Sep 3, 2015

[Photography] 5 Ways a Telephoto Lens Can Improve Your Landscape Photography

2-for-1 special

As part of Landscape Photography Week here on dPS, we’re offering TWO for the price of ONE on our best-selling Living & Loving Landscape Photography ebooks!

Click here to take advantage of this offer.


While it may seem counter-intuitive at first, the most sophisticated compositions are often the simplest. For this reason, ultra wide angle lenses are not typically the ideal choice for outdoor images. By including too much information, you risk losing the subject to visual clutter. This creates a unique challenge for landscape photography. While it’s tempting to include the vast expanse of a splendid horizon, a stronger image may only contain a small portion of it. This is where a telephoto lens becomes an invaluable part of your kit.

Here are five ways using a telephoto lens can help you do better landscape photography:

1) Eliminate Clutter

It’s rare to come upon a landscape that doesn’t require decluttering. Common sights include power wires, fences, trail head signs, unsightly dirt patches, and dumpsters. You can try to compose with your feet at first, but what about those situations when you can’t go any further?

Where a wide angle lens falls short, a telephoto in the 70-300mm range, will be very useful. With such a lens, you can pick the precise area where all of the essential elements come together, and work to eliminate everything else.

2) Isolate Your Main Subject

A telephoto lens gives you the ability to pick a single part of a larger landscape and bring attention to it. Of course the increased reach isn’t the only part of the equation. You’ll still need to consider various methods of composition, like the rule of thirds and a strong foreground element. Try shooting from a low vantage point, through flowers or grass for added depth. At wide apertures foreground elements will become a nice wash of color that lead the eye to the subject.

3) Expand Your Horizons

The potential for subject matter multiples with a longer focal range. For instance, wildlife that would appear very small at 55mm, become much more prominent at 420mm. No longer are you just shooting landscapes, but possibly wildlife as well. Just remember that good technique is essential for sharp telephoto images. Even the slightest bit of camera shake will be magnified if your shutter speed is too slow. When shooting hand-held, try to set an exposure no slower than 1/500th of a second. Image stabilized lenses and camera bodies absolutely offer some flexibility here, but it’s best to err on the side of caution if your goal is to make tack sharp enlargements.

4) A Different Perspective

If you look at the front cover of many photo magazines, they often encourage the use of ultra wide angle lenses for landscapes. While it’s true that certain scenes come to life at 16mm, it’s the exception rather than the rule. If you’re looking to create a unique representation of a scene, a greater focal range can help you find it. At a time when it seems just about everyone has a camera, going beyond the reach of a normal kit lens can lead to extraordinary results.

5) Finding Patterns

By searching for organized patterns and repetition with a long lens, you can bring order to the world around you. This method of seeing will help to further develop your eye and strengthen your compositions. Rather than looking at the bigger picture, you’re choosing to focus on the smaller details.

While this particular strategy of composition doesn’t require any overly technical methods, it does require a different approach. The trick is to zoom in and carefully scan the landscape through your viewfinder. Patterns don’t always reveal themselves right away, so take your time and compose carefully. You may be surprised at where you’ll find these unique photo opportunities as they can appear just about anywhere.

All of these images were captured in Iceland where landscapes often have an abundance of empty space. There were definitely times when the wide angle came in handy, in tight quarters for example, or at the base of a waterfall. For just about everything else, a 40-150mm (Olympus OMD EM1 with the 40-150mm f/2.8, effective 80-300mm) proved more effective. In fact, many of my favorites were shot at the long end of the lens’ range. The next time you head out to photograph scenery, think long, and make a telephoto lens your first option.


Here on dPS it is landscape week. You can see the previous ones listed below. Watch for a new article (or two) on landscape photography daily for the next week.

The post 5 Ways a Telephoto Lens Can Improve Your Landscape Photography by Chris Corradino appeared first on Digital Photography School.



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Sep 2, 2015

[Photography] Landscape Photography and the Human Element

2-for-1 special

As part of Landscape Photography Week here on dPS, we’re offering TWO for the price of ONE on our best-selling Living & Loving Landscape Photography ebooks!

Click here to take advantage of this offer.


When I think of landscape photography, my mind conjures up a towering mountain vista with a glowing tarn sprawled out in the foreground, or a tumbling torrent flanked by evergreens.

