How to Use LAB Color in Photoshop to Remove an Unwanted Color Cast

By: Jim Hamel  

In a recent article about the LAB colorspace, I covered the basic LAB move to enhance colors. Hopefully that gave you an idea of the power of the LAB colorspace to manipulate color in Photoshop. In this article we are going to build on that a little bit. Whereas in the last article we simply used the basic LAB color move to enhance color, now we will get into color manipulation. Specifically, I will show you how to remove an unwanted color cast from your photos using LAB. In many ways doing this in LAB is simpler and more powerful than doing it in your normal color space (RGB).

Setting the stage

Removing color casts and manipulating color will be simple for you once you know a little bit about how LAB color works, so first let’s make sure you understand what is going on in the LAB colorspace. Once you understand how LAB works, everything else will be easy.
LAB stands for Lightness, A channel, and B channel. The L channel strictly controls lightness and we won’t be working with it for purposes of this article. All color in the LAB colorspace is within the A and B channel. The A channel consists of greens and magentas. The B channel consists of blues and yellows. The histogram in both of these channels almost always looks like a spike in the middle of the histogram. Because LAB is such a ridiculously broad color space, there will be a lot of empty space on either side of the histogram. As you saw in the last article, this empty space is what gives us the opportunity to enhance color so effectively in the LAB colorspace.

Now let’s look at the histogram of the A channel more closely so that you can see how this works. The A channel is a combination of green and magenta. The further to the left you are in the histogram, the more green is present. Conversely, the further to the right you are in the histogram, the more magenta is present (see diagram above).
The middle of the histogram is a gray tone without any real color. It is designated as zero. As you move away from the zero (gray) point in the middle, more color is added. To the left, the numbers go into negatives (all the way down to -128) and things get more green. To the right, you move into positive numbers (toward a max of +127) and things get more magenta (pinkish).
It works exactly the same way in the B channel, only the colors are different. In the B channel you still have a starting middle point of zero, which is also gray. But, as you move to the left on the histogram towards -128, the colors get bluer. As you move to the right towards +127, the colors get more yellow.
Also note that the center line of the histogram runs right through the zero in the center of both the A and B channels. This will be important for identifying and correcting color casts.
If you are still with me thus far, everything will be easy from here. Now you can take what you just learned and see how to identify and fix color casts easily in LAB.

Identifying color casts easily

It is easy to identify a color cast in LAB mode. Just look at the A or B channel. If the colors are more or less evenly distributed on either side of the midpoint of the histogram, your picture will probably not have a color cast. But if the histogram values are skewed to the left or to the right of the histogram, you are probably have a color cast. Here is how it works in the A and B channels:

• In the A channel, if the colors are more on the left side, you will have a greenish color cast in your image. If they are to the right, you will have a magenta color cast.
• Similarly, in the B channel you know if the histogram appears shifted to the left, you will have a bluish cast to your picture. If the values are to the right of the histogram, your picture will appear more yellow.

In this way, the LAB colorspace makes it super simple to determine if you have a color cast. Just look at the middle of your histogram, and if the colors are skewed to one side or the other, you know you have a color cast or shift. This is important because a slight color cast is not always apparent to the naked eye. Your eye gets acclimatized to seeing the picture in a certain way, and accepts that as normal. Now this we’ve identified a color cast, let’s set about fixing it.

Fixing  color casts in LAB

Much of the power of the LAB colorspace comes from scooting in the endpoints on either side of the histogram. In the last article, we did that to separate the colors, which enhances them. We moved the endpoints in toward the center the exact same amount on each side of the histogram. That enhanced colors without affecting the overall color cast of the picture. This time, however, we are going to move the endpoints in different amounts to fix color casts.
For example, let’s say your picture has a blue color cast. When you open up the B channel, the spike showing color is skewed to the left of center on your histogram. To fix it, you simply scoot in the right endpoint of your histogram more then the left endpoint. It’s as simple as that.
Let’s try another example, let’s say you open the A channel of one of your pictures, and noticed that the values are skewed to the left of center on the histogram. That means that you likely have a green color cast. To fix it, simply scoot in the right endpoint a little bit. Don’t do it too much, usually three to five points will make a major shift in color.

Identifying and fixing a slight color cast

This might make more sense to you if we walk through an actual example. So here’s a good example of everything we have been talking about in this article so far. We will start with a photo that I was in the process of editing:

I frankly did not see a color cast, however, I decided to check it out. I converted to LAB, opened a Curves Adjustment Layer, and looked at the histogram of the A channel and the B channel. Here is what I saw:

Two histograms in LAB. The left histogram is the A channel. The right histogram is the B channel. Notice that both are skewed to the right of the centerline – a sure sign of a color cast in the picture.

Notice that in the A channel most of the pixels are stacked up to the right of the center line on the histogram. That is a sure sign that there are more magenta pixels than green in the picture. Notice also that in the B channel most of the pixels are also stacked up to the right of center, which means there are more yellows than blues in the picture. Neither necessarily means there is anything wrong with the image, but that might mean a color cast. So let’s make an adjustment as described above and scoot in the left endpoints a little bit in each channel. Here are the two minor moves I made:

Here are the histograms after the adjustments. Notice that I pulled in the left endpoints of each to the center.

