[Photography] 5 Lightroom Tips and Tricks (to Revolutionize Your Editing)

The post 5 Lightroom Tips and Tricks (to Revolutionize Your Editing) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.

Looking for Lightroom tips and tricks to improve your workflow, increase your speed, and enhance your edits? You’ve come to the right place.

I’ve been using Lightroom for over a decade, and in this article, I share my top advice for amazing results, including:

• The panel that everyone should use for beautiful, artistic edits
• An easy way to apply complex edits at high speeds
• The best tools for creating fine-tuned, professional effects

Let’s do this!

1. Create color harmonies using the HSL panel

If you’ve never worked with the Lightroom HSL panel, then you’re in for a treat. It’s a little option hidden underneath the Tone Curve that looks like this:

The panel works by targeting different colors independently. You can choose to tweak only the reds in an image; you can brighten only the greens; you can desaturate only the blues. You simply pick the corresponding color slider, then make the necessary adjustments.

Note that the HSL panel lets you adjust colors in three specific ways. You can:

1. Change color hues. You can make the reds more orange, the purples more pink, or the blues more green.
2. Change color saturation. You can make the blues more faded or the reds more intense.
3. Change color luminance. You can brighten up the greens, darken down the blues, or brighten up the yellows.

When you’re just starting out, I’d recommend simply experimenting with the different sliders until you get an effect that you like, but here are a few ideas to try:

• Remove all the cool colors from an image for a warm, cinematic look
• Saturate the color of the main subject while desaturating the colors in the background
• Push several different colors in the same direction for a simpler color palette (and a more harmonious result)

This image, for instance, features a warm color palette (which can be achieved by desaturating blues, greens, and magentas:

2. Try the automatic slider adjustments

Sometimes, it can be hard to know how to start (or continue) a Lightroom edit.

In such cases, I recommend a simple little trick:

Hold down the Shift key, then double click on the sliders in the Basic panel. Lightroom will analyze your image, then apply adjustments automatically.

No, the edits won’t always be perfect, but they often look nice – and if you hate the result, you can always double-click on the slider name to set it back to zero. Plus, you can always use the automatic settings as starting points, then edit from there.

By the way, if you want to see all of Lightroom’s automatic edits at once, just click the Auto button above the Exposure slider:

It’ll instantly adjust the sliders in the Basic panel!

Now, these automatic adjustments don’t work for all Lightroom sliders. They won’t work outside the Basic panel, and they won’t work on the Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze sliders.

But you can use it to automatically adjust the white balance, the exposure, the contrast, and even the saturation – so why not give it a try and see what you think?

3. Use the clipping masks (or the clipping warnings)

Clipping refers to a loss of detail in the highlights and/or the shadows of an image – and in general, clipping is pretty bad.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell whether you’re actually clipping details while editing, and it’s possible to exacerbate clipping issues by pushing your sliders too far without realizing it. You can always keep an eye on the histogram, but it can be difficult to interpret, especially for beginners.

Fortunately, Lightroom has a solution: The clipping masks, which clearly indicate clipping in real-time.

Before you adjust the Exposure, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, or Blacks slider, simply hold down the Alt/Opt key. Then, when you increase or decrease the sliders, you’ll see a white or a black overlay, like this:

A mask that reveals zero clipping will be all white or all black. But a mask that shows some clipping will change colors over the problem areas:

(Note that, when adjusting the Blacks or the Shadows, clipping is indicated as color on white. On the other hand, when adjusting the Exposure, the Whites, or the Highlights, clipping is indicated as color on black.)

As long as you have no clipping, you’re good to go – but as soon as you start to see a loss of detail, you’ll want to dial back the intensity of your edits. Make sense?

One more quick Lightroom tip: If you want to identify clipping but you don’t want to spend time looking at the masks, you can always click the arrows at the top of the histogram:

This will activate the clipping indicators, which will cause clipped shadows to turn blue and clipped highlights to turn red:

4. Use the copy-paste shortcut to speed up your workflow

Say you’re editing a large volume of photos from an event, a wedding, or a portrait photoshoot. You need to move through the photos quickly, so you don’t want to edit each file individually.