It’s hard to not be drawn in by a great landscape image. After all, most of us yearn for wilderness or a connection to nature, especially in our electronics-dominated lifestyles. Of course the landscape that unfolds in front of us isn’t always the wilderness, on the contrary, sometimes it’s a concrete jungle.

The Los Angeles urban landscape

Urban landscapes focus on the human element as the subject.

What does it mean to have a human element in a landscape image? By definition landscape photography should be purely natural, but as is often the case with art, it is subjective and the lines delineating the rules are blurred.

I find that sometimes adding a human element – whether it is a person or something that hints at the presence of people – can help humanize the image and bridge our connection to the story within. Every photo can tell a story if you open your mind and look into it deep enough. Even pictures of nature tell the tale of an eternity of geologic processes at work or the incredible diversity of life that has blossomed out of seemingly nothing.

One thing about photographing the world, that I’ve learned over the years, is that many images offer more intrigue, or become more powerful by including a person. A landscape image can certainly evoke a host of emotions, but seeing another human being in the photo seems to help nudge us in a certain direction.

A tiny person among a huge landscape can give you perspective and scale, while an expression or form can suggest a feeling of awe, contemplation, or any number of emotions.

People in a landscape photo for sense of scale

They shouldn’t be the main subject of the image, but including people in a landscape photo can help provide a sense of scale.

This photo below of Vernal Falls in Yosemite Valley could have easily excluded people as well as the stairs – also a human element. This waterfall is visited by hundreds of people per day and has been photographed from a million angles. After reviewing my photos from this little excursion, I realized that I liked this one the best. I like seeing the steps which were obviously very difficult to construct. I picture workers toiling for weeks or months to build them decades ago. They also reveal the steep incline you must climb to get a good view. The girl’s posture and expression shows her relaxing after the climb and obviously happy with the reward.

Lanscape including a person for balance and mood

Photographic genre lines are often blurred, like this image which lies in the realm between a landscape image and an environmental portrait.

Although this next photo doesn’t show people, it provides evidence that the mountains aren’t just empty wilderness. With just a small plume of smoke sneaking into the frame, you now have more than a dramatic vista of the late day sun trickling over these mountains in northern Thailand. Even though you don’t have all the details, you know there’s a story. Are there people camping in that spot? Is there a village? A wildfire just beginning?

Smoke from a mountain village

Sometimes simply hinting at the presence of people can add intrigue.

The wisps of smoke also give another point of focus. Without it, whatever this photo has to offer is quickly recognizable with just a quick glance – a pretty pic of some rolling hills. In this case the human element adds intrigue and a bit of mystery.

In the summer of 2012 Colorado was hot, dry, and on fire. Several fires torched mountainsides, as well as the houses perched on their slopes. There was a lot of smoke, and even some ash floating around. Later in the day, the low angle sun would illuminate the smoke and make it glow all sorts of colors, which simultaneously looked both beautiful and apocalyptic.

I wandered out with camera in hand and found this lake, which I thought would be a nice elemental balance of water in the foreground with dry, burning hills behind, and that brilliant glowing reflection. It was a private lake with a barbed wire fence around it, which I included in some of the frames I shot.

The human element adding symbolism

The human element can be used to add symbolism.

I found that the barbed wire helped accentuate that apocalyptic feeling while insinuating symbolism at the same time. That symbolism could be interpreted many ways. To me, I have studied some fire ecology and learned of the dangerous conditions we have created by suppressing wildfires for decades, and the barbed wire symbolized that maybe we should keep out of nature’s business.

What do landscape photos mean to you? Do you prefer them devoid of any hint of human presence?


Here on dPS this is landscape week – the first of several articles and tips was posted earlier today. You can see it here: 6 Tips for Better Low-Light Landscape Photography. Watch for a new article (or two) on landscape photography daily for the next week.

The post Landscape Photography and the Human Element by Jeremie Schatz appeared first on Digital Photography School.



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[Photography] 6 Tips for Better Low-Light Landscape Photography

2-for-1 special

As part of Landscape Photography Week here on dPS, we’re offering TWO for the price of ONE on our best-selling Living & Loving Landscape Photography ebooks!

Click here to take advantage of this offer.


A glorious sunset will always attract a crowd of photographers. Yet the moment the sun dips behind the horizon, it seems everyone departs in a hurry. What they don’t realize is how exceptional the scene can become at dusk and into the early evening. The hours following sunset are actually ideal for landscape photos. Of course, working in low light isn’t without its fair share of challenges.

