Photographers equipment

Achieve Productivity and Organizational Perfection For Photographers Using Simple Categories

Staying focused is a premium in the 21st century, and nothing makes you feel more lost in the sauce than not knowing which way your lens is pointed. This method will help you stay focused and help create a system to save all the information you come across in a searchable database for future reference. 

It’s important to understand the fundamentals of the method before I go into why it’s helpful, so below is a more detailed overview of P.A.R.A., with definitions from the method’s author.

Projects (a series of tasks linked to a goal, with a deadline): This is where all current activities go regardless of the level of completion. Losing weight, saving money, planning trips, photo sessions, etc.

Areas (a sphere of activity with a standard to be maintained over time): Parts of your life that are ongoing but don’t have specific timelines. Family, health, finances, hobbies, etc.

Resources (a topic or theme of ongoing interest): This is where you store everything that can either help with the previous two categories or is just of interest to you. How to write better, cooking recipes, places to visit, tutorials, etc.

Archive (inactive items from the other three categories): Exactly what it sounds like, a catch-all for everything you no longer need. For this, I duplicate the database from whichever area I’m archiving from so it’s still searchable and keeps the same hierarchy from the other three areas.

Here are nine ways you can increase your productivity and earn more as a photographer:

Use workflow software

Scheduling follow-up reminders, creating invoices, and keeping track of expenses can all be automated.

There are tons of workflow software tools out there, including Táve and JotForm.

Create templates for frequent emails


Do you find yourself writing roughly the same emails over and over again?

Creating customizable templates or canned responses for emails that you send to most clients at some point in your workflow (for example, introductory emails to new clients) can save you a lot of time. Instead of writing a new email for every client, you can reach for your trusty template, fill in the client’s name and details, and send it off in just a few minutes.


Set up systems for editing photos more efficiently


Editing photos can be one of the most time-consuming aspects of your photography business. Devising systems to reduce the time you spend editing affords you more hours a week to land new clients and do more photoshoots.

A straightforward way to improve your editing efficiency is to tackle edits in large batches.  Newborn photographer Nicole Smitt uses Lightroom and the Batch+ plugin to organize all of her edits.

Another way to save time while editing is to create custom keyboard shortcuts for every editing action. While it takes some time to create these, in the long run they will save you hundreds of keystrokes during editing sessions.


Protect your calendar


You can’t get much done if your day is peppered with meetings, so it can be helpful to set aside blocks of time every day for working.


Companies like Calendly make it easy to set meetings with clients around your work schedule. The scheduling software allows you to allot specific intervals of time every day for meetings, which means your “work time” is automatically protected.


Maximize your social media efforts with a scheduling app


Planning and scheduling all your content for the week or month at once can ensure your social media is consistent and efficient. Currently, the only way to effectively schedule content on most social media platforms is to use a third-party app.


Keep a notebook for jotting down ideas


How many times have you kicked yourself for forgetting that thing you were going to do?

A recent survey showed that the majority of professionals prefer old-fashioned pen and paper to record their creative ideas on the go. Having a notebook handy ensures that when inspiration strikes, you’re prepared to make a quick note to refer to later.


Set specific short-term goals


Setting clear short-term goals for growing your business and developing an actionable plan for achieving them may be the single best way to increase your productivity. That’s because when you define your goals, you have the internal motivation to focus on your work.

The quickest way to stymie your progress and kill motivation is to be overwhelmed. Think of this as a way to tip the balance of power in your favor in a system bent towards using your time for the least amount of payment. We have to spend an inordinate amount of time just trying to stay relevant in this fast-paced, content-over saturated world. So, take any advantage you can and run with it.

For more information or buying Best Camera or to know camera price in Pakistan, please contact our experts

 
Canon camera in pakistan

Canon Announces Firmware Updates for R5 & R6

Canon R5 and R6 are all getting firmware updates—Canon software will also receive updates.

