We perceive the world around us by looking and observing things, people, lines, etc. Ever wondered why diagonal lines, curves and specific object placement are pleasing to most people, even to those who are not involved in art? That’s because every brain comes pre-equipped with some tools that help us visualize what looks good and what doesn’t. These visual tools are already there, but they might not be fully “activated” by you. How would you do that? With lots of training, learning, patience and interest in your craft, it is just a matter of time. There is no shortcut, no magic bullet.

Once you fully unlock and activate all the visual tools, your brain can take your past experiences or “visual imprints”, along with your imagination, and effectively use these tools to develop a unique style. Your form of expression, your perception of the world.

The more I work on the creative front and the more I take photographs, I come back to this simple concept of finding something pleasing and unique to my eyes only, which rarely fits into the square box of set rules.

I am not a big museum buff, you may not find me looking through old art books seeking inspiration. For each his/her own… I look for beauty, as I perceive it, around me, in my everyday life. I look at women, children, men while on a walk and think of concepts befitting them, seeing something that someone else may not see. At times my mind is just blank…

With whatever I have in my visual arsenal, I sit down and work on my photographs. Some of them rarely need post-processing, as I visualized and shot them just the way I wanted. Other times, I come back knowing that I may be tweaking certain things, by adding or removing some elements, which again, has to do with my own perception of things.

My dear friends, there is no perfect skin color correction method that will fit everyone out there. There is no best way to bring out colors and make something visually attractive. Trying to do everything by the book may be absolutely appalling to your personal vision. While hard work to master any skill is necessary, I genuinely ask you not to try too hard in developing your style right away. Give yourself some time and save yourself from burning out. Trust your instincts, be a child, learn the basics, give yourself and your visual perception recognition… These are the things I tell myself every day and I hope you will not mind a free thinking post today on Mansurovs.

By the way, lunar eclipses typically happen more often than solar eclipses. Photographing the moon is a very different process when compared to photographing the sun. See my how to photograph a lunar eclipse article for more details.

1) The Danger of Viewing and Photographing a Solar Eclipse

Before I talk about the process of photographing a solar eclipse, let me first talk about the dangers of doing it. First of all, you should never look directly at the sun with your eyes, especially through a DSLR viewfinder that shows the sun much more magnified. Remember Galileo or those crazy Indians that stared at the sun and went blind? You surely do not want the same faith. Looking at the sun through the viewfinder without blocking any light, especially UV can result in immediate blindness. See this article on Wikipedia for more details.

So what do you do? If you prefer to see the eclipse with your naked eyes, then get a pair of eclipse glasses. If you cannot find them or it is too late to get them now, then there are two things you can do:

1. Build a small pinhole camera/projector
2. Use the camera’s liveview/LCD for viewing the sun

Building a small pinhole camera/projector is very simple. Just grab two pieces of cards, make a small hole in one card, then hold the card above the other one and align them with the sun. The sun’s image will be projected through the hole into the second card. If you want something more advanced, check this tutorial out.

The second method to view the sun through the camera LCD is what I did. First, make sure to mount a very dense/strong neutral density filter in front of your lens. Then, use your camera’s LiveView function to look at the sun. It is ideal to have a camera that allows manual exposure control, so that you could stop down the lens and increase the shutter speed while looking at the sun through live view. Bear in mind that if the ND filter is not strong enough, viewing the sun through the LCD could actually damage your camera. Either way, I would not use LiveView for more than a minute or two, since it could overheat the image sensor. I only used LiveView when taking pictures and turned the camera off in between. When the sun is too bright during partial eclipse, unless you have something like Hoodman loupe, you might not see much when looking at the LCD though.

If you have a point and shoot camera with a relatively small lens, the same eclipse glasses you war could be used as neutral density filters. Just hold one in front of the lens and it should work great.

2) Photographing the Sequence

One thing you need to decide on, is whether you want to shoot the entire sequence of the solar eclipse, or just the middle of the process (period of totality) when the moon blocks most of the sun, creating a “ring of fire”. I would personally recommend to document the whole process from the beginning to the end, so that you have pictures of all the phases – from partial eclipse to totality and then back to partial eclipse. The nice thing about having the entire sequence in pictures, is that you can later combine images together, creating a nice sequence.

Bear in mind, you will have to be very patient though, as the process could take a while. If for whatever reason you cannot stay for the entire duration of the eclipse, then I would just stay for the total eclipse to capture the “ring of fire”.

3) Camera Equipment and Lenses

When it comes to photographing a solar eclipse, the type of equipment you are using plays a huge role. Using a camera with a bare lens is not going to work, because the sun is way too bright (especially during partial eclipse) – it will be totally blown out. Even stopping down to a very small aperture like f/22 and lowering ISO to the lowest value might result in an exposure faster than what your camera allows. Therefore, you need a very strong neutral density filter that would block most of the light from the sun, allowing you to use slower shutter speeds and larger apertures. If the neutral density filter is not strong enough, you might need a couple – in my case, I had a 6 stop ND filter stacked with a 3 stop ND filter together, but a 10 stop ND filter would be better. Stacking multiple filters is not a problem, because you will be shooting with your longest lens at its longest focal length anyway.

Talking about lenses, the longer the lens, the better. I used the Nikon 300mm f/4 AF-S with a 1.4x teleconverter, because I had it handy. Longer lenses are ideal, so if you have a 600mm lens with a teleconverter in your arsenal, then get them ready! My 300mm was already mounted to my Nikon D700, so I did not bother changing the camera body.

Camera does not matter, because you will be capturing the solar eclipse at the lowest ISO. Cropped-sensor/DX cameras would work great, because they provide better magnification on the pixel level.

4) Camera Settings

Camera settings are quite simple. Here is what I recommend:

1. Set your camera and lens on a tripod.
2. Set your ISO to the lowest value like 100.
3. Set your camera mode to Manual.
4. Start out at the fastest shutter speed your camera has to offer, such as 1/8000 and see if you need to lower it.
5. Start out at f/8 and stop down a little more if the shutter speed is too fast. If the sun comes out too bright and overexposed, it means that you are using a weak ND filter.

Depending on what ND filter you are using, your shutter speed should be fast enough to not cause any vibration issues. I was shooting between 1/500 to 1/8000, depending on the phase of the eclipse and how bright I wanted to sun to come out.

