The first full week of 2020 found a lot going on on Photofocus. Our birthday celebration contest series continues as do articles packed with photo know-how.
What’s your favorite lens? Julie Powell touts the 50mm macro for her work. Chris Anson gives his color love to Capture One Pro 20 and Michèle Grenier shares how to have more confidence at your next shoot. Nate Torres weighs in on the no-more-visible-likes on Instagram. The team shares Playpod’s announcement of their new ball head. Bryan Esler goes through YouTube’s new upload interface.
Here’s hoping your new year is off to fun and satisfying start. Ours certainly has!
Why I’m loving the new color editor in Capture One Pro 20 for my landscapes - So Capture One recently released Capture One Pro 20 (CO20) and it has a number of new features that I want to share with you in this and upcoming articles. In this article, I’m going to share with you a new feature of the Color Editor that I really enjoy using with my landscapes and cityscapes and thought you might find it useful as well. You’ll find a 30-day free trial to Capture One Pro 20 here. The Color Editor looks like this. In the previous version, the Color Editor, under the Basic tab, would allow you to select the color chips you wanted to modify and then would allow you to adjust Hue, Saturation and Lightness of that color using only the sliders. With the CO20 version, you can do this directly on the photograph. To do this, you select the eyedropper tool in the bottom right of the pane and place that cursor directly on the screen. Next, you left-click your mouse and drag it left and right to change the Hue. To change saturation, you drag it up and down. To change the lightness of the color, you hold down the Alt/Option key and drag it left and right. The thing I really love about this is I get to select the color on the image and work with it in real-time. When I make this selection, CO20 shows me which colors it is affecting by showing those colors in the color squares and dims the other color squares. I find this method of adjusting colors more intuitive than other processes I’ve used. If you want to reassign what sliders are controlled by what action, you do that by clicking on the eyedropper and then right-clicking on the photograph and it will bring up the Direct Color Editor Settings. You then click on each section and choose what direction or Alt/Option plus the direction you want to use the make changes to Hue, Saturation and Lightness. So now let’s take a quick look at how this works in a short video. Watch the video
How to be more confident at your next photoshoot - Sometimes, being in charge of taking photos can be stressful. Here are my top five tips to help you be more confident at your next photoshoot! Know your subject Whether you’re going to capture cars, architecture, portraits, sports, food or [insert your subject here], do you know what you’re about to do? It’s kind of hard to know how to take great shots of a car if you’ve never done it before — or never seen someone else doing it. In fact, I wouldn’t know how to do it myself! In order to know it, I’d look on the internet. Do research on the topic. Does the car has important specificities? What’s the best lighting to avoid unwanted reflections? Which angles are the most interesting? I’d also look at what other photographers do to inspire myself. I may watch tutorials on “how to photograph a car” (or “car photography for dummies” in my case). Researching and documenting your subject helps tremendously to feel more confident if it’s your first time doing it. Know your environment Have you already gone to the location of your future photoshoot? If so, you probably know the best spots to create cool compositions. If not, you may want to consider going for scouting a few days prior to the photoshoot. I recently had a student who stressed about an upcoming family in-law portrait. I asked her if she knew where that would take place. She did, so I suggested her to go there around the same time of the day her photoshoot would take place. That way, she’d be able to have a good idea of what the light would look like and which angles would be the best. This very simple trick — when you can do it — helps a lot to decrease stress and be more confident. Arrive early One of my favorite tips. I love arriving early at my photoshoots. It gets me in the mood and I have plenty of time to chat and have fun with people. I get to feel the energy of the place and I can take the time to walk around while deciding for the best settings. Do yourself that favor and plan on leaving a little earlier than you would normally plan. You’ll feel that much more in control and calm once you’ll be there. Develop relationships A great way to improve my confidence is to know I have a great relationship with my client. It’s so much easier to communicate on both sides when there’s mutual trust and respect. I love to ask feedback to know right away if that’s the kind of image they are expecting so I can change things up if needed. In some cases it’s the exact opposite: I have total freedom and I can do whatever I want. In any case, having a strong relationship with the client helps me feel more confident — and have more fun! — when I work. If everything else fails … act as if it’s fine! Okay so if for whatever reason you don’t know your subject or the environment, you arrive late and you don’t know your client … act as if everything was FINEEEEEEE. I did happen to me — and will likely happen again in the future. I mean … what else can you do at that point anyway? Be like a little duck: Calm on the surface while your little legs swim hard under the water. The important is to remain professional and stay in control. #FakeItTilYouMakeIt Preparation is key to confidence You’ve got it by now: preparation is key. When we have a plan, we feel so much more confident. Go ahead and show your clients/friends/family how efficient and creative you can be. Take charge if that photoshoot and most of all: Have fun!! Lead photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