Canon announced the immediate release of firmware updates of its high-end cameras, adding several features that users have been asking for.  Two of Canon’s most recent releases, the EOS R5 and R6 cameras, will be getting firmware updates v1.3 and v1.3, respectively—the firmware updates are not identical. Both cameras, which were released over this past summer, are part of Canon’s high-end line of full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Increased image quality and usability

The Canon EOS R5 will benefit from a number of upgrades including Full HD 120p and support for greater customization of the camera. Users will now able to save personalized and preferred camera settings to a memory card, which can be copied across to a different camera or used when settings are adjusted. There is also the option to turn the LCD monitor off during shooting and use it for playback only, providing a familiar DSLR-style operation. For both the EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6, the firmware achieves full-time manual support for RF lenses, allowing photographers to override the focus of RF lenses manually when in Servo AF mode.

Streamlined professional workflows

For the EOS R5, professional photographers can safeguard and quickly share photos with the new Protect Image Transfer function allowing protected images to be locked – preventing them from accidentally being deleted – and transferred via FTP. Across the EOS R5, professionals can now see FTP Transfer status on the display clearly showing how long it will take to transfer pictures.

Enhanced video functionality

This firmware enables low-bit rate RAW movies reducing the size of RAW video files making file transfer faster for the EOS R5. The update also provides enhanced video capabilities for the EOS R5 with the addition of Canon Log 3 – the log gamma curve used by all Canon Cinema EOS cameras enabling greater dynamic range, superior colour editing capabilities, and easier file management. For even greater flexibility of filming formats across all cameras, this firmware unlocks a lower bit rate IPB movie option creating small, easily shareable video files.

Following the release of the R5 and R6 cameras last year, it quickly became clear that both cameras suffered from an overheating issue when recording high-resolution video. Firmware updates were quickly released to address the overheating issue on both mirrorless cameras, but the controversy surrounding their initial release has cast some doubt on the camera manufacturer. 

The firmware updates are all available right now, as well as the software updates to several different Canon software. The EOS Utility software is receiving update v3.13.1. Canon is providing support for devices using Apple M1 processors. Rosetta for Digital Photo Professional is getting update v4.14. 

You can take a look at Best Canon camera in Pakistan also for more. For guidance or buying at affordable price cameras please contact Golden Camera – Best camera shop in Karachi.

Are you excited about these updates? Tell us why, in the Comments section below!

Panasonic s series

Panasonic S Series Firmware Update

Panasonic is proud to announce the release of firmware updates for the LUMIX S Series full-frame mirrorless cameras DC-S1H (Ver.2.4), DC-S1 (Ver.2.0), DC-S1R (Ver.1.8), DC-S5 (Ver.2.2) to further enhance their functions, performance, and usability. Firmware updates are a key value-added service provided for LUMIX cameras and Panasonic will continue to improve our cameras and offer updates for our valued customers.

ModelFirmware VersionRelease Date
DC-S1HVer.2.4 March 31, 2021
DC-S1Ver. 2.0April 6, 2021
DC-S1RVer.1.8April 6, 2021
DC-S5Ver.2.2April 6, 2021

Lumix DC-S1H, which adds numerous raw recording functions and video assist features:

  1. Adds the Blackmagic RAW format, for use with the Blackmagic Design Video Assist 12G HDR monitor via HDMI, and enables full-frame 5.9K, Super 35 DCI 4K, and Super 35 3.5K Anamorphic raw recording
  2. Supports V-Log or Rec.709 gamma on a live monitor when outputting raw video
  3. Supports zebra when outputting raw video
  4. Adds video assist functions such as waveform, vectorscope, and luminance meters
  5. Allows the camera orientation setting to be moved to a different menu in case of accidental rotation
  6. Allows you to go into Power-Save mode when using an AC adapter

The rest of the firmware updates are released on April 6, 2021, including firmware version 2.0 for the Lumix DC-S1 that requires the DMW-SFU2 upgrade software key:

  1. Supports a number of resolutions recordable in MOV format, including 4K Anamorphic, UHD 4K, DCI 4K, and 6K
  2. Adds the ability to output ProRes RAW video up to 5.9K via HDMI
  3. Allows you to record raw video using a monitor such as the Atomos Ninja V
  4. Adds timecode

There are also firmware updates for the S1 available without the DMW-SFU2 upgrade software key that:

  1. Support Dual Native ISO settings
  2. Allow you to move the camera orientation menu position
  3. Allow you to go into power-save mode when using an AC adapter

And finally, firmware updates 1.8 for the Lumix S1R and version 2.2 for the Lumix S5 both add the ability to move the camera orientation menu position and the ability to go into power-save mode when using an AC adapter.

