Photography Tips and Techniques

[Tyger]

I though i'd start a thread for any tips and techniques you may have and want to share. IT would be a plus if you added pics along with the text.

So don't be shy i know there are quite a few tips out there:)

[Tyger]

Program Needed: Photoshop 7 (can be done in Photoshop 5, 7, CS, CS2)

A few people have asked about the framing i do for my pictures so i thought i'd do a mini tutorial for it. It is very easy to do and can be done in many ways, but here's one way of doing it.

-In photoshop i copied the layer of the original photo and placed that layer as the top layer.
-Using the guides to outline the frame i used the square selection tool to select the outline of the frame.
- With the selection still active delete that selection ,
-with the selection still active do a reverse selection by pressing ctrl+shift+I, this will highlight the frame border.
- Add a gaussion blur to your liking and if you like you can adjust the colour, saturation etc.
- with the selection still active do a reverse selection by pressing ctrl+shift+I,
- With the selection still active create a stroke, go under edit-stroke, i used 5px and whitew colour, but you can do what you like here.
-Adjust the original image which should be on the bottom layer accordingly, whether you want to move it, scale etc.

and voila!

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6094/statue6mm.jpg

Frame-top layer
http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/9343/picture14qe.jpg


Original Picture-bottom layer
http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/2580/picture20qt.jpg

[fredrich]

The most important secrets of digital photography revealed: Always make sure you have enough battery power and memory capacity, and always bring your equipment. If not, you might end up hurting yourself in frustration over a great motive. (I stood about 2 m from a moose without camera (which was in a cabin a couple of hundred m away), so I know what I am talking about).

[Tyger]

Masking Technique: Black and White photos with a touch of colour.

http://www.monzoncreative.com/image002.jpg



Program used: Adobe Photoshop 7


If you are anything like me, I love black and white pictures. Depending on the picture, a black and white photo can give a picture a different characteristic. Inspired by many shots I’ve seen which had a touch of colour on a black and white image I decided to experiment with different masking techniques to get the look and feel that I wanted.

This tutorial is very easy to follow and can be done by anyone who is familiar with Photoshop.

For this tutorial I will use one of my wedding photos, and it is a good excuse to show of my beautiful wife!

At this point I won’t get into adjusting levels and curves and fixing over or under exposed images. I will presume that these things have been done already. Now let’s get to the steps involved to get this effect.


The first thing we have to do is copy the original image onto a new layer and name them respectively. I named them “original colour” and “black and white”.

Now, with the new layer created, we need to make it black and white. You can do this a number of ways but the easiest way for this tutorial is to go under Image> Adjustments> Hue and saturation. Simply grab the saturation slider and decrease the saturation all the way until your image is black and white. You results will be one coloured layer, and one black and white layer (seen below), with the black and white layer at the top (seen below).

http://www.monzoncreations.com/image004.jpg http://www.monzoncreations.com/image006.jpg
http://www.monzoncreations.com/image007.jpg

[Tyger]

Now here’s where it gets fun and you will be surprised how easy it is.

With the b&w layer selected go under Layer> add layer mask> reveal all.
Make sure you are on the b&w layer and select the eraser tool. Select a soft brush, depending on your picture the brush size may vary. For this I used a 40px brush and later decreased the size which we will get into later. Set the opacity to 35%.

http://www.monzoncreative.com/image009.jpg


Make sure that you are on the black and white layer and click on the mask layer so that it is highlighted.

http://www.monzoncreations.com/image011.jpg



Now, using the eraser tool, simply brush over the area you want color to show. For finer edges use a smaller brush size. It would be best to zoom in at the intended target.

http://www.monzoncreations.com/image013.jpg

Some of you might be wondering, “why not just use the eraser tool instead of using the mask?” Well you can do it that way, but the one of the benefits of using a mask for this technique is that the original photo won’t be affected. So if you ever have to go back to the original, you could always discard the layer mask.


