Photography and Content BS

7 tips to take beautiful photos on your next vacation

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 15:22:13 +0000

Everyone wants to bring home nice travel pictures from their vacation. You say to yourself: after all, I may never be there again and I want to show that beautiful place to my friends, family, colleagues. I want everyone to be excited about my photos or I just simply want to have a beautiful travel photo framed for myself.

I love to travel. And I always enjoyed taking pictures while traveling. I’ve realized that when we’re hiking hard, taking pictures distracts me from constantly complaining about the hard road. I also love to take pictures of the ordinary life of the people in the country we are traveling to – so called mini reportages.

I’ve picked out 7 tips to make your holiday photos more beautiful and no longer feel ashamed of your holiday photos.

1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY THE MOST EXPENSIVE CAMERA

This is probably the biggest misconception a lot of people have. If you don’t want to take professional photos, you can get by with a better smartphone. Today, there are very advanced cameras even on phones that can take photos that are qualitatively similar to DSLRs.

Unless you’re a professional photographer, you’ll probably take better holiday photos with a smartphone than with a DSLR. I’ll say more about this in the next few paragraphs. In short, when you’re not very familiar with your camera’s settings, you’re much better off taking photos with your phone. Phone can adjust to light and other criteria much faster and better automatically than the automatic settings on an DSLR camera. The composition of the photo also plays a big role. Below is a nice example of how a photo taken with a phone (1) looks much nicer than one taken with a DSLR (2). If you do decide to learn how to take photos with a camera, I recommend reading my article on How to learn to take photos like a professional photographer.

2. COMPOSITION AND COLOURS IN A TRAVEL PHOTO

Composition means the placement of all the objects we see in the photo. On vacation we often encounter the problem that we see a large number of objects in front of us. We are influenced by the emotion of the moment and we want to have everything we see in front of us in one photo. But we don’t realize that what we see with the our eye is always different from what we see in the resulting 2D photo. Too many elements in a photo distract from the perception of the shot and most likely don’t represent what we as photographers saw and felt in that moment. It is therefore a good idea to get rid of unnecessary elements in the composition, present the scene in front of you as simply as possible and decide which elements are important and which ones to leave out.

Creative composition can completely change the resulting holiday photo. When you are taking photos on vacation, always try to think about what you want to shoot, what you want to focus on, and what you want to say with the photo.

Also, there are different ways to play with colours. Either you choose contrasting colours (yellow – blue, green – purple, red – green, yellow – purple, blue – orange, etc) and combine them in your holiday photo. Or you play with shades of one colour. There are a lot of rules of composition, but sometimes you have to think out of the box and break those rules on purpose to get the best resulting travel photo. Below are the most commonly practiced rules and their variations:

Rule of thirds

One of the most famous rules of composition. In practice, this means that if you want to have a person’s attention on one subject, you must either place it in the photo at the intersection of the lines that divide the photo into thirds (in the left photo) or place it along one of the lines (in the right photo)

An off-center composition is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than a composition where the subject is placed directly in the center of the frame.

Many phones have a feature where you can turn on a special frame that splits your photo into thirds as you take the photo. If you don’t have this option, you can always crop the photo later. Try to make it at least approximate.

Leading lines

A very interesting rule to help you take creative photos on vacation. The lines in the photos seem to lead your eyes to some object. Sometimes they can just lead off into nothing, adding an interesting dynamic to the photo.

Leading lines can be things like roads, bridges, rails and so on. Sometimes these lines show up somewhere you don’t expect them, so look for them!

Negative space

This is the empty space in your photo. This usually means a neutral background that allows you to focus only on the desired subject.

In practice, of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to look for a black wall and only take photos in front of it. Just find a simple background that won’t distract the viewer from looking at the subject.

Sometimes photos become very creative when you intentionally leave a little more negative space, like in the photo on the left. This draws even more attention to the subject and creates the necessary dynamics in the photo.

Playing with sizes

For nature photography, it’s sometimes a good idea to find a subject that intentionally looks smaller from a distance. This makes the mountains in the photo on the right look huge. If you just took a photo of the mountains, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell how big they really are later on in the photo.

This little trick allows the viewer of the picture get a better idea of the real situation. When you don’t have any other subject, it’s sometimes good to use a person compared to something big as well.

3. TELL A STORY WITH YOUR PHOTOS

Don’t just try to take pictures of nature or architecture. Go to the next level and start taking pictures of ordinary people’s lives. For example, it could be a vendor slicing sausage at the local market or a couple kissing at sunset. These snapshots can later become your favorite holiday photos.

Of course, when you’re taking close-ups of people, it’s important to ask their permission. Sometimes this can also help you find a good friend in another country or have an interesting conversation.

Statistically it is proven that photos with people get more interest from viewers than the most beautiful nature photos. This is because we unintentionally compare ourselves to the people in the photo. “Oh, those two drinking coffee with the beautiful view, I want one of those too!” And the photo is immediately much better than the view of nature itself.

4. GET LOST ON PURPOSE AND REMEMBER TO ENJOY FIRST

I know it sounds too simple, but some people very quickly start taking non-stop photos of everything around them once they’re on vacation. They can’t stop and enjoy the moment here and now. Unless your primary goal was to travel just for the photos, I recommend just stopping more often and enjoying everything around you.

How do you want to enhance that and have photos like no one else has, you need to get lost. You have to take different paths, you have to sometimes turn down small streets, not follow the map and observe things around you. See what kind of shots that can bring. Everyone who’s been to Paris has a photo with the Eiffel Tower, but how many times have those photos really gotten your 100 percent attention?

Also, don’t be afraid to take photos of objects at different angles. Sometimes it may be appropriate to kneel down for the perfect shot, while other times you may want to try to take a picture of something as if from a height. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

5. CAPTURE SMALL DETAILS IN YOUR PHOTOS

When you’re shooting travel photography, you’re likely to take lots of wide shots of nature, calm beaches and busy street scenes. These all make for excellent photos that capture the beauty and atmosphere of a place.

