[Photography] The Essential Guide to Camera Angles in Photography

The post The Essential Guide to Camera Angles in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

If you want to add interest and variety to your photos, you don’t need to travel to far-flung locations or spend thousands of dollars on fancy new lenses. You can dramatically enhance your images by experimenting with elements that go into each image you take, including the camera angle.

You see, every image must be taken from some angle. Many beginner photographers keep the camera angle conventional by just standing and pointing the camera straight ahead, and the results can get a little…boring. But an easy compositional technique that’ll spice up your shots is to get out of the habit of the straight-ahead angle and instead use creative alternatives that show the world from a completely different perspective.

But what photography angles are available to you? And which angles are best? How do you decide on the right camera angle for each situation? That’s where this article comes in handy.

Below, I share five angles that pretty much always get great results. I explain how to use them, when they look best, and I offer some tips and tricks to take your images to the next level. I conclude with a practical experiment, in which I photograph a scene from a few different angles to show you exactly what each adjustment can do for your photos.

Ready to level up your images by making a simple change to your shooting approach? Let’s dive right in.

The importance of camera angles

I’d like you to try an exercise:

1. Get out your camera and find a subject to photograph. (The subject doesn’t have to be especially interesting! You can photograph a flower, a cup, a cooperative person, or a toy; just make sure that whatever you choose is relatively stationary and small enough that you can photograph from above its “top” if needed.)
2. Stand in front of your subject. Hold your camera at eye level, then take one photo.
3. Now, without moving your feet, photograph the subject from as many different angles as possible (or until you get bored).
4. Once you’re done, count the number of images you captured, then keep reading below.

How did it go? How many angles did you find?

The exercise might seem a little silly, but here’s the point that I wanted to get across:

There is literally an infinite number of camera angles that are available to you as a photographer. You can always adjust your camera upward, downward, right, or left, and the result will be a new perspective with a slightly (or radically!) different look. As you moved from angle to angle, you could undoubtedly see the image change; different parts of the subject were emphasized, different parts were hidden, and the elements of the background changed, too.

And bear in mind that I asked you to photograph the subject without moving your feet. If you were to walk around the subject while trying the exercise above, the number of angles available to you would increase even further. (For those interested in mathematics, your initial infinite set of angles would multiply into an even larger infinity!)

But while there are technically an infinite number of camera angles for photographers to work with, I recommend you learn just five. They can act as your angle bread and butter, and while you’re free to improvise angles on your own, these are tried-and-tested options that are practically guaranteed to work.

The five essential angles for photographers to know

If you can commit these five angles to memory, then you’ll be ready to handle nearly any situation. And if you use a variety of angles consistently, the quality of your photos will go through the roof.

1. Bird’s-eye view

The bird’s-eye view angle involves photographing from directly above with your camera pointed downward. For larger scenes or subjects, like this winding road, you’ll need a drone, a helicopter, a plane, or some sort of high-elevation vantage point. For smaller scenes or subjects, like a cake on a kitchen counter, you can handhold your camera without much trouble!

The bird’s-eye view angle is simple in theory, though – depending on your subject – it can be difficult to pull off.

Simply get high above your subject, then shoot directly downward! You’ll end up with an image that shows the subject from the top, like this:

A spiral staircase is a classic subject for the bird’s-eye view camera angle.

A bird’s-eye view perspective often looks great. For one, it shows the viewer a completely new angle (after all, most people don’t normally spend their time looking down from high up!). And it features plenty of subject detail, as your camera generally won’t be obstructed by trees, people walking by, and so on.

Plus, a bird’s-eye view angle lets you show your subject in its environment, which can add interest and even narrative to your shots.

This photography angle is also a great way to create graphic compositions, as the overhead perspective often flattens the scene, emphasizing lines, shapes, and (especially) shadows. That’s one of the reasons a bird’s-eye view is such a popular method for food and still-life flat lays (like the one pictured below!).

However, achieving a bird’s-eye view angle can take some work. You can use stairs, balconies, and ladders to get high above your subject, but if you need to capture an entire scene and there are no good vantage points, you’re often out of luck. In landscape photography, for instance, often the only way to get a bird’s-eye perspective is with a drone, and these present problems of their own (e.g., they’re expensive, and battery life is very limited).