Be sure to grab the updates for your cameras as soon as you can to take advantage of raw recording and all the other enhancements from Panasonic.

For guidance or buying at affordable price cameras please contact Golden Camera – Best camera shop in Karachi.

Are you excited about these updates? Tell us why, in the Comments section below!

Best sony cameras

Best Sony Camera 2021: Full-frame, APS-C and Compact

Over the last few years, Sony has mounted a strong challenge to the dominant duo of Canon and Nikon, overtaking Nikon to become the number two player. The best Sony cameras come in all shapes and sizes, from high-speed sports shooters to high-resolution mirrorless models, to highly compact pocket cameras. So the best one is ultimately the one that’s right for you and your needs!  

They’ve largely achieved this success by concentrating on the more premium, higher end of each market – whether that be full-frame, APS-C or compact – and delivering the most high-tech product that they possibly can at that time.

This is a common trait that applies to all of the Sony cameras in this list, from the breath-taking new Alpha 1 full-frame mirrorless to the excellent A6100 APS-C model, to the niche Cyber-shot RX0 II action camera.

What is the Best Sony Camera in 2021?

Here’s our list of the best Sony cameras that you can buy in 2021:

Best Sony Mirrorless Camera 2021

Sony don’t make DSLR cameras, unlike their main rivals, Nikon and Canon, instead choosing to concentrate on developing an extensive range of Alpha-branded full-frame mirrorless cameras.

This has resulted in them being the number one full-frame mirrorless camera manufacturer for a long time now, although they’ve recently faced some stiff competition from the likes of Canon’s EOS R system and Nikon’s Z-series.

Sony make a full-frame camera for seemingly every market niche – the A7R for landscapes, A9 for sports, A7S for video, A7 for all-round, and the A7C as a super-compact option.

And in January 2021 they launched the flagship Alpha 1, a stunning camera that takes all the best features from the other Alpha series models and combines them into one 8K, 50 megapixel monster.

Best Sony Compact Camera 2021

As cheaper compact cameras have declined in popularity over the last few years, Sony have switched tack to making the best possible compacts instead, whether they be for recording video, stills, action, or wildlife.

The cream of the Cyber-shot crop are are undoubtedly expensive compared to their main rivals, but they are also invariably the best in their particular class.

Whether it be the ZV-1 for vloggers, RX10 IV for wildlife, RX100 IV for all-round use , or the RX0 II for action, they all share one thing in common – to try to be the absolute best that they can.

Sony Camera Buyer’s Guide

Sony cameras

A selection of the Sony cameras tested for this article.

If you want a short version of the reviews below, here are my recommendations of what Sony camera body to invest in:

  Want the best resolution and image quality? Get the Sony a7RIII or the latest Sony a7RIV – the 42.4 (or 61!) megapixels files will leave your jaw on the floor.

  Want the best AF performance of any camera on the market? Get the Sony a9. Any shots you miss will definitely just be user-error!

  Want the best full frame performance out of the smallest body? Get the Sony RX1R II, which also happens to be the most tactile, involved and enjoyable Sony camera I’ve ever shot with.

  Want the best all-round mirrorless interchangeable lens camera of the year? Get the Sony a7III – incredible performance with an attractive price to match.

  Want the best APS-C sensor performance? Get the Sony a6400, which has the added benefit of a front-facing screen for vlogging/selfies.

  Want the best performing compact that fits in your pocket? Get the Sony RX100 VI, a compact marvel with a wide angle to long range zoom lens.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Sony camera is the best?

When it comes to Sony cameras, our number one pick is the Sony a7III. The a7III is a near-to-perfect full frame mirrorless camera that’s versatile, sharp, and packs an impressive number of features for its price.

Which Sony camera is best for video?

There are a number of Sony cameras that are great for video. One of our favourites is the Sony a9, which offers 4k video and a set of powerful video-shooting features.

Is Sony a good camera brand?

There’s no denying that Sony have some of the best mirrorless cameras on the market today. While Sony may not have as many lenses or accessories on offer as other brands, they are continually expanding their range and the quality of their products is impressive.