You could create presets, but each one takes time to produce, and if the presets are photoshoot-specific, you may never use them again.

Instead, why not use Lightroom’s copy-paste option?

You see, after you edit an image, you can always select Edit>Copy (or press Ctrl/Cmd+C). A window will pop up, asking you which settings you want to copy:

Then, once you’ve chosen the relevant settings, select your to-be-edited photos, then choose Edit>Paste (or press Ctrl/Cmd+V).

The settings from your original photo will be pasted onto the selected images, and your editing work will be done!

This can be a great way to handle complex photoshoots. For instance, if you captured images in multiple types of light, you might edit the first front-lit image, copy the settings, and paste them across all the remaining frontlit images. You could do the same for the backlit images, the shaded images, and so on – and if you require even more control over your results, you can make slight adjustments to your settings as you go, then copy again and paste as required.

I do have one recommendation, though:

Even if you think you’ve done a successful copy-paste job, quickly go through the edited images and make sure everything looks okay. You don’t want to send images to a client, only to realize that you cropped all the files by accident!

5. Use Lightroom’s local adjustment tools

Lightroom offers a handful local adjustment options – referred to as masking tools – and they are insanely powerful. You can find them toward the top of the editing panels, just underneath the histogram:

Unlike global adjustments, which affect the entire image, local adjustments only change a portion of a file.

So while you can brighten up an entire image using the Exposure slider, you can brighten up just the foreground using a local adjustment; while you can sharpen the entire image using Lightroom’s Detail sliders, you can sharpen only the main subject using a local adjustment. They’re a great way to create fine-grained, detailed edits that add depth, enhance color, and push the viewer’s eye toward the main subject.

I like to use local adjustments for all sorts of things, but here are a few ideas:

• Use a Radial Gradient to add a vignette (i.e., a darkening effect) around the edges of the frame
• Use a Radial Gradient to boost the exposure of the main subject
• Use a Linear Gradient to decrease the exposure and increase the contrast in the sky
• Use a Linear Gradient to darken the foreground

Here, a Linear Gradient is being applied to the image foreground.

Really, when it comes to local adjustments, the sky is the limit. Feel free to use the suggestions I provided above, but also make sure you experiment. That way, you’ll get a deep sense of how the masking tools work and what they can do for your photos!

Lightroom tips and tricks: final words

Well, there you have it:

Five tips to take your Lightroom editing to the next level.

So try out these suggestions. See how you like them. And let us know in the comments how they work out!

The post 5 Lightroom Tips and Tricks (to Revolutionize Your Editing) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.

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[Photography] Bird Photography Settings: The Ultimate Guide

The post Bird Photography Settings: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Want to capture amazing bird photos? Then you absolutely need to master your camera settings.

Settings determine whether your bird photos look blurry or sharp, well-exposed or lacking details – in my experience, they’re often the difference between a great shot and a mediocre one.

I’ve been photographing birds for over a decade, and in this article, I share my favorite bird photography settings, including:

• The shutter speed you need to keep your bird shots sharp
• The best camera mode for well-exposed bird images
• The best aperture for bird photography
• The perfect autofocus mode for consistently in-focus photos
• Much more!

By the time you finish reading, you’ll know how to capture beautiful images of birds perching and birds in flight. Let’s dive right in, starting with the basics:

1. Use Aperture Priority mode to set your exposure

First things first:

If you want to create beautiful bird photos, you must make sure they’re well exposed. In other words, you need to choose the right aperture, shutter speed, and ISO – the three exposure-triangle variables – to create a bright, detailed photo.

Technically, you can select your exposure variables using Manual mode. You dial in each setting with the help of your camera exposure bar (displayed at the bottom of the viewfinder), and you end up with a solid exposure.

But working in Manual mode is slow, and birds are fast. If you stick to Manual mode, you’ll end up missing too many shots while you’re fiddling with your camera dials.