5) Focus Accuracy and Sharpness

No matter what lens you are using, getting a very accurate focus on the sun and moon is extremely important. I know that some photographers suggest to shoot at infinity using the lens marks, but since many lenses now allow focusing “beyond infinity”, getting a true infinity focus is not that easy – a slight inaccuracy in focus will make the sun and moon appear blurry. Forget about trying to acquire focus on the sun without an ND filter – it is too bright and could be too small in the frame for that. What I would do, is point your lens at a really far object and focus on that object (either through viewfinder or LiveView). Instead of dealing with refocusing every time you take a picture, I highly recommend to switch off autofocus once you get an accurate focus. Take a picture and use the LCD screen of the camera to see how sharp the sun is. Zoom in all the way and make sure that the sun appears sharp.

One more thing I would like to point out, is if you are using a lens with a teleconverter, or if you are using a consumer zoom lens, the optics are probably not very sharp when shooting at large apertures. Stopping down the lens aperture to f/8-f/11 should give you the sharpest results. Don’t use apertures larger than f/16 – diffraction will kick in and make the moon appear even softer.

6) Composition

Unless you are shooting at short focal lengths with a foreground object or some sort of a scene, don’t worry about composition – place the sun anywhere in your frame. The location does not matter, since you can easily crop the sun out in post-processing. If you have some thick clouds in your frame, then play with the exposure a little and see if you can use clouds as part of your composition. Here is an image that I captured with the clouds, when clouds opened up a little bit during the start of the eclipse:

7) Post-processing

As for post-processing, aside from cropping and playing with white balance and saturation levels, the only issue you might have is dealing with some noise that might show up even at the lowest ISO levels. Noise levels will increase if you underexpose and try to brighten up in post-processing, so try to expose the sun correctly (you can also bracket your shots). If noise is an issue, see my “noise reduction tutorial” that I posted a while ago – there are plenty of tips in that article on how to clean up noise in Photoshop and Lightroom.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

So how about you stop doing nothing? It’s time to start admiring yourself, because you can be just as creative and successful as anyone else!

1) Go (to) Places

Matthew Jordan Smith, one of the best known Beauty, Fashion and Celebrity photographers in the USA, once said you should never, ever stop yourself from going somewhere. It doesn’t really matter if it’s an exhibition you don’t want to visit, or a free concert that you would rather avoid even if the band paid you to come. The reason is simple – we get ideas by experiencing. As long as you keep an open mind, you never know just what can throw some crazy, amazing idea at you – it could be the hairstyle of the lead singer, or a piece of art you don’t understand in the exhibition. Maybe, on your way out, you will bump into a ballet dancer and hurt her ankle, which will obviously make her very angry, as she had a rehearsal planned in an hour, which will push you into photographing angry performers. Or flying dogs. Maybe she will swear at you so violently, you will make a series of photographs about two-faced people. You never know just what will make that awesome idea pop up in your head. It could be something completely irrelevant, but if you’re not out there, one thing is sure – nothing will happen.

2) Go Through Your Old Work

You may think that everything you’ve done up until today is completely useless and your best days are ahead of you. Most of the time, you will be right. But it’s so worth it to be, even if very rarely, wrong. You may find that a particular photograph has, over the years, matured like a bottle of good wine – maybe because people dress differently, or because people themselves are different than the ones in your photograph. Some work gets worse with time, some gets much, much better. We call it context. And it can mean a world of difference.

There’s another reason, too. Just like with other photographer’s works, or even artists overall, your old photographs are likely to give you ideas, and while not all of them are guaranteed to be good, a start is all you need to get back on your creative feet. Try it. Don’t throw something away just because it doesn’t look that good on the back LCD screen of your camera. You may be surprised by what you’ve done before, and even more so by what is still ahead.

3) Look Through Other Photographer’s Work

It is often that I hear photographers don’t want to copy something that has already been done, and I believe it is something to respect for. However, ideas are viral. They spread like viruses, ever changing, ever adapting. Whatever the idea you saw someone bring to life, you would do it differently, and it would be a different idea. It works much like going to places, really – all you need is to see, to experience something strong. Do you really think you are so much like the author who’s work you are looking through that you will come up with the exact same feelings and thoughts when you analyze his work? Our analysis are based on our experience, and our experience is never the same, nor are our conclusions. You are different, and with these differences new ideas are born.

4) Try Out Something New in Life

Ideas come with inspiration, inspiration comes with new experience, and new experience comes with… well, something new. Just as you must go to places and meet people, you should also treat yourself with new activities, whether it’s jogging or taking up yoga classes. Not only will that bring more happiness, activity and people into your life, it will also fill you up with even more ideas of what you can do. It works much like a roller coaster – every time you try out something new in life, even read a book or go to theater instead of cinema, you’ll find yourself picking up speed as you fly over ground, but in order not to stop and stall again, you need to keep yourself busy! So how about those yoga classes and jogging?

5) Stay Busy

Activity brings more activity, but as soon as you stop, it is again quite hard for many of us to get busy once more. Having your day planned helps a lot – you know what you must do, and then you know when you have time for everything that’s a pleasure, like photography or (I must write this, I’m sure all of you will understand!) spending time with your wife and kids! Think of it as an investment, though. You cook dinner today, you get a trip to mountains tomorrow. Put all of that together and you get more ideas than you initially thought you were capable of coming up with, and I bet something will come up in your head while you cook that meal (because it’s just that boring and you don’t need your camera to do it)!

6) Experiment

Have you noticed your style change with time? Your taste, your preference towards one or another look of your photographs. With time, you search for different things than before, and you notice different things. It is a natural progress, influenced by what we see and what we experience. However, this process is often quite slow, so why not try to change deliberately? Try out what you haven’t before!

Experiment before, during and after taking your photograph, go to different places and meet different people. Maybe you’ll find a passion for minimalism, or maybe street photography? Experimenting leads to new experience, which in turn leads to new ideas, so keep an open mind and see what you are capable off! Even if your experiments turn out to be a complete waste of time, in truth it’s not. Professionals make mistakes and amateurish photographs, too, and lots of them (we just try not to show such photographs)! Not everything turns out the way you want initially, but the point is to keep on trying and not letting yourself feel bad if you think you failed. Failure, often, teaches us more than success.

7) Don’t Read About Gear Too Much!

We’ve talked about this, of course. And then we talked more, and more, and here we are talking about it again. Why? Well, it’s rather simple, really – you still love reading about gear, don’t you? I thought so. It’s nothing to be ashamed of – we all read reviews before buying something. Heck, we all read reviews even if we are never going to afford that piece of gear! And that is OK. After all, we are photographers, we are supposed to know these things.

