Lauri Novak started out this week, giving us a sneak peek at Adobe Capture. Then, Kevin Ames reviewed the Luxli case for Timpani lights, while Julie Powell gave a first look at DxO PhotoLab 3.1. Bryan Esler had a Creators Chat with portrait photographer Chris Orwig and finally, Nate Torres gave us some great tips on how to find models for portrait photography.
A look at Adobe Capture’s latest updates for photographers - Adobe recently added a couple of features to its Adobe Capture app. If you’re not familiar with this Adobe app (I wasn’t) you may want to check it out. The latest updates Create Color Shapes Previously creating high-contrast shapes in Capture was limited to black and white only. Adobe has updated this and you are now able to create detailed, full-color vector shapes directly from the app. You can use color shapes to easily digitize photos and artwork and add cool creative effects to your images. The images you create can be saved to your Creative Cloud library. The color function is currently only available for the iOS platform. Create shape-based patterns with Pattern Builder The Pattern Builder is a new way of designing patterns within Adobe Capture exclusively for Android and iOS tablets. You can do this right from the vector shapes in your own library. Combine your single-color shapes using the snap grid in order to create seamless patterns. There are several tile shapes that allow you to have many variations on your designs. These patterns can be saved and used in Photoshop and Illustrator. You can find directions on how to use both of these updates on Adobe’s blog. Uses for photographers While Adobe Capture is more geared toward the graphic design industry, there are plenty of ways photographers can have fun with it as well. This is just a quick list of ideas I had while playing around with the Android phone app. Create textures using the pattern function You can get as creative as you’d like with this. While I usually think less is more when it comes to editing, I enjoy playing around to see what can happen. The texture was created by taking an image of my keyboard, experimenting with the different shapes and sliders and ending up with this flowery pattern. I opened it and my image of pine needles in Adobe Photoshop and created a layer with the texture, adjusted the opacity and fill until it suited my taste. This second set of images is just an example of the different options available when creating patterns. The image I pulled from my photo albums via my phone is of a glitter drop on a water bead (the kind you put in your glass vases). Create customized brushes to use in Photoshop While I’m not a big Photoshop user, these were fun to create! I’m sure those of you who use brushes, also have created your own brushes in other ways, but this is a fun way to create them right from your phone. The first brush was created using an image of my keyboard and the second is a pair of earrings. There are plenty of options to use to adjust the brushes and make them what you need them to be to use for your project. Look up fonts This would be really useful if you’re looking to match a font for your website or printed materials. It’s great to find something that matches your own handwriting — just remember that handwriting can be messy so your results may not be perfect. Create color palettes and make your own LUTs Here I took a photo of my hot chocolate and Adobe Capture gives me the colors it sees in the scene. You can then adjust the image to your taste, exposure, hue, etc. and open a sample image in Adobe Capture to apply the look. If you see below the sample image there are the colors from the captured pallet, you can click on those to choose the look you want. You can also choose one of your own images to test this out on. Save the look as an LUT and it will be saved in your Adobe Capture library. There are much more detailed instructions on Adobe’s blog. Or if you’re looking to redecorate your house and see color combinations you like, you could capture them with Adobe Capture and save them to use to match paint chips and fabrics. For example, I captured this wooden art piece using the Color function in Adobe Capture. From there it shows you the colors, gives you options to tweak them and shows you the color harmonies. The creative possibilities seem pretty endless using Adobe Capture in our photography, artwork, design and marketing. You can find the full capabilities of Adobe Capture here.
Luxli case for Timpani lights offers easy storage without the bulk - Luxli gave me their new carrying case that can hold a pair of Timpani LED lights for the purpose of writing this review. What I discovered is a well made, simple case that can carry one of their 1-by-1 foot versatile lights, a power brick and cord along with a set of accessories, or two Timpanis with power supplies. Simplicity The Luxli Timpani case is an example of form defining function. It has two zippers on either side of the top flap to secure it completely. Unzipped, the flap is still held in place by a wide Velcro tab at the back. To finish opening the case, grip the back flay and fold it forward to open. The case has a flap on the front fasted by Velcro as well. The bottom of the case is waterproof while the case itself is made of a weather-resistant nylon shell. Inside The interior of the case extends the simplicity theme. There is only one well-padded panel that fastens to the sides and bottom of the case again with Velcro. The panel can be removed completely to make a large, spacious main compartment. This would be done when carrying a single Timpani with a Luxli barndoor set and a collapsible Angler diffusion panel and grid. With the panel in place, it easily handles a pair of Timpani light. The power bricks ride comfortably on the backside of each of the Timpanis with the power cord riding on their yokes at the top. A pair of Luxli barndoors fits nicely in the front pouch. Carrying The Luxli travel case for Timpani lights comes with a comfortable, padded handle centered on the case. It comes with a shoulder strap that clips onto D-rings on either side. Additionally, there is a pair of padded handles on each side. This makes a two-handed lift easy to accomplish. It also helps get the case off a shelf when its side is out. Details The case has no frills. It is designed to store and carry Timpani lights. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some nice details. The zippers are easy to find thanks to a bright red pull on each of them. When the case is closed, the red zipper pulls are tastefully hidden at the case’s back. One side of the case has an ID window that can hold four or so business cards. Concerns This case is great for carrying the Timpani 1-by-1 foot LED lights to a location in a van or for storing them when they are not in use. I would never ship lights in it. Also, it is not ATA rated so my suggestion is not to check it on an airline as baggage. If you fly a lot or need to ship the lights, look into cases by either Nanuk or Pelican.
