Photography

In today’s post, I thought I’d review the basics of setting up an Adobe Photoshop project. I will also be discussing the basics of exporting those projects to appropriate formats.

First, determine how the image will be used and which mode the project should be setup for. Print projects can be set up for CMYK, LAB, Grayscale, Bitmap, Duotone or any subtractive color mode. Web projects should be set up for RGB, an additive color mode.

Second, determine the resolution. Although the standard print resolution is 300 ppi, resolution is depending on the scale and quality of the project. (Newspaper is usually 200 ppi.) Web, however, is usually 72ppi. Because web projects are susceptible to size limitations, due to speed of downloads, etc., it is important to keep the size of a file as small as possible without reducing quality.

Third, determine the format. When the finished photoshop file is used as a link within other Adobe products, leave it in the .psd format.

If the linked photoshop file is ever modified, use the “edit original” option on the drop-down menu on the links panel.

Under the File>Export>Export as or File>Export>Export for Web (Legacy). Online formats can be tiff, gif, png, and jpeg. Each has its positives and negatives.

The following is from https://www.grafi-offshore.com/en/image-editing/the-differences-between-psd-tiff-gif-png-and-jpeg/

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)

TIFF is a lossless file format which is popular among graphic artists, photographers, and publishers. The information is retained in layers, which depends on how you save the file. It is also a favorite of printers because there is no loss in quality when the image is printed. TIFF is also supported by various photo editing applications such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, Photomatix, Google Nik, and more . A TIFF file, similar to a RAW file, is extremely large. In addition, you can’t display images on the Internet using this format.

GIF – Graphic Interchange Format

The file extension GIF was introduced in 1987 by the American computer service agency and internet hosting company CompuServe. The abbreviation GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. For a long time GIF was very popular for use on the web. Nowadays it has been surpassed by PNG. The advantages of GIF are the support of animations and the (limited) support for transparency. A disadvantage of GIF is that it only supports 256 colours. The risk of losing quality when compressing a GIF file is large, especially for colourful images. Nowadays GIF is used on the web, mainly for simple animations.

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

PNG, originally created as an improved replacement for GIF, is a popular format used by photographers and graphic designers. That’s because the format supports lossless data compression, which means a lot of information is retained when you save and reopen your images. PNG files can also be shared on the web. One of the best features of PNG is that it has transparency options. You can easily overlay a PNG image into a background (usually represented by a white-and-gray checkerboard), maintaining transparency and giving the overall photo or graphics a 3D quality. This feature also allows more efficient images editing; photo editors and graphic designers can easily apply their edits in layers.There is data compression involved but not as much as in GIFs, which allows you to retain a high-quality image. However, the size although compressed, is still more than a JPEG image.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

Used by most digital cameras as their default format, JPEG is the most common file type which can be used online or for hard prints. Its lossy compression algorithm removes minute details that your eye is least likely to notice to save space. However, the compression ratio is adjustable so you can select the level of quality you want in your image. In general, the compression is enough to provide a reasonably high-quality image without worrying too much about the file size.

When creating a new photoshop file, there are several different color modes available.

The most common color modes are RBG, CMYK, or Lab modes.

To create a photoshop file in grayscale:

1. Create the file as “lab” mode. Image>modes> lab
2. In the Channels panel, delete a & b; this will result in one Alpha1 channel
3. Create grayscale mode. Image>modes>grayscale

To create a photoshop file in duotone:

1. Create the file as “duotone” mode. Image>modes>duotone
2. Go into Image>modes>choose the second color.

A duotone is a two-ink color mode. (Two channels in Photoshop and a form of grayscale.) The two inks are usually black plus a pantone but could be any two ink colors.

After a second color is chosen, double click on the graph to determine the white, black, and color ratios.

To create bitmap file:

1. Create grayscale, Image>Mode>Grayscale
2. Create a “bitmap” mode, Image>Mode>Bitmap
3. Choose option; above is “diffusion dither”

Bitmap mode is B/W (actually, black and transparent, depending on how the image is saved.) Bitmaps look textured or speckled, depending ono the settings chosen – this shows diffusion dither.

