Dodge and Burn Effects in Exposure

Exposure’s layers and local adjustment tools enable you to apply dodge and burn effects to your images with precise control. You will need at least two layers since dodging and burning are separate effects. One layer is needed for the dodge effect, which increases the exposure values of the area it’s applied to. And one layer is needed for the burn effect, which decreases the exposure values of the area it’s applied to. Each layer has its own opacity slider, which enables you to seamlessly blend the effect with your image. If you have any questions about using Exposure’s layers, check out our Non-destructive Layers video.

Exposure’s brush tool enables you to quickly create precise selections for your dodge and burn adjustments. To speed up the brushing process, you can set different brush parameters for two brushes to make brushing faster. For example, you can set up a large brush for applying adjustments quickly, and define a smaller brush for fine-tuning details. For dodging and burning specifically, we recommend you use a brush with a low Flow amount. This enables you to slowly and accurately build up effects with numerous brush strokes.

Another option to apply an effect to part of an image is with Exposure’s gradient tools, which enable you to make seamless, natural fades between effects. You can combine several gradients on a single layer, and you can use them in conjunction with brush strokes. Using brushing and gradients together enables you to selectively apply effects with a natural fade and with detailed placement. To learn more about using Exposure’s brush and gradient tools, watch our Local Adjustments video.

Common Dodge and Burn Scenarios

Because dodge and burn are creative techniques, the results you achieve are only governed by your creativity and imagination. One rule of thumb when creating these effects is that subtle dodge and burn effects are more forgiving, and will appear more believable. Below are three real-world dodge and burn examples to learn from.

Use Case 1: Emphasis and Balance

In this photo from Jay Cassario, dodging enhanced the bright light pouring into the scene from the window, while burning on the right brought balance to the composition.

Exposure’s efficient workflow enables you to process large volumes of images at a remarkable pace. This is especially useful for wedding and event photographers who can have thousands of images to edit from a single event.

Use Case 2: Subtle Sculpting

This example from Andrew Foord demonstrates how a subtle application of dodging and burning the model’s contours give her more of a pop.

Dodging and burning are useful tools for enhancing portraits. Consider the contrast of the main features, such as the hair, eyes, and skin. Each feature will require a different treatment in order to look its best. Dodging and burning gives you that fine control over the tonality in small concentrated areas.

Use Case 3: Creative Contrast

In this image by Dave Brosha, dodge and burn effects give the finished photo more dimensionality. Dodging increased the brightness in the layers of fog, and burning deepened the shadows in the lines of trees. The added contrast between the dark and light elements in the photo enhance the illusion of depth.

The linear aspect of this image’s composition made it a good candidate for using Exposure’s gradient tools. Several gradients were applied to the dodge and the burn layers to create the effect. Each gradient has an individual opacity slider in Exposure, in addition to the layer opacity control. These combined controls enable you to make very fine adjustments to the effect strength.

Dodging and burning originated many years ago in the darkroom with analog film. In today’s digital photography, the principles remain remarkably useful. Whether you are a seasoned pro, or brand new to photography, dodging and burning are techniques you should consider using in your workflow for putting the finishing touches on your photos. Exposure’s tools help you efficiently complete your dodging and burning.

The post Enhancing Your Photos in Exposure with Dodge and Burn appeared first on Exposure Software.

In our discussion. I asked him to take a few of his RAW shots through Exposure and dress them up with one of his signature looks. He came back with one better–a new video tutorial demonstrating the gritty fashion editing process. How cool is that!?

In the video below, Andrew takes a few shots from his Canon 5D Mark 3 and 70-200 2.8 non-IS lens through Exposure from start to finish. He bypasses the presets and goes straight to work on the sliders. He has a specific look in mind and knows how to make it happen. Andrew’s narration gives you a glimpse into his mind while he works. In the end, he creates a great looking, gritty look in just a short time.

http://youtu.be/XzfyWVOMYyE

Andrew has been on the blog plenty of times. He’s shared insider info on how to break through inspiration plateaus, he’s given tips on building your portfolio, and even shared how to get out of hot water when everything goes wrong with data backups. Heck, he’s even showed us all how to use Exposure on video clips. Along with being a fashion photographer, he’s also a teacher. He leads workshops and gives private lessons in retouching, photography, and more. Check out his website and his Facebook page. Thanks, Andrew.

