Are Early 2000s Digital Cameras Secondhand Bargains?

By: Glenn Harper 

Today, digital photography is ubiquitous, but there is still a demand among enthusiasts for classic film cameras. By all accounts, the analog medium has made a comeback over the last 2-3 years. What you don’t often hear of is people hankering for older digital cameras, even for the sake of nostalgia. Technology has moved on, but has it moved on so much that they are obsolete? Or are early 2000s digital cameras secondhand bargains? We’ll find out.

There is still plenty of love out there for old film cameras. This is an Olympus OM10 (c. 1978-87).

Inescapable truths

Those of us that have been shooting digitally for over ten years probably don’t miss the early days of post-processing. The sensors were noisier and there was no in-camera dust removal. One way or another, a lot of time was spent trying to clean things up. Less advanced, too, was the software we used to process photos. Trying to recover highlights or remove noise, for instance, was harder than it is today. Photos were abandoned that might be saved with modern editing.

The original Canon EOS 5d (c. 2005) had no dust-cleaning capability. Neither did I. Whenever I 

had the sensor cleaned, dust spots quickly reappeared.

Aside from noisier, dirtier sensors and editing limitations, exterior hardware on cameras was also inferior in the early days. LCDs were smaller with a lower resolution, and electronic viewfinders weren’t as clear. The benefit of a bright viewfinder shouldn’t be underestimated, and it’s still a feature of higher-end cameras today over entry-level models (e.g., pentaprism vs. pentamirror optical viewfinders).

Sensor resolution

With camera age comes the question of sensor resolution. Modern cameras have high-res sensors. More resolution gives you more freedom to crop pictures after the event and still end up with a decent-sized print. It’s like having an extra lens. Many photographers prefer not cropping pictures, but it’s a luxury that didn’t always exist. In the “old” days of low sensor resolution, there was more discussion among photographers on interpolation methods. People wanted to make their digital files bigger so they could create larger prints. That subject is now almost archaic.

The CCD sensor of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 (c. 2008). Despite having a smaller sensor 

than the earlier FZ30, the FZ28’s resolution was higher. Advances in sensor technology are 

frequently used to increase resolution rather than substantially decrease noise.  

Photo: Thomas Bresson [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Glimmer of light

Despite the drawbacks of using old digital cameras, some had useful features that are rare or even extinct today. And the minuses are mostly surmountable. Let’s examine three cameras that are all 10+ years old and see what we can do with them. All of the following are eminently affordable on the secondhand market: more so than many classic film cameras.

Old camera #1: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1

Even by today’s standards, the 2005 10.3-megapixel Sony DSC-R1 is an innovative camera. It never sold well, but it had a unique combination of a fixed 24-120mm Carl Zeiss lens, an APS-C sized CMOS sensor, full-time live-view LCD display (a first at that sensor size), and live histogram. The technical quality was/is excellent.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 is a bridge camera with a large APS-C sensor. It was unusual in 

2005 and remains so today.

The main limitation of the Sony R1 is a sensor that gets noisy above ISO 400 combined with an absence of image stabilization. This is not a camera you can easily use for high-quality interior photos without a tripod. You have to employ old-school sturdy shooting methods with controlled breathing, a good stance, a steady hand, and a camera braced against pillars or posts if necessary.

This is a Sony R1 JPEG with a bit of fill light from the built-in flash. I persist with the raw files 

despite their slowness in writing.

At ISO 160-200, Sony R1 pictures are clear with great color. At ISO 400 they’re still good. When viewed at 100%, the images are satisfying with lots of detail. On the minus side, raw files take a long time to write on the R1 (several seconds, typically). This was never a rapid-fire camera for those aiming to pull the most quality from it. The R1 takes CF cards or Sony memory sticks – no SD cards.

The quality of the R1’s Carl Zeiss T* 24-120mm lens doesn’t disappoint. 

Exposure: 1/160th sec, ISO 160, f/8, approx 40mm equivalent focal length.

The R1’s WLF (waist level finder)

The flip-out 2″ LCD of the R1 didn’t appeal to everyone as it swivels upwards, effectively making the camera bigger. It’s already quite a bulky bridge camera. Personally, I love the fact that the LCD screen can slot flush into the top of the camera, turning it into a waist-level finder. That’s great for candid portraits or street photos, even if you have to wait for those big Sony raw files to write (you can shoot JPEGs). The camera has an electronic viewfinder that’s dimmer and lower resolution than you’d expect from today’s cameras, but it’s usable.