So when you’re shooting scenes that easily allow you to capture that high-angle view, go for it! Otherwise, use alternative camera angles, such as:

2. The high angle

This coffee drinker was shot from a high angle; the camera wasn’t positioned directly above, but you can sense the photographer looking down toward the coffee cup.

A high angle isn’t as extreme as a bird’s-eye view angle. Instead, you just need to identify your subject, then get a reasonable distance above it so you’re pointing your lens downward at around 45 degrees.

Fortunately, this angle is generally easy to pull off – you mostly just need to stand up or raise your camera above your head – and the result is very cool. A high angle often makes your subject look smaller or more vulnerable:

By raising my camera above my subject, I was able to create the perspective of an adult looking down at a child.

It’s a great way to photograph kids, and I also recommend a high angle when photographing pets (especially dogs).

Note that a subtly higher angle is often useful in serious portrait photography, as it adds dynamism and has a slimming effect. You’ll often see this variation in senior portrait photos, graduation photos, etc., and if you’re photographing people, it’s a great angle to try.

Here, a subtle high angle makes the subject seem both cute and vulnerable.

(I also like to use the high angle when photographing pets. It makes dogs and cats look unbelievably cute, especially if you can get them to look straight at the camera!)

3. Face to face

The face-to-face angle is done at your subject’s eye level. (If you’re photographing a flower, it’s on the level of the flower’s head; if you’re photographing a landscape, it’s generally a few feet off the ground; if you’re photographing a person, it’s right at their eyeline.)

The effect is often highly engaging and helps to establish a connection between the subject in your photo and the person viewing it.

This angle is a wonderful way to help the viewer access the small world of the subject. It works great with children:

Get down on the child’s eye level, and you can show them in their own little world! That’s what I did for this photo, and the result is extremely intimate.

And it’s also great for standard portraits.

It’s a popular angle in nature photography, too. Wildlife and bird photographers generally shoot on a level with their subject – it’s part of the reason why you’ll sometimes see photographers crawling along a beach toward a tiny shorebird! And you’ll often see flower photographers lying in the dirt, attempting to achieve that perfect face-to-face perspective.

If you want to use this angle, my recommendation is to make sure you get as close to eye level as you can, even if it feels uncomfortable. You may need to kneel, or even lie down, to get the best effect.

4. The low angle

As you might expect, the low-angle shot is achieved by getting below the subject’s eye level and shooting upward. It’s not a hugely popular angle because of its difficulty – you often need to get down in the dirt – but the results are often worth the effort.

You see, as you get down lower, you make the subject appear larger. This often adds a looming feeling to your photos, and it’s great for emphasizing toughness or confidence:

You can also use a low angle to make a scene look big, vast, and even epic. Landscape photographers love to use a low-angle effect to emphasize small foreground elements that then lead the viewer’s eye toward a stunning background.

And you can use a low angle to make more vulnerable subjects appear bigger. I often use it to photograph kids:

One tip: When pursuing a low angle, you’ll get the most noticeable effects if you shoot with a wide lens – so shoot around 35mm and wider if you can!

5. Bug’s-eye view

The bug’s-eye view angle, also known as the worm’s-eye view angle, works just the way it sounds:

You get down as low as you can and look straight up toward your subject.

This angle is certainly unusual; viewers rarely experience such a point of view in day-to-day living, so it adds an interesting and creative perspective to images.

Unfortunately, a bug’s-eye view isn’t so easy to achieve. It’s often impossible to shoot from below a subject (e.g., this is rarely an option for landscape photographers) – but when you can use a bug’s-eye view, the effect is quite striking.

A bug’s-eye view is basically the opposite of the bird’s-eye view discussed above. It works great for tall architectural subjects, like this building – though shooting small subjects with a bug’s-eye view can be very difficult, or even impossible.

Try capturing your children this way when at the local playground. You can also use the bug’s-eye angle for interesting architectural shots, especially when shooting building interiors.