All I did was pull the left endpoint of each histogram to the center a little bit to offset the fact that the colors are skewed to the right of the histogram in each channel. As mentioned above, a change of three to five points will create a large adjustment, so that is all I did. As the numbers below the histograms reflect, I made the following adjustments:

• A Channel:  I pulled the left endpoint to the center by four points (from -128 to -124).
• B Channel:  I pulled the left endpoint to the center by five points (from -128 to -123)

After the adjustment, here is the resulting picture:

I think it looks better now. To me, it had a color cast that I just wasn’t seeing. The difference is subtle, but significant. In particular, look at the clouds. Here are the before and after pictures side-by-side:

The original picture is on the left. The picture on the right had is after a minor LAB adjustment. I did not even see the original color cast, but I think it looks better after the adjustment.

Incorporating this into the LAB color move

Sometimes, you will notice that the spike in the A or B channel is to one side of the center of the histogram, but you do not really want to change the overall color of the picture. It is still important to understand what is going on when you are making your normal LAB color move.
If you ignore the shift to one side or the other, then when you scoot in your endpoints by equal amounts, you may be exacerbating the color shift. Therefore, keep an eye on your histogram and try to make your shift pivot around the spike rather than on the center of the histogram. In other words, if the pixels are to the right of the histogram, scoot in your left endpoint a little bit more (and vice versa). In this way, you can make your normal LAB color move, but at least not add any color cast to your picture.

Why not just do this in RGB?

You may be asking, can’t I just remove color casts in RGB? The answer, of course, is yes. But the LAB colorspace has advantages that I want to make sure are clear to you.
First, because LAB separates Lightness from all color adjustments, LAB allows you to fix these casts without any impact on lightness or contrast. This is not possible in RGB. When you affect the red channel, green channel, or blue channel in RGB, you are necessarily affecting lightness. It is all tied together in RGB.
Second, LAB makes it easier to identify color casts. As you saw above, you just open up the A or B channel and see if the spike is shifted to one side of the histogram. If it is, you likely have a color cast. If it isn’t, you do not. In RGB, you have to compare channels and see how one channel appears compared to the other two channels.

Isn’t this like setting your white balance?

You may have noticed that the LAB colors correspond with the sliders in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) that are used to set the white balance in your picture. You can think about LAB in those terms and it might help you to understand how the colors work together. But using LAB to manipulate color offers certain advantages over just setting your white balance. For one thing, you can change the colors later in your workflow, and are not compelled to do it right up front. For another thing, you can take advantage of Photoshop’s layers and selections in manipulating color. Although Lightroom and ACR have very helpful aids in setting the while balance, like the White Balance Selector (the little dropper) or the presets, there is no histogram to allow you to really see and fine-tune your changes.

Applying this to your worklflow

What the technique shown in this article will allow you to do, is make your normal LAB color move in a more nuanced fashion. In the last article, I showed you how to make the LAB color move in a basic, unthinking way. You simply moved the endpoints of your A channel and B channel by equal amounts. It is sort of a one-size-fits-all approach, which doesn’t always work in photography. Now, you can use this to manipulate color a little bit or at least keep it from getting worse as you edit.
I have talked about correcting color casts as if there was a special correct way. But of course that isn’t really true and what looks correct to me might not look exactly right to you. Use your own judgment and do what seems right to you. As you make these moves, however, you might want to bias them in one direction or another. Remember that sometimes a color cast can add effect or mood to your picture. Sometimes a slight color cast just looks good. For example, a warmer tone created by a yellow or magenta cast can actually enhance your picture. Sometimes, but less often, a bluish cast can be appropriate. Also remember that a greenish cast never looks good and should be avoided.
I know it can sometimes be confusing knowing where colors reside, and how to fix them within the LAB color space. To try to make it easier for you, here is a chart:

Conclusion

The LAB colorspace is a powerful beast. You previously learned how to unleash that power by using the basic LAB color move. Using the technique in this article will allow you to tame that beast a little bit. It will allow you to use the power of LAB without getting garish effects or color casts in your pictures. It will also allow you to fix these color casts simpler and easier than anything that RGB allows. Give it a try and see if it corrects your colors.

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How to Use the Histogram to Take Better Pictures

By: Simon Ringsmuth

You might have seen some articles here on Digital Photography School about using the histogram when editing pictures in Lightroom and Photoshop, but it can also be a very handy tool when you are out shooting images as well. Most cameras have the ability to show you the histogram when you review your photos on the rear LCD screen, and some even allow you to see a real-time histogram in Live View. While this might seem a bit intimidating at first, learning to use the histogram when out shooting pictures can have a dramatic impact on your photography and help you understand how to get the right exposure for the photos you are taking.

Sorority Bid Day brought to you by the magical properties of the histogram.

In a nutshell, the histogram shows how much data is recorded for various Red, Green, and Blue color values in a picture. While you can usually see data for all three colors separated into discrete graphs, the one I find most useful for general shooting is the histogram that combines all three RGB values into one visual representation. A histogram shows how much data has been recorded across the tonal range of a photograph from very dark to very light. A spike in the graph means a lot more data has been recorded for those particular values of darkness or lightness, and a dip means that not much data has been saved. In general, a properly-exposed picture should have a histogram that looks something like this:

An example of a hypothetical histogram for a properly exposed photo.