I’m not aware of any other digital stills camera that allows this. The LCD is only 2″ wide, but that 

allows it to slot neatly into the top of the camera like a WLF.

Of all the digital cameras I’ve used, the Sony R1 is one of the few that I haven’t sold over time. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it because of its quirkiness and quality. For those familiar with him, well-known US photographer and blogger Kirk Tuck was still singing the praises of the R1 just a few years back. This is a secondhand bargain if you can cope with the cons.

Old camera #2: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30

The main problem with the 2005 Panasonic Lumix FZ30 is the noise from its 8-megapixel CCD 1/1.8″ sensor. Even at ISO 80, it’s there. That aside, there are many appealing features. The 12x Leica-branded optical zoom lens with image stabilization is sharp across its whole range. Despite its age, the electronic viewfinder in this camera isn’t bad, even if the dioptric dial nudges out of place too easily. I tend to use the EVF more than the 2″ flip-down LCD.

The 12x optical zoom of the Lumix FZ-30 is fairly modest by today’s standards and isn’t very 

wide at the wide end. But still, you get good long-lens versatility that doesn’t seem to exceed its 

Mega O.I.S. ability (Optical Image Stabilization).

Offering all the exposure control you’d expect from an SLR, the Lumix FZ30 also allows raw shooting – a strong point in its favor. With today’s processing, and by restricting your photography to base ISO where possible, you can achieve good results. Limiting? Yes, but you get 36-432mm versatility for your trouble. The stabilization is effective, allowing you to make use of that long zoom at relatively low speeds with good technique.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 feels well made and gives you as much control as you want. 

Aside from allowing raw files, it captures modest VGA res video (typical for its age).

This is a camera that yields detailed pictures, is quick to handle, has long battery life and doesn’t hold you up with big raw files. One frustrating aspect is the need for 2GB SD cards to run it, which many people will not have in this day and age. It doesn’t accept SDHC cards (4GB+).

This is a 100% section of an FZ30 file with Adobe’s “enhanced details” and some basic masked 

capture sharpening applied in Lightroom. The detail isn’t at all bad at base ISO and unsharpened 

noise is unimposing. (Best viewed full size @ 1500 pixels.) Exposure: 1/500th, f/5, ISO 80.

Although noise is an issue with the Lumix DMC-FZ30, that is less important now than 14 years ago when the camera came out. Software like Topaz AI Sharpen, though not perfect, is good at suppressing noise and bringing out detail. The tools in Lightroom and other programs have also improved no end. Old cameras become more viable as processing technology advances.

Exposure: 1/160th @ f/4 – ISO 80. The focal length is 52mm, equating to around 250mm in 

35mm terms. Image stabilization is probably helping a little here.

Old camera #3: Canon EOS 450D/Rebel XSi

I wouldn’t recommend early digital SLRs to anyone based on dust problems alone, but that becomes a non-issue four generations in. The Canon EOS Rebel XSi (450D in Europe) came out in 2008. It was an entry-level DSLR offering many benefits over previous models. Among them were a sizeable 3″ LCD, Live View with phase and contrast detection AF, spot metering and a bigger, brighter viewfinder.

The lightest camera among the three even with its lens is the EOS Rebel XSi (450D). The kit lens 

is good, but a cheap 50mm f/1.8 would make even more of the camera’s excellent sensor.

The Rebel XSi is small and light by SLR standards and won’t give much satisfaction to metal-loving traditionalists. It doesn’t feel substantial. However, it’s understated and functional, and lets you go about your work stealthily. No-one is going to think you’re a pro, no matter how well you hold the camera. The most noticeable flaw is some wacky white balance results from time to time, especially under artificial light. Shooting raw, that’s not a deal-breaker.

This 100% view (with capture sharpening) shows good detail from the 18-55mm Canon kit lens. 

A 50% view creates more of a real-world impression, so this is okay at full size.

As you might expect from a Canon CMOS sensor, noise levels are low with the EOS Rebel XSi (lower than the Sony R1, for instance). Obviously, they’re not as impressive as a high-end camera from today or even yesterday, but you can risk ISO 800 or even max ISO 1600 images for some indoor shots and polish them up later. Better still, you can make use of live view, manual focusing and a tripod if circumstances allow.

Topaz Sharpen AI is good at sorting out detail from noise, though you have to check over the result 

for artifacts. This is an ISO 800 shot viewed at 100% with Topaz sharpening and noise suppression. 

This type of software is only going to improve.

