How to Do Mirror Photography to Capture a Next Level Selfie

Take your selfies to the next level using mirror photography.

Photography in it's purest form often has a reputation for being very serious and stuffy. This is not always underserved given the behaviour of some photographers and the exclusive nature of the art world generally. Whilst I am super serious about my work, I also want it to be fun. I want to have fun doing it and sometimes I want the images themselves to be fun. There is no harm in this and a creating a interesting selfie using mirror photography fits the bill nicely.

In the video we go through how to shoot mirror photography and create an interesting and fun selfie. The video covers how to shoot the shot and then takes you through the relatively easy edit in Lightroom and Photoshop.

To get a FREE trail of Photoshop and Lightroom click the link below.

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/get/photography-plan

Shooting fun photography can be technically challenging and will teach you a lot. Learning the processes involved in capturing images like this mirror photography shot, can help you take your skills to the next level. Selfies have become the domain of smart phones but a good selfie will really make your work stand out from the crowd.

You can use the mirror photography techniques we go through in this video in a variety of situations and really let your imagination run wild. Imagine taking a full length mirror out into the woods and creating an effect where it appears you have stumbled upon the doorway to another dimension. It does not have to be a self portrait either. Employ a friend, a model or anyone else to feature in you image and you will have a lot of fun shooting it.

Using mirrors in your photography can work at other times too. For example, shooting the reflection of a bride getting ready for her wedding can add an element of creativity to a moment that is often shot in a relatively dull setting like a hotel room or living room. Just think about where you want your camera to focus. Sometimes you may want the reflection in focus and sometimes the subject themselves. These creative images will always lead to your work being noticed and, for most of us, grabbing the attention of the viewer is what we are aiming to achieve.

Whether you use mirror photography to shoot a creative selfie, add interest to an otherwise standard shot or use it as the theme to a photography project it is entirely up to you. Give it a go and let your creative juices run wild.

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Other videos mentioned:

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/blog/5-reasons-photography-project

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/how-to-remove-spots-in-photoshop

The Ups and Downs of the Photography Histogram

Use the Histogram to take your images to the next level.

The Histogram is one of the most useful tools in Photography but is also little understood and often ignored. When used correctly it can help to take your images to the next level ensuring the exposure and contrast is the absolute best it can be.

Since the arrival of digital photography assessing your shot is an instantaneous event. Briefly looking down at the camera screen to check your shot is quick, easy and will give a good indication of the exposure and the quality of the image. This is a perfectly acceptable way of shooting. It is quick and effective in the vast majority of situations. When accuracy of exposure is your number one priority then reviewing the histogram and using a light meter may become essential.

The histogram is a mathematical measurement of the image you have captured. It can be used to accurately assess your image for exposure and contrast. The horizontal x-axis represents the tones in the image and goes from 0 - 255 where 0 is absolute black and 255 is absolute white. The vertical y-axis measures how much of each tone there is present in the image. If a tone goes off the chart it indicates that tone has clipped and detail will be lost.

In the video above I explain the histogram. We go through several images with different histogram readings explaining how to interpret them, what they mean and how images can be processed to maximise their potential. There are some occasions where the histogram is of less use such as high key and low key lighting setups and this is also explained.

The histogram serves little purpose to me when shooting. I shoot RAW so do not need to be 100% accurate with my exposure. My process is to estimate the settings I require based on the conditions I see with my eye, take a test shot, look at the screen and then adjust the settings and repeat if required. I generally get within half a stop of the correct exposure which can easily be corrected in post with virtually no drop in quality. Another option is to use a light meter and the histogram, but I value speed and time more than getting everything 'right in camera'.

In post-processing I use the histogram on virtually every shot. In Adobe Lightroom it sits nicely in the top right corner and I reference and look to it throughout my editing process. My main use for it is to ensure proper exposure and be certain of getting absolute black and white.

Shots that are properly exposed with good contrast, bright whites and beautiful deep blacks are the hallmarks of a photographer at the next level; someone who consistently produces beautiful images time and time again. A gallery made up of images created and developed in this way will stand out amongst many others and for most of us that is the attention we seek.

To get a FREE trial of Adobe Lightroom click here.

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Water Drop Photography Edit Session

Post-processing a water drop photography shoot.

In this video I go through the post processing of the images shot in the previous video where I cover how to use the SplashArt 2 water dropper to shoot water drop photography.

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/water-drop-photography-splashart-dropper

Post processing or editing is a vital part of the photography process and when it comes to water drop photography things are no different. The process starts when importing the images to a computer. In the video I already had the images on the computer thanks to shooting the session with the camera tethered. This is an extremely useful way of shooting studio photography as it allows you to view the images full screen rather than relying on the cameras own screen. Instantly being able to see all the detail of an image is a clear advantage.

How to do water drop photography - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/water-drop-photography

With the images already on the computer it is then a case of assessing the images and discarding the ones that are not useable or simply not to your standard. Adobe Lightroom offers a number of options to rank and rate your images. My workflow involves initially flagging the images I am happy with and then making a second pass to score the images using the star ratings. This quickly highlights which images from a shoot I will editing, speeding up my workflow.

I then enter into the editing process. With water drop photography, using Adobe Lightroom water drop images from the same shoot can be made to look very different. This comes mainly through the powerful colour adjustments that Lightroom offers when working with RAW images.

The video goes through the editing of the water drop photos with my editing techniques and workflow being explained. The workflow is very similar in any photo shoot so can be applied to almost any type of photography.