The post Gritty Fashion Editing with Andrew Foord and Exposure 7 appeared first on Exposure Software.

Specifically, he recently used Exposure to render awesome-looking coloring effects on a video clip of a recent shoot he did. Intrigued by the process, I asked that he share his video retouching techniques with the whole class. He answered with an easy-to-follow tutorial that takes you through the video retouching process. Never used Photoshop for video before? Don’t worry. Andrew has you covered. All of the steps needed are covered in the lesson. Check it out, below.

Great stuff, Andrew.

Along with being a fashion photographer, Andrew is also a teacher. He leads workshops and gives private lessons in retouching, photography, and more. Check out his website and his Facebook page for more.

The post Video Retouching Workflow with Andrew Foord appeared first on Exposure Software.

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Have you ever had a hard drive crash on you? Let me tell you from personal experience–the moment you realize what has happened is one of the most terrible feelings, ever. Unfortunately, this recently happened to me. Of course, it only happens at the most inconvenient time, such as when you just completed a shoot and were in the middle of making backups with a delivery deadline right around the corner. Good times.

Once my transfers complete, I always verify the files and then I properly eject the mounted disc.

Thought nothing of it. The transfer was routine. The next day I opened my laptop to begin selecting images, but the files weren’t there! Strange behavior. Oh well, I had just backed them up–so I thought. When I plugged in my drive the folder my images Houdini’d themselves, somewhere.

Now is when I’m not going to repeat exactly what was said. Just know that I totally freaked out. I downloaded and tried numerous recovery programs and I even called the drive manufacturer’s help line. Everything I could think of was less than helpful. Because of my tight turn-around, I didn’t have the option to have the drive rebuilt. I needed a solution, now!

I had to think fast. I always shoot tethered to my laptop, so I might be able to recover the files from the preview cache. The actual images were offline, but I may be able to save them. I do have Blow Up photo enlargement software, after all.

So I found my shots, viewed them in fullscreen, and snapped off screengrabs. I opened them in Photoshop to verify the image size. Just as I suspected, it’s no where near what I need for print. Acceptable for web use, but even then–not optimal.

A quick trip through Blow Up photo enlargement software turned these less-than-ideal sized images into useable shots! I checked around the image in Photoshop to see if there were any resizing imperfections. Happy to report that there were none at all!

As a last step in the resizing fiasco, I cropped out the shot and then started retouching it as I normally would. This method is far from perfect. In a situation like this where you really have no other options, photo enlargement software like Blow Up is nothing short of a miracle. Thank you Blow Up for saving my butt!

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That’s team Alien Skin for ya. We’re #ButtSavers. Glad to hear the resizing helped you out, Andrew.

Check out more on his website or on Facebook. He’s been featured on the blog before, too. Here is a link.

The post Blow Up Photo Enlargement Software: Andrew’s Saving Grace appeared first on Exposure Software.

Andrew is a retouching whiz. His workflow is largely Photoshop-centric, but Exposure is almost always incorporated for those ever-so-important finishing touches. Though subtle, the Exposure looks he uses boost his image’s character the perfect amount.

In the video below, he demonstrates a typical use of Exposure during his retouching workflow. Thanks, Andy!

Andrew is always working on new, fabulous projects. In the near future, he’s shooting with celebs such as musician Veronica Kole and model Ulorin Vex. Follow him socially on FB or Twitter to keep up with his forthcoming work. Andrew is currently seeking agency representation in the Greater NYC area.

The post Andrew Foord Exposure 6 Workflow Video appeared first on Exposure Software.

You may notice how much controversy there is over these little beasts. It reminds me of the quarrels over film and digital capture in the beginning. Is the market headed that way? What are your thoughts about mirrorless camera pros and cons?

Parker J Pfister

Mirrorless systems can be astronomical, but they don’t fit into everyone’s workflow. How you feel about mirrorless camera pros and cons really depends on what and how you’re shooting. I was a believer of the new system, so I adopted them early. I did have to force myself to get used to them, though.

For shooting portraits or fine art, they’re an absolute must. You can use them for weddings, too–at least for most of the day. The DSLR’s autofocus speed is unparalleled, whereas with a mirrorless rig there is a delay. They’re not that bad, though. A wedding can certainly be done. You just have to change your way of thinking. The moments that you may miss, are they worth lugging around all that gear to get?