A first look at DxO PhotoLab 3.1 - I was recently offered a copy of DxO PhotoLab 3 to try out for a review. I have always been an Adobe girl and use Lightroom Classic and Photoshop exclusively — well, that’s because that’s what everyone was using. I am not normally one to follow the pack, but once I was in, I wasn’t really feeling the need to get out. This is not my first dance with Nik Effects Pro, which is another added benefit with DxO products, but I’ll save that for later. DxO PhotoLab is non-destructive and makes a new DOP file with all corrections and filters, so it is really no different in that regard to Lightroom. So what does it offer? Well to start with — price. If you are just after the basics of PhotoLab, it’s only $129 (You can get Nik and PhotoLab 2 for $149.00). There’s also no Subscription. A first look Once installed I opened the start screen and had to pause. “We were not in Kansas anymore Toto.” There are two tabs on the left, one was PhotoLibrary and the other Customize. I could search for images by day rating and more, or I could search through my PC for folders. It did not automatically try and download from an SD Card, something I do NOT like doing anyway. Selecting folders via a folder was easy and they were available straight away. No waiting for images to be installed and converted to DNG. I could get to work straight away … I LOVE that. Another thing that impressed me right off the bat, PhotoLab immediately recognized what camera I was using and which lenses I had and asked if I wanted to import those optic modules. This is great for making sure that the correct lens distortions are accounted for. OK — so far so good. Customizing your photos My next step was clicking on the Customize tab. The Customize tab is where the magic happens. All the meta is on the left — you can add keywords just below that, quickly and easily. The usual suspects are on the right, with the Histogram (apparently not editable), the “What’s New in PhotoLab 3?” panel (which I’ll circle back to). Essential tools and more Still making my way down is Essential tools, which includes White Balance, Temperature and Tint, Exposure Compensation, Contrast and DxO Smart Lighting (still working on that), Noise Reduction, a straightening (Horizon) tool and Crop. I could not crop beyond the constraints of the original image, so Photoshop wins that round. I must admit it took a bit to get an image vertically straight, but the horizontal straight was quick and easy. The DxO ClearView Plus acts a bit like Lightroom’s Dehaze slider but seems a little more intuitive, and I loved the Microcontrast in the Contrast panel. Next are the Light, Color, Details and Geometry Panels. Note that some items appear to be listed in more than one place. Filmstrip Down the bottom of the screen is the Filmstrip. Nothing new here — hover over the images and the full EXIF metadata is displayed. Images can be given a star rating here too. Just above the filmstrip on the left is the Preset Editor, which is where things start to look a little familiar. There are some presets loaded, and you can create new ones too. What’s New in PL3? panel I have not used PhotoLab 2, but the features in the What’s New in PL3? panel were pretty cool. I really enjoyed playing with this panel. After reading some great things about this HSL panel, I quickly found it to be fantastic, intuitive and loads of fun to play with. The Repair panel was also easy to use. So many features are quite intuitive, like making the image smaller or zooming in (Ctrl – or + on PC, Cmd – or + on Mac) and the Undo command (Ctrl Z on PC, Cmd Z on Mac). What won my heart? Apart from the HSL panel which was SO MUCH FUN, the Local Adjustments is the winner. Granted it took a minute to figure out, but then I think I fell in love. Everything is right there on the screen — there’s no need to select or mask and then look for adjustment panels. There is even a panel that pops up to remind you what buttons do what. This is handy when you are familiarizing yourself with a new program. What’s the catch? Most commands are mouse-driven, Control and Scroll for example. So if you ONLY use a graphics tablet, you may find this constraining. You can still use a pen and tablet, and use the on-screen controls, but it felt a little clunky and far more intuitive to use the mouse. I know this will be a turn off for some people. I am somewhat ambidextrous between a tablet and a mouse and will happily switch from one to another. So what’s next for my DxO PhotoLab 3 experiment? Still life and product photography was a win; next I am off to explore some portraits and landscapes, perhaps have a look at some more presets and then dive deep into the Nik Collection.