A question of balance

If you’re using heavy “L” series lenses, they may not sit well on the Rebel XSi. It doesn’t have any heft. The original 18-55mm kit lens is sharp, lightweight and has good image stabilization. A modern equivalent of the Rebel XSi would give you more resolution, more advanced processing (a little quicker, less noise at high ISOs), a higher res LCD and video. All this was available in the camera that superseded it in 2009 – the EOS Rebel T1i (500D). But the stills photographer looking for a bargain DSLR might find an answer in the Rebel XSi. It has just enough and a bit more.

This 50% crop gives you a good idea of what the 2008 18-55mm kit lens can do, albeit through 

a compressed JPEG. There’s not much to complain about quality-wise, even if the sensor promises 

more.

With modern processing at our disposal, digital cameras from the early part of this century have more potential now than they had when new. Especially those that shot raw files. Yes, you’ll find it hard to go back to them if you’ve spoiled yourself with ultra-high-res LCDs and mega-bright EVFs. But some of the downsides in old cameras have upsides of their own: less brightness and resolution means better battery life. Low-res sensors mean not editing football-pitch-sized files.
You wouldn’t use old cameras if your living relied on the best high-ISO performance. Still, any of the three models I’ve discussed can easily produce a publishable, high-quality photo if you accept their constraints and process the files carefully. Other than the Sony R1’s slow write times, the cameras are quick and easy to handle.
So, with one or two caveats, I’d say early 2000s digital cameras can definitely be bargains.
Do you use any of these cameras, or have any to add to this list? Please share with the dPS community in the comments below.

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Tips on “Shooting for the Crop”

By: Adam Welch

In the year 2018, I’d just finished a quick search of the top 10 best selling digital cameras over at B&H Photo. Those 10 cameras sport an average megapixel count of 26.1MP. Six of those cameras were full-frame sensor models.
In 2004 I worked in a camera/photo processing lab and I remember the day we all stood in jaw-dropped awe as the Kodak DX4530 arrived at the store. The megapixel count of that glorious DX4530? A whopping 5MP. Bob Dylan was very much correct. The times are in fact a changin.

What all this means is that today, on average, our digital cameras pack in an enormous amount of resolution. This high resolving power affords us advanced possibilities for post-processing unlike never before and is especially true when it comes to enlarging and cropping our images. More specifically, these increases in resolution allow us to bend the limits of cameras and lenses by “shooting for the crop”.

What is Shooting for the Crop?

There’s no hidden meaning in “shooting for the crop”. It is a simple as it sounds.
When we say that we are shooting for the crop all it implies is that before our finger hits the shutter button we KNOW that we will be adjusting the entire composition of the photo later. This is entirely different from the usual organic cropping that sometimes happens during a spur of the moment flash of post-processing creativity.

Admittedly, shooting for the crop is not one of the most smiled upon photographic practices. Most agree that generally, the best way of making any photo is getting it consolidated, at least compositionally, before post-processing ever occurs.
The reason for this is because when we crop digital image files, no matter what, we are in fact making the individual pixel more apparent. The result is a loss of image sharpness and definition.

Low-resolution image.

Still, there will be times when the focal length of your lens may just not fit the situation. This is the usual scenario. There may be a distracting element within the frame that your lens is simply too wide to exclude or maybe that 50mm just doesn’t have the reach that you would prefer to frame your scene.
Whatever the case may be, effectively shooting for the crop means taking into account quite a few factors and variables to make sure the image you intend to end up with looks as clean as possible. Let’s talk about a few things you should take into account whenever you are intentionally shooting for the crop.

Find the “Sweet Spot”

All camera lenses, whether they cost $300 or $3,000, have an area in their field of view which carries the highest optical sharpness. Most times photographers refer to this area of maximum lens sharpness as “the optical sweet spot” because, well, it’s the sweet spot for sharpness.

While some lenses are of higher resolving quality than others, all of them will have some degree of optical distortion and softness as you move towards the edges of the frame. The very center of the frame is essentially always the sharpest area of the lens and sharpness is dampened radiating outward. So when you’re shooting for the crop, always place the main subject or point of interest right smack in the center of the frame.

It doesn’t matter if centering the subject makes a horrible composition for your photo because you are going to crop and recompose later in post-processing. All you should concern yourself with is obtaining the highest level of sharpness for your main point of interest.
This is because when you crop a digital image you are almost always enlarging it at the same time. The more you magnify it the more pixels you will see. It’s here when true sharpness becomes of paramount importance.

Shutter speed and aperture considerations

Getting the absolutely sharpest image for cropping later extends well beyond the quality of your lens. In order to ensure you have the best croppable photo you must take into account the shutter speed and aperture you’re using when making the exposure.