Yes, you’re going to have to adapt to the new system, but they can produce just as good—if not better—shots. The EVF displays exactly what you’re going to capture, which means you can inspect your images on the fly. This opens up a whole new realm of visualization. You can literally see (and shoot) in the dark.

Another one of my favorite things about mirrorless cameras are that they can adapt to any lenses you want to use. I routinely shoot with vintage glass. Some of my favs are 8mm lenses from WWII. Fine art photography can use interesting, or even broken lenses like these in stride.

These are wonderful systems, but there is still room in my bag for the DSLR’s. A lot of the time, I’m just using the mirrorless because they aren’t as cumbersome or intimidating. The photos you get are definitely a little different, but I like different.

Jeff Ascough

I used the original mirrorless system for many years–the Leica M rangefinder–so I do see the appeal of the current crop of mirrorless cameras. Size and weight is always an issue for photographers and it has to be said that these cameras have a distinct advantage in that respect. For me this is really the only advantage of mirrorless and it isn’t a compelling enough reason to switch from DSLR for the foreseeable future.

The main issues are sensor size, media, weatherproofing, and viewfinder technology.

A small sensor just doesn’t give me the same spatial separation of elements within a photograph. I like a large sensor and would probably be more interested in a medium format system than mirrorless. I like to use dual cards in every professional situation and mirrorless can’t provide this as yet. Weatherproofing and robustness of the camera is another issue which I feel will be addressed but a pro DSLR will still outperform mirrorless at this moment in time.

Viewfinder technology is interesting but EVF isn’t for me when working quickly. In a small camera, a rangefinder system is far superior in my opinion. Adding an optical system inevitably increases the size and weight of the camera so it could be argued that you may as well use a DSLR anyway.

I don’t doubt that mirrorless technology will play a huge part in professional photography over the coming years but at the moment it isn’t something I am interested in.

Kevin Mullins

I’d been shooting with Canon systems for four years (5D 1/2/3 and 1DX) and whilst those cameras were and still are exceptional, I found that I craved something smaller and lighter. My style of photography is reportage which means I like to get in very close to my subjects, and with large DSLRs I was finding it more difficult to be unobtrusive. A few years back, I tried out the X100. It was great, but wasn’t ready to replace my DLSRs. Fast forward a little to when Fuji announced the X-Pro1 with a range of very light, relatively cheap, exceptionally sharp lenses. I was sold. At first I shot with both the DSLR and the X-Pro1 but over time, especially as the lens choices increased, my DSLR was relegated so I sold them. I’m now at the point where I shoot weddings entirely with two Fuji X-T1s with lens lengths at 23mm and 56mm. The benefits are amazing; much lighter, much cheaper, and much more discrete. The choice of lenses that Fuji have created in such a short time is next to miraculous in my book. I also take an X100S with me to weddings which is the perfect camera for close up candid work as it’s deadly silent. I try to behave and look like a guest at a wedding and these cameras allow me to do that very easily.

Additionally, being able to use electronic viewfinders means I can be sure of my exposure with less chimping required. This means I can concentrate more on shooting, and capturing the moment.

John Barclay

I shoot 95% with a Fuji X-T1 and X-E2. I really thought they would be augmenting my Nikon system, however, the more I use them the more I love them. The main reasons are the size and weight, but, of course, image quality must be there. So how does the Fuji compare? It’s just fantastic, stunning in fact. And, Fuji has the most glass which just happens to be of exceptional quality. The Electronic View Finder (EVF) takes a little getting used to, but the X-T1 has a class leading EVF and it is as close to looking through glass as I’ve seen. One last point, the cost. Typically Mirrorless systems are significantly cheaper than a comparable DSLR system. On the negative side, the battery life is terrible, but batteries are cheap and small, so its not a deal-breaker for me. Now is a good time to jump in, the water is warm!

Hernan Rodriguez

The image quality of mirrorless cameras is impressive. The shots I’ve taken with them were just in ambient light at high ISO, but the images were sharp, had low noise, and great color balance. From these results alone, I’d be willing to take one along on my big shoots as a backup or for behind the scenes shots.