Instead, I recommend you use Aperture Priority mode, which lets you select an aperture and an ISO, while the camera selects a shutter speed based on its evaluation of the ambient light.

Simply dial in an aperture and an ISO value (more on that later on!), then let your camera pick the right shutter speed. You’ll want to check your results frequently, and if your camera starts to underexpose or overexpose your the images, you’ll need to address the issue with positive or negative exposure compensation, respectively.

You’ll also need to make sure your shutter speed doesn’t drop too low, as I discuss in the next section:

2. Choose a shutter speed of at least 1/500s (and probably faster)

If you want to capture sharp bird photos, then you need a fast shutter speed. Birds are generally full of energy, so a too-slow shutter speed will ruin your shots with motion blur.

How fast is fast enough?

Unfortunately, there’s no single ideal shutter speed. Relatively stationary birds – such as a cardinal on a branch – require much slower shutter speeds than birds in flight. And bigger birds tend to be slower than smaller birds, so you can often get away with slower shutter speeds when photographing, say, a swan (versus a tiny chickadee, which hops around like a bolt of lightning).

That said, here are a few recommendations:

• If you’re photographing a motionless bird (for instance, a bird that’s sleeping or standing still), use a shutter speed of at least 1/500s, especially if you’re working with a telephoto lens. The 1/500s speed may not be strictly necessary to freeze the bird, but it’ll help compensate for camera shake.
• If you’re shooting a small bird that’s moving slowly (e.g., preening) or a big bird that’s moving at a slow to medium speed, around 1/1000s is a good choice.
• If you’re shooting a fast-moving bird, including a bird in flight, you should choose a shutter speed of at least 1/2000s. If the bird is flying at high speeds, then 1/2500s, 1/3200s, or even 1/4000s is even better.

Now, you might be wondering: Why can’t I just crank up my shutter speed to 1/4000s and leave it there?

Unfortunately, every shutter speed boost comes with a cost. The higher the shutter speed, the darker the resulting exposure (or, if you’re using Aperture Priority, the more you’ll need to increase your ISO, which causes other problems). So unless the light is extremely bright, you’ll often need to keep the shutter speed at my recommended amounts and no higher.

3. Use the lowest ISO you can afford for noise-free photos

If you’ve followed the bird photography settings recommendations I’ve given above, then your camera should be set to Aperture Priority mode.

And in Aperture Priority, you can’t actually choose your shutter speed. But you can adjust the shutter speed indirectly by raising and lowering your ISO.

You see, the ISO refers to the camera’s sensitivity to light, so if you raise the ISO (i.e., brighten the exposure) while in Aperture Priority mode, the camera will compensate by boosting the shutter speed (i.e., darken the exposure).

That’s why it’s important to monitor your shutter speed as you work. If it gets too low, you can boost the ISO, which will force your camera to increase the shutter speed. Make sense?

Unfortunately, ISO comes with a big downside: The higher the ISO, the more noise you’ll get in your photos, and the worse they’ll look. So while you should definitely increase your ISO if the shutter speed drops below my recommended values, you should keep it as low as possible otherwise.

4. Use an aperture that’s wide (but not too wide)

As I emphasized above, Aperture Priority allows you to dial in an aperture and an ISO, while your camera selects the shutter speed. And if you select a wide aperture, the camera-chosen shutter speed will be faster.

Therefore, many beginner bird photographers select their lens’s maximum aperture (often f/4 or f/5.6) in order to keep the shutter speed as high as possible. (A wide aperture also produces beautiful background bokeh.)

This isn’t a terrible strategy, but here’s the problem: As you widen the aperture, images become softer and you lose depth of field (i.e., the amount of the scene that’s in focus). If you go too wide, your subject’s legs and body will start to blur.

In my view, every bird photo should have a sharp head and (at the very least) a sharp front leg. If you’re photographing a bird in flight, you’ll want to keep portions of the wings sharp, too. But in most situations, your lens’s widest aperture just isn’t enough.