However, remember to pay attention to the smaller details in your surroundings. It shouldn’t be difficult, as everything you see will probably be completely new to you on your holiday, and you’ll see interesting details everywhere you look.

6. IF YOU WANT EVEN MORE, BUY NEW EQUIPMENT

Again, now I’m not talking about an expensive DSLR camera unless you know how to use it or don’t want to learn how to use it. We often see travelers on Instagram with great photos and they often post that they travel alone. “How is it possible that they travel alone and can take such beautiful photos of themselves? Surely they have a photographer with them!”

Maybe some of them really do have one, but most of them take their photos thanks to tripods. There are many different kinds of tripods, and they’re so lightweight that you’ll have no problem taking them on holiday with you. Only then you have to think that a photo with a tripod needs preparation: you have to set it up, take some test shots, find the right position, etc.

Also, there are for example special mini lenses for phones where you can achieve different effects like fisheye, macro and so on.

7. POST-PROCESSING OF PHOTOS IS VERY IMPORTANT

There is an absurd myth that editing your photos with software is “cheating”. That it’s not natural and the like. But the truth is that all professional photographers edit their photos using software like Lightroom, Photoshop and etc. Why can’t you do it too?

If you look at the photo below, you’ll probably notice that most of the adjustments I made were in the lighting. Very often when we travel, we can’t control the light. Sometimes you have a very nice composition, but it’s dark.

When you shoot in JPEG format, your phone or camera will edit the photo for you. So already by that your travel photo doesn’t look like it really was. So no cheating, just photo enhancement.

It’s best to shoot in RAW format because with this format your camera/phone will leave the photo unedited. Which means you have full control over the editing and there is much more information in the photo itself that can be edited. It is very easy to change the photo format from JPEG to RAW on your camera. If you want to do it on your phone, you have to download a special app and shoot in that. Examples of these apps are Manual Camera, Camera FV-5 and so on. Of course, you can also edit JPEG photos, but the resulting quality may be worse.

My favorite photo editing app is Lightroom. It’s very simple, it can be downloaded to your computer or phone and all the basic editing can be done there just fine. I have also recently started an individual online Adobe Lightroom course. If you are seriously interested in learning how to edit photos professionally, I recommend signing up for the course.

Traveling is a wonderful experience. Almost everyone tries to take a photo when they travel. So why not just learn how to do it better, so that your phone stops being just a selfie maker and starts showing beautiful and varied holiday shots too?

If you’re not on holiday right now and still want beautiful professional photos, feel free to contact me. I am a professional photographer in Egypt and abroad who will be happy to do a couple shoot with your significant other, a business shoot for your company or business, a family shoot to strengthen your relationships with your loved ones, but also a sports shoot if you are a gym owner, coach or just want to show your sports progress.

The post 7 tips to take beautiful photos on your next vacation appeared first on Photography and Content BS.

How to edit pictures in Adobe Lightroom Classic

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 15:21:32 +0000

In the age of Instagram and social media, photo editing is a popular and important step in photography. It doesn’t matter if you are a professional photographer or just a person who wants to make his photos look better.

Lightroom, Adobe’s popular photo editing and cataloging software, is a fantastic way to organize your photos and process them.

I have a whole individual online course about photo editing in Lightroom, where you’ll learn step-by-step every detail of editing and by the end you’ll be able to work with the program quickly and easily. In today’s article, I will tell you the basics of working with Lightroom and convince you that it is the best photo editing program.

WHY EDIT PHOTOS IN LIGHTROOM?

Lightroom, an app available for both Windows and Mac users, makes it easy to organize, edit, and retouch a large number of photos in one place. You can even make bulk edits and edit multiple images at the same time.

With bulk editing, you’ll keep your photos in the same style and save a lot of time. You can also do face retouching in Lightroom or delete unnecessary objects from a picture. In Lightroom you can use so-called presets, which are already default settings that you can apply to your photo with one click.

Here’s an example of a photo before and after editing in Adobe Lightroom (slide the slider to see the change):

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR BEFORE YOU START EDITING PHOTOS IN ADOBE LIGHTROOM?

Before making any basic edits in Lightroom, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to help you make editing decisions.

Have you chosen the sharpest image possible? If it’s a person, are the eyes in focus?
Do you have a straight horizon?
Do the colors look natural?
Do the skin tones look natural?
Are the colors in the photo too warm or too cool?
Are details missing in the brightest highlights and/or darkest shadows?
Does the subject of the photo stand out?
Are there distracting elements in the photo that detract from the subject?
Is there too much distracting graphic noise?
If there is a person in the photo, do they have a lot of blemishes on their skin that interfere with the image?
Are the teeth in the photo too yellow?

2 OF MY PERSONAL TIPS BEFORE EDITING PHOTOS

When you take photos on your camera, always take RAW photos, not JPEGs. You can easily change this in the camera settings. Many cameras have the option to take photos in RAW+JPEG. If you don’t want to edit all your photos, you can leave this option and use the RAW format to edit your photos afterwards.

Shooting in RAW format gives you more freedom when editing your photos afterward. Editing RAW images gives you the flexibility to get more out of them.

When shooting with a smartphone, the RAW format can be achieved using external apps.

Underexpose rather than overexpose (that is, take a darker shot rather than a lighter one) – this will allow the image to retain more detail in Lightroom, and editing will be possible with greater range.

HOW TO START EDITING PHOTOS IN ADOBE LIGHTROOM CLASSIC AND THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS

Start by importing the photos you want to edit into Lightroom. In Adobe Lightroom, click on “File” and then “Import Photos and Videos”. You can select the images you like or set up automatic selection. I also talk more about this option on my Lightroom course. Next, click on “Develop” on the top right.

Crop: A tool is needed not only if you’ve taken a picture of some unnecessary object and want to crop it, but also if you want to straighten the horizon (I personally sometimes have a problem with this).

