Best Luminar organizational practices by Mike Hagen leads off this edition of the Wrap-Up, followed by tips on photographing wildlife in captivity from Jason Hahn. Michael Muraz goes into the business of licensing photography for office murals, Levi Sim weighs in on “chimping” and digital tech guru Mykii Lui explains multicore support for Lightroom.
The Weekly Wrap-Up features a few of the posts from these last 7 days on Photofocus. Enjoy!
Best organizational practices for Luminar 3 catalogs - In addition to being an excellent image post processing tool, Skylum’s Luminar 3 is also a digital asset management tool. As with any photo organization tool, users should put some thought into the organization of the images on their hard drive before getting too far along with the software. A poorly-organized hard drive can make finding and working on your photographs a nightmare. One of the neat things about the new version of Luminar is that it combines many of the best features of a browser and a catalog into one software package. This combination of features means that you can easily organize images inside or outside of Luminar 3. File organization Before getting started with any photo organization software, the most important thing you can do is to organize your files on your hard drive in a logical way that makes sense to you. I recommend first setting up your file structure then importing your images into the Luminar 3 library. Since everybody’s brain works differently, don’t feel like you have to follow my personal system for file structure and folder organization. Rather, I encourage you to develop your own that functions well for your workflow. I personally use a folder structure organized by years, with subfolders labeled with download date and text describing the content within the folder. For example: 2019 190101_New_Years_Party 190112_Jackson_Fundraiser 190131_Tanzania_Ngorongoro 190201_Tanzania_Serengeti 190202_Tanzania_Serengeti 190204_Amsterdam 190210_Sam_Smith_Birthday I’ve been working with digital asset management systems for decades and have even written a book on the topic. Over the years I’ve coached photographers to use organizational systems based around all kinds of concepts. For example, a wedding photographer might organize based on date and client name. A travel photographer might organize based on continent, country and city/region. An amateur photographer might organize based on subjects like children, trips and events. A stock photographer might simply organize in dated folders, then make significant use of keywords. Your goal should be to develop the system that works for you, then stick with it. Every time you photograph an event or a trip, make sure your images go into the same organizational file structure that you set up for all the other images in your archive. Another point I should make is I’ve found that the key to success in a file organization system is to use an approach that is independent of the software you are using. Photographers need to make sure that their organizational structure works with whatever software the future holds. Luminar 3 is a catalog and browsing tool As I mentioned in the opening paragraphs, the cool thing about Luminar 3 is that it is a hybrid of a catalog and a browser. The catalog functionality of the software stores information (metadata) about the images separately from the individual files and allows you to search and sort regardless of how the images are physically organized. The browser functionality of the software allows you to work outside of the program to do things like move folders or add/delete images with other software. Because of this unique functionality, you can use Luminar 3 to organize, add, remove or relocate folders and images. Alternately, if you find yourself browsing your files using something like Mac Finder, Windows Explorer or any other browsing software, then Luminar 3 automatically tracks those changes (as long as the files were moved inside folders that Luminar 3 is already tracking). Since Luminar 3 works directly with the actual folders on your hard drive, any and all changes to your folders or files are immediately updated both in the catalog and on the hard drive. Moving images from one folder to another inside Luminar 3 means you are actually moving them on the hard drive. Luminar 3 scans the folders you’ve previously added to its catalog so that if you move, change, or edit files outside of the program, it will properly update them inside the program. This means that Luminar 3 stays in sync with your hard drives without a lot of fuss. Contrast this with Lightroom Classic, where you have to be very careful about moving folders and files outside of the program. Most Lightroom users try to do everything inside of the program or they risk losing track of the images inside of its catalog. Since any organization that happens inside or outside Luminar 3 stays coordinated with the software you can work on a photo in Photoshop and then save it back to a folder that is already in the Luminar 3 catalog. Luminar 3 will automatically notice the new or changed image and add it to the catalog. In this way, the catalog is behaving like a browser such as Photo Mechanic, Adobe Bridge, Mac Finder or Windows Explorer. Folders vs. albums Luminar 3 gives you a couple of different ways to group and organize your photos: Folders