The point is, however, to stop when it’s enough. Don’t make it a daily habit to read each and every review you can find, each and every one you’ve read many, many times before – it is a waste of time. Instead, go through other photographer’s work, or your own, or just go out and spend time with your friends shooting or fishing, which, you guessed right, will give you more ideas, or help you relax a little and fall in love with photography again, passionately.

8) You Don’t Always Need an Idea

Some think everything you do should have a very deep, hidden meaning. Some important idea. While it’s true very often, there are days when the last thing we need is more problems and deep meanings, more things to think about. We get tired – work, routine, everyday problems wear us out again and again. Then, feelings come in. Simple aesthetics, beauty therapy, photographs that make you feel better just because you’re looking at them – they trigger your emotions and personal associations, memories, instead of thoughts and need to analyze. They are like fresh air, a trip to a forest or a marvelous sunset on a beach.

Some will say such photographs are worthless and shallow, empty almost. But maybe, before filling up with ideas and thoughts, you need emptiness, some air to breathe easily, some happiness? Just go out and shoot. Don’t think, don’t worry about your camera settings and lens choice. Admire what’s around you and, every now and then, take a picture. Keeping your mind clean is a good thing, you don’t want to burn out.

9) Photograph!

Nothing changes unless you make it change. None of this will matter if you stall again. The only reason to have ideas is to be creative, and being creative, in our case, means photography. Got your brand new D700 or D800? The menus have not changed. The autofocus still focuses, and pixels are still pixels, even if there’s more of them than before. Ideas are fueled by ideas and one often leads to another – remember why you need your camera and get to work! It’s that easy. You’ll be full of ideas in no time.

What Is It?

The Tone Curve represents all the tones of your image. The bottom axis of the Tone Curve is the Tone axis: the line starts with Shadows at the left-most end and ends with Highlights in the right-most end. In the middle you have Midtones, which are then further split into darker Midtones, called Darks in Lightroom, and brighter Midtones, called Lights. In other words, going left to right, the curve starts with Shadows, Darks, Lights and ends with Highlights. You can also see the corresponding range shown to you by Lightroom once you hover over a specific slider under the Tone Curve, in the Region section of the Panel. The Y axis represents lightness of a given tones. The tones get darker as you move lower and brighter as you move up the axis.

While all of this may sound very technical, it is in fact quite simple to adjust. All you need to decide on is which range of tones you want to alter, for example: if you want to make the Midtones of the image darker, just click on the middle portion of the Tone Curve and gently drag it downwards – you will notice your image getting darker as you drag it, similarly as it would if you were to decrease Exposure in the Basic Panel. If, on the other hand, you wanted to make your Shadows part of the image brighter, you should click on the left-most third of the Tone Curve which represents the Shadows and gently drag it upwards to see them brighten up. Simple, isn’t it?

Region Curve and Point Curve

Lightroom has two different Curves you can work with. The one that I’ve been showing you so far (the enlarged screenshot at the top) is the easiest to operate, especially for beginners – lets call it the Region Curve for simplicity sake. When you’re using this Curve, Lightroom basically helps you keep it as smooth in transition as possible, so that you don’t ruin your image by accidentally distorting the Curve too much. You can either adjust it by dragging the Curve itself or using the sliders bellow it, which will give you exactly the same flexibility. You can also adjust it using an automated Lighroom tool, which appears as a dot at the top left of the Tone Curve Panel, right next to the Tone Curve. All you have to do is click on it to turn the tool on and then click-and-drag on the particular tone range or area of the image to adjust it. Even if you tried hard, however, you could not make a, say, “N” shaped Curve using Region Curve simply because Lightroom is aiding you by keeping a smooth tonal transition – a very useful feature, really, it saves you from ending up with something like this:

But then there is another Curve you can use if you do need to make adjustments not possible with the Region Curve, and it is called Point Curve. You can activate it by clicking a small square button at the bottom right of the Tone Curve Panel. Once you do that, you will instantly notice sliders disappear only to be replaced with one control – Channel. This setting allows you to choose which color – Red, Green or Blue – you want to alter (the default is set to RGB, which includes all colors). Changing individual colors opens up a whole new range of editing possibilities, like simulation of film cross-processing (deliberately using wrong chemicals to develop film and get crazy cool colors), but we won’t be getting into that this time – that’s a whole new article. Lets leave the Channel setting at its default RGB mode.

The idea of Point Curve is that you can alter it whichever way you like and make a complete mess out of your image – Lightroom will not get in your way. It’s a great tool for some advanced B&W and color work, but is also very useful when used as a starting point to work with Region Curve afterwards, much like the tone curve your camera uses when you take photographs. Lightroom actually allows you to choose one of the default settings of the Point Curve to use as a starting point – you can choose it by clicking on the drop-down list at the bottom left of the Tone Curve panel in either Region Curve or Point Curve mode.

I plan to discuss the use of the Point Curve in greater detail in future tutorials as it offers a complete new range of creative editing. For now, lets focus on the simpler and more popular Range Curve (and simply call it Tone Curve further on before it gets too confusing).

The Easy Part

As I have already mentioned, working with the Tone Curve is actually very easy. Depending on what you want to achieve, there are basically only four things you need to remember.

1) How To Make Your Image Pop

Most of the time, this is the primary intention when using Tone Curve. Sometimes you may find that, after you’re done with the Basic Panel adjustments, while everything may technically be correct, there is still something missing, something to make that photograph look worlds better than it does. And you can see it in your head – it should look better, but why doesn’t it?

There are a few ways you can adjust the Tone Curve to give your picture that bit of magic it seems to lack initially, but by messing with it too much, you might as well end up with a horrible, unrecognizable image. The most dependable technique is adding a slight “S” curve by dragging the lower third of the curve down slightly, and the upper third of the curve slightly upwards. What this does is darken the shadows, which is the lower third of the Curve, and lightens the bright portions of the image, which are represented by the upper third of the Curve. You may just as well use the sliders under the Tone Curve to specifically change exactly what you want.

Lets take the above picture and try to add a little more contrast to it by playing with the Tone Curve. By setting the Lights slider to +29, I boosted the brighter portions of the image while still retaining enough tones to keep them from blowing out. By moving the Darks slider to -39, I’ve darkened the shadowy parts of the image, yet not enough to make them completely black. This is what I got (enlarge and use arrow keys to compare; note changes in the Panel):

Looks much better, doesn’t it? And with such a modest adjustment, too. You may notice color has changed somewhat as well – it’s a bit more saturated now, deeper, especially the cherries. While in this case I don’t mind extra punch in colors, it would be nice if I could set the effect to Luminance only – too bad Lightroom didn’t add such feature with the new version, Photoshop allows one to do that. Still, I can always bring those colors down by adjusting the Vibrance slider in the Basic Panel if needed.

