1 Year with the Fujifilm X-T3 – Was It Worth Buying?

By: Suzi Pratt  

It’s been just over 1 year since the Fujifilm X-T3 debuted. This popular APS-C mirrorless camera replaced the beloved X-T2, but it also added lots of video features, leading many to declare the X-T3 the best hybrid mirrorless cameras of 2019. After shooting for 1 year with the Fujifilm X-T3, I’ll share my thoughts on the camera in this article.

Why I Chose Fujifilm

Throughout my 10-year career as a professional photographer, I have always reached for a full-frame camera. During the DSLR days, I bounced between the Nikon D700 and Canon 5D Mark III.
When it came time to go mirrorless, I went with the Sony a7R III. As a concert and event photographer, I am often prohibited from using flash and always need the option to shoot at high ISOs. I also value quick, accurate autofocus. In both of those regards, the Sony a7 series made the most sense when I went mirrorless in 2018.
So how did Fujifilm get into the picture? My husband and I jumped into videography together at around the same time. He was attracted to Fujifilm for its film simulations and ergonomics that are similar to film cameras.
When the Fujifilm X-H1 came out, he jumped on it because of its superior video features, including IBIS (in-body stabilization).
As we started shooting videos together, we found it difficult to quickly and accurately match the colors of his Fujifilm to my Sony camera. Since he already had a large Fujifilm lens collection, it made sense for me to simply pick up a camera body so that we could share lenses. So the X-T3 ended up in my hands primarily as a video camera.

Ergonomics

If you have never shot with a film camera or Fujifilm camera before, they can take some getting used to. Prior to the X-T3, I had never shot with a camera that wasn’t a full-frame DSLR. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to using the top dials to set my shutter speed and ISO. It took even longer to get accustomed to the aperture ring on the lens.
After a year with the X-T3, I am much more comfortable with its dials and settings, but I dislike the fact that I need two hands to shoot with this camera. On virtually any other DSLR or mirrorless camera, you can adjust all settings using just one hand, making it faster to shoot on the fly.

X-T3 as a video camera

I intended to use the Fujifilm X-T3 primarily as a video camera. Fortunately, those features worked out perfectly, and one year later, the X-T3 is still my favorite for shooting videos.
This camera can shoot 4K video at up to 60 fps in 10-bit 4:2:0 color, and you can select a bitrate of up to 400Mbps for frame rates of 30p and below. That’s a lot of jargon, but it essentially means that the X-T3 is capable of outputting high-quality video footage.
In my experience, the video is razor-sharp, and thanks to Fujifilm film simulations, the colors look stunning straight out of the camera.
The X-T3 offers F-log recording to produce a flat video that can be color graded in post-production. However, film simulations are so good that you don’t need to color grade these videos. Saving time in editing was the main reason that drew me to Fujifilm, and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint.
Previous Fujifilm cameras omitted essential videography features such as a headphone jack of monitoring audio. Not so with the X-T3. This camera has both a mic jack and headphone jack built into the camera, allowing you to capture high-quality audio. The only thing that this camera is sorely missing is IBIS or in-body image stabilization for capturing steady video. Thankfully, image stabilization is present in many Fujifilm X lenses, but you still need to pop the X-T3 on a gimbal to get ultra-smooth footage.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 18mm (in 35mm: 27mm), 

1/250 sec, f/6.4, ISO 320, Aperture Priority

X-T3 as a photo camera

Even though I intended to use the X-T3 for video, I inevitably used it for photography. Thanks to the relatively compact size of the camera, and the accompanying Fujifilm X-Series lenses, the Fuji X-T3 is a solid travel camera.
Also, similar to videos, photo colors look stunning straight-out-of-camera when using film simulations, and you arguably needn’t shoot in RAW to save room on your memory cards.
Autofocus (AF) is vastly improved on the X-T3. The camera offers phase-detect AF with 425 selectable AF points spanning over the entire frame. Continuous autofocus does a great job of locking onto and tracking subjects, and there is also face and eye autofocus that works well.
In continuous shooting mode, the X-T3 can shoot at up to 11 frames per second (fps) using the mechanical shutter, or 30 fps with the electronic shutter. This is a crazy fast speed that rivals top sports photography cameras.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 18mm (in 35mm: 28mm), 

