to overcome the limitations of cameras in low-light situations by combining multiple exposures, either through stacking, stitching, or focus stacking images. These techniques can be done with any dSLR camera and a tripod.

So the next time you are out shooting, don’t forget to take your brain with you. Try to obtain upgrades to it whenever and wherever possible. It is by far the most advanced and valuable piece of equipment you will ever own.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Sourced by Time Trap Photography sharing the best photography tips, news and tricks throughout the industry. Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come. - Shannon Bourque
Please visit our main site for booking availability and rates.

Receive valuable industry knowledge delivered free to your email each day.

We all take flat, lifeless looking images from time to time. Poor light or weather or even shooting Raw can give us images that lack contrast and punch. In all these cases it is possible to recover that lack of contrast in post production, returning life and punch to the image. To many starting in photography and Lightroom, the obvious choice to boost contrast is the contrast slider. Even the most basic editing suites have such a tool. However, as tools go, it is somewhat of a sledgehammer, lacking the finesse that other options we have. Today we are going to look at better options for boosting contrast in Adobe Lightroom.

The Black and White Sliders

The first way we can boost contrast is using a combination of the Black and White sliders in the Basic section of the Develop module in Lightroom. We do this in conjunction with the histogram. Slide the black slider to the left until the left edge of the histogram is about to spill over the side. Move the white slider to the right until that is about to spill over the right side. What you will see is a big improvement in contrast but overall your image may be too dark or too light. You can now use the shadows and highlights tool to correct for the mid tones exposures. As you do this keep a keen eye on the histogram to make sure you are not pushing to far past the limits.

Note: It is generally considered good practice to make sure your image's histogram is not stacked against either the left (shadows) or right (highlights) side. To do so means you are losing detail in absolute black or absolute white pixels.

As shot

With a simple adjustment to the black and white  shadow highlight sliders

The Tone Curve Tool

Tone curve works in the same way as curves in Photoshop. It is a very powerful way to boost contrast. The tone curve tool is strangely hidden away in its own tab further down the Develop Module. You can boost contrast but darken blacks and lighten whites. To do this, select a point on the lower right of the graph and slowly drag it downwards. Always keep and eye on the histogram as you do this. To boost the whites, select an area to the top right of the graph and slowly slide upwards. You can add further points to the mid areas to correct the exposure in the midtones.

Another way to use the tone curve is to use the dropper tool. By clicking on the discrete circle in the top right of the Tone Curve tool, we can select tonal areas and correct them. Having pressed the tool, move the curse over the tonal range you wish to correct and drag up or down.

Lastly at the bottom of the Tone Curve tool is another option, Point Curve. Clicking on this reveals quick presets for medium and strong contrast adjustments.

As shot

Added contrast using the tone curve

The Clarity Slider

A relatively recent addition to the Lightroom arsenal of post production tools, clarity is a more subtle version of the contrast slider. It’s subtlety comes from the fact that its effects contrast only in the midtones of an image and not the darkest and lightest regions. That makes it very useful for dull, uniformly flat images where the bulk of the exposure is “bunched up” amongst the middle regions of the exposure.

Like the contrast slider, it can be a bit of a sledgehammer if pushed too far, causing artefacting in areas of high contrast. It is a tool best used in conjunction with others such as tone curve and the black and white sliders.

As shot

Reduced exposure slightly and added clarity

The Dehaze Tool

This is another fairly recent addition and one that is limited to the subscription based version of Lightroom, Lightroom CC. Dehaze tends to boost contrast in the darker regions of the image, spreading the histogram towards the left end of the graph. Used sparingly it is a powerful tool for giving a subtle boost to image contrast but pushed too hard it can completely ruin the look of an image. It is found in the Effects section of the Develop Module.

As shot

Adding contrast through dehaze

Selective Contrast

There will be times that you want to boost contrast in selected regions of your image. You can use Black/White, Clarity and Dehaze tools in combination with the selective editing tools in Lightroom. These are, graduated filter, radial filter and adjustment brush. The same rules apply using these contrast tools on selected areas, watch the histogram and don’t push the tool too far. Artefacting, blown highlights and shadow noise are the potential issues if you do go beyond the limits.

