I just pre-ordered my copy of Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended. It’s £192.83 for the boxed upgrade including tax and shipping, which they say will be delivered around Friday 30th April. Be aware that currently the link to upgrade to the Extended version is identical to the normal upgrade. I have contacted Adobe about this…

Well I think we can safely say this is a Photographers update and this is the first time that Adobe have hyped up a product launch and I guess its because its the 20th year of Photoshop, either that or they got a new advertising and marketing company that knows what its doing…

So taking a leaf out of Apple’s book, we are going to be getting a month’s worth of videos and hype around all things Adobe. I am already hearing that Premiere Pro and After Effects are getting amazing write ups online. If you skipped CS4 then you are really going to want to get CS5. Not getting will effect the quality of your images… How’s that for a statement.

© Adobe Systems Incorporated 2010

Automatic Lens Correction

You can now quickly and easily remove both barrel, pincushion distortion and also vignetting which will please users of Nikon’s 70-200 F2.8 VR Mk1. This automates something that had to be done previously by hand and Adobe have also added in the ability to share settings online so that its users can eventually populate all lenses with correction settings.

© Adobe Systems Incorporated 2010

HDR Pro

Adobe took a pounding for not producing a better HDR suite in CS4 and they got beaten to the line by the guys at Photomatix. However, they seem to have got their act together and come back with an even more powerful HDR module which I believe is called HDR Pro. If this gets close to Photomatix Pro, then they could see a dramatic downturn in business and I would not be surprised if this feature is shoe-horned into Elements 9 as well just to make sure that any and all competition is blown out of the water.

Content Aware Fill

Now if you haven’t seen the demo’s floating about the web click here. This is going to be a powerful new feature but also a controversial one because of what it might potentially do in terms of removing copyright stamps and digital watermarks etc… I don’t think its a gimmick by any means though and in my view a welcome edition.

Update - Ok, I have had a few days to check this feature out and I don’t think its as good as Adobe are letting on. Don’t get me wrong compared to the alternatives of cloning, healing, selecting, copying, and pasting, its a huge improvement. But I have watched  Katrin Eismann, Terry White, Dave Cross and Julieann Kost demonstrate this new ground breaking feature and the only person to struggle was Dave Cross. Why? Well he used a shot of a building and the content aware fill did not like the repeating patterns that much, which does not surprise me because Photoshop has always struggled with this issue. I am not saying Dave did not know what he was doing, far from it. But what you got was a more real world demo which was refreshing in the fact that it was not as perfect as first made out by the other Adobe Evangelists.

Content Aware Healing

Update - The spot healing brush now contains the same content aware fill feature and this is where I think its going to have more long term appeal. I think being able to fine tune small areas at a time with a brush will suit this technology much better than just doing larger selections and asking Photoshop to replace large chunks of image data.

In conclusion content aware fill will be good for non-linear items found in nature where there is very little repeating patterns. So grass, stone, sand, water, cloud, dense foliage, skies, will all work much better than things like bricks, tiles, stained glass, man-made patterns etc…

Other Features

There will be 64-bit support for the MAC version and I would think we can see up dates for Refine Edge (See Below), Brushes, Camera RAW and whole host of minor tweaks that have not even mentioned. Thats all for now… I will update more later on tonight once the launch has started and link in to both NAPP and Adobe Tv as it happens.

Terry’s Top 5

Update - Adobe’s Terry White demo’s his Top 5 Favourite Features from Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended >

© Stuart Little 2010- Nikon D700 Rear LCD Screen

I was taught to do this little exercise in camera management by a local press photographer called Les Flannigan. Les recently passed away, but back in the day, he was a freelancer for my local rag the Ayrshire Post. I was fortunate enough to spend time shadowing him and it was on one of these particular adventures that Les explained to me why I should “zero out my camera” after every job.

In those days the Post had a full time staffer called Robin Christie, Les was a freelancer, but on a monthly retainer with the paper. Then there was me and a few other snappers who picked up the rest of the work that could not be covered by Robin or Les. Now Robin was a Nikon shooter and he was an old school “S.O.B” who I kinda respected on the one hand, but loathed on the other, mainly because I wanted his job and as far as I was concerned he was an old “has been” who should of retired long ago.

In fact I got so hacked off with him, I used to dream of planning his demise! I kid.. The editorial department was upstairs at the offices in Nile court and many times I wished I had laid fishing line across the top of the stairs for Robin to trip over. Then I might of had a chance of getting his job. Looking back on it though, he did me a huge favour. Anyway, Robin was a grumpy old man who tooled up with a Nikon FM2, Motor-drive, 28mm F2.8 lens, and a Metz-45. That was it and in the whole time I worked at the post. I don’t think I ever saw him use another lens. Oh and I was told. Don’t ask him for any advice or tips because all you would get in return was a mouthful…

Anyway, hindsight is a wonderful thing and now I see Robin was a smart man without a sore back. He knew the 97% of the shots he would take from day to day were cheque presentations and required the photo-copier approach to photography. Nuke it at 1/60th @ f8 and your done. So why bust your butt on something when the picture editor is A: Going to Crop it to Hell B: Get it printed on paper that “Charmin” would reject for the toilet. I did see him take one good picture once! It was shot down a coal mine and was a good mixture of available head lamp light and the trusty Metz off camera. He made a good frame that day and they used it well in the paper.