With these six tips though, it’s possible to extend the magic hour and continue creating stunning images long into the night.

1) Compose Thoughtfully

It’s easy to be mesmerized by the bold colors of dusk. Yet, the photographer who works to add more visual interest will ultimately create a better image. About a half hour before the sun sets, I start the search for a foreground element that will anchor my composition. This can be a field of flowers, a boulder, a tree, or even a man-made object. The idea is to add visual interest all the way through the frame. As you explore various options, be sure to try different perspectives including the view from the ground. By having this location worked out in advance, you’ll be ready to capture the peak moment of brilliance.

2) Switch to Live View

When autofocus struggles, Live View becomes an extremely helpful focusing aid. By switching to manual focus and magnifying the scene on the LCD, you have the ability to carefully micro-focus on whatever is important in your scene. At 5x and 10x magnification, you don’t have to solely rely on your eyesight, making focus easy to achieve. Remember, the enlarged view on your LCD is not representative of the actual focal length, or view the camera sees. Upon pressing the shutter, the entire scene will be captured in sharp detail. With this level of precision, I find this feature ideal for low-light photography.

3) No Tripod? No Problem

It’s true, a tripod is a landscape photographer’s best friend, especially in near darkness. Yet, there are definitely occasions where carrying one is just not possible. With a bit of ingenuity, you can still create a sharp photographs. The key is to set your camera to the two second timer. Compose your shot with the camera resting on a rock or bag and press the shutter release. The timer will count down for two seconds. This is enough time to eliminate any camera shake before firing. Using this technique, you can still use very long shutter speeds even without a tripod.

4) Safety First

In extremely low-light, small camera buttons and dials become difficult to see. A small flashlight, or even your smartphone can provide the proper amount of illumination. This also comes in handy for navigating dark trails and rocks. To keep it from getting lost, I prefer the key ring type that can be attached to a camera bag. While this seems like a common sense item, don’t underestimate its usefulness. Hiking back to your car after dusk can be dangerous without artificial light to lead the way.

5) Cool Down the White Balance

During the day, I often enjoy the warmer White Balance presets like Cloudy or Shade. Similar to a painter adding more yellow to their brush, these settings introduce a golden quality of light to a landscape. At dusk however, this can look artificial and overprocessed. To better match the cooler color temperature of low light situations, Auto White Balance is actually quite accurate. While I do work in RAW, I enjoy shooting in a white balance that best represents the scene. This provides a more complete understanding of how the image will look and allows me to make adjustments accordingly.

6) Stay Just a Little Bit Longer

Night photography can offer some spectacular opportunities, especially when the moon is full. You can check this beforehand using apps like the Photographer’s Ephemeris. In these low-light conditions, you will need to take some special steps to get the shot. First, a solid tripod is essential to prevent camera shake. In the mountains, winds can be strong, so opt for a sturdy set of legs. Even with the light of the moon, it was necessary to use a 15″ (fifteen second) exposure. Camera settings: ISO 400, F/4, 15 seconds at 17mm. This same location midday, was a completely different scene with idling buses, flocks of tourists, and harsh contrasty light.

So how can you use these tips in your photography? Do you have any others to add? Please do so in the comments below.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of articles we’re featuring here in a deep dive on landscape photography, this week on dPS. Watch for another later today and more daily. 

The post 6 Tips for Better Low-Light Landscape Photography by Chris Corradino appeared first on Digital Photography School.



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Sep 1, 2015

[Photography] Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art Lens Review

When it comes to off-brand (or third party) camera gear, do you feel a bit skeptical? I was in the same boat for my entire photography career, choosing to invest exclusively in Nikon gear when I was a Nikon shooter, then all Canon when I switched over for the Canon 5D Mark III. “You get what you pay for” is what all of my photography colleagues would tell me, and I was an avid believer until this past summer when I invested in my first ever off-brand camera lens: the Sigma 35mm f/1.4.

Dubbed Sigma’s true flagship lens, the 35mm f/1.4 debuted in 2012 as the very first addition to the Art category, in Sigma’s newly announced lens categories. This shiny prime lens entered a crowded market in which Canon, Nikon, and Sony all have competitive offers, but Sigma’s version comes in at a fraction of the price, which is one of its most attractive features. So in this case, does the adage, “you get what you pay for” truly apply?

