Nate Donovan Photography

Portrait Special for the Holidays

2010-12-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

Portrait Tips for the Holidays

2010-11-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

1. Always focus on the eyes. Too often, stunning photos are diminished because people’s eyes we’re not the sharpest point. Try to make eye contact!

2. Choose a simple background. You want to avoid backgrounds that are too busy or have details that might take away from the people in your shot.

3. When composing your photo don’t cut people off at the ankles, wrists, or neck. It’s okay to frame your image at people’s knees, waist, or mid-torso.

4. Avoid shooting into bright light. This is a common problem where the bright background will cause the people to come out as a silhouette.

5. Take advantage of an overcast sky - it serves as a natural diffuser and will create softer shadows. Perfect for outdoor portraits.

6. Don’t make a person look like you are taking a mug shot or passport photo. Turn the person’s shoulders slightly to give them a more engaging pose.

7. Avoid tree branches, sign/telephone/lamp poles, and power lines in your background. Nothing is worse than having a photo where it looks like a tree branch is growing out of someone’s head.

8. Change your perspective. Most people take photos from the eye level of the photographer. Try getting below or above the subject to create a different point of view.

9. All your subjects do not need to look into the camera. If your photo is of a mother and child, try having them look at each other.

10. Candid! Take pictures of people when they don’t know they are being photographed. Catch people in those natural moments. You will be surprised how wonderful these shots will be.

San Francisco Workshop - Dec. 18th

2010-11-18T09:09:00.000-08:00

Iconic bridges, elegant and diverse neighborhoods, and streets that dramatically make San Francisco a particularly photogenic city. We will spend one full day shooting the breathtaking natural and urban landscapes and famous landmarks throughout San Francisco and surrounding area. You will get hands-on instruction learning how to use your camera and improve your composition and workflow. This is the perfect opportunity for the serious photographer looking to expand your portfolio, or for the beginner wanting to learn more about your camera and shooting techniques.

Go to www.donovanphotography.net/workshops.htm for complete information.

Interview with Bill Henderson of Hold The Eye Images

2010-06-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

My Podcast interview with Bill Henderson of Hold The Eye Images. We discussed CS5, Workflow, and upcoming workshops.

http://media.libsyn.com/media/whenderson7742/Hold_The_Eye_Images.mp3

f-Stop Q&A - Travel Photography - Part 1

2010-06-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Question: With many of us taking vacations and traveling over the next three months, I thought it was time to review some helpful photography tips for your travels.

Answer:

Know where you’re going - Read up as much as you can on where you're going. Having a little knowledge on the culture, customs, shooting locations, etc. will go a long way.

Batteries - Be sure to have charged batteries, spare batteries, and your battery charger. If your camera and any accessories use disposable batteries, have a number of spare sets to last you on your trip.

How much memory to bring - If you are not bringing a laptop to offload your photos, bring extra memory cards to cover your trip. The most common mistake people make is to lower the image quality on their camera so their memory card can hold more photos. Always shoot at your camera's highest quality, you paid for a good camera, use it at its best.

Polarizing Filter - A polarizing filter does a great job reducing reflections and darkening the sky. This is a great accessory when shooting water or improving the sky when shooting in the middle of the day.

X-ray machines and metal detectors - In my film days this was always a concern when I used high speed/ISO film. In the world of digital, we don't need to worry about our memory cards being corrupted, your photos are safe.

Can you use a flash? - Many museums allow photography but have a no flash rule. Before you start packing up extra equipment to carry around, know the rules of what you can and can't use before you go.

Concerts - Traditionally, all venues have a "No Photography" policy. With everyone using cell phone cameras, many venues have changed their policies to "No Professional" or "No SLR" cameras. This is a great application for a quality point-and-shoot.
Backing up your photography - While traveling, try to have laptop or media drive to backup your memory cards. If you won't be traveling with any backup device, look to see if there is a photo center nearby that can backup your memory card on to a DVD.

Checking your camera equipment with an airline - I always carry on my camera bodies and lenses. There are good cases out there that can stand up to the luggage handlers, buy why take the chance. I usually check my tripod, spare batteries, and other accessories with my clothes.

Put down your camera and enjoy your trip - It's easy for us to get preoccupied with our camera, stop shooting once and a while and enjoy the other things your trip has to offer!

Happy Travels!

f-Stop Q&A - High Pass Sharpening & Bluring

2010-03-30T10:58:00.001-07:00

Question: I’ve heard that there is an alternative way to sharpen photos using a filter called “High Pass” in place of the typical “Unsharp Mask” or “Sharpen” filters in Photoshop. What is “High Pass” and how do you apply the sharpening?

Answer: The “High Pass” filter has been a popular alternative for sharpening in Photoshop for many years. “High Pass” and other sharpening techniques simply increases the contrast between pixels. Too much sharpening can lead to a halo effect, so using a sharpening method that has detailed control will give you better results. The “High Pass” method gives you quality variable control over your sharpening. Though it requires a few extra steps that aren’t too intuitive to most people, this is one of my favorite methods for sharpening.