Get a free trial of Adobe Lightroom - Click here.

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Water Drop Photography - How to Use the SplashArt Dropper

Capture water drop collisions using the SplashArt Dropper. 

Water drop photography is a very popular form of photography thanks to the amazing moments in time that it captures. In a previous video I detailed how to do water drop photography using a basic setup with standard household items. The video also touched on how to use an electronic water drop system called the Splashart dropper.

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/water-drop-photography

Since that video many of you have been sharing your images and have also invested your time and money into water drop photography and purchased the Splashart dropper. Following that there have been numerous requests for another video detailing how to use the SplashArt Drop System. This video answers that question.

The Splashart Dropper can be purchased here.

The system has a water bath that produces drops through a solenoid and nozzle. The release of the drops is controlled through an electronic control panel.

The SplashArt dropper uses an electric control panel that has four control knobs. The first knob controls the size of the first drop. The second knob covers the time between the two drops. The third controls the size of the second drop and the bottom knob controls the delay between pressing the activation button and when the camera is fired.

Whilst much of water drop photography is automated there is still a large amount of creativity and patience required. It is a matter of trial and error and the creativity comes from your composition, lighting, colour combinations and your post processing. Follow the link below to see how I post-process my water drop photography images.

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/how-to-edit-water-drop-photos

If you are shooting water drop photography be sure to follow me on Instagram and share your images every Wednesday for #waterdropwednesday.

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How to Rescue an Underexposed Image

Bring an underexposed image back from the brink.

Sometimes mistakes happen. They happen to the best of us. Imagine the scenario where you see an amazing photo opportunity, line up an incredible composition and pull the trigger knowing your shot is going to be great. You look down and are horrified to find the exposure is way off. This could be due to your auto/semi-auto exposure being thrown off or a mistake when shooting in manual. Sound familiar?

With the dawn of digital photography and RAW images we now have the ability to easily and effectively adjust exposure. If a shot is overexposed and the image is ‘blown out’ there is often nothing we can do to recover it. However if an image is underexposed you might be able to rescue it, even if you have missed by around 2 stops.

A question worth considering though is should we be rescuing images?

Many would argue you should capture everything correctly in-camera. Anything else makes you an unskilled heathen, unwelcome in photography high society for evermore. There is such as strange attitude towards post-processing at the moment where everyone is terrified an image may be misrepresenting a situation. Why is photography under such scrutiny when people believe a misleading headline or a five second video on Facebook without a second thought? We so often feel the need to justify our work with comments like ‘no major processing, just small contrast and saturation boost'.  How is this different? Who draws the line where an image goes from being enhanced to manipulated?

This argument is really a misunderstanding of what digital cameras do, whether they are a hardcore DSLR or an iPhone. If the camera is capturing JPEGs, then it is post-processing the image before you ever see it. They add contrast, saturation and sharpness on every single occasion so claiming you 'get it right in-camera' is not be the badge of honour people think it is. An unprocessed image looks like a RAW file image. Flat, with low contrast and very little sharpness.

RAW files capture a large amount of image data that allows a number of changes to be made and this includes a decent exposure range. In the video I show you how to rescue an underexposed image using Adobe Lightroom.

Whilst it is unlikely rescued images will end up displayed on a wall or in your portfolio, they still have a place. It could be an important moment in time captured or simply, an image to share online. Services like Facebook and Instagram compress images heavily and use low resolutions so detail of images often cannot be seen. Sharing your rescued images on these services is a very reasonable way to put extra content out into the world and continue to grow you audience.

So should you rescue your underexposed images? In answer - yes. It is not hurting anyone and it will be your audience who decide whether it is good or not. Personally, I give very little thought and time to those who are critical of my creative process. You are free to not enjoy my methods and my work as I am free to ignore you.

Get a free trial of Adobe Lightroom - Click here.

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What is the Difference Between Photoshop and Lightroom?

One of the questions I have been asked the most is what is the difference between Photoshop and Lightroom?

Get a free trial of Photoshop and Lightroom by clicking the link below.

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/get/photography-plan

This is a very understandable question considering both programs now do many of the same things. These powerhouses of photography are now the stablemate of pretty much every photographer. If you are just getting started on your photography journey, understanding the difference between Photoshop and Lightroom will really help you progress and use the strengths of each application at the appropriate time.

For the rest of this post and video I will be assuming you are shooting RAW.  You should be in almost all circumstances.

Photoshop is your all out image editing application. It is a beast. It has multiple tools that allow you to edit and manipulate photographs providing a powerful suite of post processing features. It also allows you to create striking graphics, text effects and artworks from scratch that are used to create so much content everyday both inside and outside the world of photography. Lightroom lacks many of these features.

Lightroom on the other hand is purely designed for photographers. The program is designed to organise, edit and enhance your photographs and makes this extremely easy. Unlike Photoshop, it provides a workflow for your post processing from start to finish and includes a mobile app allowing you to work on the go.

Photoshop generally works by opening and editing a single image. Lightroom, on the other hand, lets you to flick through a catalogue of images allowing you to quickly edit and process a series of images. When working with RAW files both use the powerful features of Adobe Camera Raw. In Photoshop this appears as a standalone window where as it is deeply built into Lightroom.

Both applications work seamlessly together. If you start an edit in Lightroom you can move over to Photoshop to make more complex edits, for example, using layers. Save it and the image links back to Lightroom again for export and viewing. Lightroom has powerful export features allowing batch exports of multiple images saving photographers valuable time.