Use a fast shutter speed

The more motion you can arrest in a photo the more clear and sharp it will be. This is one of the rare facts of photographic technique. When shooting for the crop you should always use the fastest shutter speed obtainable.
Of course, this isn’t true when you’re looking for intentional motion blur. Using a fast shutter speed helps mediate not only subject movement but also unintentional camera shake.

A great method to help you figure out the slowest shutter speed you can use is “The Reciprocal Rule.” I am a long-standing evangelist of this rule because it truly is just so incredibly useful for helping you to achieve sharper photographs.
The Reciprocal Rule states that when shooting handheld your maximum shutter time is equal to “1” over the focal length of your lens.

So to help reduce camera shake when using a 50mm lens your slowest shutter speed would be 1/50th of a second. If using an 80mm it would be 1/80th. If you’re using a variable zoom then simply use whatever approximate focal length you happen to have dialed in on the lens.

Caveats on aperture

Just as every lens has an optical sweet spot so too does every lens have an optimal aperture range when it comes to sharpness. Various lenses have wildly variable aperture sweet spots.
Some are tack sharp at wide apertures and soften as you move into smaller apertures. With others, the exact opposite could be true. Even two samples of the same model lens could have different results at the same aperture.

When shooting for the crop it’s always a good idea to shoot at your ideal aperture whenever possible. Just like using the optical sweet spot, using your lens’s ideal aperture will stack the odds in your favor when it comes time to crop.
To find out what apertures produce the best results for your particular lens will take some testing. Simply shoot an image at each aperture and compare them. Generally speaking, most lenses are sharper at the relative “middle of the road” apertures as sharpness tends to degrade as you approach the very smallest or the very largest apertures of your lens.

A brief word on megapixels

There’s no beating around the bush when it comes to megapixels and shooting for the crop. Without attempting to give too technical of a talk (you’re welcome) on image sensors, it’s best to remember that the more megapixels you have packed into your camera’s sensor the better off you will be when shooting for the crop.

We talked about how cropping a digital photo is essentially zooming in on the image. Since that image is made of little picture elements (pixels) the more you zoom the better you can see the individual pixels. Pixel depth and size aside, the more pixels you have held within a sensor the more flexibility you will have to crop more liberally.

Final thoughts on shooting for the crop

Let’s face it, shooting for the crop is not high on the list of best photography practices. But, unfortunately, we live in a real world of unexpected circumstances. We either won’t have the ideal lens available or the environment will limit us to resorting to some judicious cropping later in post-production.
Luckily if you already know you’ll be cropping an image later you can work to stack the odds in your favor to have better success. Here are a few key tips to remember whenever you find the cruel reality of a scene requires you to shoot for the crop.

• Center the point of interest in the lens. Make use of that optical sweet spot!
• Use the fastest shutter speed possible when shooting hand-held. Remember the Reciprocal Rule.
• Know which aperture yields the highest degree of sharpness from ALL of your lenses and employ if possible.
• Cropping exaggerates the size of the pixels that make up a digital image. An image from a 16MP camera probably won’t crop as cleanly as one from a 34MP camera.

As with most things to do with post-processing, don’t overdo your cropping. If you know you’ll need to crop down extremely tight just to come close to your ideal picture, allow me to ask a small favor; take a breath and put the camera down. Remember that there will be other photographs and more opportunities. A butchered photo of an incredible scene is less desirable than not having the image at all! Most of the time….
Do you have a cool before and after example of shooting for the crop? Share them with us in the comments!

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6 Tips for Perfect Composition in Portrait Photography

By: Christina N Dickson  

Every on-location portraitist is faced with the challenge of paying attention to the details regarding his or her subject, such as posing, lighting, composition etc. Perhaps the greatest mistake made by amateur on-location portrait photographers is the lack of emphasis placed on a portrait’s background surroundings.
Photographers who do not closely examine the surroundings within the frame of their image are those who come away with images that have great distractions. No high school senior or bride will purchase a portrait in which a tree limb is sticking out of her head. Such distracting elements take emphasis off the subject, and are detrimental to the portraitist’s sales. There is nothing more painful for a portraitist than taking a portrait that is beautifully posed, gorgeously lit, and absolutely unusable … simply because no attention was given to background composition!
Posing and lighting both play enormous roles in the creation of a dynamic portrait. However, background composition is a forgotten component that requires an equal amount of time and thought.
Some things to consider when creating a perfectly composed portrait:

1. Fill the frame with your subject

A portrait is about the person, so don’t be afraid to zoom in close! Remember that zooming in does not mean capturing only face shots. You can also capture “tight”, close up shots of your subject sitting on a stool or leaning into a tree.