How to use photography angles: a practical example

As I mentioned at the start of this article, it’s usually a good idea to capture more than one angle when you photograph a scene. This will expand your creativity, help you explore new perspectives, and provide you with more views to tell a photographic story.

These next photos demonstrate how I captured one scene from three different angles.

I was photographing my daughter on a country road, and in this first photo, I used a high angle to show her and the mud puddle behind her:

Then I used a face-to-face angle to show her emotions:

Finally, I got down low to make the moment bigger and to emphasize the excitement she felt while having fun in the mud puddle:

Camera angles in photography: final words

Well, there you have it:

Five camera angles you can use to improve your photos.

Really, as long as you know these five camera angles and practice them occasionally, you’ll be able to get unstuck any time you’re uninspired or feel like your photos are boring or predictable.

So commit them to memory! And have fun.

Now over to you:

Which of these picture angles do you like best? Which do you plan to try first? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Note: This article was updated in May 2024 by dPS’s Managing Editor, Jaymes Dempsey.

The post The Essential Guide to Camera Angles in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

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[Photography] dPS Bi-Weekly Photo Challenge: L

The post dPS Bi-Weekly Photo Challenge: L appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

You’re lucky! I nearly went with SPRING just to be ironic (It’s Winter in 29 days here in Melbourne) but no no, this week(s) we take the L – A photo of an L, a photo with a main theme that says L or starts with L or sounds like sheer L… see what I did there?

L is for…. Landscape and Light and ..whatever else you can come up with! Most creative will be featured on our social media in two weeks!

Make sure you include the hashtags #dPSWeeklyChallenge and #dPSTheLetterL in your post, here in the comments or over on social media. You can tag us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!

Find all of our previous weekly challenges here.

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favourite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

The post dPS Bi-Weekly Photo Challenge: L appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

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[Photography] Fisheye Photography: A Quick Guide (+5 Tips)

The post Fisheye Photography: A Quick Guide (+5 Tips) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

This article was updated in April 2024 with contributions from Simon Bond and Jaymes Dempsey.

If you want to capture breathtaking photos that go beyond what the human eye can see, then it’s tough to go wrong with a fisheye lens.

Fisheye photos don’t exactly look natural, but that’s not the point; with a fisheye lens, you can create mind-bending, expansive images full of eye-catching effects.

In this article, I share everything you need to know about fisheye photography. First, I give a basic definition of fisheye lenses, and I discuss when this type of lens works best. Then – in case you’re looking to get started with fisheye photography but don’t have the right gear – I offer recommendations for the best fisheye lenses available today.

Finally, I end with a few of my favorite tips, tricks, and techniques for beautiful fisheye portraits, landscapes, and more. (I also share plenty of fisheye examples along the way, so you know exactly what a fisheye lens can do.)

Are you ready to become a fisheye photo master? Let’s dive right in, starting with:

What is a fisheye lens?

A fisheye lens is an ultra-wide lens with a near 180-degree field of view. The glass in a fisheye lens curves heavily outward; as a result, it captures far more of the scene than even an ultra-wide-angle lens.

When capturing this huge field of view, a fisheye lens produces extensive distortion. As a result, fisheye images are noticeably curved around the edges:

When you use a fisheye lens, you can expect heavy distortion. Notice how intensely the edges of the frame are curved; that’s thanks to fisheye lens optics! But distortion isn’t always a bad thing, and in this case, it gives the composition a stronger sense of movement, as the walls swirl around the person down below.

Generally speaking, distortion is problematic – but fisheye photographers work to embrace the distortive effect. Indeed, fisheye photography is all about capturing unique perspectives and compositions. You shouldn’t use a fisheye lens if you’re obsessed with creating natural-looking photos. Instead, you should use a fisheye lens to create artistic, eye-catching images!

Fisheye lenses, unlike most standard lenses, feature a bulbous front element. For this reason, you cannot use a regular lens cap on a fisheye lens, and you cannot use standard filters, either. These accessories are designed for non-fisheye lenses with relatively flat front elements, and they simply won’t fit over a fisheye model.