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So which is best for you? Nowadays that is a pointless question. With the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan you can have both for around £8.50/$9.99.  Just hit the link below and you'll get a 30 day free trial.

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/get/photography-plan

3 Steps to Better Photo Storage and Backup

Save the heartache and properly backup your photos.

It is astonishing in this day and age that the idea of backup is still just an afterthought. When you ask someone if they back up their files they casually say, 'no'. Then, noticing your astonishment, try and placate you saying, 'I've been meaning too'.

This is a serious problem. People are not just storing a few Selfies. People are failing to back up documents and files that, on many occasions,

their livelihoods depend on. For many photographers, enthusiasts and professionals alike, their photos and body of work is everything to them. For me, my photographs are my most valued possessions, unique pieces of work that are irreplaceable.  Losing them is unthinkable but sadly stories of such disasters continue to surface regularly.

All this potential heartache can be avoided by following the 3 steps to better photo storage and backup.

1. Camera Backup 

The first and very simple step is to backup the images on your camera. Many new camera's offer dual card slots offering a level of in camera backup but you will still need to transfer the images to a computer or laptop so do it as soon as possible.

If you're using good quality cards corruption is unlikely but theft and physical damage is still a risk at this stage.

There are numerous ways of transferring your files to a computer but I prefer to remove the card from the camera and plug it into a card reader. This removes the camera from the process and offers faster transfer speeds saving time.

2. External Backup

The key to this stage is to ensure you have two copies of all your files. If all your files are on your computer or laptop then you only need to back this up. However storing large numbers of photos, videos and other files takes up a lot of storage. It therefore becomes necessary to store your files on an external drive to free up space on your computer. If you then delete the files from your computer you need to backup the external drive. Ideally on another external or backup hard drive.

With a dedicated backup HD you minimise the risk to all your files stored on various other physical drives. Programs like Time Machine on the Mac and Acronis True Image make the process of backing up your files very easy. Point them to your Backup HD and they will backup your computer/laptop and all external drives. When you first do this, depending on the number of files you have, it could take a long time to transfer the files. However once complete continued backup will be much quicker as they only backup newly created files or those you have worked on and modified. Both programs give you access to previous versions of modified files offering a very powerful backup solution.

Also be sure that your Backup drive has the capacity to store all the files from your other drives combined. I use the Seagate 8TB External Hard Drive to backup all my files. This excellent and very large drive has the capacity to store more photos than you are ever likely to take but as we all start to shoot more video bigger drives, like this Seagate 8TB, are required.

Seagate Backup Plus 8TB – UK

Seagate Backup Plus 8TB – US

That takes care of drive failure but what about the horrendous situation of fire or theft?

3. Offsite or Cloud Backup

The third step is about ensuring your files are not only backed up but also stored for a third time in another physical location entirely. Now if I return from a holiday to find my house burned to the ground my files will not be lost entirely.

It now seems every tech company going is vying for our business in this space. Services like iCloud, OneDrive and Dropbox do a good job of backing up your mobile devices but can become expensive when backing up your entire computer. Services from Flickr and Amazon offer to backup  all your photos at a reasonable price but this can still leave your other files vulnerable, such as your Lightroom catalogue.

I am now using Backblaze after switching from using CrashPlan. It also offers encryption of your files and if you use your own encryption key even Backblaze themselves cannot read the files.

Backblaze is easy to use and is managed through a small, secure application that is installed on you Mac or PC.

Get a 15 day free trial of Backblaze now by clicking the link below.

Try Backblaze Free for 15 days

Your files are now digitally secure. There is however secret option number 4.

4. Print Them

Recently father of the Internet vint Cerf warned that the world is at risk of losing a massive piece of it’s history because it is all stored digitally. Whilst this would likely come about with some world ending catastrophe it is a good excuse to print more of our work. Do it, you won’t be sorry.

I have created the flow chart below as a reference when planning your backup solution. Feel free to download and share it.

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How to Add Vignette in Lightroom

Draw attention to your subject by adding a vignette.

To get a FREE trial of Adobe Lightroom Click here.

A vignette is the darkened area around the outside of an image. It is caused by the fall off of light from the centre of the frame as light is blocked inside the lens barrel. It happens naturally, often at wide apertures and particularly with prime lenses.

It is an effect that can be very appealing. It draws attention in towards the main subject in the centre of the frame and masks any distractions around the edges. It is particularly effective in portraits and is often used in wedding photography, placing the focus of the image directly on the happy couple.

When the effect happens naturally you may sometimes want to remove it if it was not part of your planned image. We have covered removing vignette in Lightroom previously and you can watch that here:

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/remove-vignetting-in-lightroom

In this video we go through a quick edit in Abobe Lightroom to add a vignette to an image. We take a look at three different types of image to give an idea of how the effect can work in different scenarios.

To add a vignette, load your image into Lightroom and then open the image up in the develop module. Navigate over to the adjustment panel on the right hand side and scroll down to the effects panel. Open this up and then you should see the post-crop vignette section. Drag the slider to the left to add a vignette. The other sliders control the, feather, roundness and midpoint of your vignette.

It is important to edit your image first and add the vignetting at the end of your edit after you have finished cropping. Otherwise you may crop out some of the effect. It is also the kind of effect where less is more. Aim to achieve nice natural looking vignettes that do not overpower your image and achieve the goal of focusing attention onto the subject in the centre of the frame.

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Landscape Photography Editing - Fine Art Landscape

How I edit a fine art landscape.