A histogram similar to this example would mean that most of the color data is concentrated in the middle: the greatest quantity of pixels is neither too dark nor too light. Most photos will have some darker pixels and some brighter pixels, but in general all the information captured by a camera’s image sensor should fall somewhere between the darkest of darks (i.e. very black) and the lightest of lights (i.e. very white). A histogram that is skewed to the right would indicate a picture that is a bit overexposed because most of the color data is on the lighter side, while a histogram with the curve on the left shows a picture that is underexposed. This is good information to have when using post-processing software because it shows you not only where the color data exists for a given picture, but also where any data has been clipped: that is, it does not exist and, therefore, cannot be edited. It’s also good information to have out in the field, such as in the following example:

Most cameras allow you to overlay the histogram on top of a given photo during playback, or as 

you shoot the photo when using Live View.

I could tell right away that this picture of some college students playing Quidditch was a little overexposed, but looking at the histogram data right on my camera gave me additional information that helped me adjust my shooting on the spot. The large curve on the right-hand side tells me that most of the color information is concentrated on the lighter side, which is actually a good thing because more data is actually collected in the highlight portions of the image which can then be brought down later in a program like Lightroom. (This is a technique called expose to the right, which is a fantastic way to get a little more out of your photography if you are willing to put in a bit of time editing pictures on your computer.)
The problem with this image, as you can see in the above histogram, is that the graph literally goes off the chart on the right-hand side. This means that some of the highlights have been clipped: there is no longer any data that can be recovered, and no matter what I do in Photoshop or Lightroom there are some portions of my image that show up as pure white and can’t be edited. An example histogram from a photo that is clipped on both the darkest and lightest areas would look like this:

After taking the first photo and realizing that some of the data would be lost due to clipping, I was able to adjust my exposure settings and get a much better image:

Quidditch isn’t only played at Hogwarts.

The histogram for this picture was also concentrated a bit more to the right-hand side, but right after I shot it I was able to see that no data had been lost due to clipping. This didn’t help much in the immediate moment, but it meant that I had plenty of information to work with later when editing the picture in Lightroom. As another example, here’s a picture of a unique building on the Oklahoma State University campus:

The Noble Research Center on the campus of Oklahoma State University.

When I looked at the back of my camera it seemed as though the photo was pretty good. The sky was a bit bright, but I thought everything would be just fine overall. This is similar to many situations I have been in when I thought I could tell simply by looking at the photo on my camera’s LCD screen if it was exposed properly, but a quick check of the histogram can yield much more information. Even though the above image seemed decent at first, the camera histogram told another story:

The histogram for the above photo indicated severe clipping on the highlights, meaning some parts 

of the photo were so bright that I wouldn’t be able to fix it in Lightroom.

Had I not looked at the histogram I would have never seen that a good chunk of the sky was clipped which meant there was no color data at all for the brightest portions of the photo. This would be a serious problem for my post-processing when I bring my pictures into Lightroom and adjust various parameters to get the image to look like I want. After looking at the histogram I re-adjusted my exposure settings and took another photo which had an improved balance of color data across the spectrum:

The same composition, but with different exposure settings that resulted in a better exposure with 

no clipped data.

One curious aspect of this image is that while the sky is now properly exposed, the glass panels on the building appear to be too dark. Looking at the histogram you can see that while there is certainly a lot of data on the darker portions of the image (hence the spike on the left-hand side of the graph), no data has been lost due to clipping. This means I had a lot of flexibility to improve the image in Lightroom, which resulted in the following finished photograph:

One nice thing about most mirrorless cameras, as well as some DSLRs when shooting in Live View, is their ability to give you a real-time indication of any areas of the image that will be over – or under – exposed. This is normally referred to as a zebra pattern and it essentially overlays a series of stripes over any portion of your image where data is going to be clipped. And remember, as I stated earlier, many cameras today have the ability to show you a live histogram that updates in real-time so you can see not only where the color data on your image is concentrated across the light/dark spectrum, but also alert you to any clipping that will happen when you take the photo.
These are just a few examples of how the histogram can be useful when you’re out shooting photos, not just when you’re editing them on your computer. How do you use the histogram, and what other tips and tricks do you have to share about using it to enhance your photography? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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7 Photography Exercises To Help You Be a Better Photographer

By: Kav Dadfar  

Photography is like most other professions or hobbies in that you will improve and get better with training. But, like other skills, you need to try and set yourself a structure and actively try and improve the areas that you may not be good at. Sure, like anything else, there are those that are naturally skilled at seeing a scene and pre-visualising a shot, but the following photography exercises will help anyone become a better photographer.

#1 – Use a Film Camera

Like most photographers who grew up in the 90s, my first introduction to photography was at college and university using film. I spent hours in the darkroom developing the photos I had taken. Whilst, like most, I love the romantic notion of shooting with film, the reality is that digital photography offers so much more freedom.
However, the one downside of digital photography is that it also allows you to snap away without really having to worry about the number of photos taken. Not like using film where literary every photo taken cost a few cents.
But also, without the ability to review the photo instantly on the back of your camera, it meant that you had to trust your instincts and ability for capturing a great photo. All of this combined to ensure that you really had to think before taking a photo – thus meaning you had to be better at seeing something and capturing it.