So instead of selecting a wide-open aperture such as f/4 or f/5.6, stop down a little. You’ll still get decent bokeh at f/6.3 or f/7.1, and you’ll also get enough depth of field to keep the bird’s body sharp.

5. Use back-button focus to capture tack-sharp photos

Back-button focus is one of the most useful camera features you’ll ever encounter. Here’s why:

Back-button autofocus lets you control your camera’s focus via a button on the camera’s back (sometimes labeled AF-ON). Rather than pressing the shutter button halfway to focus, then pressing the rest of the way to capture a shot, back-button focus allows you to separate the two functions, so that:

The shutter button is used for taking pictures.

And the AF-ON button is used for focusing.

This is invaluable if you want to focus and recompose, then track a moving subject, then focus and recompose again.

You’ll want to make sure you’ve set your autofocus mode to AI-Servo, also known as AF-C. Then, if you press and hold the AF-ON button, it’ll activate the continuous autofocus, which will track a moving subject.

But once you let go of the AF-ON button, the autofocus will lock in place.

So if you come upon a bird that’s moving, you can track it by holding down the AF-ON button. As soon as the bird stops moving, you can let go of the AF-ON button and test out different compositions, knowing that the focus won’t change.

The ibis in the photo below was moving along the water’s edge – then it stopped. I held the AF-ON button until my lens focused on the eye, then I let go and reframed.

That’s the power of back-button focus!

To set up back-button autofocus does take a bit of fiddling with settings (and it changes from camera to camera). So take a look in your camera’s manual (or do a bit of Googling!) and get it set up.

6. Use continuous shooting to nail the action photos

Birds are full of life, which means that there are plenty of opportunities for action shots: Birds flying through the air, birds diving into the water, birds capturing fish.

But if you’re not prepared, it’s easy to miss those prize-winning images. After all, birds move fast!

And that’s where continuous shooting comes in handy.

These days, pretty much every camera has a continuous shooting mode. This allows you to fire off a burst of photos, generally between 5 frames per second and 30 frames per second. And you can use it to capture split-second moments.

So whenever you go out to do bird photography, switch over to continuous shooting. And then, when the action heats up, start shooting bursts rather than single shots.

That’s what I did for the little blue heron scene displayed below. When the bird began to hunt, I started shooting in bursts, so I could be sure to get sharp shots with the beak near the water:

Will you get a lot of throwaway images? Sure. But you’ll also have a much better chance of getting the perfect image. To my mind, it’s absolutely worth it.

You do want to be careful, however, because your camera’s buffer can fill up quickly. When that happens, you won’t be able to shoot bursts until the camera has processed some of the images. So be mindful of your camera’s buffer, and don’t overshoot. Got it?

Bird photography settings: final words

Choosing the best settings for bird photography may seem difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

Just remember the settings that I’ve shared. You’ll be capturing amazing photos in no time!

Table of contents

Bird Photography

• GENERAL
  • An Introduction to Bird Photography
  • 10 Common Bird Photography Mistakes and Their Solutions
  • 5 Secrets for Stunning Creative Bird Photography
  • 5 Ways to Photograph Birds
• GEAR
  • Review of the Nikon D500 for Wildlife and Bird Photography
• SETTINGS
  • 10 Must-Use Bird Photography Camera Settings for Beginners
  • 5 Camera Settings Every Bird Photographer Should Know