In this video we go through the editing techniques and post-processing to create a fine art landscape using Adobe Lightroom.

To get FREE trial of Adobe Lightroom Click here.

This video has come about thanks to the suggestion of a valued subscriber who asked me to go through the post processing of some images. Happy to oblige I went through the edit of one of my recent shots taken whilst in Glenelg on the West Coast of Scotland. Since we have been on a landscape theme recently I thought some landscape photography editing would be a good place to start.

With the conditions I was faced with on the day, the scene immediately screamed black and white. I went ahead and shot a four minute long exposure, planning to turn the image into a fine art landscape photograph. Long exposure lends itself very well to fine art photography.

The fine art landscape editing is done purely in Adobe Lightroom although the final touch is added using Silver Efex form Google's Nik Collection. This final step does not feature in the video as I will be creating future tutorials covering this.

The image used was shot in raw. We go through all the steps and sliders used in Lightroom to post process the image and complete our fine art landscape edit.

During the post processing we use a software version of the ND grad filter and use this to bring out some detail and drama from the sky. This is a very effective landscape photography editing tool and is starting to render the physical version of this filter useless. See my recent video discussing camera filters.

If you enjoy the video and find it useful please let me know and I will make photography editing videos a regular feature.

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Camera Filters - Do We Need Them on Our Lens?

The Truth About Camera Filters

In this video we take a look at various camera filters and whether you actually need them.

There are many kinds of filters in photography from those we put in front of our lens to software effects in Photoshop and filters on Instagram. They all in some way manipulate our images so accusations of 'cheating' from purists about filters added in post-production I find tiresome. Here we look at the most popular physical filters, talk about how they are used, whether they are needed and discuss any software alternatives.

UV Filters

These are probably the most common type of camera filters and screw to the front of your lens. They claim to block out UV light that can be detrimental to your image. The truth is they are a relic of the film era where film was susceptible to UV light and caused your image to appear hazy. Digital sensors on the other hand do not suffer this problem so the filter may only serve to worsen your image through a slight reduction in contrast. The main reason they are still used however is to protect the expensive piece of glass it is attached too. This is really a personal choice so if they bring you piece of mind, go ahead and use them.

Neutral Density Gradients (ND Grads)

It is possible that ND Grads and filter systems such as those from Lee and Cokin were designed purely to give landscape photographers a sense of superiority and smugness that would intimidate other photographers into never taking another landscape shot again. In reality they are used to balance the exposure between the sky and the rest of an image as the sky is generally much brighter than the ground. The difference is usually anywhere up to around 2 stops. There are hard gradient versions and soft gradient versions and which one you use will depend on how defined your horizon line is.

Whilst the effect these camera filters produce is essential in the majority of landscape photographs, the physical filters themselves are not. They are generally large, clunky and difficult to use along with being expensive. Although you can attach them to different lenses with an adapter, they do not scream versatility and ease of use. With the ever increasing dynamic range of modern cameras it is rendering ND grad filters pointless. The effect can be added very quickly in Lightroom bringing out all the detail of a bright sky or darkened foreground as a long as you shoot in RAW.

Neutral Density Filters

Neutral density camera filters are used to reduce the amount of light coming into the camera by allowing us to use a longer exposure time, or a wider aperture, where otherwise it would be over exposed. ND's are used in video to allow large apertures in very bright conditions to ensure you still get a nice blurred background for you shot.

With stills they allow us to use long exposures to smooth out water or show movement in the image.  They vary in strength and filters like the 10 stop 'big stopper' allow for some extreme long-exposure photography. There is currently no way to imitate the effects of these filters in software so they remain vital in many photographers camera bags.

See how to shoot long exposure landscape photography.

Circular Polarisers

Circular polarisers are used to darken and saturate skies and remove harsh glare from water. It does this using science that you can read about elsewhere but the intensity of the effect can be controlled by rotating the filter.

It is a pleasing effect that is not easily added in post-production so remains useful in certain conditions. If there is no blue sky and no reflections or glare then it will serve no purpose other than reducing your exposure by about 1 stop.

Many of these filters can be combined and screwed together to achieve several of the effects in one shot. Just be careful when using extremely wide angles though as the camera might 'see' the edge of the filters creating a very harsh vignette in your image.

Filters can be an expensive addition to you camera bag. Before buying, decide what type of effect you want to achieve and tailor your purchase to this. Personally I shoot a lot of long exposures so ND filters spend a lot of time on my camera. I use circular polarisers now and again and increasingly leave the ND grad system and UV filters at home.

Buy a Big Stopper now - Hoya 77 mm Pro ND 1000 Filter

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Macro Photography - The Complete Guide

The ultimate video guide to macro photography.

This series of macro tutorials takes you from a basic macro setup, through to a more advanced setup. It concludes by delving into the complex work of macro focus stacking. Also included is a water drop photography tutorial. This is a practical and extremely fun use of macro photography.

Macro photography is an exciting area of photography and is accessible to all photographers. There is something suitable for all budgets and skill levels. It is all about getting close up, magnifying the small and blowing it up to a larger than life size. We do this with the power of our lens and camera.

The first video covers shooting macro photography on a budget. We use cheap gear like a standard kit lens, macro reverse ring and extension tubes. This introduction is the place to begin if you are entering the world of macro photography for the first time.

The second video features a more advanced macro photography setup. It includes the use of a dedicated macro lens, macro flash, tripod and off camera flash. The better quality gear and increased skill levels will allow you to capture beautiful images in uncountable scenarios. Everything from a dragon fly hovering above a leaf, to a cool close up of a Star Wars lego character.