Les on the other hand was a Canon shooter and he sported a Canon T90. Although even at that time it was not new model, it was way cooler than anything I had in my bag. Les also used a Metz as did we all, but he liked to mix it up a little in the lens department with a bit of zoom action and he was not scared to crack out a long lens now and again either. You have to remember auto-focus was the new kid on the block and zoom lenses were seen as the devils glass. So Les was pretty cutting edge for an ex-police snapper who was by that time in his 50′s.

He was also very generous with his knowledge and was a natural teacher. At that point I was really green around the gills and I would say Les probably saved me from many a mistake and it was with his guidance that I learned to reset my camera after each assignment and thats what you are going to learn today.

Now the reason why you “zero out your camera” is so that you start with a clean sheet. Whether you shoot for fun or shoot for a living it does not matter. If you are going into different situations where the camera settings are going to be altered. It pays to start at the same point every time you are beginning a new shoot and because you did at the end of the previous shoot, you don’t have to worry about all the settings. Ya see! Clever stuff…

This consistency will help you to make better pictures and give you piece of mind that when you pick up the camera you know your starting point. (This is a little baised towards Nikon shooters, but if you shoot with another brand you will get the idea) So here are the ten settings I go through every time I finish a shoot. On modern cameras there are others, but these are the important ones for you.

#1 – ISO

Firstly, I reset the ISO which is pronounced “EYE SO” and not “I.S.O”. I only discovered that last month. The Nikon’s working range is 200 to 6400. So I start at the lower end of the scale ISO200 as that’s going to give me the least amount of noise. I can then work up from there.

#2 – Aperture Priority

I spend 90% of my time in “Aperture Priority” mode and I dial in exposure adjustments using the EV compensation button that sits right next to my trigger finger. The shooting mode goes back to “Aperture Priority” and also the EV compensation button gets set to “0.0″ so that there is no EV adjustment. I also make sure I start at f5.6 because this is a good mid point aperture to have the lens set at incase you need to turn the camera on and start shooting without your brain engaging first.

#3 – White Balance

When I was shooting Canon I used to set the White Balance to cloudy because it gave me a pleasing skin tone and the Auto WB was inconsistent on the EOS10D. But now that I am a Nikon shooter, I mainly stay in Auto-WB because not only is it accurate, but also very consistent. I then move over to cloudy or shade for effect when shooting. The newer Canon’s are also way more consistent and can be worked in this manner as well.

#4 – Auto Focus

Next, I make sure my focus point is reset to the centre of the focus grid. On the Nikon you can double click the button in the middle of the focus selection pad that sits to the right of the LCD display. I also check the focus mode and make sure its in single servo focus and that I also have the dynamic area focus switched on.

#5 – Metering Pattern

I never budge out of “3D Color Matrix” but there is the odd occasion that I use “Spot” metering, so I always check this is back on to the “Matrix” icon. Just incase!

#6 – Shooting Mode

I used to be a “1 click” single frame maker, but I now go for the highest frame rate possible. On the D700 thats 5fps without the vertical grip, and around 8fps with the v-grip. Shooting in short bursts of 2-3 frames at a time increases your success rate for a shot thats sharp, so I like this way of working. Just don’t go fully automatic and rip 50 frames at a time is all I am saying! Sometimes I need to go back to single shot for product stuff, so checking this is a good thing for me.

#8 – Image Quality

This never comes off the RAW setting. Sometimes I go for RAW+FINE (Jpeg) but usually RAW on its own. As I can easily process a Jpeg from Lightroom.

#9 – Battery

The battery is checked and if there is at least 60% power available its left in the camera. But anything lower than 60% gets swapped out for a spare and the used battery recharged. You can never have to many spare batteries…

#10 – Format Card

I always download the images, back up twice and then reformat the card back in the camera. This means that I am good to go at a minutes notice and this readiness has paid off for me time and time again. I can pull the camera from the bag, turn it on and know that any adjustments made are coming from these start up settings.

Give it a go for yourself because practise makes perfect! >

© Stuart Little 2010

Take the shot above. The man in the picture was unaware that I was taking his picture and if he was aware he was at all he was not concerned at my presence. Although granted I was far enough away that chances are he did not know it was him I was placing in my photograph.

So should I have asked permission? In my view no because that would have taken away from the shot. I like the fact that I am detached from the subject and it allows me to wonder… Where he was going? Who was he on the phone to? What was in the bag?

Chances are he was either about to go for a train or had just got off the train, as we were pretty close to Central Station in Glasgow. But that’s just a guess on my part and thats what makes the image fun! It keeps you guessing. I also like to think the guy had just collected his lottery winnings and the bag is stuffed full of notes! My over active imagination at work…

If I had interacted with the man and gained his permission, then it would have been a completely different shot and I would have probably of found out all of the answers to the questions above pretty quickly. (I used to be a press-photographer after all)

© Stuart Little 2010

Take this shot of the Apple store that I posted the other week. The couple in the shot were very aware of having their photo taken. How do I know? Well the chap in the long coat smiled and gave me a nod of approval just after this shot was taken. I smiled back and nodded my head in return. This interaction between to people who have never met is why I love photography. Having that piece of glass and metal between you and your subject is a wonderful excuse to do things you would not normally do. The nod was his way of saying I don’t mind being in your photograph.

There is not a week goes by that I do not read of a photographer being stopped in the street mainly because the police assume you are up to no good and therefore you must be a terrorist (See photographernotaterrorist.org).

