The Weekly Wrap-up compiles interesting articles published this week on Photofocus. This week, we learned about finishing studio portraits in Perfectly Clear, a camera’s exposure, traveling to Antarctica, cropping in Lightroom Classic, and found out some quick tips for nature photographers.
The Traveling Photographer: Choosing a trip to Antarctica, Part 2 - In our last post, we discussed some of the important factors to consider when deciding whether to travel to Antarctica. In this post, we’ll discuss additional choices to consider. As we noted before, some trips go only to the Antarctic Peninsula, while others go to the Falklands and South Georgia, and still others (longer and correspondingly more expensive) go to all three destinations. Trips can be as short as one week, up to three weeks in length. When to go? When you go influences your experience. The season for visitors is the Antarctic summer, October to March. During the austral summer, the Antarctic’s marquee animal, namely penguins, come ashore, attempt to reunite with their mates from prior years and succumb to nature’s biological imperative to court, mate, incubate an egg(s) and finally, nourish a chick to maturity. Once born, newborn chicks require care, with parents taking turns going to sea to feed and returning to regurgitate krill-rich meals into the mouths of rapidly growing and hungry chicks, who must achieve a certain size and maturity before they are ready to take to the seas and forage for themselves. All of this activity takes place over a 4-5 month window. We’ve been to the White Continent in November, January and February. The breeding cycle begins in October, with penguins coming ashore from the sea. They immediately embark on reuniting with their mates, calling in a distinctive trill. Nest building consists of stockpiling pebbles on an ice-free patch of real estate. Once a mate is selected, mating commences and will be regularly observed. Penguin parents can be seen incubating eggs on their feet. Few chicks are seen this early in the breeding cycle. Going later in the season affords the opportunity to see recently born chicks, glimpsed under the protection of a parent. As the chicks grow, they become too big to stay under their protective parent and are left in large nursery groups called crèches. Meanwhile, their parents forage for food in the ocean and can be seen coming and going from there. Penguin chicks are not born with waterproof feathers. Before fending for themselves at sea, they must go through a process of molting. Adult penguins also molt yearly while ashore in the summer. Beaches in the second half of the season may be covered with feathers. Penguins on nests for so many months become a collectively rather smelly bunch. This becomes increasingly evident later in the season. What is the best-sized boat? Another consideration in choosing a trip is how much time ashore you will have and do you need a dedicated photography trip; that is, how much photo pro support or instruction do you need or want? In general, trips suitable for photographers are on smaller expedition ships, not large cruise ships. Be aware, trips on larger cruise ships may seem attractively priced, but cater to a much larger number of people and make few if any landings. And while the scenery from the boat is attractive, for wildlife interactions, the closer proximity of landings is imperative! It’s very important to know the difference between an expedition ship trip to Antarctica and a large-ship cruise. There are restrictions on the number of passengers who can be on shore (generally 100 at a time). Vessels with over 500 people cannot land passengers at all. So, the ideal size of boat is one with less than 120 passengers or so. We’ve sampled 3 this size so far. In 2003, we traveled to Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia with Lindblad/National Geographic on the Endeavour (now scrapped). My recollection is that there were about 120 guests on board. In 2015, we flew to Antarctica for a trip on the Ocean Nova, which took 72 passengers. The trip we just completed was on Poseiden Expedition’s Sea Spirit which held 114 passengers. Dedicated photography trip or no? Some trips have more of a photographic focus than others. This may or may not be an advantage. When we traveled with Lindblad back in 2003, it was early in their partnership with National Geographic. Our trip was billed as a Photography Intensive trip. That meant there were photographic professionals on board. Some of the presentations were geared toward photography and even post-processing because it was in the early days of digital imaging. Today, the presence of a National Geographic photographer on board a Lindblad trip is standard. Our 2015 trip was organized by Luminous Landscape and featured a slate of photography luminaries, including Art Wolfe. Most of the presentations were photography-specific and less focused on penguin biology, plate tectonics, polar exploration and other more general interest topics which had been presented on our longer Lindblad trip. The trip we just finished had two photo pros among the expedition staff of 11. Only 2 of the presentations given were photography specific. While they were enjoyable, we did not consider this a hardship. Consider this: with fewer “serious” photographers on board, there were fewer tripods to dodge on shore. Less serious shooters tend to step up with their cellphones in hand and move on after one or two shots. We are experienced enough to not need much instruction. With some destinations, one needs local expertise and logistical support to get where one wants to be at the right time of day. In Antarctica, the “right” time of day is when you see the shot. This can be ashore, sometimes from the boat itself or a zodiac. Light conditions generally were diffused and moody. The expedition team is focused on getting the passengers on shore safely. They will alert the entire boat to whale or dolphin sightings or unusually nice light. So, many of the logistical concerns in a photographic destination are addressed by the very nature of an Antarctic expedition. In our next post, we’ll examine specific photography-intensive trips to Antarctica and compare their offerings. 