    • 1. Use Aperture Priority mode to set your exposure
    • 2. Choose a shutter speed of at least 1/500s (and probably faster)
    • 3. Use the lowest ISO you can afford for noise-free photos
    • 4. Use an aperture that’s wide (but not too wide)
    • 5. Use back-button focus to capture tack-sharp photos
    • 6. Use continuous shooting to nail the action photos
    • Bird photography settings: final words
    • 1. Use Aperture Priority mode to set your exposure
    • 2. Choose a shutter speed of at least 1/500s (and probably faster)
    • 3. Use the lowest ISO you can afford for noise-free photos
    • 4. Use an aperture that’s wide (but not too wide)
    • 5. Use back-button focus to capture tack-sharp photos
    • 6. Use continuous shooting to nail the action photos
    • Bird photography settings: final words
• COMPOSITION
  • A Quick Guide to Amazing Bird Photography Compositions
  • A Turn of the Head – Creating More Compelling Bird Portraits
  • 5 Ways to Get Frame-Filling Shots in Bird Photography
• ADVANCED GUIDES
  • 10 Surefire Tips for Photographing Birds in Flight
  • How to do Bird Photography Near Feeders
  • Backyard Bird Photography Tips
  • 5 Tips for Better Forest Bird Photography
  • How to Photograph Hummingbirds
  • A Guide to Photographing Birds and Wildlife in a Wetland Area
• POST-PROCESSING
  • 5 Unforgiving Post-Processing Mistakes Every Bird Photographer Must Avoid
• INSPIRATION
  • A Collection of Stunning Photos of Birds

The post Bird Photography Settings: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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[Photography] The Most Popular Digital Cameras (in 2022)

The post The Most Popular Digital Cameras (in 2022) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Every few months, we publish a list of popular gear based on what our readers buy on Amazon.* This is our latest list of the most popular digital cameras!

As with our popular lenses list, this digital camera list has traditionally been dominated by Canon and Nikon cameras. But their reign seems to be over; Sony has well and truly joined them thanks to an amazing lineup of digital cameras.

This time around, we’re going to share the top five most popular digital cameras (including both mirrorless and DSLR models). We’ll then provide comprehensive lists featuring the most popular models from each main manufacturer.

The (overall) most popular digital cameras

Below, we feature the top five most popular models:

1. Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera

The Canon EOS Rebel T7 tops our popular camera list for a few reasons.

First, it’s a Canon camera, so it comes with a name that everyone knows and respects.

Second, its price is hard to beat: the T7 costs under $500 – including an 18-55mm kit lens.

The T7 is a great choice for anyone new to photography looking for their first camera. And while there are cameras with better specifications (many of which are on this list), the T7 gives you a 24 MP APS-C sensor, a built-in flash, 1080p video, and 3 frames-per-second continuous shooting. You can even use it as a webcam!

See the current price of the Canon T7 (with a kit lens) here.

Buying recommendation: If you have a few hundred extra dollars to spend, we would recommend the Canon EOS Rebel T8i. It’s a couple of years younger than the T7 and comes with some upgraded specs.

2. Sony a7 IV Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a7 IV couldn’t be more different from the T7, yet it’s a very worthy #2. In fact, it only sold one fewer unit than the T7. (Also, the dPS founder just picked up this very camera!)

And while it has a steep price tag, its specifications reveal why.

This is the fourth-generation model in the a7 lineup, and it comes with a 33 MP full-frame sensor, 10 frames-per-second continuous shooting, 4K/60p video, 5-axis optical image stabilization, 759 autofocus points, eye tracking for humans, animals, and birds, and so much more.

If you’re looking for a true hybrid camera, you can’t go wrong with the Sony a7 IV.

See the current price of the Sony a7 IV here.

Buying recommendation: If you don’t have the budget for the a7 IV, check out the Sony a7 III. It’s the a7 IV’s predecessor and is still available (with a very comparable set of specifications).

3. Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera

Canon has been making real inroads with their R-series mirrorless cameras as of late, so it is no surprise to see an EOS R model on our list of popular cameras.

The Canon EOS R6 may not have features that are quite as spectacular as its Canon EOS R5 sibling, but its specifications are very respectable. It’s a great choice for enthusiasts who want a camera with both video and photo capabilities.

It has a 20 MP full-frame sensor, in-body stabilization, 20 FPS continuous shooting with the electronic shutter and 12 FPS continuous shooting with mechanical shutter, 4K/60p video, and much more.

See the current price of the Canon EOS R6 here.