If you have been photographing for a while and want to take your skills to the next level, get or rent a film camera and spend a while using it. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised when you go back to your DSLR camera.

2 – Set Yourself a Limit of Six Photos

Another way that you can train yourself to make every shot count is by setting yourself a limit on a photo session. Say you are planning on photographing a local market, set yourself a limit of six shots for the day only. So if you reach six you’ll need to delete one before taking any more.
The reason for this is that you will have to become really analytical about your photos. Setting yourself a small shot list can help ensure you capture six photos with variety that capture the whole experience rather than just a small element.

As an example, if you were photographing a market you could set out your six shots as such:

• A great portrait of a market vendor.
• An environmental portrait (i.e. when a vendor is making/cooking something or making a sale).
• A close up of the produce on sale.
• Wide-angle shot of the venue.
• Other people at the market (i.e. tourists enjoying their day out, a performer, etc.).
• Something unique about the market (i.e. it could be a unique plaque or sign, or a famous old stall).

You would then work through your shot list and aim to capture the best photo that you can for each one and in theory replacing each shot you have taken with something better. You will then end up with six fantastic photos from a shoot rather than 300 mediocre ones. Do this enough times and you’ll notice that your “great” photos from a shoot will begin to rise.
Do this enough times and you’ll notice that your number of “great” photos from a shoot will begin to rise.

3 – Photograph What is Least Comfortable

Every photographer has something that they are the least comfortable with photographing. For you, it might be something technical like photographing in low light conditions. For others, it might be capturing landscapes or a fear of photographing people.
Whatever you are least comfortable with, you should aim to improve that. Not necessarily because it is something you will use in your branch of photography, but because it will teach you new skills that will become useful in your genre of photography.
For example, you may be a wedding photographer and decide that you are going to improve your sports photography. That genre requires you to work fast as the action moves quickly, so learning skills that can help you do that will no doubt come in useful at weddings.
Trying a new aspect of photography will also give you a glimpse into something different and you never know, you may end up loving it.

4 – Work With a Managed Stock Agency

New photographers often ask me what I would recommend they do when starting out in travel photography. I always respond that I think they should get a portfolio together and approach a managed stock agency. The key word in the previous sentence is “managed”. So what is a managed stock agency? Fundamentally there are two types of stock photo agencies. There are ones that you simply upload photos and as long as they pass technical quality checks (i.e. there are no chromatic aberrations, they are sharp, no nudity, etc.) they will be accepted regardless of composition or subject.
Then there are managed stock photo agencies where not only do your photos go through the same rigorous quality checks, but someone at the agency also edits them. This means someone might look through the 100 photos that you have submitted and choose 20 to go up for sale on their site. They obviously choose photos that they feel will sell and this is a really good way to gauge how sellable your photos are and also if you are improving over time.

For example, for your first few submissions, you may find that the agency accepts an average of 10 photos but by your 20th submission that average might be getting to 30 or 40. This shows that you are improving.

5 – Shoot in Difficult Conditions

The general rule of photography is that you photograph certain subjects at certain times to be able to capture the best photos. For example, landscape shots will be shot during the golden hour, portraits on overcast days, food outdoors in the shade, and so on. While there is a reason for these rules and wherever possible you should aim to follow them as you will capture great photos, sometimes breaking them will give you far more dramatic photos.
But photographing in harsh conditions like midday for outdoor photography, low light conditions or backlit for portraits, will also mean you have to think outside the traditional photography box and work out how you can tackle the difficult conditions. Not only will this help you gain valuable skills but it may also come in handy when you are on a real shoot and encounter these conditions.

6 – Work on a Brief

Another great exercise to improve your photography is to work on a brief. You can either set yourself a brief or you can ask someone you know to set you one, but treat it as a real-life brief that you might get from a client. Get the person setting the brief to give you as much detail as possible and when you have taken the photos, present them to him as if he is the client.
Get their feedback and if you need to shoot things again, do so. The great thing about working on a brief is that you have a very specific remit of what is needed and as such you will find yourself being much more focused. If you work with a stock photo agency then you can always ask them for a brief as they will often have specific photo needs that they will be more than happy to share.

7 – Don’t do any Post-Production

I have lost count of the number of times I have heard someone say, “I’ll fix that in post-production”. The purpose of post-production should be to enhance your photos rather than create them. You should always aim to get as much right when you are taking the photo rather than trying to fix it in post-production later.
By setting yourself a photography exercise that you won’t use any post-production you will have to try and get the photo right at the time of shooting. So if there’s a rubbish bin (garbage can) in your frame you’ll need to try and find a way to crop it out. Or if the light isn’t great you’ll need to wait until it is.
By removing the safety blanket of post-production you will find yourself getting better at taking photos.

Conclusion and Time for Action

The exercises above are not the only options. As you progress through your photography journey whether that is a profession or a hobby you will come up with your own photography exercises that you can do. The key is to constantly look to improve and never stop learning.
Have you got any other good photography exercises? Please share them below.