My biggest concern of changing over is lens options. Photographers build a library of expensive glass which produce a look they’re accustomed to. My colleagues interested in switching systems are not willing to invest in another set of high-dollar lenses. I’ve also heard about issues when using flash, which is concerning. Flash issues may only come up during isolated circumstances, so it’s hard to judge without further testing.

The technology of these cameras is amazing! A new $1,600 camera outperforms a 3 year old $4,000 camera. The potential is there, but it’s not ready for prime-time just yet. It’s similar to buying a new model vehicle: hold off and let the kinks get worked out in the first few models.

Dustin Abbott

I own a mirrorless camera, the Canon EOS M. I bought it as a lightweight, inconspicuous option for the times when I don’t want to lug around a DSLR or don’t want “elbow” into another professionals turf when I’m not the photographer of an event I’m attending. I really enjoy this little option, and delight in the fact that such a small camera can produce such excellent results.

But it won’t be replacing my DSLR.

The primary reasons: full frame image quality and the broader functionality of my DSLR systems. Many mirrorless options feature (at best) a sensor with a crop factor from 1.5x to 2x. For some styles of photography this doesn’t present a problem, but options are far more limited for shooting narrow depth of field shots or providing delineation of the subject from the background. The full frame DSLR look is still superior. While a few mirrorless cameras now feature a full frame sensor, none of them yet rival the full range of functionality that a DSLR offers in the larger body.

The industry is changing, perhaps, but DSLRs are not going away any time soon.

Tony Sweet

I’m a big mirrorless fan. They deliver the same quality images as a decent DLSR in a smaller, lighter package. Side by side tests show little difference between the Fuji X sensor w/18-55mm and the D800 w/24-70mm. Of course, don’t believe me–go out and test one for yourself.

They’re perfect for the portrait and landscape shooter and their compact size draws much less attention than a clunky pro rig, making them a joy to use for street photography.

The smaller body doesn’t come without a few hiccups. For example, they could be an issue for people with big hands as the controls are pretty tightly packed on the body. Also, these rigs may not be the best fit for the wildlife photographer, yet, but big glass is coming. And lastly, they are not as weatherproof as DSLRs, unfortunately. Speaking of, I soaked one of mine in Cuba and had no problems, but I was a little nervous.

There are a few features still missing for me. Just personal taste. I’d like a wider bracket range (currently +3 to -3), and the ability to perform more than just 2 multiple exposures.

If you pick one up, make sure to buy several extra batteries. They work decently, but not great. I tote a half-dozen extra batteries around with me, so it’s not a big deal. Batteries are small, pack easy, and aren’t expensive.

Everything on my blogs from Sept. 2013, with the exception of multiple exposures, are shot with the Fuji X system cameras. If you’re interested, check them out. Also, I’ll be covering their performance in extreme conditions on my blog after my return from Iceland.

Chris Corradino

My experiences have been with a Sony NEX7. The weight is perhaps the most attractive part. This little thing is a pleasure to hold, and would make traveling much easier!

Wildlife photographers, or even sports photographers who need super telephoto reach, have very few (if any) options. This essentially rules these cameras out for those who specialize in that kind of work. I assume this will be remedied moving forward, but it does give one the feeling that the overall product line was rushed to the market before having a full array of options for working professionals.

Some features work extremely well. For instance, I was surprised by the speed of the FPS and the programmable dials and buttons was a nice touch.

Perhaps the biggest let down, next to the lack of long lenses, is the EVF. After using a DSLR, looking at an electronic viewfinder is very fuzzy, making it hard to determine what’s in focus (even with 20/20 vision). I could imagine eyeglass wearers will really struggle with this, too.

They’re cheaper, but the price is still surprisingly high–almost equal to that of a DSLR, yet the overall functionality is not nearly as polished. Because of this, I’d hold off as the mirrorless models continue to develop.

Frank Doorhof

Mirrorless cameras are awesome. I’m always on the road, so I’ve been wishing for a camera that could rival my DLSR in image quality, but that wasn’t as much of a burden to carry.

Most of the smaller cameras didn’t get the job done. The first one that did was Fujifilm’s X-Pro1. It took good-quality, sharp photos and was very light. It wasn’t long before Sony introduced their A7–which is a dream camera for me. The little rig captures robust 36mp images without an antialiasing filter, so it takes incredibly sharp images. The best part: the dynamic range of Sony cameras. Now I actually give up some tonal range when I shoot with my DLSR.