2) And If You Want Less…

…all you need to do is set the curve to reverse “S” by bringing the Lights down and upping the Darks a little. You may want to do that when you find the image to be too contrasty as it is, or if you want to achieve a certain low contrast look. Setting the Tone Curve into reverse “S” will flatten the image, bring Lights and Highlights closer to Darks and Shadows in their tonality. This also helps if you have blown-out portions of image that you want to fix specifically with this tool, although you should always remember the Tone Curve works best in conjunction with the rest of the tools you can find in Lightroom.

Lets see what happens if you push the upper half of the Tone Curve slightly down (Lights at -50) and the lower half of it upwards (Darks at +50):

Looks much more flat, and the colors are less vibrant, too. This kind of Curve adjustment can often serve B&W photographs very well. Have you ever wondered why some of those black & white’s are so dreamy and moody? A low contrast Curve might just be one of the reasons, take a look:

3) Don’t Overcook It

Too much is usually not a good thing, and Tone Curve adjustments follow this rule. Altering the Curve too drastically may lead to blown-out highlights and pitch-black shadows, so unless this is what you’re after, play safe and adjust the Tone Curve along with Basic Panel settings to get the best result. Remember, while it is one of the most powerful tools in Lightroom, you may end up ruining your image just as easily as enhancing it.

4) Experiment!

You may find that you only need to alter Lights, or Highlights, or maybe turn that straight line into a zigzag. Experiment! It’s the best way you can learn quickly and find new techniques to enhance your images on your own and then, hopefully, share them with others.

Good luck!

1) Identity Plate

You can brand your copy of Lightroom for your photography business by inserting your logo to the top left corner of the software through the “Identity Plate” setup. You can get to the “Identity Plate Setup” by clicking on Edit -> Identity Plate Editor. Make sure to check the “Enable Identity Plate” checkbox, otherwise you will see the default Lightroom logo at the top left of the window. In the editor, you can either use a stylized text Identity Plate, or a graphical Identity Plate.

Stylized text Identity Plate allows you to input any text you want to show at the left side of your Modules Panel. Use the drop-down menus to set the font, style, size and color of any text (or a part of it). Using text makes it very easy and quick to change the Identity Plate at any time.

Using Graphical Identity Plate allows for more flexibility – you can turn any image into an Identity Plate. Using PNG instead of JPEG format offers transparency, which, again, helps you make your logo blend in better with the graphical interface of Lightroom. One thing you need to be aware of is the height of the image you want to use – keep it at about 50-60 px, otherwise Lightroom will not fit it in the narrow Modules Panel.

Tip – if you want to see the changes live as you make them, make sure to keep your Modules Panel (top-most panel in Lightroom) down before opening the Identity Plate Editor.

2) Changing Module Pick Buttons

While you cannot change the actual names of different Modules in Lightroom, you can change their font, size, style and color so that they compliment your Identity Plate. You can use the same font you use in your logo or pick any other font you like. Within the same Identity Plate window, navigate to the right side of the window where you see “Library | Develop | Map | Book | Slideshow” and change the font, style, size and colors. If the controls are not visible, click the “Show Detail” button at the bottom left corner of the Identity Plate Editor window:

3) Interface Preferences

If you go to Edit->Preferences… and click the Interface tab, you will find a number of other settings you can adjust to make Lightroom a better environment to work in.

“End Marks” are graphical elements you can find at the end of left and right Panels in Lightroom, as well as some other places throughout the Interface. You can either pick one from the drop down menu or disable them altogether. You can also change the Font Size used in the program, however you will need to restart Lightroom in order for the changes to take effect.

Next down are the “Lights Out” options. Lightroom allows you to dim or completely turn off all elements of the program except for the image itself for preview purposes (press “L” to go to “Lights Dim” or “Lights Off” modes). Choose the color you want the screen to go to from the drop down menu when you dim or turn off the interface (default is Black). You can also specify the percentage of “Lights Dim” mode (default is 80%). Along with that, in the next section of the Interface Preferences window, you can change the background color of Lightroom. You can even pick a “Pinstripes” texture if you like. Play around, see what fits you best.

Tip – I set my Lights Out color to white. This lets me preview the image in a black background when in normal working environment (Lights On) and see how it looks in a white one when I choose the “Lights Dim” or “Lights Off” viewing modes.

Although these customizations are rather small, they could make your work in Lightroom just a little more enjoyable. Plus, if you have a photography business, it is always nice to show off your branding in front of your clients when they review images with you.

Where to Find It

The Basic Panel can be found in the Develop Module right bellow the Histogram display at the top-right side of the screen. Expanding the panel will reveal a number of basic controls offered by Lightroom. These controls show you the most obvious benefits of shooting in RAW, such as White Balance and Exposure Compensation adjustments. Lightroom was developed with a left to right, top to bottom editing workflow in mind. While in some cases you will find yourself going back and forth between the settings, we will try to stick with that order at this time.

Tip – if you left-click the top of any Panel while holding down the Alt key (for Windows users) or the Option key (for Mac OS users), Lightroom will go into Solo Panel mode and only keep one Panel open at a given time (for example, if you had Tone Curve Panel open and then click on Detail Panel, the Tone Curve Panel will then close). This allows for a more tidy experience, especially if you often find yourself scrolling through the right-side Panel List. Clicking it again the same way will return Lightroom to previous state. If you want to open another panel without closing the previous one in Solo mode, Shift-click it. Ctrl(Command)-click a panel to open/close all.

The Settings

1) Treatment

The very first setting you can change in the Basic Panel is the Treatment of the image. You have two settings – “Color”, which is set by default and keeps your image in color, and “Black & White”, which, as I have mentioned in my B&W Portrait tutorial, is a great way to start working on a B&W look of your image if that is your intent.

2) White Balance

Sometimes the Auto WB setting on your camera may pick the wrong value, or you might choose a wrong one yourself. These settings are there to make sure that the color captured in your image is correct no matter how the camera was set when you took the picture, so if the image is too blue or too orange, you can easily correct it.

Tip – you can also tell Lightroom what the correct White Balance is by using the White Balance Selector tool (press either “W” key or click on the eyedropper next to the White Balance slider) on a white color on your image. Lightroom will adjust accordingly. This tool will work best if you have a picture of an 18% Gray Card (X-Rite Color Checker works magic for these things) taken in that light – use the tool on the picture of the Gray Card and apply the value on all pictures photographed in that light.