The third video covers the complex world of focus stacking. This area of macro photography overcomes the very shallow depth of field often associated with high magnifications. It allows us to capture amazing images with sharpness from front to back. The video includes shooting the images and the post-processing in Adobe Photoshop.

If you enjoy the guide please Subscribe to the YouTube channel to enjoy all the First Man Photography content as soon as it comes out. Please support me by using the links below if you decide to purchase any of the gear featured.

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Buy the Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM Lens

Buy the Neewer Pro4 Way Macro Focusing Focus Rail Slider

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Macro Focus Stacking Tutorial

Get super sharp macro images using the focus stacking technique.

This is the third video in the series covering Macro Photography. Focus stacking is about as complex and difficult as macro photography can get but the results of this dedication can be truly stunning. The first video covers shooting macro photography with budget gear and the second with more advanced gear. This video will assume you are familiar with the techniques described in the previous episodes.

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/macro-photography-tutorial-using-budget-gear

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/macro-photography-tutorial-using-advanced-gear

Focus stacking can be used in various areas of photography but is most naturally suited to macro photography. Essentially focus stacking is when we combine a number of images into a 'stack' to ensure sharp focus across the image where it would not normally be possible. In macro photography when we get in close to our subject the depth of field will be extremely small even when using small apertures such as f/16 or f/22. This means that many of our images will have large parts of it that are out of focus. This can be a desirable effect in many situations but for many shots a bigger depth of field is required such as taking portraits of insects. The only way to achieve this is through focus stacking.

Shooting the Image

Focus stacking is shot by taking a series of images with the same composition and gradually changing area of sharp focus. Depending on your aperture setting and the image you are shooting this could be anywhere from a few shots, up to 30+ frames. These images are then stacked in post-processing and the computer extracts the sharp area from each image and combines them to create one image with sharpness across the frame.

It is vital to keep the composition as still as possible between frames so a tripod is virtually essential. There are then a few ways to adjust your area of focus between frames:

1. Adjust the lens focus ring.
2. Move the object.
3. Move the camera.

Only one of these options is truly accurate and effective and will produce good results every time. With many parts of macro photography you will want to get as close as possible to your subject to maximise the magnification. We therefore want to have the lens focused to it's minimum focus distance. If we then achieve focus stacking by adjusting the focus it means we have to initially focus on the furthest part of the subject away from the lens, then, bring the focus further out as we start taking our stacking images. The downsides of this are that accurate micro adjustments of your  focus ring can be extremely difficult. Also, changing the focus causes small adjustments to the focal length even when using a prime lens; this will cause problems when stacking in post.

Secondly moving the subject is unlikely to work unless you have it on something that can make precision movements. Let us discount this method for today. This leaves moving the camera and this is the method featured in this focus stacking video tutorial.

The best and easiest way to do macro focus stacking is to move the camera using a macro slider. The camera sits on top of the macro slider that is mounted on the tripod. The slider then lets us make fine adjustments moving the camera gradually closer to the subject. We start our stack by focusing just in front of the subject, at the minimum focus distance, and then gradually move the camera forward taking the focus across our subject as we shoot each image. Most macro sliders have scales on them to allow fine and accurate adjustments. There are also automated systems available that will move the slider and fire the camera for you. Once the images have been captured it is time to move into post processing.

Post Processing

All the processing is done using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. To get a 30 day FREE trial Click here.

1. Normal Image Adjustment

Assuming the stacking images have been shot in RAW the first thing to do is make your normal image adjustments to each image eg, exposure, contrast, white balance etc in Lightroom. Copy the settings and paste them to all your stacking images.

2. Export JPEGs

Create a suitable folder and export your images as JPEG’s. This will save you a massive amount of time when Photoshop processes the images than if you tried to use RAW. If you have edited the images in Lightroom prior to exporting then you will have already reaped all the benefits of working with RAW.

3. Merge the images

Open Photoshop then go File > Automate > Photomerge. Hit the ‘Browse’ button and select your stacking images. Leave on Auto and uncheck all the boxes at the bottom including Blend Images Together. Click Ok and let Photoshop run the images. It will the load the Merged images into layers in a new document.

4. Create the Stack

Next move down to the layers panel and select all the new layers Photoshop has created. Go to Edit > Auto-Blend Layer and then ensure ‘Stack Images’ is selected under the ‘Blend Method’. Select ‘Seamless Tone and Colours’ and then hit ‘Ok’. Photoshop will then do it’s thing and spit out something close to your final image.

5. Final Adjustments

It’s now time to make the final adjustments to your image as you see fit. You may need to clone out any imperfections you had not noticed or crop the edges of the image as Photoshop may have created some transparent areas of the image where it has pulled the stack together.

Your image should now be a well stacked image with sharpness from front to back. If there are areas of the image that are blurred then it is likely that the adjustments you made during shooting were too large. You can rescue this by cloning bits out.

Good luck and don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel.

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Landscape Photography Tutorial

The essential elements to capturing beautiful landscape photography images.

In this video we give you an introduction to landscape photography. Landscape photography is arguably the most popular area of photography as we capture the amazing scenes the world has to offer. Most people who have ever touched a camera will at some point have taken a landscape photograph. This does not mean it is easy however with most of these images being nothing more than snapshots. The interest in viewing these images is also massive with landscape photography shots capturing far greater attention on photo sharing mediums such as Instagram and Flickr.