Lightroom gives us many different ways to boost contrast in our images. The above are probably the best known and most powerful. For simple quick edits, the contrast tool itself does a reasonable job but if you wish to have more control, the black/white and tone curve tools are probably your best options.

If you would like to up your game in Lightroom and see how I edit my images from beginning to end before I submit them to stock agencies, you might be interested in my Bruges Raw video where I take a raw file and show every edit I do.

The following two tabs change content below.

Jason Row is a British born travel photographer now living in Ukraine. His images have been licensed to companies such as Cunard, Ethiad and Virgin Atlantic as well as multiple newspapers and magazines. As well as shooting stills he is now creating travel stock video in 4K. He maintains a travel stock photography site at Jason Row Photography You can also catch up with him on Facebook at Facebook/TheOdessaFiles

Latest posts by Jason Row (see all)

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Sourced by Time Trap Photography sharing the best photography tips, news and tricks throughout the industry. Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come. - Shannon Bourque
Please visit our main site for booking availability and rates.

Receive valuable industry knowledge delivered free to your email each day.

Street photography primarily aims to capture the life on the street, or anywhere in public, for that matter. It’s almost synonymous with candid street portraits – photos of people in public places, shot discreetly, and sometimes with permission.

Street photography presents its own set of challenges when it comes to photographing people. Once you overcome your fear of photographing strangers, you are sure to be rewarded with memorable street photos that capture emotion and tell a story.

If you’ve been looking for resources on how to get better at street photography, look no further. Here are some guides and eBooks on the topic – three of them from Photzy. Do check them out.

This guide by photographer Kent DuFault introduces you to street photography and then goes on to discuss two methods to capture street photos, with practical tips that you can follow for each of the two methods. The last section summarizes some handy tips that you should keep in mind when doing street photography.

A lot of people find photographing strangers unnerving for the fear of being confronted or being objected to while taking photos in such a situation. This guide not only addresses that topic, but also provides you with different approaches when photographing strangers, e.g. deciding whether to shoot candid or posed.

This guide by street photographer Diane Wehr tries to look at the answers to the all-important question in street photography: Should you ask to take their picture or not? The author examines the question from different perspectives: legal, cultural, and ethical. Read the guide to know about the different scenarios when you might have to tackle this question.

Thomas Leuthard is a street photographer who is known for his adept storytelling through his street images. In this eBook, he writes about his approach to street photography full with inputs based on his experiences all through these years. He has written two more eBooks on street photography: Collecting Souls and Street Faces.

This eBook is written by Danish street photographer Daniel Hoffman. The first section of the eBook presents a critique of some of his notable photographs. In the second section, Daniel shares ten tips to capture better street photos that discuss a wide variety of essential topics concerning street photography.

This eBook by photographer Chris Weeks features the work of a variety of photographers, who talk about what street photography means to them. It is an interesting read that offers different perspectives on the definition of street photography, with some wonderful images to appreciate.

If creating portraits is something that interests you and you would like a more complete training on capturing truly memorable portrait photographs, do take a look at the guide The Art of Portrait Photography over at Photzy. It covers everything you need to know to take great portrait shots consistently – lighting and posing tips, composition guidelines, getting great shots from minimal equipment, and much more. Click here now to check it out.

The following two tabs change content below.

Ritesh Saini

Ritesh has been photographing for about seven years now and his photographic interests have varied from nature and landscapes to street photography. You can see his photography on Flickr or on his website.

Latest posts by Ritesh Saini (see all)

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Sourced by Time Trap Photography sharing the best photography tips, news and tricks throughout the industry. Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come. - Shannon Bourque
Please visit our main site for booking availability and rates.

Receive valuable industry knowledge delivered free to your email each day.