High Pass Sharpening

1. Open the file you want to sharpen.

2. Duplicate the background layer (Ctrl/Cmd J).

3. Rename you new layer “Sharpen”.

4. While on the “Sharpen” layer, click on Filter>Other>High Pass from the pull-down menu.

5. In the High Pass dialog box, set the Radius to 10 and click OK.

6. Change the Blending Mode of the “Sharpen” layer to “Soft Light” (you can also try the Blending Modes “Overlay” or “Hard Light” for a more intense look).

7. Adjust the Opacity of the sharpened layer to increase or decrease the intensity of the sharpening.

Sharpening is destructive to the image and should be the last step in your editing process, especially after doing any enlarging. Be sure to keep a backup copy of your original image before you save your sharpened image so you have something to revert back to.

High Pass Burring? What if you wanted to blur your image? Just add one more step by Inverting your “Sharpen” layer by clicking Image>Adjustments>Invert from the pull-down menu.

Happy Sharpening & Blurring!

f-Stop Q&A - Lightroom Exporting Simplified

2010-03-12T17:51:00.001-08:00

Question: When using Lightroom I frequently export photos for online use with Facebook and Picasa. Using different export settings each time, I frequently have to adjust them with each export. Is there a way to simplify and possibly automate all my common exporting steps?

Answer: I love Lightroom’s exporting capabilities. Like you, I export for Facebook and Picasa, but also export for 17 other different scenarios that include various online print services, iPhone/iPod, emailing, and web pages.

When exporting in Lightroom you have a variety of options that you need to select. Export location, File Settings, and Image Sizing are just some of the options that can change with each type of export. Having to memorize and change these settings on every export slows down your workflow and can increase your chances for user error, certainly happens to me. Lightroom allows you to save these settings as a Preset in the Export dialog window. Change all your export settings to what you need them for, then click on the “Add” button at the bottom of the Preset list. Give your preset a logical name for what the export is used for; for example, name the Preset “Flickr” if the settings are used to export files to be uploaded to your Flickr account. Each time you need to export for Flickr, click on the Flickr preset and all of your settings will be read to go. Once you have exported your files to a folder on your computer, they are ready for uploading to what ever online service you use.

For some online services including Facebook, Smugmug, Flickr, Zenfolio, Picasa, Expono, and Photobucket, Jeffery Fridl’s Blog at regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies provides great plugins for Lightroom that will let you export directly to the online service. Just follow his simple directions and you will be exporting and uploading in no time.

Happy Exporting!

f-Stop Q&A - Beginning RAW

2010-03-04T15:23:00.000-08:00

Question: Recently I started shooting in RAW format on my camera, NOW WHAT?! Whenever I try to open a RAW file from Bridge it opens into a different program first and then lets me open into Photoshop. This program has many of the same adjustments that I normally use in Photoshop. What’s this program, and should I use its adjustments or Photoshop’s?

Answer: WOW! Great question. The program that is opening your RAW files is called ACR (Adobe Camera RAW) and is Adobe’s utility that processes RAW files. Remember, a RAW file is the digital equivalent to a negative and it needs to be processed in order for Photoshop to use it. ACR does have many of the same adjustments that you find in Photoshop and is considered lossless editing so there isn’t the potential of quality loss in your image. In my simple RAW workflow I make all of my preliminary adjustments to contrast, brightness, and hue/saturation in ACR then make any other adjustments that I want in Photoshop. Typically, those adjustments require selecting, layers, and masking.

Many of the adjustments in ACR have different names than the ones in Photoshop, but they act much the same. The following are some of the Photoshop adjustments that correspond with ACR.

Levels or Contrast/Brightness – In ACR use Brightness, Exposure, and Blacks to adjust your whites, mid-tones, and blacks.

Hue/Saturation – ACR’s HSL/Grayscale tab has adjustments for the hue, saturation, and luminance for eight different colors. In addition, try the Vibrance adjustment which concentrates on areas of your image that aren’t all that colorful and lets you make them more, or less, saturated.

Shadow/Highlights – In ACR use the Recovery and Fill Light adjustments. This will let you bring out the shadows and calm down the highlights all in one simple step.

Black & White – For CS3/4, in ACR under the HSL/Grayscale tab you check the “Convert to Grayscale” tab. This will then bring up the Grayscale Mixer to make your adjustments.

ACR doesn’t replace all of Photoshop’s adjustment features, but as you explore ACR’s adjustments further, you will find replacements for Curves, Lens Corrections, and a few others.

Remember, at any point you want to reset the changes you made in ACR, just hold down the Alt key (Option key on Mac) and the Cancel button turns into a Reset button.

Happy RAW!

f-Stop Q&A - Auto Bracketing

2010-02-24T21:20:00.000-08:00

Question: I’ve start playing with HDR photography and I’m attempting to take multiple photographs of the same composed shot using different exposures with my Digital SLR camera. I have been bracketing the exposure on my camera by manually changing the shutter speed. Is there a way to have my camera automatically fire off multiple shots with a different exposure on each photo?

Answer: Exposure bracketing has been a common method of shooting going back 100 years. When I first started learning manual film photography I would commonly take 3 – 4 photographs of the same composed shot, changing my shutter speed between each frame, to get the best exposure possible. These days I primarily bracket when I’m dealing with extreme high contrast, or to create a HDR (High Dynamic Range) photograph.