2. Keep eyes in the upper third

This is the most natural spacing for a portrait. Try not to divert from this rule unless you are deliberately creating tension. Another exception of this rule is when a subject is full-bodied in the bottom third of the frame.

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5 Tips for Improving Your Portrait Photography

By: Jason Weddington 
 

Here are some techniques that you may not be aware of if you’re new to portrait photography. It takes practice, but being aware of these ideas can get you experimenting, and inspire you to try shots you might not have otherwise tried.

1. Frame Tight

Next time you’re watching a movie, pay attention to the close-up shots. See the top of anyone’s head? Probably not very often.

Tightly framed natural light portrait

Leaving too much space above the head is a common mistake in portrait photography. For a close-up portrait, just cut off the top of the head. You don’t need it. I know it feels weird at first, and to be honest, I would never have tried this if someone hadn’t told me to. But it works because we connect to faces, not the tops of people’s heads. Also cropping out the top of the head (either in camera or in post) brings the eyes higher in the frame and helps you achieve rule of thirds or golden section placement of the face in the frame.

Tight portrait with golden-section crop overlay to show composition.

2. The eyes have it

The eyes often look best when the iris is centered in the eye. Direct the subject’s gaze to position her eyes such that the iris is about centered. By centered, I mean centered from the camera’s point of view, not the subject’s point of view.

Natural light portrait with good eye position and catchlights

I do this one of two ways, depending on the situation. If possible, I raise my left hand and have the subject follow my hand with her eyes until her eyes are positioned favorably. If this isn’t possible, I give directions like “keep your head still and just move your eyes a tiny bit to the left.”
In addition to directing your subject’s gaze to position the eyes, also take note of the catchlights in the eyes. A large, soft light source will create the most attractive catchlight. Windows without direct sunlight shining through them work great, as well as clear open sky.

3. Let the kids run wild!

You’ve heard this before but I’ll mention it again. When photographing children, one of the best ways to get natural smiles and fun photos is to shoot them in their natural habitat, which probably isn’t a photo studio.

And he only kicked me once.

Aside from a great portrait tip, this is also good all around practice to improve your photography skills. Kids at play are fast and unpredictable. Learning to frame, focus, and shoot before the moment has passed takes practice and patience.

4. Watch the hands

When it comes to portrait photography, hands are rarely neutral. Usually they are either adding to your photo, or taking from it. Make it a point to pay attention to your subject’s hands.
When photographing women, showing the hand in profile with the fingers curled works well. Often this looks more feminine and alluring than showing the back of the hand. Consider this example:

For portraits of women, showing the hand in profile with the fingers curled often works well.

Have you ever heard a subject complain “I don’t know what to do with my hands?” If you’ve ever stood in front of a large group of people to give a speech, then you know this feeling. When we’re put on the spot, it’s hard to do know what to do with our hands.
If idle hands are messing with your portrait, then put them to work. Sometimes solving the hand problem is as simple as handing the hands something to handle. Think creatively about using a prop to give your subject something to do with her hands.

Woman trying on an earring

Woman playing with a classic Konica

5. Shoot into the sun

Morning and evening are great times for backlit portraits. When the sun is low in the sky, you can use it as a rim light to highlight the subject’s hair. This works best if you can position your subject against a darker background, like a shaded area, without losing the light on the subject’s head.

Backlit portrait using the sun as a rim light

I hope I’ve given you a few new ideas to try next time you set out to shoot a portrait. Let me know your thoughts on this article by commenting below or reaching out to me on my Facebook page. I do my best to respond to questions and comments.

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Lightroom Moon Editing Tips for Awesome Moon Photos

By: Simon Ringsmuth

One of the most fascinating photos you can take is a crystal-clear shot of the full moon. Pictures like this don’t require a lot of fancy gear, but you do have to be in the right place at the right time. To make matters even more tricky, you only have a handful of opportunities each year to even attempt a moon shot. Getting a picture is just the beginning, though. If you want to make your shot stand out, it helps to follow these simple Lightroom moon editing tips.

Nikon D500, Nikon 70-200mm f2.8, 200mm, 1/200 second, f/4.8, ISO 640.