At first, I hated the EVF. I preferred the standard OVF. Like all things, after a bit of time and practice, my angst became appreciation. Now I really like them! What you see is what you get, which is great when shooting difficult lighting scenarios such as backlighting, snow, and darker scenes. Also, thanks to the EVF’s peaking effect, shooting with manual focus lenses is a breeze.

Don’t get me wrong, I love shooting with a heavy DSLR or even medium format, but when I walk on the street, mirrorless is the way to go. They’re fast, light, and small so people don’t see you as a threat. Every little bit helps! :D

The future is bright for the mirrorless cameras. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg!

Rick Krueger

The first thing that captured my attention was the size and weight of mirrorless cameras. They’re less intrusive, and less intimidating to clients. This is especially crucial during boudoir shoots where a client is already somewhat out of their comfort zone as we start. Plus, they’re really easy to travel with.

I have a sense of nostalgia when I shoot with one. It gives me flashbacks to working with the camera I learned on way back when. The feeling brings me back to my roots, so I’m more focused on fundamentals of composition and exposure.

The other thing that I really love about the new mirrorless trend is the return of vintage and vintage-style glass (Leica, Canon FD, Voigtlander, cheap manual focus lenses, etc.) Focus peaking technology makes the EVF so easy to use, that old manual focus lenses shoot just as crisp and gorgeous as when shooting with a new one.

To me, the mirrorless push in the industry reflects a perfect balance of old becoming new again. My mirrorless camera brings me back to a place that breeds creativity and technical expertise. I can confidently say that my work has improved tenfold since the switch. DSLR’s have gotten so good technically, that it’s almost too easy to get great shots. I like a challenge!

Andrew Foord

We live in a world where smaller equals cooler, but the rule doesn’t always apply when you’re a working professional. People expect to see robust, cumbersome gear or they don’t feel they’re getting their money’s worth. Imagine the bridal party’s reaction when you pull out a cute little camera.

These dainty little rigs hold their own to a lot of the DSLRs on the market. Plus, the small form factor is perfect for this private moments at any event. They’re stealthy, light, and most importantly they take great-looking photos.

To me, the size is more important than weight. It’s not the heaviness as much as the overpowering statement that a bigger rig can emote. Lens choices are just as good, if not better with the mirrorless rigs. Almost any lens that you can find will work with one of these little guys. I’ve even heard rumors that Sigma plans to open up to new camera models, too. It’s very exciting.

The cost matters a lot to me. Mirrorless is a lot cheaper than a DSLR, not just the body, but the glass as well. You just don’t need 15 lbs of glass to make a crisp photo.

On the other hand, the EVF is a PAIN to use until you’re used to it. I hated shooting with mine at first. You quickly become accustomed to shooting with one though, so it’s not a big deal. Just don’t expect your first experience to be flawless. Battery life can go quick as well. Obviously, the battery size is kept small, so it comes with the territory. Replacements aren’t costly, and they’re pretty reliable.

Joe Payne

I purchased a Fujifilm X-E1 last summer primarily as a lighter “walkabout” alternative to my Canon EOS 1D-X and 5D Mark III DSLRs. I’d played about with it a little at Parker J’s workshop and liked its size and weight and the image quality was really good. As the father of 5 and 3-year-old girls, I wanted something that was compact and took better pictures than a P&S or an iPhone when we were out and about on family trips. I was basically tired of lugging my gear around.

Early on, I did take the Fuji out with me on weddings and shoots where wearing it around my neck with the 35 1.4 lens attached was pretty easy. However, despite liking the image quality and really wanting the Fuji to deliver for me, I found I just naturally reverted back to the DSLRs on the majority of occasions. The primary reason for this was the dodgy AF performance in fast-moving situations. With weddings, I found I was missing too many moments as the AF hunted around and, by the time it had locked on and the shutter had closed, the moment was gone. After the second or third occasion of this happening, I didn’t want to chance it again.

I did play with the X-T1 at the Fujifilm booth at WPPI in March and a lot of those issues did seem to have been addressed. However, after just dropping around $1,000 on the X-E1 a few months before, I wasn’t really in a rush to upgrade. My thinking is that the success of the mirrorless system means that R&D in these areas is going to go through the roof over the next few years. New models are going to keep coming out on a pretty regular basis and I’m not going to sink any more money into a new body that’s going to be obsolete in 12 months.

