Tag: Lightroom

Ultimate Lightroom Workflow — Get your proofs out FAST

 Gavin   Digital Darkroom, Lightroom, Techniques, Workflow
Ultimate Lightroom Workflow -- Fast, efficient post production

Ultimate Lightroom Post Production Workflow…

…fast, efficient process to get your proofs out quickly

Customers don’t like to wait, especially in the digital age.

We’re all spoilt by instant gratification, being able to see our images immediately on the back of the camera as soon as we click the shutter.

That’s why having an effective and efficient workflow is soooo important. The faster you get your proofs out…

  • the more money your client is likely to spend
  • the more you avoid a backlog
  • the more time you have to do other things

If you can’t get your proofs out to your client by the next day, this 5-step Lightroom workflow will be a big help. Continue reading Ultimate Lightroom Workflow — Get your proofs out FAST »

Darkness visible? Very Low Light Photography

 Gavin   Available Light, Digital Darkroom, Equipment, Lightroom, Low Light, Techniques

Very Low Light Photography on the Canon 5DmkII

5DmkII ISO25600 Pre Noise Reduction
5DmkII ISO25600 Pre Noise Reduction

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of photographing a really cool jazz band at the Electric Theatre in Guildford. During the shoot I spotted (or rather almost spotted) one of the band members sitting in one of the seats in the auditorium. I say almost spotted because with only the stage lights on the auditorium was very dark, only being lit by the reflected lit from the stage. It was such a low light that I could hardly see him with the naked eye. This was a great opportunity to see what the 5DmkII could really do at it’s highest ISO setting. In most situations I photograph in I don’t normally take the ISO much above 1600. Every now and then the environment calls for something different and the extreme low light of the auditorium at the Electric Theatre was a good example.

With the camera on manual mode I metered the scene and dialed in an exposure of 1/50th, f/3.5, ISO25600. Apart from a very slight white balance tweak the image above is straight off the camera. Continue reading Darkness visible? Very Low Light Photography »

First Attempt at TtV…

 Gavin   Techniques

TtV in the Studio using Canon 5DmkII and Delmonta TLR

I was in the studio a few days ago for a vintage style pinup shoot with the theme “Military Cheesecake” and thought this would be an excellent opportunity to try my hand at TtV or “Through the Viewfinder” photography.

Simply put, this technique involves using the viewfinder optics from a vintage TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) camera with a modern, digital SLR. In theory one simply points the lens of the DSLR at the viewfinder of the TLR and takes a picture of the image on the ground glass.

In practice there is a lot more to it… Continue reading First Attempt at TtV… »

How a Non-Destructive Workflow Can Lead to a Happy Client

 Gavin   Digital Darkroom, Lightroom, Photoshop, Techniques, Tips, Workflow

A long time ago I adopted the policy of making all my edits in Photoshop non-destructive fo rthe simple reason that I could easily go back and change something if I needed to. This slowed me down at first but as I became more adept at wielding a stylus and graphics tablet, and through the benefit of actions, experience and perseverance it is no longer true. Using the right tool for the job is also a huge help and my workflow consists of a mixture of Lightroom and Photoshop.

Earlier today I embarked on a retouch session. Nothing spectacular about that as it happens all the while. What mad this one all the more important though was that my client was off on holiday this afternoon and needed the images before she went. Continue reading How a Non-Destructive Workflow Can Lead to a Happy Client »

The True Cost of a Free Job

 Gavin   Journey

DISCLAIMER – I’m going to keep this post anonymous as it is in no way intended to be a dig at anybody but it is based on a true story from a photoshoot I undertook recently. The reason for writing this post is simply to highlight the real costs involved in working for free. I’ve underaken a number of free jobs over the

Very recently I agreed to cover a show in a London theatre as a freebie or nil-paid job. TFP or TFCD as it is sometimes known in the industry. I entered into this fully aware I’d be doing it for free. Why? Because theatre presented a gap in my portfolio. This was a gap I wanted to fill and the experience I would gain from it coupled with the networking opportunities far outweighed any potential loss in revenue. So, why am I writing this post? Well, the primary reason is to highlight what the real cost is of undertaking free work whilst leaving aside any discussion on the loss of revenue. As an interesting comparison I’m going to compare this to my standard wedding package. Continue reading The True Cost of a Free Job »