2.1) Temp

Here, you can either choose one of Lightroom’s presets in the drop-down menu and, if needed, tweak it further on, or simply set it to the value you think is best. Temperature tweaking is one of the most noticeable advantages offered by RAW image format over JPEG. It sets the warmth of color in your image. As you probably know, it differs greatly depending on the light source. Just move the slider until the color looks correct.

2.2) Tint

Sometimes setting correct Temperature may not be enough. Adjust this slider to the left if your image seems to have a purple tint, and to the right if it seems to have a green tint. The initial adjustment depends on what the camera was set to when the image was taken.

3) Tone

Tip – us the “Auto” feature to let Lightroom decide what Tone settings fit that particular photograph. While it might make a mess of things, sometimes you can find a good starting point in Lightroom’s automatic features that will only need a modest amount of tweaking.

3.1) Exposure

This setting allows you to, to an extent, artificially adjust the exposure of the image (for example, if you took the image at ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/125s and adjust the exposure to -1.00 stop, it will look as if the photograph was taken at 1/250s). The extent of the adjustment largely depends on the Dynamic range of the photograph (and, obviously, your camera). This setting is extremely useful in correcting any kind of over or underexposure that may have happened. Do note that it doesn’t really change camera settings, it just darkens or lightens the image, and so extremely dark shadows or blown-out highlights cannot always be saved. Brightening the image a lot will also increase the noise somewhat, especially in the shadows. Lightroom 4 lets you adjust the exposure by either +5 or -5 stops, while Lightroom 3 offers adjustments of up to +4 and down to -4 stops. Either is enough in most situations and often exceeds the Dynamic range of the image.

3.2) Contrast

Adjusting this setting will either make your image have more or less contrast. Move the slider to the left to make bright parts of the image less bright and dark parts less dark, or move it to the right to make shadows and highlights more distinguishable. This slider is good for making minor changes, but overall doesn’t offer much control over which tones should be considered as bright or dark. The Tone Curve is much better for that, but it’s also slightly more complicated.

3.3) Highlights, Shadows, Whites and Blacks

These tools are among the most powerful in Lightroom 4 and are real life savers, they let you individually adjust the dark and light parts of the image. If you find that, even after using the Exposure Compensation slider, some parts of your image don’t look good enough, use the Highlights and Whites sliders to bring back some of the seemingly blown out areas in the image, or Shadows and Blacks sliders to fill in those dark portions of the photograph and give the it more detail. With that in mind, you can also move the sliders to the other side to make the light parts of the image even lighter, or dark and shadowy parts darker. To make the light or dark parts darker, move the sliders to the left, and to make them lighter, move them to the right.

Tip – these tools work well in combination with the Contrast slider or, especially, the Tone Curve tool – they allow you to keep the image nice and contrasty while, at the same time, keeping those highlights and shadows at bay. These sliders don’t affect the mid-tones much, so your overall exposition will remain correct – just set it the way you like and then adjust the parts of the image that are either too bright or too dark to get exactly the look you want.

4) Presence

4.1) Clarity

This tool mostly affects the transition between light and dark portions of the image (makes it less or more sudden, defined) and visibly alters the micro-contrast of the photograph. If changed extremely, it can also have a slight effect on the overall contrast of the image and shift the color somewhat. When set to a high setting it will make any shapes or forms more defined, starting with small, like skin imperfections, and ending with much bigger ones, like highlights in the background (the circles of bokeh). If you move the slider to the left it will, on the contrary, make the image less defined, give it an almost soft-focus effect, which fits portraits well. For landscape photography, it is often better to move the slider to the right to give a more defined look to textures and shapes. Don’t overdo it though, as it will make your images look too fake and over-detailed.

4.2) Vibrance

If you want the colors in your image to be more saturated, this is the setting you change. Now, while I said “saturated”, the correct term would be “vibrant”. This slider, if moved to the right, will make the colors more intense, but only where needed – it will not shift them or give a color cast to the image. If you move it to the left, the colors will be much less intense, but the photograph won’t go completely black & white.

4.3) Saturation

Saturation is often wrongly used to make the colors of a particular image pop. While, if mildly changed, it can make a photograph more colorful, if pushed at least a little too much you will find your colors shifting, loosing detail and the whole image will have a sudden color cast to it. This is because this setting affects all the color in a particular subject, not just the one that dominates (faces, for example, will often become a mixture of red and orange). I recommend using this setting only if you want to desaturate your image for a B&W look. If you want your colors to pop, use the Vibrance setting, it will be a lot more flattering (neither should be pushed too hard, though).

Differences In Lightroom 3

The biggest visible differences between the older Lightroom 3 and newer Lightroom 4 are possibly found in the Basic Panel. The older version, instead of having separate Highlights/Shadows/Whites/Blacks sliders has Recovery/Fill Light/Blacks/Brightness sliders instead. While they are slightly inferior in flexibility to the new controls, they can still give you the desired effect. Use the Recovery slider to bring back the highlights and the Fill Light slider to make shadows brighter. While the Blacks control can not be moved to the left beyond the value of “0″, a combination of Recovery, Fill Light, Brightness and Exposure sliders can save you a lot of detail in both blown out parts of the image as well as the darker shadows. Experiment with these options to find the best balance for your image – even though the tools are slightly different from Lightroom 4, they are still very powerful. After you are done with all these settings your image should have perfectly fine colors as well as a correct exposure for both shadows and highlights so that you’re ready to move on to more advanced editing.

The Limitations of the JPEG Image Format

You will find that all the functions found in the Basic Panel will do their job when editing JPEGs, however they will have much less latitude (the Exposure slider, mostly) and will be much more intense. If you had a small error in your WB settings, for example, Lightroom might help you fix it, but only if it’s not too critical. With a more extreme adjustment, you will find your image losing quality rather quickly, simply because JPEGs limits the amount of information stored in the image, specifically color, shadows and highlights. Edit those JPEGs with care.

During this particular shoot (engagement session), I spent more time talking and having fun with the couple than actually photographing them. I invested my time into helping them relax, which, in turn, allowed me to get the result I needed more easily afterwards both then and at the actual wedding, which I also attended. After a while, I could get them to do things they would normally not be as keen on doing, like running into very cold water and getting soaking wet, but once I got them to relax and enjoy this time, this uncomfortable experience turned into a great game with great results and lots of the most natural laughter. Most of the time, I didn’t even need to intervene at all – they’d just play with each other like kids, which was absolutely romantic.