Camera Bag

First things first, you should have a camera bag that fits your needs and style of shooting. Not everyone is going to need a behemoth backpack that can be used as a multi-day pack. Some may need just a shoulder bag. For me personally, I prefer the traditional camera backpack. There are a lot of different camera bags, some are indeed better than others. Do your research prior to choosing your bag as the features of the bag can allow you to carry exactly what you need, plus extras.

One thing that I always kept in mind when looking for a camera bag, is the option to store a tripod directly on the back of the pack. This allows for an even distribution of weight which makes the pack much more comfortable.

Standing over a cracked mud playa in Death Valley with my Clik Elite camera bag. Note the little pouch at the bottom of the bag to store the tripod feet directly on the back and strap the top of the tripod itself. An important feature for my personal needs.

Camera Gear

Lenses

What is a camera bag without the camera gear inside? As a landscape photographer, I’ve found that there are really only three lenses that you will likely use (of course, creativity may find you with much more than three). These lenses range from a typical wide angle zoom (16-35mm or equivalent), a mid range zoom (24-70mm), and a medium telephoto zoom (70-200). Usually, this range is between 16mm and 200mm, but you can choose a much wider lens and a much longer zoom range. Depending on the camera bag you own, these items should easily fit into your pack. Some bags have specific areas to store the camera gear itself and allow other storage areas for non-camera related gear. Keep in mind, that one of these lenses is usually already attached to your camera, so it is more than likely you have space for another one, perhaps a macro lens.

Batteries and Memory Cards

Aside from our camera and lenses, it is always wise to keep a handful of extra batteries and memory cards on hand. Most camera bags have little compartments to fit these smaller items as well as to keep them organized. A memory card case can also come in handy so you don’t have those CF or SD cards just floating around.

Flash

While I don’t use a flash as a landscape photographer, some others may want to keep one in their bag especially if they shoot portrait or low light scenes where the extra light can come in handy.

Filters

You may also want to keep a number of filters in your bag. Anything from a circular polarizer to neutral density filters can come in handy to get that perfect shot. Some filters also require special filter holders, so make sure you keep the holder in the bag at all times so you can actually use the filters.

Other Photographic Equipment

A remote or intervalometer also comes in handy for those long nights and time lapse scenes. During the summer months, I keep a lightning trigger on hand in case I find myself photographing those incredible afternoon storms. Lens cleaning cloths – either lens wipes or micro fiber cloths – frequently come in handy and are small enough to fit into the tiniest compartments. A rocket blower and lens pen are also nice to have in addition to the lens wipes. We have to remember to keep our gear clean in the field!

In places like sandy slot canyons, lens cleaning tools are essential to keeping as much sand and dust out of your gear as possible

Non-Photographic Equipment

Often when out in the field, there are many non-photographic items that are needed to make the best of your time shooting.

First aid kit – This should be a no-brainer. But I’ve run into people who’ve had to borrow items out of my pack (another great reason to keep one). Small tweezers and Neosporin should be part of this kit. Also, make sure the contents inside have not expired.

Comb – I also like to carry a comb in my bag. This is mostly for wandering around cholla gardens in the desert, but you also never know when you need to look sharp.

Small pack-able jackets – These are great if you are out late and find yourself getting a bit chilly. Many mid-weight down jackets pack into themselves which saves some space.

Gloves – Depending on the season, a pair of gloves may be handy along with a beanie or balaclava (face mask).

Headlamp – Since I am mostly up before the sun and out after it has set, a headlamp is needed to make sure I can see where I am going in the dark.

Snacks and water – I always have these stuffed into my pack; sometimes more than I need in case of emergencies.

Sunscreen – With the amount of time spent in the sun, sunscreen is a must and is easily packed away into the smaller compartments.

Tools – Small Allen wrenches or hex keys for your tripod and base plates also come in handy and are small enough to pack no matter how much you jam in there.

Business cards – I also happen to carry a handful of business cards in my pack. Often times when I am in relatively busy locations and people see me with my gear, they ask if I am a professional. It always results in handing out a card and potentially making a new client.