Shoot in RAW

The benefits of RAW over lossy formats like JPG are well documented. While there are certainly times where JPG is useful, RAW is essential when taking shots of the moon. You need all the editing leeway you can get to adjust colors, exposure, and other parameters.
For example, the photo below might not look like much, but it’s fairly typical of the types of moon shots most people would get with some basic camera gear. I shot this with a crop-sensor camera, which is much more common than expensive full-frame models. I also only zoomed to 200mm, and a lot of kit zoom lenses can easily reach this far.

This is straight out the camera with no postprocessing applied. Nikon D500, Nikon 70-200mm f2.8, 200mm, 1/200 second, f/5.6, ISO 720.

At first glance, it probably looks like there’s not much that I can do here. The moon is overexposed and a little blurry. It’s way too small, and the power lines cut right through the frame. Also, the sky has a weird blue tint to it that’s a bit unnatural.
However, hope is not lost! Thanks to the power of RAW files, and a little bit of editing prowess in Lightroom, this photo can be turned into a frame-worthy image.

Crop

Back in the early days of digital photography, people often debated the importance of megapixels. A common, though incorrect perception was that more megapixels equal better photos. While that is not necessarily true, having a higher megapixel count does allow you to have significant room for cropping, which is great when your subject is far away – 239,000 miles, to be exact.
Most cameras today have upwards of 20 megapixels, which gives you a huge amount of freedom to crop your photos. If you don’t have a huge telephoto zoom lens to zoom into individual moon craters, use Lightroom instead. Crop your image until it’s nice and tight with the moon right in the center.

Go ahead and crop your photo. If you have a modern camera you have plenty of leeway.

In this example, I cropped the image tight enough to get rid of everything but the moon and the sky. Gone are the power lines and trees, and what’s left is just the moon in all its glory. Even cropped in this much, the resulting image is 4.3 megapixels – more than enough to get an 8×10″ print made.

There’s still a lot of work to do, but cropping already helped a great deal.

White Balance

At this point the picture is better, but still has a long way to go.
The next step is to adjust the white balance. The reason I recommend doing this after you crop your moon photo is that it helps you focus on just the important part of the image. If you adjust the white balance before cropping, you might be focusing your edits on parts of the image that you discard after cropping.
There’s no right or wrong way to adjust the white balance on a moon photo. It all depends on how you want the final image to look and what you want your viewers to feel when they see it. If you want a starting point, here are two options I recommend.

1. Use the Daylight preset
2. Use the Eyedropper and click on the moon.

Both of these produce vastly different results. You can also play around with the sliders until you get a look that you like. One thing to remember is that the moon itself produces no light. It’s just a ball of rock falling through the sky. The light you see is sunlight reflecting off the surface, which is why some people prefer to use a white balance suited for sunlight. The choice is yours, though, and you can set the white balance however you want.
Another option is to combine the best of both worlds. Click the eyedropper tool on the moon, but then use the Brush tool to change the white balance of the moon. This will give you rich, deep blues for the sky but a yellow tint for the moon. However, this can be a little tricky. If not done right, you will see a weird color halo around the moon. So just make sure to use the Brush tool as precisely as possible.

You can use the Brush tool to change the white balance of the moon, but not the rest of the image if you choose.

Exposure adjustments

Nailing the exposure when shooting the moon is tricky. It’s a giant bright ball against a dark sky, which means a lot of the conventional rules don’t apply. I usually prefer to under-expose the moon and then adjust it in Lightroom. That way you preserve your highlights, but even if your picture is a little overexposed you can still salvage it if you shoot in RAW.
In this example, my shot is overexposed by about one stop. To fix it, I entered a -0.75 value in the Exposure slider in the Basic panel. This darkens everything: the moon and the sky. If you want the sky to stay the same level of brightness but just adjust the moon, use the Highlights slider. Drag it left to lower the exposure of the brightest portions of your image – in this case, the moon.

Raise or lowering the exposure in Lightroom to get just the right appearance.

Adjusting the exposure isn’t one of the most mind-blowing moon editing tips, but it’s an essential step in the process of getting your final shot to look good.

Texture and Sharpening

When you take a picture of the moon, you have to contend with all sorts of variables that can lead to a soft or fuzzy appearance. From earth, we see the moon through miles of atmosphere, which often contains dust and other particles. Your lens might not be tack-sharp either, especially if you got your zoom lens as part of a camera kit. Lightroom can help fix these issues with a few simple sliders.
Normally, I would recommend starting with the Sharpening slider, but not when shooting the moon. In this case, you want to bring out the moon’s texture and surface details, so the texture slider is a great place to start. You can find it at the bottom of the Basic panel. Alternatively, you can use the Brush tool to adjust the texture if you want a little more precision in your editing.