Tips on How to work with Models

   by David Haworth 

I’ve no doubt you’ve read many articles on the ins and outs of portrait photography. Many words have been written giving advice on the use of flashes, studio lighting or using natural light on location. Posing techniques and making the best use of the subject’s features, while addressing each model’s physical attributes, are covered in a myriad of magazine and online articles.
The purpose of this article is to share my experiences with you, and by doing so I hope to help you avoid the mistakes I made and give you the benefit of advice passed down to me by experienced mentors

You have made contact with a willing model (for this article’s purposes, a female) and wish to know how to proceed. If at all possible I advise you to meet with the person first. This will give you a good idea of her personality, her confidence level, her physical appearance and put you on a friendly footing. Photographers planning involved shoots with props and stylists will often use a test shoot to assess potential models.
At the very least, move beyond the impersonal communications of texts and internet messages and call her on the phone to discuss her expectations and your requirements. Part of the enjoyment of doing portrait shoots on a regular basis is meeting new people and developing your people skills. I was quite shy and not a really good conversationalist. I had to learn to initiate conversations and really listen to my model. If you are being comfortable with yourself, you will project an air of confidence to the model, which in turn will help make her at ease. This will come with practice.
My advice on meeting a model, at the start of a shoot, is to leave your camera in its bag and to engage her in conversation. If you can find some area of common interest it will break down barriers quicker. Ask her questions about her previous modeling experiences, her clothes or makeup and be genuinely interested in her answers.

Remember, she may have a degree of nerves and trepidation about being in front of a camera with a photographer she does not know.
I approach a shoot with the realization that unless the model is very experienced, the first 30 minutes of the shoot will rarely produce the best images. This is the period of building a rapport with the model and getting her comfortable with you and the camera. If you are on location I suggest the best areas of the locale be saved for the latter half of the shoot.
If you are in a studio setting I am a believer in the power of music to create a comfortable ambience. I provide a player and ask the model to bring music she enjoys. This is played as background music allowing conversation and interaction.
While shooting there are a few rules I have made for myself. I find the model appreciates being shown the progress by reviewing the camera screen at intervals. Often they will pick up on awkward shapes, slipped bra straps and have suggestions of how they can improve what they are doing. This also involves the model in the process. Some models have told me that they don’t like working with photographers who decline to do this. Always be respectful and professional in your interactions. This does not mean that you cannot have fun and one of the best comments you can get at the end of a shoot is “I really enjoyed that!”
If you are working to a concept, either keep the concept photos in your head or on your phone. Don’t show your model photos of other models. Your model is the most important person in the world while you are shooting.

Praise while shooting will give positive reinforcement and spur her on to better things. To point your lens and just shoot, is to have the model working in a vacuum.  If you engage your model in conversation while you are shooting you will create an atmosphere of camaraderie. You will find when you are working well as a team that the shoot will flow. The model will respond to the click of the camera or the flash of the strobe as an indication that she is finding the right look and position and will be encouraged to find new poses.
New and inexperienced models will need direction on the shoot. Point out to them that they do not need to look at the camera and many of the most attractive photos will be when she is looking away. Move in and out and around your model, ask her to change position of her own volition and if she finds a great position, this is the time to stop her with a superlative and work to refine that photo with small adjustments. Beginner models need to be shown how to move and refine positions in very small incremental movements. Alternatively it is just as acceptable to free shoot with your model and let the shoot happen organically with little adjustments from you.
Variation in expression is important. You don’t want a camera full of images with the one expression. Ask your model to remember things that made her happy, sad, melancholic or any other moods she can think of. When you are confident in your rapport ask her to play-act scenarios. Variations such as mouth open, half open or closed and even eyes shut should be tried. Asking a model to close her eyes and imagine something and then open her eyes before you shoot can produce good results. Use movement even to the point of blur. Dancing around will often produce a sense of fun and physically relax the model. Dancers often make wonderful models as they have a great awareness of their bodies.
One of the best pieces of advice I was given is to consider that you will only ever be in the one place with this model at this time and to make the most of it. I was capturing up to 200 images per three hour shoot. I now shoot between 400 and 500 images. Capturing that pose with the right expression is more likely to be a success if you maximise the possibilities.

When the shoot is finished, be prompt and professional. Your model will be very interested in the results. Try not to make them wait longer than necessary. Every photographer will have their own way of dealing with this process. My choice is to shoot small Jpeg along with RAW and upload a PRIVATE set of Jpegs to my Flickr pro account with an emailed invitation to view. This can be done on the evening of the shoot and I then can process the model’s choices as well as my own favourites. Surprisingly these only occasionally coincide. I then email small web size images as I process them so the model can upload them to the web as she sees fit.
Models can be found on the websites Model Mayhem and Starnow
It’s best to join these websites when you have at least 8-10 quality images as models will look at what you can do when you approach them. Photograph friends and acquaintances, ensuring you get their permission to show their photos on the web.
Facebook is a great place to meet models and makeup artists and get inspiration from other photographer. I have a personal page and also a fan page where I promote my photography. Most models you will shoot will have a Facebook page and will know other people in the industry. Women’s fashion retailers, both mainstream and alternative clothing companies have pages and you will soon build a network of models, photographers hair stylists and makeup artists. It’s a good idea to comment on other’s photos when you see impressive work and you will become well known to them and they will encourage you when you post your work. There are also groups such as Women in the Industry and Artistic Collaborations where you can arrange to work with others or find collaborators for your projects.
When you have a body of work, be sure to set up a website as well, as not everyone uses Facebook. Print some business cards with your website email and Facebook fan page addresses and hand them out at all opportunities.
Working with models creating unique and personal images is fun, challenging and ultimately very rewarding.
See more of David Haworth’s work and connect with him on Facebook.