Note that you can get either a prime or a zoom fisheye lens. The majority of fisheyes are prime lenses, and they typically offer an f/2.8 maximum aperture and a focal length of 8mm or 15mm. Manufacturers do sell a few zoom fisheye lenses, which feature smaller (f/4) maximum apertures but – thanks to the zoom range – deliver greater flexibility.

Circular vs diagonal fisheye lenses

Broadly speaking, fisheye lenses fall into two categories: circular and diagonal.

Circular fisheye lenses do not cover the entire camera sensor. Instead, they cover a portion of the sensor to produce a circular image, which results in a black frame around each file, like this:

Diagonal fisheye lenses, on the other hand, are designed to cover the entire camera sensor. The edges of an image captured with a diagonal fisheye lens will be heavily distorted, but the frame will include detail throughout, like this:

Both types of fisheye lenses can create arresting images, and neither is better than the other. It all depends on the kind of photography you enjoy! Personally, I like using a diagonal fisheye lens, but the choice is really up to you.

When should you use a fisheye lens?

Fisheye lenses are a great way to capture stunning creative effects. The intense distortion produces eye-catching, even disorienting, compositions, and you can use fisheye lenses for all sorts of unique shots.

Photographers rely on these lenses to produce fresh, original images of dozens of subjects, and here are just a few of the many popular choices:

• Architectural interiors
• Sweeping landscapes
• Street scenes
• City skylines

Remember, however, that fisheye shots are heavily distorted and therefore unrealistic – and sometimes shocking – in their rendering of everyday subject matter. Therefore, fisheye lenses are not ideal if your goal is to capture accurate documentary photos, flattering portraits, meditative still-life shots, or naturalistic landscapes.

So before pulling out that fisheye lens, ask yourself:

Do I want a creative, unusual, unnatural image? Or do I want a more conventional, yet also more accurate, rendering of my subject?

The choice is yours!

The best fisheye lenses you can buy today

Most major camera manufacturers don’t produce many (or any) fisheye lenses. Fortunately, however, third-party lens makers do offer all sorts of fisheye lenses; not only are these products compatible with a variety of different camera mounts, but they’re cheap, too!

If you’re in the market for a fisheye lens, here are a few of the models I recommend.

For Canon DSLR shooters – or Canon mirrorless users who own an EF to RF-mount adapter – the EF 8-15mm f/4L USM is an outstanding pick. It offers great optics, and you get both a circular fisheye effect and a diagonal fisheye effect, depending on the focal length. But be warned: It’s extremely pricey! If you’re looking for a budget fisheye lens for Canon DSLRs, the Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 is a solid alternative, though it’ll only produce a diagonal fisheye effect on APS-C cameras (on full-frame Canon cameras, you’ll get a circular fisheye effect instead).

For Nikon DSLR shooters, the 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is a solid choice: it’s sharp, well-built, and it even offers close-focusing capabilities. Like Canon’s 8-15mm lens, Nikon’s fisheye model can create circular and diagonal fisheye effects, so if you’re not sure which you prefer, you can have fun playing with both! And while the Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is more reasonably priced than its Canon counterpart, a budget option is the Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 I recommended above, which is also available for Nikon F-mount cameras.

For Four-Thirds photographers, the Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm f/1.8 is a fantastic buy. Not only does it produce beautiful diagonal fisheye images, but the f/1.8 maximum aperture lets you shoot handheld in low-light conditions and still come away with sharp, well-exposed images.

Unfortunately, Sony doesn’t currently manufacture any fisheye lenses for its mirrorless lineup. However, this Rokinon 8mm f/3.5mm does work on Sony E-mount cameras (though for a diagonal fisheye effect, you’ll need to use it with an APS-C model).

5 fisheye photography tips for beautiful results

Now that you’re familiar with the fisheye photography basics, let’s take a closer look at how you can create amazing fisheye photos.

1. Create distortion on the horizon line

If you’re after creative landscape photos and you don’t mind heavily emphasizing the fisheye effect, then start by including a horizon line in your image…

…and position it so as to create a heavy curve across the image.