What are the Sony Alpha cameras?

Sony Alpha is a camera system introduced by the company back in 2006. In this range are a number of interchangeable-lens cameras, including DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

For guidance or buying at affordable price cameras please contact Golden Camera – Best camera shop in Karachi.

sony a1 vs canon r5

Sony A1 vs Canon EOS R5

Canon has enjoyed a lot of success recently with the EOS R5 camera, topping last years best-selling charts in Japan and being one of the main drivers behind Canon’s profitable 2020.

Now Sony have struck back with the secretive launch of the Alpha 1, easily their most impressive camera to date, which is clearly a direct challenger to the EOS R5.

The Sony A1 price in Pakistan and the much cheaper Canon R5 price actually share quite a lot of similarities, though, when it comes to their core specifications and features, so which one should you pick?

We’re bringing you this in-depth Sony A1 vs Canon R5 head-to-head comparison to help you choose between these two flagship full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Design: Curves versus angles

It’s business as usual in the Sony and Canon design labs. The Sony A1 and Canon EOS R5 have fairly similar dimensions, but the A1’s main body box is trimmer and more angular than the R5’s.

Canon lets its contours bloom out, for a softer appearance and shape. Thickness is the one significant practical difference here. The Sony Alpha 1 is around 17mm slimmer than the Canon. 

But when you compare these cameras from above, much of the difference is down to the jutting of the EVF eyepiece and the shape of the handgrip. 

The Canon EOS R5’s grip extends out a little further, and perhaps has better contouring for your fingers. 

Both cameras are weather-sealed, and there’s only a gram between them once you add the battery and memory card. The Canon EOS R5 weighs 738g, the Sony Alpha A1 737g. 

Screens: Sony wins on EVF, Canon for rear screen

Added consideration for awkward shooting positions continues in the Canon EOS R5’s rear screen. 

Its display folds out on a hinge, where the Sony Alpha A1 has a less flexible flip-out display. Sony’s style will be quicker to use in some situations (particularly photography, rather than video), but the Canon’s is a good deal more flexible. 

The Canon EOS R5’s display specs are also superior. This is a 3.15-inch, 2.1-million dot LCD. That equates to a 960 x 720 pixel resolution. 

The Sony A1’s display is a little smaller, with a 3-inch diagonal. And its resolution is lower at 1.44-million dots, or 800 x 600 pixels. 

The most important differences here are the Canon’s greater screen size, and that more versatile hinge. 

The situation flips around in the EVF, the electronic viewfinder. Sony’s EVF is significantly better. The Alpha A1 has a 0.64-inch OLED panel with 0.9x magnification, zero image blackout while shooting, and an excellent maximum 240Hz refresh rate. 

The A1’s EVF resolution is 9.44-million dots, equivalent to 2048 × 1536 pixels. This is a fantastic, large, very high resolution viewfinder. 

The Canon EOS R5’s EVF belongs to the league below. It uses a smaller 0.5-inch OLED panel with 0.76x magnification and lower 5.76 million dot resolution. That is 1600 x 1200 pixels. 

It’s not quite the difference between a Full HD TV and a 4K one, but there is a significant gap here.

Autofocus: Canon EOS R5 wins on numbers

Back when full-frame cameras had to rely on separate AF modules, the number of focus zones was a reasonable indication of AF performance. Nowadays? Not so much. 

The Canon EOS R5 has 5,940 focus points when you use “single point” AF, or 1,053 in area focus. 

By comparison, the Sony A1 has a more traditional-sounding 759 focus zones. Either way you look at it, Canon’s numbers are higher. 

Frame coverage is perhaps more important. The Canon covers 100% of the frame, the Sony ‘just’ 93%. Of course, this isn’t going to affect too many people as we’re talking about the extreme edges of the frame here. 

Burst shooting: Sony A1 wins for ultimate speed

Action photographers, take note. The Canon EOS R5 can shoot at up to 20fps using its electronic shutter, or 12fps using its mechanical one. 

It’s fast but the Sony A1 is faster, at least in its electronic shutter mode. Its Bionz XR processor allow for 30fps capture of 50MP files. There are also 20fps, 15fps and 5fps modes if you don’t need that max speed. 

