This week, Lauri Novak showed us how to get creative at home, while Levi Sim reviewed the Fuji X-Pro3. Bob Coates taught us techniques for water droplet photography and James Maher told us best practices to avoid people while taking street photography. Finally, Kristina Sherk taught us how to use Photoshop Actions to edit a portrait’s eyes, and Michele Grenier walked us through making custom prints for a gym.
Looking for more inspiration? Be sure to check out The Artists’ Notebook, where we’re giving you inspirational articles, webinars and breakout sessions — all for free!
A too-short look at the new Fuji X-Pro3 - Fuji cameras have always intrigued me. A long time ago, one of my first students had a Fuji Finepix S3, which was housed in a Nikon body. There was always something a little different about her pictures, and I continue to see that from all the Fuji shooters I know. Fujifilm lent me the new X-Pro3 for a couple of weeks, and I had a good time using it. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough time. This camera can do so much that I didn’t even get to try. So rather than a review, this is a too-short look at the Fuji X-Pro3. Let me sum up this post: I would happily buy this camera. Stick around and I’ll tell you some of the reasons why. Basics The X-Pro3 has a 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor. That’s an APS-C-sized sensor (also called a “cropped sensor”). It also has the X-Processor4 to handle the pictures and 4K videos. Its ISO range is from 160 to 12,800. It’ll take any of Fuji’s lenses and has a 3″ LCD screen. It’s a mirrorless camera built in the rangefinder style. For those of us born after the 70s, a rangefinder doesn’t let you look through the lens like an SLR does. Instead, there’s a viewfinder mounted on the corner of the body that has a square inside that represents the view offered through the lens. This style of film camera was always more compact than an SLR and often favored by street shooters. The X-Pro3 has all the dials and knobs you’d expect from a Fuji camera, including a functioning aperture ring on the lenses. Really cool features Viewfinder The first thing you’ll notice is the viewfinder. It’s both an optical viewfinder and a digital viewfinder, which is weird and awesome. You can look through it with the camera powered off, which is nice. When the camera is powered on, it projects a square that shows what the field of view is with the lens you’ve chosen — you see a bigger square with a wide-angle lens and a smaller square with a longer lens. But then you flip a switch and a cover closes the viewfinder and you see a high-resolution digital image instead. That view is coming through the lens and onto the sensor, just like any mirrorless camera. The view is very sharp. Playback in the viewfinder is especially nice to use. Fuji calls it a Hybrid Multi Viewfinder. One of my favorite things about the viewfinder is that it is mounted on the corner. If you’re right-eyed, it means your nose isn’t mashed against the camera body to look in the viewfinder. If you’re left-eyed, it doesn’t make a significant difference. LCD The rear LCD is large and high resolution. But it doesn’t work as you might expect. It only flips downward, and there’s no option to have it viewable while flat against the camera’s body. This is intentional. You’re supposed to use the viewfinder to make pictures. It’s handy that it flips down for working on a tripod, but it would be nice if it swiveled for working on a tripod in portrait orientation. When closed, the LCD displays the picture style you’ve chosen, as if you’d tucked the label from your film box into the slot on the back to remember what film you have loaded. That display is an LCD, and it is always powered on, but it’s not backlit and uses very little power. This is a nostalgic feature that is fun. I shoot in RAW, so I can choose the picture style later. Interface If you’re reading this in 2020, and not in 1974, then the control dials are significantly different than you’re accustomed to on a camera made by almost anyone other company. Again, it’s a nostalgic layout that is fun to learn to use. There are some small advantages for candid shooters to setting the exposure dials while the camera is off. You may even realize the relationship between aperture, ISO and shutter speed a little better as you make adjustments. Certainly, if you’ve just picked this camera up, you’ll feel making adjustments is slower. In fact, it’s slow whenever you change camera brands, but it’s not so weird on the X-Pro3 that you wouldn’t master in a short time. Plus, there are dials and buttons that can be programmed to work just like your Canon. But you should give it a chance with the provided layout. Who knows? Maybe forcing you do things a little differently will enable you to see things a little differently, too. Menus I found the menus logically designed. There sure are a lot of options, though. Like I said, I didn’t have enough time with this camera. When I opened the video menu I got very excited by all the options. I know a guy who shoots all kinds of commercial videos using Fuji cameras, and the options I saw there made it clear that it’s a very capable camera. I think you won’t have trouble navigating the menus. There are a few things named slightly differently