For getting wide exposure in the modeling and fashion world you have to send some professional images and photographs to the modeling agencies. Your photos should be the best one which must show your potential as a model at a glance so you have to send five or six best images to the agency even though you had taken more images in a variety of looks. In today modern world it is very easy to do this successfully. If you are not interested in getting the assistance of professional photographers then you can seek the help of your friend, and a good digital camera by making proper planning. It is enough for some people to have single photo shoot to get the required pictures but the others will need more.
There are some photo shoot basics, which every model should keep in mind. You must plan to attend the shoot by changing at least three to five different wardrobe, make up, hair and shooting locations. At first, shoot in a low resolution format which should be approximately 70 dots per inch as a beginning. You should expose different looks, moods, attitudes and facial expression while shooting different segments. In each sequence you have to take twenty to thirty pictures. The importance should be given in taking a variety of pictures of different shots of the body, head and torso with different looks and attribute. If the surroundings are not well lit then the images will be dark and it will be of no use as dark images amounts to nothing, so be sure of it.
It is not necessary to have excess make up as this is a deal killer. Always make up should be wear in a moderate way in order to achieve the look which is expected. Make up which is worn during day time or while at office will have less intense than the evening make up. You should not wear weird and bizarre fashion accessories. Even though this weird and bizarre are having their place in the wardrobe most of the time it will only create depressed image. Dressing, makeup will decide your sense of fashion and if you are not appropriately dressed up then its sure, it will create a bad judgment about you and it will not be a favorable factor in the path of your career.
Hair style will also be very important aspect and problematic hair will not be acceptable. Problem in hair means that the hair could be of inappropriate length, texture and color or it may be damaged with split ends. If one becoming older the hair naturally becomes lighter and shorter and you should be very cautious in planning hair style changes. Your personality and style should be reflected as a unique one and also as who you are, by your pictures and images.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Study of Light
The study of light is so important if you want to learn to take great landscape photographs. Without light there can be no photos so it only makes sense that we learn about its characteristics and how different light can affect the look of your landscape photos.
By studying light before you shoot a landscape you can determine what sort of mood your photo is going to capture. If the light is a beautiful golden colour then your photo will have a really warm summery feel to it. Similarly if the light is dark then the photo will probably have a cold and eerie look to it.
So if light is so important to the feel and look of our photographs why do people pay so little attention to it when they are first starting out? Studying the light and what its doing well before taking your photo is probably one of the most important landscape photography tips that you can learn when taking your first photos.
In fact its so important that you should probably head down to a favourite spot that you shoot over a few days and just watch what the light is doing. Where are the shadows falling and at what time? Is the spot that you want to shoot going to be better as a sunrise shot or a sunset shot?
What other factors should you be looking for when looking at the light? How do clouds affect the light in the area that you are trying to shot? Quite often light that makes it through the clouds is really soft and diffused and really enhances colours dramatically.
When taking your photos and when you edit them afterwards you should always be conscious of the fact that a persons eye will always be drawn to the brightest part of the image. Knowing just this one simple tip will help your photography out tenfold. Next time you're out taking your landscape shots think about where you want the brightest part of the image to be and see what a difference it makes.
After being drawn to bright spots your eye will next be drawn to warmer colours. Your eyes will be drawn to oranges and yellows before it will be drawn to blues and greens.
Lastly, remember when taking the photo you're trying to capture a moment, not just a photo. You want people to feel what you felt when you took the photo. You're trying to convey to them what inspired you to take that photo at that particular time. What I do now when I see a scene that I like is turn away, then look back and see what my eye falls on straight away, or think what attracts me about this scene. Once I have worked that out I start to use my knowledge of light to try and enhance the scene and produce a stunning shot.
So next time you're out shooting think of how the light is affecting your subject. It is vitally important, for light is everything in photography. The more you start to think about the light when taking photos the better you photos will be.
By studying light before you shoot a landscape you can determine what sort of mood your photo is going to capture. If the light is a beautiful golden colour then your photo will have a really warm summery feel to it. Similarly if the light is dark then the photo will probably have a cold and eerie look to it.
So if light is so important to the feel and look of our photographs why do people pay so little attention to it when they are first starting out? Studying the light and what its doing well before taking your photo is probably one of the most important landscape photography tips that you can learn when taking your first photos.
In fact its so important that you should probably head down to a favourite spot that you shoot over a few days and just watch what the light is doing. Where are the shadows falling and at what time? Is the spot that you want to shoot going to be better as a sunrise shot or a sunset shot?
What other factors should you be looking for when looking at the light? How do clouds affect the light in the area that you are trying to shot? Quite often light that makes it through the clouds is really soft and diffused and really enhances colours dramatically.
When taking your photos and when you edit them afterwards you should always be conscious of the fact that a persons eye will always be drawn to the brightest part of the image. Knowing just this one simple tip will help your photography out tenfold. Next time you're out taking your landscape shots think about where you want the brightest part of the image to be and see what a difference it makes.
After being drawn to bright spots your eye will next be drawn to warmer colours. Your eyes will be drawn to oranges and yellows before it will be drawn to blues and greens.
Lastly, remember when taking the photo you're trying to capture a moment, not just a photo. You want people to feel what you felt when you took the photo. You're trying to convey to them what inspired you to take that photo at that particular time. What I do now when I see a scene that I like is turn away, then look back and see what my eye falls on straight away, or think what attracts me about this scene. Once I have worked that out I start to use my knowledge of light to try and enhance the scene and produce a stunning shot.
So next time you're out shooting think of how the light is affecting your subject. It is vitally important, for light is everything in photography. The more you start to think about the light when taking photos the better you photos will be.
Natural Light
Back in the 80's and 90's window lighting was very avant-garde and fashionable. However, then the window was always part of the scene. The subject was facing directly into the window or at a 45 degree angle so the light would softly illuminate the side facing the window. Reflectors were sometimes used to fill in the shadow side. This produced a dramatic look.
Other than window lighting, most portrait photographers used studio lights inside a camera room or on location. Using natural light as the only light source meant they were just starting out, were too poor to afford lights and were not smart enough to figure out lighting. I know this because I was one of them.
Now fast forward to 2010. Natural light has made a comeback, not only for newbies but for pros as well. Natural light is the new look for portraits for newborns, infants, children and seniors. Now with minimal equipment almost anyone with a good camera and lens can take exceptional indoor images. It is definitely a sought after look, so how do you nail it?
First you need windows with a northern or southern exposure. This will provide a very soft, indirect light all day long. Next you will need a room with lots of window (floor to ceiling the best). You will need to raise the blinds or drapes for the entire room. Next, turn off all interior lights as they may cause a color balance shift or unnecessary shadows under the eyes.
Once you have the room set up, you need to place your subject in an ideal location. Best to have them face a window, with your back to the window. (you do not want to block the light). You can use your built in spot meter and meter on their face to obtain an optimal exposure for skin tones. I recommend using a wide aperture (2.8 or wider) for a selective focus look. You will most likely need to balance the wide aperture with a fast shutter speed, but that is okay, especially if you are photographing children. Be prepared to increase you ISO to 800 or even more.
What if you want to have the window as the background? That would be a very tricky lighting situation to have your subject back-lit. The back-lighting would result in an over-exposed background and underexposed skin tones. It is best to avoid this situation unless you want to take several exposures and apply a little HDR in Photoshop, or you want to use flash.
