May 8, 2025

[Photography] Photographing Children – Composition

The post Photographing Children – Composition appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Composition-KidsI thoroughly enjoy photographing children and have opportunity to do quite a bit of it lately after many of our friends have had babies.

Probably the most important tip I’ve learned in photographing them is to get on their level. So many of my friends show me photos of their kids which are taken from 4 or so feet above the child which does nothing but dwarf them and make them look almost toy-like.

Getting on your hands and knees or crouching down before you take a shot of a child takes you into their world and helps you to engage with them through the images you take.

Photographing Babies

Babies are particularly difficult to photograph because they are so immobile. I find that one of the best ways to get good shots of them is to put them on a baby rug and too literally lie down next to them with your camera right on the floor. In this way you’re looking directly into their big beautiful eyes and it puts the viewer of the photo in the unique perspective of an eye to eye place. If the child has the ability to lift it’s head the effects can be amazing as you almost find yourself looking UP into their eyes.

Composition-Kids-2
Photographing Older Children
The same principle of getting down low applies with older children although you do have a little less lying on the floor with them when they are at an age of walking.

I particularly find that with older children the best time to photograph them is when they are doing something that they enjoy. Go to the park with them and their parents, visit their house when they are painting pictures, get them to take you on a tour of their room or take them out to play their favorite sport.

While they are doing their activity hover around (at their level) and take plenty of shots. Also include shots with them and their parents and keep an eye open for those candid moments when they fall over, do funny expressions or ham it up for the camera.

If your camera has a continuous shooting mode it might also be worth keeping that on with bigger kids who tend to move around more. As I look back at the times I’ve done this it’s quite interesting to see that it’s often the second or third shot in a sequence that is best. Shooting just one frame at a time can mean you miss these golden opportunities.

Another benefit of continuous shooting is that you can end up with a great series of shots that might go nicely together to tell a story (see below).


Img 815Composition-Kids-3Img 817

Change your Focal Length

Another great way to change the angles of your shots when photographing kids is to use different focal lengths. If you’re using a DSLR it might be worth investing in a couple of different lenses (a wide angle one and a longer zoom) to give you different options. If you’re using a point and shoot (most of which have at least a 3x Optical Zoom) make sure you use it.

Taking pictures with a wide angle focal length can be particularly effective when getting in close to children. It opens up the angles and gives all kinds of interesting perspectives. I use a 17-40mm zoom lens on my DSLR which is brilliant for this. It still allows me to zoom in a little but at 17mm the impact is amazing.

A zoom lens allows you to take photos from further afield and will particularly be useful if the child is distracted by you taking photos. I use a 70-200mm zoom (the third image above was taken with it) which I find very useful.

Have Fun

Lastly, the key to good kid shots is to rediscover your own inner child. Kids love to have fun, they do the unexpected, they love to experiment and test things out and they love to play. Approach photographing them in this spirit and you’ll find your pictures take on a wonderful childlike quality.

portrait-tips.jpg

Table of contents

Kids Photography

The post Photographing Children – Composition appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.



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May 3, 2025

[Photography] Review: Synology DS925+ for Photographers – Is This Your New Cloud?

The post Review: Synology DS925+ for Photographers – Is This Your New Cloud? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.


Review: Synology DS925+ for Photographers – Is This Your New Cloud?

We were sent the newly released Synology DS925+ a four-bay NAS (Network Attached Storage) unit—for review, and we’ve been putting it through its paces. But rather than focusing only on the raw specs, we’re looking specifically at how the DS925+ can help you build your own personal photo ‘cloud’. Let’s get into it.

A Synology DS925+

We’ve reviewed Synology NAS units before, and we’ve always spoken highly of DSM (DiskStation Manager), Synology’s operating system. Since then, DSM has seen a few updates, but it remains a powerful and intuitive system for managing your NAS—whether you’re working at home on your desktop or accessing files remotely via mobile apps.

As a photographer and content creator, I’ve found the updated Synology Photos app (formerly Photo Station and Moments) to be especially useful. It’s packed with new features that genuinely improve productivity.