Buying recommendations: Canon is quickly expanding their R-series lineup. If you have a larger budget, check out the already-released EOS R5 and EOS R3. Also, note that, at the time of writing, Canon has announced a few other cameras, including the R7 and the R10 (both of which cost less than the EOS R6 and are due out this summer).

4. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera

You could do a lot worse than to head out on assignment with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV hanging around your neck.

While the 5D Mark IV is the oldest camera in our top 5 (it launched back in late 2016), 5D cameras have featured on our popular digital camera lists since the original 5D launched way back in 2005.

5D models have been used by many millions of enthusiasts and professionals. The Mark IV has a 30.4 MP full-frame sensor, a 61-point AF system, 7 FPS continuous shooting, and 4K video. As a stills camera, the 5D Mark IV holds up very well. In fact, we know a number of pros who still use the 5D Mark IV as their primary camera.

See the current price of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV here.

5. Sony a6600 Mirrorless Camera

Sony’s APS-C camera lineup has always been impressive, and the a6600 is the current top option. This camera is small but packs quite a punch, and it’s great for both still and video content creators.

It comes with a 24.2 MP APS-C sensor, human and animal eye detection, 4K video, 425 phase-detection and 425 contrast-detection AF points, and image stabilization.

See the current price of the Sony a6600 here.

Buying recommendation: Don’t have the budget for the a6600? Check out Sony’s exceptional a6400 and the newer Sony ZV-E10. (The latter is emerging as a popular camera for vloggers and content creators.)

Most popular Canon digital cameras

This past quarter, we’ve seen intense competition between Canon and Sony, with Canon just outselling Sony among our readers.

Canon’s cameras generally fit into 3 categories: the EOS R lineup (full-frame mirrorless), the EOS M lineup (compact APS-C mirrorless), and the DSLR lineup (both full frame and APS-C).

Without further ado, here are the most popular digital cameras from Canon:

1. Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera (also known as the EOS 2000D)
2. Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera
3. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera
4. Canon EOS RP Mirrorless Camera
5. Canon EOS Rebel T8i DSLR Camera (also known as the EOS 850D)
6. Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera
7. Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera
8. Canon EOS M6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera
9. Canon EOS M50 Mark II Mirrorless Camera
10. Canon EOS 90D DSLR Camera

Most popular Sony digital cameras

Sony has dominated the mirrorless camera market for the past few years, so it’s not surprising that they were bearly beaten by Canon as the most popular manufacturer among our readers.

Sony’s offerings largely fall into two categories: full-frame mirrorless cameras (including the a7, a7R, a7S, a9, and a1 ranges), and APS-C mirrorless cameras.

While Canon has been rapidly expanding their mirrorless lineup, what still sets Sony apart is the company’s amazing range of both all-around and specialist cameras.

Here are the 10 most popular Sony digital cameras among our readers. We’ve also noted the purpose of the more specialized options.

1. Sony a7 IV Mirrorless Camera (All-around Hybrid)
2. Sony a6600 Mirrorless Camera
3. Sony a7 III Mirrorless Camera (All-around Hybrid)
4. Sony a6400 Mirrorless Camera
5. Sony a7R IV Mirrorless Camera (High Resolution)
6. Sony a7S III Mirrorless Camera (Video/Low Light)
7. Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera (Vlogging)
8. Sony a9 II Mirrorless Camera (Sports/Journalism)
9. Sony a7C Mirrorless Camera (Compact Hybrid)
10. Sony a6100 Mirrorless Camera

Sony’s only main camera missing from this list is the amazing (but expensive) flagship model, the Sony a1. It’s quite possibly the best camera on the market today, but it struggles on the “popular camera” list due to its price.

Most popular Nikon digital cameras

Nikon is a much-loved manufacturer among our readers. Over the last couple of years, however, we’ve slowly seen a decrease in the number of people buying Nikon cameras.

Interestingly, we haven’t noticed as steep a decline in the number of Nikon lenses purchased by readers (as you can see on our popular lens list).