With this in mind, truly great landscape photography is not as common as you might think. A quick flick through Instagram will show this and is proof that landscape photography is an art. Having the natural talent and 'eye' for things will be a large help but there are certain rules that, if followed, will allow you to start capturing some beautiful images.

Gear - Great landscapes can be captured with any type of camera including smartphones. To take things to the next level though you will need a camera with the ability to shoot at wider angles. Having these wider angles allows more of the scene to be captured. Extreme wide angles can also give the sense of how big the scene is when used correctly.

A tripod is also extremely useful for landscape photographs. It becomes essential for long exposure landscapes or even when the light begins to fade and your shutter speed slows down.

The Secret - The absolute key to getting amazing landscape photography images is to travel to somewhere with amazing scenery. A simple fact that is not always easy achieve.

Rule of Thirds - This is a common photography rule that gives guidance to composition and to what can create pleasing images. In landscape photography the rule of thirds is best applied to where we place our horizon line. Keeping the horizon line along the bottom third of the image or the top third of the image will create a much more pleasing image than a horizon that runs along the middle of the frame.

The Golden Hour - The hour after sunrise and before sunset is known as the golden hour. When the sun is low in the sky it creates a beautiful golden light that will flood your scene and produce long interesting shadows. Use this to your advantage when composing your shot.

Focusing - Most landscape photography will require sharpness from the front to the back of the image. Focusing on the area about 1/3 of the way into your scene will usually provide the optimal focus. Hyperfocal distance dictates the science around this and can be read about here. If you have a key point to your image such a castle, then focus on that point.

Camera mode - Manual. Use landscape photography to introduce yourself to shooting in manual and controlling your exposure in every way.

Aperture - To get everything in focus we generally want to use a small aperture (large f/stop number). To get front to back sharpness, f/11 or f/16 will nearly always provide this. If your shot does not contain any foreground then f/8 can be used to maximise sharpness as many lenses are at their sharpest at f/8.

ISO - 100 or lower.

Shutter Speed - Control your overall exposure with the shutter speed. If the shutter speed starts to get slow then ensure you employ your tripod.

Lighting - Shooting into the sun might, at first, seem like a silly thing to do. However it can result in some really interesting images and includes all sunset shots. Shooting with the sun directly behind you will often result in flat images in terms of contrast. the same applies when the sun is directly above.

Filters — Your landscape photography can be taken to the next level by introducing filters such as neutral density gradients, circular polarises, infrared and big stop neutral density filters that allow you to capture long exposure landscapes.

Long Exposure Photography tutorial - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/long-exposure-photography-tutorial

Infrared Landscape Tutorial - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/infrared-photography-part-1

Use the timer - When using a tripod, using the timer or a shutter release cable will ensure there is no unwanted movement in the camera.

Following these simple rules will give you a solid base on which to start building your landscape photography portfolio. Be warned, it is an addictive pursuit and you will find yourself regularly checking weather forecasts, tidal times, sunset and sunrise times and travel times to certain locations. Good luck and enjoy.

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Prime Lenses vs Zoom Lenses: Which is Better?

In this video we decide which is better: prime lenses or zoom lenses?

Before we answer this question let's first discuss the difference prime lenses and zoom lenses.

Zoom lenses are common on all compact cameras and have the ability to optically zoom in and change the focal length, getting you zoomed in and close to your subject. They are versatile and can be used in a variety of situations.

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length and cannot be zoomed. They are less versatile on their own but because of the more simple design they are sharper, cheaper and often have a bigger aperture.

Physical size and focal length does not define it as a zoom or a prime lens as there is a misconception that primes are small and zooms are big.

So which is best? Unfortunately there is no definitive answer to this and it is really a matter of both personal taste and what you will be shooting.

I love to shoot with prime lenses because the restriction on focal length can often force you to think more about your shot and the only way to zoom is to use your feet to get closer or move further away from your subject. They are great for portraits and low light shooting due to the large apertures and they can create creamy bokeh. This makes them a common sight in the camera bag of a wedding photographer.

Videographers also swear by prime lenses as they are generally lighter and more portable, easy to use and they give that traditional film look. For DSLR video, zooms will often come with image stabilisation that is essential for hand holding video although there are several prime lens on the market now that also have image stabilisation.

Zoom lenses on the other hand are getting better and better all the time and the difference in sharpness is not as pronounced as it used to be. A lens like the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 is such a versatile range that it is suitable for almost all situations and you really have to start pixel peeping before you see the difference in sharpness.

The only way to truly know which is best for you is to try them out. If you nailed me down ands asked which is better? - I think I would have to say prime lenses. If you ask me which spends most of the time on my camera then it is definitely the 24-70mm zoom.

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Macro Photography Tutorial - Using Advanced Gear

Take your macro photography to the next level.

In this video tutorial we take a look at macro photography using a more advanced setup with dedicated macro gear such as a macro lens and dedicated macro flash.

In the first tutorial we looked at capturing macro shots with gear that will not break the bank - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/macro-photography-tutorial-using-budget-gear

The basic gear is fun to get started with but, as our macro photography skills improve, we want to have more control and consistency in the shots we are capturing. The use of dedicated gear will provide the opportunity to achieve this.

A Macro Lens

This is the most obvious place to start and is the best place to start when building up your collection of macro gear. There are options for varying budgets and needs, so a bit of research will be required. I am using the Canon 100mm f2.8 -

Buy the Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM Lens

Macro lenses will generally provide genuine macro which has 1:1 magnification ratio. This is where the actually size of an object is the same size as the projected image on the camera sensor.

