This is the last full week of 2019. We usher out the year with articles on the iPhone, what to do with that new camera and more. Happy almost new year.
This week, we kicked off 2020 with some New Year’s resolution advice from Scott Wyden Kivowitz, and looked back at 2019 with my Photofocus Rewind piece. Rich Harrington kicked off his 31-day series on resolutions for 2020, while Lauri Novak walked us through refreshing our business presence. Finally, Julie Powell showed us the power of AI Sky Replacement in Luminar 4.
Make your resolution to improve your photography - I’d like to take a moment and provide you with some simple wisdom. With the New Year around the corner, your resolution can be improving your photography. Watch this video and learn how to do just that. Feature Photo by Fidel Fernando on Unsplash
Photofocus Rewind: 2019 in review - Before we celebrate the big ball drop tonight, I wanted to take a look back at what 2019 was like for photographers. While the year as a whole showed a downturn in camera sales — with a report by LensVid showing the market has collapsed by 84% since 2010 — camera manufacturers pressed on. And going into 2020, I’m pretty happy with the direction the industry is going, even though lower sales will surely continue in today’s smartphone era. January With every new year comes excitement about what’s next for the photography industry. Olympus took the first jump, announcing the OM-D E-M1X camera body. While it was received with mixed reviews from users due to its large size, the camera filled a hole in Olympus’ lineup and put itself up against the major camera brands. Offering a pro-level feature set, the E-M1X has since become my camera of choice. Sony also announced the a6400, with Real-time Eye autofocus, while ON1 released Photo RAW 2019.2, which added an AI Quick Mask tool. We also got our hands on the new Lume Cube Air, a small, portable LED light that could be used virtually anywhere. Levi Sim also walked us through the new Photomerge: HDR Panorama tool in Lightroom, while Michele Grenier combined Luminar 3 and Aurora HDR 2019 for a photo editing superpower! Top article: The advantage of Auto ISO, by Mike Hagen February During February, the Photofocus team took our annual trip to Las Vegas for our team retreat ant the WPPI Conference & Expo. While there, Vanelli gave us a first look at Aircam. Also in February, Adobe released a Lightroom update that brought the Enhance Details feature to the software, which let users increase the resolution of photos by up to 30 percent. LUMIX also gave a sneak peek of its upcoming full-frame S series cameras. Finally, Canon released the EOS RP, one of our top cameras for 2019. Top article: How to use the whites & blacks sliders in Lightroom, by Kevin Ames March Fuji kicked off March with the X-T30, an update to its bestselling X-T20 camera for enthusiasts. Offering a 26.1MP APS-C format, the X-T30 got positive reviews thanks to its quick and precise autofocus system. LUMIX also released its first array into the full-frame mirrorless world, with the S1 and S1R. Also in March, Skylum introduced its AirMagic software for drone and aerial photographers, and Vanelli finished up his WPPI coverage with interviews with Olympus and Fuji. I also got a first look at the Alter Rapid Filter System, one of my favorite accessories for photo and video shooters. Finally, Michael Muraz finished up his series on Facebook advertising. Top article: My move to mirrorless, by Scott Wyden Kivowitz April While there were no big camera releases in April, there was a ton of great content on Photofocus. Michele Grenier told us about her journey to mirrorless, ultimately deciding on the Sony a9. On the software side, Skylum released an update to Luminar 3 that brought a revamped Accent AI tool to the software, while ON1 introduced Photo RAW 2019.5 with some organizational and editing enhancements. EyeQ also announced it had acquired Athentech, maker of Perfectly Clear. Finally, Skylum announced Luminar Flex, a plugin that brought the powerful editing features from Luminar 3 to users who wanted to retain their current workflow of Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Aperture and Photos for Mac. Top article: Getting Samsung’s 860 QVO solid state hard drive is a no brainer, by Mykii Liu May On May 2, a lot of photographers were caught off-guard when Adobe removed the $9.99 Photography plan from its website. According to the company, the changes was due to testing on Adobe.com that limited plan items from being shown. Eventually, the plan was re-added to the website. Wacom also introduced a small version of its popular Wacom Intuos Pro tablet, while Olympus celebrated 100 years in business. Adobe also released an update to the Lightroom ecosystem, bringing the Texture slider, contextual help and tutorials to the platform. On Photofocus, Julie Powell wrote a series of articles about summer photography fun with kids, including everything from Popsicles to water balloons. You can see the entire series here. Bob Coates also walked us through hiking gear while photographing wildflowers. Top article: Did Adobe actually add multicore support for Lightroom Classic?, by Mykii Liu June