After you have gone over all the areas you wanted colored….that’s it! Your results will be a Black and white photo, with a hint of color!

http://www.monzoncreations.com/image015.jpg


**EDIT**

After fooling around with other masking techniques i found an alternate method to this, similar steps.

1 – Duplicate background layer.
2a – Add a Hue/Saturation layer and adjust saturation to -100. There are 2 windows on this layer. Click on the solid white box of this layer.
Or 2b - Go to Image/Adjustments/Hue Saturation and take saturation down to -100. Click on add layer mask at the bottom. Click on the white solid box.
3 – Press D (for default colors), then X to set the foreground color to black.
4 – Select a soft brush of appropriate size and flow to 10% or less. This way you can build up a little at a time. Brush where you want the color to come thru. If you mess up, press X to set the foreground to white and repaint. The desat comes back thru.

[Roo-1]

Photography tips...not Photoshop tips LOL!

• Rule of thirds.....don't center everything...sometimes centering works, and sometimes dividing the scene into thirds and not centering lends more power

• When photographing children get right down to thier level...lay on your belly to get that shot...

• It's all about the light....bright afternoon light is too harsh, wait for early morning or just before dusk when the light is best

• ISOLATE!....you see something..look closer. Find something unique about that tree or flower or whatever...

• Those round sliver lights with the clamp that you stick a bulb in that sell for like 3 bucks at the hardware store make decent lights. Try a bulb that throws of white light or soft light, like those funky shaped energy saver bulbs.

• Foam core, poster board, and laminate make good backdrops. Also check e-bay. I just bought an awesome 6'X9' hand painted muslin backdrop from ebay cheap.

• Portraits...get catchlights in the eyes!

• Experiment with aperture and shutter speeds for creative shots.

• Use a tripod, especially with macro shots

• On camera flash always sucks

• No reflector to bounce light with? Use a mirror.

• This is one I have fun with. In the photo below I used the wrong light balance setting. The old teapot is actually silver, but using the wrong white balance gave me a nice warm effect.

http://www.sapphirestudios.net/albums/stilllife/toplesspot.jpg

[Tyger]

i haven't used cs so it may be different. But i'm sure that's good to know for those using CS. You learn something everyday:)

[Tyger]

The following tips and techniques are courtesty of the folks over at Photography Corner (http://www.photographycorner.com/index.php)
Thanx to Tim Walker for his permission to link these tutorials.


Finding Black, White, and Gray Points in Photoshop CS (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-bwg-points.php)

Basic JPEG Compression in Photoshop (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-compressing-photos.php)

Easy Portrait Softening in Photoshop (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-soft-focus-portraits.php)

Digital Sepia Toning in Photoshop (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-digital-sepia-toning.php)

Photographing with Chroma Backgrounds (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-chroma-backgrounds.php)

Adding a Neutral Density Filter Effect in Photoshop (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-neutral-density-filter.php)

Bringing Back Colors in the Sky with Photoshop (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-color-sky-ps.php)

Adding Detail to Bland Skies in Photoshop (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-detailed-skies.php)

Creating a Signature Stamp in Photoshop (http://www.photographycorner.com/photography-signature-stamp-ps.php)

[Tyger]

Found this on another forum, good info and very informative.

Seven considerations when buying glass (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=97056)

Courtesy of Peter Doomen

[Tyger]

you can try a technique i use for dull nature pics...

Try it, here's a crash course....

get a flower, plant pic that is a little dull.
go into image>adjustments>channel mixer

and first adjust the "output channel:Red" adjust the red slider to 144, blue -22, green -22.

Do the same for the "Blue output channel" and "green output channel" with the same settings, so it would be

OUTPUT CHANNEL RED
source channels:RED:144
Blue: -22
Green:-22


OUTPUT CHANNEL GREEN
source channels:RED:-22
Blue: -22
Green:144


OUTPUT CHANNEL BLUE
source channels:RED:-22
Blue: 144
Green: -22


Now go either into curves and adjust accordingly, using the "S" points. or simply use the levels and adjust the sliders.