When using a macro lens there is very little practical difference between using a full frame or cropped sensor camera and I do not mention it in the video.

Canon 100mm f/2.8 L Macro Lens review.

Off Camera Flash

Off camera flash provides ultimate control of your light and is the basis of much studio based photography and is the thing that really gives an image that ‘professional look’. In this video we use a wireless transmitter to fire just one flash but you can add more transmitters to fire more flashes. This is the setup I also use in my water drop photography tutorial - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/water-drop-photography

Macro Flash

A dedicated macro flash makes shooting macro photography very easy and will allow you to shoot handheld photos quickly and easily in almost all situations. Having the flash attached to the front of the lens ensures the subject is properly lit and no light is physically blocked by the lens as is the problem with normal on-board flash.

When using a macro flash it is best to use manual mode use the following setting:

• ISO - 100 or 200
• Shutter speed  - 1/200 sec (or faster if your flash sync speed allows)
• Flash on ETTL (auto) mode.
• Aperture I adjust depending on the depth of field I want to use.

Once these settings are locked in you are free to start exploring a miniature world. Many things will look good that are not immediately obvious to the naked eye.

I will be giving the flash featured in the video away in the near future. To be in with a chance of winning subscribe to the YouTube channel and leave a message in the comments below as to what you are planning to shoot in the world of macro photography.

https://www.youtube.com/c/Firstmanphotography

If you are reading this after the competition you can buy this very reasonably priced flash here -

Yongnuo YN-14EX Macro Ring Flash for Canon Cameras

Tripod

A tripod is such a useful piece of kit in so many photography situations and macro photography is no different. This is especially the case when shooting in very close. Any movement in your lens can cause a large shift in composition or your area of focus. A tripod allow you to control this and is especially vital once we move into the world of focus stacking in the next video.

Good luck and let your imagination run wild.

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Macro Photography Tutorial - Using Budget Gear

An introduction to macro photography using affordable gear.

In this video tutorial we give you an introduction to macro photography and show you how you can start capturing beautiful macro images without breaking the bank.

Macro photography has a reputation for being expensive as it introduces the need for specialised gear and expensive lenses. Whilst a dedicated macro lens can be extremely useful it is not the only way we can get in close and magnify the micro.

A number of options exist for capturing macro photography with the gear you already own and most cameras built in the last few years will have some kind of macro mode. Many compact cameras, phones and DSLR kit lenses have the ability to focus very close to your subject. This is essentially what achieving macro photography shots is about.

There is much theory out there about what true macro photography is, where you achieve at least 1:1 magnification (where the actual size of the subject is the same as the projected image on the sensor). Often this only serves to discourage people from getting into this exciting world. Very simply we want to magnify small things and make them look larger than life in our final image.

All camera lenses have a minimum focus distance. If you get too close to the subject the lens will no longer focus. This is exactly the same as to how your eyes work. If you hold your finger very close to your face your eyes will not be able to focus on it. Macro lenses are specially designed to focus in very close but there are different, cheaper, types of gear that we can also use to reduce this minimum focus distance.

Let’s discuss a couple of options.

A macro photography reversing ring is a very cheap piece of kit and attaches to the filter threads of your lens. Once the lens is detached it can be reattached the opposite way. It then allows you to focus much closer and magnify your subject. However the electrical connection to the lens is broken so you will not be able to adjust the aperture and any image stabilisation the lens has will not work along with auto-focus. Likewise, if your lens is focus by wire, manual focus will also not work. You then have to focus by manually moving further away or move in closer. With some lenses the aperture can be locked before detaching the lens. Do this by setting the aperture as required and then hold down the depth of field preview button whilst detaching the lens. This should not cause any damage to your lens or camera but is not recommended by camera manufacturers. Wide zoom angles of the lens will mean more magnification and zoomed in will show smaller in the frame. This is opposite to when mounted normally.

Macro extension tubes are an attachment that adds space between your lens and camera. They have no optics so do not alter image quality but allow closer focusing since the lens is moved away from the focal plane. This allows you to turn many lenses into a macro lens. It works especially well with prime lenses like a 50mm or 85mm. Many macro extenders have electronic contacts so will still have aperture and stabilisation options and auto-focus. Macro extender tubes can also be coupled with a dedicated macro lens to get even closer. This is an excellent option to test the waters of macro photography but is slightly more expensive than the reverse ring. Macro extenders are very simple pieces of kit so please do not waste your money buying the Canon or Nikon versions when £20 versions from Neewer do the job just as well. See link below.

Macro Extension Tube Set for Canon Mount

Armed with this gear it is then a case of shooting and seeing what interesting images can be found.  Apply all the usual rules of composition and you will soon be capturing some great images. For ideas of what to shoot with macro photography please subscribe to my channel where there will be two more videos in this series. The second will be shooting images using a more advanced set up, including a macro lens and a macro flash, and the third will show how to do focus stacking.

In the meantime check out my video on how to do water drop photography that is an exciting use of macro photography. Water Drop Photography Tutorial

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How to Change Your Camera Lens

Change Your Camera Lens Without Fear

In this video we show you how to change your camera lens quickly and safely.

Photography is becoming evermore popular and, in addition to DSLR's, many of the latest crop of camera systems have interchangeable lenses. This means that when it comes time to change your camera lens the sensor of the camera becomes exposed.

