Preparing Images for Print

One of the most challenging things about digital photography is getting the print to match the computer monitor. I suggest getting to know one lab so you can tweak things if necessary to get consistent results. For example, if you know that every time you print at Adorama your prints come out dark, you will know that you always have to brighten them a bit before submitting them to be printed.

Please bring for our final class:
-Approx 5-10 Prints of photos you have taken that you love!
-Approx 8x10" size

For fine art quality Inkjet Prints, ask your printer, but most likely you should leave the color profile as Adobe RGB.
For most other labs that make digital C prints (non-inkjet, like Adorama), to get your colors looking right, you should convert to sRGB color profile.

*Most of our cameras are set to Adobe RGB (the bigger better color spectrum) however, a lot of labs require the image to be in sRGB color profile. (If you know you will be printing at places like Adorama and not really doing many fine art type inkjet prints, you may want to just leave your camera in sRGB) To change the color profile of a certain document, in Photoshop, go to Edit > Convert to Profile. If you fail to convert before printing, it could mean your print will turn out a little desaturated. Always “Save AS” to save a duplicate copy that's print ready (so you have your original preserved).

Lab Suggestions:
Adorama You can upload online and have them mailed to you or pick up in store. Be sure images are sRGB color profile. There is a few days to a week turnaround- depends if you rush and/or pick up in-store.

Print Space You can email images to the lab, but you must go there to pick up. They do inkjet or digital C prints- call for prices. Be sure images are Adobe RGB color profile. 24 hr turnaround.

Graphix Lab at FIT: ph 212-217-5474. Call for Hours. (D building, 5th floor) (You must go in to D529 to drop off and pick up. Be sure images have the Adobe RGB color profile) 24 hr turnaround.

*In Photoshop, make sure your image resolution is 300dpi and the file size is the same as the output size. If you want to make a print that is 8x10 inches, go to Image > Image Size in Photoshop and make sure it's 300dpi and that the height/width are approx 8x10 inches. File > Save As a JPG before uploading to Adorama or taking it to a lab to be printed. JPG quality should be 12 (high).

More advanced Photoshop Users who are making prints at Adorama:
Download the Adorama profiles here (Glossy Endura) http://www.adoramapix.com/Support.aspx?SupportID=prepcolor

Composition

Some thoughts and suggestions for composing interesting shots:

*Do NOT center your subject! Follow the Rule Of Thirds


above: Georgia O'keefe photographed by Alfred Stieglitz

* Look for diagonal lines



*Look for shapes that can frame your subject

Motion Control

Remember, most people cannot hold a camera still for an in focus shot for anything slower than 1/60th of a second. Images usually come out blurry when shooting at 1/30th, 1/15th or 1/8th. (In your camera, it probably just says 30, 15 or 8 etc. under shutter speed... it's usually not written in fractions in your camera)

But when shooting at 1/60th of a second, the image will only be in focus if the subject is not moving. Once the subject moves, you need a quicker exposure....perhaps 1/250th of a second or faster.

If you're outside during the day roaming around and want to make sure there is no motion blur in your pictures, the "S" setting is a good one to choose (Shutter Priority). Set the shutter to 1/250 and the camera will choose the aperture for you.

One thing to consider, your flash will not fire when shooting faster than 1/250th (for most cameras). For example, if you're in Manual mode and shooting at 1/1000 of a second, you will not be able to add flash.

Try shooting at a slower exposure (try 1/30, 1/60 and 1/125) and “pan” or “track” the moving object. The goal is the get the object in focus and the background to show motion. You can use a tripod to get really good at this!
Panning can achieve looks like this:



Here is a handout with some exercises to practice motion control:


For something like this, you would have to use a tripod at perhaps 1/15 second. The tripod would freeze the rock (which is still) and show the motion of the moving water:



Controlling Motion blur in LOW LIGHT situations:
At night, or in low light situations, if you shoot with a slow shutter speed (like 1/15 or 1/30) and no flash,the picture will be blurry:

If you put your camera on Auto, most likely, your camera will use the flash but choose a shutter speed too fast to capture the ambient light in the background (perhaps 1/125 or so). The flash lights up your subject but not the background:

To capture the lights in the background and your subjects in focus, you must choose a slower shutter speed, like 1/15 or 1/30 and use flash. The flash guarantees your subjects will not be blurry. Try using "S" shutter priority mode (and choosing 1/15 or 1/30) and hold your camera very still!:

Raw Plug-Ins

For those of you who were not able to open RAW files on your computer, you may need to download a raw plugin from the Adobe Website. here is a link:

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/407/kb407111.html

For those of you with the D7000 camera, looks like you need version 6.3 of the raw plug in, which you can get by clicking here: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/883/cpsid_88395.html

Events and Openings this week

Photo related Events and openings in NYC this week and beyond:
(This info is from the DART list - Design Arts Daily-by Peggy Roalf.)

Tuesday, January 25 & Wednesday, January 26, 2:00 pm: Women’s Studio Workshop Artists Panel and Curators Talk on Artist Books. Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, NY, NY. Free.

Wednesday, January 26, 6:00-8:00 pm: Opening reception for Ex Libris, books by 26 artists including Ed Ruscha, Chris Ware, Maira Kalman, Chip Kidd, Charles Burns, and Ruth Marten, among others. Adam Baumgold Gallery, 60 East 66th Street, NY, NY.

Wednesday, January 26, 7:00 pm: The Architectural League presents Gregg Pasquarelli of SHoP Architects, Out of Practice, Current Work. The Great Hall, The Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street. Tickets, $15 for non-members, can be purchased on January 26th.

Wednesday, January 26, 7:00-10:00 pm: Launch party for Cousin Corinne, Issue Number Two. Bookcourt, 163 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY.

Wednesday, January 26, 6:00: Princeton Architectural Press presents Large Scale: Fabricating Sculpture in the 1960s and 70s, with Jonathan Lippincott and Robert Murray. New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwartzman Building, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum, 2nd floor, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, NY, NY. Free; doors open at 5:30.

Wednesday, January 26, 11:00 am-6:00 pm: Opening day for Mark Power: The Sound of Two Songs and The Shipping Forecast. Amador Gallery, 41 East 57th Street, 6th Floor NY, NY.

Wednesday, January 26, 11:00 am-6:00 pm: Opening day for George Condo: Mental States. New Museum, 235 Bowery, NY, NY.

Wednesday, January 26, 10:00 am-5:00 pm: Opening day for Book and Editorial Annual Exhibition at Society of Illustrators, 128 East 63rd Street, NY, NY. Save the date for the Awards Ceremony and reception: February 4th, 6:00 pm. Admission: $30/$35/$20. RSVP or 212.38.2560.

Thursday, January 27, 6:30 pm: Museum off the City of New York presents historian Linda Gordon, author of Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits (W.W. Norton, 2009) discussing the role gender played in Americans’ response to the economic crisis of the 1030s. RSVP or 917-492-3395 for special half-price tickets ($6) for DART subscribers. Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, NY, NY.

Thursday, January 27: Opening day for Along the Yangzi River: Regional Culture of the Bronze Age from Hunan. China Institute Gallery, 125 East 68th Street, NY, NY.

Thursday, January 27, 6:00-8:00 pm: Opening reception and book signing for Mark Seliger: Listen. Steven Kasher Gallery, 521 West 23rd Street, NY, NY.

Thursday, January 27, 7:00-8:30: Opening reception for Gathered: A Solo Exhibition of Work by Lorna Simpson. Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY.

Thursday, January 27, 6:00-8:00 pm: Prototypes: The Experimental Typography of Andrew Byrom. Type Directors Club, 347 W. 36th St, #603, NY, NY. Tickets Free/$20/$15. RSVP or 212-633-8943.

Thursday, January 27, 7:00 pm: Roundtable conversation about the photographs of 2010. Panelists include Chris Boot, Executive Director, Aperture Foundation; W.M. Hunt, curator of exhibition currently on View; Susie Linfield, author and social critic; Stephen Mayes, Director, VII Photo; Jamie Wellford, Senior Photo Editor, Newsweek. VII Gallery, 28 Jay Street, DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY. Free with RSVP.