than some other cameras, but the names make sense. Picture quality The pictures are terrific. The lenses I got were the 50mm and the 23mm and they are sharp and the colors are true. The 26 megapixels are pushing the limit for me. I prefer fewer pixels with more quality, but this sensor and processor make good images. The sensor is totally different from sensors in Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax and Lumix cameras. Those cameras all use a Bayer sensor, whereas the Fuji uses the X-Trans sensor. The X-Trans sensor has a fundamentally-different layout of the color-receptors that can help eliminate any kind of moire and should help record more true colors. This is the thing that immediately appears different about Fuji pictures. Coupled with their latest processor, it records terrific images even at high ISOs. High ISO performance I think the high ISO performance is very good. I
Have downtime? Try out water droplet photography - With photographers dealing with client cancellations, now is the perfect time to learn a new skill. Play with your photography! I recommend a session or two with water droplet photography. It can be a blast! But it doesn’t come without its share of frustration at times. Here are some tricks to get you going. I’ll share my water droplet photography process and some ideas to help get you some memorable images with as little pain as possible. If you haven’t already read my step-by-step tutorial about getting started with water droplet photography, be sure to check out part one and two. How can you take your water droplet photography to the next level? Below I’ll review and refine the setup and capture process. Proper toolset Water droplet images can be made using little gear. I’ve seen some nice images made by dripping water from a washcloth. That said, I believe your level of crazy goes down with a solid set of tools. Even with the proper tools, you will spend some time to get some solid keepers. My base water droplet kit I use a Pluto Trigger and the Pluto Valve. The Trigger can be used in a myriad of ways. For this purpose, the Trigger controls the droplets timing through the valve, opens the camera lens and fires the flashes. When you order your Pluto Trigger, be sure to include the cable that works for your camera. Other trigger and valve systems are out there as well. You need a camera that has a remote port and can be set in manual mode. I recommend a macro lens, but extension tubes can get you close to your splashes as well. I’m currently using a Lumix G9 with the Panasonic 45mm f/2.8 macro lens. Other stuff to have Camera gear Smartphone to control the Pluto trigger Tripod or other way to steady your camera At least one flash you can set in manual mode; multiple flashes are preferable to me. I use between 3-5 flashes. Shown above are the Godox AD200 flashes. Remote trigger and receiver(s) for flash Scrim from the inside of a five way reflector Small stands or mini tripods so your flashes can be supported Lens cloth (lenses can get water spots) Creative accessories Gels for adding color to your flashes Colored background paper. Pieces of Savage paper cut from rolls will work as will construction paper from a craft store. Bowl, plate, cup or other container to catch your splashes Tray to catch the overflow of water Towels, paper towels and to wipe up spills Xanthan gum for thickening the water, resulting in longer lasting drops and more dramatic splashes. Cheesecloth or cloth for straining Measuring cup Water or other liquid. Some have used milk and/or almond milk for a thicker liquid. Food coloring if wanted Level Measuring tape Notebook Now that we have all the pieces in place we’ll set up how to use them in the next post. Stay tuned! Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
How to take street photographs while avoiding people and crowds - With everything going on in the world, it’s a tough time to want to get in the middle of busy and chaotic crowds. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t practice street photography. In fact, just the opposite. Street photography is just as much about photographing in quieter and less populated areas as it is in big cities. And right now (as long as you are allowed outside), it’s a fantastic way to clear your head and relax. Just make sure to be careful. This may not be the first thing that most people think about when they think of street photography, but it’s just as important to the genre. People can still be an aspect of it, and it can be just as interesting. Here are some thoughts about how to approach this aspect of street photography. The transition can be difficult at first Street photography in busy areas can feel tough enough, but the reality is that once you learn some of the tips and tricks, it’s actually not that hard to get comfortable with. There are so many people, lots of commotion and people with cameras are often expected to be around, so it can be easy to blend in. Quieter areas can be the opposite experience. You will often be the only person on the street and you will stick out significantly with a camera. There’s just no way to blend in like in a big city, but I promise that it’s possible to work around this. It will take more time to get comfortable, but over time you will find a way to act that