Battery life and connectivity: Sony brings the advanced tech

It’s time to tackle some of the slightly dry, but important, practicalities of these two cameras. The Sony A1 uses the NP-FZ100 battery, a 16.4Wh unit. The Canon EOS R5’s LP-E6NH battery has slightly lower capacity of 15.3Wh.

Sure enough, the published Sony figures are a little better than Canon’s. The Alpha 1 is rated for 530 shots using the LCD screen, or 430 shots with the viewfinder. This drops to 490 shots (LCD) and 320 (viewfinder) in the EOS R5. 

Canon does not publish any video stamina figures, but Sony does. It claims the A1 offers 145 minutes of continuous recording with the viewfinder, or 150 minutes using the LCD display. There’s no word on the video mode used for these tests, but it’s not going to be 8K.

Both cameras have dual memory card slots, but the types they accept are different. 

Wrap up

The new Sony Alpha 1 seems to have the clear edge over the Canon EOS R5 in many ways, most notably 8K video, the stacked 50mp BSI sensor, faster burst shooting, and the class-leading LCD viewfinder – but it’s not all a one-way street, with the R5 offering a great AF system, better handling, more effective IBIS system, and a more versatile LCD screen.

Obviously, the price tag is literally a big difference between the two – do the extra features and, on paper at least, better performance justify the substantial hike in price for the Alpha 1?

For guidance or buying at affordable price cameras please contact Golden Camera – Best camera shop in Karachi.

So what do you think? Would you choose the new Sony A1 or the Canon R5, and why? Leave a comment below!

Canon camera 2021

Best Canon Camera 2021: Top Mirrorless, DSLR, and Compact

Canon are still the leading camera brand in 2021, despite some fierce competition from the likes of Sony and Nikon.

Canon have recently been concentrating most of their efforts on full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, quickly developing a superb range of of bodies and lenses to rival the best that their rivals have to offer.

What is the Best Canon Camera in 2021?

Here’s our list of the best Canon cameras that you can buy in 2021:

Best Canon Mirrorless Camera 2021

Canon were a little late to the mirrorless party, only releasing their first full-frame model in 2018, but they’ve certainly been making up for lost time in recent years with the release of a slew of new cameras and lenses.

Chief among these is the EOS R5, a 45 megapixel camera that can shoot at 20 frames per second and can also record 8K video.

If the R5 is too expensive, there are three other excellent options available, the EOS R6, EOS R and EOS RP (in descending price order).

Canon also has a range of APS-C sensor mirrorless cameras, the EOS M series, which has received a little less love in terms of development but is still worth considering if you can’t stretch the budget to a full-frame model.

Best Canon DSLR Camera 2021

Just when most people assumed that DSLRs were going to die a slow death, Canon decided to prove otherwise. The EOS 90D is the first camera of its kind to boast a 32.5MP sensor and, alongside a Digic 8 processor, gives the snapper the ability to capture 4K video at up to 30fps which, thankfully is uncropped. While it’s the same sensor and image engine pairing as the EOS M6 Mark II mentioned above, the EOS 90D doesn’t quite have the speed of its mirrorless cousin, instead of topping out 11fps when shooting continuously in live view mode.

There’s a new metering sensor under the hood as well and its performance is excellent, exposing areas of light and shadow to near-perfection. However, we did find that due to the high pixel density on the crop sensor, noise performance isn’t the best but for the most part that can be taken care of during post-production.

Digital SLRs have been Canon’s best-selling cameras for many years now, and even with the recent advent of mirrorless, they still make up a large part of the company’s overall sales. Indeed, Canon are still the number one player in the DSLR market.

Consequently they offer a vast range of different models, from the Olympics-level EOS-1D X Mark III right down to the beginner-focused EOS 2000D camera.

If you want an interchangeable lens camera and prefer an optical viewfinder to an electronic one, Canon literally have a DSLR for every budget.

For in-depth knowledge or more information of Canon DSLR or Canon camera price in Pakistan, please contact our experts

 

Creative photography

Creative Photography You Can Do At Home

There is nothing better to practice photography skills at-home. There are lots of ideas you can experiment with, and with some basic equipment, you can really work wonders. Let’s get into it and discover some creative photography ideas you can work on at home, and work into a series of images.