Is it safer to ask permission? >

© Paul Hackett 2010 - LPS Workflow Essentials Action #27 Black & White

I shoot weddings, but I don’t class myself as a wedding photographer because I am more of an all rounder who likes try a bit of of everything! “Don’t ever invite me to a buffet dinner! There would be nothing left” I digress. Quite frankly, it would drive me nuts if I had to shoot weddings all season. I have great admiration for full-time wedding photographers but me, I like a little variety.

It is my thoughts on planning that I want to share with you today and more importantly the relationship between the images you are making and how you process them in Photoshop after the wedding. (Now, when I say Photoshop, today that means Bridge, Lightroom & Photoshop as an umbrella word, Just so you know…)

© Peter Ellis 2010 - Vignette Maker Action #3 Lasso Vignette (Adjustable)

There are three parts to what I am going to talk about. Where you are? What you are doing? and What you should be thinking about from a Photoshop point of view? So lets begin…

Arrive at the first location

This tends to be the brides parents house or a hotel room, but obviously every wedding is different so lets just say the first venue is where the bride is at…

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Detailed shots of the veil, tiara, shoes, dress, flowers, jewellery etc.
- The Bride and Bridesmaids getting ready.
- Bride ready and looking perfect, Full Length, 3/4 length, Head & Shoulders.
- Group Shot – Bride and her family.
- Bridesmaids looking perfect.

Now, lets think about this from the photography/photoshop side of things?

You should be using a zoom lens, either a 24-105 F4 L series Canon Lens or the 24-70 F2.8 G series Nikon. This gives you the flexibility to shoot without having to change up your lens and I would also suggest a full frame camera like the Canon EOS5D MKII,  EOS1Ds MKIII or the Nikon D700 or the D3. All are full frame and they allow you to make the most of the suggested lenses without compromising on the focal length.

A lot of thought goes into the colour of the dresses and the flowers etc. So anything that is what I call “Colour Critical” should remain in colour. In post processing all you want to do is make sure the colour is true to what was taken and then enhance it with vibrance, saturation, and clarity etc. Using techniques like “Popping Colour” is fine later on, but not so cool at the front end of the album.

© Peter Ellis 2010 - LPS Workflow Essentials Action #22 Levels

Formal shots like the Bride, Bride and Family, Bridesmaids, traditionally were shot on a medium format camera and personally, I still like to think along those lines from a creative stand point. So bear in mind  that medium format camera were square, so when you are making an image to take into account the crop in camera and not as an after thought in the computer. If you are going to crop square, then leave enough room for the crop and also think about the size of the image at the other end. If Its going to be a small part of the album then don’t worry too much about the amount of space you leave around your subjects, but if its going to be used big then this is a critical consideration because you do not want to have to resize the image by interpolating the pixels larger than they actually are! (Shooting RAW is a must for this kind of shot)

© Paul Hackett 2010 - LPS Workflow Essentials Action #27 Black & White

“Candid” “Fly On The Wall” “Reportage” style shots were made for black & white. So when shooting these shots think in black & White. Make sure you are aware of the tonal range of your shot and try not to mix black with black or white with white… What I mean is if you are photographing the bride in her beautiful white dress be conscious of the background and don’t place her against another light surface, otherwise you may lose detail in the dress due to the exposure. Think about the contrast within your shot for black & white side of things and then when you get the images on the screen. You can use a good Black & White Technique or an action from the Creative Color Lab to stamp your own style of black & white into the wedding. This will help you to create more consistent results from wedding to wedding and also add to your own style as a photographer.

© Paul Hackett 2010 - LPS Workflow Essentials Action #22 Levels

If the Groom is at the Same Location

Then you don’t have to think about travel. But if he is at a different location then remember to build in the travel time between locations. Also take a camera in the car just incase something happens on the way or you see something thats worthy of a shot or two! Ya never know…

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Detail shots, of the kilt, waistcoat, button hole flower, rings.
- Groom and Best Man, Family getting ready.
- Groom ready, looking handsome, Full Length, 3/4 length, Head & Shoulders.

You can use the same techniques in post to link the venues via colour, tone and of course a consistent black & white for the candid shots. This will help you to tie together the look and feel of what will eventually be in the album.

© Paul Hackett 2010 - LPS Workflow Essentials Action #27 Black & White

Arriving at the Ceremony

Not everyone gets married in a church these days, so if you are photographing civil ceremony, it pays to scout the location before hand and check out the lighting as this can help determine all manner of post-processing decisions. But its still nice to have a church wedding and I will base my thoughts on a traditional arrival because it a good point to remind you to touch base with vicar, minister, priest, etc… Flash photography is not welcomed in church so it pays to ask the right questions and reassure the man or woman from the church that you are not going to be a nuisance and a distraction from the ceremony.

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Photograph the arrival of the Groom, Best Man, Ushers.
- Candid shots of Family and Friends.
- Capture the Atmosphere, Flowers, and other Details.
- Arrival of Bridesmaids and Brides Mother.

