This week, Sara Kempner kicked things off, showing us different ways how to turn images into greeting cards. Then, Lauri Novak gave us some great gift ideas, perfect for any photographer this holiday season.
Nate Torres explained the difference between AF-S and AF-C, while Joy Celine Asto highlighted a food/portrait mash-up featuring donuts. Finally, Jemma Pollari walked us through some creative edits to family photos in the upcoming Luminar AI software.
2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Photography essentials - How many of you are asked what you want for gifts, but know that if you tell family and friends camera gear or photography-related items that they may or may not get you the right thing? Photography is very personal. We all have our favorite brands, our standard go-to items and what works for one photographer may not work for another. It’s kind of like buying someone a sweater. Will it fit? Is it the right size, color or style? In order to keep from having to return items, it’s best to talk to the person you’re buying for. I know, so much for the element of surprise, but it’s better than purchasing the wrong thing. Want to see the latest gift ideas for the 2021 holiday season? Check out our Holiday Shopping Guide! New photographers If the person you are buying for is new to photography and you don’t know much about photography yourself, ask them what their intentions are. Do they want to focus on one or two genres? Are they interested in portrait, landscape, architectural, real estate, travel or wedding photography? Maybe they just want to record their lives, day to day or travels? Knowing this will help you determine what their needs might be. Asking them this may also help them get a better understanding of why they are interested in picking up a camera as well. Experienced photographers Maybe you’re trying to find a gift for a seasoned pro or someone who has been involved in photography as a hobby for many years. Likely, they’ll know exactly what they need or want. Ask them to give you a list of items and for the best place to buy. Again, photographers can be picky about their gear, what they are used to using and many are quite loyal to brands whether it’s lenses, cameras or software. Hopefully, we are going to make buying for the photographer in your life a little bit easier for you. If you are the photographer who is receiving the gift and want to help out the gift buyer, send them this list. Maybe even print it and highlight what it is you want, with notes about specifics. Gifts for every photographer Lens cloths: You can never have too many. They are convenient to have in every bag, the car, and coat pockets. Lens cloths are inexpensive and great stocking stuffers. Memory cards: Everyone needs these. Check with the camera owner to find out what type of cards they use. SD (secure digital) or CF (compact flash). Card reader: Once your photographer has filled up those memory cards they’ll want to upload the images to their computers. Using a card reader is one way to do this. Backup solutions: An external hard drive or a subscription to cloud-based backup services such as Code42 (CrashPlan) or Backblaze. LensPen Pro Kit: This set of lens cleaning pens is so easy to use and does a great job. Another item that warrants having a few of for every bag and pocket isn’t a bad idea. Rocket Blaster: Another great item for cleaning lenses and cameras. Extra batteries and charger: Having extra camera batteries on hand is never a bad idea. This also includes batteries for flashes and other accessories as well. Monitor color calibration device: There are several types on the market. Specifics Now, let’s get into a bit more specific types of photography and what might make for great gifts. Lenses Buying a lens for someone is definitely something you should discuss with them or ask them for a copy of their lens wish list. Macro, wide-angle, prime lenses and telephoto lenses come in a wide variety of brands and quality. You can also get them filters for the lenses they have. Maybe they’re looking into learning some long exposure photography. ND filters or graduated ND filters would be a great addition to their kit to help them with that. Other types of filters can be good to spark some creativity with different colors or effects. If they photograph a lot of water, architecture or windows then they may like a polarizing filter, which can help cut down on unwanted reflections. Software and apps There are so many choices out there these days for post-processing software and apps. Find out what they are currently using if they are using anything yet and what their preferences are. Maybe they’ve locked into something already and you can extend their subscription. It could be they are looking at switching and getting a free year as a gift would give them the opportunity to try it out. Here are just a few options: Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop Creative Cloud photography subscription: The Adobe photography plan allows you to only subscribe to Lightroom and Photoshop. LuminarAI: A standalone photo editor fully powered by artificial intelligence. An easy way for starting out when learning post-processing. Photoshop Elements: This is a good starting point for someone who would like to go a bit further with their photo creations. Affinity Photo: This has multiple functions and capabilities when it comes to photo editing, for the professional as well as the beginner. Capture One: They have a variety of versions to work with specific brands of camera or one that covers all major camera brands. Great for tethering. Nik Collection: One of my favorite plugins, Nik works in addition to other post-processing software. It’s a great way to explore other options in editing. There is also a myriad of phone apps for photographers: Remote triggers, tracking sunrise, sunset, the stars and all sorts of other useful and fun tools. Tripods and accessories Tripods are another very personal item. They have to work for the person using them and range from heavy-duty types to light and easy to pack travel tripods. Talk to the person you’re purchasing for, see what their needs are. Some other options and accessories are the Platypod, which is a great throw-in-your-bag option to stabilize the camera when you’re out and about. Gimbal heads are good for wildlife photographers. An L-bracket is also a