Most digital SLR cameras have a feature call “Auto Bracketing” where you can set your camera to take a specific number of photographs where the EV (exposure value) will be different between each shot. On most cameras the Auto Bracketing EV can be set in a range of 1/3, 2/3, 1 stop, or higher on some camera models. For example, on my Nikon D700 I can set my Auto Bracketing between 3 – 9 shots using an EV of 1/3, 2/3, or 1 stop. When shooting for HDR I usually set it for 9 shots with an EV difference of 1 stop. This will give me 9 photographs with a nice dynamic range of light to choose from for merging.

Once I have my Auto Bracketing options set, each time I press the shutter release it will fire off one photo starting with my original metered exposure. Then with each following shot it will automatically bracket the EV I’ve set in the Auto Bracketing options. One other nice option I use is a cable release and set my shooting mode to “Continuous Shoot”. This fires off all the shots in rapid sequence while keeping the cable release depressed. It almost feels like cheating!

Remember, there is no substitute for knowing how to manually adjust your exposure using aperture and shutter speed. By knowing how to manually adjust your camera, you will always have more control in your exposures and bracketing.

Happy Exposures!

f-Stop Q&A - Photoshop Smart Filters

2010-02-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

Question: In Photoshop I love the flexibility and ability to readjust and mask Adjustment Layers such as Levels or Hue/Saturation. Is there a way to adjust Photoshop’s filters in a similar way?

Answer: There absolutely is, but with a few extra steps. Adjustment Layers are one of the key features of Photoshop that make it so powerful in lossless photo editing. The ability to readjust your image adjustments and filters after you have applied them gives you the ultimate flexibility.

The first thing to know is you will be working with Smart Filters and not a true Adjustment Layer. Any layer you want to apply a filter to must be converted into a Smart Object first. Once you have your Smart Object layer you can apply most of the 100+ Photoshop filters as a Smart Filter. Because you can adjust, remove, or hide Smart filters, they are nondestructive. Similar to an Adjustment Layer, you can mask your Smart Filter to reveal and conceal areas of the effects you applied. The following steps will take you through converting a layer into a Smart Object and how apply and readjust a Smart Filter.

Open any file you want to add a filter effect to.
Click on the layer you want to apply the filter to.
From the pull down menus click Filter>Convert for Smart Filters (you will notice that your layer will now have a small icon in the lower right of the layer thumbnail)
Go back to the Filters menu and choose the filter you would like to apply. Make any adjustments and press OK to apply the filter. (You will now notice in your Layer Pallet a Layer Style called Smart Filters just below the layer you applied the filter to)
To readjust or change your filter, double click on the layer style under your Smart Filters layer; For example, if you applied the Sponge filter, you would double click on the “Sponge” label.

One of the most common filtering effects I use as a photographer is the Smart Sharpen filter. Combining Smart Filters and masking is the perfect way I sharpen selected areas of a photograph without doubling the size of my file and staying true to nondestructive editing.

Happy Filtering!

f-Stop Q&A - iPad use for the Photographer

2010-01-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

Question: With Apple’s iPad just being announced, Steve Job’s stating that "it’s a truly magical and revolutionary product." It allows you to do many things, including view your photos. How does this product look for use by photographers?

Answer: In true Apple flair, they introduced this slick looking product with all the marketing to show us how the iPad will fit into our lives. The iPad is not a computer, but an oversized iPod touch with a few more features. It lets you browse the web, watch movies, manage your calendar, read books, listen to music, and view photos on its 9.7” touch screen. If you’ve used an iPod touch you already know how well the touch screen works. The big question is, will the iPad be a good accessory for the photographer?

Apple has a number of iPad accessories including a keyboard doc and a camera connection kit that lets you directly connect your camera to offload photos, or use the SD card reader option (none for CF yet). The screen has a resolution of 1024x768 which is fine for viewing your photos. Unfortunately, the iPad’s ability to plug into a HD TV is limited to to 576p/480p (standard definition TV). The iPad’s web connectivity options, WiFi or AT&T cellular (monthly service fee required), is a plus for viewing you existing photos online through the many common services including Smugmug, Picassa, and Flickr.

iPad’s limitations start with its inability to view RAW files, you will need to stick with JPG or TIFF and manage them through iTunes to sync them. Adobe did come out with a Photoshop app for the iPhone/iPod/iPad line of devices, but it’s limited to simple cropping, color, and tonal adjustments. You can’t load the standard version of Photoshop.

Hands down the biggest obstacle for the photographer is the lack of storage. The iPad comes in 16GB/32GB/64GB versions using flash memory for its internal storage. The challenge her is that most of us will fill up the device too fast with our high resolution images, I use a 32GB memory card in my camera, how long will that last? I would like to see the 2.0 version of the product have triple the storage and a USB port so I can plug in an external hard drive to simply move photos between devices.

The iPad is a great web view device but has too many limitations to be photographer friendly, especially with the $500-$830 price tag. For the same price you can pick up a full functioning laptop computer that you can do everything the iPad does, plus run Photoshop. I predict that Apple will drop the price significantly after it’s been on the market for a few months. Just like Apple did with the first generation of the iPhone.

I think the iPad is the perfect sofa lounge device for viewing my existing online photos and typical web browsing. Being a techo gear head, would consider buying one if the price drops in half.

iHappy…or not too sure!

f-Stop Q&A - Photoshop Keybord Shortcuts

2010-01-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

Question: What are your favorite keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop CS4?