Of course, I would be too sadistic to have them get cold and wet without allowing some water onto myself.. which I did, eventually, as you can see from the photograph bellow. You should have seen the look on their faces – they were terrified and excited, as if they’d just done something wrong and were happy about it.

Make the experience fun even if it means getting a little wet at the end of the day. Your clients will love it, and so will you.

Depth

Mastering the depth of the story and being able to translate it into a visual prospect is very important, so it certainly helps to have a solid understanding of how depth of field can affect your images and the story you are working on. Whether it is a portrait or a landscape shot, the right amount of bokeh should be able to transport the viewer into your story. You can choose a longer lens with a large aperture (small depth of field) to pinpoint one element in an image that your viewers could concentrate on, or use a small aperture (large depth of field) to portray the melting pot of action, with many elements to the story.

Background

Background of a photograph is a very big information carrier. Choosing an appropriate background will make your post-processing job a whole lot easier. Who wants to sit and spend precious hours editing out unnecessary distractions on the background? Instead, look for a cohesive environment to work with your story. Background can work hand in hand with your lens aperture to save or ruin your image as an information carrier and storyteller. So, being able to utilize your depth of field efficiently with the background is an art in itself. Ask these simple questions: Is the background relevant to the story that I want to portray? Are the any extra elements in the background that I want to change or eliminate? Should I recompose my shot so that nothing looks out of place?

Here are some simple things you can do with the background that will immediately help you get better results when photographing portraits:

1. Find a different background that is less busy, more or less colorful (see below on color), etc
2. Learn to crop in camera to avoid irrelevant content. Move yourself or your subject to a slightly different location or use a different angle.
3. To get the best bokeh, make sure to give plenty of space between your subject and the background. Having a good fast lens like the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G (see our Nikon 50mm f/1.8G Review) or a solid portrait lens like the new Nikon 85mm f/1.8G will certainly help with getting good bokeh.
4. Don’t be afraid to bring your subject close, but watch out for distortion. Wide-angle and short focal length lenses are known to greatly distort images. Unless your intent is to make your subject’s face look out of proportion, use longer lenses for better compression. That’s why telephoto lenses are ideal for portraiture.
5. Pay attention to lines and curves in the background that could enhance the composition and overall feel of the image.
6. If there are any vertical lines in the background, place your subjects in such a way, that the lines are not directly behind the head of your subject. A great image could be ruined by things growing out of a person’s head.

Color

Color and tone are among the main conveyors of mood and character in any photograph – it can be both distracting and amazing. Although tonality could be more of a post-processing topic, color is most definitely not. You should be able to see the color before you take a photograph, regardless if you wish to alter it later or not. Just like the background, color can make your shot look cohesive or all over the place. Positioning your subjects against a background with lots of different blues, reds and greens may not be a good idea. When you want the eyes to rest on one spot, over your subject, choose a background with a less distracting color palette.

Then again, there are always exceptions to these guidelines, so do not be afraid to experiment.

In an effort to bring such diseases to light, Dr. E.X. Posur, a leading psychiatrist that specializes in treating photographers, highlights a number of common illnesses he has encountered, and their associated symptoms and treatment. Although described individually, they are all part of a common illness labeled “photographus excessivitis”. Rarely will a photographer exhibit symptoms a single disease. Close examination almost always reveals multiple afflictions.

It is important to point out that professional photographers rarely deal with these illnesses, but those that wear the label, “serious amateur” bear the brunt of these diseases. Because professionals have been inoculated by the need to earn a living, they seem to have built up a strong immunity to the diseases outlined in this article. Though they appreciate the merits of their equipment, professional photographers see their equipment as tools to achieve an end, not an end unto itself. This subtle, but critical, difference between the professional and the serious amateur prevents the former from acquiring many of illnesses outlined below. Professionals are not totally immune, however, and can succumb as quickly as any serious amateur if they are not careful.

Technology has played a major role in the increase in the number of these illnesses as well as their intensity. Until the digital age, cameras remained relatively constant – a box that controlled the exposure of film to light. While there were mechanical changes along the way, the pace and amount of change were relatively minimal compared to today’s environment. This all changed once manufacturers moved to digital sensors, and the camera became a specialized computer. Now cameras, lenses, and a host of other accessories are driven by sophisticated computer chips, and software programs that have dramatically improved their capabilities. Photography equipment is now subject to the same rapid product introduction, obsolescence, and compatibility issues as PCs and peripherals have experienced for the last thirty years.

Bear in mind that while Dr. Posur provides some basic guidelines for identifying a number of maladies, an accurate diagnosis can only be determined by a certified mental health professional with an extensive background in photography.

1) GAS – Gear Acquisition Syndrome

Symptoms
Those suffering from GAS become infatuated with new photography equipment, often to the point of temporary neurosis. Cameras, lenses, flashes, bags, hot shoe levelers, camera straps, tripods, ball heads, white balance cards, rain covers, etc. – if camera equipment companies make it, you can be sure that a photographer with a bad case of GAS will find it. This results in an obsessive-compulsive effort to keep up with the latest product cycles, reviews, and opinions. If “new is better”, the notion that “more is better” must be equally true. While this obsession is often directed toward new gear, it can also be focused on older equipment as well. It is not unusual to find those with GAS roaming eBay, estate or yard sales, and photo forums for those vintage bargains of yesteryear. GAS victims often feed their addiction by subscribing to every photo magazine on the Barnes & Noble rack, and check major gear-oriented photography blogs multiple times per day to ensure that no gear-related press announcement – however minor – escapes their scrutiny.

They are fountains of knowledge, and in some cases, sought out for their opinions. This of course, is like applause for an actor/actress – it only fuels the fire. Maxed out credit cards, storage bins worth of equipment that never seems to get used more than once or twice, and countless hours mulling over the product comparisons are the trademark symptoms of someone afflicted by GAS. Most have stellar records on eBay due to their continual buying and selling. Sadly, this too only serves to encourage their bad habits. If you happen to come across someone with a bad case of GAS on eBay, you can almost always be comfortable buying from them. They are usually very conscientious regarding their gear, and of course, they rarely use for very long. Buying their equipment is as close as you will come to buying new gear at a significant discount!