10 quick tips for nature photographers - Like many people, my first few years of photography were spent going out to shoot as much as possible and trying to learn everything I could about the subject. As my portfolio grew, and I started sharing my images with others, I also started to write about photography — jotting down observations, thoughts about settings, fieldcraft, and composition. These make a good foundation for any nature photographer. 1. Know your equipment When it comes time to take a picture the settings and operation should be instinctive and habitual. If you are fumbling with buttons and settings, you will miss the shot. Repeat: You. Will. Miss. The. Shot. Read your manual, twice, keep a copy on your phone and practice, practice, practice! 2. Take control Each new generation of cameras that come out seems to do more of the thinking for you. While they have become “smarter,” the best images are made when you are in control of the settings. Know how to properly expose a shot, and when to override what your camera is telling you to do. 3. Know your subject When working with wildlife there are certain behaviors that indicate what the animal is about to do. The better you know your subject, the more of these behavioral cues you will notice. When you know what an animal is about to do, you can be prepared for the decisive moment to capture that behavior in photographs. Whether it is a person, a place, or an animal, knowing your subject will help you make more natural and dynamic photos, capturing the true personality and life of your subject. 4. See the shot before you take it The word of the day: “Previsualization.” It might seem that I am often only reacting to wildlife. What I’m doing is capturing photographs already in my mind’s eye. By knowing your subject and their behavior cues, you can put yourself in a position to capture the “shot in your head.” 5. Get down to subject level Eye contact in a photo of people or other wildlife engages and draws the viewer into the shot. Eye contact is most effective when you are on the same plane as the subject. So the smaller the subject, the lower your camera position must be. Changing your elevation also changes the photo’s perspective. You will think in different, creative, ways. Instead of taking a shot of the beach standing up, lay down in the sand, then make a shot at water level. Move your viewpoint. You will produce something different and engaging. 6. Compose your background first Look for distracting elements. Slight shifts, side-to-side and/or up-and-down can hide or remove these from the frame. Whether it’s a light switch on the wall in a family portrait or a stick poking up behind a bird’s head, slight shifts (sometimes merely inches) can put that distracting object out of the frame or behind your subject where it won’t be seen. As you compose a shot, scan the edge of the frame for background objects that intersect the edge of the frame or clutter the scene. Move and get rid of those little things that detract from your composition. 7. Wait for the decisive moment Photographic life is about split seconds. Think about how a second made the difference between a missed opportunity and a perfect image. Photography is about freezing those moments. The trick is to freeze the instant that really captures the “decisive moment” of action, mood, and composition. When you know your subject and you have previsualized the shot, you will press the shutter and realize the decisive moment. 8. Give your subject room to be alive If they are moving, frame them with space for their motion. Pay attention to body position and language. If they are heading or looking to the left, lead them with space in front of them. By giving your subjects space to be alive, your photos will come alive. 9. Be objective at review time One of the hardest parts about photography is separating the experience of taking the picture from the quality of the picture itself. It’s OK to like and to keep a photo for the memories associated with its creation. Remember, though, other people did not have the same experience you had capturing it. They will be judging your work solely on what they see in the picture. 10. Have fun! When you love what you are doing, it will show in your work Get out there. Make photographs. Flowers or birds or ‘gators. It doesn’t matter. Have fun!