Photographing water Droplets

This is a classic project that you can try at home. It is also relatively simple to set up, though you will need some specialized photographic equipment.

The equipment needed here includes a camera with a macro lens, a tripod, and an off-camera flash. You will then need to set up a location where you can drip water into a bowl of water.

Food photography

Everyone loves to practice food photography, especially when the food looks amazing! This genre is huge, and potentially lucrative, as the images you take could be sold as stock.

So what are some of the things that can lead to successful food photography in the home? Take a look at this list, but for a more detailed guide take a look at this article.

Lighting – This is key to good food photography. Natural light such as window sidelight works well. If you use off-camera flash, the light should come from behind the food, but be sure to reflect the light back to avoid shadows in your photo.

Backdrop – Standard still life backdrops like photographing the food in a light box can be effective. Otherwise, make sure the background provides context to the food you wish to photograph.

Food layout – Make sure your food is well presented. The best professional food photographers use food stylists, so see how you can produce something with style. The use of repeating elements is one potential solution here.

Lensball light painting

A lot of Lensball photography will be carried outdoors, however, the Lensball is an excellent still-life object too.

One popular indoor project for Lensball photographers is light painting. You will need a dark room, tripod, and sheet of glass to go on the table as your initial setup.

Freezing Objects in ice

A fun project to try when you have a bit of time at home is freezing objects in ice. You will need a few days to complete each photo since there is a process involved in freezing an object. The main thing you need to achieve is getting the object to freeze in the middle of the block of ice.

Still life photography

Once again, this is a huge genre in photography. The most professional photos will always have good lighting.

This style of photography could dovetail nicely with another hobby you may have. For instance, if you’re a quilter, photographing your finished product is a great idea.

If you want to get the best out of your still life photography then you can learn more by reading this article.

Mixing oil and water

Another of the at-home creative photography ideas involves getting into the science vibe with a bit of hydrophilic and hydrophobic action.

That’s mixing oil and water and then photographing the resultant oil “bubbles.”

Learn a new post-processing skill

One of the more obvious candidates for at-home creative photography ideas is post-processing.

Everyone knows this is a vital aspect of photography, it’s basically the new darkroom. Yet investing time in learning new post-processing skills when you’d rather be outside photographing? Well, if you have to be inside, then learning some new post-processing skills is a great idea!

Digital blending – A great technique to learn for landscape photographers, you’ll learn some key Photoshop skills like layer masking through learning this procedure.

Cloning – Whether it’s cloning an object out of the image, or cloning yourself multiple times, this is a great skill to learn.

Sharpening and softening – An essential skill for portrait photographers to learn. Sharpen the eyes and soften the skin for best results.

Which of these at-home creative photography ideas will you take on?

With time at home, it’s a great chance to take up an indoor photography project. Have you ever tried any of these at-home creative photography ideas yourself?

As always, please leave your thoughts and comments below, and if you have any query please contact us.

Photo editing

How to do a convincing head swap in Photoshop?

Swap faces and capture everyone’s best look

Sometimes a photo is perfect, except for that one face. They might be blinking or making a funny face, ruining an otherwise amazing shot. But if you have another photo of them, you can swap out a blinking face for a warm smile. A face swap is a great way to fix a family photo, for example — edit photographers need to make all the time. 

Even if you’ve never seen what’s trending on social networks like Snapchat you’ve probably seen selfie face swaps, face swap memes, or even mind-boggling celebrity deepfakes, fake videos of well-known figures. Novelty face swap apps are a dime a dozen on Android and iOS, but face swaps can look better than those done on a free app for iPad or on smartphones. With Photoshop, no one will know your sister didn’t smile for the family photos. There are several methods for doing a professional-level face swap with Adobe products.

Face swapping with mask layers.

If you have photos of similar size and composition, it’s easy to layer them on top of each other in Photoshop for a basic face swap. Just follow these steps:

step

Set the face you want to swap in as a bottom layer, and the picture with the face to be replaced as the top layer.

step

Line up the faces in the two pictures. Use the Auto-Align feature and make sure that the two figures you want to join together roughly align.

step

Add a white mask layer onto the top. Set the opacity to 100%.

step

Select the Brush tool. Set the opacity to 100%. A softer brush style tends to work well for this kind of work.

step

Using the black brush, paint over the face you want to swap out on the mask layer. As you paint over the mask layer, the face beneath it will show through in real time.