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens review

Let me preface this article by stating that this is the very first 35mm prime lens that I’ve owned, so I cannot make true comparisons between Sigma’s lens and that of other manufacturers, but I took it through several test runs to see how it held up. These were my findings.

Main Features

Sigma’s 35mm fixed lens is equipped with a fast f/1.4 maximum, and f/16 minimum aperture. It has quiet, quick Hypersonic Motor (HSM) focusing with manual override and a 0.3m (one foot) minimum focal distance – no image stabilization is included. The lens has mounts for all major DSLR camera types including Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax, and it works on both full frame and APS-C (crop sensor) cameras. Out of the box, the lens comes with front and rear caps, a lens hood and a warranty and instruction guide, all packaged within a nicely padded, zippered nylon case. Brand new, this lens retails for $899, significantly less than other versions made by Canon and Nikon, which run upwards of $1,300.

Pros

Fast, accurate autofocusing speed

On the technical side of things, this lens performed impressively well. Even when shooting at f/1.4, all images produced by this lens were super sharp. Autofocusing speed was pretty fast and accurate, even when attempting to use this lens in an action setting like the concert below.

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens review

Little to no visible distortion

After spending some time with the Canon 24mm f/2.8 prime lens that produces quite a bit of barrel distortion, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Sigma 35mm has pretty much no visible distortion. Although bear in mind that lens distortion can be easily fixed in post production using Photoshop’s lens Correction filter (or Lightroom’s Lens Correction panel).

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens review

Cons

Mostly plastic build

Perhaps the first thing that struck me about this lens when I first interacted with it what its sleek, yet mostly plastic build. Compared to Canon and Nikon versions that are made of a mix of metal and plastic, this mostly plastic Sigma lens felt like it may not hold up very well in the long run. The Sigma seems to live up to its Art lens designation with the feeling that this lens would hold up better being used for artistic purposes, more so than run and gun type of shooting.

Larger and heavier than Canon/Nikon equivalent

Despite being made of mostly plastic, the Sigma also feels pretty heavy (23.5 oz./ 665g), and it is indeed slightly heavier than its Nikon (21.2 oz / 600g) and Canon (20.5 oz. / 580g) equivalents.

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens review

Overall Take

While I loved capturing the world through a sharp 35mm prime lens, it was difficult to get over this lens’ size. The 35mm is known as a classic lens in photojournalism and street photography, and yet due to its size and plastic build, it was questionable if the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 could hold up well over time, especially in on-the-go style photography. As a result, I have to agree with my photography colleagues that you’d get what you pay for over time.

Investing in the more expensive Canon 35mm f/1.4 would be worth the extra expense ($899 for the Sigma, $1479 for the Canon) just because the L lens designation ensures a higher quality, more durable lens. As an additional option, the slower Canon 35mm f/2 comes with image stabilization and is priced lower at $599.99, so that may be a better budget option. And a final, even cheaper alternative might be to add 5mm to the lens focal length by going for the Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens, the smallest and cheapest ($149 USD) of them all.

Basically, splurge for the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 and enjoy comparable, superior optics to the Canon and Nikon equivalents, but what you save in money might cost you later when testing the long-term durability of this lens.

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens review

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[Photography] How to Choose a Black and White Plug-In

Best black and white plug-ins

Photo converted to black and white in Topaz B&W Effects 2.

While Lightroom and Photoshop are sophisticated, advanced Raw converters and image editing programs, there are still many things that they don’t do as well as third party applications. One of these is converting photos to black and white. But, there are so many plug-ins available that it can be difficult to know which one to buy. This guide will help you decide.

Why buy plug-ins?

A common theme with black and white plug-ins is that they contain many more ways to emphasize texture than Lightroom and Photoshop. This is important with black and white, as texture is an important part of the composition. In Lightroom and ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) you can use the Clarity slider to emphasize texture, but it’s a blunt instrument compared to the options available in these plug-ins.

Another feature of most of these plug-ins is that they come with an extensive set of presets that you can use as a starting point for your black and white conversion. Just browsing through the presets and seeing what you can do to your photos will inspire you.

Some presets imitate old printing processes such as cyanotypes and wet plate photography. Others emulate black and white films, some of which are no longer available.

Silver Efex Pro 2

Best black and white plug-ins

Split toning in Silver Efex Pro 2.

Silver Efex Pro 2 is made by Nik software and regarded by many photographers as the ultimate black and white conversion plug-in. You can buy Silver Efex Pro 2 along with the other applications in the Nik Software range in a bundle for $149. While you can’t buy Silver Efex Pro 2 as a stand-alone application, it also means that you get the rest of Nik software range included with it.