Cropping tricks in Lightroom Classic - One of my most used tools in Lightroom Classic has to be the cropping tool. While simple at its core, it can have a substantial effect to your photographs. And while we all know how to click and drag each edge to get the crop we want, the tool is much more powerful than that. Here are four cropping tricks to enhance your post-production workflow in Lightroom Classic. Get a centered crop You know the drill by now. Usually when cropping in Lightroom, you have to drag the points and then drag the crop to the position you’d like. And oftentimes, we just want to crop out some of the edge of our frame. By holding down the Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) key while cropping, Lightroom will automatically crop from the center of your photograph. Go from horizontal to vertical, and back again There’s a quick keyboard shortcut to turn a horizontal crop vertical, or from vertical to horizontal. Click the X key on your keyboard, and it will automatically change. The best part? It’ll keep the same aspect ratio, so you can stay consistent in your cropping. Change your crop overlay By default, Lightroom presents a grid representing the Rule of Thirds when you crop. You can change this though to several other options — Grid, Thirds, Diagonal, Triangle, Golden Ratio, Golden Spiral and Aspect Ratios. Just hit the O key to toggle through them, or go to Tools > Crop Guide Overlay. Manually straighten your image While Lightroom’s transform tools are very powerful, sometimes there’s just satisfaction in knowing that you straightened out the image you took, all by yourself. To do this, click the Ruler button in the Crop tool, located next to the Angle slider. Then click and drag on the part of your image you want to be straight, and it’ll automatically adjust.
Exposure beyond the camera manual - You reviewed the camera manual and completed an online tutorial. You did everything you thought you were supposed to do. And yet, your photographs have not exposed the way you want them to be. When I was a new photographer, shooting transparency film, I was always frustrated by exposure. I kept asking myself why some exposures worked and why others didn’t. What exposures worked The exposures that worked for me usually depended on the brightness of my subject and the size of the subject in the frame. If my subject contained the brightest highlight in the image and filled a large part of the frame, typically my camera meter automatically gave me a good exposure. I could more or less point and shoot. Otherwise, the meter determined exposure based upon less important tonal values in the image. Cute sheep, boring light. Galen Rowell’s vision Eventually, I came upon Galen Rowell’s book “Galen Rowell’s Vision, The Art of Adventure Photography.” Known for vibrant and stunning photographs, Rowell was a nature and adventure photographer in the days of film cameras. A chapter in Rowell’s book is titled “Crash Course to Perfect Exposures.” Reading that chapter was my defining moment on exposure. Rowell observed that writers and manufacturers overload us with at least a hundred ways to make the same exposure determination. He feared that creativity could be stifled if the photographer locked into one particular method to determine exposure. He was particularly concerned if the method was unnecessarily technical and considered the gospel. Rowell’s suggestion was to simply “expose for your most important highlight.” He felt that if there was a highlight value brighter than the most important highlight, and not essential to the image, the photographer should consider composing the image to eliminate the brighter highlight. I exposed for the light coming through the windows. This rendered the interior very dark. Ansel Adams’ advice Rowell’s recommendation reminded me of advice Ansel Adams once gave. Whereas Rowell shot transparency film, Adams used print film. Exposure is different for print film, due to the extra step of using a negative to create the print. For print photographers, shooting with film, shadows are the important tone to expose for. In a workshop I took with Adams, he recommended setting the exposure based on the exposure for the most important shadows of an image, letting the other values fall where they may. He kept detailed notes and made adjustments in processing and printing to bring out the highlights in an image after he had exposed for the shadows. I chose the forehead as the most important highlight as I did not want it overexposed. Pre-visualize Although Rowell and Adams worked with film cameras differently, they both suggested the same simple approach to determining the exposure for an image. First, visualize the photograph you want to create. Then, identify the most important value and how you want to expose for it. As noted by Rowell, also think about reframing your image to eliminate a highlight that is brighter than the most important highlight. Alternatively, I suggest that in certain circumstances you might consider adding light to the subject (via reflector or flash) so that it becomes the brighter highlight (such as in an environmental portrait). This is an example of using flash. If I had not used a flash the background would have been blown out when I exposed for the mask, my most important highlight. I was OK with the string of lights being brighter than the face mask. What does exposing for the highlight mean? Hopefully, you now understand that exposing for the most important highlight is very subjective. It is not an exposure calculation per se. It is an intentional decision as to what your most important highlight is to be, and how you plan to expose for it. For example, would you prefer less exposure to create a more dramatic sky or silhouette? Or, do you choose to add exposure to make a high-key or ethereal image? Once you identify the all-important highlight and decide how you want to expose for it, then determine the method you will use to set the exposure on your camera. And just like Ansel Adams, you can also make notes (written or mental) on fine-tuning the exposure as you process your image. I exposed for the sky, knowing I wanted detail in the sky and the photographer to be a silhouette.