This method works with pictures that are roughly the same size and composition. Sometimes, though, you want something a bit more complex, such as a cat face swap or trying your hand at a new face swap meme. For those moments, you’ll need to explore a different set of Photography skills.

Face swapping with Object Selection

Photoshop’s Object Selection tool lets you grab whatever you like from a photo. You can use it to grab a single feature, like an eye, a nose, or an entire face or head. Using the Object Selection tool you can cut out the face you want to swap into an image. When you do, save it as its own layer.

Blending and color-correcting a face swap

The lighting and skin tones of people’s faces can vary wildly, and sometimes one person’s look can change across different photos. You’ll almost certainly have to correct for subtle differences between the two photos if you want your face swap to look professional.

Match the multiple skin tones with the Match Color feature (Image › Adjustments › Match Color), using whichever image you want to match colors from. Gradually adjust colors to match the skin tones together. Use the Blur tool to match the amount of blur on the head and face, and use Auto-Blend Layers with Seamless Tones and Colors selected to merge the face and body layer together.

Depending on your inclination, you can make the face swap subtle and natural-looking or over the top. Regardless of what you want to do, Photoshop provides the tools and flexibility to combine images in whatever way you need.

For these skills you need equipment, so buy the best products from Golden camera today!

Photography tips

Photography Ideas to Boost Your Creativity

Photography brings forth new opportunities to improve your creativity and skills, hone in on your craft, and who knows, even guide you in the direction of finding a new genre that you love more than anything in the world! Here are some creative ideas to take you out of your comfort zone, and guide you in your quest to boost your creativity.

Add emotion to your Images

Choose to evoke emotion in your images – either in the eyes of the beholder or in the eyes of the beheld. When you want emotion from your subjects, ask for it. There is nothing more uncomfortable for your clients than a photographer who is silent behind the camera while continuously clicking the shutter.

Go Macro

Traditionally macro photography has been associated with floral and fauna. But resist the urge to get out into the garden to find the smallest ant to photograph. Instead, think of macro as a great way to isolate details in an image.

Find Reflections

As the name suggests, try and find mirror images or reflections, either with mirrors or with water, of your subject and shoot creatively.

Shoot out of Focus

Whether it’s an unlucky accident or intentional, I love out of focus images. Remember these creative exercises are simply an attempt to create something you are proud of. There are no right or wrongs, they are all just ways to stimulate your creative juices.

Double Exposures

Ding a double exposure is a carry-over from the old film days and it is a super creative way to take your images from boring to wow! In its simplest form, it is a way to superimpose two images onto a single frame. The good news is that you don’t need a film camera to create double exposures.

Shooting through Objects

I love shooting through objects, it adds an element of interest and depth in the foreground. You can really take this up a notch by using every day elements like leaves, branches, fabric pieces and ever glass to create some cool artistic effects in your images.

Different Perspective

The next time you find yourself shooting the same subject the same way, take a step back and rethink your strategy. Are you a 100% vertical shooter like me? Then force yourself to take a horizontal frame. Are you always looking at details? Then use a wide-angle lens and force yourself to take in the big picture. Do you always shoot at a narrow aperture so as to get everything in focus? Then dial down your aperture and shoot at the widest possible setting (based on your lens) to focus in on one detail of the whole image.

Burst of Color

It’s a beautiful, colorful world out there. Get out and photograph it. Don’t be afraid of the bold bright colors, but definitely be aware of which colors work and which ones don’t quite translate well in imagery. Train your mind to look for certain colors and patterns and before you know it, you will have a collection of colorful images that make you happy.

Pattern Play

Take the time to look around and see if you are able to find any natural patterns around you. These can be either man-made or natural. Facades of buildings, windows, parking lots, and landscapes all provide many opportunities to capture repeating patterns. Capture them in an interesting way to highlight those patterns.

Conclusion

Wehope these points have proven that there isn’t any lack of creativity prompts in and around you. You just have to look for them anytime you feel stuck or find yourself creating the same or similar images again and again. Keep these prompts in the back of your mind, use them, combine them, mix them up – the possibilities are endless!

if you want more guidance on this topic, please contact our experts.