This is the time where a 2nd shooter comes into their own and I find mine to be invaluable for capturing all the little details that I do not have time to get in the camera. At this point I still keep the images to a mixture of colour and black & white by consistently applying the same effects. If you are going to be creating a Storybook style album, then these moments are the glue that binds the album together. Remember to capture skinny panoramic shots and also if the weather is on your side low angles with plenty of cloud detail. Stonework for texture and any little other details that can be used for background texture etc…

© Paul Hackett 2010 - Creative Color Lab Action #19 My Mocha with Soft Light

The Bride’s Arrival

This is where things get up to 100mph, but you still have to be on your game and as well as shooting, thinking about the end result. Its from this point onwards that I will look to mix in a bit of cross processing which is still very popular amongst brides. Remember the formal shots of the dress are done. You can have a bit of fun with the colour and push it a little more. This is why I developed the Creative Color Lab Actions for a quick, easy and consistent way of getting colour effects on to your wedding images without stressing over loads of Photoshop.

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Shoot the bride arriving in the wedding car.
- Candid shots as it happens (2nd Shooter).
- Shots of the Bride and Father of the Bride walking to the wedding venue (Church).
- Bride and Father of the Bride in doorway of venue (Church).
- Bridesmaids arranging dress.
- Back view of Bride and Bridesmaids, Flower Girl etc..

© Paul Hackett 2010 - LPS Workflow Essentials Action #22 Levels

Church Service

This is where that important chat with the man or woman of the cloth pays off… I like to position myself to side of the minister and use a long lens as well as an ultra wide angle lens. So a fast Nikon 70-200VR F2.8 G series or Canon 70-200IS F2.8 L series lens is essential and one of the main reason for me going back to black with Nikon was its High ISO capabilities. Canon is catching up though with the EOS 7D. These are great tools of the trade for a dark church interior with a mixture of bad lighting for good measure.

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Shots inside of the church and ceremony.
- Exchanging of the rings.
- Candid shots of the guests.
- The Kiss.
- Register Shot and Walking Down the Aisle.

The last wedding I did, I over shot the ceremony. It went on a little too long and I had over 500 shots in bag by the the time they said “I Do” and that did not include the signing of the register. Shooting RAW indoors is essential, but I would also balance up for the warm tungsten rather than for any florescent lights that maybe on inside the church. Remember you can always adjust things later on…

I personally prefer the warm orange glow of tungsten, but it also depends on the amount of ambient light coming in the windows. Speaking of windows, stained glass church windows make for great album fillers and I have been known to use shots from other weddings that have been done at the same church because they are already prepared in the computer. Sneaky I know… But lets face it a stained glass window does not change much unless it rains… I have got those as well

This is also the time to mixed up some black & white but consultant with your bride and groom before hand on this one, because again the church is where the bride envisioned the full colour and glory of the dress and flowers… And if you are returning your Bride and Groom to the inside for some intimate shoots of them, before moving onto the next location. Then if its a pretty church that you compose some of you shots to include the splendour of the surroundings. All too often I see close-up couples shots that could have been taken in the studio. Use your environment, they will thank you for it later.

© Paul Hackett 2010 - Vignette Maker Action #9 - 120 px Lasso Vignette & Creative Color Lab Action #29 Warm Black & White with Overlay @ 50% Opacity

Church Doorway after the Ceremony

In my view its at this point that you make up the bulk of candids that are mostly likely to end up in the album but it also depends on what the Bride & Groom have in mind. Traditionally this is the time for the groups. Which I hate with a passion, not that I can’t do them I am actually pretty good at creating group compositions but to me it just kills the flow of the day and guests don’t take kindly to getting directed into shot. But you cannot help doing the Bridal party and a few pre-arranged shots at this stage.

So look to keep it all pretty colourful so that you show off everyone’s outfits rather than turning everything to Black & White, which is what you will be doing if you forget to adjust the ISO back to something a little more manageable.

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- (Safety shots) of the Bride & Groom in the Doorway.
- Full Length and Close-Ups.
- Shot Candids. (2nd Shooter)
- Give the Guests a chance to Chat and Bride & Groom whilst you do more Candids.
- Shoot the pre-arranged Groups with as little fuss as possible.

Normally at this point, pre-arranged groups should be shot so that they maybe used for reprint orders as well as for the album. So remember to compose the groups allow for a 3:2 or 5:4 crop ratio. Don’t forget to tell your 2nd shooter to do candids of the groups as these can look much more better than the posed shots and are great for the book.

© Paul Hackett 2010 - Creative Color Lab Action #14 Dark Creme

Confetti Shots

We all love a Confetti Shot! and these are natural home of the popping colour effect. Many a time I have popped the confetti out and made the rest of the image black & white. Nowadays I am more interested in creating a colour shift as in the image above and introduce a bit of color cast. Its worthwhile contacting the florist to get a big bag full of loose flower petals. Give them to the bridesmaids and ask them to throw the petals which record much bigger and better in the Confetti Shot.

If you want to be really clever about it. Make sure the petals compliment the brides flowers and the bridesmaids dresses. If you are charging £1500 Plus for a wedding shoot, then budget for some super sized confetti Trust me you will make your money back on a large wall mounted print for the mum’s.

© Peter Ellis 2010 - LPS Workflow Essentials Action #22 Levels & #29 Warming Filter

On Location

This is where you can really go to town with the effects and flourishes that will make the album so very different for your client. This is where modern technology makes our job easier. You can run through a set of of action effects quickly to try out different looks with the bride and groom. The main thing to remember when you get the Bride & Groom on their own is “VARIETY”. Its your time to take full control and shoot as much as you can in the time you have with the couple. I also like to give them a few minutes together their thoughts and it in that time I shoot candids.