White balance: white balance is a tool that helps the camera’s sensor to adjust the colors according to the lighting conditions of the environment. Although you can do this balancing when you take the photo, you often need to make corrections after the photo has been taken. Not only can you adjust the color temperature this way, but you can also shift the hue to compensate for lighting that is too green or too purple. The goal is to get the colours as close to the reality as possible.

Tone. Often unpredictable lighting conditions can cause highlights to be too bright or shadows to be too dark, resulting in a loss of information.

Exposure is a good way to lighten a darker image, but you should always start with highlights/shadows, whites/blacks and see if this results in a brighter image. Sometimes this is enough and you don’t need to use exposure in the end, on the other hand, sometimes you will need exposure as well and then it’s good to push it (for example, about +0.5).

Contrast is a good tool to use for product photography, but I highly recommend you don’t use it when photographing people.

Texture / Clarity / Dehaze. I don’t recommend using any of these when you’re shooting portraits of people, but for product photography, it’s a great way to bring the product out of the background.

For portraits, the better tool is Sharpening.

The Dehaze tool is mostly used to open up the sky colors, but you can also use it as a stylistic approach to your image.

Vibrance vs. Saturation. In short, saturation is the intensity of all colors.

Vibrance is a tool that takes into account under-saturated colors and saturates them.

In case you are editing a portrait, you will never achieve very high saturation. Therefore, work with vibration instead. Saturation can give you a very yellowish or orange skin color that won’t look natural. I usually increase the vibrance on portrait images and lower the saturation a bit, like at -7 or -10, to bring out the color a bit, but it still looks natural.

HSL/Color: Sometimes it’s much better to use this tool to bring out a particular color rather than vibrance or saturation. It’s a more advanced tool, but it gives you unlimited creativity in the colors of your photo. For example, this fall a lot of people wanted to have a fall themed photo shoot. However, up until the end of October, the leaves were still green and not the yellow that everyone would have liked to have in a true fall photo. HSL/Color settings are excellent for such occasions. They can help you do magic and change the colors in your photos beyond recognition.

We’ll talk more about working with color in a one-on-one online Lightroom course.

Advanced Settings. However, there is much more you can do in Adobe Lightroom Classic, such as:

you can play with the tone curve.
fix lens distortion or chromatic aberration, which annoys most photographers (it’s the inability of the lens to focus all the focus in the same place. When this happens, the photo shows green or purple colored lines around the edges)
to focus the person’s eye on the subject by adding a white or black vignette
retouch blemishes, soften skin, lighten teeth, retouch eyes, and many other advanced and creative ways to take your photo from good to great.

Export. Set your image format to JPEG (unless you need it to be in a specific format), quality to 100, and resolution to at least 150, but I personally recommend ideally 300 resolution. You can also change the location where you want to save the image and set a custom name. When I shoot for my clients, I usually give the Custom Title – Sequence option and then the images are saved as NAME – 1, NAME – 2, etc.

If you want to learn how to use Adobe Lightroom Classic like a pro, I definitely recommend talking to an experienced person or taking a course. If you like my work, I’d be happy for you to take my one-on-one online course where I’ll guide you from the beginning of editing to the end result of beautiful photos.

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How to learn to take pictures? Professional advice from a photographer

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 15:21:07 +0000

If you’re just getting started with photography, congratulations! Learning to take photos has never been more exciting or easier than it is today. Today’s market is flooded with a variety of offline and online courses, books, workshops, websites and podcasts that didn’t exist a decade ago.

There was a time when photography was beyond the capabilities of the average person. Today, however, taking beautiful photos no longer belongs only to professionals; it has become a part of our everyday lives. Nowadays, almost everyone owns a camera of some sort.

If you are looking for ways to improve your photography skills, or if you are just getting started with photography, this article is for you.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?

First thing: you need to understand why you want to learn photography. Is it purely for fun and a hobby? Or are you planning to develop it into a business? It is very good to understand your goals and ambitions to see how much time and money you are willing to invest in this new activity.

Nowadays, camera markets are affordable enough, yet I don’t recommend running out and buying the most expensive camera first thing. Especially if you don’t plan to make a living out of photography anytime soon.

In my article on travel photography, I wrote a lot about the fact that a good quality smartphone can sometimes take better photos than a DSLR camera that you use in auto mode. It’s never just about the gear you use. It’s always about your skills and creativity. So first, feel free to start with your phone.

How to choose the right camera? If you already think you have to buy a camera, then I highly recommend renting one first. I’m sure there will be a friend or relative who has a camera and will be happy to lend it to you for a few days. If you still can’t borrow a camera from a friend, there are plenty of places where you can borrow a camera for a relatively low price, such as fotolab.sk for example.

ALWAYS READ THE CAMERA MANUAL

It may sound silly and a lot of people never read the manual for their electronics, but trust me, the camera is a completely different story. So if you already have a camera, if you’ve decided to buy one, borrow one from someone, or even if you have a phone instead, always read the manual first. You may not fully understand everything, but that’s okay. Just put the idea off for later and there will be a time when you will come back to it.

Throughout the learning process, the manual will be your best friend. All photography courses are usually more general when it comes to camera settings, because every camera is completely different. The manual will help you understand the specifics of your camera.

The last thing you want to do when you’re shooting is manipulate your camera when you should already be composing a shot or studying your subject. Not only will you look stupid, but you’ll most likely kill your photo before you ever press the shutter.

FIND YOUR STUDY SOURCE

In order to learn something, you have to study. There are many ways to do this in the case of photography, but it will take patience, structure, discipline, and hard work. Below are my tips for learning how to take photos like a pro.

READ BOOKS AND ARTICLES ON HOW TO LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY

If you are the visual type when it comes to learning, then reading books or various articles is the way to learn how to take photos. However, some people may not find this enough and would like to mix this type of learning with others, which is quite common and I would say it’s even better because you get different perspectives.

Once you have a full grasp of the basics of photography, you can also search for books and articles by focus. You’ll find slightly different tips for portrait photography, and others for wedding or product photography.

