Tricks of the Trade

There are a lot of helpful tools for photography, and trick is knowing what you need to do the job!

Most people know about Photoshop.  But that is a huge and complex program and most of the time is like using a bulldozer when you really just need a sand shovel.  

I personally use Lightroom for all my photo editing, but even that is a big program for the everyday photographer that is just trying to give their photos a little extra life.

So here are some basic, inexpensive tools that I have found helpful!

DESKTOP AND MOBILE

Photos for Mac
If you have a mac, their Photo program is pretty intuitive and easy to use.  It’s an easy way to keep you photos organized and do some basic editing.  

Google Photos:
If you don’t have a Mac, Google photos is an easy way to organize and edit your photos as well.  It integrates well if you are already using gmail and there’s an app you can put on your phone so your photos are always with you- desktop or mobile.

 

MOBILE APPS

Snapseed
iPhone
Android
This is my go-to editing app for photos I take on my phone (yes, all those running photos typically go through Snapseed!)  It allows a lot of options, but the key is “less is more”.  The less “edited” it looks, the better (in my opinion) unless you are trying to go for a specific look.  I pretty much stick to the “Tune Image” set of tools.  The “HDR scape” can be cool for landscape/nature and “lens blur” gives that great depth of field illusion!

FaceTune
iPhone
Android
Let’s be honest.  We all have those photos of ourselves that shock and surprise us when we see blemishes, wrinkles or bulges in places we were not expecting. This app isn’t free, but for a few dollars, it can solve all of those problems!  Again, I advise to use sparingly to bring you back to the “best” you and correct for that bad lighting or awkward stance, otherwise you end up looking more like a Barbie doll then yourself!

Rise
iPhone

As many of you know, lighting is best closest to sunrise and sunset – otherwise known as “magic hour”.  But what we often forget is the sunrise and sunset time changes throughout the year with the days being longer in the summer and shorter in the winter.  This handy app tells me the time the sun is going to rise or set on any given day so I can recommend the best timing for your photo session!

Wunderground
iPhone
Android
Weather predicting.  Ugh.  If I could be granted one superpower, it would be to predict the weather.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve rearranged shoots due to the forecast only to have a beautiful and clear day. (I’m looking at you weather.com)  I am constantly testing new weather apps to find ones that are most accurate.  Wunderground is a new one that I found that seems to be pretty good (so far).  If you or anyone else you know has the magical gift of weather prophesy, please contact me immediately.  ;-)

OTHER TOOLS

Blogstomp
For any bloggers out there, this is a great tool to quickly and easily pair and output your photos for your blog/social media, etc.  You can customize borders, size, how many photos in a frame, add logos, etc.  It’s a huge timesaver and make everything look so pretty and professional!

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Buying a Camera: 5 Things to Consider

I get this question a LOT!  
I want to step up my game and buy a “real” camera, but what should I get?

It’s a great question, but to answer it, you have to ask yourself a few questions first!

How am I going to use the camera?

Is this for travel?  Or is it to try and capture shots of your kids and family?  Or do you love nature and want to capture some beautiful landscapes?  This will effect the size, speed and lens choice that you need to make.

What do I need the camera to do best?

Is it important to shoot fast to catch those instant moments of your kids?  Or not be too obtrusive for street photography?  Do you need a long range lens so you can capture things far away?  Are you planning to do some heavy editing and you want the ability to adjust your images after the fact?  Is video important?  Will you be shooting in dark situations?

How much control do I want?

Does the idea of manual mode scare you or excite you?  If you want to learn how to make the camera do you what you want, you want to be able to adjust those controls.  If the thought of constantly adjusting aperture, ISO and shutter speed makes your head spin, you want a good automatic camera to make the right choice for you in the moment.

What am I going to do with the photos?

Do you have a ton of storage space for your photos and you plan on editing each one?  Or no computer at all? Or do you want to just download the photos and be done?  Or to they need to wirelessly transfer to your phone?  

How much am I willing to spend?

This is the big question, as the sky is the limit and that price can snowball very fast!  Understanding your budget and what is possible within that budget is good to know as you start researching!  With photography, you do get what you pay for.  There are ways to stay budget friendly, but also know that good quality does not come cheap and equipment is an investment!

Have you thought about your answers and need direction?  Shoot me an email and I’d be happy to help provide some direction!