Answer: Photoshop is a large program that most people navigate by using their mouse the majority of time. I regularly use a number of keyboard shortcuts for common features and menu commands to reduce the number of mouse clicks, this builds up my working speed in Photoshop. I’ve lost count on how many keyboard shortcuts exist in Photoshop, at one point I had a 44 page document listing them.

The following are the ones that I use on a daily basis. Remember one of the primary differences between the Windows and the Mac versions of Photoshop is the use of the Ctrl (Control) key on Windows vs. Cmd (Command) on the Mac.

File/Edit

Save	Ctrl/Cmd + S
Cut	Ctrl/Cmd + X
Copy	Ctrl/Cmd +C
Paste	Ctrl/Cmd +V
Undo	Ctrl/Cmd +Z
Revert	F12

Selecting

Select All	Ctrl/Cmd + A
Deselect	Ctrl/Cmd + D
Inverse Selection	Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I
Add to a Selection	Shift (while using desired selection tool)
Subtract from a Selection	Alt (while using desired selection tool)

Tools

Increase brush size	]
Decrease brush size	[
Fill background color	Ctrl/Cmd + Backspace/Delete
Fill foreground color	Alt + Backspace/Delete

Layers

Open/Close Layer Pallet	F7
Copy a Layer or Copy a selection to a new Layer	Ctrl/Cmd + J
New Layer	Ctrl/Cmd +Shift + N
Delete Layer	Backspace/Delete
Select multiple Layers	Ctrl/Cmd + click on Layer name
Merge Selected Layers	Ctrl/Cmd + E
Merge Visible Layers	Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E
Invert Layer Mask	Ctrl/Cmd + I

View

Show Rules	Ctrl/Cmd + R
All pallets (Show/Hide)	TAB
All pallets except Tool Box (Show/Hide)	Shift-TAB
Resize Image to fill windows	Ctrl/Cmd + 0 (zero)

If I find myself repeating a command/feature using only the mouse and wondering if there is a keyboard shortcut available, I then will click on the pull menu and look to the right of the command in the menu. There you will find the keyboard shortcut if Adobe was nice enough to preprogram one, the most common commands will. If the keyboard shortcut doesn’t exist, I can press Alt + Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + K to bring up the keyboard utility to create my own.

Happy Keybording!

f-Stop Q&A - Winter Shooting Tips

2010-01-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

Question:

This winter I plan on doing a lot of outdoor shooting in cold conditions. What considerations should I make when dealing with cold and wet weather?

Answer:

Outdoor winter photography gives you some incredible opportunities to produce stunning photographs because of the different light and textures that come with the elements of winter. The challenge and frustrations come when you are not prepared for the cold and sometimes wet conditions.

When shooting in cold below freezing temperatures, I recommend that you carry two or more batteries. Keep one battery in the camera, and the other in a pocket closer to your skin so your body heat can keep it warm. When your camera’s battery indicator starts showing a dead battery (when you know it’s charged) or if it’s so cold that your camera isn’t powering up consistently, it’s time to swap the batteries.

Cold weather also leads to on-again/off-again with your gloves when trying to adjust your camera dials and pressing the shutter release. I use a pair of thin neoprene winter cycling gloves. These gloves keep my hands warm down to freezing conditions and allow me to fully control my camera. When shooting with my tripod I always use a cable release. The cable release also becomes very useful when I’m wearing thicker gloves where pressing the shutter release is awkward.

When it comes to humidity and temperature shifts building condensation, carry a plastic zip lock bag large enough to hold your camera and attached lens. Bag your camera before you go outside and then let your camera adjust to the humidity and temperature outside for 10-15 minutes before you take it out. This will reduce the condensation and save you the frustration of constantly wiping down you lens and camera.

Protecting your camera equipment in rainy conditions will always be the most challenging. There are nice rain sleeves available that will cover all SLR cameras and adjust to a variety of lens sizes. When caught off guard, I’ve been known to use plastic bags or the occasional shower cap. Regardless of what type of plastic camera cover you use, don’t forget to pack an umbrella.

Finally, you know those little silica gel packets that come in many of the packaged goods we buy? Start saving those and put them in your camera bag, this will help reduce the moisture buildup on your equipment.

Happy Weather!

f-Stop Q&A - Netbooks & Digital Media Players

2010-01-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

Question:

I will be traveling for two weeks and I would rather not bring my laptop because of its size. What portable hard drives or other devices would you recommend for off loading my photos during the trip? Whatever device I use, it will need to have the ability to view RAW files.

Answer:

The ability to offload your photos without having a laptop or buying numerous memory cards is a common need for all of us that travel. When you add the need to view your photos and you’re shooting in RAW format, this takes more than the typical portable hard drive.

The portable digital media players such as, the Epson P series, Digital Foci Picture Porter, Wolverine Digital Photo Album, and many other brands all offer similar features designed for digital photography. They each come with hard drive storage that can range from 60GB to 500GB depending on the model. To allow easy transfer of you photography from your memory card, these products have built in card readers that will read the most popular card types, such as Compact Flash and Secure Digital. Most, but not all, portable digital media players allow you to view RAW on a LCD screen that is usually larger than the one that comes on your camera. Typically, these devices run off of a rechargeable battery and also allow you to play music and videos.