Finishing a studio portrait after retouching - The purpose of working in a studio is control. This includes lighting for the most flattering result to go along with makeup, hair styling and camera angle. A photograph that has all of these advantages still has the finishing done in post-production. In the days of film and making prints, it was common to use darkroom techniques to lighten and darken areas of the print. For the most special subjects, the print would be airbrushed (why the term seems synonymous today with Photoshop) then re-photographed and printed for delivery to the customer. Techniques for finishing a portrait When I have a studio photograph that has been made with all of the skill of light and on-set technique I can bring to it, it’s time to go into the finishing stage. Assessment My first step is to look carefully at the photograph. This scrutiny shows me what I believe I want to enhance or downplay. Then, I create a new layer in Photoshop, and get the Pencil with a 4 to 6-pixel brush. I draw around the areas where I want to work. Arrows indicate a move using the Liquify filter. Once the retouching is done, I hide and show the guide layer. If the areas inside the green circles change, the work has been done. Liquify filter The very first move I make in a retouch is to use the Liquify filter. In this case, the top of the subject’s hair is flat. Liquify is great for making the hair look more full. Retouching Working on her hair, I use the Clone Stamp tool to fill in the gaps in her hair. In photos where the background is completely evenly lit without a pattern, I clone the background over the flyaway hairs with a 50% hard brush. Next, I use the Spot Healing brush to clean up blemishes, and lines on her neck and to soften the parenthesis below her nose and above her lips. Tip: Use one stroke on each of these dark lines. Choose Edit > Fade Healing Brush … Set the opacity to 50% then click OK. This softens the line without taking it out completely. Finally, I use the same technique on the lines under her eyes. The Spot Healing brush is perfect for removing flyaway hair on her forehead. The finishing touch — Perfectly Clear This is my favorite finishing tool for studio portraits. My secret is the skin enhancements available in Perfectly Clear Complete. Here are the ones I use step-by-step. Light Diffusion My very favorite part of Perfectly Clear’s skin enhancements is Light Diffusion. Found under the Tone section, Light Diffusion is the last option. I handle this section’s other options at the camera. The exposure is settled with my Illuminati meter. The depth is satisfied with contrast control while my makeup artist takes care of the skin and depth bias. Nothing and I do mean nothing adds as much as some of the magical Light Diffusion. Usually, this control is somewhere north of 50. Face Detection This one is for eye enhancement. Tick the Show & Adjust Contol Points box then drag the yellow dots over the pupils of the subject’s eyes. Hide the yellow bits by unchecking the box. This sets up the rest of the eye enhancements. Eye enhancements This one is a subtle change. The Eye Enhance control kicks in a bit of brightness into the eyes. Dark Circles adds some lightening under the eyes. Nice! Skin smoothing Perfectly Clear has some great skin-enhancing tools. I love them as long as I apply them sparingly. Here face detection helps a lot. I add a very small amount of skin smoothing, more Infrared Removal and the smallest amount of Shine Removal. Lighting and makeup take care of almost all of the shine on set. There has to be some shine on the cheeks, the nose and the chin to help show their roundness. Without it, the face would look flat. Adding the Perfectly Clear enhancements Before calling the Perfectly Clear Complete filter (Filter > Athentech Imaging > Perfectly Clear …) I duplicate the layer I’ve retouched in Photoshop. Then I apply the Perfectly Clear filter to that layer. I hold down the Option key (Win: Alt) and click the new layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers panel. I use the brush tool, painting with white to reveal the Perfectly Clear enhanced layer areas over her face. And that’s it! The finished studio portrait is ready for the client to use on her website, and social media, and of course for print on business cards and to frame for her family.