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3 Workouts to Improve your Photography

by Jim Harmer of ImprovePhotography.com
Athletes would never consider showing up to a game without having practiced, so why is it that most photographers shoot for the “wall-hanger” photo every time they go out without ever practicing new techniques? Consider applying these new workouts in your photography routine and you will improve your skills and creativity.

1. The EXIF Drilldown

In my photography workshops, I often show my portfolio to introduce myself before the class begins. After showing a few pictures, someone will inevitably raise their hand and ask, “How did you shoot that one?” I tell them the answer, but then I show them how to practice guessing camera settings so they will know what to use in any situation.
The very best way to shoot like a pro is to analyse the work of the pros, and Flickr is just the place to look. Most photographers probably know that cameras save information about what camera settings were used to take a photo, and the information is saved in the jpeg image file. Some websites, such as Flickr, make this information easily viewable so photographers can see how other photographers created a photo.
To view this information on Flickr, find a photo and click the small text link on the top right of the screen that reads the name of the camera that shot the picture. Clicking this link will bring up a new page showing all of the camera settings the photographer used.
This photography workout simply requires going to Flickr or any other photo sharing website, finding good photos, and then carefully reviewing the EXIF data from the pictures. Ask intrinsically why the photographer chose those settings and what camera settings could change in order to improve the photograph.
When this photography exercise is implemented, the question, “How did he take that picture?” is asked much less often. With practice, knowing the correct camera settings is easy.

2. One Shot

Most photographers take tens of thousands of pictures over the course of a year, but only a handful of those photos really stand out enough to make their way to your portfolio of best images. Many good images may be captured during each time shooting, but rarely is an image captured that is truly stunning.
While all photographers understand this fact, their photography techniques rarely reflect it. Most photographers shoot hundreds of images and hope that some of them reach the level of quality necessary to make it into the portfolio.
Though this method of never missing the moment has some merit, it also teaches photographers that if the first or second photo of a scene does not turn out, it is acceptable to simply forgive and forget the mistakes and move on to something else. Therefore, this straight-forward exercise is designed to work that bad habit out of photographers: Go out and shoot, but do not return home with more than one photo. Click the shutter more times, yes, but delete each photo if it is not perfect.
Implementing this photography workout will teach photographers not to give up on a shot until it is perfect.

3. Ten Shots, One Subject

This workout works almost the opposite of the second exercise, but it has a similar purpose—keep shooting to capture the perfect shot.
To practice this technique, find one subject and work to capture ten photos of that same subject before leaving. I recognized the need for this exercise while teaching my photography students landscape photography in Naples, Florida. We went to shoot the famous Naples Fishing Pier, but, not to my surprise, all of the students set up their tripods at the exact same spot immediately upon arriving at the beach. Their photo included all of the pier and the sunset behind it. This was a perfectly reasonable composition, but the students had a difficult time thinking of new ways to photograph the pier in an interesting way.
I asked the students to all take 10 different shots of the pier. They struggled at first, but eventually ended up with beautiful photos. They photographed tiny details on the pier, captured photos of the water splashing up against the pier pilings, and shot the pier as a silhouette against the sunset. Soon the students discovered their initial photo of the subject was not quite as strong as the photos they took as they forced themselves to try new things.
When something captures your eye, don’t leave until you have shot that same subject in ten different ways.
As you practice your photography skills rather than simply shooting and hoping to improve, you will feel more confident in your ability to come out of any shoot with creative and technically-correct photos.
Jim Harmer is the author of five photography instructional books and writes the ImprovePhotography.com photography blog.


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How to Become a Professional Photographer

By: Darren Rowse

I have always loved photography and in the early days (when I was a teenager) I never went anywhere without a camera. I must have cost my parents a fortune in film and developing but they fostered my love for my hobby.
I guess things progressed from hobby to profession in my early 20’s while I was studying at university (I was studying Engineering and hating it). I became known as the ‘guy with the camera’ and out of that was always being asked to photograph events in my friends lives.
When I wasn’t asked to photograph an event that I was going to I took the attitude that I’d do it anyway and went out of my way to give the best shots that I took to the organizers. This gets attention and when your shots are as good (if not better than the hired photographers) you get your name out there. It’s also great practice.
I also met a lot of pro photographers in that time at events and offered my services to them as a back up photographer to go with them and cover events from a more candid/paparazzi perspective. At first I did this for free but after a while they started paying me.
Over time and through word of mouth and networking I began to land gigs of my own and over a couple of years while I studied I gradually transitioned from a full time study/part time photographer to a full time photographer/part time student (I switched to study photography and did it at night school).
Over the last decade I’ve developed my own candid style (those early years of working as a secondary photographer paid off in that way as I learnt a lot) and have moved away somewhat from ‘event’ photography to portraits.
These days I still do weddings but also do a lot of family photography, usually in people’s homes.
My advice to wannabe Pro Photographers:

• Promote yourself – offer your services where ever you can. To friends and family, to other photographers, to event organizers – to anyone. In my early days I was pretty pushy and had to sell myself hard, but it was worth it.
• Hone your craft – take as many shots as you can but see each one as an opportunity to learn something and develop your own unique style.
• Have a back up plan – don’t just ‘go pro’ unless you have enough work to justify it. I’ve seen a few people go bankrupt this way. While it took me a few years to build up to going full time as a photographer I always had other work to pay the bills in the mean time.