and albums. As mentioned above, folders are a mirror-image of the folder structure on your hard drive. Folders are where images are actually stored. Albums on the other hand are virtual organizational tools that allow you to add images from any folder into a common group. For example, you could create an album of images of your daughter where the images were from multiple years. Or, you could create an album of big cats from different wildlife safaris. This functionality is almost identical to collections in Lightroom. How do edits impact files? All edits and modifications in Luminar 3 are non-destructive. This means that the adjustments you make to your images are actually stored in the catalog database. In this way, Luminar 3 is behaving like a catalog tool. Importing images vs. adding folders There are two main approaches to adding images to Luminar 3. The first is by importing images and the second is by adding folders. Importing images physically moves files from their current location to a new location that you specify. For example, you’ll use this method to move photographs from a memory card to your hard drive. During
Photography tips for zoos, wildlife sanctuaries and rescues - For many people, the opportunity to observe and photograph the beauty and behavior of animals like wolves, raptors, and big cats in the wild is limited by many factors, including the scarcity of these animals and the need for massive lenses to observe them from great distances. For many of us, our local wildlife preserves, zoos and other environmental education centers, provide good, and in some cases the only, opportunity to see and photograph many species of animals. Having worked with a variety of nonprofit zoos, animal rescues and sanctuaries, here are some things to keep in mind when at these locations to make great shots. Author’s note Please note, this article is not about the ethics of whether zoos or preserves should exist, or your personal feelings toward them. Personally, I work only with nonprofit organizations, with a stated mission that involves conservation, rescue and/or education, where proceeds from my photography permit fees or workshops help support this mission. While I wish we lived in a world where there was not a need to have these places, the simple fact of the matter is, we do. And will continue to as long as there is habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, and a view that the Earth is a limitless resource to be exploited. Extinction is forever. Zoos, preserves and rescues help hold extinction at bay in very tangible ways. Backgrounds One of the more challenging issues of shooting at a preserve or zoo can be finding uncluttered backgrounds free of man-made objects. Even at locations where animals have open acres to roam, your angles of shooting may bring fences and structures into the backgrounds of your images. When composing your images, look at your background first, and be alert for little things that can distract from your subject and composition. Fences in particular, even if out of focus, have such distinct lines and patterns that they can easily pull your eye from your subject. Little adjustments left or right and up or down are often all it takes to move a distracting background element out of your image. Elevation Over the past few decades zoos in particular have worked to change their enclosures so we no longer look down at the animals, but are instead at eye level with them. Avoid situations where you’re shooting down from a height, photographing from eye level makes your images more intimate and compelling. Light With many locations you are limited by their operating hours which may not coincide with the warm light of early or late day. If you visit at midday many animals will be resting out of the sun, which will limit your photo opportunities. Light may also cast shadows through fences on to the animals you are photographing. When planning your visit try to visit early or late, or if you have flexibility in your dates, wait for a slightly overcast day. The overcast light will reduce the contrast and harsh shadows in your images. Look for shadows from fences or other structures, and try to avoid having these cross your subject or interfere with your composition. Follow the rules Not that I think any of our readers would ever do it, but having worked at both zoos and state parks once upon a time, I have seen many people ignore signs, cross fences or climb barriers to take pictures. NEVER do this! No pictures are worth your life or the animals’, and, believe me I have seen some pretty close calls. If you are on a tour of an animal preserve listen to your guide, they know the animals, are very familiar with their body language and mood and have your safety and the animals first in mind. Also check their rules for photography — some may restrict commercial use of photos taken on their property or require you to obtain a permit or pass. So try to take some time out of your schedule to visit and support your local preserve, rescue or zoo. From a photography standpoint, these are great places to learn and practice, giving you time to think through settings and compositions. Even if you don’t take a single picture, spend some time experiencing their educational programs, learn about their animals, and see what you can do to help support their conservation efforts.