A life without Instagram likes: How it will affect 2020 - So Instagram is going to be removing likes — what does that mean for your account? On July 17, 2019, Instagram tweeted saying, “We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get. You can still see your own likes by tapping on the list of people who’ve liked it, but your friends will not be able to see how many likes your post has received.” Now, this new change got me thinking about the pros and cons and how it would affect every user on Instagram from the casual user to the big brands/businesses. I wondered what could come about because of this update — and how this update could possibly change a generation? Let’s start with the influencers and businesses. Influencers and businesses Many users or “influencers” rely on the amount of likes they receive in order to receive brand deals. According to a study by InfluencerDB in 2019, more than 500,000 active influencers are operating just on Instagram. That equates to 39% of Instagram accounts with more than 15,000 followers and 81% having followings between 15,000 and 100,000 users. With the removal of likes, this could affect the bench mark or competition between influencers. Likes function as a “social proof” among fellow Instagrammers. What is social proof? Social proof is the concept that people will follow the actions of the majority. The idea is that since so many other people are behaving/acting in a certain way, then it must be the correct behavior/action. For example, if a photo of a rose in a swimming pool receives a ton of likes, then it must be a good photo and I should like it too (I’m not saying this is a bad photo): Yes, I guess you could argue that followers also play a role in social proof and that will remain the same, however, it is easy to buy followers. I’m sure we have all seen those accounts with thousands of followers, yet they only receive a few hundred likes. Not only could the removal of likes affect influencers, but it could also affect big brands/businesses. We have seen big brands blow up due to Instagram’s social “shareability” aspect. With the removal of likes, it may lead to businesses posting less content that is designed to gather “likes.” If “likes” no longer matter, businesses may start posting more advertorial content that is meant to drive conversions and leads opposed to gathering “likes.” Because if nobody could see the “likes” then why would they post content that has the intention of baiting “likes.” This then plays into the question of how the Instagram algorithm will be affected — if at all. We may see a change in the type of content influencers and businesses post, however, the removal of “likes” will no doubt affect the posting decisions of these individuals/organizations. There will no longer be any social proof that they need to worry about acquiring other than followers. Casual Instagrammers I believe the casual Instagrammer (anybody who uses Instagram for fun/their own leisure to connect with friends/family, follow cool brands, look at memes, etc.) will be affected the most — in a positive way. Numerous studies have been released that show that feedback and “likes” on a post can boost people’s self esteem, however at the same time, also bring their self esteem down if they do not get as many likes as others. According to a UK Snapshot Survey posted by the BBC, Instagram is rated as the worst social media platform when it comes to its impact on young people’s mental health. The RSPH report states that many young people feel inadequacy and anxiety due to these social media platforms and their ability to create a false sense of social hierarchy — meaning if you get less likes than a certain person, then that person is “more popular” or “better” than you. With the idea of removing likes from Instagram — Instagram sent out these tweets: I personally believe the removal of likes will benefit a generation that is caught up in living in other people’s highlight reels. The removal of likes will free up that pressure so many young people have regarding social media and “social status.” I believe Instagram’s decision to remove likes has the ability to change a future generation and how they view themselves and interact with one another. Yes — we are all a bit narcissistic, myself included. It’s human nature. However, individuals will no longer feel like they have to do something “for the gram,” and they could focus on what is more important in life such as building real, deep, human connections with other individuals. Instagram put it best Why is Instagram doing this? “We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they’re getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people that they care about.” Leave a comment down below and let me know what you think will come about with the removal of “likes” from Instagram!