ATTEND WORKSHOPS ON THE BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Workshops are especially good for people who might want to go to photography school, but don’t want to commit to more than 3 years and spend a bunch of money on it. That’s not to say that workshops aren’t expensive, but most of the time it’s quite a bargain.

Workshops are also great for networking, discovering styles you like, and most of all – it’s human contact with more experienced photographers where you can ask as many questions as you want. It’s great because these photographers sometimes share their tips and tricks that you might not find online.

WATCH ONLINE COURSES ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

There are very many self-development platforms such as Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera and many others where you can get an online photography course for free or for a small amount. Many photographers have a YouTube channel and share their tips and tricks there. Some photographers have their own platforms that are easy to search for using Google. If you like a particular photographer’s style – go check to see if they are doing an online course that you could follow!

I’ve personally taken a lot of different courses, most of them repeat some basic information, but in all of them I’ve always found some information that was new to me. If you’re a complete beginner or just getting into photography, I might recommend checking out my favorite masterclass photography course on Udemy. I liked the structure and I think the course covers a good portion of the basics, which will be more than enough to get you started shooting right away.

GET A MENTOR OR GO ASSIST OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS

Mentoring and assisting other photographers are surprisingly overlooked ways to break into the art of photography and learn how to shoot like a pro. It’s basically like an individual study program tailored specifically for you! Because if you get a mentor or go help someone with their professional photography, you’ll get exactly the skills you NEED while being able to ask the photographer or mentor as many questions as you need.

My simple tip – do detailed research on the photographer you will be working for. Find out everything you can about him or her. In doing so, make sure you choose someone who is generous in talking about their knowledge and shoots in a style that you like too. Conversely, choosing the wrong mentor/photographer can leave you demotivated.

P.s .: if you like my work, feel free to reach out to me about mentoring

FOLLOW DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHERS, FORUMS, PODCASTS

It probably won’t help you learn photography if you do ONLY this. But when you get down to the basics, it’s a great source of picking up a lot of extra inspiration, getting some tips and tricks and finding your own style.

Make a board with images from other photographers you like (you can use Pinterest, for example) and keep it in front of you to inspire you every time you shoot. I also often create examples like this before a shoot and show them to models to give them an idea of the style I’m looking for.

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING - PRACTICE!

Just learning the theory is definitely not enough. In photography, practice is at least 70% of success. Shooting, trying different styles, different genres, different locations. Playing around with lighting and exposure.

Once you get the initial habits of how to use the camera, go for your first shot! You probably won’t take the best photo of your life right away, but it will give you a thorough introduction to the camera. You’ll start to realize what knowledge you’re still lacking and instead of following every course, you’ll only follow the ones that give you that knowledge. You will see how your photos will get better and better day by day. Don’t be afraid to take crazy shots, sometimes you’ll surprise yourself with what a great shot you’ve taken.

As often as possible, ask for feedback from more experienced photographers and from other people in your area. If you see a lot of people repeating the same problem, try to get an answer to solve it and shoot again. There is no better way to learn photography than by practicing and shooting every day.

I have listed above all the sources of possible knowledge. If you want to learn to shoot as efficiently and quickly as possible, try mixing different sources of learning. Don’t stop learning even if you think you’re already great enough – there’s always something you didn’t know. And most importantly – do it with a smile on your face. It can be hard sometimes, or you may compare yourself too much to professional photographers who already have years of experience and loose motivation because your photos don’t look like theirs yet. But you have to remember that it took them some time to get to where they are now too. Rather, ask them to show you their first shots and you will see that they weren’t perfect photographers in the beginning either.

If you already know the basics of photography, the next step might be to learn how to edit your photos properly, which is what Adobe Lightroom Classic is great for.

The post How to learn to take pictures? Professional advice from a photographer appeared first on Photography and Content BS.

How to choose the best camera for you – interview with an expert

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 15:20:07 +0000

Nowadays, a camera is no longer a device only for professional photographers. There are many different kinds of cameras on the market to satisfy the needs of the photographer, whether they are a seasoned professional or a passionate beginner. That’s why, in today’s interview, I’ve decided to give you a closer look at how to choose the right camera for whatever you need it for.

I talked to Peter Ľahký, a representative of PRO.Laika, about choosing new equipment. Peter has been helping people choose their ideal camera for several years now. The interview is about the topics and questions that most often bother people before buying a camera. Choosing a camera is a vast topic that can hardly be covered all in one article, so I hope it will help you in your choice at least a little bit.

So let’s get the conversation started!

HOW TO CHOOSE A CAMERA - THE INTERVIEW

– Hi Peťo! Tell us a bit about yourself to start

– Hi! My name is Peter Ľahký. I’m primarily a video maker and I dabble a bit in photography as well. I’ve been freelancing for a long time, but for the last more than two years I’ve also been working for PRO.laika as a video specialist. Everyone in the photo and video industry in Slovakia knows what it’s all about, as the company has been on the market for 28 years. We have the biggest brick-and-mortar store in Slovakia and a pretty decent online store.

– I know that the topic of how to choose a camera is very broad. In your opinion, what is the main thing that should be taken into consideration by a person who is thinking about buying a new camera?

– First of all, he should clarify the purpose for which he is buying the camera and the requirements he will have for it. This will determine the further choice of technology.

– If we compare this with the past, nowadays a camera is already quite an affordable thing even for the general public. Do you think that a camera only serves professionals? How do you even realize that you need to buy a camera and a mobile phone is no longer enough?

– It’s certainly not just for professionals. Even in today’s mobile world, cameras have their place. For the pro, it’s easy. It’s his work tool that he can’t do without. By professional, I now mean people who make a living out of photography.

We often see high quality results from photographers who don’t take photos for a living. Sometimes on more affordable equipment, but often on top models that no pro would be ashamed of. Photography is a beautiful, creative and diverse hobby. For many people it is a true passion.

I think you have to try new things and base it on need. If you shoot on a cell phone and the output quality or control isn’t enough for you, you need to reach for a camera. After all, mobile power is limited and they still can’t do a lot of things yet. In practice, I advise people that if they have outgrown their device and it is starting to limit them, it’s time to upgrade to something better.