Behind every GAS sufferer lies a bit of insecurity that constantly whispers in his/her ear, “Buy it, and you will become a better photographer”. No one afflicted with GAS can bear to hear a fellow photographer utter something such as, “Are you still using that old tripod? I hear that Manflitzo is shipping their MB-2835C with twice the carbon fiber, half the weight, GPS, Bluetooth, and a battery-powered astronomy motor drive. Don’t tell me you don’t have one on order!” Such a conversation would result in nothing less than a full-fledged panic attack.

There are numerous cases on record of authorities finding those with GAS long after they have expired. Most of the victims have been single males. The scenes always look the same – the deceased appears to have locked himself (yes – GAS victims are overwhelmingly male) in their apartments for days, forgotten to eat, and surrounded themselves with hundreds of photo magazines strewn on the floor with review pages torn out. In other cases, they were found slumped over their computers with a few dozen browser windows open to popular photography sites. In an obsessive quest for equipment perfection, they died from simple exhaustion. A simple review of their flickr or other photo sites always reveals the telltale signs – a gradual reduction in the number of interesting photos of landscapes, nature, portraits, etc., and an increase in the number of pictures of their equipment, with tags such as “My new Opticon 11-500mm 2.8 zoom lens”.

GAS is not limited to photographers. Many other hobby and sports enthusiasts also suffer from very similar symptoms. Just ask any golfer’s wife…

Treatment
Group therapy seems to work best. A qualified psychoanalyst requires members of the group to bring a few pieces of photography equipment to the session, but it must represent the oldest gear they own. They are required to stand up and affirm the positive aspects of their gear, share some photos that were taken with it, and explain why it is still capable of helping them take great photos. This can be a real struggle for some. Other members of the group are encouraged to support the speaker’s affirmations share related stories. During this time, reading gear reviews in any form is strictly prohibited. The success rate is actually pretty good, but it is a long process, often littered with a series of setbacks such as internet binge buying and sneaking into photography forums in the middle of the night.

2) LBA – Lens Buying Addiction

Symptoms
LBA is a specialized form of GAS. The severity of LBA, however, can be much more intense. Whereas those afflicted by GAS can satisfy their habit with a myriad of small, relatively inexpensive items, those with LBA are usually in for some major outlays of cash. They can often be found pouring over an extensive array of MTF charts, test shots, reviews, and other technical data that would make most people’s heads’ spin. No amount of differences between lenses is too trivial to be overlooked. LBA sufferers often lead the pack on internet forums in discussions regarding such weighty topic as, “Corner sharpness of the Canikon 50-500mm f/3.5-5.6 DX lens at ISO 12,800 at 400X magnification”.

Mild cases of LBA result in a photographer assembling a reasonable stock of lenses, with some overlap between ranges, and perhaps a few exotic pieces of glass that represent good value for the money. The more severe cases, however, have resulted in weekends dedicated to comparing lens reviews, lens hoarding, bankruptcy, and divorce. A dead giveaway in spotting a hard core LBA case is when you ask a him/her, “So what is your experience using this lens?”, and you get a quizzical look, followed by a rather measured response of, “Define ‘use’… ”.

Treatment
Counseling is strongly recommended. Similar to the treatment for GAS, those with LBA are prohibited from their routine of visiting lens review sites and buying new lenses. They are given a specific project such as finding photography contest winners that used sub-$200 lenses, or assembling a portfolio of the notable photographs of the last century that were taken with relatively inexpensive film cameras and manual focus lenses. They are required to watch Chase Jarvis videos describing amazing photographs taken with the first generation iPhones. ASMP certified counselors will sometimes conduct sessions by traveling with the photographer and restricting his/her to three lenses, then two, and eventually… one! LBA sufferers gradually learn that they can indeed take some amazing photos without having the latest and most expensive gear, or a dozen lenses that have cover the same focal range. Make no mistake, however – LBA is an extremely powerful addiction. Research shows that unless it is diagnosed and treated within the first three years, it can be nearly impossible to cure. And under no circumstances, should you ever say something such as this to someone with LBA, “Gee, Ken, why do you have four of the best macro lenses ever made but no macro pictures?”.

3) PFA – Photo Forum Addiction

Symptoms
With internet access and popularity growing by the day, PFA is a relatively new malady. It is pretty much what it sounds like – people spending obscene amounts of time perusing photography forums and sharing their opinions with others around the globe, from everything from lens caps to digital sensor design. Of course, you are asking, “What’s the harm in some mild-mannered banter on www.mycameraisbetterthanyours.com? Fair enough. A post here, a lens review there, searching for some opinions regarding the latest camera bag, etc. is perfectly fine. There is certainly nothing wrong with seeking out the opinions of peers, who in some cases, are willing to provide valuable insights or time saving advice.

But for many with PFA, it doesn’t stop there. The forum’s search fields are like drugs to them, enabling them to sift through years of data, and millions of posts on everything from the common to the obscure. After a while, they are hooked. Soon they find themselves spending more and more time the forums, and often become quite proud of their “contributions”. Like others maladies, PFA is usually associated with a sharp drop in actually photography.

And the discussions… sigh… Many start out relatively harmless enough, but all too often degenerate into a series of biting commentary, entrenched opinions, and personal insults. I chalk this up to what I call, “Snarkism”. Snarkism is that modern day phenomenon, whereby average mild mannered people, perhaps even reserved and quite shy, turn into “keyboard warriors” on the internet. From the comfort of their bedroom or home office, they can send zingers flying with a righteous zeal toward others hundreds or thousands of miles away. Others that disagree with them are quickly labeled, “fanboys” and “trolls” – and those are probably the kinder terms they use. I suspect if we look into most of their backgrounds, we would find that the snarkiest PFA sufferer still harbor grudges for being picked last by the team captains during grade school gym class…

Treatment
Counselors suggest going cold turkey for people with PFA. Many have discovered that within a few short weeks of being away from the dynamics of the forums, they notice things – such as their families, pets, a room that needs to be painted, etc. Most importantly, they discover that they can actually still take pictures (of something other than lens test charts), instead of simply exchanging immature, snarky commentary with those other poor souls on the internet afflicted by the same disease.

4) TUB – The Upgrade Beast

Symptoms
This is probably the most common of the photography maladies. One day, Joe Photographer is admiring his Canikon 1FX8000, thinking it is the epitome of fine engineering, the standard for DSLR styling, and more than capable of capturing the world in all its wonder and splendor under the best and worst of conditions. He writes reviews extolling its virtues to everyone on the internet, and even sends a letter to the President of Canikon singing its praises. He is that elusive creature in this modern world – a totally satisfied customer.