Much of the advice out there instructs that you must only ever change your camera lens indoors away from any tiny spec that could turn your camera into an expensive paper weight. This over reaction is a symptom of advice handed around by over protective photographers that seem to prefer their gear over anything else. The phrase 'all the gear and no idea' springs to mind. My thoughts, and the working methods I employ, are very different.

Essentially a camera is nothing more than a tool to capture photographs and hopefully some beautiful images along the way. It should therefore be used as such. If a situation arises where you need to change a lens, even when you are outside in the field, then you should change it. Many do not have the luxury of owning two camera bodies so changing lenses regularly will become normal once you upgrade the kit lens that came with your camera.

Changing your camera lens should be done without fear. Following a few simple methods you will minimise the risks to your lens and camera, building up confidence to change your camera lens in most shooting situations. This will ensure you do not miss a shot because you are too afraid to change your camera lens.

Once you become accustomed to changing your lens when required, used to the fact that your camera is just a tool you will be able to focus on honing your craft and capturing beautiful images.

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Photoshop Layers Tutorial

Photoshop layers provide the keys to the photo editing kingdom.

In this video we give you an introduction to layers in photoshop and how they work.

If you have ever tried, or looked into, using Adobe Photoshop before you have probably heard of photoshop layers. Being central to how Photoshop is used it is vitally important to understand what layers are and how they work.

The first thing to understand is that layers are transparent. However when you open an image into Photoshop it will be placed onto the background layer. Likewise if you create a new document the background will be filled with white by default.

When you click to create a new layer it will be transparent and sit on top (or in front of) the background layer until you add elements to it, such as text, shapes or other images. A photoshop document can contain numerous layers with the layer at the top of the list being visible before any others beneath it and so on. This means any element in a layer will obscure anything in the layers below (unless the opacity is reduced). In many circumstances this will be a desired effect as you aim to cover or replace the main image below, for example when adding a logo or some text to an image.

Things get more complicated once we start adding adjustment layers and masks but photoshop layers provide a high level of control whilst being non-destructive. Edits and changes occur on layers above our main image leaving the main image unaffected. This means changes are reversible if we make a mistake with an edit or your vision changes at a later date.

Photoshop layers can be dragged within the layer panel to adjust the order. They can also be made invisible by clicking the eye icon. This is very useful to assess the effectiveness of a particular edit or temporarily hide the effects of the layer from your image.

Depending on the file type you choose to save your images with, e.g. .psd, layer information will also be saved so edits and layers can be revisited at a later date.

It is important to understand photoshop layers and how they work and much of what photoshop can do is built around the principle of layers. Once understood using Photoshop will feel much more natural and a lot less intimidating.

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How to Use the Patch Tool in Photoshop

Remove objects from your images with the patch tool.

In this video tutorial we show you how to use the patch tool in Adobe Photoshop. This is the third tutorial covering the tools used to remove items, objects and blemishes from your images in Photoshop. The other two tool are the clone stamp tool and the spot healing brush/spot removal tool. The links below show the tutorials for those two tool.

Clone Stamp - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/remove-objects-using-the-clone-stamp-tool

Spot Healing - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/how-to-remove-spots-in-photoshop

The patch tool works by drawing a selection around the area you want to remove and then dragging the selection area to a point on the image you want to copy. The tool is intelligent and samples the copied area’s texture and patches it over the original selection maintaining the tones from the original area. The allows you to remove more complex shapes from your image that would otherwise be difficult using the clone stamp tool or the spot healing brush.

The patch tool can also be used in reverse to copy an object or item and repeat it several times like the stones in the tutorial image. This can be useful when extra detail is required in your images.

The image in the video is of Fewstone Reservoir in the Yorkshire Dales. I captured this panoramic image by stitching together around eight images each of which had a 20 second exposure. The images are then easily combined in Photoshop and I will show you how to do this in an upcoming tutorial.

If you have not done so already sign up for the First Man Photography email list and I will give you a copy of my eBook - Understanding Exposure - for free today.

https://www.firstmanphotography.com/ebook

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The Exposure Triangle

Understanding the Exposure Triangle.

In this video tutorial we introduce the concept of the exposure triangle that contains the three elements of exposure: ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

Understanding Exposure is one of the most important technical skills you will learn during your journey as a photographer and is vital to producing beautiful images on a regular and consistent basis.

It is so important in fact that here at First Man Photography the belief is everyone should have access to this information in order to get the best out of your gear and reach the next stage of your photography journey without any barriers. Having written the photography guide, Understanding Exposure, it seemed the only fair thing to do was to give the eBook away for free.

In the book we explain and lay out the Exposure Triangle and break down the three elements that form it; ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. See how each of them work and how we can use Aperture to create beautiful blurred backgrounds or 'bokeh' and how shutter speed is used to freeze action or, conversely, create movement in your image.

The book lays out in simple terms how to control the exposure settings on your camera and the various modes that can be used like Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. It explains how to make minor adjustments using Exposure Compensation and introduces the concept of shooting in manual mode.  Once mastered the camera simply becomes an extension of your body where you no longer think about the technical aspects of shooting, leaving you to focus your creativity to capture beautiful images every time.

The book has been created in two different versions. Firstly a beautiful, rich and interactive iBooks version for you iPad, iPhone or Mac and secondly a PDF document giving you the flexibility to read the book on virtually any device.

To get your copy of the eBook and start mastering exposure now, simply fill in your details and download your preferred copy.

A Guide to Capturing Perfect Exposure

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