Friday, January 28, 6:30 pm: The Center for Book Arts presents History of Art Series: Book Arts Collaborations, with Mary Ann Caws and Raphael Rubenstein. The Center for Book Arts, 28 W. 27th St., 3rd Floor, NY, NY. Free, suggested donation $5/$10.

Friday, January 28, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm: Opening day for Body Language: The Yogis of India and Nepal, photographs by Thomas Kelly. Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street, NY, NY.

Friday, January 28, 10:30 am-8:00 pm: Opening Day for Staging Action: Performance in Photography Since 1960. Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street, NY, NY.

Friday, January 28, 10:00 am-6:00 pm: Opening Day for an exhibition of vintage photo booth strips, "drugstore" prints, and uniquely captioned prints by renowned poet Allen Ginsberg. Howard Greenberg Gallery, 41 East 57th Street, Suite 1406, NY, NY. Save the date: February 8, from 6:00-8:00pm for a reception and lecture.

Saturday, January 29, 3:00 pm: Artist talk with Thomas Kelly in conjunction with the photography exhibition Body Language: The Yogis of India and Nepal, Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street, NY, NY. Tickets $12/Free. Note: RMAs popular Brainwave Series continues, starting in February.

Wednesday, February 2, 7:00 pm: Albert Watson launches Spring Photographers Lecture Series at the International Center of Photography School, 1114 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY. Tickets, $15 at the door.

Thursday, February 3, 6:00-8:00 pm: Opening Reception for O. Winston Link: The Last Steam Railroad in America. Robert Mann Gallery, 210 Eleventh Avenue (Between 24th-25th Streets, FL 10), NY, NY.

Thursday, February 3, 6:30-8:30 pm: Opening reception for Cartoon Polymaths, featuring multimedia work by Winsor McCay, Saul Steinberg, Richard McGuire, Paper Rad and more. Sheila C. Johnson Design Center at Parsons the New School for Design. 66 Fifth Avenue at 13th Street, NY, NY.

Thursday, February 3, 7:00 pm: Art In the First Person presents Joe Fig: Inside the Painter’s Studio. School of Visual Arts, 209 East 23 Street, 3rd-floor amphitheater, NY, NY. Free; please have photo ID to enter the building.

Thursday, February 3, 6:00-8:00pm: Opening reception for Jim Campbell: 4 Works. Hosfelt Gallery, 531 W 36th Street. NY. NY.

Thursday, February 3, 6:30 pm: Lecture by Professor Marc Nichanian of Sabanci University, Turkey in conjunction with the exhibition Blind Dates: New Encounters from the Edges of a Former Empire. Pratt Manhattan Gallery, 144 West 14th Street, NY, NY.

Friday, February 4, 1:30 pm: Gallery talk with Molleen Theodore on Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography. Meet at 2nd floor Atrium. Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street, NY, NY. Free with museum admission.

Photoshop: Jan 22 (Week 3)

There are a few basic things one can do in Photoshop to improve any image.

1. Curves
A basic "S" Curve will make your flat looking picture appear more vibrant. It adds a bit of contrast while boosting colors slightly.
This is what the curve should look like (in your adjustment palatte, click 'curves' and make the box look like this:


The image on the right has the S curve applied. Notice how it has increased density and doesn't look flat.


2. Sharpening

If you’re done editing and want to sharpen your image, Flatten your image (layer > flatten image). Then duplicate the background so you have 2 layers again. Then go to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask. Make sure you zoom in to 100% to see if you like how sharp it became. Flatten when finished (Layer > Flatten Image) then File > Save.


3. Correct White Balance
The image below on the right has been corrected. This is easy to do in the camera raw window by adjusting the white balance temperature slider or by using the white balance tool (3rd icon from the left on the upper left corner of the window). In Photoshop you can simply correct it by going to IMAGE > Auto Tone (or Auto Color).