Not all interiors are suitable for natural lighting. If you want your scene to be 100% natural light (no cheating with fill flash) you will need to do test shots prior to the assignment. Also rooms that have windows facing east or west may offer too much direct lighting. You can still use them; however you will need to be more careful where you place your subject.
What you might save on lighting you will need to spend on equipment. Generally full frame DSLR's provide higher ISO settings with the least amount of noise. The Canon 5D Mark ii is an example. Also the lens will need to be a fast lens, one which opens up to 1.2 or 1.8. A very popular lens now is the Canon 50mm 1.2 lens. Also the Canon 85mm 1.8 lens is a good choice. Neither is a zoom lens, so you will need to be move instead of the lens zooming. They are very affordable and best of all, lightweight.
You may want to consider having a tripod with you in case you need to shoot a slow shutter speeds. I also recommend a white balance target so you can custom white balance your shots. Interiors with brightly colored walls can sometimes cause a color cast on the subject so a custom white balance is a must.
The qualities of a naturally lit portrait are many: the subject has a soft, flattering look, the eyes have catch-lights, the background is out of focus from the shallow depth of field and the subject looks relaxed in an un-staged environment. If you photograph infants or children your client will appreciate the at home service. A studio can also offer this service if there are ample windows.
Experiment at home before you go out on assignment. It will be easier than you think to achieve this highly desirable type of lighting. Go for it while the time is right; you never know what tomorrow is going to bring.
Other than window lighting, most portrait photographers used studio lights inside a camera room or on location. Using natural light as the only light source meant they were just starting out, were too poor to afford lights and were not smart enough to figure out lighting. I know this because I was one of them.
Now fast forward to 2010. Natural light has made a comeback, not only for newbies but for pros as well. Natural light is the new look for portraits for newborns, infants, children and seniors. Now with minimal equipment almost anyone with a good camera and lens can take exceptional indoor images. It is definitely a sought after look, so how do you nail it?
First you need windows with a northern or southern exposure. This will provide a very soft, indirect light all day long. Next you will need a room with lots of window (floor to ceiling the best). You will need to raise the blinds or drapes for the entire room. Next, turn off all interior lights as they may cause a color balance shift or unnecessary shadows under the eyes.
Once you have the room set up, you need to place your subject in an ideal location. Best to have them face a window, with your back to the window. (you do not want to block the light). You can use your built in spot meter and meter on their face to obtain an optimal exposure for skin tones. I recommend using a wide aperture (2.8 or wider) for a selective focus look. You will most likely need to balance the wide aperture with a fast shutter speed, but that is okay, especially if you are photographing children. Be prepared to increase you ISO to 800 or even more.
What if you want to have the window as the background? That would be a very tricky lighting situation to have your subject back-lit. The back-lighting would result in an over-exposed background and underexposed skin tones. It is best to avoid this situation unless you want to take several exposures and apply a little HDR in Photoshop, or you want to use flash.
Not all interiors are suitable for natural lighting. If you want your scene to be 100% natural light (no cheating with fill flash) you will need to do test shots prior to the assignment. Also rooms that have windows facing east or west may offer too much direct lighting. You can still use them; however you will need to be more careful where you place your subject.
What you might save on lighting you will need to spend on equipment. Generally full frame DSLR's provide higher ISO settings with the least amount of noise. The Canon 5D Mark ii is an example. Also the lens will need to be a fast lens, one which opens up to 1.2 or 1.8. A very popular lens now is the Canon 50mm 1.2 lens. Also the Canon 85mm 1.8 lens is a good choice. Neither is a zoom lens, so you will need to be move instead of the lens zooming. They are very affordable and best of all, lightweight.
You may want to consider having a tripod with you in case you need to shoot a slow shutter speeds. I also recommend a white balance target so you can custom white balance your shots. Interiors with brightly colored walls can sometimes cause a color cast on the subject so a custom white balance is a must.
The qualities of a naturally lit portrait are many: the subject has a soft, flattering look, the eyes have catch-lights, the background is out of focus from the shallow depth of field and the subject looks relaxed in an un-staged environment. If you photograph infants or children your client will appreciate the at home service. A studio can also offer this service if there are ample windows.
Experiment at home before you go out on assignment. It will be easier than you think to achieve this highly desirable type of lighting. Go for it while the time is right; you never know what tomorrow is going to bring.
Important Tips
You should know how to preserve your photos properly, if you want to retain those precious memorable moments. Having your photos on canvas would preserve them admirably. But how you can preserve them before they are converted to canvas prints? Here are 6 important tips on photo preservation.
Avoid exposure to sunlight
Exposing your photos to constant sunlight will ruin and make them jaded. You can renew their vividness enhancing and printing them on canvas. It is still better to avoid exposure to sunlight though because you may want to keep most of them in their original forms.
Store in a cold but dry place
Store your photos at room temperature (20 to 24 degrees Celsius) and in dry places to avoid formation of moisture. Moisture will destroy the photo instantly.
Do not stack photos with each other
Stacking photos will make them adhere to one another. Once they stick to one another, then pulling them off will also damage the surface of the photos.
Avoid marking the photos
Marking the photos will later cause blotting of the prints due to the absorbance of the ink through the photos. This may be removed when you convert them to canvas prints, but why take chances?
Avoid using glues or pastes with your photos
Using glues or pastes will destroy the photos as their colors will come off with the glue or paste. The content of the paste can also ruin the picture.
Keep your negatives protected
You should keep your negatives, as you may need them when you want to recopy your photos in the future. Negatives are destroyed by exposure to sunlight and the natural elements.
Do not wrap your pictures in plastic bags
The plastic bag will only harbor, fomites, dust, dirt, and retain water, which will destroy the photos eventually. The plastic bag will also cause moisture to form. This condition would destroy everything.
Keep your pictures in specifically designed storage boxes
There are specifically designed containers for pictures. When you decide to convert them to canvas prints, then that would only be the time that you bring them out. You should display your photos through canvas to ascertain that you can preserve them well and maintain their color like the first time you took them.
When you decide to capture those happy memories through your photos and preserve them forever, then you can do that through canvas prints.
Avoid exposure to sunlight
Exposing your photos to constant sunlight will ruin and make them jaded. You can renew their vividness enhancing and printing them on canvas. It is still better to avoid exposure to sunlight though because you may want to keep most of them in their original forms.
Store in a cold but dry place
Store your photos at room temperature (20 to 24 degrees Celsius) and in dry places to avoid formation of moisture. Moisture will destroy the photo instantly.
Do not stack photos with each other
Stacking photos will make them adhere to one another. Once they stick to one another, then pulling them off will also damage the surface of the photos.
Avoid marking the photos
Marking the photos will later cause blotting of the prints due to the absorbance of the ink through the photos. This may be removed when you convert them to canvas prints, but why take chances?
Avoid using glues or pastes with your photos
Using glues or pastes will destroy the photos as their colors will come off with the glue or paste. The content of the paste can also ruin the picture.
Keep your negatives protected
You should keep your negatives, as you may need them when you want to recopy your photos in the future. Negatives are destroyed by exposure to sunlight and the natural elements.