I’ll be really interested to see how things develop and look forward to seeing a full-frame model with dual card slots come out sometime soon. Hopefully, the glass has been designed with the future and that larger sensor size in mind. For now, the X-E1 performs well for personal stuff and that was all I was really looking for anyway.

The post Mirrorless Camera Pros and Cons: The Great Debate appeared first on Exposure Software.

—–When you start getting serious about photography, you usually shoot what you have on hand, first. Fashion and glamour peeps, like me, look to family and friends to help build up content. It makes sense. Working with a familiar person is easy to schedule, you’re comfortable with them, and you won’t be afraid to try out new techniques. Eventually, you run out of family and all of your friends have modeling portfolios–that they may not need or want–so you have to step up your game.

What do you do when you want to move up to the next level? Below are a few tips for building up your portfolio.

Tip #1: Gather A Team

Building up a solid group of specialists is the first order of business. Regardless of the type of photography you do, a team will help you produce better quality work. If you’re shooting people, look for a makeup artist (MUA), a hair stylist, and a wardrobe stylist or fashion designer. If you’re shooting images that don’t involve people, find specialists in your area of interest such as aspiring local chefs for food photography, or passionate fossil hunters for macro shots. I can’t imagine how daunting this task was before the internet. Thanks, Al Gore!

Social network websites literally put thousands of professionals at your fingertips. It’s your cursor, really, but you get the idea.

Facebook, one of the most popular social media websites, is a great place to start. You can search for pages and groups dedicated to hair, makeup, fashion, local food, mushroom hunting, waterfall photography, scuba diving, and more. When you find one that you like, simply post a comment saying you are looking to work with artists in your area.

Model Mayhem is another great resource for people shooters. It’s a place where artists of all types gather in order to work on creative projects. Once you’re signed up, you can post a casting and choose the type of artists and talent you’re looking for. MM is made for bringing together creatives, so if people are your interest, this is a must.

Tip #2: Take Your Time

This is a concept I still have trouble with! Once you get cranking through editing, it’s tough to pull yourself away, but it’s absolutely necessary. Taking a break during any project will let your eyes and mind relax. When you pause for a time, you come back with renewed perspective. My advice: Zoom all the way out, set things down, and, if you can, sleep on it. You’ll come back refreshed.

Tip #3: Build A Proper Showcase

Create a website/portfolio. Check out the online portfolios of photographers that you admire. Think about why you like their work, what draws you in, what makes you stay, what you like about the concept or layout, and what you can do better.

Combine the information you gather with the trends in the market. How do you plan to share your work? Do you plan to print your shots or is an iPad sufficient? This will tie in with the type of work that you want to go after. Assuming that you want to chase after paid gigs, of course.

As a final step, make an update plan, too. You don’t want your work to get stale, but you don’t want to update it after every shoot. Balance the amount of work you produce with the amount of time you spend in constructing your portfolio. You don’t want it to become a mindless chore. Always keep your wits about you and ask others for feedback. You’re only as strong as your weakest shot so be willing to listen to constructive criticism.

Tip #4: Network

Once you have a team, awesome editing practices, and a rock-solid portfolio, you’re ready to show it to the world. You’ll have to use a little savvy in the marketplace to start making waves. You can do this with a number of techniques. Most importantly, learn to make the internet your friend.

Take every opportunity to grow your online presence. You can start by being active on popular photography forums, on Facebook, Twitter, G+, or other social media channels. Connect with every professional, organization, and manufacturer that you admire, and keep up with what they’re doing, too. You’ll find there are plenty of opportunities to have your work featured if you keep your eye out for it.

Paid gigs will force you to perform in a more professional way, so I recommend chasing after work even if photography is just a hobby. When money is on the table, you’ll find that you operate with a renewed sense of vigor. You can offer giveaways, groupons, or discounts to help you get more work, and advertising is an option as well.

Guest appearances are a great way to grow publicity online. You could, for example, guest write articles for the best darn software company in the world. ;-) The larger audience of an established website is a great place to get your name out there. It’s not all about printed magazines, there are hundreds of other places to showcase what you do, or for you to share your knowledge on a certain subject. You can’t pay for that kind of publicity, so it’s worth a little time at the keyboard, or on set, to make up a solid article.