Nikon does continue to release mirrorless cameras, so we’ll hopefully see them bounce back over the next few years.

In the meantime, here are the most popular Nikon digital cameras among our readers:

1. Nikon Z6 II Mirrorless Camera
2. Nikon Z7 II Mirrorless Camera
3. Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera
4. Nikon D850 DSLR Camera
5. Z fc Mirrorless Camera
6. Nikon D7500 DSLR Camera
7. Nikon Z5 Mirrorless Camera

Other popular digital cameras

While Sony is definitely a major contender for the most popular camera manufacturer, we’ve also seen other manufacturers produce some popular cameras this past quarter. As always, Fujifilm and Panasonic have a few models that are much loved by our readers.

Interestingly, the most popular product is a $2500 camera that is – at the time of writing – yet to be released. In fact, if it were made by Nikon, it would have come in at #2 on Nikon’s list.

Here are the rankings:

1. Fujifilm X-H2S Mirrorless Camera
2. Fujifilm X-T30 II Mirrorless Camera
3. Panasonic Lumix G7 Mirrorless Camera
4. Fujifilm X-S10 Mirrorless Camera
5. Panasonic LUMIX GH6 Mirrorless Camera
6. Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless Camera
7. Panasonic LUMIX GH5 II Mirrorless Camera

*These popular camera lists were compiled from reports supplied to us by Amazon and other sites where we are affiliates.

One of the ways we are able to cover dPS’s costs and remain a sustainable business is by earning a small commission when readers make a purchase after clicking on our article links (including the links used above).

It adds nothing to the cost of the product but gives us a small kickback to help cover our server, design, developer, and editorial costs.

Thanks for your continued support. We hope you find this popular camera list helpful when you consider your own purchases.

The post The Most Popular Digital Cameras (in 2022) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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[Photography] How to Fix Bad Lighting in Your Photos: 7 Tips

The post How to Fix Bad Lighting in Your Photos: 7 Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Photographers love certain types of lighting for photography – the golden hours and the blue hour are two great examples – but what do you do when the lighting is bad? Do you give up? Do you go home?

In my view, it’s entirely possible to create interesting, meaningful photos when the lighting is poor – you just have to know a few tricks! And that’s what I share in this article: a handful of easy techniques to get great shots using strong sunlight, powerful backlight, boring flat light, and more.

Let’s dive right in.

1. Use fill flash

When the light is dull, or when you’re working on bright, sunny days, fill flash can be a major help.

For one, a bit of fill flash can add much-needed life to a flat photo. It can also help eradicate harsh shadows under portrait subjects’ chins, noses, and eyes.

You can carry a speedlight – which you can use on-camera or off-camera as needed – though if you’re in a pinch and you don’t have a speedlight on hand, your camera’s pop-up flash can work, too.

Aim to balance the output of your flash with the available light; that way, you get natural-looking results. You don’t want your flash to produce hard shadows of its own!

The pre-sunrise light was very flat and dull, but the action was already happening. I held my flash off to the side and balanced the output with the available light.

Take a few photos and review them on your camera’s LCD screen. Adjust the level of your flash output and experiment until you get a result that you like.

If your photos are still looking a bit too “flashed,” try bouncing the fill light off a light-colored surface such as a wall, a ceiling, or a reflector. This will soften and spread the light. A modifying cone or softbox will also help the flash output look more natural.

Here, I used fill flash to balance the available light. The result is a well-lit and dynamic portrait.

2. Use reflected light (or a reflector)

If you’re shooting with harsh sun or against strong backlight, you don’t always need fill flash; reflected light can work great all on its own.

Try using a portable reflector to reflect light up into the shadows on your subject. If you’re capturing portraits, your subject can even hold the reflector for you (though if you have an assistant who can hold the reflector, you’ll certainly have more flexibility). Lighting setups often call for a reflector positioned below the subject’s chin (so the light shines onto their face). But feel free to experiment with other angles and see what you can create.