Give it a go and see what you come up with. This techniques gives it a "film" look.

Also if it looks too saturated, just use lower numbers.
__________________



here's an example of what i do in post processing. I always set my camera settings to "0" that's colour settings, saturation etc. Only because i like to be in control of the outcome. Depending on what i'm shooting i almost always use this method. If i were to set the settings to get in camera processing the results are pretty good as well.

Before post processing.

http://www.monzoncreative.com/cat11.jpg

After PP

http://www.monzoncreative.com/cat2.jpg

the after i cropped, and used the method above to get some punchier colour and a tad of USM in PS.

So that's a sneak peak of my method to this madness:)

[pjmorley]

This is just a quick and easy way to get convincing black and white images. You could set it up as an action in Photoshop and it's much more effective than simply desaturating an image.

Rather than desturate, use the channel mixer with the following values. After ticking 'monochrome' set the sliders to the following

Red +100
Green +50
Blue -50

The following images demonstrate the difference..

Here is the original colour image

http://www.microstockphoto.com/lores/colour.jpg


Now the image with simple destauration..

http://www.microstockphoto.com/lores/desat.jpg

And finally, the image with channel adjustments which looks much better I'm sure you'll agree....

http://www.microstockphoto.com/lores/channel.jpg

[Tyger]

Working With Under Exposed Images.
( by Ermin Monzon)


Correct exposure can sometimes be tricky, and from time to time we can run into less than ideal situations. Whether it’s poor lighting conditions, weather or incorrect exposure. Whatever the case may be, because of today’s technology we can work with our digital images thanks to programs like Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and the like.

Here’s a quick and easy method on how to work with underexposed images, using Photoshop 7. This is a very basic method for those people who are unfamiliar with using curves and levels.


Step 1


Open your underexposed image.

http://www.monzoncreative.com/tutorials/underex1.jpg


Step 2


In the layers palette duplicate the image by pressing CMD (PC Control) + J.

http://www.monzoncreative.com/tutorials/underex2.jpg

Step 3


In the layers palette change the blending mode from Normal to Screen.

http://www.monzoncreative.com/tutorials/underex3.jpg

Instantly you will see your image brighten. Continue to duplicate the layers until you get the exposure you desire. For this particular picture I only duplicated the layer twice to get the correct exposure.

http://www.monzoncreative.com/tutorials/underex4.jpg

[Tyger]

Step 4 (option)

If you find the image to be too bright simply decrease the opacity setting. Flatten the image by going into Layer>Flatten Image.

http://www.monzoncreative.com/tutorials/underex5.jpg

There is no replacement for proper exposure, but sometimes certain conditions are not favorable and whether your camera limits you, or you are just learning about correct exposure, or you simply did not use the correct settings, this method is easy enough to work with underexposed images.

I hope you have enjoyed this quick and easy method to digitally work with underexposed images.

[kerrysmagicshirt]

Erm this is all photoshop stuff, I'm pretty o fey (SP?) with photoshop but was hoping for some photography tips - there was some good stuff covered there by Roo-1.
I have only recently developed an interest in taking photographs, I took part in an intence begginers course that lasted a day - boy did we cram a lot in. Unfortuanatly because it was so intence i have come away a little confused about some issues.

I have a Fujifilm F401 which I am well aware is quite a way off professional photographer standards.

I would like to ask about setting the white ballance - should i point it at a sheet of A4 white paper and press auto to set it?

You can alter the ISO but have been recommended to never go above 400 because of noise. I cannot alter the shutter speed or appature independantly but can change the EV. Can you reccomend when to increase or descrease the EV and to what effect.
All help and tips will be appreciated.

[nyc_skater]

KMS, the camera you mentioned is very limited in terms of manual controls. The EV setting stands for Exposure Value and is similar to Aperature on an SLR but how they do it digitaly on a camera like that is different. You can raise the iso real high if your shooting at night or say a band in a club, but yes, in general stay below 400. as far as white balance, i would let that camera do the work then adjust in ps since you know how.