1/180 sec, f/3.6, ISO 800, Aperture Priority

Wish List

I base most of my wish list features on my experiences shooting with full-frame cameras, such as the Sony a7r III, which I think pulls off these features better.
First, is autofocus.
Even though the X-T3 has much-improved autofocus, it isn’t as fast and accurate as Sony’s. Eye autofocus, in particular, is much more effective on Sony.
Second is low light performance.
On my Sony, I’m comfortable shooting at ISO 6400-8000, whereas I won’t push the X-T3 past ISO 4000. To a degree, this isn’t a fair comparison. Full-frame cameras will always shoot a cleaner image at higher ISOs, but there’s always room for improvement.
Finally, the battery life on the Fujifilm X-T3 quite frankly sucks.
I generally need 3 batteries for a full day of shooting on the X-T3, whereas a single battery will get me through 1+ days of shooting with the Sony a7r III.
I understand that increased battery life often results in a larger battery and, therefore, a larger camera, but it would still be a welcome addition. In the meantime, you can increase the battery life by using the Fujifilm battery grip, or you can charge the camera via its included USB-C port.

All-in-all, you can’t go wrong with the Fujifilm X-T3. It produces incredibly sharp photos and videos with incredible colors straight out of the camera.
The camera and its accompanying lenses are compact and quite durable, especially when considering their price points, which are relatively lower when compared to other camera brands.
There are cameras out there that have better features such as autofocus, but the Fujifilm X-T3 will suit the needs of most photographers out there.
Have you used the Fujifilm X-T3? Have you spent more than 1 year with the Fujifilm X-T3? What are your thoughts? Please share them with us in the comments.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 18mm (in 35mm: 28mm), 

1/90 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2000, Aperture Priority

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 32.9mm (in 35mm: 49mm), 

1/60 sec, f/3.6, ISO 2000, Aperture Priority

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 lens. Focal length 35mm (in 35mm: 53mm), 1/90 sec, 

f/3.2, ISO 2000, Aperture Priority

Sony A7R III with Sony FE 55mm F1.8 lens. Focal length 55mm (in 35mm: 55mm), 1/60 sec, f/9, 

ISO 1600, Aperture Priority

You may also like:

• Fujifilm Fujinon XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens Review
• Best Fujifilm X-Series Kit for Urban Portraits
• The Fujifilm X-Pro 3: Marvellous or Mistake?
• Fujifilm GFX100 Camera Review
• The Best Fujifilm X-Series Kits for Travel Photography
• Fujifilm X-T3 versus Fujifilm X-H1: The Best Mirrorless Camera for You?
• Gear Review: Fujifilm 50-140mm vs 55-200mm

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A Look at the Fujifilm X100V in Action for Street Photography (video)

A Post By: Caz Nowaczyk

For street photography, the camera is the perfect size and weight to carry with you anywhere you go. The flip screen allows you to shoot from the hip – which is a great advantage when shooting street photography less obtrusively.
The fixed 23mm lens on an APS-C sensor is the equivalent of a 35mm lens on a full-frame camera.
Also, the famous Fujifilm film simulations are another great feature of this little camera.
So check out some of the images that come from this camera.

You may also like:

• Your Guide to the Fujifilm JPG Film Simulations (with Sample Images)
• 1 Year with the Fujifilm X-T3 – Was It Worth Buying?
• Best Fujifilm X-Series Kit for Urban Portraits
• The Fujifilm X-Pro 3: Marvellous or Mistake?
• The Best Fujifilm X-Series Kits for Travel Photography
• Fujifilm X-T3 versus Fujifilm X-H1: The Best Mirrorless Camera for You?
• Street Portraits vs Street Photography: What is the Difference?
• The dPS Top Street Photography Tips of 2018
• How to Avoid Distracting Backgrounds in Street Photography

Have you got your hands on this camera yet? If so, share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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Fujifilm X100V Street Photography with Taylor

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Fujifilm Will Award $90,000 in Gear as Part of “Students of Storytelling” Initiative

By: Jaymes Dempsey on April 13, 2020

If you’re a university student, or you’re interested in following the work of student photographers and videographers around the US, then I have good news:
Fujifilm is launching its Students of Storytelling contest, which awards 30 students up to $3000 USD in Fujifilm gear.
Its purpose?
To help students tell their own stories through photography and videography.
As Fujifilm explains, ” We are passionate about stories and truly believe that the future of storytelling rests in the hands of today’s college students. This is why the Students of Storytelling contest will award up to $3,000 of Fujifilm gear to a select group of winners to help bring their creative stories out into the light.”
Note that you don’t have to be an accomplished artist to take part; all current part-time and full-time college students are eligible, excepting Florida residents.