– I completely agree. I often hear people’s opinion like “I’ll buy a pro camera and take better pictures”. But in my opinion, it’s not that simple at all.

– Yes. Sometimes what happens is that a person shoots with a cell phone on auto mode, which helps quite a bit nowadays, and thinks that if they switch to a quality camera, they’ll suddenly take better photos. But if he doesn’t know how to operate the camera and its manual settings, he may end up taking even worse photos than on his mobile. The photographer takes the pictures, not the technology.

– Do you think that someday the development of mobile phones and their sensors will overtake cameras?

– Mobile phones are already outpacing cameras in some ways. With the size of the sensors they have and the power of the processors and the amount of information they can process and the development of artificial intelligence. But you also have to understand what limitations they have. The size of the sensor, the optics, and for example the telephoto lens that is still in use on a phone can’t have the same quality as the telephoto lens on a camera. A lot of things a phone still can’t do, although sometimes that result is sufficient. Especially if those photos go on social networks, for example.

I do think that the mobile phone will be able to change the bottom segment of cameras in the future, just because of its lightness and intelligent automation. Maybe there will be some ultra-rugged cameras left, like the Olympus TG-6, which are also waterproof and abrasion-resistant. Apart from that, I think professional cameras will also survive, because a professional photographer needs constant camera performance and he needs to be able to set manual parameters.

But I also think that in the future something as ground breaking as the digital cameras that once replaced the manual ones will come along. The trend is there, every year that technology evolves more and more. Who knows, maybe in some time holograms or something else will come on the scene that will amaze and excite the general public again.

BASIC TYPES AND KINDS OF CAMERAS

– Now let’s get back to choosing a camera. What are the basic types and kinds of cameras?

– Of course, the range is incredibly wide today. Every single brand has something that makes it worth looking for. Again, it depends on what you need or want to do with the camera. There are basically two basic categories of cameras: 1. with interchangeable lenses and 2. without interchangeable lenses. The second ones are also called compact cameras. Compacts are further sub-categorized variously from cheap soapboxes, to ultra-zooms with huge zooms and rugged cameras, to professional compacts like the Fujifilm X100V or Sony RX1. The former category is divided into DSLRs and “mirrorless” cameras. The development is currently moving in the direction of mirrorless cameras. They offer us the most possibilities for further development in photography.

– Nikon or Canon is no longer a question because there are other good players on the market. What do you think are the current trends in the world of photography today?

– Canon and Nikon are two huge companies that had their boom when SLR cameras had their boom. They are actually the only two big brands that still offer DSLRs. But they’ve also been adding mirrorless cameras to their offerings. All the other big chains, such as the likes of Fuji and Sony have now completely switched to mirrorless cameras.

When choosing a brand, it is always important to be aware of what one needs. Each of the brands can offer something different. Fuji for example are very stylish, have good JPEGs, good colour profiles, interesting native optics for not too much money. Sony was the king of mirrorless cameras for many years. A lot of film is shot on Sony. Their technique has excellent autofocus and focusing on the eye. Canon and Nikon have also released very good models: the Canon R5 and R6, the Nikon Z6 and Z7. Panasonic and Olympus also make very good models and even share a common bayonet

CAMERA PARAMETERS

– What are the most important parameters to look at when choosing a camera?

– First of all, we have to choose whether we want a compact that is small, nimble, often very powerful, but still limited by a lens that we can’t replace. Often, however, if we choose it correctly, we will fully cover the photographer’s requirements. In this case, the lens, its range of focus (zoom) and also its aperture must be taken into account. Of course, the size of the sensor also plays a big role. And then the other characteristics that suit our needs.

If we opt for those with an interchangeable lens, first of all we look at the body. The basic parameter will be the size of the sensor. This depends on what genres we will be using the camera for and what our requirements are. For example, if we want a camera for sports, nature, reportage and travel that will be small and nimble, we should think about a 4/3″ sensor. If portraits are our goal and we have the ability to pay more, we’ll probably go the full-frame route. For the undecided, the golden middle ground – an APS-C sensor – is probably the best choice. In general, the bigger the sensor, the bigger the pixel. This then also means better noise management in more difficult lighting conditions. However, this is a more expensive solution. In addition, a large sensor also needs to be properly fed. A quality light lens will never be small.

What I definitely don’t think you need to look at is megapixels. I know a lot of people are used to looking at them and sometimes make their decisions based on them. But unless you’re pushing a large format print that you’re going to be looking at up close, you don’t need 40 megapixels.

– Would you recommend choosing a mirrorless camera rather than a DSLR and why?

– Depending on taste. Although I think it makes more sense to reach for a mirrorless camera these days. I would only choose a DSLR camera if you know for sure why you want the mirror there. I understand the optical viewfinder arguments with some professionals. But in the vast majority of cases, mirrorless wins today.

– What accessories does one need for a camera?

– A memory card and a batteries. You can’t do without that. It’s also a good idea to buy cleaning kit, a bag/backpack and a protective filter for the equipment right away. Everything else depends on what and how you are going to shoot. Of course the basics are extra lenses, tripod, flash/light, strap, etc.

– Do you recommend a fixed focal length lens or a zoom focal length lens? Which is good for what purposes?

– First the focal length. For reportage photography more of a zoom and for portraiture more of a fixed glass. However, you can shoot excellent reportage with a fixed 35 and you can also take a nice portrait with a light zoom. It depends on what suits you better, but optics of course have their advantages and limitations that need to be taken into account when choosing them.

– How do photo shops operate during a pandemic? When a person wants to try out a technique before buying or get advice on something, how do you handle it?

– At the moment, unfortunately, our beautiful shop in the centre of Bratislava only works as a dispensing point for the eshop. However, we are happy to give advice online, either by email or over the phone. We can also say a few words in person, but unfortunately there is no room for long explanations with the current arrangements.

– What is your “best camera”?