And then the unthinkable happens… the Canikon 1FX800D is introduced. He knew this day would eventually come, but despite such knowledge, he is caught unprepared mentally and emotionally. Joe vacillates between wanting to strangle the local Canikon representative for introducing something that eclipses his pride and joy, and frantically attempting to reach B&H to determine when he can order one. Eventually, his gaze turns toward his current camera. The camera he loved so much the other day? It now looks a bit worn in the grip. He spies a few dings in the body he hadn’t noticed before. “When did I wear the paint off the edge of the pop-up flash?”, he wonders. He takes a picture of his dog scampering through the hall. Hmmm… “Why is that picture not in focus?”.

He then goes online and compares test photos taken with the 1FX700D at ISO 204,800 with those of the new 1FX800D at ISO 204,800. Horrors… the new camera’s photos may be a tad better in the deep recesses of the corners than those from his current camera!!! Joe conveniently forgets that 95% his photos are taken below ISO 800. But facts matter little now. Joe has been bitten by… “the upgrade beast”. And similar to those bitten by a werewolf, Joe’s veins now possess an unstoppable force that will transform him into a new camera acquisition machine. Going forward, he will seek out every review, article, opinion, test photo – anything to feed the beast within that can only be satisfied by feeling his new Canikon 1FX800D in his anxiously-awaiting hands. Time will slow to a maddening crawl until the camera is delivered to his doorstep.

Treatment
As long as the upgrade beast doesn’t inflict the photographer more often than once every two-to-three years, this disease is relatively harmless. The side effects of any treatment, much like the warnings on prescription drugs advertised on television, are likely to be much worse than the disease itself.

In rare cases, however, some photographers have experienced the upgrade beast on a much more frequent basis. Not only do they feel compelled to upgrade their DSLRs, but they wantonly switch brands in the process. This leads to the dreaded domino effect – having to sell every brand specific piece of gear they own, and replace it with that from a competing manufacturer. These tortured souls simply cannot be helped. Similar to the werewolf, only the grave can save them from their agony.

Summary

Photography can bring much joy to our lives and those whose lives we touch. But we must always be mindful of these debilitating illnesses, ensure that we do our part to bring awareness to them, and provide the help and assistance those within the photography community need and deserve. Be on the lookout for the telltale signs of photographers spending more time reading gear reviews, participating in photography forums, and acquiring gear than taking pictures. It can seem innocent enough, but it can also be… the beginning of much more serious issues.

If you have a story that you believe may help others dealing with these afflictions, please feel free with the group. ;)

On some occasions, I have been even asked to skip the formals in hopes of avoiding guests from stress and chaos, which sometimes can happen during the formal session. While not everyone might enjoy this experience, it is also understood that taking formal pictures is an essential part of wedding photography. This is how the memories are preserved. This is a precious way for a bride to remember her family for many, many years to come; in her happy state. So, the challenge remains for the photographer to make sure that the time allocated for the formal portraits is spent efficiently and as quickly as possible. In the eyes of the wedding guests, a photographer is a miracle worker, control freak and a very sweet person who can turn a very difficult session into something magical. So, my dear magician friends, let’s get on to it. You are the expert and what do you do next?

There are steps you can take to achieve your goal and have everyone happy on your watch. Your first step would be to make sure that the watch doesn’t go over 30 minutes for any formal session.

1. Talk to the bride and groom before the wedding. Do your research and get to know your subjects earlier. Let’s admit that there is no way for you to get to know so many people at once. So, start early and talk it up with the bride and groom during the consultation session. Find out what their expectations are towards the formal portraits and how many people might participate in those. Sometimes it is easier to get a list of the family members who ought to be photographed alongside the bride and the groom. Ask the bride to inform her relatives that there will be a point during the wedding (if the exact timing is known, that would be more helpful) when they will be asked to get photographed. Keeping everyone informed will help you gather people around efficiently. Always make sure to ask the couple if there is anything you need to know about their families and have a strategy worked out to take care of any potential problems.

Usually, close family make it obvious for you to notice them. Walk around them, be a regular guest and interact with them before the formals, so that you are “familiar” to them. Let the guests talk and meet and have fun while you steal a few of them to get photographed. This way, everyone can be engaged all the time by either you or by other guests. It will only help you get those sincere emotions naturally, with much ease.

Also, keep in mind that you do not have to fit every single guest into a formal session. Friends and distant family members can be photographed all along the wedding reception and cocktail hour.

2. Help your subjects relax. People are often intimidated by photographers and their big cameras. And then there are bags hanging off our shoulders, with some of us using big D3′s and Mark IV’s with those giant 70-200′s. Intimidating at best… I find that being honest with my subjects helps me relax them very easily. Talk to them and communicate that you might be shooting them, but not with a rifle. You’re not dangerous, you don’t bite or bark at people, and the big bazooka-like tool you have in your hands is only intended to make them look fabulous. That’s right – joke! This will also allow the sincerity of your subjects to shine and will allow you connect with them in a different, emotional level.

3. Make a good use of maid of honor… and/or your second shooter. That’s right! Often these beautiful ladies are family or a very close person to the entire wedding party. With her help you can gather people quickly and use her as a reference point if you need names and information of guests. If there is no maid of honor, an aunt will be an excellent “go to” lady. Second shooters or assistants come in very handy during formal sessions, too. If trained properly, they can help you organize the groups to be photographed (look for grandma and grandpa who decided to go for a walk before the reception, locate an uncle at the bar, etc). They can help you set up and hold your lights, reflectors, etc. Your second shooter should not photograph with you during the formals, as it often distracts everyone.

4. Spot a good location with great light. Usually a quick glance at the area of the wedding ceremony and reception should be sufficient for you to score a little nook to use as a suitable background for the formals. Do so as it gets closer to the actual shoot. The morning light will not be the same in the afternoon and the afternoon light will not be the same during and after the sunset.

You should try to locate a nice spot with natural, soft light to illuminate your subjects. If an outside location does not work for some reason, a covered patio/gazebo or a room with big windows can be good potential candidates for the session.

5. Be at the ready to take a photo-journalistic approach. If you are storyteller, you can photograph your subjects without being noticed or without orchestrating every single thing. Be always ready and shoot away when you see a moment. Capture the emotion and love every second of it.

6. Go from large to small. Start out with a large group of people and then narrow the group down as you shoot along, leaving the closest relatives to photograph at the end – they will typically have more patience than others. It is much easier to gather everyone for a group picture at the beginning of the session. You do not want people to wait too long on the side while you are taking pictures of others.

Photographs and text by Romanas Naryškin and Lola Elise.