Fujifilm does offer entry guidelines, stating that the ideal proposal “should be designed to tell a cohesive ‘story’ of a human, or life-related experience, event, challenge, objective, relationship(s), approach, passion, and/or interest that may be depicted and effectively communicated through photographic images or video.”
Fujifilm also notes that participants will need to adhere to the CDC’s COVID-19 social distancing guidelines when carrying out their project.
The submission period goes until May 31st, during which eligible students can submit their proposed stories in written, video, or photographic format. The first half of June will be spent judging the entries, and students will be notified of their success at the end of June.
At that point, winners will be given the opportunity to choose Fujifilm equipment totaling up to $3000 USD. Winners will then have 90 days to complete and submit their stories, which are to be shared via social media, as well as on Fujifilm’s Create Forever website.
So if you’re an eligible student, head on over to Fujifilm’s website, where you can submit your own proposal to be considered for the Students of Storytelling contest.
And for everyone else:
If you’re interested in following the contest and all the winners, be sure to check Create-Forever.com for updates.

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Is This the Best Camera Gear of 2020? Tipa Awards Results

By: Jaymes Dempsey

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) has just announced its 2020 TIPA World Award results, which seeks to recognize the best photography-related gear of 2020.

The winners include a mix of cameras, lenses, post-processing software, tripods, flashes, and more, all honored in categories tailored to 2020 photography interests and needs.
Awards were determined by representatives of TIPA’s member magazines. Note that TIPA magazines are a diverse collection of imaging-related publications from across the globe, including:

• Camera Australia
• Practical Photography
• Luminous Landscapes
• Photo Life

While TIPA awards are normally determined by an in-person body of magazine representatives, this year’s judging process proceeded differently (due to COVID-19 concerns). Instead of taking place in a Las Vegas assembly, voting was done online.

The TIPA chairperson explained:

We believe that now more than ever our support of the industry and the people who work so hard, be it in production, distribution, or marketing, deserve credit and our thanks and appreciation for their efforts to continue to develop new and exciting products and grow into the future. Of course, while the process of nomination and selection of award winners had to adapt to the circumstances, we maintained our usual rigorous standards in our considerations.

Read on to discover TIPA’s choices for the best camera gear of 2020.

You’ll probably notice quite a few familiar products. But you may also notice some new ones worth checking out.
And then, when you’re done, leave your thoughts in the comments section. Let us know how you feel about the winners!
Do you agree? Disagree? Are there any cameras, lenses, or additional gear that you’d like to have seen on the list? And what is your favorite camera, lens, photo editing software, and accessory of 2020?

2020 TIPA World Awards winners

Cameras

Best Full Frame Professional Camera: The Sony a7R IV
Best Full Frame Camera Expert: The Sigma fp
Best APS-C Camera Professional: The Fujifilm X-Pro3
Best APS-C Camera Expert: The Sony a6600

Best APS-C Camera Advanced: The Nikon Z50
Best DSLR Professional Camera: The Canon EOS 1D X Mark III

Best DSLR Expert Camera: The Nikon D780
Best DSLR Advanced Camera: The Canon EOS 90D
Best Full Frame Photo/Video Camera: The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H
Best Medium Format Camera: The Fujifilm GFX100
Best Expert Compact Camera: The Sony RX100 VII

Best Vlogging Camera: The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III

Best Premium Compact Camera: The Fujifilm X100V
Best Photo Smartphone: Huawei P40 Series

Lenses

Best DSLR Prime Lens: Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD
Best DSLR Macro Lens: Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO
Best DSLR Wide Angle Zoom Lens: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 CF
Best DSLR Professional Lens: Nikkor 120-300mm f/2.8E VR
Best Micro Four Thirds Lens: Panasonic Leica 10-25mm f/1.7

Best Mirrorless Prime Standard Lens: Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct
Best Mirrorless Prime Wide Angle Lens: Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 RF
Best Mirrorless Wide Angle Zoom Lens: Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art

Best Mirrorless Telephoto Zoom Lens: Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Best Mirrorless Standard Zoom Lens: Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art

Best Professional Portrait Lens: Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM

Accessories and software

Best Imaging Software: DxO PhotoLab 3
Best Inkjet Photo Paper: Hahnemuhle Natural Line
Best Portable Photo Printer: Fujifilm Instax Mini Link
Best Imaging Storage Solution: SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress 2.0
Best Portable Flash: Nissin MG80 Pro
Best Professional LED Light: ARRI Orbiter
Best Tripod Head: Gitzo 3-Way
Best Travel Tripod: Manfrotto BeFree GT XPRO
Best Professional Photo Monitor: BenQ PhotoVue SW321C
Best Professional Video Monitor: LG UltraWide 38WN95C
Best Mobile Accessory: Godox R1
Best Color Management Solution: X-Rite i1Display Studio/i1Display Pro Plus

Best Photo Lab: WhiteWall Masterprint
Best Photo Service: CEWE Photobook
Best Photo Innovation: Sony Real-Time Tracking technology

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How to Photograph Kids Playing, Running Around and Generally Being Kids

By: Mat Coker 

If you’re a people photographer, it’s hard to resist photographing kids as they play, run around and… well, be kids. It’s also a great chance for you to play as a photographer.
Here are seven tips to help you capture photographs of kids at play.

It was a grey hazy day at the beach so I focused on silhouette photos of my kids at play.

1. Use Your Phone Instead of Missing the Moment

I teach people how to use their new DSLR cameras. One of their biggest frustrations is that their friends seem to take better photos with a phone than they can with their complicated DSLR.
If you’re still struggling with your DSLR, don’t be afraid to use your phone as a camera. As long as you keep in mind the most important parts of a photo – light, moment, and composition – your phone will take great photos.

This photo of my daughter running through a puddle was captured with my iPhone 4s. Because it 

was a bright day, the shutter speed was fast and froze the water as it splashed.

2. Be an Observer Instead of a Boss

If you’re going to photograph kids at play, it’s best to have them acting candidly rather than telling them what to do. Just let them play, and they’ll give you countless moments to photograph. The moment you step in and tell them what to do or how to play, you’ll ruin the moment.

I wanted a nice portrait of my daughter with these fall colors, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to make 

her stand still for one. So I let her walk on ahead of me. When I called her name she looked back, 

and I snapped the photo.

3. Angles

While photographing kids at play, consider the angle you’re using. Your photos will look more exciting if you go for low angles or face to face. Get down to their level (if not lower) and into their world.

I achieved this extremely low angle by laying down on the ground and looking straight up.

Before it was hauled away, my kids turned this mattress into a trampoline. A low angle helped to 

capture how high he was jumping.

4. Get Close

Join in the play, and get as close as you can while using a wide angle. When you look at the photo it will make you feel like you’re right back there in the moment.

This son was wrestling with his dad so I decided to get in as close as I could. The wide-angle helped 

to exaggerate the moment.

5. Get Behind Them

Photographing people from behind adds a bit of mystery to your photo. It lets the viewer bring a little more of their own imagination to the photo. When we can’t see the person’s face, it makes us imagine what they’re up to.

This over-the-shoulder shot anticipates the action that’s about to happen.

This photo was taken in a massive outdoor sandbox. Obviously, he’s been sliding down the dirt hills 

on his bum.

This combines taking a photo from behind with getting in close. (Taken with an iPhone.)

6. Play With Your Shutter Speed

One of the biggest problems you’ll face when capturing action is motion blur. So you’ll need a fast shutter speed.
But you can also play with a slow shutter speed and capture creative motion blur.

I took advantage of my iPhone’s slow shutter speed to capture this portrait of my daughter. As you 

can see her face is basically sharp while the background is quite blurry. This was achieved by having 

her walk toward me while I walked backward. To the camera everything is moving except for her.

7. Tell a Story With Your Photos

You can tell a story with your photos. It might be a ‘before and after’ story using just two photos. Or it could be a beginning, middle and end with three photos. It might even be a longer story that fills a photo book.

This story begins with a little girl taking her daddy by the hand and leading him.

Then in the middle of the story, she dances with her daddy.

The story ends with her daddy swinging her around wildly.

Final Checklist

Here’s a checklist for photographing kids as they run around and play.

• Consider this playtime for you as a photographer.
• Use any camera you’ve got – even your phone.
• Stand back and let moments happen on their own.
• Be creative with your angles.
• Get in close.
• Add mystery to your photo by photographing kids from behind.
• Be creative with your shutter speed.
• Tell stories with multiple photos.