– My best is actually more of a video camera – Panasonic Lumix GH5. It’s a timeless mirrorless camera focused on video. It covers 90% of my needs and it’s my love. At the moment, I’d rather buy some interesting lenses. But if I have to say body, I would personally opt for a small pro compact rather. Fujifilm x100V for example.

If you still can’t decide what camera to choose, I’d recommend to think about the purpose you want to use it most often in the first place. And only then try to consult a more experienced photographer (feel free to consult me) or straight with the specialists from the store.

I also recommend buying photo equipment in a specialty store (like PRO.laika) rather than in big TECH chains that sell other things besides photo and video. That way you can always ask for expert advice. The people in these shops know much more information not only from the technical but also from the practical side of using the equipment.

If you liked this article, I will be happy if you share it among your friends on social networks. You can also let me know if you like similar articles so I know whether to continue them. If you’ve decided to become a budding photographer, don’t forget the importance of personal branding and book a shoot with me

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Mirrorless or DSLR – which camera should I choose?

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 15:18:51 +0000

Is a DSLR or mirrorless camera better? Nowadays there is a huge variety of different cameras, new and new models of SLR cameras and in recent years also mirrorless cameras are being developed very quickly. When I started actively shooting in 2011, brands like Fuji, Panasonic and Sony were still almost unknown in the photography world. Canon and Nikon dominated the DSLR market.

On the other hand, mirrorless cameras were almost unknown back then. Today, mirrorless cameras are becoming increasingly popular. In 2019, they even sold more of them worldwide than SLRs for the first time. So what’s the difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera, and in general, which one is better?

CHOOSING BETWEEN DSLR VS MIRRORLESS

In this article I will try to explain the main pros and cons of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. As I mentioned in my article on how to choose a camera, the final choice always depends on your goals, the kind of photo shoots you want to do and of course your financial possibilities.

ADVANTAGES OF DSLR CAMERAS

Probably the biggest advantage of DSLR cameras is their affordable price. That’s why even today many beginners buy an SLR camera, which can be bought for as little as 250-300 EUR. What can’t be said about mirrorless cameras, which are quite a bit more expensive. Of course, if you need a more professional DSLR, it is possible that the final price will be equal to that of a cheaper mirrorless camera
It’s a safe bet, after all, because DSLRs have been on the market for a long time, with new models and improvements being added every year
Wide selection of models from beginner to fully professional
Even the cheapest DSLR models have an optical viewfinder, which is sometimes necessary for some types of photography
Battery life is better than mirrorless cameras so far. This is what I personally felt the most when switching to a mirrorless camera. With a DSLR you take on average 600-800 shots on a single charge, even 2000 shots with better models
Very good availability of a variety of lenses
Compared to mirrorless cameras, they have a slight advantage when tracking fast moving subjects.

DISADVANTAGES OF DSLR CAMERAS

Some of the latest technologies are impossible to use in DSLRs because of the mirror
Limited speed of a series of photos due to the fact that it has to go through the mirror
Clicking sound, which can sometimes be irritating (for example at a lecture or wedding ceremony)
Heavier weight of the DSLR due to the mirror

ADVANTAGES OF MIRRORLESS CAMERAS

They are lighter than SLR cameras
By not having a mirror, you can see each photo “LIVE” as it will be taken. So you don’t need to take many shots and change the settings, just set them once and you can see the result right on the display
Much faster photo series due to the fact that the photo does not have to go through the mirror
Silent mode so you don’t even hear you’re taking a picture
Much newer technology used
Manual focusing is easier than on DSLRs thanks to Focus peaking
They take better quality videos than SLRs today. 4K video is now standard on all higher quality mirrorless cameras

DISADVANTAGES OF MIRRORLESS CAMERAS

By being lighter, you have to watch out for the weight of the lenses. Sometimes the weight of the lens can be quite unbalanced against the camera
Batteries can take fewer shots than DSLRs, usually around 300-400 shots, better models a bit more
Cheaper mirrorless cameras don’t always have a viewfinder and sometimes this can be a problem, especially when shooting motion activities (sports, kids running, animals, etc). You will usually pay more for a mirrorless camera with a viewfinder
Smaller selection of lenses. Sometimes it’s better to buy an adapter to be able to mount a DSLR lens. That said, that adapter can sometimes negatively affect the resulting photo quality

WHY DID I SWITCH TO A MIRRORLESS CAMERA?

Personally, I’ve been shooting with a DSLR for many years. I switched to mirrorless in January 2021. I chose the Canon EOS R and so far I am very happy with it.

As for me personally, I bought a mirrorless camera because I knew I didn’t need an SLR. On the other hand, I need to see the result of my work on the sensor as quickly as possible. By not having a mirror, I can already see the resulting photo on the sensor in advance and I don’t have to take “test shots” after changing exposure settings.

I also think technology is moving forward faster with mirrorless cameras. This is one of the reasons I decided to go mirrorless, as I want to keep up with the new possibilities in the world of photography.

At the same time, if you just want to get started with photography or want to shoot very fast moving activities like sports, a DSLR is a good way to go.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CLEAR REASON TO BUY AN DSLR, CHOOSE A MIRRORLESS CAMERA INSTEAD

As you can see, each has its advantages and disadvantages. As Peto mentioned in our conversation about how to choose a camera, unless you know what you need a mirror in your camera for, go mirrorless. However, not every beginner can afford to invest so much money in a mirrorless camera. So if you’re looking for something cheaper to get some practice – a DSLR is the way to go. If you already have enough money, it’s a good idea to think about what kind of photography you primarily want to do and what matters most to you in a camera (weight, burst speed, optical viewfinder, battery, design, technology) and base your choice on that.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER IS THE ONE TAKING GOOD PICTURES, NOT THE CAMERA

The most important thing when choosing a camera is: the photographer takes the pictures, not the camera So unless you know the basics of photography, it’s not really urgent to invest a lot of money in the best cameras and think long and hard about whether a mirrorless or a DSLR is better.