4. Brightness/Contrast
In Photoshop, go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness Contrast

Shooting Still Life: Jan 22 (Week 3)

This week in class we will be looking at different ways to shoot still life. We will practice shooting food, drinks, jewelry and other small objects. Remember to shoot at a low # F stop (like F2.8) if you want a shallow depth of field (blurry background). Remember to have your ISO at about 200 or 400 so that the image doesn't look grainy. If you are using a window to light your subject from the side, you may have to use a tripod or balance your camera on something to avoid motion blur. Instead of a window light, you can also use a desk lamp or clamp light from Home Depot ($9):



Side Lit (natural light/ window):


Back Lit by Window:


Diffused Flash:
hold a tissue over your flash or a piece of paper at an angle in front of the flash to direct the light upwards instead of directly AT your subject...

Comparison of direct flash VS diffused flash:


Fill in Shadows:
When side lighting an object, you can fill in the shadow side with a piece of white paper.

Shooting Portraits: Jan. 15th (Week 2)

Different lenses create different kinds of portraits. Some say the 105mm is the perfect portrait lens. Others say 50mm. It also depends on how far you are standing from your subject. A longer lens won't make the nose look too big and it allows you to get a close crop without standing very close to your subject (which can make people feel uncomfortable). It's said that people's features look more flattering when the photographer is not so close (perhaps best to be 15 feet away). Also, longer lenses can help create a blurrier background.
More info on Portrait lenses HERE.


In class, try a series a portraits using the following guidelines:

1. Backlit. Place your subject with the window behind them. Use Manual Setting. Adjust your ISO, aperture and shutter speed so that the window gets blown out and the background almost looks white. Try shooting with a low number F-stop so the background is very blurry. If you have a zoom lens, try standing close and then far away (but both times cropping from the shoulders up. Is one image more flattering than the other?


2. Side Lit. Position your subject so that a window is lighting them from the side. Shoot one portrait with a reflector and one without. Notice how a reflector fills in the shadows on the dark side of the face.


3. Against a wall, with and without flash. Position your subject about a step away from the wall. Shoot one portrait horizontally with the flash up and one portrait vertically using your flash. Notice how the shadow behind the subject changes.
* Full frontal flash can be used effectively and stylistically. Take for example the work of Martin Parr, who often shoot s with a ring flash.




If you have a flash that goes on your hotshoe, try pointing it up and bouncing it off a white ceiling, into a white reflector, off a white wall to the side and directly on the subject. Each way you point the flash will create a different light on the face.

Outside:

1. Place your subject in the shade. On manual, adjust your camera settings so that the background is properly exposed. Look at your light meter if you're not sure where to start. Then pop your flash up to fill in your subject. Make sure your flash is on TTL (an auto setting).


2. Shoot your subject in just natural light (no flash) in broad daylight. If you have a zoom lens, try standing close and then far away (but both times cropping from the shoulders up. Is one image more flattering than the other? How does the background change? You can shoot on Manual (M), Shutter priority (S), Program (P) or Aperture Priority (A).

3. Shoot your subject in full sun but add flash. If it's a bright sunny day, try shooting them with the sun acting as a hair light. (You may have to crouch down low if sun is overhead)


More advanced Options:

If you have a flash for your hotshoe, you can buy a cord to be able to hold it off camera. Side lighting for portraits often makes them look more "professional". Some cameras do this wirelessly as well. It's called "Commander Mode". You can also diffuse your flash with an umbrella or a Gary Fong.

Retouching Portraits in Photoshop:

Basic retouching includes redness reduction, blemish removal, skin softening, slimming, etc. We will go over these techniques in class and there is a handout below.

Suggested assignment due Jan 15th

Shoot a series of portraits using natural light, either indoors of outdoors. Pay close attention to the direction the light is coming from and where the shadows are on the face. You can fill in shadows by holding a reflector or a large piece of white poster board on the side of the face where the shadows are.

Try shooting at a low # F-stop, like F2.8 or F3.5 to achieve a shallow depth of field (blurry background). Also, the longer you zoom out on your lens, the blurrier your background will be.

If you are shooting outdoors, you may want to choose a cloudy day when there is soft light.

If you are shooting on a bright sunny day, you may choose to shoot in the shade, where the shadows are not so harsh.

If you are shooting indoors, position your subject next to a window so they are lit from the side.