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Intimate, Romantic Close-Up’s.
- Full Lengths.
- Shot Candids.
- Include Fashion Style Shots

Creative use of the location as well as maybe a little “Off Camera Flash” will help you to give you the variety you need for the album. Make sure you shoot for skinny and as well as wide shaped apertures. Sequences are also a favourite, so look out for potential image sequences.

© Paul Hackett 2010 - Creative Color Lab Action #43 Retro Twist

Wedding Reception

I always send my 2nd shooter ahead of me to capture candids of the guests and maybe a few more informal groups. But once I get to the reception just ahead of the Bridge and Groom, my roll is to capture the Bride & Groom arriving. These kind of shots I tend to make black & white with a mixture of colour shots. So once again you need to think “tones” as well as for colour.

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Arrival of the Bride & Groom getting out of the car.
- Guests Arriving. (2nd Shooter)
- Candid Shots of guests chatting. (2nd Shooter)

© Michael Sewell - Creative Color Lab Action #21 Soft Sepia with Soft Light

Don’t Forget the Details

When it comes to creating contemporary Storybook Albums Designs the details from the wedding day make for great fillers. A lot of time effort and money goes into items like the favours, Champagne cake, table decorations etc. So I like to spend plenty of time throughout the evening reception capturing the details and they work really well cross-processed.

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Cake, and the Cutting of the Cake.
- Table Decorations, Detail Shots of the Venue Inside and Outside.
- Flowers, Champagne, Additional Details.
- Speeches

© Paul Hackett 2010 - LPS Workflow Essentials Action #22 Levels

Evening Celebration

I am probably one of the few photographers who covers the evening celebration as part of the day. The only time it does not get covered is when the Bride & Groom request that I am not there and to honest that has never happened. This gives me the chance to capture guests relaxing because they are used to my presence or the bubbly has worked its magic!

Ok, so what should you be doing here?

- Party Atmosphere
- First Dance.
- Guests Dancing.
- The Band.
- Fireworks.

In summertime its also great to get the Bride & Groom outside for a sunset shot together. I also take the time to photograph the venue at night.

So there you go! thats my go to shooting list. Obviously, every wedding is different and things like pre-wedding shoots, planning and good location scouting make all the difference. My best bit of advice is “Never Assume Anything”. The minute you do it will always come back to bite you in the butt!

Check all the arrangements and timing prior to the wedding. If its a new location get the “Sat Nav” programmed in before the big day. Make sure you have contact telephone numbers of all the key people involved.

Finally…

Pack your gear the night before and double check it before leaving the studio for the first location.

All my shoots start off in Lightroom for editing and a first pass colour correction. After the images are choosen by the client. I then process a set of high-res PSD’s that get treated with actions from the LPS Actions Collection and of course all my albums are designed with Storybook Album Designer.

As you can see from the captions underneath the images. I great number of the effects I do come from the Free LPS Workflow Essential Actions. These give you fast, consistent, high quality image effects, and each set of actions is available for immediate download. >

Jodi over at MCPActions, invited Ohio based photographer and trainer Michelle Black to write a guest blog and Michelle listed the 7 steps she takes for a successful location shoot. Now I want to take step 2 which is about Location Scouting and give you my take in things from a Scottish perspective. In my view if you get the location right, everything else will fall into place and you will increase your chances of successful shoot. You can read the article that inspired this article via the link at the bottom of the post. Enjoy the article and feel free to ask questions and add your own tips in the comments.

© Stuart Little 2010 - Un-Retouched Image from Canon G9 - 1/6oth f5.6 ISO 400

There are many considerations to why you would choose a particular location, but before we talk about those lets consider.

What does a location mean to you as a photographer?

Well, its your background of course. In a studio we have numerous ways to create a backdrop for our subject. But lets face it nothing beats nature. However be warned, I see so many photographers use the same location week in week out and although that location becomes easier to use because the lighting becomes predictable. That in turn becomes the issue. Predictable = Average and average is what every other photographer is doing. You don’t want to be average!

Take the woodland location in the image above. This was taken at a local public park in Ayr. I have seen this bridal path being used for countless photographs over the years, both professional and amateur. Heck! I have shot here many times myself. It was shot with my little Canon G9 and it is a straight up shot without any adjustments at all. Just the Camera Standard profile applied. Now this is not going to be an award winning shot, but it does help me make choices about lighting and also the post production. In Scotland we suffer from pretty flat lighting for most of the winter time. Grey over cast days that can be used for nothing other than fill. If you were to take a family to this location on a given day, chances are this is the kind of light you will get. So the first thing we learn about this location is that to make our family, model, doggy, stand out, we are going to have to add to the ambient light that is already there with little Off Camera flash.

© Stuart Little 2010 - Before & After Showing the potential of the location

But hold your horses! You are forgetting an important part of location scouting. Who decides the location? Lets deal with that little chestnut first, then we will come back to the light.

If you are shooting personal work, fashion or your own kids etc, then obviously you. But if you are doing a paying portrait session then you need to give mum or dad etc the scope to make the decision about the location. It is far better to let the client choose because then you are allowing them to pick somewhere special that means a lot to them. It sounds simple but its crucial point that can mean the difference between getting a sale or not.

I have actually been out with photographers and helped them on location. As far as the family were concerned I was just the hired help. But for the photographer I was their safety net to a successful shoot. Sadly I am not usually part of the booking process and the choice of location. So invariably the photographer has made the choice upon past experience and the family go along with him or her because they have not been given a choice and as far as they are concerned the photographer probably knows best.