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What it Takes to Go Pro – Lessons from 10 Professional Photographers

By: Kelly Kingman

Note: check out Kelly’s ‘Going Pro’ Kit if you want a comprehensive guide to making money from photography.
The decision to go pro with your photography business is a big step. It’s a time when the future is ripe with possibility and fears tend to run high. In what we call a “crisis of confidence,” you may find yourself comparing your work to other photographers and wondering, “am I really good enough?” or “will people give me a chance?”
When you begin experiencing these thoughts, take a deep breath and remember this; almost everyone feels this way before they begin a new journey – especially if their dreams are on the line. In fact, those super successful photographers you keep comparing yourself to likely experienced those same emotions when they decided to go pro themselves.
I asked 10 experienced professional photographers to reflect on the early days of their careers – from finding their first clients, to marketing strategies they used to establish their brands. Read on to see how each of them was able to find success as a professional photographer — and how you can, too.

It all starts with relationships

Photo by Casey Kelbaugh

When you decide to offer your photography as a professional service, you’ll need to find a few clients who are willing to take a chance on you. For many photographers, this means starting with friends and family members who already like and trust them. “In my 15 years in the business, I have never gotten a job out of thin air,” NYC-based photographer Casey Kelbaugh said. “ Every single break, every assisting gig, every big campaign, every meat-and-potatoes job has come to me through some kind of relationship.”
Alfred Eisenstaedt, famous Life Magazine photographer said, “It’s more important to click with people than to click the shutter.” and “People hire you because of the quality of your work, but will hire you again and again because they enjoy your attitude and manner both on and off the set.” says landscape and commercial photographer Michael Zide.
Steve Hansen, a headshot photographer from Los Angeles also began his career by leveraging his personal network. “My first client was actually a friend who needed headshots,” he said. “He couldn’t afford some of the more pricey photographers, and I needed clients, so we struck a deal.”
According to photo and video educator Marlene Hielema, networking is also critically important. “You have to get out and meet people! People like to work with people they like, so you need to make connections with people who need the type of work you want to do. Have your elevator pitch ready, because I have met a lot of future clients at parties.”

Photo by Marlene Hielema

When networking, Kelbaugh also recommends looking beyond photo editors and art directors, since they’re already being bombarded with photography pitches. “Clients can be found anywhere, so think about reaching out to your friends that work at startups, universities, law firms and restaurants” she said. “When building your clientele, try to think outside of the box.”

Speak up

In addition to utilizing the power of your existing network, don’t forget to take advantage of opportunities as they arise – no matter the time or place. Take Cappy Hotchkiss, a New York-based wedding photographer who met her first buyer at a dog run (a park where dogs can run off-leash). “I had photographed weddings for a few friends and absolutely loved it” Hotchkiss said. “Someone at the dog run overheard me talking about it and asked me to shoot her wedding. I still remember what a thrill it was – and how scary and fabulous it was.”

Photo by Cappy Hotchkiss

Sports photographer Chris Marion had a similar experience when he happened to meet the editor of a local sports magazine. “I asked him if they had a need for additional photographers” Marion said. “He said yes and gave me what was most likely a test assignment. The assignment went well and it went on to become my first real sports job.”

Small wins lead to big ones

As your portfolio and word-of-mouth referrals begin to grow, so will the likelihood that you’ll land that one, great assignment. These assignments can be game changers for some professional photographers – leading to high-profile work and long-term relationships that ultimately lead to even bigger projects in the future. “I got my best client, Google, by landing a smaller event for them and delivering photos that they just loved” photographer Andrew Federman said. “Word spread and they asked me if I would come shoot the inaugural Google Science Fair out in Mountain View, California at Google HQ.”

Photo by Andrew Federman

Marion landed his best client, the NBA, in a similar way. “My hometown of Springfield had an NBA development league and I was their team photographer for five years,” he said. “Through that experience I was able to capture the attention of the NBA, which then led to freelancing opportunities with Sports Illustrated, as well as others.”

Professionalism counts more than you realize

Sometimes that great assignment comes simply from being available. “One day I was at the library and got a phone call from a weird number,” said James Brosher, an editorial, commercial and wedding photographer in Bloomington, Indiana. “I answered, and I was glad that I did; it was a great job that paid my bills for an entire month. The client said he had called a couple other people but I got the job because I answered the phone. Ever since then, I’ve made a point to always answer my phone. You never know when a great client will call.”
Brosher has also landed several jobs because of his flexibility to take on last-minute projects. “One day I was on the couch and got a call from the Indianapolis Star needing an event covered in 15 minutes,” he said. “Being around, available, and being able to anticipate when a publication might need you goes a long way.”