Do not wrap your pictures in plastic bags
The plastic bag will only harbor, fomites, dust, dirt, and retain water, which will destroy the photos eventually. The plastic bag will also cause moisture to form. This condition would destroy everything.
Keep your pictures in specifically designed storage boxes
There are specifically designed containers for pictures. When you decide to convert them to canvas prints, then that would only be the time that you bring them out. You should display your photos through canvas to ascertain that you can preserve them well and maintain their color like the first time you took them.
When you decide to capture those happy memories through your photos and preserve them forever, then you can do that through canvas prints.
Those Momentous
Do you want to capture a momentous day in your life but do not know how? Photo on canvas is the answer to your dilemma. It can create an unbelievable work of art from your collected photos. All you have to do is to submit that photo for processing and you will have frozen time into eternity. But what scenes can you consider momentous? Here are some events you may consider.
Wedding Ceremony
You can immortalize your wedding ceremony pictures on canvas. A wedding will always be one of those momentous moments in your life that should have some photos captured and converted into canvas prints.
Birthday
You can take pictures of the first birthday party of your child or relative and select good shots to convert into incredible gifts.
Graduation
Graduation ceremonies are also momentous events for many. Reminisce the day that you received your well-earned diploma or degree through a photo on canvas, which expert workers did for you.
Grand Vacation
You can take picturesque photos during your grand vacation and bring them home to act as wall decor through this technique.
Christmas Party
Christmas is the moment for family and friends to spend quality time together. There are many happy moments during Christmas, which you can take a picture of. A picture of your family bonding together is a great choice.
Thanksgiving Party
This is also a momentous time with your family. Take your best shots and create wonderful canvas prints of your valuable moments together. You may have that picture of a rebellious family member finally coming home for thanksgiving and spending time with the rest of the family.
Independence Day
You can capture many colorful photos during Independence Day with the grandest celebration of the country. Fireworks displays are good on canvas and will be excellent pictures for your office. The parade is also a great source of wonderful photos, which you can preserve for life.
Halloween
As one of the most celebrated events, Halloween can provide you with unlimited number of photos that you can cherish for a life time. Wearing those costume dresses and helmets would be a blast and having those photos immortalized in photo on canvas is the ultimate price.
Capturing outstanding photos and converting them makes it the best remedy to preserve your photos on quality material. You will not only do this for posterity's sake but also as a desire to enhance pictures and let them last longer. You can easily do this through canvas prints.
Wedding Ceremony
You can immortalize your wedding ceremony pictures on canvas. A wedding will always be one of those momentous moments in your life that should have some photos captured and converted into canvas prints.
Birthday
You can take pictures of the first birthday party of your child or relative and select good shots to convert into incredible gifts.
Graduation
Graduation ceremonies are also momentous events for many. Reminisce the day that you received your well-earned diploma or degree through a photo on canvas, which expert workers did for you.
Grand Vacation
You can take picturesque photos during your grand vacation and bring them home to act as wall decor through this technique.
Christmas Party
Christmas is the moment for family and friends to spend quality time together. There are many happy moments during Christmas, which you can take a picture of. A picture of your family bonding together is a great choice.
Thanksgiving Party
This is also a momentous time with your family. Take your best shots and create wonderful canvas prints of your valuable moments together. You may have that picture of a rebellious family member finally coming home for thanksgiving and spending time with the rest of the family.
Independence Day
You can capture many colorful photos during Independence Day with the grandest celebration of the country. Fireworks displays are good on canvas and will be excellent pictures for your office. The parade is also a great source of wonderful photos, which you can preserve for life.
Halloween
As one of the most celebrated events, Halloween can provide you with unlimited number of photos that you can cherish for a life time. Wearing those costume dresses and helmets would be a blast and having those photos immortalized in photo on canvas is the ultimate price.
Capturing outstanding photos and converting them makes it the best remedy to preserve your photos on quality material. You will not only do this for posterity's sake but also as a desire to enhance pictures and let them last longer. You can easily do this through canvas prints.
Amazing Truth
A photo on canvas has an underlying story that may amaze you if you come to know about it. A photo undergoes several stages before it becomes that beautiful photo on canvas. This state of the art technology is fast gaining popularity as a means to preserve precious photos. Once you have selected your favorite pictures, you can now submit them for processing. These are the amazing truth about how the process occurs.
Selection of Photos
Buying a photo from the gallery is a great option but selecting photos from your own collection and having them converted is best choice. To have your favorite photos converted to incredibly clear and vibrant canvas prints would preserve them in an incredible work of art. You can vary your choice of photos to include in your collection.
Printing of the Selected Photo
The photo or photos you have selected will then undergo laser printing of the image into a durable, photo canvas by an ink jet printer or by a more advance equipment. Most providers would help you select the best photo for the conversion process.
Delamination with Emulsion
Delamination and emulsion occur at this stage. The photo undergoes preservation and revival. You can revive even jaded photographs so that they can look as if they were recently shot. It would be a lasting work of art that can stay for years and years.
Laminated Photo Emulsion
After the previous procedure, the photo is now mounted on a canvas, which usually leaves a blank space measuring 2 inches from all sides. They can also be on one and ¼ stretcher bars depending on how you want the photos appear once the process is done. You can specify what width and length you want the photos resized. However large sizes are good for this purpose.
A lacquered product
The canvas is then lacquered properly to bring out the best in the photo. Your favorite photo will maintain the clarity and vibrancy of the colors for a life time. According to your preferences, you can frame your prints or just have it without one. This will depend upon your personal preference.
This simple but amazing truth about photo on canvas explains how your photographs are preserved and revived to look as new as the first time you took the picture. These canvas prints of your memorable photos can be wrapped and given as a marvelous gifts to people you care about.
Selection of Photos
Buying a photo from the gallery is a great option but selecting photos from your own collection and having them converted is best choice. To have your favorite photos converted to incredibly clear and vibrant canvas prints would preserve them in an incredible work of art. You can vary your choice of photos to include in your collection.
Printing of the Selected Photo
The photo or photos you have selected will then undergo laser printing of the image into a durable, photo canvas by an ink jet printer or by a more advance equipment. Most providers would help you select the best photo for the conversion process.
Delamination with Emulsion
Delamination and emulsion occur at this stage. The photo undergoes preservation and revival. You can revive even jaded photographs so that they can look as if they were recently shot. It would be a lasting work of art that can stay for years and years.
Laminated Photo Emulsion
After the previous procedure, the photo is now mounted on a canvas, which usually leaves a blank space measuring 2 inches from all sides. They can also be on one and ¼ stretcher bars depending on how you want the photos appear once the process is done. You can specify what width and length you want the photos resized. However large sizes are good for this purpose.
A lacquered product
The canvas is then lacquered properly to bring out the best in the photo. Your favorite photo will maintain the clarity and vibrancy of the colors for a life time. According to your preferences, you can frame your prints or just have it without one. This will depend upon your personal preference.
This simple but amazing truth about photo on canvas explains how your photographs are preserved and revived to look as new as the first time you took the picture. These canvas prints of your memorable photos can be wrapped and given as a marvelous gifts to people you care about.