Raising the texture slider makes the surface look clear and crisp. I used a value of +80 which is a bit extreme, but I wanted to illustrate the impact of the Texture slider.

The Sharpening slider is great for fine-tuning your image after adjusting the texture. However, I do not recommend using the Clarity slider. That will result in a false, unnatural look with moon shots and can show some unwanted noise in the sky as well.

Final touches

At this point, you have several options to polish your image. While you can use any number of editing tools, some that I recommend trying are:

• Adding a vignette
• Use the Brush tool to reduce noise in the sky
• Adjust the tone curve to have a very slight S-shape
• Raise and lower the blue saturation
• Convert your picture to Black and White. Click “Black and White” in the top-right corner of the Basic panel

Final moon shot. I added a vignette and brushed some noise reduction in the sky.

When it comes to moon editing tips, the sky is quite literally the limit. These should be enough to get you started, but I recommend spending time just experimenting with some of the sliders in Lightroom to see what you can do.

Nikon D7100, 200mm, f/8, 1/180 second, ISO 640. I used the editing tips in this article to process this shot.

What about you? DO you have any other moon editing tips you’d like to share? Do you have any favorite shots of the moon? Share your favorites in the comments below!

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How to Shoot Engaging Travel Portraits from Start to Finish

By: Ben McKechnie 

I love travel portraits. Not only do they test your photography skills but also challenge you to interact with people in unfamiliar environments. The end result directly reflects your subject’s personality along with your ability to make them feel at ease, read the light, select optimal settings, and compose a great shot.

A boy named Ashim and his father at Dasaswamedh Ghat – Varanasi, India.

Every photographer has a slightly different approach, which evolves with every new person you meet and country you visit. Join me as I walk you through an encounter from start to finish and share tips on how to shoot engaging travel portraits.

1 – Approach the person and get permission

As a photographer, it’s up to you to develop your own code of ethics. However, I implore you to seek permission and not just stick a camera in someone’s face. The initial approach can often be the hardest part; taking the shot is comparatively easy.
Aim for a consensual, mutually enjoyable exchange from which you can both walk away with a happy story to tell. Be open, smile, and pay people compliments.

Boy monks at Rumtek Monastery – Sikkim, India. I kept my camera at my side, introduced myself, 

and asked their names. Their answers made me regret leaving my notebook in the car (Sikkimese 

names are notoriously long). They wanted to talk about soccer. When I asked for a photo, the boy 

on the right jumped and said “I know a good place. Follow me!” It was a fun encounter and their 

personalities shone through in the pictures because they’d had a chance to chat about their favorite 

topic.

If it’s a firm no, you can smile warmly, tell them it’s absolutely fine, and ask them if they would like to see photos you’ve taken of the local area. This way, you can both still walk away having had a pleasant experience, and sometimes, they even change their mind.

2 – Communicate for a meaningful experience

Your challenge now is to make your subject feel at ease. The best portraits come when people are relaxed and open to you. Most crucially, don’t rush the photo, say goodbye, and walk away. Show genuine interest in their lives.
Ask questions if you can speak a mutual language. If not, remember that much of your intentions and warmth can be communicated through body language, facial expressions, and gestures.

Ba-An, an 81-year-old lady, in front of the Banaue rice terraces – Luzon, Philippines. I will remember 

Ba-An because I had the longest and most interesting conversation I’ve had with anyone before taking 

their portrait. “These? They’re chicken feathers,” she said when I asked about her headdress. 

“Sometimes I tell people it is tradition, but really, we just started doing it a few years ago!”

3 – Read the light and use it to your advantage

With permission granted and your subject warming to you, the next step is reading the light. Whether it’s day or night, look at the lighting conditions around you. Consider asking your subject to turn their body or move completely to seek the best light.

While waiting for a Hindu ceremony to begin, this gentleman wobbled his head enthusiastically and 

motioned towards my camera – Varanasi, India. Sometimes, as in this situation, when people see you 

photographing others in a respectful manner, they may prompt you to take their portrait. I asked him to 

turn so that the light from a spotlight would be cast across his face at a less harsh angle.

4 – Select your settings

Ideally, you have a fixed focal length (prime) lens with a wide aperture attached to your camera body. However, if you’re traveling, you may have an all-purpose zoom lens attached. I like portraits that I’ve taken with both types.
With my fixed focal lens, I often shoot portraits at f/2.8 or slightly above. If you shoot any wider, the focal plane can be so thin that you risk your subject’s eyes being in focus but having their nose out of focus. For a zoom lens, I recommend selecting your widest aperture but standing further away from your subject. Zooming in on their face will accentuate the shallow depth of field effect that works so well for portraits.