The result is very cool, and it’ll certainly cause the viewer to do a double-take:

In fact, by adjusting the position of your fisheye lens, you can make the horizon curve downward (as in the example above) or upward.

To make the horizon line bend downward, simply aim the lens toward the ground (i.e., the lens should be below parallel to the ground). Note that a large portion of the photo will feature the foreground, so make sure you include plenty of close-up interest!

And to make the horizon line bend upward, aim the camera toward the sky. Try to create this upward effect when the sky features dramatic clouds, such as at sunrise or sunset; that way, the heavily featured sky will pull its weight.

2. Take photos of architecture

Yes, it’s a simple fisheye photography tip, but it’s important to emphasize:

The fisheye lens is an absolute gift for architectural photographers.

The distortion can be used for amazing creative effects, whether you’re shooting outdoors (and capturing beautiful building facades) or you’re shooting indoors (and capturing museum interiors, images of tight spaces, or even photos of your own living room). I love to use the fisheye distortion to frame my subject:

And you can often even incorporate elements from behind the lens; the focal length really is that wide!

Because fisheye lenses distort architecture so radically, as soon as you find an interesting architectural subject, I recommend you mount the lens on your camera, then simply spend some time walking around and looking through the viewfinder. Over time, you’ll start to understand the fisheye perspective – and you’ll also have a ton of fun along the way!

3. Use intentional camera movement

Intentional camera movement (ICM) is a creative technique that involves moving the camera during the course of an exposure to create an impressionistic blur:

More specifically, you set your camera to Manual mode, dial in a long shutter speed (often around 1/15s and beyond), then – as you fire the shutter – move the camera from left to right, up and down, in circles, and so on.

Now, intentional camera movement works with all types of lenses, and there are plenty of non-fisheye photographers who love the technique.

But if you combine ICM with a fisheye lens, you can capture incredibly novel effects. For instance, you can create a cool radial blur effect; here, you simply rotate the camera around an imaginary central point while shooting. As you can imagine, fisheye distortion actually intensifies the result. (In fact, the radial blur technique is how I captured the image displayed above!)

And if you’re shooting at night, you can use a kinetic light painting technique to create photos like this:

Just put your camera on a tripod, use a long shutter speed, and – after triggering the shutter – rotate the camera in a circle, stopping every so often to create areas of sharpness in your image. For the best results, choose a location with plenty of lights and shoot at night.

4. Don’t forget to do fisheye portrait photography

Fisheye photographers tend to neglect portrait subjects, but in my view, that’s a major mistake.

Sure, fisheye distortion isn’t always the most flattering, but the effects are plenty eye-catching (and by carefully positioning your portrait subject in the frame, you can avoid distorting the model).

For disorienting shots, try getting up close to your model, then ask them to point a finger, a prop, or even their eye toward the camera.

Alternatively, if you want to keep your model looking normal, position them in the center of the frame, but use the fisheye effect to distort interesting architecture all around the scene edges. Be sure to back up slightly so that the model is smaller in the frame.

When done correctly, this can create an interesting framing effect around the subject:

5. Use a fisheye for a (standard) ultra-wide perspective

Throughout this article, I’ve emphasized the creative potential of fisheye lenses.

But did you know that you can actually use fisheye lenses…normally? In other words, by carefully angling your fisheye lens, the resulting images will feature an ultra-wide perspective but very little distortion:

Of course, you can do this with an ultra-wide lens, but purchasing a second lens can be expensive. Plus, even the widest lenses don’t quite reach fisheye focal lengths.

Here’s how it works:

Aim your lens at the horizon line. And keep the angle completely flat (so the lens is perfectly parallel to the ground).

You will need to avoid objects on the edge of the frame because they’ll still distort – though if you do include a few edge objects, you can always correct the distortion in post-processing.

In my experience, this type of “standard” fisheye photo is great for locations with a minimalist feel, like coastlines and deserts. That said, you can always use it to capture interesting architecture, skylines, and so much more.

Bonus: Create the fisheye effect with a lensball

Fisheye lenses can be expensive, but if you like the idea of fisheye photography and can’t justify the price, you do have another option:

The lensball effect.