Now don’t get me wrong the shoot goes off without a hitch but 1 week later when the family views the images. There is all of a sudden this uneasiness because mum and dad don’t like the shots but don’t know why? One word: Location They do buy some images because its there kids after all, but maybe don’t spend as much because they did not have that magical connection with the location. Remember, locations don’t have to be parks. They can be anywhere. The garden, living room, theme park, beach, river walk, park, hotel, you named it, its endless the amount of choices available.

So my first tip:

#1 – Give the client the opportunity to choose a location that is special to them. Its a simple thing, but it can make a big difference.

This then gives you the chance to scout the location and read the rest of this article for more handy hints. Now, coming hot on the heels of tip 1,  we have tip 2.

#2 – Make time to visit the location one or two days before the shoot at the approximate time of the shoot.

This lets you see the rough light that maybe about on the day, mind you if you have weather conditions like Ayrshire, then they can change every 15 minutes and so can the light. So be flexible. It is also handy to take compass with you that way you know where the sun has risen in the east and also where its roughly going to set in the west. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch you can download all manner of apps to help you with light direction and also the sunrise and sunset.

© Stuart Little 2009 - Location Scouting image a day or so before the wedding

Remember the shot I took of my good friend, fellow photographer and 2nd shooter Tony? I used it for a the Creating a Lomo Effect Screencast. Well that was a test shot from a location scouting session and take within an hour of actual shoot but a day or so apart. Below is a from the wedding day.

© Stuart Little 2009 - Same Location, Same Light, Different Day!

The lighting from the off-camera flash is in a different place and the colour of the post-processing is also different, but the ambient which was underexposed by -2 EV is pretty close to the scouting image and this mean’t that what I had in my minds eye for that location was achieved on the day.

#3 – Look for locations within locations.

What do I mean by that? Well variety is your best friend on a photo session. The more variety in poses, lighting, expression, and backdrops, then the more chance you have selling your work. Take a family all in the same location and all you have is a lack of options for when it comes to the viewing in a weeks time. So you need to find locations from within the chosen location.

Consider the light and its directionality. Are you going to be using the ambient light, as backlight, fill, rim, or main? All of these are possible depending on the weather and the time of year and by choosing a different locations that are close by and within a 30 second walk of each another means your shoot will have variety and a flow to it.

© Stuart Little 2010 - Retouched Image 1/250th F5.6 ISO 400

The shot above is the same shot I used to demonstrate creating a better RAW image. It’s an uneventful location scouting image, but it helped me decide that particular setting would look better as a black and white and if you note the woodland behind the sculpture? Well thats the same trees from the image at the top of article and the setting below is directly behind where I am standing for the shot of the sculpture.

© Stuart Little 2010 - Un-Retouched Image from Canon G9 - 1/8oth f5.6 ISO 400

All 3 locations are within 30 seconds from each other and only 2 minutes away from the car which is another important factor. You do not want to have to force your clients half way up a mountain, unless of course thats their chosen location! Then you bill them for the helicopter ride to get you and your gear up there… Joking aside, make sure you are not that far from the car especially if kids are involved. There is nothing worse than tiring out your subjects and yourself before a frame is made. If you get tired, you will go into auto pilot, you won’t think straight and the quality of your images will go downhill faster than a skier at the Winter Olympics! And this brings me neatly onto my fourth tip.

#4 – Comfort Breaks, Rest stops, Going to the loo…

It’s a consideration for both children and adults alike and you have to make sure you have access to clean toilets not far from your location. This little oversight can finish a shoot before it even starts. I even know of some photographers who have and wait for it! Provide Pee Bags and baby wipes. Sounds daft, well not really and it can be the difference between getting a photo session on the computer or having to plan a reshoot.

© Stuart Little 2010 - Before & After Showing the potential of the location

Whilst we are at it. I would also suggest ideas for the the other end of things as well. Shoots should not last long but providing some refreshments from the boot of car whether it be cold drinks, a flask of tea & coffee, can be a welcome break even what might be a 180 minute shoot. Scouting your location can help you make a number of decisions that not only mean a more professional shoot, but also that little personal touch for your client to remember you by… You will want to be able to take pictures in all weathers and all seasons. Locations will change with the seasons and as you see more clients coming through the door you will get to know a wide variety of locations in your area. So in the summer think about chill box with ice cold drinks, sun screen and in the winter hot chocolate etc… But regardless of the season or location make sure you bring a first aid kit and maybe even go on a first aid course to get qualified.

© Stuart Little 2010 - Retouched Image from Canon G9 - 1/6oth f5.6 ISO 400

Ok, lets get back to the light. Here is the shot from the beginning once I have done some basic post processing in Lightroom. This image tells me many things and it allows me to darken the background and give the location real mood and atmosphere that will assist me to make choices beforehand about exposures during the session. It also helps me make a choice about colour. In the Autumn and Winter, you have to think of winter colour’s, and your clients dressed in warm cosy coats, and maybe the kids in knee high wellington boots. You get the idea! But mainly you have to consider the colour pallet and with modern technology that we are all used to you can quickly and easily email or text this image to a client so that they know what to wear that will compliment the location.