Who is Silver Efex Pro 2 for?

Silver Efex Pro 2 is for the professional, or advanced hobbyist photographer, who wants to take black and white processing to the ultimate level. If you are serious about black and white photography, you will love this plug-in.

Reasons for buying Silver Efex Pro 2:

  • It has more options than Lightroom or Photoshop. There are more ways of adjusting tonal values, toning images, and adding borders. The Structure, Fine Structure, Dynamic Brightness and Soft Contrast sliders in Silver Efex Pro 2 provide a lot of ways to enhance texture, an important element of many black and white images.
  • It has a good workflow. The History in Silver Efex Pro 2 makes it easy to see where you’ve been and where you are going with your black and white conversion.
  • It comes with a number of good presets that help you obtain good black and white conversions right away.
  • It mimics black and white film grain. If you are interested in creating images that look like they were taken with film, Silver Efex Pro 2 lets you imitate the grain structure of 18 commonly used black and white films.
  • It has the standard Before and After view. It also has a Split View that I rather like. You can move the red dividing line to see more of one version or the other (see below). You can also zoom-in to view the differences in fine detail.

Best black and white plug-ins

Exposure

Exposure by Alien Skin Software is a plug-in designed to give your digital photos an analog look. It comes with hundreds of black and white and colour presets that imitate the look of film and antique processes. Alien Skin Software are not merely imitating though – a lot of research has gone into replicating the grain structures of all the film types featured in their software. Where the film wasn’t available, they used photo archives.

Best black and white plug-ins

Just like Silver Efex Pro 2, the presets are a starting point, and tools are provided to make adjustments, including an Intensity slider that lets you fade the effects created by the plug-in. You can create and save your own presets for future use.

Who is Exposure for?

Exposure is for photographers who want to mix the look of analog photography, with the speed and convenience of digital. If you yearn to make your photos look like they were shot with film rather than a digital camera, then this is a good plug-in to use.

Exposure is used by a lot of photographers to create effects that you can’t create in Lightroom, or would take a long time in Photoshop. While it seems mainly pitched at portrait, fashion and wedding photographers, you can apply the filters to virtually any type of photo. It’s a lot of fun to use.

Reasons for buying Exposure:

  • It lets you emulate the look of black and white film. There are over 20 film presets (plus variations) that let you apply an analog look to your digital photos.
  • Exposure is for colour as well as black and white. While this isn’t a concern if you are only interested in the plug-in for black and white conversions, there are some beautiful colour presets and film emulations to use.
  • It lets you add creative borders, light leak effects and scratches to your photos.
  • Exposure lets you add sophisticated lens blur effects to your images, emulating the look created by using specialist lenses such as tilt-shifts and Lensbaby optics (see bel0w).
  • It has an easy to use batch processing tool that makes processing multiple images very quick and easy.

Best black and white plug-ins

Perfect Black & White

Perfect Black & White comes as part of OnOne Software’s Perfect Photo Suite. There are six modules within the suite, giving you the use of the additional ones if you buy it.

Another benefit of Perfect Photo Suite is that it comes with built-in layers. When you convert a photo to black and white it is placed on a layer with an Opacity slider that lets you merge it with the original colour image. While this feature is of limited use for black and white conversions, it may come in handy with the other programs included in the suite.

Best black and white plug-ins

Who is Perfect Black & White for?

This software is ideal for the photographer who wants to experiment with black and white photography and take advantage of the other programs that come with the suite. You will only appreciate the power and potential of this software by using it and experimenting with all the tools.

Reasons for buying Perfect Black & White:

  • It has presets that emulate old photographic processes such as 19th century processes such as the Albumen Print and Ambrotype (see below).
  • There is a good selection of creative borders that you can add to your images.
  • The Sharpening options in it are more advanced than those in Lightroom and Photoshop. There are three types of sharpening to choose from: High Pass, Progressive and Unsharp Mask. High Pass is the most aggressive, while the others let you apply Sharpening in a more subtle fashion.
  • It works in conjunction with the other modules in Perfect Photo Suite. For example, you can use Perfect Portrait to retouch portraits before (or after) converting them to black and white. Or Perfect Resize to enlarge your photo files to a suitable size for making large prints. Or add textures to your photos using layers.
Best black and white plug-ins

Some of the antique process presets available in Perfect Black & White.

