The Benefits of Using a Tripod for Photography |  |
- The Benefits of Using a Tripod for Photography
- Portrait Photography Photoshop Tutorial: Skin Retouching
- Amazing High Speed Water Wig Photography Technique
- 10 Valuable Photography Studio Tips
| The Benefits of Using a Tripod for Photography Posted: 01 Jun 2013 02:12 AM PDT Camera technology has advanced so much that just about anyone can take good photos. (Not necessarily great photos–that has more to do with composition, subject matter, effective use of light and shadow, etc.) However, if there’s one item that helps in taking better shots, it’s the humble tripod. Many of us believe that a tripod is nothing but an extra item that helps us stop camera shake. With the high ISO capabilities and faster shutter speeds of new cameras, why do we need a tripod?  “La Tour Eiffel” captured by Jaideep Singh Rai. (Click image to see more from Jaideep Singh Rai.) The most obvious benefit of a tripod is that it affords stability to the camera and avoids camera shake by the operator in those situations where longer exposure times are necessary. Not many of us can hold a camera steady below a 1/60 of a second shutter speed, so we have no chance of avoiding camera shake when the exposure time could be seconds or minutes or sometimes hours in length. Examples of these times are:
We all like to produce photos that are as sharp as we can get them. The tripod assists in obtaining clear focus, especially if we use timer delays or remote shutter releases. Even pressing the shutter button can cause the camera to shake. Talking about timer delays, the tripod is a boon when making delayed action movies. Several hundred or thousand individual photos of an object are shot at predetermined intervals and run together to give those amazing movies of flowers opening, cloud movement or of decaying objects. The camera not only needs to be steady but to be in the same position for each shot. If you are taking panorama shots or action shots where a steady panning motion is needed, the tripod is a must. A tip I picked up along the way is to use a large elastic band on the arm of the tripod head. Pulling on the elastic band, when panning, reduces any jerkiness of movement which produces a good overall result. If you are into HDR shots, you will need a tripod for auto bracketing. This allows you to take several identical shots of the subject at different exposures. When you process the shots in your favourite image editing software, they can be combined to produce those wonderful shots where everything is dynamically exposed.  “Bridge to Cincy” captured by Fritz McCorkle. (Click image to see more from Fritz McCorkle.) I am an ardent macro photographer and there is nothing more frustrating than trying to get a really small subject, such as an insect, into focus. All too often, the insect’s eyes are in focus but other areas on the insect, which are marginally further away, are too blurry. To overcome this I use small aperture settings to give a large depth of field, which in turn means slower shutter speeds. A tripod comes in handy in these situations. I also use sliding bracket attachments where the camera sits on the bracket and where I can finely adjust the camera movement in two planes. I can produce some really finely focused images this way. One way that a tripod is useful, and not necessarily in an obvious way, is that it gives us time to compose our shots instead of taking instant hand held snap shots wherever we are. While this has its place in photography, we sometimes need to slow down, stand back and fine tune our composition to be able to produce dramatic landscapes, for example. Another less obvious use of a tripod is camera placement. Capturing low level shots or shots above eye level can be achieved with a tripod without having to lie on the ground or climb a step ladder. Tripods are also versatile in that they can double as light stands, microphone stands, or stands for reflectors or flash units. I have even heard of one photographer using a tripod as a weapon to defend himself from a vicious dog!  “MIlky Way Galaxy” captured by Xavier Dizon. (Click image to see more from Xavier Dizon.) A final note is that if you find the tripod a bit of an encumbrance to carry around, considered a monopod. These can double up as a walking stick and are nearly as good as tripods. There are other tripods on the market which fold down to the size of a ruler and snap open in the fixed leg position when needed. Tripods are a wonderful accompaniment to our camera equipment, and we should all be encouraged to make more use of them. About the Author: For Further Training on Advanced Tripod Usage:There is a new guide on Photo Magic that will explain and show you how to take some of the most difficult tripod involved shots. Special effects photography is the kind of non-photoshopped picture taking that makes onlookers wonder 'how did you do that?' The launch sale is going on here: New Photography Magic Guide Go to full article: The Benefits of Using a Tripod for Photography |