New Synology Photos vs. the Old Apps

Feature Synology Photos (DSM 7+) Old Photo Station / Moments (DSM 6)
Interface Unified, modern UI combining personal and shared libraries Two separate apps (Photo Station = pro, Moments = personal)
Photo Organisation Albums, folders, timeline, tags, face recognition Split between albums and AI sorting
Facial Recognition Built-in, smarter, faster Moments only, and it was a bit hit-and-miss
AI Features Smart albums (people, locations, objects) Limited to Moments
Permission Control Granular controls per album, user, group Photo Station had it; Moments didn’t
Sharing Direct links, QR codes, expiry options Photo Station had basic link sharing
RAW File Support Yes, with thumbnails for many models Patchy across both older apps
Mobile App All-in-one Synology Photos app DS Photo and Moments were separate
Photo Backup Easy automatic mobile backup Only in Moments; DS Photo was manual
Metadata Editing Title, tags, description in-app Limited support
Performance Much faster, handles large libraries well Moments could lag with 100k+ images
Smart Search By face, object, location, date Only in Moments, and not great
Third-Party Integrations Some (e.g. PhotoPrism via Docker) Minimal AI support
Migration Tools Yes, built-in from old apps None — upgrade to DSM 7 was one-way
Watermarking Built-in for shared images Only in Photo Station
Slideshows Smooth, modern Basic and clunky
Best For Photographers, families, prosumers Split use cases; less cohesive

As a photographer, I also store business files on my NAS—everything from invoices to contracts—which makes the Synology a fantastic central hub for both creative work and admin.


The Elephant in the Server Room…

Now, you might have heard some chatter (ok, a lot) about drive compatibility changes with this new generation of Synology NAS. Without diving too deep, here’s the gist: Synology now requires Synology-branded drives (co-manufactured by Seagate) for full feature support. Using third-party drives may limit features or even block DSM installation.

It’s caused a stir in the community, especially for those who prefer brands like WD Red or Seagate IronWolf. If you want more detail, the folks at DRN have a good wrap-up.

For our review, the unit came pre-installed with four Synology HAT3300 4TB drives, giving us around 10.5TB of usable storage once RAID (We opted for SHR – Synology Hybrid Raid, which allows for one-disk fault tolerance) is configured.

Review: Synology DS925+ for Photographers – Is This Your New Cloud?

Hardware Overview: Synology DS925+ Specs

The Synology DiskStation DS925+, launched in April 2025, succeeds the DS923+ with several hardware upgrades—along with the aforementioned drive restrictions.

Key Specifications

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen V1500B (Quad-Core, 8 Threads, 2.2GHz)
  • Memory: 4GB DDR4 ECC (expandable to 32GB via 2x SODIMM slots)
  • Drive Bays: 4 x 3.5″/2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD
  • M.2 Slots: 2 x NVMe Gen 3 (for SSD caching or dedicated SSD pools)
  • Network Ports: 2 x 2.5GbE RJ-45 (supports link aggregation & failover)
  • Expansion Support: Up to 9 drives via the DX525 expansion unit
  • RAID Options: Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10

Real-World Use for Photographers

So what do these specs mean in practical terms?

The dual 2.5GbE ports are a big improvement over the DS923+’s single 1GbE. I’ve bonded both for link aggregation, and while it’s no 10GbE, the speed is noticeably better—especially when working with large files.

Review: Synology DS925+ for Photographers – Is This Your New Cloud?

Tip: Add SSD cache using the NVMe slots. This massively improves responsiveness when serving thumbnails or opening frequently accessed image libraries. (It’s REALLY easy to add them, too)

Review: Synology DS925+ for Photographers – Is This Your New Cloud?

While editing directly from the NAS is possible, I found that working with 90MB Sony RAW files over Wi-Fi 6 (on a MacBook) did introduce some lag. It’s doable, but if you’re editing a 2,000-image wedding, a wired DAS (Direct-Attached Storage) might be a better option. You can always offload and deliver from the NAS later.


Top 5 Ways to Use a Synology NAS as a Photographer

1. Centralised Photo Storage & Organisation

  • Store all your photos in one secure, easy-to-access location.
  • Organise by date, camera, client, or tags using Synology Photos.
  • No more juggling external drives.

2. Automated Backup & Redundancy

  • Protect files with RAID redundancy (e.g. RAID 5).
  • Schedule automatic or real-time backups from your computer or SD cards.
  • Sync to cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Synology C2.

3. Remote Access & File Sharing

  • Access your photo library anywhere via app or browser.
  • Share RAW files or galleries with clients using expiring links or QR codes.
  • Control who sees what with detailed user permissions.

4. Editing Workflow Integration

  • Mount the NAS as a network drive for editing in Lightroom or Capture One.
  • Use SSD cache for faster previews and file access.
  • Restore earlier edits with version control features.