B&W Effects 2

B&W Effects 2 is a Lightroom plug-in made by Topaz Labs. The main strength of this plug-in is its strong collection of presets, many of which imitate old processes. There are over 200 to choose from, and many of them have an interesting look which you don’t get from the presets in the other plug-ins mentioned here.

Best black and white plug-ins

Who is B&W Effects 2 for?

B&W Effects 2 is for photographers who want to take advantage of its extensive preset range as a basis for creative black and white conversions. The Snapshots feature gives you a history function that most of the other plug-ins lack, albeit one that you have to activate yourself by taking Snapshots at important points in the processing stage. B&W Effects 2 is also good at increasing detail in mid-tone areas and bringing out texture, an important part of a good black and white conversion.

Reasons for buying B&W Effects 2:

  • Lots of presets for emulating old printing processes. Have you ever wanted to try out cyanotype, albumen, van dyke brown, opalotype or platinum printing? The cost and impracticality associated with these processes puts them out of reach of all but dedicated enthusiasts. But B&W Effects 2 has all these and more.
  • It uses Adaptive Exposure technology to add mid-tone contrast in a way that can’t be replicated in Lightroom or Photoshop. It works by analyzing the image, breaking it into regions and applying the adjustment to each region individually. The best way to appreciate what this tool can do is to try it out for yourself.
  • The Detail and Detail Boost sliders bring out details and texture, completing the work done by the Adaptive Exposure sliders. You’ll be amazed by how much detail and texture you can bring out with these sliders.

Best black and white plug-ins

DxO FilmPack

All the plug-ins we’ve looked at so far include some sort of film simulation, but DxO have taken it a step further with their FilmPack plug-in. According to their website, DxO FilmPack lets you, “Perfectly reproduce the quality, style, colours, and grain of the most famous analog films.”

Like Exposure, DxO FilmPack works in both colour and black and white.

Best black and white plug-ins

Who is DxO FilmPack for?

DxO FilmPack is for photographers who want to process their digital images so that they look as if they were taken on film. But it goes further than that, and offers a variety of creative effects that you will find useful in creating emotive monochrome images.

Reasons for buying DxO FilmPack:

  • Lots of film emulation presets, based on an analysis of the films themselves.
  • Features shared by most of the plug-ins listed here – the ability to add borders and textures, toning, light leaks effects and creative blur.

Tonality Pro

MacPhun is a company that makes plug-ins for Apple Mac computers (sorry Windows users!). Tonality Pro is a relatively recent addition to its stable of software and even though it will only be of interest to some of our readers I’ve included it here because it is a very good piece of software.

MacPhun’s aim with Tonality Pro was to create the best black and white plug-in available. I’ll leave it up to others to decided whether they have achieved that, but there’s no doubt it’s a powerful application with lots of useful tools for converting your photos to monochrome.

best-black-white-plugins-10

Reasons for buying Tonality Pro:

  • Tonality Pro has over 150 presets. There is also an Opacity slider that lets you control the strength of the preset, so you can make the effect as strong or subtle as you wish.
  • Tonality Pro has layers. None of the other presets mentioned here do, except for Perfect Black & White (and then not within the plug-in itself). Layers mean that you can apply an effect to your photo, then use brush mode to create a mask so the effect is applied selectively. Layers add a level of creative potential that allows you to use the plug-in’s tools with nearly unlimited freedom.
  • The clarity and structure tools help you emphasize texture and bring out detail in a way which simply isn’t possible in Lightroom or Photoshop.

Your turn

For me, one of the best things about plug-ins is that they give you a chance to play. They open up new ways of processing that you may not have considered before. Above all they are fun, give you chance to get creative, and find new ways of expressing yourself.

So, here’s a challenge. Download the trial version of one of these plug-ins. Then have a play with some of your favourite images and see what you can do with them. Does the new software give you some creative options that you had never considered before? Let us know how you get on in the comments.


Mastering Lightroom: Book Three – Black & White

Masterlng Lightroom: Book Three – Black & White by Andrew S GibsonMy ebook Mastering Lightroom: Book Three – Black & White goes into the topic of black and white in depth. It explains everything you need to know to make dramatic and beautiful monochrome conversions in Lightroom, including how to use the most popular black and white plug-ins. Click the link to visit my website and learn more.

The post How to Choose a Black and White Plug-In by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.



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