Photo by Marlene Hielema

According to Christina Van Dyke, the owner and founder of Van Dyke Design & Photography, something she’s found incredibly important is a focus on providing both great work and a great customer experience. “My best client found out about my photographic services from a word-of-mouth referral,” she said. “The lesson I’ve learned is to always treat each and every client as if they are your ONLY client. In return, your clients will reward you with wonderful referrals that keep your business growing and thriving.”

Play the long game

Hansen recommends focusing more on building your name, and less on your paycheck – at least in the beginning. “Don’t be afraid to take a pay cut in the early stages of building your business and name,” he said. “Yes, you may be worth a lot more, but having your work out there is invaluable to building a solid client list.”

Photo by Andrew Federman

“My advice for young photographers is to remember that it’s the photographs you actually deliver to your clients that set you apart – not how slick your website is, how many Instagram followers you have, or how many blog hits you get,” Federman said. “Marketing is important, but delivering photos that blow away your clients will generate a powerful word-of-mouth force.”
View the complete interviews on SlideShare (below)

Thanks to our contributing photographers:

• Casey Kelbaugh
• Michael Zide
• Steve Hansen
• Marlene Hielema
• Cappy Hotchkiss
• Chris Marion
• Andrew Federman
• James Brosher
• Christina Van Dyke

Learn More about Going Pro

Get more great information to help you go pro
https://resources.digital-photography-school.com/ref/937/

How to Conserve your DSLR Battery When You are Running Low on Power

By: Megan Kennedy

Cameras are amazing tools. However, without battery power, they aren’t particularly useful for image making. If you find yourself low on power, there are a number of ways to conserve your DSLR battery. In this article, we’ll look at a few options for stretching out the battery life of your camera when you are running low on juice.

1/15 sec, f/8, ISO 800

Lower LCD brightness

If you’re worried about trying to conserve your DSLR battery, the first thing to do is to turn down the brightness on the camera’s LCD screen. Although dimming the LCD screen can make it more difficult to review images, cutting down on LCD brightness can make a big difference in terms of battery life.

Turn off image preview

Image preview is a quick way to make sure your photographs are turning out. However, Image Preview also consumes a lot of battery power. When you need to conserve your DSLR battery, you can turn the Image Preview function off altogether. Of course, this means that Live View mode is a no-go on a low battery too.

Turn off your camera

1/60th of a second at f/1.8, ISO 1600

One of the most obvious ways to conserve your DSLR battery is to switch the camera off altogether! This won’t be of much use if you are in the midst of a shoot, but if you have a few minutes between subjects, turning your camera off can save a lot of battery.

Don’t delete photos on the fly

Going through and deleting images in-camera can put a significant strain on battery life. Deleting images in-camera can even increase the chances of corrupting the data on your memory card. Rather than trawling through and deleting your photographs to free up space, invest in a few extra memory cards instead.

Switch off sensor cleaning

Sensor cleaning is a mechanism that cleans the sensor whenever the camera is turned on or off. When activated, the camera uses ultrasonic vibrations to try and shake loose any pesky traces of dust on the sensor. While useful, sensor cleaning uses up a considerable amount of battery life each time it enters cleaning mode. So, if you are low on battery, turn this function off via the settings menu in your camera.

Avoid cold conditions

Batteries in cooler environments tend to drain quicker than those in warmer conditions. If you can’t avoid shooting in a chilly environment, many photographers make use of hand warmers and the like to maintain battery life.

Turn off image stabilization

1/250th of a second, f 3.2 ISO 800

Image stabilization (or IS) is a mechanism that is used to stabilize an image when hand-holding a camera. By counteracting camera movement, IS reduces the likelihood of unwanted blur in your photographs.
However…(you guessed it), image stabilization soaks up a lot of power.
Sometimes IS is crucial, but in circumstances where the camera is mounted on a tripod or a steady surface, or you are shooting at a fast shutter speed, make sure you switch the IS function off to conserve your DSLR battery.

Check up on battery health

Camera batteries have a limited life, meaning that they do eventually need to be replaced. Keep track of battery health by consulting the battery info in-camera. Keeping an eye on trends in a batteries’ life can help you determine in advance when it might be time for a new battery.

Consider getting a battery grip

A battery grip is an accessory that attaches to the base of a camera. It provides room for an extra battery, doubling your time between charges. Battery grips also provide an additional grip for portrait-orientated shooting and can ease the strain of hand-holding longer lenses.

A battery grip aids in hand-holding the camera in a portrait orientation. 1/200 f/6.3 ISO 100

If you are finding that you are constantly pressured by a lack of battery power, or you want to ensure you won’t be caught short, you may want to invest in a battery grip.

Camera batteries are a key ingredient in DSLR photography. By lowering LCD brightness and switching off image preview, sensor cleaning and IS or turning off your camera between subjects, it can be a little easier to conserve your DSLR battery in a pinch.
Refraining from deleting photos on the fly, avoiding cold conditions and keeping an eye on battery health can also help to stretch the longevity of a batteries’ life between charges.
Do you have a great tip for conserving battery life in a pinch? Go ahead and post in the comments!

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