5. Archiving & Long-Term Storage

  • Offload completed projects to the NAS for long-term safekeeping.
  • Set up automated archiving with task scheduler or scripts.
  • Organise archives by job, date, or tag for quick retrieval.

Final Thoughts

The Synology DS925+ is a solid upgrade with impressive performance and real advantages for creative professionals—especially photographers. While the new drive restrictions may be a sticking point for some, the improvements in speed, software, and usability are undeniable.

Whether you’re managing weddings, commercial shoots, or your personal archive, the DS925+ can absolutely become your central photo hub.

Thanks, Synology, for your support for us here at dPS!

The post Review: Synology DS925+ for Photographers – Is This Your New Cloud? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.



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Apr 17, 2025

[Photography] Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside)

The post Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside)

Part 1: Introduction 

4K and 8K aren’t just buzzwords—they’re today’s standard for visual storytelling. But what happens when your footage doesn’t measure up? Maybe it’s an old SD clip from a documentary project, now painfully grainy on a modern screen. Or a once-in-a-lifetime wedding moment, ruined by dim lighting and noise.

These aren’t just “what-ifs”—they’re real frustrations. Fast-moving shots (think sports or wildlife) lose critical detail. Telephoto lenses introduce soft edges. Even macro videographers, who rely on capturing delicate textures, fight against lens limitations.

That’s where AI video upscaling comes in. It’s not just about adding pixels—it’s about restoring what your footage was meant to be. Whether you’re rescuing old tapes, fixing low-light shots, or sharpening macro details, tools like VideoProc Converter AI have gone from “nice-to-have” to essential.


Part 2: Why VideoProc Converter AI? The AI Video Upscaler You Can Trust

When quality and efficiency matter, VideoProc Converter AI is the definitive solution for videographers and filmmakers. Unlike basic upscalers that simply stretch pixels, it intelligently reconstructs footage using advanced AI—preserving authenticity while achieving stunning 4K/8K clarity. Here’s why professionals trust it:

  1. Cinematic-Quality Upscaling

Uses deep learning to analyze and enhance details frame-by-frame, transforming SD/HD to true 4K/8K without artificial sharpening or artifacts. Ideal for restoring old footage or meeting broadcast specs.

Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside)
  1. Smart Artifact Removal

Eliminates compression flaws (blockiness, banding) from streaming rips, DSLR footage, or legacy files—revealing clean, natural textures hidden beneath digital noise.

  1. Dual Denoising Engine

Combats both high-ISO grain and motion blur in low-light scenes (e.g., weddings, concerts), recovering crisp details even in near-darkness.

  1. Frame-Perfect Motion Handling

Ensures smooth slow-motion by compensating for dropped frames or blur in fast-action shots (sports, wildlife), avoiding the “jelly effect” of cheaper tools.

  1. GPU-Optimized Speed

Renders 8K in real-time by leveraging multi-GPU power—cutting processing time by 75% compared to CPU-based alternatives.

? See it in action: Official Video Demo?


Part 3: Easter Special: Elevate Your Toolkit Without Breaking the Bank

Good video software shouldn’t cost a fortune. VideoProc Converter AI delivers pro-level results without the Hollywood price tag.

Your  Options:

  • Annual Plan ($25.95): Full access to every feature—from AI upscaling to stabilization and colorization—for a full year. Perfect if you prefer flexibility.
  • Lifetime License ($45.95): A single payment unlocks permanent access. The go-to choice for studios and serious creators.

EASTER SPECIAL ALERT! ?
For a limited time, upgrade to the Lifetime License for 3 devices at just $39.95—that’s 30% off the regular multi-device price.

? Claim This Exclusive Deal Now

This isn’t just software—it’s a long-term solution for your workflow. The offer won’t last, and neither should your compromise on quality.

Bonus Tip

Need to polish the photos too? Grab Aiarty Image Enhancer (1-Year License included) to fix blurry portraits, restore old scans, and prep images for print.


Part 4: From Grain to Glory: How to Upscale Like a Pro

VideoProc Converter AI doesn’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. That’s why it offers four specialized AI models, each engineered to tackle specific enhancement challenges with surgical precision:

1. Motion Enhancement Mode
Your secret weapon for fast-paced content. It analyzes movement patterns to reduce motion blur and rolling shutter artifacts – perfect for smoothing out sports plays, drone footage, or wildlife action shots.

2. Film Restoration Mode
A time machine for vintage footage. While upscaling, it preserves the authentic grain structure of 16mm/35mm film while removing scratches and noise – ideal for archivists and period piece creators.