Plan on spending $250 - $800 for a portable digital media player, depending on capacity. I recommend choosing one from an established company where you can count on firmware updates in the long future. With new cameras/RAW formats constantly being released, you want to make sure that the media player will be able to support the camera you buy in the next few years. Epson’s Multimedia Photo View is on its seventh generation and is always a safe bet.

Having owned three different digital media players over the years, I’ve recently switched to using a Netbook computer for the total flexibility in offloading photos, RAW viewing, and internet access. For about $300 you can get a Netbook (a tiny laptop) with 160GB hard drive, 1GB RAM, wifi wireless networking, and a multi-card reader (but no compact flash). They are about 10” wide and weigh about 2.5lbs., and run Windows 7. With the exception of Apple, most computer manufactures offer them. Keep in mind that these miniature computers don’t come with a DVD drive. Even though I’ve loaded Photoshop CS3, MS Office, iTunes, and Firefox, I treat my Netbook as an appliance that’s primary function in for offloading photography and internet connectivity. Don’t expect a full blown computer that’s good for photo editing.

As an alternative to buying a new device, do your homework on where you are traveling to. Check to see if there is a photo center nearby that can copy photos from your memory card to a DVD. You lose the ability to view your files, but it’s much cheaper than buying a new device. If you do have a photo center that can do this, bring some blank DVD’s with you. Remember the most common blank DVD only hold 4.7GB and the dual layer blank DVD’s (DVD-DL) hold 8.5GB, so bring enough to cover your trip.

Happy Travels!

f-Stop Q&A - Dec. 22nd 2009

2009-12-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

Question: I just got a JPG image of my children sitting on Santa lap at the mall and I would like to make a number of wallet sized prints. Is there a simple way of printing multiple copies on one 8x10 sheet?

Answer: Photoshop has a wonderful utility called “Picture Package” that will turn any photo into a great layout that will resemble how your kids school pictures are packaged. Follow these simple steps and you will be quickly on your way.

- Open the photo you want in Photoshop

- From the menu select File -> Automate -> Picture Package

- Change the Layout option from (2) 5x7 to (8) 2.5x3.5 to give you wallet sized. As you will see in the Layout options, you have many layout choices that will give you a combination of wallets and larger prints on one 8x10 sheet.

- As an option, you can change the layout to include more than one source photo. Click on any one of the Layout images in the Picture Package dialog box. Choose a different file name to change the image and press OK.

- You can then print directly to your printer or save the new layout file and upload it to your favorite online printer. Photoshop CS4 doesn’t have Picture Package installed as a default utility like in past versions. You will need to follow these two steps to install the Picture Package pug into CS4. Have your CS4 install DVD ready or download the file from www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4048

- From the Photoshop CS4 install disc, drop the ///Goodies/Optional Plug-Ins/Automate/ContactSheetII plug-in into the //Adobe Photoshop CS4/Plug-ins/Automatefolder (this is for both Contact Sheet and Picture Package).

- From the Photoshop CS4 install disc, drop the ///Goodies/Presets/Layouts folder into the //Adobe Photoshop CS4/Presets folder and restart Photoshop.

Happy Holidays!

f-Stop Q&A - Dec. 2nd 2009

2009-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Question: I have read about many people that use Adobe Lightroom and use it for photo management and editing. I’ve been using Photoshop and Bridge; I don’t have a clear understanding about why I would use Lightroom over the other products.

Answer: As a user of Lightroom (Adobe Photoshop Lightroom), my photography management and workflow has never been faster and more efficient. Lightroom’s “Library” module (photo file manager) is one of five modules incorporated in Lightroom. Adobe Bridge is a powerful, easy-to-use file manager letting you easily organize, browse, locate, and view your photography. Bridge comes as an auxiliary program packaged with Photoshop, and in all six editions of Adobe Creative Suite 4 software. Lightroom is not a replacement for Photoshop and Bridge. It is a robust workflow program that allows you to manage, edit, print, and build slide shows and web sites using your photography collections. The “Edit” module of Lightroom is based on Adobe Camera Raw and has all the familiar RAW editing capabilities plus a few new features to do quick edits. A major difference between Lightroom and Photoshop’s editing capabilities is that Lightroom cannot create layers or work within channels. This alone will keep you using Photoshop for many years to come. I like to think of Adobe Bridge as a light version of the “Library” module of Lightroom. One of my favorite features in the “Library” module is the ability to create “Smart Collections” of your photography based on your photos’ metadata and other photo tagging options. This is similar to the “Smart Playlists” feature in iTunes. I manage over 50,000 photographs in Lightroom - my ability to quickly find, sort, and export individual and large groups of photos is unparalleled to any program I’ve ever used. Here is an example of how I use Lightroom and Photoshop in my photography workflow: Import photos from camera into Lightroom --> Sort and keyword in Lightroom --> Minor edits (brightness, contrast, color saturation, etc.) in Lightroom --> Major edits (layers, enlarging, sharpening, etc.) in Photoshop. For creating slide shows and building photography-based web pages I use Lightroom. This is just the first of many f-Stops that will explore the power and popularity of Lightroom. Happy Workflow!

f-Stop Q&A - Nov 26th 2009

2009-11-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

With the holidays in full force, most of you will have your camera out and will be taking endless photographs of family and friends. In most situations, you should make the person/people your focus. Here are 10 quick tips for successful photographs:

1. Always focus on the eyes. Too often, stunning photos are diminished because people’s eyes we’re not the sharpest point. Try to make eye contact!