If it were summer then we would be looking for a completely different look and feel because of course the light is going to be different. So now I have a pretty good indication of my background, that helps me make decisions about equipment. You know your going to need at least 2 camera bodies. (Backup Always). But what is your lens choice going to be? Are you going to bring one or more flashes? Are you going to need reflectors? Are you going to gel up for warmth? Do you need an assistant to carry all the gear? These are questions that spending an hour on location especially a first time location, can be answered with some test shots and pre-planning. (Do you think when the shoot a feature film, they just turn up at the location with a permit to film?)

Also, don’t think that going out and doing these test shots is overkill its not. It will help you to prepare for the unexpected and also even when you get them back onto your computer. Then the settings you dial into your test shots can be really copied across to the final images saving you time at the other end of the session. Or at least get you in the ballpark and it will help you preview the images faster to your clients. Not too fast though…

© Stuart Little 2010 - Retouched Image from Canon G9 - 1/8oth f5.6 ISO 400

#5 – Always have Plan B ready…

Portraiture on location especially outdoors is weather dependant and as such it always pays to have Plan B in place. This can be a location near by that you can get either indoors or at least undercover. Think bandstands, barns, doorways, under bridges, anywhere that has the feeling of the great outdoors, but offers some protection from the elements. But, don’t think because its raining that you cannot make wonderful images in the wet. Of course you can and location scouting can help you to prepare for this…

Finally…

What if you cant get to a location to scout it, due to distance or lack of time? Well again this is where modern technology like Google Maps and now Google Street Maps, can come in really handy. Also, local advice from other photographers or even looking through images shot by people and posted to sites like Flickr can be very useful for virtual scouting. Although limited, it is better than not scouting at all and having a hold load of technical issues and stress in the day because of a lack of knowledge and planning.

I could probably write another couple of articles on location scouting, but I will leave you with some questions and gradually add more tips as I bring you a long for some of my location shoots. We will revisit these locations at different times of the year to show how waiting for the light and the weather makes such a big difference to a location.

Check out Ohio based photographer and trainer Michelle Black‘s guest blog over at MCPActions where Michelle lists the 7 steps she takes for a successful location shoot. Check out the article “7 Steps to take for a Successful Photo Session”. >

© Stuart Little 2010

(In the interests of full disclosure and all that! I bought the battery pack as normal customer and have no affiliation with PixelHK.)

I have been eyeing up the Nikon SD-9 external battery pack for a while now but at $200 its a little bit on the expensive side for my liking because if you buy from the US, your going to pay import duty and if you buy from the UK the price is roughly the same except in pounds. Quite frankly I would rather put the money towards another Nikon SB900 and just lots of use 4 X AA batteries.

However whilst looking for various TTL cords (Thats another post). I came across a 3rd party battery pack that was a contender on price and also the reputation of the seller. But, since speaking with the ever resourceful @michael_sewell I changed my mind. I had mentioned to Michael about my hunt for an external battery pack and he then pointed me towards a Strobist’s favourite PixelHK who are a pretty new kid on the block for all things wireless and flash orientated. So with a little more research under my belt I purchased the PixelHK Battery Pack TD-382 from their eBay Sellers page for $56.80 inc P&P. The pack I purchased is purely for the SB900 but they do versions for nearly all Nikon Strobes that can take an external battery pack and also the same goes for Canon. So click the link above and see if they do one for your model of flash.

Now, down to the nitty gritty. The pack arrived the other day and I have to say I was pretty blown away by the build quality which is excellent. I had expected for the price to have to compromise somewhere down the line, but no. Even the little case that comes with the pack is made to a very high standard and long may it continue. The pack holds 2 sets of 4 x AA’s and there are indicators lights at the top of the pack to show which set of batteries is charging and has a built in thermal cut-out. You also need a set of baatteries in the flashgun as well for the control panel LCD etc, but when it comes to actual power usage, its coming directly from the battery pack and the recycle rate is top notch! I can get a 2 to 3 shot burst on full power before there is any recycle time lag and even at that it is only a second or so. This is more than fast enough for me as I mainly run my strobes at 1/4 or 1/2 power most of the time.

The whole unit is easy to load with batteries and also very easy to use and you will see it in action very soon when the studio is completed. I am so pleased with my purchase I will be going back for another pack for my other SB900 and as I add more flash power to my kit, I too will be adding the PixelHK Battery Packs TD-382 for each new flashgun.

Great value for money, great build quality, works perfectly and it will allow me to always get the shot and prolong shooting with my small strobes. >

© Stuart Little 2010

You also need great sound and this is something we all need to learn about… So let me introduce you to H2 Handy Recorder.

Now, a little disclaimer before I waffle on. I am not an expert in recording sound. Don’t get me wrong, I have got some game from recording the audio on my screencasts. But when it comes to recording broadcast quality sound. I am very much a beginner! But I thought it would be cool to share my experiences with you as I learn and by making all the rookie mistakes first, this will save you from making them later.

Ok, why do you need to record audio separately from the video that is captured on let’s say a Nikon D90?

Its simple really. Go on YouTube or read some of the reviews for the DLSR’s that can capture video. You will hear that the quality of the sound is not great. Its “Ok” for family outings and parties. But not so great if you are doing something a little bit more involved where sound matters.

So I am going to give you three reasons why you should record the audio separately.

Firstly, the microphone that is built into the camera is close to the shutter, your hands, mouth, hair and the motor of the lens, all of which can actually make quite a bit of noise? Ah! but I will be using the camera on a tripod? Well yes good choice, it gives you stability. But you still can’t get a way from the fact that the mic is picking up all noise in around its capture range. (ON BOARD MIC = BAD SOUND)

Secondly, not all DSLR’s capture stereo sound and you really want stereo sound! They also do not have an audio input socket for an external microphone. The high end models do, but not the mid to lower range cameras. Keep that in mind if you are going to be buying a DLSR for shooting video as well as stills.