Finding your hidden truth, with Chris Orwig - We welcome you to a new Photofocus series called Creators Chat, where we interview photographers across the globe to find out how they create and get inspired behind the camera. On the back of Chris Orwig’s book, “The Creative Fight,” he states that “Creativity is not a gift for a select few.” But how do you get to that place where you’re always feeling creative and inspired in your work? Born just an hour away from me in Lansing, MI, Chris now lives in Santa Barbara, CA. He’s embraced the west coast lifestyle with his love for surfing, which was at the center of his very first photographic self-assignment. He stumbled upon photography by accident — quite literally — after being in a car accident. Following that accident, his dad gave him his very first camera. “I had gone through a car accident and had a lot of chronic health issues, and was not a photographer. I was really struggling and in a difficult, dark place. During that time, my dad gave me a camera. And because it was something I could do — I had a wheelchair — I could do it without any impact on my body. That helped me shift my focus off of myself onto the world.” With his new tool in hand, Chris started to put it to use. He regularly visited cancer patients on his floor at the hospital, documenting their stories. His biggest inspiration came from Eva, who he struck a chord in him before she passed. “At the same time I was in graduate school, and I had to do some practical work for my grad degree. That meant volunteering. I was at a hospital volunteering and they assigned me, among other things, to a cancer floor. I would sit there every day and visit people, ask them questions and listen. Eva, one of them in particular, I became close with her and her family.” Chris said that, ultimately, picking up a camera offered him a restorative practice to heal himself. “When you spend time with somebody who’s dying, you learn a lot about life. In a way, [Eva] and the others became my photo instructors because for me, ultimately photography is about life. It’s about sacrifice. It’s about seeing things other people overlook, about this small slice of time that would have slipped away.” It’s that inspiration that Eva gave him that keeps Chris going, searching for the next personality he can encompass next in his camera. Finding his style Throughout my conversation with Chris, it was clear that he put an emphasis on finding your style as a photographer. “There are two trains of thought I’ve encountered. One, you don’t try to have style — you just shoot and your style emerges. I don’t agree with that,” says Chris. “The other side is you have some sort of intent and you clarify what that intent is. You come up with analogies and metaphors, you seek, you search and you dig. If you just shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot and kind of hope there’s something good in there, it’s really hard to find the thread. Instead, set the camera down, brainstorm and reflect.” For Chris’ personal style, he goes right back to his roots. “Talking a little bit about my own style, things I value — one of them is kindness and warmth. So I try to create images that have those qualities in them. I have a book called ‘Authentic Portrait,’ so I value authenticity. I want to see the sparkle in their eyes. I want to see that depth, the soul … all those kinds of things. This is all hidden, but every artist needs to have that hidden truth they’re searching for in order for them to get close to it.” When he strives for that raw emotion, it’s clear that his portraits are effective. They help tell a story and offer depth that isn’t normally found. This is seen in one of Chris’ favorite photographs of his friend, Jeff Johnson. “I feel like it’s deep, soulful, honest and true. Why I’m most proud of that is, I was shooting for a brand and then we did this other portrait after. It was during a time I was going through a really tough season in life. And Jeff was asking me about that, and I was very honest about it. I think it’s so easy to pretend like you have it together. “I just decided at that moment, I’m not going to pretend and I’m going to be vulnerable in a way I haven’t about all the things that were going on. And I think the photograph is a result of that vulnerability. “It stands as a reminder to me to just say, ‘Chris, you got to be human.’ I think those are the best photographs — the ones that we liked the most remind us of deep things.” Getting creative We’ve all been through creative ruts with our photography. So how do you take the step and make something truly inspiring? “There are a couple of different trains of thoughts that I’ve encountered in photo education,” says Chris. “One is you want better pictures, stand in front of more interesting things. I wholeheartedly disagree with that. What that says is, if you aren’t inspired, then find the waterfall that inspires you or find the model that’s really more beautiful. But then you’re only going to be as good as what’s in front of you, right? “So you take the picture but you’re not thinking like a photographer. You’re relying on the subject to create the picture for you. So when I’m in a situation where I’m not inspired, I say, ‘Chris, this is it. Like, this is where you get to become creative, like make it happen. This is where you become creative.'” “So how do you find creativity? It’s rare, and often you have to generate it yourself,” says Chris. “When you do that, when you