2. Choose a simple background. You want to avoid backgrounds that are too busy or have details that might take away from the people in your shot.

3. When composing your photo don’t cut people off at the ankles, wrists, or neck. It’s okay to frame your image at people’s knees, waist, or mid-torso.

4. Avoid shooting into bright light. This is a common problem where the bright background will cause the people to come out as a silhouette.

5. Take advantage of an overcast sky - it serves as a natural diffuser and will create softer shadows. Perfect for outdoor portraits.

6. Don’t make a person look like you are taking a mug shot or passport photo. Turn the person’s shoulders slightly to give them a more engaging pose.

7. Avoid tree branches, sign/telephone/lamp poles, and power lines in your background. Nothing is worse than having a photo where it looks like a tree branch is growing out of someone’s head.

8. Change your perspective. Most people take photos from the eye level of the photographer. Try getting below or above the subject to create a different point of view.

9. All your subjects do not need to look into the camera. If your photo is of a mother and child, try having them look at each other.

10. Candid! Take pictures of people when they don’t know they are being photographed. Catch people in those natural moments. You will be surprised how wonderful these shots will be.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

f-Stop Q&A - Nov 12th 2009

2009-11-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

Question:

I have hundreds of small (4x6) photos that I want to scan but it is very time consuming. Is there a trick for speeding the scanning process up?

Answer:

Most of us have boxes and albums full of photos that we would like to scan, but will be so time consuming that we have a hard time getting started. Fortunately, Photoshop has a great automated feature called “Crop & Straighten” that will speed up your scanning process.

- On your flatbed scanner, lay out all the photos you can fit on the scanner while leaving about 1/8^th – 1/4^th inch gap between photos.

- Open Photoshop and scan the photos by clicking on the menu File>Import and choose your scanners scanning utility (your scanning utility is the software that came with your scanner).

- Once your scanning utility is open, setup the scanning options to JPG as your file type, 600dpi for resolution (good for enlarging prints), and set it for “high quality photo” or “color picture”.

- Click “Preview” to do a pre-scan to make sure that you are able to scan all the photos at once.

- Click “Scan” to scan your group of photos into one new file in Photoshop. Go to http://www.donovanphotography.net/pfp/assignments/Crop_Straighten/Crop_Straighen_sample.jpg to see a sample.

- Save your file (remember always pay attention to what you named it and where you saved it).

- With your new file open, click on the menu File>Automate>Crop and Straighten Photos.

- The utility will now automatically create new files for each individual photo from your scan. Each file will be given the original file name with “copy 1, copy 2, etc..” added to each name.

This wonderful utility will save you many hours of scanning.

Happy Scanning!

f-Stop Q&A - Nov. 6th 2009

2009-11-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

Question: I am about to buy a new Windows-based desktop computer. My primary needs are for Photoshop and Internet, and at some point I want to start using Adobe Lightroom. I’m currently using Photoshop CS3 and have a 19” CRT (tubed) monitor that I’m happy with. What are the minimum requirements I should look for to support my software needs?

Answer: Buying a new computer is always exciting and sometimes frustrating. The hardware choices can get a bit overwhelming. To simplify, choose desktop hardware that will serve you well for the next three years. This includes factoring in any software upgrades you might make in those three years. Buying a computer that only meets minimum software requirements can be too limiting for your Photoshop needs.

Let’s start with the software. Regardless of choosing Windows Vista vs. Windows 7 you will need to choose the 32-bit or 64-bit version. I would choose the 64-bit version because of how it handles RAM and data. You can have 4GB of RAM and actually use it in Photoshop CS4 64-bit. With your interest in using Lightroom in the future, version 2 already comes in 64-bit. I realize that you are currently using Photoshop CS3 (only comes in 32-bit), but you probably will want to upgrade in the next few years. Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3 will be out in about six months.

For your hardware choice, I recommend an Intel 2 Quad or Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB+ RAM/DDR3, 500GB+ hard drive, and a video card with 256MB+. If you choose to keep your 19” CRT monitor, keep in mind that it is probably an analog monitor and the video card in the new computer will need an analog video port to support it. You can get a 20” digital monitor upgrade with a new computer system for about $150, which is well worth it. I just researched/configured the Dell XPS 8000 that meets the above specs and more for $849. You can get similar systems from HP, Sony, Lenovo, and others.

What computer do I use? I have a Dell laptop and a Mac laptop. The Dell is my primary Photoshop and Lightroom machine. Will I upgrade to Windows 7? Yes, once it’s been on the market for a few months and any early issues with it are ironed out. The following are the minimum features I wanted in my computer and how I configured my Dell Studio XPS 16.

- Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz/1066Mhz FSB

- 4GB RAM – DDR3

- 500GB/7200RPM hard drive

- RGB-LED LCD (1920x1080) screen

- ATI Mobility RADEON 512MB video card

- 1 – ESATA/USB port

- 2 – USB ports

- 1 – HDMI port

- BlueRay/DVD-RW

- Windows Vista 64

- Photoshop CS4 64-bit

- Lightroom 2 64-bit

If all of this seems too technical, just take these specs with you to the store you will purchase from and someone will be able to assist you.