Many beginners of Photoshop make the mistake of using the crop tool to adjust a photograph’s proportions. Unfortunately, this creates a few problems, such as altering the original photo, working with the wrong resolution, and making an exact final sized image.

Rather than utilizing the crop tool, I’ll be discussing an alternative method to crop and scale an image in today’s post.

In Photoshop, open an original image.

Under IMAGE>IMAGE SIZE (OPT, CMD, I), do not “resample.” Set the needed resolution (72 for digital, 300 for print). Notice that the pixel count remains, but the dimensions change. Determine whether the measurements are acceptable for the type of media.

In Photoshop, FILE>NEW (CMD, N). Enter the desired resolution and the exact width and height. (This file will be the finished “cropped” image.)

Go back to the original image file and “select all” (CMD, A). Then “copy” image (CMD, C).

Go back to the new file and paste (CMD, V) the original image. A new layer will appear.

If the image needs to be scaled to a different size, use the “free transform” tool (CMD, T). Remember to hold down the SHIFT key to change proportions accurately and grab a corner of the photo to enlarge or shrink. You can also use the “free transform” tool to move the image to adjust the image’s placement.

In this final post, I discussed the different types of lights and the various facial effects that can be achieved by directing light. Today, I’ll put them all together to discuss the four traditional lighting setups and how to place the different types of light (key, fill, hair, and background) to obtain their unique lighting effect.

The first lighting setup we will be discussing is Rembrandt lighting. Rembrandt lighting is most recognizable by the shadow from the nose connects with the shadow of the cheek. This creates a signature triangular highlight on the cheek. Besides creating a dramatic effect, when Rembrandt and narrow lighting techniques are used together, it will slim the subject’s face.

As seen in the below diagram, the main/key light is located 45 degrees to the side of the subject. The main light is not directly shown on the subject’s face but instead shown slightly in front of the face.

The next lighting setup we will be discussing is Butterfly lighting. Butterfly lighting is recognizable by the symmetry of the shadows. It not only creates bottom shadows from the nose but also under the cheeks and neck. For older subjects, the butterfly lighting pattern fills in and lightens many of the shadows in the wrinkles, and it creates a shadowed area under the chin to hide wrinkles in the neck.

As seen in the below diagram, the main/key light is located directly and above the subject. Unlike Rembrandt lighting, it is directed at the subject’s face.

The next lighting setup we will be discussing is Split lighting. Split lighting is recognizable by the vertical and symmetrical division of the face; the end result is that one side is lit, and one side is shadowed. This effect creates a dramatic mood. Since it creates sharp angles, it also creates a masculine portrait.

As seen in the below diagram, the main/key light is located 90 degrees to the side of the subject. The main light is not directly shown on the subject’s face but instead shown slightly in front of the face. For more dramatic effects, using modifier “strips” will concentrate the light to specific facial areas.

The last lighting setup we will be discussing is Loop lighting. Loop lighting is very similar to Rembrandt lighting but does not have the triangular highlight on the cheek. Instead, the shadow from the nose does not connect with the shadow of the cheek. When loop and narrow lighting techniques are used together, it will slim the subject’s face.

As seen in the below diagram, the main/key light is located 30-40 degrees to the side of the subject. Directly slightly in front of the face, the key light is height adjusted to the subject’s eye level to ensure a catch light.

In the last post, I discussed the different types of lights that portrait photographers use when setting up studio lights for portrait or product photography. Today’s post will discuss how light affects the face’s features and special considerations for the camera.

Portrait photographers need to consider how the light will affect the subject’s facial features.

When the lighting is directed on the side of the face that is most exposed, it makes a face look wider. When this occurs, it is called “broad” lighting.

When the lighting is directed on the side of the face that is least exposed, it is referred to as “narrow” lighting. This makes a face look slimmer.

Many photographers adjust the light to create a “catch light.” A catch light is a spot of light in the subject’s eyes, which adds sparkle and dimension to the subject. To create a catch light, you will need a bright light source that reflects in your subject’s eyes.