Excellent Wedding Photographer
Wedding photography captures the cherished moments of one of the most significant events in a couple's lives. It's no wonder why many brides and wedding planners are highly selective of the professional photographer they choose to snap photos of that special day. It is the job of the wedding photographer to capture and record every meaningful moment of the bride and groom's day and do it in a manner that is artistic, fun and professional.
When you are choosing a wedding photographer, it is important to browse through a portfolio of previous work. Looking at a professional photographer's portfolio will give you sense of his or her individual shooting style. Photographers shoot many occasions other than weddings, but look pay particular attention to the examples of wedding photography. If you're having an outdoor marriage, look at examples of his or her photographs taken in outside settings.
Also keep in mind the type of wedding ceremony and reception you are having. The wedding photographer should be capable of taking pictures in a formal setting as well as an informal, more casual setting. Many brides and grooms prefer to have a more formal wedding with traditional wedding portraits and photographs. On the other hand, modern wedding photography tends to consist of candid, photo-journalistic style photographs. Whichever style of photography you choose, make sure the wedding photographer has enough experience to provide you with the type of pictures you desire.
Nowadays, wedding photographers almost exclusively shoot with digital cameras. Digital wedding photography is far more easy and cost effective than photography with traditional film. Digital photos can be reviewed and printed immediately, as well as retouched and cropped with ease. Photo manipulation software allows professional photographers to enhance color and add visual effects to prints. Find out what type of photo editing capabilities a wedding photographer has and which digital enhancement services are included in his or her cost.
Since the photos are digital, you may be able to purchase a CD or DVD of all of your wedding photographs. This is a great archival tool and will allow you to print out photos yourself whenever you need them. Find out if the wedding photographer can provide you with a digital copy of your photographs.
Finally, make sure you and your spouse-to-be have a friendly relationship with the photographer. You should feel at ease with the photographer because he or she will be giving you direction and moving you into position for portraits. A wedding photographer with years of professional experience should be able to carry on a friendly conversation while taking high quality pictures. Allow the photographer time to become familiar with the wedding location so he or she is able to choose proper lighting and the most scenic shooting locations.
When you find the right wedding photographer, you'll have a physical copy of the moments that made your wedding day memorable and special. An excellent wedding photographer will provide you with a high level of service and professionalism, as well as gorgeous photographs.
When you are choosing a wedding photographer, it is important to browse through a portfolio of previous work. Looking at a professional photographer's portfolio will give you sense of his or her individual shooting style. Photographers shoot many occasions other than weddings, but look pay particular attention to the examples of wedding photography. If you're having an outdoor marriage, look at examples of his or her photographs taken in outside settings.
Also keep in mind the type of wedding ceremony and reception you are having. The wedding photographer should be capable of taking pictures in a formal setting as well as an informal, more casual setting. Many brides and grooms prefer to have a more formal wedding with traditional wedding portraits and photographs. On the other hand, modern wedding photography tends to consist of candid, photo-journalistic style photographs. Whichever style of photography you choose, make sure the wedding photographer has enough experience to provide you with the type of pictures you desire.
Nowadays, wedding photographers almost exclusively shoot with digital cameras. Digital wedding photography is far more easy and cost effective than photography with traditional film. Digital photos can be reviewed and printed immediately, as well as retouched and cropped with ease. Photo manipulation software allows professional photographers to enhance color and add visual effects to prints. Find out what type of photo editing capabilities a wedding photographer has and which digital enhancement services are included in his or her cost.
Since the photos are digital, you may be able to purchase a CD or DVD of all of your wedding photographs. This is a great archival tool and will allow you to print out photos yourself whenever you need them. Find out if the wedding photographer can provide you with a digital copy of your photographs.
Finally, make sure you and your spouse-to-be have a friendly relationship with the photographer. You should feel at ease with the photographer because he or she will be giving you direction and moving you into position for portraits. A wedding photographer with years of professional experience should be able to carry on a friendly conversation while taking high quality pictures. Allow the photographer time to become familiar with the wedding location so he or she is able to choose proper lighting and the most scenic shooting locations.
When you find the right wedding photographer, you'll have a physical copy of the moments that made your wedding day memorable and special. An excellent wedding photographer will provide you with a high level of service and professionalism, as well as gorgeous photographs.
10 Tips For Taking Good
Cities are not only home to many people's homes, businesses and offices but they also full of energy, power and vitality. There are many things that make a city great and capturing the true essence of a city in one single photograph is a very hard thing to do.
The main thing that encapsulates and defines a city can actually differ depending on the time of the day and even the season. During the morning cities can look peaceful and calm, whilst during the evening or nightime they can come alive with activity and purpose.
Most of the people that call the a particular city home don't take the time to stop and marvel at the magnificant landmarks and sights that make their own home city such a wonderful place to be a part of. A really good city photograph not only shows off the majestic buildings in the heart of the city centre, but should also showcase some of the more enthralling aspects and delights that day to day city life has to offer.
1. Choose an Interesting Subject - Make sure you have an interesting subject for the photo, either in the middle section of the photo or in the foreground.
2. Have a Mix of Foreground & Background - Ensure that you have a good mix of interesting foreground and background areas in the entire photo.
3. Leave Room to Crop - When you are framing up the photo in the viewfinder make sure that there is some room around the edge of the photo to crop the final image.
4. Use a Level Tripod - Before taking the photo make sure that you use a level tripod so that the horizon is straight. Even though you can fix this up later in photoshop it is easier to do it right in the first place to save yourself the hassle.
5. Keep the Sun Behind You - Try and keep the sun behind you so that you get the most amount of light on your the city and the sky has a brilliant blue look to it.
6. Choose the Right Time of Day - Try to take photos as early or as late as possible in the day, as these times generally give the best light and produce more shadows and detail on your photos.
7. Use the Correct Exposure - When setting the exposure for a photo make your reading based on the brightest part of the photo so that there is no overexposure.
8. Use a Timer or Remote - Always use a timer or remote control to take the photo so that there is not any camera shake caused by you when you depress the photo button.
9. Use Polarising Filter - On your SLR camera use a polarizing filter to remove the light reflections that bounce of building windows and metal objects.
10. Buy in a Good Lens - In order to get the best from your SLR camera invest in a good quality lens. They may be expensive but it will be well worth the money.
By using all of the above tips you are sure to see a noticeable improvement in any photos that you take of city building or skylines. Not only will your city photos will clearer and more well defined, but they will also has a wide spectrum of color, which is the sign of a great photo.
The main thing that encapsulates and defines a city can actually differ depending on the time of the day and even the season. During the morning cities can look peaceful and calm, whilst during the evening or nightime they can come alive with activity and purpose.
Most of the people that call the a particular city home don't take the time to stop and marvel at the magnificant landmarks and sights that make their own home city such a wonderful place to be a part of. A really good city photograph not only shows off the majestic buildings in the heart of the city centre, but should also showcase some of the more enthralling aspects and delights that day to day city life has to offer.
1. Choose an Interesting Subject - Make sure you have an interesting subject for the photo, either in the middle section of the photo or in the foreground.
2. Have a Mix of Foreground & Background - Ensure that you have a good mix of interesting foreground and background areas in the entire photo.
3. Leave Room to Crop - When you are framing up the photo in the viewfinder make sure that there is some room around the edge of the photo to crop the final image.
4. Use a Level Tripod - Before taking the photo make sure that you use a level tripod so that the horizon is straight. Even though you can fix this up later in photoshop it is easier to do it right in the first place to save yourself the hassle.