Rather, borrow equipment from a friend or a rental shop, try out several types. Experience with multiple cameras alone will give you the best idea of what to choose. I wish you the best of luck in choosing your camera, whether it be a DSLR or mirrorless

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How to edit pictures online – 5 best editors

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 15:17:08 +0000

In today’s online age, people slowly no longer have any programs installed directly on their laptop. The use of smartphones is also coming to the front. Many photographers are already using mobile apps exclusively for photo editing.

In this article, I will also be looking at just online photo retouching. I will show you which online photo editors and apps serving the same purpose are the best ones in my opinion.

1. LIGHTROOM IS THE BEST PHOTO EDITING APP ON MOBILE FOR ME

Did you know that Adobe has a free version of Lightroom for smartphones? Basically, you can do pretty much everything in the mobile app that you can do in the desktop version.If you have the paid desktop version of Lightroom, then you have the paid features available on mobile.

For me, Lightroom is the best overall photo editing program on a laptop, and the same goes for the mobile app. When I take a photo with my phone while on vacation, I always tweak it in a few minutes in Lightroom on my phone. It’s nice to play around with the light, colours, contrast and even the sharpness of the photo. You can also use Lightroom to retouch unwanted objects out of a photo or edit a face. However, for more advanced retouching, I still recommend using Lightroom or Photoshop on a PC.

2. ADOBE SPARK AND CANVA FOR CREATING AND EDITING IMAGES, BANNERS AND STORIES

I put Adobe Spark and Canva together because they seemed very similar to me. They are not sites explicitly for photo retouching, but rather for creating interesting images, banners and all sorts of content for social media. If you want to have an interesting story for Instagram, for example, it’s very easy to play around with that just in Canva and Adobe Spark. Different fonts, icons, backgrounds, creativity knows no boundaries here. When you’re not having a creative moment, you can also use templates and just add your photos and text to them.

3. SNAPSEED FOR A WIDE RANGE OF PHOTO EDITING

Snapspeed is basically a very similar app to Lightroom. Sometimes I find it even better than the mobile version of Lightroom. And most importantly, it’s completely free!

Apart from the standard features, Snapseed is good for playing around with white and red balance and curves. There are also a lot of different filters if you happen to want to add a retro touch to a photo, for example. And you can add text or even a frame. So it’s a very good photo editing app for those who are looking for one solution where they can do all the editing they need.

4. VSCO FOR A HUGE VARIETY OF FILTERS

I almost dont use this photo editing app anymore, but it also has a brutal amount of different filters. I remember the days when VSCO filters were very popular on Instagram. But I’m not sure if it’s still the same. I find the filters in VSCO too artificial, well most of them anyway.

But if you like different kinds of filters, VSCO is a cool choice. You can also work nicely with colors, light, toning, sharpness and white balance there. There are a lot more filters in the paid version, but also options to add text and a few other photo editing features.

5. FACETUNE FOR EDITING BODY AND FACE COMPOSITION

Honestly, sometimes I don’t like this app because the name alone speaks for itself. You can change yourself so much with it that even your family won’t recognize you. A lot of women use it mainly to “put down” a few pounds in a photo. Fortunately, there are many more things you can do in Facetune, such as change the color of your hair or add volume to it, change the color of your eyes and even your clothes, remove facial imperfections, and even change some parts of your body completely. I don’t have anything against a person to improve a photo a little bit, but sometimes it can be too much. I recommend playing around with it and trying it out. If you’re already making major changes, watch the lines in the photos, because a lot of times I see a chair “floating” in a photo because the woman just narrowed her waist and didn’t notice how it disfigured the surrounding objects in the photo.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR WHEN EDITING PHOTOS ONLINE?

Just be aware of the reason for editing the photo in question. Most people do it for social media: they take a picture of something with their mobile phone and want to post it on Instagram. In that case, I don’t recommend playing around with it for long and especially keep it as natural as possible. As I mentioned before, the days of overdone filters are gone.

ADJUSTING BRIGHTNESS, LIGHT AND SHADOWS

This is the basic thing that I adjust in every photo. How you do it depends on the photo and your taste. I often put the highlights down and the shadows up a bit. Brightness depends on whether your photo is too dark or too light.

SATURATION ADJUSTMENT.

If you don’t want to play with each color individually, then add overall saturation to the photo. This will immediately make the photo look more vibrant. But be careful not to let the weird colors show up in your photo. Blue often appears over black, and skin often becomes very orange. That’s when the saturation adjustment of a particular colour can save you, allowing you to pull the blue or orange down.

ADJUSTING TEXTURE AND FOCUS

I always add at least a little of one of these to make the photo look sharper.

ADJUSTING OTHER EFFECTS

Want a little vignetting or grain or something else to give your photo a nice vibe?

OTHER USES OF THE PHOTO

Either we’re done with the editing and have the photo ready for social media, or we go to other programs like Canva and move on. For example, we can make collages in it, add text or icons. It’s up to you what you need the photo for

Even though I’m a professional photographer, I’m also a human being and I also use online photo editors from time to time. Especially when I want to add something to my Instagram. These apps and programs are top for me and I’ll be happy if you write me more recommendations for retouching photos online!

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Istanbul, Turkey

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 14:55:43 +0000

Istanbul, Turkey

I don’t know why, but Istanbul has become my favourite city of the ones I have visited so far. I was there for the first time in 2019 and fell in love with it immediately. This time, I spent almost all of December 2021 there and I know one thing for sure – it definitely won’t be my last stay in this wonderfully atmospheric city.

I’ve always told myself that the world is too big to return to places I’ve been before instead of new destinations. But Istanbul is a big exception to this for me.

On my last trip, I took my best friend with me – my camera. And I’ve fallen in love with travel photography, too. I hope that with my travel photos I can show you at least part of the unique atmosphere of this city.

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Egypt

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 14:53:38 +0000

Egypt

I never thought, that from all the places I visited I will decide to stay in Egypt. The decision came to me in 2022, when I was traveling here for 2 weeks of vacation. Nowadays I am trying to live in two countries – Egypt and Slovakia. However, I would never imagine I would move here before.