Portrait photographers also need to consider a few camera variables.

First, the focal distance needs to long since the photograph needs to close in on the facial features and not be in the subject’s personal space. A 70-200mm lens is an excellent choice to accomplish this.

If strobe lights are utilized, attach the transmitter to the camera.

Establish the white balance settings for the camera. When taking the base photo for the custom white balance setting, put the lens in manual focus, place the WB disc in front of the lens, and direct the camera toward the key light. Press the shutter button.

Portrait photographers use four different types of lights when setting up studio light for portrait or product photography. The strength of each of these lights differs based on the camera’s aperture. The power of the light is measured in F stops.

The Main or Key light is the strongest of all studio lighting. For outdoor photos, the sun would be considered this light. It will create the most vital highlights and shadows in the photograph. When adjusting the power for this light, the F stop will equal the camera’s aperture taking the photo. For example, if the camera’s aperture was F11, the key light should be metered and adjusted to F11.

The Fill light is used to soften the key light’s effects; this prevents the total impact from being too dramatic. When establishing the power of this light, calculate two F stops below the key light. For example, if the key light is F11, the fill light will be F5.6. This concept is considered a 5:1 ratio.

The Hair light is used to create a ridge of light to separate the subject from the background. When the subject’s hair is dark, and the background is dark, this light because essential in making the subject stand out. An evening or dawn sunlight can be used to create a dramatic effect in an outdoor setting. When establishing the power of this light, calculate one F stop below the key light. For example, if the key light is F11, the fill light should be F8.

The Background light is a light that is not directed at the subject. Like the hair light, its purpose is to differentiate the subject from the background. The background light’s strength is equal to that of the key light. For example, if the key light is F11, the background light should be F11 as well.

The lights were set at the following powers for the example photograph:

Key light:  F11

Fill light:   F5.6

Hair light: F8

Backlight: F11

Recently, I came upon a technique that combines the facial features and the words of individuals. This process creates powerful images; the result could be the song lyrics that are distorted create the recognizable features of a musician or a prominent leader whose speech gave inspiration and hope to others. For this post, I will be describing how to create a typographic portrait in Photoshop.

Before we start working in Photoshop, two objects are needed. The first is a photo of the person you wish to portray. In this example, I saved a jpg file; however, a photo in png format will work too. The larger the photograph, the better results. This 72ppi resolution file of Abraham Lincoln is quite large at 2400px X 2800px, which is approximately 31 inches x 39 inches. Also, in this tutorial, I will be working with a black and white photograph. If the chosen photograph is colored, adjust it through Photoshop.

You will also need to create a “word wall,” which is a set of continuous text. I used the Textedit app to copy Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, but any word processing software will work. After copying the speech, I removed all of the paragraph returns and spacing. I then copied the text repeatedly and continuously in the document to create a wall of words.

In Photoshop, we are going to process the photo in three sections.
The first step will be to make adjustments to the photograph. If the picture consists of more than just the subject’s face, crop it slightly past the head’s ears, chin, and top. For this technique, we are going to capture just the facial features.

Because we want a high contrast between highlights and shadows of the face, we will next add an adjustment layer. For this photo, I decreased the brightness to -6 and increased the contrast to 37. You may not need to reduce the brightness, but make sure to increase the contrast.

The last phase of this step is to add a blur filter so that when the text wraps around the shadows, it will not be a dramatic distortion to the text. We still want to read the text. Go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian blur. Adjust the radius levels so that the lights and darks slightly blend into each other.

Save your work as a .psd file. Since you will not need the Gaussian blur effect in the following steps, undo this effect by pressing CMD Z.

In the second section, we will be working with the word wall to create a displacement map. Copy the word wall. In Photoshop and using the Text tool, draw a text box over the photo layer. Paste the word wall into the text layer. Keep pasting in the words until they fill the text box.

In the character window, choose a font, style, character size and leading size, and the “all caps” option. Large character sizes will show greater legibility of the text, and small sizes with allow more legibility of the facial features. For this example, I chose a happy medium of 16pt. The font I chose is Avenir Next, bold style because its character set width is approximately equal to its height. As a general rule, the leading should be similar to the character size and since the height of the characters should also be the same, choose the “all caps” option.