I was glad to have packed an extra jacket, wireless remote, headlamp, and tools to make this a comfortable shoot. (Death Valley National Park)

Ok…It is your turn. Feel free to share what you carry in your own camera bag in the comments below.

About Author Peter Coskun

I am a professional photographer based out of the Sonoran desert of Arizona. I've been fortunate to explore and wander the southwest for the majority of my life. Having grown up in the suburbs of Philadelphia as a child, I wasn't quite familiar with the outdoors or nature for that matter. Aside from flipping through Nat Geo magazines during class, I wasn't sure if any of this stuff actually existed. After moving across the country to the desert I soon found myself exploring the desert landscape. I became fascinated by the flora and fauna as well as seeing the rugged mountains for the first time. Soon enough, I picked up a camera and began to document my explorations. I began to look at the scenery in a different way, studying how the light and weather worked with the landscape. It became more and more enjoyable for me, and one day someone asked to purchase a print. As they say, the rest is history right? I've been fortunate to have my work printed in such publications as Arizona Highways Magazine and Digital Photo Mag UK as well as many online publications.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Sourced by Time Trap Photography sharing the best photography tips, news and tricks throughout the industry. Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come. - Shannon Bourque
Please visit our main site for booking availability and rates.

Receive valuable industry knowledge delivered free to your email each day.

Getting to know and share ideas with Gervasio Sánchez may have been one of the most important and nurturing experiences that I have had in terms of photography. He is a Spanish Photojournalist with a fierce passion for documenting the truth. He visited our country to present the 3rd publication of his project “Vidas Minadas – 10 Años” (Mined Lives – 10 Years) where includes photographs of a fellow Salvadoran that was injured from a landmine in our civil war. He spent three days in our country and gave 3 lectures during that week for a sum of almost 10 hours of informative photography discussion.

As well as portraying the most vulnerable protagonists of the horrors of wars, he has followed them for many years, photographing and providing updates on the lives of those who remained alive. It was not difficult for me to see the true commitment that Gervasio has which is a real commitment with people who have experienced great misfortunes. He treats them with love and respect. This nature cannot only be felt in the way he speaks, but also by looking at his photographs.

During his continuous visits to the places that have been struck by human violence, he looks for answers which are rarely satisfied. I remember him speaking about one tragic event he witnessed in which a girl who was only 81-days old died after an attack to the civilians in Sarajevo. Every time he has the opportunity of visiting this place he brings her flowers because nobody else brings flowers to her grave. This showed me the great level of commitment that a photographer can actually have for things that go beyond documenting and informing. This is the dignity that countries need and Gervasio fiercely defends it to restore all the wounds that wars leave behind.

In Sarajevo he took pictures of the early injured Adis, a young man who suffered a lot thanks to an antipersonnel mine. Thanks to the efforts made by Gervasio and the media that works with him, Adis has been able to get access to several surgeries that have had a positive impact in his life. This kind of involvement is a constant recurrence in Gervasio’s life as he really cares about people and experiences like this make him a unique person indeed.

He is interested in telling stories through his photos as closely as possible. With experiences and examples like these, I have a better understanding of Capa's famous phrase “If your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough”. This referred to not only the physical proximity of the photographer to the subject at the moment but also the emotional proximity. Through this, he highlighted the importance of gaining the trust of the subjects of our photographs.

With his lectures (and after-talks over beers), I learned many important things that have boosted my inner self and my vision of the world. With him, I learned that wars don’t end even when Wikipedia says they do. I also learned many other great things that cope clearly with truth and that I want to share with you.

Gervasio Sánchez and Me

Wars don’t end when the Wikipedia says they end

Wars end when the wounds of the war are completely healed. When all the missing people are finally recovered, dead or alive. The agony and the grief transition to a different state and closer to what we human beings could know as serenity or peace.

Everything has been documented

And since this is very much true, research is the key for approaching any subject. Every subject could have been done already, but with prior research you’ll be able to document everything with a different and unique perspective.