Now go out there and take some great photos of those kids being kids and share them with us in the comments.

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How to Create Compelling Wide-Angle Portraits Using One Off-Camera Flash

By: Ken Koskela 

What are your most memorable moments as a photographer? As a travel photographer, my short list of stand-out moments include wandering alone in Namibia’s dead tree forest, photographing sunbeams from the top of a cliff in China, and capturing the Aurora Borealis on the coast of Iceland.

However, a year ago all of those amazing locations and moments were trumped by spending 30 minutes photographing a little girl outside her home near Villa de Leyva, Colombia (pictured above). This was the first time the girl had her portrait taken, let alone by a foreigner. With all the confidence of an experienced model, she literally stole the show that day. I believe the session is an important memory for her and instantly became my top moment photographing to date.
Ironically, two years ago I would not have even bothered taking this picture. I was focused on landscape and outdoor travel scenes. Also, if I’m honest with myself, I was somewhat intimidated by using artificial lighting and working with people as subjects. In April of 2014, I gave environmental portraiture a shot and have never looked back. It is now an important focus of my work.
This article will provide some guidance on how you can create images like the ones you see here, using a wide-angle lens and just one off-camera flash. But first, let me let you in on a little secret – it’s not that difficult.
Getting things right in camera is the important first step, which is the focus of this article. Processing your images is equally important, but I’ll cover that in a future article. So, let me start by providing you with the core techniques, then get into equipment and settings.

Use a (Relatively) Wide-Angle Lens

Lens choice is critically important in portraiture. Most portrait photographers reach for their 85mm or 105mm lens when heading out on a shoot. These focal lengths give a nice, realistic look to the subjects. However, I find myself drawn to portraits that have a surreal look to them, and include extra context that helps tell a story. Also, wide-angle lenses require you to shoot close to your subject, which also brings your viewer into the scene.
So, the first step is to leave your 85mm or 105mm in the bag, and grab a wide-angle lens. Most of the portraits you see here were created at 24mm using a full frame camera (use a 16mm for the same view if your camera has a cropped sensor). For me, this focal length is the perfect blend of reality and distortion. If you shoot much wider, elements closer to the lens, such as arms and hands, look too big or elongated. Also, wider focal lengths mean a much bigger background, which is usually not desirable.

Choose a Compelling Subject

Your subject is paramount. The Indonesian dockworker above is amazing. I spent 20 minutes photographing this guy and really had a difficult time choosing the best image. On the other hand, you could spend all day photographing me on the same dock, in front of the same ships, and have nothing but tossers at the end of the day.
I look for people that have experienced life. The ideal subject has a particular interesting quality about him or her, that makes them stand out from the rest. However, my subjects also have an everyday person quality about them. Finding subjects can be challenging, especially if you live in the suburbs of Chicago, like I do. I am a travel photographer and usually find my subjects in rural areas overseas. However, there are great subjects everywhere.
Clothing is critically important. If your 90-year old rural villager is wearing a hat that says, “I Love New York”, then you will want to politely ask him to take it off, or at least turn it around for the picture. The point is, don’t let out-of-context clothing ruin or weaken your shot.

Choose a Complementary Background

Your image is only as strong as the weakest part of it, which is often the background. This is because, as photographer Jim Zuckerman puts it, “The world is a compositional mess”. There are two important qualities you want out of your background:
First, at the very least, your background must be non-distracting. Although you can easily isolate your subject with a longer focal length, the background becomes a major consideration with wide-angle portraits. Beginner, and even intermediate photographers, can overlook even some obvious distractions in the background. You have probably seen them before: trees that look like they are growing out of the subject’s head, patchy spots of bright light in the scene, colorful objects, straight lines and geometric shapes. You essentially don’t want anything that competes with your subject for attention.
The image of the Indonesian dockworker below is non-distracting, but not much more. He is essentially standing in front of a shipping container, so this image won’t win any awards for its background. Nevertheless, it is still a good picture because of the strength of the subject.

Second, whenever possible, include a background that complements your subject by providing a context. I’ve shot many images with simple non-distracting backgrounds. But, my favorite pictures are those with a background that tells a story about the subject. This is why I love shooting in places like rural China and Indonesia. These countries have many ancient villages that provide opportunities for amazing backgrounds, such as in the image below.

