Learning Article Compilation - INDEX Feb 2018 to April 2019 Critiquing Photographs 2 Picture within a Picture 3 Where to start? Interactive Chart 5 New Library Resources 6 Photoshop Tips and Tricks 8 Exploring the Power Of Photoshop Layers 9 New Additions to the Library 10 Perspective in Photography 12 Luminosity Masks in Photoshop 14 Clutter in my Image 18 File Formats in Photography 20 New Books in the Lending Library 23 What is Contrast in Photography 24 Adding Backlighting Effect to Subject in Photoshop 26 All things Color - the Color Blue 30 Clouds 34 Achieving Better Composition - tips from Painters 39 Lightroom Post Processing Made Easy 40 Photographic Element - Form in Nature 42 Additions to the Library 43 Lightroom Workshop 44 Polarizing Filters + Short Focal Length Lenses 47 Abstract Photography 48 Hyperfocal Length 51 Learning Compilation www.CameraClubofHendersonville.com 1 The Learning Corner - Ginny Bedell, Education Director - Critiquing Photographs I have found over the past year, what I believe to be, a great and informative resource for all of us to review. So, I would encourage everyone to take a look at this link. http://valleyviewfinders.com/wp- “The focus of critiquing should be content/uploads/critiquing_photographs. providing feedback that will help the pdf photographer - and onlookers - learn something. Printing and tucking it into your tool kit is highly recommended! What has been done well - select some of the best things and say why you think The information complied by Terry they work. Tallis, of the Valley Viewfinders club is a compilation from a number of photograph What could be improved - select areas critique guidelines, as well as a number of where the biggest improvements could be Critiquing Photographs: art critique guides. Many of the methods of made and give your reasons. Where critiquing art pieces apply well for appropriate provide links to relevant Tools for both the photographs. examples or reference material” Photographer and From Terry Tallis article Critiquer Do you know of any other critiquing resources the club might be interested “Praise makes you feel good; a critique in? If so, send them along to me at makes you better.” – Unknown [email protected], and I’ll share them with the membership. During 2018 the CCoH membership will have many excellent member (PhotoShare and Mentoring Program) and We have some great PhotoCritique professionally oriented (PhotoCritique) themes, such as Patterns, feedback opportunities. The obvious goal Balance/Symmetry, Perspective and of each occasion being to assist in Contrast, lined up for this year. improving and enhancing our photographic Looking forward to seeing your images skills. and hearing your feedback this year. Image from http://www.flowmotioncafe.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/Asking-For- Feedback-495px-495x218.jpg Learning Compilation www.CameraClubofHendersonville.com 2 Pictures within a Picture - from the January PhotoShare - by WERNER BONITZ This is a great exercise: Look at any picture and try and find the pictures within that picture. Yes, there are always more pictures within every picture, pictures which the maker missed when he/she took the original. Next time you are out in the field, apply that process to the scene in front of you and actually take those other pictures, which may end up being better than your original concept. I took picture #1 in Buffalo, NY amid humongous abandoned grain silos with a 35mm lens. Then I mounted a tele-zoom lens on the camera and took shots of areas of interest within that original scene. A zoom lens will bring your subject closer to you without changing the perspective. Normally you also have the option to walk up closer to your subject, which does change the perspective and will give you a different image. As I was on the 3rd floor of a silo, a zoom lens was my only option. Learning Compilation www.CameraClubofHendersonville.com 3 Pictures within a Picture - from the January PhotoShare - by WERNER BONITZ - Continued Picture #3 is the cropped bottom of Picture #2. I like this a lot better but my interest is drawn to the window on the left, which I cropped out for Picture #4. Last but not least I focused (pun intended) on the odd squiggle in one of the window panes and that became Picture #5. I Picture #2 is one of those selective turned this picture sideways for better images. I don’t particularly like this effect. picture but it contains some interesting details that I couldn’t explore because I didn’t have a longer lens. Here a high I started out with 40 megapixel camera comes in handy as it megapixels in Picture #2 allows you to crop an image and still and ended up with about have enough pixels left to make a 1.7 megapixels in decent print or show on a projector. Picture #5, just enough for the 1.5 megapixel projector. By