5. Keep the Sun Behind You - Try and keep the sun behind you so that you get the most amount of light on your the city and the sky has a brilliant blue look to it.
6. Choose the Right Time of Day - Try to take photos as early or as late as possible in the day, as these times generally give the best light and produce more shadows and detail on your photos.
7. Use the Correct Exposure - When setting the exposure for a photo make your reading based on the brightest part of the photo so that there is no overexposure.
8. Use a Timer or Remote - Always use a timer or remote control to take the photo so that there is not any camera shake caused by you when you depress the photo button.
9. Use Polarising Filter - On your SLR camera use a polarizing filter to remove the light reflections that bounce of building windows and metal objects.
10. Buy in a Good Lens - In order to get the best from your SLR camera invest in a good quality lens. They may be expensive but it will be well worth the money.
By using all of the above tips you are sure to see a noticeable improvement in any photos that you take of city building or skylines. Not only will your city photos will clearer and more well defined, but they will also has a wide spectrum of color, which is the sign of a great photo.
Landscape Photography
So you want to do one of those nice long exposures where you blur out the the water so it looks silky smooth.
Here's how to do it.
First and most important is the tripod - a good sturdy sold set of legs is critical.
Second - A DSLR - primarily because you have control over the shutter speed and in this case you'll want to be able of slow the shutter down as much as possible.
There are three tricks to slowing the shutter down.
#1 - Lower the ISO as low as it will go.
#2 - Change the aperture - you will want the aperture as small as possible - in order to let the least amount of light in which gives you the longest possible shutter speeds.
#3 - Photograph early in the morning, as in sunrise or at sunset. If you try this technique during normal daylight hours there is just too much light to achieve the effect you are after.
Waterfalls, creeks, streams and rivers.
You'll want to use a shutter speed of 1-4 seconds. Using longer shutter speeds makes the water too flat and smooth - not very interesting.
Ocean/Seascapes
Unlike waterfalls, rivers etc. the ocean looks best silky smooth and in order to achieve this look you'll want to use a shutter speed of 5 or more seconds.
Shooting in aperture priority (f/22) gives the best results.
Depending on the time of the day you may need to use a darker neutral density filter, preferably the darker the better, which can help slow the shutter speeds down considerably. The darker the filter the longer you can photograph after the sun has risen or the earlier you can photograph before the sun sets.
Here's how to do it.
First and most important is the tripod - a good sturdy sold set of legs is critical.
Second - A DSLR - primarily because you have control over the shutter speed and in this case you'll want to be able of slow the shutter down as much as possible.
There are three tricks to slowing the shutter down.
#1 - Lower the ISO as low as it will go.
#2 - Change the aperture - you will want the aperture as small as possible - in order to let the least amount of light in which gives you the longest possible shutter speeds.
#3 - Photograph early in the morning, as in sunrise or at sunset. If you try this technique during normal daylight hours there is just too much light to achieve the effect you are after.
Waterfalls, creeks, streams and rivers.
You'll want to use a shutter speed of 1-4 seconds. Using longer shutter speeds makes the water too flat and smooth - not very interesting.
Ocean/Seascapes
Unlike waterfalls, rivers etc. the ocean looks best silky smooth and in order to achieve this look you'll want to use a shutter speed of 5 or more seconds.
Shooting in aperture priority (f/22) gives the best results.
Depending on the time of the day you may need to use a darker neutral density filter, preferably the darker the better, which can help slow the shutter speeds down considerably. The darker the filter the longer you can photograph after the sun has risen or the earlier you can photograph before the sun sets.
Printing Processes
Introduction.
When people involved in alternative processes started printing with digital negatives, at first I totally ignored the new 'trend', being then focused on sensitometry tests, densitometers, pyro staining and so on. Although learning all that has proved to be extremely useful in the computer age too, working digitally gives us more consistency and better results in less time (plus other advantages). I now print from digital files only (except old work of course), directly from a digital cameras. Ditching heavy view cameras altogether (of which I was an avid user for many years) has also improved dramatically the quality of my work and made easier to capture the images that I want, when I want. When I have to print an old image (I have a large archive of 8x10" in-camera negatives) I generally contact print from the original negative, unless it is an important image, which I feel I will be printing again in the future. In that case I prefer to scan it (I use a Microtek full bed scanner) and prepare a digital negative anyway.
I do not care whether working traditionally, or digitally, or both. I am interested in producing the best possible, long lasting images and to me, a mix of digital and traditional is what works.
That said, let see how to produce a digital negative that can compete with a traditional one. First, the raw file has to be good. If you shoot digitally, this means a top-notch digital camera (i.e. a full frame sensor Canon Eos 5d would be the very minimum), or if you scan traditional negatives, a good quality scanner and software. I use Vuescan in 16bit mode. If the file from your digital camera or scanned negative does not have the resolution required to produce a good negative, and you really want to make the print, I would recommend to blow it up with specialist software, such as onOne Genuine Fractals PrintPro (Benvista Photozoom Pro is also good). Keep in mind that of course this is a compromise, yet I have managed to produce good prints from relatively small files. Many of my customers do not own ultra professional digital cameras or scanners and often supply me with medium if not low resolution files. Speaking of software useful for working with digital files, I would like to mention Alien Skin's Exposure. This neat Photoshop plug-in "emulates" the look of many traditional films (HP5, Tri-X etc.), includes complete control on grain and also has a nice channel mixer to convert to B&W, plus many other features. I am the first to admit that moving from traditional film to digital and then using a filter to emulate... film may seem absurd, but as said at the end of the day the results count. I do not think one needs to invest in more software to do a good job, although Viveza 2 (NIK Software), is terrific for localized contrast tweaking (and the new Structure slider is worth the purchase of this filter alone).
The last "software" of course is your own skill to use Photoshop to make your images look great. This goes well beyond the scope of this article, just keep in mind that you need an image with at the very least a good histogram (without gaps between sample values) and plenty of details in the shadows (I feel to say this because almost always, when I get digital files from my customers, the shadows are too thin). Here is an old little Photoshop trick to give your images more "presence" in the mid tones and shadows. Load a picture. Duplicate the layer. Gaussian blur the new layer until it is out of focus (not too much e.g. about 10/15 pixels for an 8x10" 400dpi image). Double click the blurred layer to get the Layer Style window. Select Blend Mode: Multiply. Opacity around 60% (you will play with this setting later). Go to the first of the two grey gradient lines at the bottom of the window. Alt-click (on a PC, I do not know on a Mac) the left white pointer to detach it from the right one and slide it to the left, to your taste. Now slide a bit to the left the other white pointer too keeping an eye on the highlights. What we are doing here is having the blurred image multiplied on the background layer in the mid tones and shadows only. Now click OK and in the layers window you can play around that 60% Opacity that we set earlier. Slide around it to see the difference. Use this technique with the greatest moderation because of course we are introducing some blurring in the image.
Two last things about working digitally, before we talk about the platinum curves. First, with digital negatives we have the opportunity to improve the original image, with cropping, dodging, burning and so on, but we can also enhance it a bit with some special effects. I would recommend, however, to use special digital techniques carefully and with moderation, i.e. without making drastic changes to the original image. After all, we are working with an almost two centuries old process which certainly deserves all our respect!