| Portrait Photography Photoshop Tutorial: Skin Retouching Posted: 31 May 2013 05:20 PM PDT One of the most fundamental and most utilized skills of retouching portrait images with Photoshop, is skin correction. Fine lines, discoloration, etc. are prominent, especially in closely framed shots, and they can make the subject feel insecure. The dilemma with skin retouching is that often the final product looks over-produced and fake. The goal is not to erase the subject’s personality but to highlight the best features by minimizing distracting shadows and lines. If there are specific areas you want to conceal, start by using the clone tool or spot healing brush on those places. Then, try this trick to achieve a soft, natural glow without turning the subject into a plastic doll.  “Photo Retouch” captured by Martin Gardner. (Click image to see more from Martin Gardner.) 1. Open image in Photoshop. 2. Click and hold ‘Command J‘ to create a new layer from the background or combine previous layers for a cohesive slate by holding, ‘Shift, Option, Command, E.’ 3. Click the ‘Filter‘ tab from the main toolbar and navigate to “Blur” → “Gaussian Blur” 4. When the pop-up box appears, make sure the preview screen is zoomed out enough to see your image. Increase the percentage blur until facial imperfections disappear, but not so much that facial feature distinction disappears. In most cases, I land somewhere between 18%-30%. 5. Click ‘OK.’ Your image now has a significant blur over it entirely. Don’t worry, we’re not done! At the bottom of your adjustments panel, click, ‘Add layer mask.’ A box will appear to the right of the blur layer. This is your mask. With the mask highlighted, click ‘Command I‘ to invert the box so that it is black and the image appears sharp again. 6. Select the brush tool and decrease the opacity slider in the layers panel to about 30-40%. This is up to your discretion, and it depends on the level of blur your want. For the most natural looking effects, I find that somewhere between 30-40% yields the best results for smoothing without looking overly retouched and allowing the skin’s natural texture to show. 7. Select a soft, round brush with 0% hardness and make it white. Zoom in on the features you want to smooth in your image (Command +) and with a small, circular brush tip, paint over the features. The areas you paint with the white brush will uncover the Gaussian blur on the black mask below your image. Only the parts you paint will reveal the softer texture, while the rest of the image remains sharp. 8. Once you are happy with the results, zoom out (Command -) and start a new layer to continue your edits (Shift, Option, Command, E). Watch the following video for a visual tutorial of a similar skin retouching technique in Photoshop (for those of you reading this by email, the video tutorial can be seen here): I use this technique for editing almost all my close up portraits and often for wedding photography, as well. It is especially flattering, and once you get used to the process, it takes only 1-2 minutes! I hope it works for you as well! About the Author: Go to full article: Portrait Photography Photoshop Tutorial: Skin Retouching |
| Amazing High Speed Water Wig Photography Technique Posted: 31 May 2013 12:38 PM PDT The first things you’re probably wondering is, “What exactly is a water wig?” To best answer that question, ask photographer Tim Tadder about his latest high-speed photography project. Tadder’s images are based on a simple idea, yet a very technically challenging process. His goal is to photograph his subjects as a water balloon bursts on top of their head, making it look like a kind of abstract hairdoo. The technical hurdles Tadder faces are many, but when done correctly, his results are stunning (for those of you reading this by email, the video can be seen here): Tadder certainly creates some unique and incredible images, but it’s not all easy. Timing is crucial to Tadder’s photography. Each image is lit solely with high-speed strobes. This means that the studio has to be completely dark when the shot takes place. The flashes are triggered by a microphone that pick up the pop of the balloon as it begins to burst. The balloons are typically popped by a thumbtack or sometimes simply dropping them on the model’s head. Needless to say, all of this must go perfectly in order to get a suitable shot.  The entire image is lit by strobes so the studio must be completely dark when the water balloons pop. However, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes the flash doesn’t go off. Sometimes the water balloon pops before it ever gets to the model. But when everything comes together, the resulting images are beautiful. Persistence is critical to achieve great results in a project as complex as this. For further training, some chapters cover high speed photography in the new: Photo Magic Guide Go to full article: Amazing High Speed Water Wig Photography Technique |
| 10 Valuable Photography Studio Tips Posted: 31 May 2013 10:37 AM PDT Many photographers know how to use their camera and their lights, but not all will know the ins and outs of working in a studio. There are several little things to know that will save you time and create a safe environment to work in. So whether you’re working as a studio assistant or you have a studio of your own, make sure you know these 10 helpful tricks (for those of you reading this by email, the video can be seen here): Breakdown of the Ten Tips to Help in the Studio:
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