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Check out more of Andrew’s work on his blog and website. Follow him socially on Facebook and Twitter.

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Please include a summary of what you’d like to write about along with a sample of your writing, images, etc. If possible, provide us links to some of your own blog articles or other published work in your submission. Email us at blog@alienskin.com.

The post Portfolio Tips from Andrew Foord appeared first on Exposure Software.

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What’s the best thing to do when you get photographer’s block? Shoot something! Recruit friends, family, bring the dog, bribe your neighbors, order a pizza and kidnap the delivery person. Whatever it takes. Get out there and start clicking.

This is exactly what I did for this series. First I blackmailed begged a model friend of mine to pose for me, then I put a post on Facebook asking if anyone wanted to throw water on a model and learn something about photography. I didn’t specify the gender of the model–I thought it might help get more responses. I got 3 responses on Facebook, and my team was complete.

The Location and Lighting Set-up

If you’re like me, you have a 2000 sq ft. studio with roof access, an indoor pool, and lots and lots of big windows–I WISH! In reality, I usually shoot in my garage even though its tough to set up lights around the garage door opener. Sometimes I’ll shoot on location in a public place. For this shoot, my location couldn’t have been easier, or more budget-friendly, I used the street in front of my house.

For lighting I used 2 strobes with reflectors and grids, both were high up on stands to ensure the water wouldn’t reach them; always err on the side of safety then mixing water and electricity. The strobes were placed on either side of the model, the main aimed slightly in front and the other slightly behind. I set them both to pop at full power.

Next, I metered the light. I use a meter religiously. Proper procedure is to put the light meter underneath the model’s chin and aim it at the light, not the lens. My shutter speed was set to 1/125 with 100 ISO. The meter gave me an aperture of 5.6. I repeated the above steps for the 2nd strobe to confirm the results. Setup time, including running extension cords, setting up the lights, and metering took about 20 minutes.

The Fun Part

DANG IT!

With my camera settings in place I was ready to shoot. By this time, I’m getting excited. Now I finally get to play photographer. I had two water throwers stand opposite each other next to the light stands. When I counted to three, I had them sling the water at the victim.

My camera settings were spot on, the lighting looked great, but my timing was off. This happens more than I’d like to admit, but it’s something that everyone has done before. Don’t panic. My ‘keepers’ rule of thumb is for every 100 photos I take, I want to get about 10 keepers. Out of the keepers, I’m happy with one shot that makes me say “Wow.”

Retouching

Below are two of my choice photos of the set. Yes!–one of them is out of focus. Was it intentional? Absolutely not, but I am drawn to it, and that’s all that matters. Don’t listen to anyone else’s opinion when it comes to your creativity. You’re the artist, your opinion is the only one that matters on personal projects. When you’re working for a client, their opinion trumps your own.

After I selected my favorite photos–9 out of the 50–the retouching portion was very straightforward. I did some minor sharpening and added a color cast with Exposure. I used the preset Kodachrome – Cyan Shift, one of my favorites. I completed the shots by cropping the photos to 5×7 and square.

Conclusion

When photographer’s block hits, just like it does to everyone, try something new. Give a new lighting setup a try, you’re welcome to use what I did. Grab a couple of buddies and have your own water splash shoot. Dust your camera off and shoot something, anything! Get friends and family involved, but most importantly have fun.

The post Breaking Through with Andrew Foord appeared first on Exposure Software.

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Ask me why I’m such a good comedian…Okay, why are you such a goo–TIMING!

I know it’s an old joke, but it gets the point across. There are many reasons why timing in photography is so important, but let’s not just talk about them, let’s look at a few examples, too.

1 second early

1 second late

You’re probably wondering what the perfectly timed shot looks like. Don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a minute. Let me give you a little background for the shoot, first. For this series, I wanted to get messy, really messy. If you haven’t done a messy shoot like this before, give it a go. It makes for a low-stress environment when everyone is laughing and having fun.

Lighting and Camera Settings

I needed to light the powder from the side in order to preserve its texture. One strobe with a silver beauty dish and grid did the trick. It was positioned slightly elevated above the subject, tilted down at a 45 degree angle. I used a silver reflector opposing the model to fill in the shadows of his face and neck.