Licensing images for murals in commercial and office spaces - In the past few years, I had several inquiries from companies who wanted to license my images for murals in commercial or office spaces. Since it’s a pretty specific use, I thought some of you might be interested in the process. First, in those situations, let me explain how licensing works. I licensed the right for my client to use a high-resolution file to create a print for a mural. I’m not handling the printing and the only thing they can do with the image is print it once. Those terms are highlighted in a contract that the client has to sign before getting the image file. So, after they inquire about licensing the image, I usually ask about the size of the mural and where it will be. The bigger the print, the more expensive my fee will be. The location matters too. In the images above, the mural is in the kitchen space of a corporate office. It’s more of an artistic print meant to hide what’s behind the window. In the example below, the mural is the first thing you see when you get to the Skydeck, the observatory at the top of the Willis Tower in Chicago. It’s public-facing, so it’s commercial use and I will charge more. How much should you charge? Good question, to which I don’t have a straight answer. It depends on the factors I mentioned above and it can go from a few hundred dollars to several thousand of dollars (or even more if you’re lucky). I often use FotoQuote as a reference. It’s not very expensive, and well worth the cost if you license a lot of work. Your next question is probably about image resolution. Obviously, with massive prints like the Skydeck one, most cameras won’t have enough resolution to produce a print that holds up when you get close. But it’s not an issue, as the print is meant to be seen from a few feet away so you can see the whole thing. I use Photoshop to resize the file to the client’s resolution and usually don’t have issues. This image was shot with a 16MP camera and the print is 20-by-8 feet. While licensing images isn’t my main source of income, it is nice to have a few of those come in each year as a bonus. If you have any questions, just add a comment or reach out directly!
Portrait Tips: Make pictures now, chimp later - With visions of Joe McNally’s firetruck portraits in mind, I set out on a ride-along with the Salt Lake City Fire Department. Now, I didn’t get to rig lights outside the truck, and I wasn’t driving at night through Times Square, but I was hopeful that I might see a picture worth making. Find a vision My vision for this portrait appeared in my mind really quickly, and I had about the same amount of time to execute it. As we drove, I noticed the colorful autumn leaves outside the truck, and I realized that if we turned east then the sun would be in a great position to backlight my firefighter. Furthermore, if I used a small aperture I’d get two benefits: A starburst on the sun and a slow shutter speed to blur the outdoor scene. You can quickly have a vision for a portrait. The more you make pictures, the more ready you’ll be to make a picture on the spur of the moment. You’ll be ready with the settings that will probably work so you can shoot quickly. Shoot now, chimp later Once I had the idea for my picture, I got the camera set and then started shooting, and kept shooting. There was no time to stop and look at the pictures and see what I might tweak to perfect it because any second now the truck would turn and the sun would be gone, or the colorful trees would pass. When you have a quick opportunity to make a picture, make the picture, and then keep making it. Stop and look at your pictures when the time has passed. It’s better to make a picture that may not be perfect than to miss the chance altogether because you’re looking at your LCD. Portrait Tips come out each week, and you can see them all right here.
Did Adobe actually add functional multicore support for Lightroom Classic? - So here I am at 11 p.m. organizing some images after upgrading my Lightroom Classic to 8.3, and I see on the top of my Mac’s menu bar a giant block of blue. You see, I’m running a little tool called iStat Menu, a hardware monitoring tool that shows nerds, like myself, temperatures, CPU activity, Read/write speeds and so forth. On that wonderful menu bar, I see all 20 threads of my Mac Pro’s processor being used. I scrambled for a bit as I tried to recall what I had Lightroom do — I had moved a bunch of images, moved catalogs around, cleared previews and eventually tasked it to build standard previews for about 2500 raw pictures. That … that right there was what was setting off all the cpu threads! Look at that screenshot. Lightroom is using 1919.2% of the available 2000% (100% x 20 threads)!? I got so excited that I ended up texting my local photographer’s group chat right away … and yeah, that was around 11 p.m. Has Adobe finally improved performance in Lightroom Classic in this update? I honestly can’t tell since I’ve made so many changes to my personal library. I’ve moved all my working photos onto a 2TB RAID 0 portable SSD hard drive along with a Lightroom Catalog — risky, I know, so thankfully it makes a backup copy straight to my aging Drobo 5D. With those changes, I can’t really tell how much performance is being gained — but I will say that it did pretty dang well in my opinion with 2500 standard images, as it finished in just under 15 minutes. What do you think? Did Lightroom finally speed up for you, or is it just taking more resources? Let’s discuss this and let Adobe know about the performance we’ve been demanding!