Egypt has its own charm. It’s totally different from anything else I have seen. You can find here a huge poorness and the biggest luxury you can imagine. You can find the nicest people here and also people who might annoy you on the streets. It is a country of contrasts, but it definitely is worth visiting. Moreover, now I am shooting here as well, so one more chance to get a photoshoot with me

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Do you know what is meant by advertising commercial photography and what is its purpose?

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 14:39:30 +0000

Do you want to expand your product portfolio? Possibly attract customers, differentiate yourself from the competition or become more visible? In this case, high-quality product photos can help you a lot. Today we are surrounded by photographs on every side. High-quality advertising photos can help increase sales and as the market grows, so does the demand for photographers who can take good product photos.

If you want to attract more customers, evoke positive emotions and the WOW effect, I will tell you more about advertising photography, what is its purpose and also some tips on how to take a good advertising photo.

What is advertising photography?

Advertising photography captures the emotions, feelings or mood that a particular product evokes in the viewer. The purpose of advertising photography is to display the product or service as attractively as possible, to catch the viewer’s attention and to call them to action. Photographs therefore play an important role in advertising and marketing.

The ultimate goal of advertising photography is to appeal to customers to buy the product or service, thus helping to increase sales. A successful advertising photographer uses a blend of photographic skills and an understanding of psychology to achieve this goal. Advertising photographers approach their work as artists whose job is to tell a story through stylized images, color, lighting and framing.

Division of product photography

In product photography you have 2 options:

1. The product is photographed against a white, black or grey background with nothing else than the product. These photos are especially suitable for eshops. The purpose is informative – introducing the product, its design and its advantages.

2. A more popular and creative option is photography, where you can “win” more with the product. The product or service is photographed in an environment in which it is naturally found, such as a photo of a watch on a wrist, a photo of a hot tub outdoors, or food on a table.

The idea, the arrangement of the composition, the organization of the spatial and color scanning play a key role.

These photographs should tell a story, evoke emotions and point to the common use of the product.

Where you can use advertising photography?

Internet (banners, social networks, eshop, web)
Print (magazines, catalogues, brochures, advertising leaflets)
Posters (billboards, bulletin boards)

Subtle advertising can also be found on products that companies often use for promotions. You’ll find these on cups, printed t-shirts, stationery, calendars, etc.

How to take avertising pictures

Photography tips and instructions for beginners:

Technique and equipment

As a beginner, you certainly can’t do without an SLR camera when shooting commercial photography. You don’t have to buy a camera costing several thousand euros, but you won’t be able to get by with a small compact either. Ideally, you should put on a macro lens, but sometimes you can get by with an ordinary kit lens. For that, you will need good lighting and a background.

Other camera equipment

For product photography, I personally always use a tripod. Tripods are basically stands that stabilize the camera from shaky hands. Using a tripod will ensure that blur is reduced, which is crucial if you want your product photos to look professional and high quality.

I often use a macro lens for close-up photos. This type of lens will give you the added advantage of getting a little closer to photograph your subject much more intimately.

Use the right lighting

Start with lighting your product photography. Brightness, type, and color are among the basic properties of light. Brightness mainly affects exposure, the brighter the light, the more beautiful the exposure. By type, we divide light into direct (sun, reflectors, bulbs, flash) and indirect (created by reflection). Colour is mainly concerned with colour photography; it is more or less irrelevant in black and white photography.

There are two ways of lighting product photography: studio lighting and natural lighting. The product you are photographing, the purpose of the photo and the platform on which the product will be displayed will help you decide which setting to choose.

Most of the time, artificial lighting is used in product photography to best show the product, not have heavy shadows on it, and have it evenly lit from all sides. When you are photographing a natural scene (for example, a person reading or working), natural light may be sufficient. Just place the product as close to the window as possible and pick the right angle.

On the other hand, if the product is primarily used indoors (e.g. kitchenware) or contains small details, then artificial lighting is preferable.

Light reflection and shadows

You need to be careful of shadows. Sometimes incorrect lighting can completely ruin a photo because shadows will appear. If you need to lighten the reflection, use white paper placed towards the product. White paper or a reflective board works great because the light bounces off of them, which can lighten the shadows. It is ideal to use multiple light sources or use a technique to bounce so that all the folds of that product can be seen. However, sometimes shadows can also make for interesting stylistics in a photo, and you need to be careful with this in e-commerce photos.

Tip: You can also use a reflective board.

The angles matter

Taking multiple shots from different angles will allow you to play around with the composition, while still giving you plenty to choose from. Angles can really change the look of a product, adding personality and drama to even everyday products.

Tip: For optimum results, take several versions of the product and choose the best ones.

Editing

No matter how high quality your images are, you can always improve them when editing. When editing your photos, make sure you’re happy with the vibrancy of the colours. The same goes for imperfections in the image. You can remove these with an editing program such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. It’s a good idea to shoot in RAW format so that you can get the most out of the photo when editing.

Tips and tricks at the end

Adjust your environment before the actual shoot, it will save you time with any retouching. Make sure your product or background isn’t dirty, editing in post-production can take a lot more time than preparing and checking beforehand.
Use a variety of subjects and tools, play around with what you have available in the room, unless you’re shooting the actual product for an e-shop. There are no limits to creativity.
Shoot, shoot, shoot, especially with advertising photography, interesting ideas are the alpha and omega.
With photography, not only in the actual shooting, but also in the editing.
You don’t need expensive or studio equipment, even in modest conditions you can take good quality and good looking photos.
Take inspiration from photos of well-known products, various blogs, social networks or photo databases, but don’t copy.
Try to differentiate yourself from the competition and offer your customers something new, something special.

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Exterior photography of portraits

Anna Kotova — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 14:07:28 +0000

Exterior portraits photography

Outdoor portrait photography has no limits. Beautiful business portraits can be taken outdoors, but also other types of photo shoots. The right choice of setting and time of the shoot plays a key role here. You don’t have to worry about anything, we will choose the exact location for your outdoor portraits together. For more info please do not hesitate to contact me.

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