Second thing, in platinum you can print everything, not necessarily photographs. For example, because of its extraordinary permanency, I have often being asked to print even important documents. Or you can print paintings reproductions, completely computer generated landscapes such as those made with Vue or Terragen and so on. Endless possibilities and fun.
Photoshop and curves.
You need to make a step wedge. In Photoshop, create a new image 4x5" at 360 dpi (this resolution is the recommended resolution to print all our digital files). Marking six columns and nine rows will create 54 squares. Number them from 00, 02, 04... to...98, 100 (you will leave three squares unused). Then fill each square with black in the respective density, i.e. 0% (white), 2% (very light grey) up to full black (100%). Please check with the eyedropper in Photoshop that the numbers truly reflect the indicated density, then, invert and flip the image. Now insert a sheet of 8,5x11" Pictorico OHP in your printer to print the wedge. Make a new larger Letter size image same resolution as the wedge and paste the wedge in the top left corner as a new layer, so not to print it in the dead center of the Pictorico sheet, this way you will save some space for further tests.
For years the printer I used to print my negatives was an Epson R1800 with ultrachrome inks, so your settings may vary depending on the printer you have, but if you use any Epson with ultrachrome inks they should be very similar to mine. I have recently switched to an Epson Stylus Pro 3880 without any change in my curve. With Epson printers and Windows Vista, this is the procedure: choose Edit/Color settings and notice the settings. In my case Gray gamma is 2.2, please note that if you make your test with a gamma and then change it in the future it will make a difference. Click File/Print with Preview and make sure that your settings match mine, in particular Color Management > Print > Document > Profile Gray Gamma 2.2 (every time that you print a negative check that this setting is the same that you used when printing the wedge). To print Pictorico I am using the Epson profile PhotoRPM for Premium Glossy paper (download your Epson profiles if you do not have them yet). Note: some people print digital negatives with a color cast (i.e. orange, brown etc.) to take advantage of the actinic qualities of UV light, i.e. to obtain more density. This to me is NOT necessary and only complicates things just the same as developing negatives in Pyro.
Click OK and in the Epson panel make sure that everything matches, i.e. Premium photo paper glossy, Photo RPM quality, etc. If you do not use an Epson, try the best photo quality settings on glossy paper for your printer. Also make sure that the color management is obviously ICM. After printing the first wedge you can duplicate the layer, shift it to another quadrant in the Letter size image, delete the first layer which you have already printed, and re-insert the same sheet of film in order to print the wedge again changing the printer settings, for example I have different glossy paper profiles in my computer and I have tested them all with different setting such as Photo, PhotoRPM etc. Our goal is to obtain the maximum density your printer is capable of. If you have a densitometer and a calibrated wedge you can check the density. In my case, printing pure black on Pictorico gives me the same density as wedge #14 on my 21-step calibrated Stouffer wedge. Step#14 is a 2.00 density which is plenty. If you do not own a densitometer you can make a quick visual test: in normal lighting conditions, lay down the wedge on some black text written on the back of a Pictorico envelope, you should not be able to see the text at all under squares # 00-10, and very faintly through square #12.
After printing the same wedge - if you want - up to four times (of course you should take note of the settings maybe writing them down on the Pictorico sheet itself with a marker) we are going to coat some paper and make our first print.
If you have built your UV unit similar to mine, your printing time should be around 4 minutes. Coat the paper with pure palladium and one drop of 2.5% Na2 and expose the sheet for this time (as said earlier if you want to standardize your printing with one drop of 5% Na2 you can, just do it now and do not change it anymore). Develop, clear, wash and dry and you are ready to assess your first "print". The procedure is quite straightforward: notice on the print the first square that is not pure white and write down its number, the same for the first one which is not pure black. These are our limits when preparing out images, or in Zone system terms, these are your Zone IX and I. These two zones as said are the limits but please keep in mind that you have to shift the zones one stop to get useful details in the print (e.g. Zone VIII and Zone II, the lightest and the darkest zones in the texture range). To easily find these zones, I usually cut a corner from the print and punch two holes, one in the black brush strokes and the other in the clear paper. I then pass over the squares to compare the densities. Please do this in normal lighting conditions, not under a strong light to see better.
In my case, and hopefully in a similar way in your tests, I got Zone IX = ~8/9% and Zone I=~78% with a 4 minutes exposure. Why I am happy with these results. Because I have several pure white and pure black squares above and below this range, which means that my time is correct as well as my contrast. If you do not, for example if the 0% square is not white but slightly darker than the paper outside the brushed area it means (assuming that the print has cleared well) that your time is too long (or there is a problem printing your negative i.e. not enough density). Conversely, if none of your blackest squares are not as black as the brushed borders your time is too short. Especially with pure palladium the brush strokes should be real black, like ink. Lower the light panel if they are not. If you have built the exposure unit as suggested, you can raise or lower the light panel to correct the timing, being careful to stay around four minutes (remember that if you double the distance, the light received will be four times less). Only one stop more is already eight minutes, two stops are 16 and so on, and this is not convenient when printing for business. Conversely keeping the UV tubes too close to the paper would give unpractical short times (for dodging etc.) and probably would show light stripes from the tubes on the print.
I would stick to this test in pure palladium for now. Of course, should you decide to go for a classic 50/50 solution with platinum, for example, you will have to repeat the test with this mixture (same thing if you plan to print with different papers).
Now back to Photoshop to create your own printing curve. Load your favourite grey scale image, a landscape, a portrait etc. with good tonality, plenty of detail in shadows and highlight, like my lake in the next page for example. Go over the image with the eyedropper, for example on shadows where you still want good details. Photoshop will probably indicate a value of 80% or more. But by checking the printed wedge you can see that 80% will print almost pure black, so this value needs to be tweaked. Likewise pass over well detailed highlights, the reading will be too low, such as 30%, while you know that your Zone VII is around 10%. So the next thing to do is to apply a curve to the image to match the palladium curve in the darkroom. Create a new Curve Adjustment Layer. Basically as a starting point you just grab the central part of the curve, which of course is a flat line (from top right, shadows, to bottom left, highlights) to start with, and pull to the right, adding control points to keep it smooth. Keep the Curves window open and click over the same highlights as before and notice the two values in the Curves window, Input and Output. As you can see the 30% reading has now become probably a 15%, similar change has happened with the shadows.
The curve will resemble a sort of an S (do not move the control points at the two vertices). The curve is obviously only a starting point. To tweak your own curve you just keep an eye on the wedge and another on the image, and slightly shift the points on the curve to match the wedge. Basically if, for example, you have a photo of a beach and the sand falls on Zone V, you can first check you reference (the printed wedge) and see that, let's say, your Zone V is 30%. You click the eyedropper on the sand (be sure to right-click the eyedropper and pick the 5x5 pt average reading) and check that Output is around 30% in the Curves windows. If it is not, shift the curve's points accordingly. Of course, if you have chosen a well balanced image, you do not have to do this with every image that you will be printing. This is done only once and that will be your own curve. You should repeat the procedure for different mixtures of platinum and palladium, or when changing paper, or printer, or with another contact printing process - but I prefer this approach rather than giving you different curves for pt, for pd, or for different printers on the market (I could not anyway). This way you will have to spend some time working at your own curve(s), but just think of the power in you hands: Ansel Adams was limited to place the shadows on Zone III or IV and develop to get a decent Zone VIII or IX. You, up to a certain limit, can place all the ten zones almost wherever you want! I usually re-print my wedge (both negative and in pt-pd) every six month, to make sure that my procedures are still correct. For example my wedge is now slightly darker than the first I printed years ago, probably because of the UV lamps aging.