Simply purchase a glass ball, then – when you find a nice subject – hold the ball in front of your camera. The lensball will replicate a fisheye lens, and you’ll get a distorted, circular result:

Of course, the effect isn’t exactly the same, and you won’t get an image that’s sharp throughout. But you can have lots of fun experimenting with the lensball effect, and you can certainly capture some stunning images!

Fisheye photography: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you’re ready to do some stunning fisheye photography!

So grab a fisheye lens (or a lensball) and get shooting.

Now over to you:

What do you plan to photograph first with your fisheye lens? Which of these tips will you incorporate into your own workflow? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Fisheye Photography: A Quick Guide (+5 Tips) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

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[Photography] The Best Monitors for Photo Editing in 2024

The post The Best Monitors for Photo Editing in 2024 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

A good monitor is one of the most important components of an editing workflow, but which monitor is best for photographers?

With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of choosing the perfect photo-editing monitor; however, some models do stand out from the rest and should be at the top of your list. There are also some key features to look for on any monitor you plan to purchase, as well as some qualities to ignore or avoid altogether. Regardless of your skill level, workflow needs, and budget, you have plenty of great options at your disposal – and this guide will help you find the right one for you!

When editing images, you need a monitor that can keep up with the brilliant colors, bright whites, dark shadows, and fine details in your photos.

How to choose the right monitor for editing photos

While some monitors are designed to suit a variety of use cases – such as gaming, word processing, graphic design, and 3D modeling – these are a bit like all-in-one printers/scanners/copiers. They’re average at a lot of things, but they don’t stand out in any particular way. In other words, they’re not ideally suited to any single given task.

Monitors designed for a specific purpose work much better when used for that purpose, and photography is no exception. Anyone considering a monitor for photo editing should take the following features into account:

Physical size: The saying bigger is better doesn’t necessarily apply to monitors designed for photo editing. You don’t want a monitor that’s too small, but you also don’t want to edit photos on a gigantic screen that takes up your entire wall.

Pixel density: This refers to the size of the individual dots, or pixels, that the monitor can display. Mobile phones have very high pixel densities; as a result, text, graphics, and icons appear so smooth that you can’t even see the individual pixels. While high pixel densities are increasingly common in monitors, you can still find some inexpensive options with low pixel densities. These make your photos, and everything else on screen, look blurry and slightly out of focus, so you should be sure to avoid such models when making your choice.

Photo editors need monitors that can keep up with the demands of modern digital photography. The best editing monitors show intricate details and display tack-sharp images.

Color gamut: This refers to the range of colors that a monitor can display. Some less expensive monitors are simply not capable of displaying a broad range of colors, and while they might be fine for documents, email, and browsing the internet, they are not ideal for photo editing. When choosing a monitor for photo editing, look for one with a high color gamut. High sRGB values such as 99% are great, but if you can get a monitor that has a DCI-P3 color gamut, you will likely find it to be much better suited for photo editing.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the best monitors for photo editing that you can buy today:

1. The best monitor for professional photographers: Apple Pro Display XDR

Working professionals who demand the highest performance and whose livelihoods depend on the images they create with their cameras need look no further than the Apple Pro Display XDR. It has nearly every feature a professional could ask for – and, as you might expect, it has a high price tag to match. It’s designed specifically for photo and video editing, and it boasts an ultra-high pixel density of 218 PPI and an extremely wide viewing angle so you can see images clearly, even when looking from the side.

At 32 inches, the Apple Pro Display XDR is not only one of the best displays for professional photo editing but also one of the biggest. It has an incredibly wide color gamut, which means it’s capable of displaying a massive amount of colors so professionals can see all the subtle details in their high-megapixel images. It’s even offered with a special coating designed to minimize glare, which is very useful in bright environments or offices with overhead lighting.

The biggest drawback of the Apple Pro Display is the cost: Its $5000 price tag doesn’t include the anti-glare texture option or even a monitor stand. For professionals, the price might not matter, but for everyday shooters, this monitor is simply overkill.