I like to keep all evidence of modernity out of the background. I don’t like plastic stuff in my pictures. I don’t include modern looking buildings or cars. Instead, I prefer rural areas with weather-beaten buildings. Of course, this all depends on what you are after. The important thing is that the background complements the subject and does not distract from it.

Shoot in the Right Lighting Conditions

Because the majority of the background is not lit by the flash, many of the same outdoor photography lighting principles hold true, even if a flash is being used. Try shooting either early or late in the day (when the sun is low in the sky) or in overcast conditions. I actually prefer overcast conditions, but still shoot relatively early or late in the day.

Put Your Subjects at Ease

I don’t hire models, so some subjects work well and others not as well. What you want to avoid is a picture of your subject standing flat-footed, straight up and down, and holding a fake smile.
To help avoid this, it is a good idea to start your session by gaining their interest and confidence. If you have some images you’ve shot and processed, show them to give him or her an idea of what you are looking for, and hopefully pique their interest. This should communicate immediately that you are not looking for them to just stand there and smile. It should also show that the posing expectations will be basic.

Posing and Composition

Because I am shooting wide, I get quite close to my subjects and warn them ahead of time about this. For me, the eyes are a critically important part of the picture and must be very sharp. I focus on the closest eye, and re-focus frequently as I move around the subject slightly.
I generally ask him or her to look directly at the camera and not to smile, although not always. I then start moving slightly left or right, asking them to keep their head still and just follow the camera with their eyes. I usually shoot from slightly below eye level. I have them stand or sit at an angle to the camera. If the subject is standing, I have them put their weight on the back foot.
I like to include the subject’s hands in the composition. With a wide-angle lens, their hands in the foreground will look large, so try to strike a balance with the hands being prominent, but not too large. You can do this by simply positioning the hands closer to or farther away from the lens relative to their body.

Equipment and Settings

The Camera

Your camera should be equipped with an internal or external flash trigger to control your off-camera flash. Here is how I set things up:

• Start by leaving your flash or trigger initially turned off.
• Set your camera to manual mode.
• If the session is outdoors, I try for settings of ISO 100, f/7.1 and a shutter speed of around 1/160. You can adjust your f-stop and shutter speed to your preference, but keep in mind that you cannot go faster than your camera’s maximum flash sync speed.
• Make the necessary adjustments to slightly underexpose the background by 1/3 to 2/3 stop. I usually start by adjusting shutter speed, but go no slower than 1/60 and no faster than 1/160. If necessary, I will then adjust my f-stop to f/5.6 at the widest. Then, and only then, will I start bumping up the ISO.
• If you are indoors, you need to start with a higher ISO as a first step, and then make your adjustments to shutter speed and f-stop in the same manner.

Lighting

For 90% of my portraits, I use a single off-camera flash, diffused with an umbrella or softbox. The most important rule with flash is “don’t ruin your shot,” which is usually done by putting too much flash on your subject. Instead, you want to get a decent balance of natural and artificial light, so that the flash is undetectable to the untrained eye, but lights your subject brighter than the underexposed background.
Now, turn your flash and trigger on:

• Set your off-camera flash to manual mode.
• I typically position the flash at a 45-degree angle to the subject, about 2-3 feet (slightly less than a meter) away, higher than their head, angled downward.
• I usually start with 1/16 flash power when outdoors, and adjust from there until the subject stands out from the background, but does not look like they have been blasted with flash.

Post-Processing

You need to get things right in camera first. But, you will need to use a variety of post-processing techniques to get the effect you see in these images. I’ll cover the techniques I use to process environmental portraits in a future article.
Thank you for reading, please share your wide-angle portraits in the comments below.

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I’m a ‘Typical Photographer’ and This Is How Much I Post Process

By: Russell Masters 

OK, I’m going to come right out and say it … there are a lot of lies in photography! It’s out there now and I suggest we all take some time to let it sink in before we do anything rash.
Of course we all know this but it’s not a subject that a lot of people openly talk about.  Before I say any more let me be completely straight.  I’m not saying that there are a whole load of photographers out there actively seeking to deceive you, more that most of us (me included) tell ‘little white lies’ about our images. Of all the subjects open for favorable interpretation is the amount photographers post process their pictures.

No Biggie?