Drones were a highlight in June, with Chris Anson reviewing the Autel Evo drone. Lume Cube also released its STROBE anti-collision drone lights, which can be easily attached to a drone with 3M Dual Lock technology. The Photofocus team also had a ton of fun in June, trying out different creative lenses and techniques. Levi Sim reviewed the Lensbaby Edge 35, a lens that alters the plane of focus you see. I had a ton of fun in North Carolina with the Olympus 8mm f/1.8 fisheye lens, as I went back to Duke University to photograph some of my favorite sights from my first visit in 2017. Finally, Bob Coates gave us some customization advice for our cameras. Top article: Save money; buy cheap hard drives for your backup solution, by Vanelli July We kicked off July with a bang, quite literally. Michael Muraz showed us how to combine fireworks with architecture in photography, while Mike Hagen gave us some out-of-the-box, creative techniques for capturing the big light show. We kept the excitement going, with a brand-new Photofocus website, too! Erin Holmstead also told a compelling story about how her dream client quickly became her nightmare. In terms of camera releases, Fuji’s GFX 100 certainly hit the medium format world by storm. With 100MP and uncropped 4K video, Fuji definitely upped the ante for medium format manufacturers. Finally, Sony’s new a7R IV was announced, featuring a whopping 61-megapixel sensor, making it the highest resolution full-frame camera presently on the market. Top article: Make your own extremely fast and portable SSD hard drive, by Mykii Liu August With new drone regulation laws in effect,
New Year resolutions for photographers — let’s get to work! - Happy New Year! Introducing a new series from our publisher, Rich Harrington. He wants to challenge you to make bigger New Year resolutions for a more successful year. A new year is upon us and I had some creative ideas that I wanted to share or more appropriately some practical ideas for creative people (or resolutions if you prefer). I spent a lot of 2019 talking to folks at conferences, events through our websites that we run, and I constantly heard from creative professionals and aspiring professionals how they were struggling. Artists who just couldn’t find new inspiration and people who were feeling the economic crunch or questioning whether they should change careers. Thirty-one ideas for a great year! Well, I sat down and tried to think up some of the most practical advice that I can offer so you could have a more successful and a more creative new year. So let’s jump in and start to explore these. New Year's Resolutions for Creative Professionals from Richard Harrington Technology is a big part of the problem Now, one of the things that stands out to me is that it has really become obvious that technology is getting in the way. Those of you who know me may find this statement kind of odd because I work with a lot of tech. I love technology and I think it is a great tool, but Einstein wasn’t too far off here when he said that technology has exceeded our humanity and what this is really leading to is that we have to find balance. Our tools are there to serve us. If your tools are getting in the way or you don’t feel comfortable with them, you lack the technical knowledge, then it’s impeding your creativity and don’t just do something because the tool can do it. Find a reason and find something that you want to create. Keep in mind, I really like technology. I find it incredibly useful, but technology is not always going to be the answer. While I’m well known for recording technical videos about how to do things with different software applications or with your camera for photography or video, today we’re going to talk about technology that much. There’s some technology woven in here, but there’s a lot of practical advice about business, about life and about creativity. So technology is not the answer. Really. Technology is just another word for tool, and as an artist or a creative person, you need to use as many tools as possible to unlock your creativity, to capture it and to share what’s beautiful in your mind. Dig in and set goals You have to choose though what’s right for you, and that’s why I’m going to offer you 31 different ideas. The first month of the new year has 31 days so that you can consider one of these on each day. I’ll release this video all at once, and I’m also going to release it in little daily snippets because a lot of creative folks don’t have the attention span to make it through the entire video in one sitting, but ultimately you have to decide which of these ideas work for you and make some real-world changes. If you want to thrive and grow. I know this is long, but it is genuine and helpful. Try and listen and then create your own New Year resolutions. Here are 31 things that I think you can do for a more successful 2020. I want you to make a change and implement at least 10 of these in the first quarter and there’s no cheating if you’ve already done some of these, pick ten new ones. Please share your thoughts and the comments below. What are your New Year resolutions? And here’s a hint. I have a gift for you if you watch it to the end.