Happy Shopping!

f-Stop Q&A - Oct. 28th 2009

2009-10-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Question:
With Halloween coming up this week, I want to take some quality night shots with and without a flash. In the past my flash photography can come out too bright with hot spots, and photos without a flash would come out blurry. What are some recommended settings and techniques?

Answer:
Taking night photos, especially during a fun night like Halloween, can be tricky for many of us. All built-in flashes tend to create hot (bright) spots on skin, glass, or anything else with the potential of being reflective. Shooting in low light without a flash always creates a few obstacles for us to work around.

When it comes to flash photography, remember that built-in flash units are harsh in night shooting and typically creates less than desirable light, including the risk of red-eye. In a perfect shooting situation you should be using an external flash unit. To eliminate red-eye and to have the light off-set, the flash needs to be six inches or more away from the lens, usually the case with most external flash units. Your external flash should have come with a diffuser attachment and most flash units have a swivel head and will allow you to point the flash up, instead of directly at the subject. This will soften the light and give you better results. If you don’t have an external flash unit, I would use the LumiQuest Soft Screen Diffuser for pop-up flash (under $15). This will soften all of that harsh light.

Shooting without a flash in low light will require you to turn your flash off. This is not always obvious and may require you to take your camera out of Auto exposure mode. Most digital SLR cameras will not let you turn off the flash when the camera is set to Auto exposure mode. Change your exposure mode to Manual or Aperture Priority to play it safe. If you are shooting a still object, like a jack-o-lantern, you are better off using a tripod to keep everything perfectly still. If you are running around and hand holding your camera, start changing your ISO setting to a higher number, ISO 800 is a good starting point. Remember when hand holding your camera your shutter speed should be 1/60^th or faster to reduce blurring. Yes, you will always get less noise and a cleaner picture using the lowest ISO possible on your camera, but when you are shooting by hand in low light, change that ISO. The last things to check is if your camera or lens has “Image Stabilization” or “Vibration Reduction”, if so, turn it on! This will also reduce blurring when shooting at a slower shutter speed.

Happy Halloween!

f-Stop Q&A - Oct. 21st 2009

2009-10-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Question: What is the difference between the JPG and RAW files that cameras produce? Which one should I be using?

Answer: A simple description would be a RAW file is the digital equivalent of a film negative, and a JPG file is the digital equivalent of a process print from a film negative. But there is much more to know.

A RAW file is a 12 or 14-bit file with just the raw sensor data, exposure, white balance, etc. It requires special software and needs to be processed to get an image, just like a negative. The amazing thing about shooting in RAW is that it captures camera settings such as white balance, so you can change your white balance on your computer without degrading the image. In addition, a RAW file will let you post-adjust just about every camera setting except ISO, aperture, and shutter speed without loss of quality. The control you have over a RAW file may be great but there are a few challenges. Managing and processing these files are time consuming and you want the right software to make your life easy. All camera manufacturers ship their cameras with software that will let you process their RAW files. Other popular alternatives are Apple Aperture and Adobe RAW converter which is found in Photoshop and Lightroom. The advantage to using a program like Lightroom is it lets you manage and process large quantities of RAW files with ease.

JPG files are 8-bit where the camera produces the file based on all the camera’s settings at the moment the picture was taken. JPG files are the standard format used by cell phones and web sites, and can be viewed in programs beyond Photoshop, such as Internet Explorer, Safari, or even Word. JPG files are easy to manipulate in Photoshop, but not without losing data and a little quality each time you make changes and save the file. In addition, JPG files are ready for online printing or to printers where you can directly plug in your memory card.

Which file format should you be shooting in? If you have a program like Lightroom or Aperture, this is a great opportunity to start shooting in RAW. Being a user of Lightroom, I shoot 99% of the time in RAW for the quality control I have over my images. Prior Lightroom, I used Photoshop’s file manager (now called Adobe Bridge) and the early version of Nikon converter to manage my RAW files. I found the quality to be great, but the management was too time consuming, so I primarily shot in JPG. Most digital SLR cameras can shoot in RAW+JPG where it records two files for you to use. This is a good transitional option until you are comfortable with RAW. So if you don’t have a good RAW/file manager, or you are shooting a high volume of photos, JPG will continue to serve you well.

This is a loaded question and expect more discussion to follow.

Happy Editing!

Canon D7 users! Firmware update!

2009-10-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Canon has posted a firmware update for its EOS 7D digital SLR. Version 1.0.9 improves AF accuracy during live view shooting. It also rectifies an occasional problem of abnormal color display in movie mode and freezing of the shutter release when using the built-in flash or an external speedlight.

Photoshop for iPhone

2009-10-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Adobe has introduced Photoshop.com Mobile as an application for Apple's iPhone. It enables users to view, edit and apply effects to images via gesture-based editing. Once edited, images can be uploaded to the user's Photoshop.com account for sharing or back-up purposes. The application is available as a free download from Apple's App Store.

Now on Facebook

2009-10-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

Join me on Face book under my "Nate Donovan Photography" page where I provide additional discussions, photos and postings.