Platypod previews one-of-a-kind ball head - Platypod, maker of the world’s most compact mini tripods, has announced that its coming out with its first ever ball head. The Platyball is a new, revolutionary way to level. The product will be detailed Wednesday, January 15, 2020 on The Grid with Scott Kelby at 4 p.m. Following the show, a Kickstarter campaign will launch at platyball.com. Here’s a quick teaser video of what we can look forward to:
How to post your video to YouTube - Recently, you may have noticed that YouTube changed its uploader. While some creatives are still seeing the old version, the new version offers a bit of simplicity, walking you through the steps to upload your video more effectively than before. If you’re still seeing the classic interface, click here for our instructions on how to get your video online. If you’ve received the new interface, read on … Preparing your video file YouTube supports several file formats, including popular formats like .MOV, .MP4, .MPEG4, .WMV and more. Professional formats are supported as well, including ProRes, CineForm and HEVC (h265). If you are using an unsupported file format, check out YouTube’s Help guide for instructions on how to convert your video. The platform also supports video resolution up to 8K. You probably won’t see much of that on YouTube though — 4K is probably the highest you’ll see. Logging in and uploading Each account has its own YouTube channel, where your videos are stored for the public to view. To login to your YouTube account, simply click Sign In in the upper right corner of the screen. If you see a circle instead (either with a photo or letter), it means you’re already logged in. To sign out or switch accounts, simply click on that circle. Once you’re logged in, click the video camera icon with a + on it, and then click Upload video. Click the Select File button and browse for your video on your machine, or click and drag it into the window. The upload will then start automatically. Details The Details section of the Upload video area is where you’ll tell your audience all about your video. Here, you’ll fill out things like a title and description, select or upload a thumbnail as well as choose whether your video should be added to a playlist or not. When filling out your Description box, it’s recommended that you type out at least 150 words, with the first 2-3 sentences being the most important. This will help grab your audience and make them click on the video. Be sure to also use keywords that are important to the audience you’re trying to reach. Audience settings In September 2019, the Federal Trade Commission reached an agreement with YouTube over violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Because of that, YouTube has added additional privacy settings for children. YouTube requires you to now say whether a video is made for kids or not. If a video is made for kids, it means that they’re the primary audience, instead of adults. This is based on subject matter, objects that appeal to children and more. YouTube has a great guide for determining whether something is made for kids or not. If your video is made for kids, it means a number of things for video creators. Several features are disabled, including personalized advertising, autoplay on home, comments and seeing donation buttons. You can see additional feature restrictions on YouTube’s Help page. In addition to this, you can also set age restrictions for your video, allowing you to restrict it from users under the age of 18. More options Hidden in the More options heading are a number of additional settings. These are all optional to set, but some of them default to certain settings. Below are a few notables. First and foremost, the Paid promotion heading let you determine if you received funding for the video. This can be for something like product placement or an endorsement. In this case, you can also add a message to inform your viewers of the promotion. This is important, because FCC guidelines require you to say whether you received a product for free, or were otherwise paid for an endorsement. The Tags box is helpful for signifying topics about your video. But it’s most important when something in the content of your video — especially your title — is often misspelled. If you’re uploading a client video that contains their company name, and it’s difficult to spell, this is a great opportunity to provide alternate spellings. Or if you have a name that can be spelled multiple ways, type the other ways it can be spelled in that box. For Recording date and location, here it’s asking you for when and where your video was recorded. This is helpful because, just like other social networks, viewers can search for videos by location. If your video is all about a recent vacation you took to that really warm and sunny place, setting this might help your video become more discoverable. Video elements The Video elements tab holds settings for cards and end screens. Keep in mind you can only work in this tab once your video has rendered, at least in standard