Pros:

• Anti-glare option makes a big difference in bright environments
• Extraordinary color reproduction
• Tru-Tone feature automatically adjusts colors for any viewing environment

Cons:

• Very high price tag
• Does not ship with a stand
• Overkill for all but the most demanding professional photographers

2. The best monitor for amateur photographers: Dell UltraSharp U2724D

Dell might not be the first name that comes to mind in terms of monitors since the company tends to cater more to business and enterprise clients with excellent laptops and reliable desktops. However, Dell’s monitors are highly regarded among the photography community – and with good reason. The UltraSharp U2724D has many features that amateur photographers will appreciate, and the price tag won’t break the bank. It does a great job at color reproduction, has an LCD panel designed to give you deep blacks and bright whites, and is big enough to provide plenty of space without taking up an entire desk.

While the 98% P3 color gamut on the Dell UltraSharp U2724D doesn’t match the highest-end monitors available, it’ll work just fine for amateurs who want a good monitor for editing but don’t want to spend too much money. The monitor doesn’t have a webcam but does have a variety of useful expansion ports, and the refresh rate of 120 Hz makes it easy on the eyes even over long periods of editing. (High refresh rates are typically more important with gaming and other fast-moving use cases, but it never hurts to have when editing images!) Amateur photographers will find a lot to like here and will be well-served with the UltraSharp U2724D for many years to come.

Pros:

• Includes a wide color gamut but is still quite affordable
• Includes an array of expansion ports for peripherals
• The high refresh rate can be easy on the eyes, especially for long editing sessions

Cons:

• Not the biggest screen size compared to some of its peers
• The simple, somewhat-outdated physical design feels more appropriate for an office cubicle

3. The best monitor for hobbyist photographers: Asus ProArt Display PA329CV

Hobbyist photographers don’t necessarily make a lot of money from their images, but they do take their craft seriously and often want something better than entry-level gear even if it means spending a bit more money. The Asus ProArt Display PA329CV does an outstanding job at meeting the needs of hobbyist photographers and even includes a C-clamp monitor stand to free up space on a desk or table.

Asus has been making high-quality computer hardware and peripherals for years, and its ProArt series is designed to go beyond the boring, drab, featureless monitors common in office environments and store displays. This one has a bright, brilliant display with an impressive color gamut that allows for faithful reproduction of all the intricate color details in any photograph and makes it easy to edit RAW files with precision. While the 4K resolution could be slightly better, especially given the size of the screen, the sheer quality of the pixels on display puts this monitor at the top of the list for any hobbyist photographer.

Pros:

• Large size with an affordable price
• The included C-clamp gives you more space on your desk
• Includes built-in color presets ideal for photo editing

Cons:

• Pixel density is a bit lower than some of its peers
• Doesn’t include a webcam; this isn’t necessary for photo editing, of course, but it’s a bit unfortunate at this price

4. The best monitor for casual photographers: LG UltraFine 27UP650

Casual photographers are interested in photography and enjoy editing images but aren’t keen on spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars for the latest and greatest technology. They want a workhorse that will get the job done but don’t necessarily prioritize 6K resolutions and off-axis viewing angles. The LG UltraFine 27UP650 is a great choice for casual photographers because it is well-suited for image editing as well as a variety of other applications – and it comes at a very reasonable price that’s easy to afford. It’s a workhorse monitor that’s easy to recommend for casual photo editors (and many other people, too!).

The LG UltraFine 27UP650 is all about balance and compromise, but not necessarily at the expense of quality. Its 95% P3 color gamut won’t win any awards, and you won’t find special anti-glare coating or ultra-high refresh rates on this display. However, what you get with this monitor is a laundry list of very good technical specifications on a brilliant 4K screen at a price that’s far below many of its high-end peers. It’s great for casual photo editing, and it can easily handle other tasks such as spreadsheet work, internet surfing, and even gaming. While dedicated photographers might not care about those other things, casual photographers usually do, and that’s why the LG UltraFine 27UP650 is such a good option.