3. Anime Optimization Mode
The animator’s ally. It applies intelligent anti-aliasing to clean up jagged edges in 2D animations and hand-drawn art without softening distinctive artistic lines.

4. Portrait Refinement Mode
The interview specialist. It enhances facial details – sharpening eyes, refining skin texture, and maintaining natural tones for documentary subjects or talking-head footage.

Your Step-by-Step Upscaling Guide:

Step 1: Download and Install VideoProc Converter AI 

Install VideoProc to your PC or Mac and run it. Select the Super Resolution icon.

Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside)

Step 2: Import videos and Select Your AI Model
Drag and drop your video file directly into VideoProc’s clean interface – it supports everything from vintage. Click the “AI Model” dropdown and choose the mode that matches your content type.

Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside)

Step 3: Set Output Parameters
Specify your target resolution (up to 4K), video/audio codec, and format. Once you’re satisfied with the results, click the RUN button to export.

Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside)

Part 5: Beyond Upscaling – Your Complete Video Toolkit

VideoProc Converter AI isn’t just an upscaler—it’s an all-in-one powerhouse packed with professional tools that streamline your entire post-production workflow. Here’s what else you can do:

  • AI Frame Interpolation: 

Transform 24/30/60FPS footage into ultra-smooth 120-480FPS slow motion—perfect for cinematic B-roll or reviving vintage clips without expensive high-speed cameras.

  • Video stabilization

 Make handheld camera footage steady, Optimize wobbles in low-light environments, Eliminate shakes in drone videos, Fix shaky GoPro footage, and stabilize jitters from moving objects.

Turn Monochrome Photos into Colorful Images, breathe new life into black-and-white photos by adding vibrant colors, transforming old and faded heritage images into true-to-life modern pictures with restored and sharpened details.

Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside)
  • Universal Format Conversion

Support 370+ Input Codecs, 420+ Output Formats, convert 4K/HEVC/C-log/MP4/ XAVC-S/MKV 420+ formats for smooth playback.

  • Smart Compression

Reduce file sizes by up to 90% (e.g., 2GB ? 0.17GB) without sacrificing quality—ideal for email sharing or storage optimization.

  • Quick Edits & DVD Digitizing

Crop, resize, rotate, or watermark videos in seconds. Plus, rip DVDs to MP4/ISO/MP3 with 1:1 quality preservation.


Part 6: Don’t Miss This Upgrade

VideoProc Converter AI revolutionizes your workflow with intelligent upscaling that transforms ordinary footage into extraordinary 4K/8K content – preserving authentic details through specialized AI modes while delivering lightning-fast processing. Whether you’re restoring archival footage, perfecting slow-motion sequences, or meeting broadcast standards, this all-in-one solution gives you the precision and efficiency professionals demand.

Ready to future-proof your creativity?
Claim Your Discount Now!  Get the lifetime multi-device license (3 workstations) for just $39.95 – a 30% savings! This deal won’t last forever. 

The post Unlock Cinematic Brilliance: Elevate Your Footage with VideoProc AI Video Upscaler (Easter Special Inside) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.



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Apr 11, 2025

[Photography] Low Light Sports Photography

The post Low Light Sports Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.


This week I got an email from a reader who wrote the following question about ‘low light sports photography’.

Low Light Sports Photography

“I am about to move from Point and Shoot to DSLR. I will receive my Nikon D50 in two days. I want to practice by taking sports photos at my co-workers softball games. They play at night under the lights. Is there anything I should know about that type of lighting. Flash or no flash? White balance? Thanks”

Here’s how I replied:

Hi there (name withheld) – you must be excited! I still remember the days before my Canon 20D arrived!

Ok – my approach to lowlight sports photography:

It’s hard to get right. The combination of distance from your subject (makes flash less effective), the low light and the speed that sports brings to your subject make it very difficult.

Experiment – As a result the key is to experiment lots during the session. I’d say try using flash, try shots without it, try playing with different settings (see below). The great thing about digital cameras is that you can take almost unlimited shots and don’t have to worry about cost. Take loads of shots at different settings and you’ll find yourself learning as you go and honing in on what works best in the situation you’re in.

Try your Flash – I’m not sure if you have an external flash or you’ll just be relying upon the camera’s built in one but the inbuilt one will probably not be too effective unless you’re up close. Give it a go though, you might be surprised. An external flash will be more powerful but I find in most stadiums there is enough light to shoot without flash and that with many sports it’s actually either not allowed or not appropriate to use them as they can distract the competitors.