will still allow you to get good candid photographs of people when you need to. The most important thing is to act like you’re photographing the background and not the people and to also just make it seem like you don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. The more comfortable you act, the more people will allow you to do what you are doing. So while you may be able to get away with being very sneaky in a city situation, in a quieter area, it’s probably best to act fairly obvious, while still trying to sneak the candid shot when you need to. Smaller cameras and prime lenses, of course, will help you out significantly in these areas because they are less conspicuous. People are warier of more professional looking DSLRs. However, there is something to be said for working with a larger camera in these situations. The photographs in this article were all shot with a medium format camera, and I like that the size of the camera makes me more obvious. Yes, I’m more noticeable, but it also gives me a sense of legitimacy, which I find allows people to leave me alone and trust that I’m there for a good reason. Portraits If you are having trouble creating candid shots in these quiet environments, and even if you’re not, portraits are an addition you should strongly consider. While street photography technically is about candid moments, the inclusion of portraits can add a wonderful dimension to a street photography project. However, you want to make sure that people look natural. The portraits need to feel candid and real — fake smiles are out. If you come across someone who already looks great, you can ask them to stay in the same pose. Or you can tell a person to get in a comfortable pose that feels natural to them. Make them know you just want them to look real — it will help them to feel comfortable. Or try talking to them to help them get more comfortable. Ask them an interesting question about themselves to get them thinking and to take what you are doing seriously. A good question can go a very far way. Look intimately at your surroundings Street photography is often mistaken to only be about people. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The environment is just as important as any people shots, and wonderful street photography projects have been created without any people at all. The goal is to share a feeling or an idea, to tell a story or to describe aspects of an area to your viewers. Look for photographs that have something to them that’s right beneath the surface. Look for details, designs, structures and objects. It’s hard to explain what makes for a good photograph in these situations, but they’re out there. Try not to disregard an area as having no good photographs. I promise, wherever you are you can capture something interesting, it just takes stepping back from yourself a bit, getting rid of your preconceived notions and taking your time to look around. Revisit the same areas I think the most important part of being successful with this type of photography is to spend a lot of time shooting, but also to be consistent with where you are shooting. Yes, exploring all over is great to do, but revisiting an area over and over again will transform your work. It will allow you to learn the area more deeply over time, to understand the place and to get more comfortable with its rhythms. You will not only give yourself more time to come across great moments, but you will start to notice more things that you completely glossed over on previous visits. As you build a portfolio from the area you will find that, over time, so many more moments will pop out at you. And make sure to go back at different times of day, in different lighting, at different times of the year and in different weather. Figure out how you relate to the area Great street photography has an intimate nature to it. The more you can put yourself into the project, the more interesting it will be. Think about what drew you to the area in the first place. What aspects of it do you find interesting? Are you more attracted
Make your portrait’s eyes pop with Photoshop Actions - Photoshop Actions can really help to speed up your workflow, especially when dealing with portraits. Even if your subjects have different colored eyes, you can still create an Action to help you more quickly process your images. High-end photo retoucher Kristina Sherk recently hosted a webinar for The Artists’ Notebook that talked how to get started with Photoshop Actions and best practices when using them for your photographs. In this video, Kristina talks about how to make your portrait’s eyes pop — whether they’re blue, green, brown or hazel eyes. Tune in below! If you’re a Lightroom user, you can still take advantage of these great tools. Kristina has come up with Shark Pixel Portrait Adjustment Brushes to help you quickly brush different effects in your images in Lightroom Classic. Paired with her “Lightroom for Faces” course on ThinkTAP Learn, you can really wow your clients! Included are 95 adjustment brushes that will solve virtually every need you have when it comes to portrait retouching. There are multiple versions of each brush — perfect for all types of images. Get the bundle today for just $99! Or if you’ve already watched her course, check out the brushes here.