Now when you are happy with your curve, click OK, then click again the fourth icon in the Layers window and pick Invert. Finally, click Flip Canvas Horizontally to mirror the image and print on Pictorico in the very same way as you printed the wedge. You can now print the negative as before and, if everything has been done correctly, almost certainly you will get a print that will look very similar to the one on the screen. As said earlier, from now on all your prints in palladium will print with the same time and the same contrast, provided that you spend some time at the computer to get a good negative. Sometimes, you may get a print that is not what you wanted because it does not look similar to the computer image, for example because the shadows are too thin. In this case it is easy to go back to the computer and tweak the curve a bit to give more details to the shadows. Then print the negative again. Since there is little control in the darkroom (because we are printing with as little contrast agent as possible), making a new negative is almost always more convenient. Of course, please always keep in mind that you are trying to match a transmitted light image on the PC with a reflected light subject, a print on watercolor paper which is obviously 100% matte. As said earlier, if you are coming to pt-pd from an high contrast printing process such as silver for example, please consider that here the contrast will be lower, the darkest shadows will be lighter, the tonal scale will be longer. If you like very contrasty and punchy images I think that platinum-palladium is not an appropriate medium.
Making digital negatives requires a bit of experimentation, but the results are well worth the effort, especially when using traditional printing techniques. Never like now it has been possible to produce outstanding prints that can rival any other printing technique known to man so far.
When people involved in alternative processes started printing with digital negatives, at first I totally ignored the new 'trend', being then focused on sensitometry tests, densitometers, pyro staining and so on. Although learning all that has proved to be extremely useful in the computer age too, working digitally gives us more consistency and better results in less time (plus other advantages). I now print from digital files only (except old work of course), directly from a digital cameras. Ditching heavy view cameras altogether (of which I was an avid user for many years) has also improved dramatically the quality of my work and made easier to capture the images that I want, when I want. When I have to print an old image (I have a large archive of 8x10" in-camera negatives) I generally contact print from the original negative, unless it is an important image, which I feel I will be printing again in the future. In that case I prefer to scan it (I use a Microtek full bed scanner) and prepare a digital negative anyway.
I do not care whether working traditionally, or digitally, or both. I am interested in producing the best possible, long lasting images and to me, a mix of digital and traditional is what works.
That said, let see how to produce a digital negative that can compete with a traditional one. First, the raw file has to be good. If you shoot digitally, this means a top-notch digital camera (i.e. a full frame sensor Canon Eos 5d would be the very minimum), or if you scan traditional negatives, a good quality scanner and software. I use Vuescan in 16bit mode. If the file from your digital camera or scanned negative does not have the resolution required to produce a good negative, and you really want to make the print, I would recommend to blow it up with specialist software, such as onOne Genuine Fractals PrintPro (Benvista Photozoom Pro is also good). Keep in mind that of course this is a compromise, yet I have managed to produce good prints from relatively small files. Many of my customers do not own ultra professional digital cameras or scanners and often supply me with medium if not low resolution files. Speaking of software useful for working with digital files, I would like to mention Alien Skin's Exposure. This neat Photoshop plug-in "emulates" the look of many traditional films (HP5, Tri-X etc.), includes complete control on grain and also has a nice channel mixer to convert to B&W, plus many other features. I am the first to admit that moving from traditional film to digital and then using a filter to emulate... film may seem absurd, but as said at the end of the day the results count. I do not think one needs to invest in more software to do a good job, although Viveza 2 (NIK Software), is terrific for localized contrast tweaking (and the new Structure slider is worth the purchase of this filter alone).
The last "software" of course is your own skill to use Photoshop to make your images look great. This goes well beyond the scope of this article, just keep in mind that you need an image with at the very least a good histogram (without gaps between sample values) and plenty of details in the shadows (I feel to say this because almost always, when I get digital files from my customers, the shadows are too thin). Here is an old little Photoshop trick to give your images more "presence" in the mid tones and shadows. Load a picture. Duplicate the layer. Gaussian blur the new layer until it is out of focus (not too much e.g. about 10/15 pixels for an 8x10" 400dpi image). Double click the blurred layer to get the Layer Style window. Select Blend Mode: Multiply. Opacity around 60% (you will play with this setting later). Go to the first of the two grey gradient lines at the bottom of the window. Alt-click (on a PC, I do not know on a Mac) the left white pointer to detach it from the right one and slide it to the left, to your taste. Now slide a bit to the left the other white pointer too keeping an eye on the highlights. What we are doing here is having the blurred image multiplied on the background layer in the mid tones and shadows only. Now click OK and in the layers window you can play around that 60% Opacity that we set earlier. Slide around it to see the difference. Use this technique with the greatest moderation because of course we are introducing some blurring in the image.
Two last things about working digitally, before we talk about the platinum curves. First, with digital negatives we have the opportunity to improve the original image, with cropping, dodging, burning and so on, but we can also enhance it a bit with some special effects. I would recommend, however, to use special digital techniques carefully and with moderation, i.e. without making drastic changes to the original image. After all, we are working with an almost two centuries old process which certainly deserves all our respect!
Second thing, in platinum you can print everything, not necessarily photographs. For example, because of its extraordinary permanency, I have often being asked to print even important documents. Or you can print paintings reproductions, completely computer generated landscapes such as those made with Vue or Terragen and so on. Endless possibilities and fun.
Photoshop and curves.
You need to make a step wedge. In Photoshop, create a new image 4x5" at 360 dpi (this resolution is the recommended resolution to print all our digital files). Marking six columns and nine rows will create 54 squares. Number them from 00, 02, 04... to...98, 100 (you will leave three squares unused). Then fill each square with black in the respective density, i.e. 0% (white), 2% (very light grey) up to full black (100%). Please check with the eyedropper in Photoshop that the numbers truly reflect the indicated density, then, invert and flip the image. Now insert a sheet of 8,5x11" Pictorico OHP in your printer to print the wedge. Make a new larger Letter size image same resolution as the wedge and paste the wedge in the top left corner as a new layer, so not to print it in the dead center of the Pictorico sheet, this way you will save some space for further tests.
For years the printer I used to print my negatives was an Epson R1800 with ultrachrome inks, so your settings may vary depending on the printer you have, but if you use any Epson with ultrachrome inks they should be very similar to mine. I have recently switched to an Epson Stylus Pro 3880 without any change in my curve. With Epson printers and Windows Vista, this is the procedure: choose Edit/Color settings and notice the settings. In my case Gray gamma is 2.2, please note that if you make your test with a gamma and then change it in the future it will make a difference. Click File/Print with Preview and make sure that your settings match mine, in particular Color Management > Print > Document > Profile Gray Gamma 2.2 (every time that you print a negative check that this setting is the same that you used when printing the wedge). To print Pictorico I am using the Epson profile PhotoRPM for Premium Glossy paper (download your Epson profiles if you do not have them yet). Note: some people print digital negatives with a color cast (i.e. orange, brown etc.) to take advantage of the actinic qualities of UV light, i.e. to obtain more density. This to me is NOT necessary and only complicates things just the same as developing negatives in Pyro.