Shutter Speed – Ideally with sports you need a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion of your subjects. Unfortunately this means less light gets in so depending upon how light the field is you might need to slow it down (and then you’ll get blur). To have some control of shutter speed select your cameras shutter speed priority mode and choose the quickest speed that it will allow you to choose.

ISO – this is probably the feature you’ll want to play with the most. I don’t know if you’ve ever used film cameras and noticed much about ISO but it’s about how sensitive the film is. The higher the number the lower the light you could shoot in. The downside was that the higher the number the grainier your shots turned out. The same applies with digital. You can increase your ISO and this will enable you to shoot at faster shutter speeds. The cost is that you’ll get grainier shots (‘noise) the higher you go. Again – the key if you’re playing with a new camera is to experiment. Learn how to change ISO before you go out and shoot off different shots at different ISO


Lenses – again, not sure what lens you have or if you have more than one but another way to speed up your camera which will enable shooting in low light is to get a ‘fast’ lens( a lens with a larger aperture).

The lower the aperture that you shoot at the more light your lens allows into your camera (and the quicker the shutter speed will be) – and as we know a quick shutter speed makes capturing a moving subject easier).

One of the consequences of shooting a larger aperture is that you’ll get a shallower depth of field which can really add to a photograph but also means you really need to watch your focussing as if you happen to focus slightly off your subject they will appear very out of focus.

This might factor into future considerations for purchases. Often the kit lens that comes with a DSLR is a lower quality lens and not as fast. I’m not sure what D50’s ship with in your part of the world but most ship with something in the f/5.6 aperture range. If you are going to be taking a lot of lower light situation shots you might want to consider buying a second lens at some point that has a lower f/number. I’m not too familiar with Nikon lenses but I know in Canon you can get one that is as fast at f/1.2 (its an 85mm lens) which reportedly will let you shoot in light approaching candle light.

White Balance – shooting in low light usually means you have some sort of artificial light going on which can make your photos come out in all kinds of different shades (you might have noticed sometimes images shot in low light come out with a yellow or greenish tinge to them). ‘White Balance’ is the function in your camera that tells your camera what’s white in your shot so that it can make adjustments to get the right balance in your other colors. Read your camera’s manual on white balance and learn how to experiment with it and you can significantly change the temperature of your photos.

Image Stabilization – the other way to get a lens which will shoot in low light is to look for one with IS (image stabilization). This will let you drop your shutter speed down lower. Of course this isn’t ideal for sports shots as they move too fast, but if you are shooting still subjects in low light it’s very useful.

Sports Mode – most digital cameras come with a built in ‘sports mode’. This usually does a reasonable job of optimizing aperture, shutter speed and ISO to give you the best shot for the conditions you’re in. I find that it works best in well lit situations however and that experimenting manually with the above factors is more effective in low light.

Tripod – lastly, a tripod, monopod or some other stable surface will help a lot also as it’ll help cut down on camera shake if you have to resort to slow shutter speeds.

I’m not sure that really solves all the challenges you face in shooting sports in low light (as I say it’s tricky) but I hope it at least gives you some options to think about and experiment with.

As I say – the key I’ve found is to shoot LOTS of shots at different settings, especially in the early days of your experience with your DSLR.

Happy Shooting.

The post Low Light Sports Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.



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Mar 31, 2025

[Photography] Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer’s Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal

The post Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer’s Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

Ever spent hours painstakingly masking hair strands or fixing jagged edges after removing a cluttered background? What if you could skip the tedious work and let AI handle the heavy lifting—while you focus on creating stunning images?

You know backgrounds can make or break a shot. A messy room, harsh lighting, or an overcast sky can ruin an otherwise perfect portrait. But manually removing backgrounds? That’s time you could spend shooting, networking, or simply enjoying life behind the lens.

Aiarty Image Matting is designed to tackle these very challenges head-on. This isn’t just another “magic wand” tool. It’s an AI-powered background remover. No more wrestling with Photoshop’s Quick Selection Tool or drawing manual trimaps. Aiarty Image Matting delivers precision on tricky details (think frizzy hair, lace veils, or water droplets) and speed for batch-editing thousands of images—all with one-click simplicity.

Special Offer: Ready to ditch the tedious background removal grind? Aiarty Image Matting offers a 1-Year License Giveaway so you can test its power firsthand. For photographers ready to level up their workflow, unlock unlimited access at an unprecedented low price. Or you can directly grab our AiMeida package here!