Reflectors come in different sizes and colors, but a medium-sized white reflector is a good first purchase. Over time, you can develop your reflector collection based on your preferences.

And if you don’t have a reflector, a light-colored wall, a white car, a white umbrella, or even white sand can work, too!

3. Move your subject

Sometimes, the light is bad in one area – but it’s far, far better just across the room (or even a few steps to the side).

That’s why, before you break out your fill flash or your reflector, consider simply moving your subject.

For instance, bright sun doesn’t work so well for portraits, but you can always move your subject under a tree for some nice open shade. You may still need to use a reflector or fill flash to add some life to your shot – that’s ultimately up to you – but the results will definitely look better than the alternative.

And if you’re working indoors, your subject might be heavily shrouded in shadow. Simply ask them to take a few steps over to the window, however, and you’ll end up with a shot like this:

So when you’re working in bad light, slow down. Take a deep breath. Look around for other, better-lit areas, and see if you can improve your photos simply by adjusting your location.

4. Compose creatively

Oftentimes, bad lighting won’t show throughout the entire scene. Instead, it’ll cause unpleasant highlights in one corner, along one part of the background, or along one side of the subject.

And in such situations, you can compose creatively to avoid including problem areas in your shots.

You can zoom or move closer to your subject to omit parts of your composition where the lighting is problematic. You might also try holding your camera at an unconventional angle, such as above your subject or down low to the ground.

For instance, I didn’t love the bright white light – produced by a harsh sun – in the background below:

So I simply moved closer and positioned the camera above my subjects:

The unpleasant bright areas disappeared, and I got the shots I was after.

You might also think about ways you can crop the photo later on. If you’re willing to create a panorama, you can always crop out a blandly lit sky, for instance.

5. Think in black and white

Did you know that black and white images actually look better when shot using “bad” light?

It’s true! When the light is harsh and high-contrast, or even when the light is flat, you can get amazing black and white shots that emphasize shadows, highlights, or subject details.

This next image might look harsh in color, but in black and white, the dark shadows and bright highlights look great:

If you use a mirrorless camera with an electronic viewfinder, you can even adjust your settings so you can see in black and white as you shoot. And if you don’t have an EVF, that’s okay, too. Simply do your best to imagine the world in black and white, then do careful B&W conversions in Lightroom, Photoshop, or another post-processing program.

6. Use a filter

While no filter can make bad light look amazing, there are a few filters that can make a major difference when working in less-than-optimal conditions.

For instance, a polarizing filter will reduce reflections and haze, both of which are common on sunny days. And it’ll make blue skies look dark and saturated:

You can also use a neutral density filter to slow down your shutter speeds and take advantage of moving water or clouds. Or, if your scene features a too-bright foreground or background, you can use a graduated neutral density filter to darken down the offending area and balance out the scene.

7. Do some post-processing

I don’t recommend that you rely completely on post-processing when shooting. If you always plan to fix your images when editing, you’ll never learn to get them right in camera.

That said…

Fixing bad lighting using Lightroom or Photoshop can be incredibly effective.

If your exposure contains detail in both the highlights and the shadows, and you’re working with a high-resolution RAW file, you’ll have plenty of post-processing flexibility. You can brighten up the shadows, decrease the highlights, adjust the contrast, and much more. You can also modify your shots to deal with washed-out colors.

You can also selectively modify the subject or the background to create more or less contrast. For this next photo, the background was too bright and distracting, so I darkened it down:

Again, don’t rely completely on editing software to get the image right. Do what you can when out shooting; if you can use some of the techniques I’ve shared above, you’ll have a much better file to work with.

But if you do know how to improve poor lighting with a few editing tricks, your images will be much improved.

How to fix bad lighting: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you’re well equipped to handle bad lighting – be it dull light, harsh sun, or something else entirely.

Just remember the tips I’ve shared. Remember to bring a flash and a reflector along (just in case). And make some incredible photos!

Do you have any additional tips for working in bad light? Which of these techniques is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How to Fix Bad Lighting in Your Photos: 7 Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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