In the paragraph window, check the “no hyphenation” box and “all justify” option.

The displacement map we will now create will be in the form of a smart object. To get started, chose Filter>Distort>Displace. In the displayed option box, choose “Convert to smart object.” Select the .psd file saved in the previous section. When the Displace window appears, enter a vertical and horizontal scale of “5.” When the smart object is created, it will have a separate “displace” layer within it. If you are not getting the results hoped for, adjusting this layer will change the scales.

The third and final section aims to create a clipping mask and a background that will contrast the clipping mask. At this time, the cropped photo is the bottom layer. Click and drag it above the smart object layer. Next, holding the option key, click the space between the photo and smart object layers.

To create a contrasting background, add a new layer, and fill with black. Click and drag this layer to the bottom of the stack.

The one aspect that greatly enhanced my photos was when I began to understand the depth of field concept. Initially, I used the CameraSim App to understand how aperture, focal length, and distance affect depth of field. However, I feel that just by trial and error and documenting the three factors, I could determine when I wanted to capture an image with a shallow or deep field.

The two above images were both taken from a distance of 24 inches away from the subject and approximately the same focal length of 55mm. Only the aperture changed; the first image has a slightly shallower field than the second image since a wider aperture (F/5.6) was used.

The two above images were both taken with a medium wide aperture of F/11 and approximately the same focal length of 18mm. Only the distance changed; the first image has a shallower field because the subject is closer to the camera.

The two above images were both taken with a medium wide aperture of F/11 and from a distance of 48 inches. Only the focal length changed; the first image has a shallower field since the focal length is longer.

The last image displays what happens when a combination of all three factors are adjusted to produce a shallow depth of field: a wide aperture of F/5.0, focal length of 140mm, and the closest distance within focus of 48 inches.

When I chose my Canon Rebel T6 last year, I purchased it as part of a photography package. At that time, as I unpacked several of the added items which were part of the kit, I had no idea how to use these tools to improve my photography. One of those items was a macro filter which is sometimes called a closeup lens.

The above photograph was taken with a .43x closeup lens which was attached to the end of a 18-55mm standard camera lens.

Next, I added 49mm lengths of extension tubes. Since I was attempting to get the closest image possible, I left the .43x closeup lens on the standard camera lens. I natively thought that the more macro tools I used, the more magnified the image.

When I compared the photos where extension tubes had been used in both, I noted that the photo (above) taken with the closeup lens was not as magnified as the photo (below) which was taken without the closeup lens. And as I was taking the photos, I noted that when using the closeup lens, I had to back up (lengthen) the focal distance to get the flower in focus.

What I had not realized was that sometimes the combination of extension tubes and closeup lens are dependent on the manufacturer. Some extension tubes or closeup lens are made to be used only on their own to magnify an image.

Each macro tool has its own challenges to overcome; for example, when a closeup lens is used, focal distance becomes a factor to consider. When extension tubes are used, more light is needed for magnifying the image.

During my first semester at Southeast Technical Institute, I was fortunate to take a course in Photography. There was one section of the class, however, that I really struggled with at the time: Macro Photography. I had always been amazed by this type of art; at times, the images created by this technique seemed abstract while at other times appeared surreal.

The main obstacle that I overcame was realizing that I didn’t need to spend a ton of money on equipment to obtain satisfactory results. Instead of a 1:1 macro lens, I purchased a set of extension tubes – a 7mm, 14mm, and 28mm. For these photos, I used a combination of all three. I also used a tripod and remote shutter release to steady the camera which was set on AV mode and the lowest F-stop position, ISO100, and an automatic exposure setting.

All the photos were taken outside and are of flowers which I grew this summer in my garden. Although the outdoor sunlight was ideal for taking macro photos, it also provided some focusing challenges when insects or the breeze would move the floral plant. The above image of the “Lisianthus” reminds me of a Georgia O’Keeffe painting, and I was unexpectedly happy with the results that the extension tubes provided.