One touch sky replacement in Luminar 4 - So Luminar 4 has been out for a little while now, and there are some great features to really make your images pop! I adore the Creative panel and the AI enhancements are really quite clever. One thing I found quite handy was the AI Sky Replacement tool. While it is not really ‘one-touch’ as such, it is really quick and easy and can really make your images sing! Where can you find it? You can import a single image, import the whole folder or even use as a plug-in from Photoshop, one you have selected your image, open the Creative panel on the right-hand side (looks like an artist palette). AI Sky Replacement tool is right at the top. How do you use it? From the dropdown, you can select from a list of some really cool skies, from a blue sky to sunsets and starry skies. Just try a few and see what works best for your image. You can finesse your sky by altering the position, blending the horizon line and even relighting the scene. I also like to add some Sunrays, these a super easy and add a touch of sparkle, you can also try some of the LUTs, I really like the Long Beach one, but not at 100% — mine is set at 35%. You will find both of these located in the Creative panel as well. Can you add your own sky? Of course, you add your own skies as well, go to the bottom of the AI Sky Replacement tool and select Load Customer Sky Image. A pop-up window opens you can browse and then select your images on your computer. I have a whole host of images on my website, granted mostly are pretty blue skies. Is this considered cheating? Well, the short answer is yes! And that is the point. Do you want images shot out of camera that can win awards? Or do you want to make your images exactly how you wished they DID look? If you want a picture-perfect sunrise/sunset, then be prepared to get up early and shoot every morning (or evening) for that perfect shot. I know photographers who do, but I have a business to run and a job and a family. I just don’t have the time. Sometimes I just want a great image; perhaps the day I did find time to shoot sunrise or sunset the light was great, the location was great, but the sky lacked a little bit of impact. Sky Replacement can fix that. True it may no longer by award-worthy, but that is OK too. This sky replacement is enhancing your images, not making major alterations. So relax, have fun and make the images YOU want. Check out the before and after below. I know which image I prefer! Don’t have Luminar 4 yet? Check out our Luminar 4 Photofocus Bundle, complete with Looks, video training, extra skies and more!
Time to update and refresh your business presence - It’s that time of year again. No — not the holidays! it’s time to update all the “things.” Renew and refresh As I was thinking about the direction of my business and where it’s heading next year, it made me think about the things I should update and change to go along with that. Here’s a list I came up with. There may be other areas I’ve not thought about; feel free to add comments with other ideas and suggestions you have for updating our presence both online and in print. Headshot When is the last time you’ve had your headshot updated? It’s always a good idea to keep your image updated, you don’t want to be using that headshot you had taken five years ago, or that quick phone shot that “isn’t so bad.” While budgets may not always allow for it, paying a fellow professional photographer to help you with your personal style, headshots and branding will elevate your online presence and help you look much more professional. This is definitely on my list for 2022! Update social media profiles and images See my notes on your headshot. Time to refresh your about page, what you do, your bio and any outdated images you have hanging around. When first starting out in the photography business, many of us post that we shoot events, portraits, etc. Then as we head down different business paths, what we offer changes. What does your profile say you do? What does it say about you? Life changes every day and while you don’t need to change your information daily, you should update it quarterly, keep it fresh and interesting. Make sure what you have in your profiles reflects what you do and what you offer. Business listings Are you listed on referral sites? Local business pages? Now is the time to go back and find all those places you are as well and make sure they are updated with your most current information. Website Platforms change things in the background all the time. It’s a good idea to go back and check links, see if images are still showing up on your pages and blog posts. Is your domain name registration about to expire? Is your SSL certificate up to date? There are many pieces to websites to keep track of and making sure everything is in working order and compliant with privacy laws is important. Update your business cards When is the last time you updated your business cards? Do they reflect your current style, current client base and are they consistent with your online branding? You updated and revamped your website this year, which means it’s time to update your business cards to make sure you’re presenting a consistent image across the board. Portfolio Are your client-facing images your latest and greatest? Portfolios and images we use to show what we do to potential clients should always be refreshed and updated. Review Take an overall look at your work and your business. What worked? What didn’t? Do you need to rewrite or update your business plan? Maybe you changed gears and are no longer photographing weddings, do your website and business reflect that? It’s important to keep our work and all aspects of our business current and relevant.