Photography 101: The difference between AF-S and AF-C - Let’s be honest and admit that many communities love using abbreviations that often make beginners confused. Today’s article is about AF-S and AF-C, the importance of focus in photography and other autofocus modes. A brief introduction to focus Almost every camera you come across will have an autofocus system, which is often a bit hard to understand. The thing is, the focus on a photo is essential. You will find it extremely hard to debunk what a photograph means if the entire image is blurry beyond repair, right? But when you nail the focus just right, you will eventually end up with a stunning picture. It gives you the same satisfaction when you wipe the rain off your windshield. Everything becomes crystal clear and understandable in an instant. You may argue that “it’s for the artistic look,” well, I would say the opposite. That argument will only work if you are taking a portrait or a bokeh image. Take note that the “blur” on these genres are on purpose, not “coincidentally” there. Differences between AF-C and AF-S Every time you set your digital camera lens to autofocus, it will give you several modes. The most popular modes are AF-C and AF-S. Depending on your camera, these might be referred to as C-AF and S-AF, too. But they mean the same thing. AF-C was often called the “Continuous Servo AF.” Nowadays, it is commonly known as continuous autofocus. You will find this mode handy if your subjects love to move around. If you take photos of dancing models, moving vehicles or anything that moves, then this mode is just for you. In this mode, the focus will stay on the subject if you hold the shutter button halfway down. It will continuously focus on the subject as they move. Just make sure to hold it halfway down. On the contrary, AF-S is not suitable when taking pictures of moving subjects. AF-S being the abbreviation for single autofocus. This is best used when photographing subjects that stay still or do not move in general. It locks onto your non-moving subject or objects you want to photograph once you hold the shutter. At this moment, feel free to recompose and take the photograph — just don’t move yourself. High end cameras have further modes. The way these operate will depend on the manufacturer, so you are best reading the manual or watching some YouTube videos on how these other modes work. Do photographers prefer one focus mode over the other? They sure do. In most instances when you take a camera out of the box for the first time, its default setting is to use the AF-A. This mode automatically picks the best mode for the photographer. You will probably know where this is going, right? It is no surprise that photographers rarely trust automatic features. Most photographers prefer to make the call themselves. Every mode has its advantage and is driven toward different audiences. In general, the automatic feature that lets the camera choose the optimal focus for the user is geared toward beginners. In contrast, the AF-S and AF-C options are catered to those who know what they are doing. Then there is the anomaly — manual focus. This mode is available on almost every modern camera and enables photographers to adjust the focus manually. Manual focus needs some practice, time and knowledge to use. To recap, photographers use different autofocus modes depending on their subject. They use AF-S to shoot subjects that do not move, while moving subjects are usually shot using AF-C. Most photographers rarely use AF-A and sometimes are in a situation where manual focus is best. Practice each mode in different scenarios to see which one suits you best.
Food photography and portraits mashup in “Donut Doubles” - I absolutely love it when two different genres or creative disciplines come together to create something unique and interesting. I find it to be one of the best ways to get out of a creative slump and test out random ideas. Say, mixing up food photography and portraiture? You’ll be surprised at how fun it can get! A past project of Missouri-based photographer Brandon Voges perfectly demonstrates how well these mashups can work. If you’re struggling to refill your creative juices or just want to explore different ways to approach photography, I’m sure it will give you some cool ideas! Faces meet food In 2014, Voges’ photography studio, Bruton Stroube Studios, did a project with marketing agency The Marlin Network for a breakfast event at an annual food industry show. Aptly dubbed “Donut Doubles,” the portrait project involved a collaboration with donut shop Strange Donuts. I’m sure that from these bits of information alone, you can tell it’s bound to be something good! I really liked the idea of shooting portraits that look like the donuts they’re paired with. It takes a stroke of genius to come up with a concept like this, which Voges and his team nailed in their eye-catching final product. The faces and their food counterparts look incredibly similar thanks to the power of visual suggestion. Even the color palette was carefully and cleverly put together! Mashup made mouthwatering While food photography was definitely the main driver behind “Donut Doubles,” the project was also meant to point toward a gathering of people from the food industry. So, I can see how putting the two elements together in a fun mashup project worked well to serve its intended purpose. I especially love how they made use of several visual elements to communicate the project’s message. How the similarities between the human and food subjects were visually presented — from the color palette to the representations of the features — is also impressive. To top it all off, the pairing was completed with a diptych — an art in two parts — and it couldn’t be more fitting to deliver the message. “Donut Doubles” is a great example of how putting together two mostly unrelated themes, topics or mediums can lead to something original and unexpectedly engaging. Hopefully, if you’re out of ideas for your next food photography project, you can find inspiration in this clever and mouthwatering mashup! Don’t forget to check out Brandon Voges’ Behance portfolio and Bruton Stroube Studios to see more of his work. All photos by Brandon Voges. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Applying creative edits to family photos in LuminarAI - Once you have applied corrections in LuminarAI for teeth and eye whitening, there’s a lot more that you can do to enhance your photos with this smart software. Replacing the sky in a photo with LuminarAI I whipped out this group portrait of my family (yay tripod) to explore the creative tools built into LuminarAI. The Sky ReplacementAI tool is fun, and like the rest of the software, I switched out the entire sky automatically with a single click. It does all the tedious selecting and masking and blending nonsense for you. There are options to apply masks if the AI struggles, but I didn’t need it for this photo. I also applied a mood to this image to adjust the overall color tone. Adjusting body shape with the BodyAI tool Next I had a look at the BodyAI tool: When applied with a light touch it handles well and the effect is realistic. In the FaceAI tools, there’s an equivalent for face slimming, which I applied to this shot, too. My original had a pretty cool sky, but I enhanced the sun with a sunburst, and I’m never going to say no to a rainbow: This is blended in via the creative panel Augmented SkyAI tool. There’s a heap of options in here of things to add to the sky, from clouds to mountains to planets and space shuttles. Changing eye color with the FaceAI tool When adjusting how eyes appear in the photo, you can change color with a click. It works well, although for my nephew (above), I found his original pupil was bigger than the replacement, which is noticeable when switching between the two. This is the beta of the software, so something to expect a fix for after release. With this photo of my sister (above), I picked the cat eyes, to enhance her awesome Halloween look. I also made her eyes bigger, and slimmed her body and face slightly. Somehow, I didn’t think removing dark shadows was going to work in this case … LuminarAI replaces a bunch of other products, with less effort The creative tools in LuminarAI are pretty cool and replace a bunch of other products I use for creative effect. Sunbursts, mist, haze and sky replacements are built into the software, and extras can be downloaded as needed. With everything it can do, from skies to faces to body shaping, to built-in templates and moods, LuminarAI is crazy good value: I’ve bought preset packs for Lightroom Classic that cost more than this entire program. And when every experiment is non-destructive and just a click away, you can give your creativity free rein.
Three reasons to turn your images into greeting cards - I’ll admit, the first time I looked into printing greeting cards with my landscape images, I ended up giving up on the idea. The profit margins seemed too low for the amount of work and materials required to create a quality product. Why would I want to put time into sourcing a supplier, creating proofs and paying for printing, envelopes and shipping only to make a few bucks profit? Over time, I came to realize that greeting cards can create a lot more value for both your business and your brand than just a few dollars in profit. Now, I make sure to always have some on hand and use them in a variety of ways. Below are three reasons why I believe greeting cards can be a great asset to your photography business: Greeting cards are marketing material for your business Done properly, your art cards can act as large business cards. Aside from choosing visually strong images, ensure that you have your name, logo, website and contact information on the back of the cards. This way, people can find out more about you, and hopefully will check out your website to see your work. Your cards could be mailed across the country, or even internationally, so they’re a perfect vessel to market yourself to a diverse range of locations and people. You never know who might receive one of your cards and become a future client! Use your cards to thank your clients Another use for greeting cards is to send them out as thank you cards to your clients. I personally keep a list of all my clients throughout the year. Come December, I will send out a thank you card to each of them for supporting my business in the past year. This will make your clients feel appreciated, and let them know that their business was important to you. It’s also a good way to touch base with them and keep your company fresh in their minds. And again, it gives them all of your contact information while also marketing what is hopefully a great image of yours on the front. Your cards as bonus gifts to clients Small gestures go a long way to make people feel appreciated. Being a landscape photographer, I get a lot of people buying prints as gifts for other people. Giving the purchaser a greeting card or two is generally an easy way to thank them for their business and give them a little something for themselves. The same goes for someone buying wall art, or someone who’s referred a client to me. A greeting card is a cost-effective way to show the people that support your business that they are valued. Greeting cards can be a great way to market yourself when done right. Make sure you create a product that looks professional and represents your brand in the best way possible. You can sell them through your website, social media or in local stores and cafes. Alternatively, use them to give to clients as a thank you to show your appreciation. Either way, I suggest having some cards on hand as you never know when they might come in handy!