I’m not saying for one minute that anyone is looking to be intentionally deceptive, most of the time all we are really talking about is the omission of a few minor finishing touches.  So what’s the big deal? Well there isn’t really any big problem as such, however I remember as a beginner how frustrating it was trying to work out how much of a great image was due to gear, processing or falling that the skill of the photographer.   Becoming a great photographer takes time, patience and practice and its understandable why more experienced photographers might want to protect their trade secrets.

Post Processing in Modern Photography

A common view is that post processing is a phenomenon that has only come about with the age of digital photography.  To a certain extent this is true however we need to be careful not to lump all forms of image manipulation into the same category.  In the age of film it was still possible to alter not only the basics such as aperture, shutter speed but also things like ISO, white balance and the overall aesthetic of the final image.   It’s true to say that these adjustments were less convenient than they are today (you had to physically swap out your film etc) but we shouldn’t confuse the convenience of modern technology with any form of deception.  It has always been necessary to ‘adjust’ the final image to achieve something more like reality and despite the capability of todays cameras and equipment this remains the case.  The reality is that even the best photographers make at least minor adjustments to their images.

So How Much?

So as a beginner what you really want to know is how much processing do most people and how do you know if you are doing too much?  When I started to get serious about photography this was a question that took up far too much of my time. To give you a sense of a typical photographers workflow here is a quick summary of my typical post processing routine and a few examples of how my images typically look before and after.

My Basic Workflow

My basic advice is this; only do as much post processing as necessary to achieve the look you want.  If your goal is to achieve an image that is realistic to real life then assuming you have a decent initial image you should be able to do this fairly quickly.  If however you want to achieve a more artistic result then you may need to take a bit longer.
The majority of my images are either travel or portraiture and therefore my basic post processing workflow is relatively simple.  Pretty much every image I take goes through the following five-step process, although for specific effects I will often do more.  Just so you know, I shoot all of my images in RAW with Lightroom being my editing software of choice.

• Crop & Straighten – To clean up and correct any issues with composition.
• White Balance – To correct any colour casts and ensure the image colour is as accurate as possible.
• Exposure – To improve the overall tonality and dynamic range of the image.
• Contrast & Clarity – To bring back any missing punch and bring out emphasis and detail.
• Sharpening – Where necessary the last step is to apply selective sharpening to bring out any key details.

To give you an idea as to what this really looks like in the real world, here are a few examples of images I have taken and how they looked like before and after processing.

Example 1 – Travel Landscapes

Typical post processing for landscapes will include straightening and cropping to improve composition, followed by basic exposure and contrast adjustments. Finally I add some saturation and vibrance for impact.

Example 2 – Street Portrait

For travel portraits, its all about the white balance to ensure that the subject skin tones are spot on. After that I add contrast and boost detail with sharpening.

Example 3 – Studio Work

For studio portraits, white balance is again key followed by basic exposure and composition adjustments. In this case I may also spend more time working on more artistic effects and specialised image touch ups.

The Two Minute Rule

Obviously when you are starting out its important to spend time developing your processing skills, however as you start to get a handle on this its also very important to get efficient.  Not only will doing so stop you from wasting hours in front of your computer screen, but its also the best way limit the potential for over processing.  The ‘Two Minute Rule’ is the probably the best ‘pro tip’ I have ever heard and is something which has fundamentally changed my approach to photography.  The basic idea is to limit the time you spend processing any image to no more than two minutes.  Imagine that, just two minutes to do everything you need to get an image to look exactly as you want it to?  Basically you should be asking yourself if an images needs more than two minutes of work in post, is it worth the effort?  I’m not going to try and convince you that I follow this rule religiously but it is a really powerful way to focus your post processing efforts and I would certainly encourage you to consider building this into your own routine.  Limiting the time you spend in post will stop you from trying to rescue dud images and also give you a rough guide as to when you may have gone too far.

The ‘So What?’ for Beginners

If you are a beginner or someone getting started in post processing, what am I really telling you?  Simply it is this, most of this images you see will be post processed.  Whether this is to overcome the limitations of our equipment, correct mistakes or achieve a specific ‘look’ most photographers will process their photos. The important thing is not to worry about what others are doing, rather on if you are doing the right things to create the images you are looking for.  Focus on learning the techniques which will help deliver the photograph you want and use this as a way to hone your individual style and workflow to become an even better photographer.  If you get this right, then it won’t be long before you can start fibbing about your photographs too!

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