A Muslim traveler at Haji Ali Dargah, an Islamic shrine off the coast of Mumbai – India. My
settings and lens for this portrait were f/2.8 | 1/1600th | ISO 160 | Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art lens.
The fast shutter speed allowed by using f/2.8 picked out fine details on the man’s face. Such
a fast shutter wasn’t necessary for this level of sharpness but it was an extremely bright day
in Mumbai.

For engaging portraits, the most important element requiring sharp focus is the eyes. I suggest
setting your camera to spot focus on the center AF point. Next, aim the center point at one of
your subject’s eyes. Use the focus and recompose method – or even better – the
back button focus method to lock in on the eyes. This will ensure they’re in sharp focus
in the finished photo.

5 – Choose a strong composition

Numerous compositions can work for portraits. The rule of thirds can work incredibly well but try not to wear it out or all your travel portraits will look the same.
Another one to try is placing one of your subject’s eyes directly in the center of the frame; a study proved that portraits composed this way appeal to viewers on a subconscious level. I promise I’m not making that up. This can be applied in portrait or landscape orientation.
A general rule exists in travel portraiture that you shouldn’t place your subject directly in the center of the frame; however, rules are made to be broken sometimes.

As I stood taking pictures of the Banaue rice terraces, I heard a frail voice saying “Photo? Who is 

taking a photo?” It belonged to a 96-year-old woman named Bah Gu-An. She was completely blind. 

I wasn’t sure how to communicate as I normally would for a portrait so took her hands in mine to let 

her know I was there. Her friends translated back and forth for us. I decided on a rule of thirds 

composition because I felt the blue umbrella added extra visual interest and balance to the frame.

6 – Come down to their eye level

Try not to stand above your subject if they are sitting. This is intimidating and works against your goal to relax them. Positive psychological things happen when you come down to someone’s eye level. Take a look at the example below.

A Hindu holy man on a tiny island in the Brahmaputra River – Assam, India. This is not a touristy 

location in India so he is the real deal. I sat down on the step to receive a blessing. Accompanied by 

mystical chanting, I drank some lukewarm tea of unknown provenance, had air blown all over my 

face, and ash spread across my forehead. We chatted after and I felt in no rush to suggest a portrait. 

It was a fascinating experience. What do you think when you look at his facial expression – Is the 

time spent together palpable?

7 – Shoot different styles of portrait

Posed versus candid portraits

Posed refers to approaching a person and asking them to sit for a portrait, whereas candid portraits refer to catching a person in an unguarded moment. This doesn’t have to mean without permission.
For the image below, I’d already gained this lady’s trust and permission but waited until she’d forgotten that I was there to continue shooting. Later, I showed her all of the photos, which she seemed happy with.

A devotee watches the nightly Ganga Aarti ceremony – Varanasi, India. This image could be called 

a candid environmental portrait.

Headshot versus environmental portraits

A headshot refers to filling the frame with your subject’s face. The background is not important for setting the scene, although you might consider finding one of a complementary color to your subject’s clothing, skin tone, or eye color. Environmental portraits are zoomed out to allow your subject’s surroundings into the frame to add to their story.

8 – Shoot a series with the same subject

When you have someone’s permission and have bonded with them, consider staying with them a while and shooting a series of images. This is what I did when I met one man in the Philippines recently. I directed him gently for a series of shots after telling him how interested people would be to learn about his culture. He was happy to oblige.

I would have kicked myself if I’d walked away without getting a side profile shot of this man and his 

headdress that featured the real heads of a long-dead bird and monkey.

I decided to fill the frame here to draw attention to his excellent smile, patterned clothes, and monkey 

headdress.

9 – Always remember aftercare

Aftercare means bringing the encounter to a close in the best possible manner. I believe an extra layer exists as to why the verb is to “take” a portrait. You are taking something from them, but what are you giving in return?
Make sure you show the person their image on the back of your camera, pay them a compliment, and thank them sincerely. So much joy can come from this simple act.

A man named Ibrahim at the Haji Ali Dargah, Mumbai. As we sat together cross-legged on the ground enthusiastically shaking hands at the side of a busy walkway, I could tell from his reaction and those of passersby that this wasn’t a common occurrence. The overall encounter lingered with me for the rest of the day, and I sincerely hope that Ibrahim remembers it fondly too.

I want to know your best advice for shooting travel portraits and see the images you’re most proud of. Be sure to share them in the comments section below.


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