Custom made prints of my photos in a gym - I’ve always wanted to display custom made prints of my photos in a gym. That dream recently became a reality with a very cool project! A very cool opportunity I was approached by Xpozer, which wanted me to try and review some of its products. I was very enthusiastic about the project, not only because it was the perfect opportunity to display some of my favorite photos in a gym … but also because these prints were substantially big (30-by-45 inches). I’m an advocate for the “go big or go home” philosophy and that got me pretty excited! The perfect gym When Stephanie, a friend of mine, opened her brand-new gym — the “Sweat Club” — in late 2019, I knew this would be a perfect place to display huge prints. The gym had 18-foot walls with neutral colors, a huge open area and a killer brand identity. I reached out to her and asked if she’d be interested in having some custom made images to decorate her place. As you can guess, she was excited, too, about the idea. Customizing the photos For this project, we were given four prints and two reusable frames. That would make two duos that she could swap to change the mood/decoration of the gym (like for holidays, events, workshops, etc.). Stephanie and I had already done a few photoshoots for her business in the past years. That made it relatively easy to find in my archives potential pictures for the project. We had many options and I offered her different combinations. We decided to go for an “action” duo (with athletes in movement) and a “macro” duo (with close-up shots and plenty of sweat). These concepts represented well her gym’s identity. I customized the photos with a splash of green color for the macro duo and a special effect for the action one. Ordering the prints Once the official setups have been approved, I went to Xpozer’s website, uploaded my files and then ordered two “Print + Frame Combos” and two “Print” pieces (for a total of four prints and two swappable frames). Once the order was approved, I got a tracking number to follow the parcels. The delivery was pretty efficient and I got the packages at my door in about five days. I was quite impressed with the details and sharpness in the final result — even more because I had macro photography AND special effects combined. As a side note for Canadians, plan to add custom fees to your UPS delivery budget. A “2 prints + 1 frame” package cost around $40 CAD to cross the border. Installing the frames Installation of the prints was a very simple procedure in itself. All that it required was a screw per frame for the “hook” — that’s all (these were even provided in the delivery package.) The tricky part was to perfectly align them in the center of a high wall. We had also decided to have one horizontal and one vertical image to bring more dynamism to the ensemble … that’s where things got interesting. As you can see from the pictures above, I wanted them to be aligned at the bottom. HUGE thanks to my husband who handled the situation like a pro and hung them exactly the way I envisioned them. The final look The satin finish of the photos gives a clean, contemporary look and prevents the ceiling fluorescents from reflecting. And because Xpozer uses a custom-developed material that won’t react to elements, I am confident the pictures will remain in flat and in perfect condition despite the gym’s temperature changes, humidity or dust. Both Stephanie and I are very happy with the final result. The high-quality prints add dynamism and are perfectly suited to her beautiful gym. I loved the entire process, from thinking about a concept, to editing, to seeing the physical result. As a photographer, seeing custom made prints of my photos in a gym is highly gratifying. Would I do it again? Totally … and I’d dare to go bigger! Would you?
Getting creative with your photography at home - I’ve had these shells in my office for almost a year. For whatever reason, I just wasn’t feeling inspired to photograph them. Several months ago, I did pull them out and played with backgrounds, but that was it. I had other ideas in my head, and finally decided to act on them! Be open to getting creative with whatever you can find or have One of the ideas I had was to take the smaller shells — some are quite tiny — and put them in water with sand on or on a blue pie plate I have. I figured the blue would help emulate the feeling of water and beach. First, I set this up on my kitchen table in a small lightbox. I tried using the pie plate upside down and then I flipped it and put the shells in it. After taking a few photos with the pie plate, I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and added water to it. Then I shot from directly overhead to see what it would look like. When you’re setting up shots like this, remember to just play and experiment. You really don’t know until you try something what works and what doesn’t. During this session, I also grabbed wooden spoons, an art glass piece I have and then I went outside. Change your perspective One of the easiest ways to create different images is to change your perspective. During my time with the shells, I shot from directly above, at eye level, and also slightly at an angle. Each perspective completely changed what shows up in the viewfinder. When I took the shells outside and placed them on my patio table I knew I’d be able to get reflections in the wavy glass because I love using my patio table to take photos on it. It had actually rained a bit, so the wet surface made it even better. For fun, I dumped more water on it. They’re shells, after all, so it represents their natural habitat of water and sand! Always remember to have fun while getting creative If what you’re doing becomes difficult, tedious or you find yourself getting bored and impatient, then stop. Learn lessons from what you’ve done, the images you have and apply them the next time you get the urge to be creative. A lesson learned for me this time (and to be honest almost every time I get my macro lens out), is to leave the camera on the tripod. I often get too antsy and feel too restricted with a tripod. I want to try different angles but can’t, so I take the camera off the tripod and set my settings to better handle being handheld. But then I’m disappointed with the outcome! Patience is a huge virtue when photographing macro images — which is not something I’m good at, so a good majority of my images are unusable. Some day I’ll learn!