How to find models for portrait photography: Eight (simple) tips - You’ve made the jump into photography — you bought your gear and found the best lens for your camera, you’ve read some of the industry’s most popular books and you’re following the best photography accounts on social media. However, if you’ve decided to focus on portrait photography, you may be scratching your head when it comes to understanding how to find models. While you’ve invested the time and money to cultivate some knowledge and have the best tools and resources for your budget, you may be wondering how you’re supposed to actually break into the world of portrait photography. After all, you need someone to sit for you. In fact, you should have a variety of models willing to work with you to develop a diverse and interesting portfolio. With that said, how do you start? What is a portrait model? A portrait model is to a portrait photographer what a beautiful vista or mysterious urban alleyway is to a landscape and street photographer. Your portrait model is the subject in front of your camera. While there is a myriad of ways of capturing the mood, emotion and personality of your subject, you can’t get far in portrait photography without any models. Why have a model for your portrait photography? A portrait model is exactly why you’re in the game of portrait photography to begin with. They are your canvas for which you paint a scene. The best portrait photographers all have their subsequent styles, yet they all share one thing in common — their models are professionals who understand the nuance of a portrait session. Without their willingness or expertise as models, the job of the photographer would be much harder. While a portrait taken at Sears may suffice for certain situations, a great photographer and a great model will create something magical. While it’s true that to make it in the industry, you’ll need to photograph subjects that aren’t professional models, your work with models will inform your professional skills. With a model, you have the freedom of experimentation, where you’ll develop photographic intuition, learn to improvise and gain an intimate understanding of your equipment. Where to find models for portrait photography 1. DeviantART DeviantART makes it easy to figure out how to find models for portrait photography. It’s has been a pivotal part of bringing art and community together for decades. It’s also a great place to explore photography, namely portrait photography. Try establishing yourself on the website, posting and sharing within the photography community. When you’re ready, reach out to a few of the models. 2. Model Mayhem Model Mayhem is the de facto community in the quest of how to find models for portrait photography. Think of the website as a social network for photographers and models to create connections. You can create your own profile and even select your style of photography and find a model with ease. It’s one of the best model and photographer networking sites in the industry. 3. Facebook Thanks to Facebook’s robust, local search you can easily find models in your area by searching for people and groups using certain contextual parameters like “[City Name] Portrait Models.” It couldn’t be any easier to join a few local photography groups, introduce yourself and start making friends. 4. Your friends Don’t forget that you already have a potential resource to tap into when looking for models to photograph — your own friends. Many of your close acquaintances would probably be flattered to learn that you’d like to photograph them. Best of all, you could probably finagle a “quid pro quo” situation if you schedule a session with someone you know. 5. Build your reputation Believe it or not, if you’ve already found a few models and have begun to publish your photography, then you’re more than likely cultivating a positive reputation in your area. Soon enough, you may find yourself actually approached for gigs. Heck, you may even find yourself cornering a niche market and become “the photographer” for a certain demographic. Once you’re in, you’re in! How to approach a portrait model 1. Be intentional No matter how low the stakes are, nothing comes off as more unprofessional than not having a plan, or intent, when approaching a shoot. If a model has extended the kindness to schedule a shoot with you, then you should arrive early, have a clear strategy for what you both want to achieve, and follow through on your execution. Poor word-of-mouth will dry up your resources faster than you realize. 2. Act professional Professionalism is such an important component of portrait photography that it bears repeating. While you want to go into a session with a plan, you also need to understand how a professional shoot operates. Portrait photography can often time be intimate, emotional and spontaneous. It’s up to you to give your subject the ability to pull down those barriers without overstepping any personal boundaries. Establishing limits and being aware of social queues and body language is extremely important in your line of work. 3. Expect to pay up if he/she is very experienced While some models work for free, many more do not. In fact, unless you’re constantly finding subjects from your own group of friends, you’re eventually going to have to reach out to a model you’ve never met before. More than likely they’ll have a rate — they are trying to make a living, after all. Portrait photography can take you anywhere if you let it Many hobby portrait photographers may be happy with that one friend and their own cat as their only two models. However, if your intention is to break into the portrait photography industry, then you need to take your expertise to the next level by hiring a professional. Not only does model photography show that you’re a go-getter, but it allows you to truly show your craft. With the right approach, you’ll find that breaking into the model community can be quite simple, as