Tripod

How to Choose and Use a Tripod?

Camera tripod can make a huge difference in the sharpness and overall quality of photos. It enables photos to be taken with less light or a greater depth of field, in addition to enabling several specialty techniques. This tutorial is all about how to choose and make the most of your camera tripod.

A camera tripod’s function is pretty simple: it holds the camera in a precise position. This gives you a sharp picture when it might have otherwise appeared blurred due to camera shake. But how can you tell when you should and shouldn’t be using a tripod? When will a hand-held photo become blurred?

Common rule of thumb for estimating how fast the exposure needs to be is the one over focal length rule. This states that for a 35 mm camera, the exposure time needs to be at least as fast as one over the focal length in seconds. In other words, when using a 100 mm focal length on a 35 mm camera, the exposure time needs to be at most 1/100 seconds long — otherwise blurring may be hard to avoid. For digital cameras with cropped sensors, one needs to convert to a 35 mm equivalent focal length.

HOW TO CHOOSE AND USE A TRIPOD

Whether you are a pro who needs rock-solid support to eliminate shake, or a family memory-keeper looking to get better results in low light and more consistent framing, choosing the right tripod for your needs is key. Here are some tips to get you started.

Weight capacity (load) rating

The very first, and most important, thing you need to look at is the maximum weight load the tripod can bear.

Make sure it will hold more than your heaviest camera body and biggest lens combination. 1.5 to 2 times more than your camera weight is a good place to start.

Keep in mind you may lean on the camera, add a flash, a heavier lens, or battery grip at a later date so allow for some room to expand your system. Web sites for tripod makers are a good resource for this information, and a good camera specialty store should be able to provide this information for any of their tripods in stock.

Tripod legs

When choosing a tripod there are generally two types. Ones that come as a one piece package with the legs and head combined, and ones that you can select the legs and head separately.

I recommend the latter as you can mix and match (even from different manufacturers), or buy multiple parts and change the legs or head for different types of photography.

Within the legs alone there are also several choices: tubular legs with a twist lock vs ones with flip locks; how many sections are the legs composed of; maximum height of the tripod fully extended; and what material the legs are made from (steel, aluminum, carbon fibre or basalt).

Number of leg sections

This will usually vary between three and five.

More sections doesn’t necessarily mean the tripod will extend higher. There are several types that use 5 smaller sections which allow them to fold down to a smaller size, more compact for putting in a backpack or suitcase.

Look at the options and see which is the best fit for you taking all the factors into consideration.

Maximum height

If you are buying one with a head included make sure it comes up to at least your chin.

If you are buying the legs separately look for them to reach shoulder level or higher (legs only, not including extending the centre column which reduces stability).

Minimum height

Check to see if the legs fold down small, or splay out so you can get closer to the ground. This is handy for those down and dirty shots, literally in the dirt.

Weight and construction material

Once again you will want to choose the legs based on what you will do with this tripod most often.

If you do a lot of hiking into the bush, you will probably want to look at legs made of carbon fibre as they will are much lighter than the other options. It is also extremely durable and doesn’t rust. Carbon fibre however, does come at a premium price and they are usually the most expensive options and will weigh in somewhere between 3-4 pounds. Aluminum is next most popular but heavier than carbon fibre, averaging 5-6 pounds. Basalt is becoming more common and popular as it weighs in between the other two but carries a lesser price tag than carbon fibre usually. Shop around, but go to the store and feel the difference for yourself by picking a few up to compare. Get the one that is best suited to your needs and your budget.

Summary And Bonus Tip

  • Choose from either a one-piece tripod or modular first and decide what kind of tripod head you like best
  • Choose the legs and get the best you can afford (lightweight, sturdy, max-height, min-height) that fits your shooting style and needs.
  • Ensure both the legs and head will easily hold the weight of your equipment and then some
  • Bonus tip – get a tripod head with a quick-release plate system. This has a plate you mount to the bottom of your camera and just clips in and out of the tripod head easily. Allows for quick and easy setup and removal from the tripod.

For more guidance of tripod uses, please contact us.