Try Aiarty Image Matting Risk-Free and Claim Your Free Trial Now!

Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer's Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal

Smart Tools for Specific Photography Needs

Let’s face it: not all background removal tools are created equal. Aiarty’s AI is built to tackle the unique challenges photographers face daily. Here’s how it simplifies your workflow while delivering pro-level results.

Flawless Edges, Even on Tricky Details

Struggling with frizzy hair, lace veils, or splashing water? With the unique Alpha Matting, Aiarty handles semi-transparent edges and fine details effortlessly. No more jagged halos or lost textures—just clean, natural blends that look like you spent hours masking (but you didn’t).

One-Click Simplicity, Pro-Level Results

Why waste time on complicated tools? Aiarty offers four models trained for different image types. Import your image, choose a model, and let Aiarty work its magic. It’s that easy, making advanced techniques accessible to photographers of all skill levels.

Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer's Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal

Refine with Control, Not Complexity

Need a quick tweak? Aiarty’s smart editing brush tools let you refine edges or restore details in seconds. Think of it as a digital eraser—but one that actually understands your subject. In addition to the precise AI detection, you can use Manual Selection to adjust the area you want to keep.

Batch Process Thousands in Minutes

Shooting a wedding or product catalog? Aiarty edits loads of images at once, so you can focus on what matters: capturing moments, not clicking buttons. Edit 3,000+ wedding or product photos in one go. Ideal for high-volume projects. It’s faster than brewing your morning coffee.

How to Use Aiarty Image Matting

Editing doesn’t have to be a headache. With Aiarty Image Matting, you can go from raw image to polished masterpiece in just a few simple steps. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Import Your Image

Drag and drop your photo into Aiarty Image Matting—whether it’s a single portrait or a folder of 3,000 product shots. The software supports raw and high-resolution files, so your 4K edits stay crisp and professional.

Step 2: Choose Your AI Model

Aiarty offers four specialized AI models to match your subject:

  • AlphaStandard V2: For hair, lace, and semi-transparent edges.
  • EdgeClear V2: For sharp, detailed subjects like jewelry or wildlife.
  • AlphaEdge V2: For mixed edges needing both softness and clarity.
  • SolidMat V2: For solid objects like furniture or gadgets.

Select the model that fits your needs, and then click Start to launch AI reference.

Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer's Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal

Step 3: Refine (If Needed)

Not quite perfect? Use Aiarty’s smart brushes to tweak edges or restore details:

  • Eraser Tool: Fix stray hairs or halos.
  • Brush Tool: Enhance edges or add softness.
  • Dodge/Burn Tools: Adjust lighting for seamless blending.
Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer's Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal

Step 4: Export and Publish

Once your edit is flawless, export the image as a PNG with transparency or layer it into a new background in the software. Aiarty’s high-quality output ensures your work looks professional, whether it’s for a client portfolio, social media post, or e-commerce listing.

Where Aiarty Shines in Real-World Photography

Aiarty Image Matting isn’t just a tool—it’s a game-changer for photographers across genres. Whether you’re shooting portraits, products, or wildlife, Aiarty solves real-world challenges and unlocks creative possibilities. Here’s how it transforms your workflow.

For Personal Projects & Hobbies

For portrait photographers, delivering studio-quality headshots is now easier than ever. Cluttered backgrounds can ruin an otherwise perfect shot. With Aiarty Image Matting, you can replace messy backdrops with clean, neutral tones or custom designs in seconds. It excels at handling tricky details like frizzy hair, flyaways, or translucent fabrics, ensuring your subject blends naturally into the new scene.

For Professional Creatives

For travel and wildlife photographers, Aiarty Image Matting helps you isolate birds, animals, or landmarks from cluttered foliage or crowds. You can even replace dull skies with vibrant sunsets for a dramatic finish.

Wedding photographers know that every detail matters. From lace veils to tulle skirts, Aiarty ensures flawless edits for semi-transparent fabrics and flowing hair. Batch-process hundreds of ceremony and reception photos in minutes, and create dreamy composites by layering subjects into new scenes.

For E-commerce & Business

If you are a product photographer or a business owner, Aiarty Image Matting is your secret weapon for e-commerce success. Marketplaces like Amazon demand pure white backgrounds, and manually editing hundreds of product shots can be a nightmare. Aiarty delivers crisp, razor-sharp edges for gadgets, jewelry, or furniture, even under challenging lighting. Plus, its batch processing feature lets you edit 3,000+ images in one go. Swap uneven studio backdrops for consistent and client-ready results.