Click OK and in the Epson panel make sure that everything matches, i.e. Premium photo paper glossy, Photo RPM quality, etc. If you do not use an Epson, try the best photo quality settings on glossy paper for your printer. Also make sure that the color management is obviously ICM. After printing the first wedge you can duplicate the layer, shift it to another quadrant in the Letter size image, delete the first layer which you have already printed, and re-insert the same sheet of film in order to print the wedge again changing the printer settings, for example I have different glossy paper profiles in my computer and I have tested them all with different setting such as Photo, PhotoRPM etc. Our goal is to obtain the maximum density your printer is capable of. If you have a densitometer and a calibrated wedge you can check the density. In my case, printing pure black on Pictorico gives me the same density as wedge #14 on my 21-step calibrated Stouffer wedge. Step#14 is a 2.00 density which is plenty. If you do not own a densitometer you can make a quick visual test: in normal lighting conditions, lay down the wedge on some black text written on the back of a Pictorico envelope, you should not be able to see the text at all under squares # 00-10, and very faintly through square #12.
After printing the same wedge - if you want - up to four times (of course you should take note of the settings maybe writing them down on the Pictorico sheet itself with a marker) we are going to coat some paper and make our first print.
If you have built your UV unit similar to mine, your printing time should be around 4 minutes. Coat the paper with pure palladium and one drop of 2.5% Na2 and expose the sheet for this time (as said earlier if you want to standardize your printing with one drop of 5% Na2 you can, just do it now and do not change it anymore). Develop, clear, wash and dry and you are ready to assess your first "print". The procedure is quite straightforward: notice on the print the first square that is not pure white and write down its number, the same for the first one which is not pure black. These are our limits when preparing out images, or in Zone system terms, these are your Zone IX and I. These two zones as said are the limits but please keep in mind that you have to shift the zones one stop to get useful details in the print (e.g. Zone VIII and Zone II, the lightest and the darkest zones in the texture range). To easily find these zones, I usually cut a corner from the print and punch two holes, one in the black brush strokes and the other in the clear paper. I then pass over the squares to compare the densities. Please do this in normal lighting conditions, not under a strong light to see better.
In my case, and hopefully in a similar way in your tests, I got Zone IX = ~8/9% and Zone I=~78% with a 4 minutes exposure. Why I am happy with these results. Because I have several pure white and pure black squares above and below this range, which means that my time is correct as well as my contrast. If you do not, for example if the 0% square is not white but slightly darker than the paper outside the brushed area it means (assuming that the print has cleared well) that your time is too long (or there is a problem printing your negative i.e. not enough density). Conversely, if none of your blackest squares are not as black as the brushed borders your time is too short. Especially with pure palladium the brush strokes should be real black, like ink. Lower the light panel if they are not. If you have built the exposure unit as suggested, you can raise or lower the light panel to correct the timing, being careful to stay around four minutes (remember that if you double the distance, the light received will be four times less). Only one stop more is already eight minutes, two stops are 16 and so on, and this is not convenient when printing for business. Conversely keeping the UV tubes too close to the paper would give unpractical short times (for dodging etc.) and probably would show light stripes from the tubes on the print.
I would stick to this test in pure palladium for now. Of course, should you decide to go for a classic 50/50 solution with platinum, for example, you will have to repeat the test with this mixture (same thing if you plan to print with different papers).
Now back to Photoshop to create your own printing curve. Load your favourite grey scale image, a landscape, a portrait etc. with good tonality, plenty of detail in shadows and highlight, like my lake in the next page for example. Go over the image with the eyedropper, for example on shadows where you still want good details. Photoshop will probably indicate a value of 80% or more. But by checking the printed wedge you can see that 80% will print almost pure black, so this value needs to be tweaked. Likewise pass over well detailed highlights, the reading will be too low, such as 30%, while you know that your Zone VII is around 10%. So the next thing to do is to apply a curve to the image to match the palladium curve in the darkroom. Create a new Curve Adjustment Layer. Basically as a starting point you just grab the central part of the curve, which of course is a flat line (from top right, shadows, to bottom left, highlights) to start with, and pull to the right, adding control points to keep it smooth. Keep the Curves window open and click over the same highlights as before and notice the two values in the Curves window, Input and Output. As you can see the 30% reading has now become probably a 15%, similar change has happened with the shadows.
The curve will resemble a sort of an S (do not move the control points at the two vertices). The curve is obviously only a starting point. To tweak your own curve you just keep an eye on the wedge and another on the image, and slightly shift the points on the curve to match the wedge. Basically if, for example, you have a photo of a beach and the sand falls on Zone V, you can first check you reference (the printed wedge) and see that, let's say, your Zone V is 30%. You click the eyedropper on the sand (be sure to right-click the eyedropper and pick the 5x5 pt average reading) and check that Output is around 30% in the Curves windows. If it is not, shift the curve's points accordingly. Of course, if you have chosen a well balanced image, you do not have to do this with every image that you will be printing. This is done only once and that will be your own curve. You should repeat the procedure for different mixtures of platinum and palladium, or when changing paper, or printer, or with another contact printing process - but I prefer this approach rather than giving you different curves for pt, for pd, or for different printers on the market (I could not anyway). This way you will have to spend some time working at your own curve(s), but just think of the power in you hands: Ansel Adams was limited to place the shadows on Zone III or IV and develop to get a decent Zone VIII or IX. You, up to a certain limit, can place all the ten zones almost wherever you want! I usually re-print my wedge (both negative and in pt-pd) every six month, to make sure that my procedures are still correct. For example my wedge is now slightly darker than the first I printed years ago, probably because of the UV lamps aging.
Now when you are happy with your curve, click OK, then click again the fourth icon in the Layers window and pick Invert. Finally, click Flip Canvas Horizontally to mirror the image and print on Pictorico in the very same way as you printed the wedge. You can now print the negative as before and, if everything has been done correctly, almost certainly you will get a print that will look very similar to the one on the screen. As said earlier, from now on all your prints in palladium will print with the same time and the same contrast, provided that you spend some time at the computer to get a good negative. Sometimes, you may get a print that is not what you wanted because it does not look similar to the computer image, for example because the shadows are too thin. In this case it is easy to go back to the computer and tweak the curve a bit to give more details to the shadows. Then print the negative again. Since there is little control in the darkroom (because we are printing with as little contrast agent as possible), making a new negative is almost always more convenient. Of course, please always keep in mind that you are trying to match a transmitted light image on the PC with a reflected light subject, a print on watercolor paper which is obviously 100% matte. As said earlier, if you are coming to pt-pd from an high contrast printing process such as silver for example, please consider that here the contrast will be lower, the darkest shadows will be lighter, the tonal scale will be longer. If you like very contrasty and punchy images I think that platinum-palladium is not an appropriate medium.
Making digital negatives requires a bit of experimentation, but the results are well worth the effort, especially when using traditional printing techniques. Never like now it has been possible to produce outstanding prints that can rival any other printing technique known to man so far.
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