Pros:

• Outstanding value makes it a great choice for casual photographers
• 27-inch size is not too small, but it’s also not too large for people with small workspaces
• Can be rotated 90 degrees, which is great for portraits and not common among its similarly-priced peers

Cons:

• Color reproduction is fine but could be better
• No USB ports for peripherals like memory card readers or external storage drives

5. The best monitor for enthusiast photographers: Dell UltraSharp U3224KB

Dell hit a home run with this foray into the high-end monitor market. The Dell UltraSharp U3224KB is a great choice for enthusiast photographers who are tempted by the amazing features of the Apple Pro Display XDR but don’t want to empty their pockets to get it. This UltraSharp’s list of features is long and includes nearly everything a photo editor could ask for, including 6K resolution for clean, crisp details and a 99% P3 color gamut.

While this monitor is great for photo editing, it also excels at other tasks like videoconferencing thanks to a high-quality 4K webcam and general daily usage. It has an array of expansion ports so you can hook up other gear like external drives or another monitor, and the built-in speakers sound impressive for their size. It’s a bit overkill for casual and hobbyist photographers, but for enthusiast photographers who obsess over the tiniest details and need a high-performing screen that’s easy on the eyes and lighter on the wallet than some other options, this is a great choice.

Pros:

• Amazing set of features for all types of photo editing
• Specifically designed to reduce eye strain, which helps during long editing sessions
• Huge array of expansion ports for peripherals

Cons:

• An unsightly camera bump along the top of the display
• Significantly more expensive than most other options on this list

Monitors for photo editors to avoid

Before concluding this article, I want to mention a few types of monitors that you should avoid for your photo editing. Some of these options may be tempting, but I urge you to go in a different direction.

Ultrawide curved monitors: If you have never seen a gigantic, expansive monitor – some of which are available in mind-melting sizes such as 49″ – you will be shocked the first time you lay eyes on one. Ultrawide curved monitors swallow your entire field of view and let you easily use multiple applications at the same time without constantly minimizing windows. They’re outstanding for lots of use-case scenarios like gaming and even office work, but not great for photo editing.

The main appeal of ultrawide curved monitors is their ability to give users vast amounts of horizontal display space, almost like two or three separate monitors glued together. But they don’t excel at things that matter most to photographers, like color reproduction or pixel density. Ultrawide monitors can display two or three images side by side, but if that’s your goal, I’d recommend just getting two monitors that are better suited for photo editing instead of a single ultrawide.

Televisions: It’s not uncommon for people to use flatscreen televisions as computer monitors. The price-to-size ratio of a television compared to a monitor is tough to beat, but the downside is that televisions are not well suited to photo editing or most other computer-related tasks. Televisions are designed to be viewed from farther away, generally have a much narrower color gamut, and can make photographs appear either oversaturated or washed out. Televisions are fine for PC gaming, but they’re not recommended for photo editing.

Older HD monitors: If you are using a monitor to edit photos that’s more than a few years old, you might be hindering your photo editing without realizing it. Older monitors have lower pixel densities that can make you think your camera or lens is broken, when in reality they simply can’t display fine details compared to modern screens. They also have poor viewing angles, smaller color gamuts, lower maximum brightness, and refresh rates that can lead to eyestrain. Decade-old DSLR and mirrorless cameras can produce incredible images, but if you are editing your files on monitors from the same era, I strongly recommend upgrading your screen before getting a new camera.

I shot this on a ten-year-old Nikon D750, but I edited it on a modern high-resolution monitor. My monitor allowed me to see the tiniest details and all the subtle color variations along with bright highlights and rich blacks.

Pick the perfect monitor for your editing requirements!

No matter what kind of photographer you are, or what type of images you create with your camera, it’s important to have a monitor for photo editing that meets your needs. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a pro-level monitor; as I’ve detailed above, there are plenty of excellent monitors that come with a reasonable price tag and work great for more budget-conscious users.

Of course, if you are a professional or semi-professional photographer and you require the best of the best for your post-processing workflow, there are some great models that’ll really help your business. Hopefully, this article helped you land on the right monitor for your needs!

Now over to you:

What’s your favorite monitor for photo editing, and what qualities do you look for that you think would be important for other photographers to consider? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

The post The Best Monitors for Photo Editing in 2024 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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