Why Photographers Trust Aiarty’s Tech

Aiarty Image Matting is designed to handle the toughest editing challenges. Here’s why photographers rely on Aiarty for precision, speed, and creative freedom.

Four AI Models for Every Editing Scenario

Aiarty doesn’t rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it offers four specialized AI models, each optimized for different types of images.

  • AlphaStandard: Perfect for semi-transparent edges like hair, lace, or water. It preserves soft transitions and delicate textures, making it ideal for wedding photographers or portrait artists.
  • EdgeClear: Tackles sharp, detailed subjects like jewelry, wildlife, or furniture. It enhances edge clarity while retaining fine details, so your edits look crisp and professional.
  • AlphaEdge: Prioritizes edge sharpness over smooth transparency variations. Balances softness and sharpness for mixed-edge subjects, like flowing dresses with intricate lace. It’s the go-to model for fashion photographers or creatives working with layered textures.
  • SolidMat: Handles complex image structures for better matting accuracy and detail preservation. Delivers clean, precise cuts for solid objects like gadgets, shoes, or buildings. It’s a lifesaver for product photographers or real estate professionals.
Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer's Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal

Matting vs. Segmentation

Traditional background removal tools often leave harsh, jagged edges—especially around tricky details like hair, glass, or water. Aiarty Image Matting uses alpha matting, a sophisticated technique that blends edges like a soft brush, not scissors. This means your subjects transition seamlessly into new backgrounds, with no unnatural halos or lost details.

How Aiarty Stacks Up Against Traditional Tools

When it comes to background removal, not all tools are created equal. Here’s how Aiarty compares to traditional options or online background removers across key areas.

Ease of Use: Compared to the steep learning curve of traditional image editors, Aiarty is designed for photographers of all skill levels. No advanced editing knowledge required—just import, click, and refine.

Performance: Photoshop is powerful but time-consuming. Online tools often struggle with accuracy, especially with semi-transparent or fine details. Aiarty Image Matting handles complex edges (hair, glass, water) with AI-powered precision. Delivers natural blends and sharp details in seconds.

Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer's Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal

Upscaling Capabilities: Aiarty Image Matting comes with an AI Enhance feature to enhance image quality and resolution. With three built-in AI models, you can enhance the original image quality to extreme detail and upscale the resolution by up to 2X. This is a bonus feature you can’t find in most background removers.

Batch Processing: Aiarty Image Matting can edit thousands of images at a faster speed in one go—perfect for weddings, events, or e-commerce catalogs.

Elevate Your Photography with Aiarty

You didn’t become a photographer to spend hours hunched over a computer, wrestling with clunky tools. You became a photographer to create—to capture moments, tell stories, and deliver images that leave clients speechless.

Aiarty Image Matting is here to help you do just that. With its AI-powered precision, batch processing speed, and photographer-first design, it’s more than a tool—it’s your new creative partner. Whether you’re editing hair-flyaway portraits, polishing product catalogs, or crafting dreamy wedding albums, Aiarty handles the tedious work so you can focus on what matters: your art.

Why Wait? Join our Free License Giveaway and start your free trial from today. Your next masterpiece is just a click away.

The post Aiarty Image Matting: Photographer’s Secret to Streamlined and Flawless AI Background Removal appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.



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Mar 28, 2025

[Photography] World Backup Day 2025

The post World Backup Day 2025 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

A lesser known celebration for a day that, as a photographer / content creator / filmmaker / regular person that takes photos of their kids on their phone.. (everyone!) SHOULD be at the top of your calendar! World Backup Day! – March 31st!

World Backup Day 2025

March 31st each year, we all encourage each other to BACKUP! In my case it’s to make sure my directly attached external drive is backed up to my NAS (I’ve been using Synology NAS for years, and that’s how we arrived here!) and, I also use it to remind my wife to do her once-a-year backup of her ageing laptop! (trust me, I try…)

This year, we’ve joined forces with the team at Synology to award one lucky person with a FANTASTIC 4-Bay Synology NAS and matching Synology Drives to make sure that they’re BACKED UP properly going forward!

All you need to do to enter is to head over to our Instagram post linked below…

Losing your photo archive because you stored it all on your laptop and some clumsy mate spilled his coffee in your keyboard? The dog chewed it? Aliens… The list goes on! But with it being SO easy to back up these days, what’s stopping you?

Here’s an article I did on using one of the small Synology TWO BAY NAS to manage your photo archives.