And the third reason and for me is the best reason “flexibility”. If you rely upon the on board capabilities of recording sound on a DLSR then you are locked into that system. If you use a separate recording device, then you can switch to any DLSR with video and upgrade when you like in the knowledge that the quality of your sound will remain constant.

That then brings me to the H2 Zoom Handy Recorder. Why did I buy it? Well, Greg and I had been researching microphones etc for quite some time. Actually pretty much since the Nikon D90 came out late in 2008. Many a night has been spent looking at video clips and checking out the sound quality hoping for a snippet of info on what had been used to record the audio track.

Finally it was whilst I was watching some of Dan Chung’s videos (See above) that I learned that he was using H4n Zoom Recorder which is the big brother of the H2. At that point I started Googling “Zoom” to see what the H4n was about and also what other devices were available as I was aware of the H2 but thought it to be discontinued.

The H4n is a little under £300 and packs a punch because you can plug in pro-microphones as well as record using the built-in microphones that are also professional quality. Where as the H2 has 4 built in pro spec microphones and a mini-jack socket for one external mic and for what we are doing this is more than enough. But only time will tell… As technology never stands still for long and we may out grow the H2 very quickly.

How did I come to purchase the H2 Zoom and not the H4n? Well that is because I had been already reading about Arron Greene on Scott Kelby’s blog and I had made a mental note of the fact that he was using an H2 and how it was configured with his monopod. At that point I could not find a reseller of the H2 in the UK. So I had discounted it in favour of the H4n which is almost double the price.

When I was ready to purchase the Zoom H4n (Even though it is overkill for what we need right now) that I found Dolphin Music online, which I know to be a reputable seller in the UK. Or at least I had heard of them! I then searched their site for the H4n and it was then that I found the H2 for sale.

Score! I now have a little Zoom H2 Handy Recorder and I think its a great little recorder for taking baby steps into the world of filmmaking and recording, editing and mixing sound for our training videos. I still have lots of test to do with it as I have not had it long enough to give a full review or even some settings info… but you will see the fruits of our labours in the not too distant future and I promise to share my findings in the hope that will help you. >

Landscape Shot Part One

Landscape Shot Part Two

If you have never read Photoshop Creative before then check it out. Its probably the best Photoshop magazine available in the UK today. The brief was to create 6 techniques for perfect pictures and I have got to say that I thoroughly enjoyed writing the 8 page article. I am not a natural writer, can you tell? So it was a challenge to meet the criteria and also inform and educate at the same time. Great fun…

Portrait Shot Part One

Portrait Shot Part Two

If you are a regular reader of Photoshop Creative, then it would be great to hear you thought of the article and accompanying video tutorials and hope the techniques I have suggested will be put to good use.

Macro Shot Part One

Macro Shot Part Two

Finally…

Even though its the same 6 essential techniques used for the 3 different images is worth watching all the videos because I do mixed it up a bit and use the techniques in different ways. Enjoy! >

Adobe Bridge CS4

Now, I have been told about this tip from numerous photographers pretty much since Lightroom 2 and CS4 came out. I have also seen it written down in Martin Evening’s Lightroom 2 book. So I am going to give him credit for it. He may have got it from another photographer. Who knows? But I am guessing the other photographers who told me have also read his book.

Here is my take on things… Yes Adobe Bridge CS4 and earlier versions can do a lot of the things Lightroom can do and I use Bridge almost as much as use Lightroom. But for different things!

Example 1:

If I want to pop a CF card into my card reader and take a glance at the images but not download them? Then Bridge can do this, where as Lightroom cannot. You need to import them for Lightroom to see them.

Example 2:

Many DSLR’s can now shoot video as well as still images. Adobe Bridge can handle various video file formats amongst many formats, where as Adobe Lightroom cannot recognise, import or view video file formats like (.avi) and (.mov). It’s just not designed to do it.

Get the idea?

Well putting the boot on the other foot for a moment. Bridge is not a dedicated image management and processing application. Yes, as discussed it has a lot of the functionality of one, but when you launch Bridge, it does not take you to all your images straight away. You have to navigate to them. It also cannot batch print in the same fashion as Lightroom.

Both have there Pro’s and Con’s and I use both pieces of software especially when it comes to album design. I much prefer to use Adobe Bridge with my Storybook Album Designer Actions when making page layouts. If I tried to do this with Lightroom it would be a nightmare. But once the layouts have been made they go back into Adobe Lightroom for printing. Best of both worlds!!

So here is the tip for you. Its simple but it really works.

Launch Bridge and navigate to your program files (PC) or applications (MAC) folder. Then highlight the actual .exe (PC) or .app (MAC) then right click on it. You will see an option to save this to your favourites panel in Adobe Bridge (See screenshot above). This will now give you a one click launch button for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom2.

Adobe Bridge CS4

Finally…

You can’t import images from Bridge directly into Lightroom. But, if you create an alias/shortcut for Adobe Lightroom and place it on your desktop. You can drag folders straight out of Bridge and launch the importer for Lightroom all in one move. Pretty Cool!

You can also setup a watched folder in Lightroom and add that as a favourite in Bridge. But that my fellow photographer is a video screencast for another day! >