If you want to further your creative work with photography, i would recomend trying to get an inexpensive film slr, that way you could learn how to use shutter speed with aperature...the two most commonly used creative controls on a manual camera.


Erm this is all photoshop stuff, I'm pretty o fey (SP?) with photoshop but was hoping for some photography tips - there was some good stuff covered there by Roo-1.
I have only recently developed an interest in taking photographs, I took part in an intence begginers course that lasted a day - boy did we cram a lot in. Unfortuanatlt because it was so intence i have come away a little confused about some issues.

I have a Fujifilm F401 which I am well aware is quite a way off professional photographer standards.

I would like to ask about setting the white ballance - should i point it at a sheet of A4 white paper and press auto to set it?

You cannot can alter the ISO but have beenrecommended to never go above 400 because of noise. I cannot alter the shutter speed or appature independantly but can change the EV. Can you reccomend when to increase or descrease the EV and to what effect.
All help and tips will be appreciated.

[kerrysmagicshirt]

cheers NYC - yeah i am learning quickly that the camera is very limited. at the mo i can't afford to splash out so a film SLR may well be the way to go.

To be honest though it does take some really nice shots but as for leaving the shutter open for effect etc. i can't do it.

In most cases i can do what i need to do in PS to get the requirerd effect. but it's not the same is it.
cheers for the advice dude.

[Mynock]

I'll show you how to quickly and easily color correct photos without getting to complicated. It works for the Photoshop gurus and all the way down to the Photoshop novices. I use it regularly and I'm somewhere in the middle.

Take this sample photo I took of a squirrel.

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7765/squirrel7hl.jpg

It's ok, but the colors aren't very rich. There is a slight color mask over it.

Go to Image> Adjustments > Levels and you should have something like this.

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3350/levels7yd.jpg

First we are going to use the eye droppers in the lower corner.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8513/dropper4yc.jpg

The first one is for the darkest region, second for you midtones, and lastly for you brightest white. We're going to use the darkest one and the lightest one.

Next you have to find what is suppose to be the whitest white in your photo and the darkest dark, like a shadow. We're going to use to remove the mask and set a "high" "low" for the picture.

For my photo the darkest black will be in the squirrel's eye and the white in the sky behind him.

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/4816/squirrel26kq.jpg

[Mynock]

Now, you just grab the first (black) eye dropper in the levels and click on your darkest dark. You do the reverse for the last (white) eye dropper. Click "OK" and BAM!

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4008/squirrel39ml.jpg

Photoshop did all the work for you. All you had to do was identify the darkest dark and the whitest white. The photo is richer and more crisp. It has alot more depth and it was quick and easy to remember unlike other methods. This method relies less on your feel or knowledge of color.

There are limitations to this method, but it is fairly powerful for the time it takes. You can run into problems where you don't have a good black or good white or both.

[fredrich]

Poor mans macro

You need:
- A digital compact camera
- A SLR-lens (preferable a 50mm)
- Some kind of home-made setup to make it stay in correct positions

On your compact camera, zoom as much as you can. Arrange the camera and the SLR-lens to be aligned so that the compact is "seeing" into the lens. The trick is to have the SLR-lens backwards when in front of the compact camera. Move your desired object against the 50mm rear end until it get's sharp.

It's over a year ago since I tested this, but it worked fine. I used a Canon Powershot A520 and an old Praktica 50mm lens. The images are resized and Unsharp Masked, unless other things are stated.

http://fredrich.monror.com/bilder/makro/makro_09.jpg
The side of a match box.

http://fredrich.monror.com/bilder/makro/makro_10.jpg
A pencil

http://fredrich.monror.com/bilder/makro/makro_16.jpg
A ruler.

http://fredrich.monror.com/bilder/makro/makro_16_02.jpg
100% crop of the image over.