Photography can change the destiny of victims of war

With the testimony of Adis, I can conclude that photography can help people who experience misfortune get access to certain things that may be not material but will definitely improve their quality of life.

Victims can be portrayed with heart and soul

Many of the photographs in the book “Vidas Minadas – 10 Años” show people who have made their lives great even after tragedies with land mines.

Reading is everything and gear is irrelevant

He loves to read. Thanks to this, he is more informed about things that are happening around the world. And his position towards gear is simple, he doesn’t give cameras and lenses any more importance beyond being a tool of work.

Two important works that we can see from Gervasio are Vidas Minadas (Mined Lives) and Desaparecidos (Disappeared). These two long-term projects are centered on two edges of the atrocities of war with the eyes and soul that only his approach can reproduce.

Vidas Minadas is a tribute to all the victims of the landmines and to the people who have fiercely been fighting to achieve landmine  prohibition. This work shows in a subtle way, without any ostentation or exaggeration, the most powerful anti-war images of our time. He has been documenting the life of 12 landmine victims for more than 10 years, and he plans to continue this registry until his last days.

For Gervasio the subject of those who have disappeared is perhaps the most important to document. He understands that the unknown destiny of these loved ones are a frequent source of distress for those who continue to wait for them. This refers to his ideology around historical dates and statistics. Wars don’t end when a date is made official in history, wars end when people find their missing ones, alive or dead.

If you are able to understand Spanish, you can see this documentary that was made in Spain. And even if you cannot understand Spanish, why not watch it to get a better grasp on Gervasio’s work?

Gervasio, thanks a lot man for sharing your vision and for being a truly committed photographer with an admirable way of telling the stories of our world.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Sourced by Time Trap Photography sharing the best photography tips, news and tricks throughout the industry. Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come. - Shannon Bourque
Please visit our main site for booking availability and rates.

Receive valuable industry knowledge delivered free to your email each day.

Photographing in the manual mode allows you complete control over the photographic process and all the camera settings. Shutter speed, in particular, is one setting that allows you to explore a lot of creative ways to capture photos.

While fast shutter speed is great to freeze motion, slow shutter speed can capture motion in remarkable ways. In this post, we'll look at seven creative effects that you can achieve using slow shutter speed or long exposures.

If long exposure photography interests you, and you want to learn how to create magical long exposure shots, do take a look at Kent DuFault's guide to long exposure photography. But for now, let's see what you can do with long exposures! Do give these ideas a try.

Photo by Phil Dolby

Photo by james j8246

Photo by Syuqor Aizzat

You can read more about capturing light trails here.

Photo by Samuel Sharpe

Photo by Andrés Nieto Porras

Photo by Powderruns

To learn more about capturing silky water, check out the post here.

Photo by Brian Tomlinson

Photo by Jerry Kirkhart

Photo by Aaron Bauer

Read here to get started with light painting.

Photo by Richard Walker

Photo by Jonathan Combe

Photo by Nikos Koutoulas

Read the post here to learn more about capturing clouds.

Photo by Dave Doe

Photo by European Southern Observatory

Photo by Mike Lewinski

Learn how to photograph star trails here.

Photo by Dragan

Photo by Damianos Chronakis

Photo by Vinoth Chandar

To learn more about panning, check out this post.

Photo by Beat Tschanz

Photo by Tuncay

Get Started With Long Exposure Photography

Long exposure photography is a simple technique that can make your photos stand out. If it interests you, and you want to learn how to create magical long exposure shots, do check out Kent DuFault's 119-page comprehensive guide that will teach you everything you need to know about long exposure photography. Click here now to check it out.

The following two tabs change content below.

Ritesh Saini

Ritesh has been photographing for about seven years now and his photographic interests have varied from nature and landscapes to street photography. You can see his photography on Flickr or on his website.

Latest posts by Ritesh Saini (see all)

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Sourced by Time Trap Photography sharing the best photography tips, news and tricks throughout the industry. Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come. - Shannon Bourque
Please visit our main site for booking availability and rates.

Receive valuable industry knowledge delivered free to your email each day.