The strobe was set at full power, and I used my trusty light meter for proper exposure. I set my light meter to 1/200th of a second–my camera’s maximum sync speed–with 100 ISO. The meter gave me an aperture value of F/13. Below is a diagram.

Shutter speed, strobes, and freezing motion

Speaking of sync speed, let’s pause here for a moment. I hear a lot of photographers use this term in the wrong context, so let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. Sync speed is the maximum shutter speed for which the curtains are completely open at the time of exposure. This is when the flash fires. Every camera and strobe models have different sync speeds, which you can easily discover in the manual or online.

As a rule of thumb, a good shutter speed to use with studio strobes is 1/125th of a second. Some strobes let you shoot with a higher shutter speed, but it may require a little research before you can start clicking off photos. If you’re just getting started with using strobes, set your camera’s shutter speed to 1/125th for now. This can produce a crisp freeze motion shot; however, the freezing doesn’t come from the camera, it comes from the light.

The flash lasts only about 1/1000th of a second. A fast pop combined with low ambient light and a small aperture–F13 in my case–the camera sensor will only ‘see’ the light from the strobe.

Timing

With my camera and lights in place, the next thing to focus on is… you guessed it, timing. I advise everyone to shoot with both eyes open. This lets you keep one eye in the viewfinder for composition and the other eye on your powder-thrower. I told my assistant, the models 7 year old daughter, when I count to 3, throw the powder–hard, try to hit your dad in the ear and knock him off his feet.

Always account for human error when you’re on set. Not on the photography portion alone, but with your assistants, and models as well. My assistant did a superb job of hitting her dad in the face with the powder, but when my count got to 3, she would pause a moment before throwing. It’s not a huge deal, most of the time, but this reinforces my shoot-with-both-eyes-open suggestion.

BOOM! Perfect timing!

As you can see in this photo, the powder is just hitting the side of his head, and we can still see his face clearly. This was the shot I wanted. It wasn’t easy, and luck played a part in it, but I ended up with an awesomely timed masterpiece. It was a great experience, and a lot of fun. Give it a try!

Final Image

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Check out more of Andrew’s work on his blog and website. Follow him socially on Facebook and Twitter.

 

The post Timing with Andrew Foord appeared first on Exposure Software.

Andrew has aspirations to contribute to fashion magazines like GQ, Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Style, and occasionally SNL. Aside from working as a full-time photographer, he teaches workshops on lighting and editing, and he makes video tutorials for his website.

He proudly advocates the use of Exposure for photo-retouching. Below are a few images from Andrew with summaries describing its use. Thanks, Andy!

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I love using Exposure 5! It gives my shots that extra little “pop.” When using the software in Photoshop, it applies effects to a new layer, meaning you can modify them to your heart’s content. Sometimes I run the software on the same image twice, using 2 different presets. Through my experimentation, I’ve found that layering the effects like this creates an extra level of depth in the image. Give it a try.

I finished the image above with Exposure 5’s Color Films – Vintage, Kodachrome II Cyan Shift preset, my absolute favorite. I love the creamy effect it has on skin tones and the magenta cast it adds to water and shadows. Normally, I soften the effect with the Overall Intensity slider. On this shot, I added a little sharpening. I prefer to use Exposure as a plug-in. Because Photoshop’s layers give me an extra level of control over the effect.

This shot (above) was finished off with the same preset as before, Color Films – Vintage, Kodachrome II Cyan Shift. This time, I didn’t modify any sliders–the preset nailed the look I was after right out of the box. It’s amazing to see how the same preset can yield different results. This time, I was drawn to the slight desaturation of the skin tones, yet it still produced a creamy look.

For this image(above), I chose Color Films – Vintage, Kodachrome II (1962-1974). The preset was applied at full intensity but I faded out some of the effect in her hair with a mask in Photoshop.

This editorial photo was finished in Exposure 5 using the preset Color Films – Vintage, Kodachrome II Dust and Scratches. I change the scratches to “scratches 9” and lowered the opacity slightly. After applying the effect, I added a layer mask and brushed out some of the effect in certain places.

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To see more of Andrews work, check out his blog or his website. Social butterflies can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

The post Introducing Andrew Foord appeared first on Exposure Software.