29% of data loss is caused by accidents! Don’t be part of the 29%, click here, enter now.

Terms & Conditions for Instagram Giveaway

Eligibility: Open to legal residents of Australia aged 18 and over. No purchase necessary.

Entry Period: Starts March 28, 2025 and ends on April 2nd at 12:59 PM [Melbourne zone].

How to Enter: Follow @digitalps and @synology.official on Instagram, like the giveaway post, and comment as per instructions.

Winner Selection: A random draw will take place on April 2nd at 1:00 PM

Prize: One Synology 4-Bay NAS with matching hard disk drives. Prize is non-transferable, no cash alternative.

Winner Announcement: The winner will be announced on @digitalps Instagram and contacted via DM. The winner must respond within 72 hours to claim the prize. We will NOT message you from any other account or DM you from any other account – anyone else claiming you’ve won is a scammer and should be… well, use your imagination, I don’t like scammers…

Shipping & Delivery: The prize will be shipped to the winner at no cost within Australia. We are not responsible for any customs fees or lost packages.

Disqualification: We reserve the right to disqualify entries that do not follow the rules or are deemed fraudulent.

Not Affiliated with Instagram: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Instagram.

The post World Backup Day 2025 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.



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Mar 3, 2025

[Photography] Memory cards are all the same, right?

The post Memory cards are all the same, right? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

Memory cards are all the same, right?

Well, yes and no. I believe that if you’re simply a hobbyist and you’re not too worried about ever losing data on a card then it’s not going to make much difference if you get a pricey card or a cheap card. Though I would also suggest if you always get cheap cards, get small ones that don’t store too much data, that way, when, not if they fail, you don’t lose too many photos or videos.

Memory cards are all the same, right?

There is an old saying, that goes “there are too kinds of digital storage, those that have failed and those that haven’t failed yet”. Cheaper and more expensive cards can both fail, they are both physical manufactured things. But the difference I have often found is that with some products that cost more, you’re not just paying for how they perform but also how the company that makes them performs when something goes wrong.

I have been exceptionally luck over the years, that I haven’t had more than 2-3 horror stories of hard drives or memory cards failing on me. Though most of the times when they have failed it hasn’t been a huge horror story as I am fanatical about backup, but that is for another article. ?

Memory cards are all the same, right?

I got my first set of ProGrade memory cards back in 2020. I was sent them for long term review and I think 5 years later defiantly counts as long term. I got sent 1x V90 128gig and 1x V90 256gig and have been using them solidly for 4 or so years since. Not only that, but those two worked so well for me that I also bought 3 more of the 256gig cards.

I’ve have used them on countless projects for my production company as well as my Youtube channel over these last few years, they have captured probably thousands of hours of 4K and 6K high bitrate content, in some pretty challenging conditions and never missed a beat. 

I’ve used them in cameras ranging from Sony, Panasonic, Canon and Nikon.

Even though I’ve never really needed to make use of ProGrade’s support, they have some pretty useful features. They have a free app you can download for Mac or Windows called PreFresh Pro which you can use to check your cards health. After all my cards have been though they all still show as 99.9% healthy. The app suggests that if you card gets down by 10% then you should look at replacing it as soon as possible.

You can also “Sanitise” your cards with the ReFresh app with will wipe then clean, but also optimise them for best speed and use. Though I’ve never really noticed the cards having any issues with speed on read or write. Please note that you do need to use a ProGrade card reader in order for the app to recognise your cards and work with them. Also even though the software is free, you do need to “order it” via their website. I am assuming they do this to limit the bandwidth of people downloading it over and over again from them website.

Memory cards are all the same, right?

ProGrade also sell a $49 USD app called Recovery Pro for recovering lost data from a card. Of course this will depend on what has gone wrong with the card if you can get anything off it or not. So your mileage will vary, but it’s nice that they sell an option for this. Also note the purchase price a one year licence only, but they do have a free valuation copy you can use to scan your files and see if they app thinks it can recovery anything you can use before you buy.

Thankfully, I’ve never had the need for that app and fingers crossed I never will.

In conclusion, even though I generally hesitate to ever outright recommending something, I have no hesitation outright recommending the ProGrade SD cards. I’ve not used any of their other cards, but from the last 5 years of my experience with these cards, they work every time and have never given me any issues. Which is pretty much all you want from a memory card, isn’t it?

This article in from our friend and Filmmaker, Lee Herbet – Find out more about Lee here

The post Memory cards are all the same, right? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.



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