definition. Cards Cards are simple notifications that viewers see in your video. For instance, if you’re talking about that brand-new lens you bought, you might put in a card for people to click on, which would then take them to a link on the manufacturer’s website to learn more about it. Additionally, you can promote other YouTube videos that might be related, link to a YouTube channel that you want to thank, ask for donations for a nonprofit organization and more. End screens End screens are similar to cards, but appear at the end of your video. Here, you can highlight other videos on YouTube channel, call for subscriptions, link to playlists, promote your website and more. You can use end screens to promote up to four separate elements. Here’s a great video by YouTube explaining the process to set up end screens and cards: Visibility I’m personally quite happy that YouTube made the Visibility tab much more useful than the previous version (which was pretty hidden). Here, you have the option to publish your video right away, or schedule it. Inside each option you can determine your video’s privacy settings: Public: Everyone can see your video, and it’s discoverable to YouTube’s entire
Why my 50mm macro is my favorite lens for still life and food photography - Why is my 50mm macro my favorite lens for still life and food photography? This is something I get asked all the time. I shoot with a Sony a7 II, a7R III and a Sony 50mm macro lens. Working with fairly small sets and scenes, I love the flexibility the 50mm macro gives me. Not needing to stand as far from my subject as I would with a 90mm or 100mm, is a bonus too. I can work in fairly tight spaces and still get an overall shot, but then at literally a flick of a switch jump into 1:2 or 1:1 macro and really grab the finer details. Flexibility For me, it really is all about the flexibility and versatility of this lens. in the 1:4 setting, I can even shoot portraits and landscapes if I wish to. If I am on location I can and have used this lens to shoot landscape images and in a snap some portraits as well, then without stopping I can go straight back to shooting bees and flowers. I do also have a Zeiss 55mm lens which is truly stunning for portraits, but I cannot get in close as I can with a macro for great up-close images. Sometimes a 50mm can be a little too close when working with bees and the possibility of getting stung, but I find if you are slow and steady and do not annoy them, they are happy to pose for a photo or two. Fine focus Whether on autofocus or manual focus, this lens captures stunning detail. The peak meter on Sony cameras really can help assist to get optimal focus, even with my eyes not being quite what they used to be with the small viewfinder. There is even a hold function with a small button on the side of the lens, which allows me to hold my focus and move around within a shot. I can be 50mm or 5 meters (approx. 16.5 feet) away from my subject and the focus is still amazing. If I feel the need to move in close, I can even add extension tubes to the lens and really get in close. Bokeh & blur I adore the blur and bokeh from this lens — it is a little softer than some 90mm macro lenses. Usually, when working up close with your subject you get more of a blur than a true bokeh, and the blur on this lens of soft and creamy, perfect for my style of photography. I truly do not believe I can get as close to my subject and get the blur and bokeh with a standard 50mm lens, as I can with my 50mm macro. Beautiful images Now I know we all say it is the photographer and not the equipment that makes beautiful imagery, but having truly great equipment can make creating beautiful images a joy. Sure I can take the same photo with my smartphone. While they are totally amazing these days, there seems to be an overall lack in the depth of field that I can capture with my 50mm. With the right props, and the right light, I can take a mundane everyday object and turn it into a thing of beauty. Weight & cost While for some this is not a deciding factor, for me it was a big thing. I borrowed a 50mm macro for a few days to try out before I decided to buy it. I had always used a 90mm macro in the past. They are big, heavy and often costly, even with the ‘cheaper’ brands. This was significantly smaller and lighter than the Sony 90mm. I had moved to a mirrorless camera system because the weight of DSLR camera gear was becoming an issue for me. The fact that it was approximately half the price of the 90mm was also compelling. The 90mm runs AUD$1500 ($998 USD), while the 50mm runs AUD$800 ($498 USD). Here’s a complete spec comparison: 90mm Macro Weight: 0.96kg (roughly 2.1 pounds) Aperture: f/2.8 Aperture Blades: 9 Minimum focal distance: 0.28m (roughly 11 inches) 50mm Macro Weight: 0.23kg (roughly 0.5 pounds) Aperture: f/2.8 Aperture Blades: 7 Minimum focal distance: 0.16m (roughly 6.3 inches) Now I am not saying the 90mm is a bad lens — it is beautiful. But for me with weight and cost being a big factor, the quality of the images is superb, so for my vote is for the 50mm.