enlarging the file about 3 times I ended up with a very decent 8x10 print from it. Learning Compilation www.CameraClubofHendersonville.com 4 The Learning Corner - GINNY BEDELL, Education Director Here’s something of interest for the beginner CCoH member. Or, it may be a good review for all! “Where to Start Chart” - An Interactive Flow Chart for the Novice Photographer The ‘Where to Start Chart’ is an infographic designed to help beginner photographers work their way through the settings on their camera. (Link to chart in blue above) While the information offered in the infographic is quite basic, it’s a neat way for the novice photographer to acquire basic photography skills in one convenient location. The five minute video features host Mark Wallace breaking down almost every component of the infographic, from what mode to use to what ISO is right for the situation and so on. The chart is an interactive PDF file with links to hours of free photography tutorials. If you get to a spot and are unsure what something means, just click the box to watch a video about that topic.” Curious? Simply Click to follow this link to the video introducing the chart: “The Where to Start Chart” Learning Compilation www.CameraClubofHendersonville.com 5 The Learning Corner - GINNY BEDELL, Education Director New Library Resources Thanks to Marge Pearson’s generosity, CCoH’s library has recently expanded. We now have three new additions. Let’s take a brief look at these resources. Waterfall Photography with Kevin Adams (DVD) Enjoy photographing waterfalls and cascades? Then this 2 hour (recording time) DVD is just for you. Kevin escorts you into the field and shows you his personal photographic approach to 8 different waterfalls. In addition to the field experience, he demonstrates some of his helpful processing techniques. A special “slide” show comprised of 40 waterfall images is included which explains his photographic approach. Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas: A Comprehensive Identification Guide to What You See from the Many Overlooks (2014) By Tim Barnwell The nearby Blue Ridge Parkway is a favorite WNC destination for lots of CCoH members! Many of us often wonder what mountain peaks we are seeing as we photograph from one of the many beautiful nearby overlooks along the BRP. And, often we are curious about the height and distances of near and far away peaks. In this unique guidebook you will find answers to those questions and much more. Additionally, it touches upon the history, geography, natural attractions, geology, and communities traversed by its 469 mile track and 40 plus overlooks located in North Carolina and Virginia. A personal copy of this book is always with me when driving the BRP! Learning Compilation www.CameraClubofHendersonville.com 6 The Learning Corner - GINNY BEDELL, Education Director - Continued Photographing National Parks (2015) by Chris Nicholson From sea to shining sea, our system of national parks preserves some of the USA’s most unique wilderness areas. These parks are a gift to nature photographers everywhere. This book delves into what the parks offer to the photographer and how to best research and prepare for a trip to explore the artistic opportunities within. You will learn how to travel safely and photograph in the various environments found in the park system, including desert, alpine, forest and coastline. In addition, you’ll discover where to find valuable information about iconic and secret photo locations, how to stay powered up in the outdoors and ideas for ancillary gear that will make a photo project more efficient and productive. Send me an email at [email protected] if you’d like to checkout one of these gems. I will have it ready for you at a future meeting. Learning Compilation www.CameraClubofHendersonville.com 7 Photoshop Tips and Tricks - HERK SCHMIDT (For Windows computers - Mac’s substitute CMD for Ctrl) 1. Alt-Click line between smart filter and layer below to apply that other brush blend modes are: Shift-Alt-K for filter to layer below only. Darken, Shift-Alt-G for Lighten, Shift-Alt-C for Color, 2. Hold “H” and Click and hold left mouse button to reposition Shift-Alt-U for Hue, Shift-Alt-M for Multiply, Shift-Alt-S box on zoom-in. for Screen, and Shift-Alt-F for Soft Light. You can also 3. Use the Shift key and left square bracket “[“ to soften your use these keyboard shortcuts for Layer Blend Modes, brush hardness and the Shift key and the right square but you have to have the Move tool selected first. bracket “]” to harden the brush. 9. Hold down the Alt key as you click the Add Layer Mask icon 4. Use Alt key and right square bracket to select layer below (circle in a square) at the bottom of your Layers panel to current layer, and Alt left square bracket key to select layer immediately add a black-filled mask to a layer.