ISO: Indoors it's darker so you may need a higher # ISO (like 400 or 800) but rememeber this may add grain or noise. If outdoors during the day, shoot at 200 ISO.

Bring in perhaps 10 to 20 portraits and we will look at them together in class.

Class 1: January 8th

Topics covered today:
Basic camera functions,F-stop & shutter speed, ISO, White Balance, RAW vs. JPG

Inside the DIGITAL CAMERA:
Part 1:
First we'll go over the homework from last week. Each student was supposed to bring in 6 RAW images. Discussion will cover the differences in White Balance settings using natural light as well as how Fstop affects your picture.

Part 2:

Demo of RAW vs JPG


Part 3:

Dissecting the digital camera:

F-stop
F-stop is the same as aperture. This is the hole or opening inside the camera that lets light in. If this hole is "Wide Open", this will be a low number, like F2 or F3.5. If the hole is very small or closed down, the F-stop will be a big number like F16 or F22.
Depending on what lens you have, the lowest F-stop you camera may go is 3.5. Some lenses go lower, such as F1.8.



Shutter speed
Shutter speed= time. It's measured in fractions of seconds. It is the amount of time that "hole" stays open to let light in. A very long exposure may be 1 second. A very fast one may be 1/500 of a second.

Lenses
Long lenses are usually considered to be more than 100mm. A wide lens is usually around 18mm. A standard zoom lens is 18-70mm or 18-200mm. The length of the lens is measured in millimeters.

Deleting images vs. Formatting
After downloading photos from a card, always FORMAT your memory card instead of "deleting all". This prepares it to be able to shoot again, and wipes the slate clean. It's not great to use memory cards in different cameras if at all possible. If you have to, always format the card before using it in a different camera.

Part 4:
Shooting outside in each of the camera's modes
Shooting modes: A, S, M, P
Setting up the digital camera correctly
Click on the image below to enlarge and see an example of 6 images shot in a row on "Aperture Priority (A)". You select the aperture or Fstop and the camera selects the shutter speed. Notice how the depth of field changes.


DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CHECKLIST:

35mm Digital SLR Camera (highly recommended for this class)
Suggestions:
Canon Rebel, Canon 5D, Nikon D40, Nikon D300

Memory Cards (buy at least 4G cards)

Photoshop CS4

A card reader

External Hard Drive (at least 250G- Lacie is a good brand)

An Epson Color Printer, or a good relationship with a print lab.

Labs I use: Print Space & Adorama

USEFUL DIGITAL TERMS:

Sensor
Useful Article: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-sensors.htm

Full Frame

High Resolution or "hi-res": 300ppi (PPI, pixels per inch, determines image quality and size)

RULES OF THUMB:

-Always Shoot RAW
-Always save at least one copy as TIFF.
-Tiffs can have layers in Photoshop, JPGs are always flat
-Always save things at a 300 resolution
-Once you reduce the size of an image, you cannot make it big again without losing quality

Handouts for Class #1

Click to view larger:

Welcome to Beginning Digital Photography at FIT!

Weekly materials for this 5 week digital photography seminar will be posted on the blog and please feel free to contact the instructor, Erin Gleeson, at erin@eringleeson.com.

We will start out with how to use the basic functions of your own digital cameras. Please bring your camera weekly along with a memory card and a portable hard drive if possible. We will also look at image downloading and editing in Photoshop.

Assignments given in this class are optional but encouraged- no grades are assessed. The main goal is for you to take better pictures! And be more in control of your camera and the light around you. The goal will be to present a series of approx 10 printed images for the last week's session to share with the group and critique.

Course Overview:

Jan. 8th:
Digital Camera Basics
Auto settings on camera, F-Stop, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Flash, White Balance, ISO, lens length, motion control, light meter in camera.
Downloading your photos and intro to basic photo editing in Photoshop.

Jan 15th:
Composition
Lens Selection
Shooting portraits using natural light and/or flash
Intro to using flash on hot-shoe.

Jan 22nd:
Still life shoot, event photography, shooting indoors with flash.

Jan 29th:
Outdoor shooting: mixing flash and daylight.
Resizing images.
Printing methods and retouching for optimum prints.

Feb 5th:
Last Class, share final prints.