Photoshop for Photographers Class

2009-10-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Photoshop for Photographers class begins Wed. Oct. 28th

Register Now!

Learn practical camera and Photoshop techniques that apply to the photographer. Hands on exercises will assist you in producing quality color, and black and white prints. Perfect layers, selection methods, Channels, Panoramas and more. Unlock your camera's best features, interpreting the Histogram, JPG vs. RAW, and understanding of the light meter. Specialized printing is available, additional fees will be discussed in class. Textbook will be discussed in class. One student per computer. This computer lab runs Photoshop CS3 on Windows and Mac. Prerequisite: Students must have basic computer skills, including an understanding of file and folder structure. Students must provide their own camera, Digital SLR preferred. A $25 lab fee is payable to the instructor the first day of class.

f-Stop Q&A - Oct. 13th 2009

2009-10-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Question: In Photoshop, when I use the Clone Stamp tool, I get a scattered group of pixels instead of a nice round circle. What settings do I need to change to fix this?

Answer: The Clone Stamp or Healing Brush (similar tool) can be the perfect tool to repair/remove blemishes on skin, repair old photos, or remove unsightly elements from your photographs. Unfortunately, these tools can be challenging to use for beginners. When using these tools it’s important to setup the tool before you start any cloning or healing of any pixels. The first thing to check is what brush you are using. The brush choices go way beyond the typical hard and feathered edge round tip. In your case I would check to see if you are using one of the more stylized brushes like Chalk or Dry Brush. These stylized brushes can have a very “scattered” effect when applying and may not be ideal for the type of editing you are doing.

Here are a few steps to take before you start doing any Cloning or Healing:

- Create a new blank layer above the layer you want to Clone/Heal (you don’t want to alter the pixels directly on your Background Layer or any other layer with existing pixels)

- Click on the Clone Stamp or Healing Brush tool from the Tool Box

- On the Options Bar, change the “Sample” option to “Current & Below” (this will apply all of the Cloned/Healed pixels to your new blank layer)

- Change your brush and brush options for your desired effect

- Be sure you are on your new blank layer and then start your cloning/healing

What’s the difference between the Clone Stamp and Healing brush tools? The Clone Stamp duplicates the sampled pixels, where the Healing brush also matches the texture, lighting, transparency, and shading of the sampled pixels to the pixels being healed.

Happy editing!

f-Stop Q&A - Oct. 6th 2009

2009-10-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Question: There has been a great moon out the last few nights and each time I try shooting it, all I get is a small bright/overexposed spot. I would love to get a close up of the moon that shows the finer details. What settings on my camera should I be using?

Answer: There is nothing like getting a nice shot of the moon showing off all of its fine details. To get that successful photograph you need to set yourself up for the best possible shot. Like all night photography you should use a Tripod and Cable Release to make sure the shot is steady. The next and possibly most ideal piece of equipment you need is a long focal length lens. Use the longest lens you have, a minimum focal length of 300mm is ideal to get the moon as large as possible, but if you don’t have a lens that long, this shouldn’t stop you from trying to get the shot. Another option for a few of you is to mount our camera to a telescope, but this will require the proper telescope and mount.

Now for your settings: Set your camera to Manual shooting mode to give you full control of your Aperture and Shutter Speed. Be sure to Bracket multiple shots by changing your shutter speed by 1/3 stop with each shot, this will give you a wide range of exposures to play with to find that perfect exposure. Set your ISO to its lowest setting (on many cameras it is ISO 100). Remember that a lower ISO setting will give you reduced Noise and a cleaner shot. For your Aperture, set it to f/11 and bracket your shutter speed in a range of 1/125 – 1/250. Remember, this is just your starting point and you should plan on taking many shots experimenting with you Shutter Speed. In most night shooting situations we tend to set a Shutter Speed for multiple seconds, if you do this with the moon you will get an over exposed white dot, so stick to that 1/125 – 1/250 range.

Focusing: Set your camera to a spot focus and aim it right at the moon. If your camera is set to Auto Focus, press your Shutter Release halfway down to focus. I prefer to Auto Focus then once the moon is in focus, I change my cameras focus setting to manual so it doesn’t try and refocus as I continue to shoot.

Happy shooting!

f-Stop Q&A - Sept. 28th 2009

2009-10-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Question: I just purchased a new Nikon D3000 and I prefer to shoot in RAW format vs. JPEG. Now when I open Photoshop CS4, the RAW utility won’t read my files. Is there something wrong with my new camera and how it saves files?

Answer: This is a very common issue with people when they buy the latest camera just as it’s hitting the market. The problem is that Adobe needs to catch up to the camera manufacturers by providing an update to Photoshop that supports the RAW format for the new cameras. On September 15th Adobe released Camera RAW 5.5 that will support your camera and a number of other new cameras that have been just released.

To update Photoshop CS4, open Photoshop and click on the menu Help>Updates. Your computer will now go online and download/install any new updates for the Adobe products installed on your computer.

For Adobe Lightroom users, version 2.5 is now available for free to users of version 2.x. Version 2.5 also incorporates the new RAW updates plus a few minor updates. If Lightroom doesn’t automatically prompt you that there is a new version upon opening, click on Help>Check for Updates.

2006-08-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

Yosemite Valley - Feb. 2006