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Improve Your Photography Workflow with Presets and Actions (198)

Tasra Dawson — March 17, 2010 — 2 Comments

Workflow? What workflow?

That’s one of the frequent responses I hear from photographers about their editing or processing workflow for images.

GIVE ME FREEDOM!
Whether it’s the creative mind that doesn’t want to be boxed in or the artistic spirit that wants creative freedom, a clear streamlined workflow is often the last on the list of skills to acquire.

BUT, as I’ve said for years (even in my book for busy, creative women)… boundaries and borders can enhance rather than detract from our creativity. Finding ways to streamline certain tasks within a creative framework lets us find more time to pursue other projects and ideas.

IMAGE DETAILS
Today’s image is of a figurine I bought for my husband a few years ago. It was a rare find because the coloring of the figures actually could resemble he and I… and that’s a hard thing to find!

I shot the image with my 50 mm lens in a dark room with one light shining to the left of the couple so the background was completely black. From there, I took it into Lightroom to sharpen. Then it was into Photoshop to apply the recipe I created yesterday for my texturized images.

My processing time was significantly reduced. Everything is the same as yesterday except for one of the textures. The benefit is saved time, leaving me more time to finish the tutorial for YOU which I’ll post first thing tomorrow.

GET A WORKFLOW = GET A LIFE
So, where do you think you could create recipes or workflows for aspects of your photography that you do repeatedly? Any recipes or strategies you’re currently using? Please share in the comments… if I get some great ideas, I’ll create a compilation post and list them so we all can learn! Even if you don’t have a workflow now, maybe you can share what areas you’d like to streamline and we can try to find solutions together!

Manual: Page 152
Images: Twitter Tuesday shots from tasra365 photographers

In 365 project, Month 7: Mar 2010 365 project, actions, busy women, creative mind, creative spirit, creative women, framework, Lightroom, photography workflow, Photoshop, presets, recipe, streamline, tutorial

Chris Brogan Got It Right—Custom IS Everything (D169)

Tasra Dawson — February 16, 2010 — Leave a comment

Maybe “everything” is a bit of hyperbole. I’m willing to give you that.

Simplicity and personality are important as well when it comes to connecting with guests, clients, customers… even friends. But after reading Chris Brogan’s post about the importance of customization, you can imagine my pure delight when I opened up a package with my new custom Teen Identity iPhone cases.

We ordered black and pink to maintain our current branding, but I imagine as we begin offering these as gifts and incentives for our teen audience, that we’ll let them customize their own case. What teen girl wouldn’t want a custom case for her phone with a picture of her when she is at her best? Or even a group shot of her with her best friends? I’m imagining multiple cases in different colors to coordinate with each of her favorite images. She can change her iPhone, iPod, or Blackberry case to match her outfit and mood, just as easily as she changes her purse or jewelry. Now that’s custom fun!

What other products do you think make for great customization? How can you customize more than just products, but your service and experience as well? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Image Specs: Shot two images with Nikon D50, 50 mm lens on white seamless background with Westcott softbox lighting (same lighting I use on all my studio and product shots). Added contrast and sharpness in Lightroom, then took the front and back photos into Keynote to use the alpha and reflection tools. Then quickly took back in Photoshop to add the MCP Finish It Actions thin round border.

Manual:Read page 105—Lenses. Have you been reading a camera manual page every day? Why not get started now!

Images: Fellow 365-er Kevin Voth tweeted a link to the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony images, so I took a look at those stunning shots today.

D104: Death of the Marshmallow—A Series

Tasra Dawson — December 13, 2009 — Leave a comment

I’ve been talking about creating photo series and tonight I started a new one, capturing the life and death of…

a single marshmallow…by roasting.

Roasting marshmallows brings back such warm childhood memories. I seriously have refined the art of browning the perfect marshmallow. Golden brown on all sides, melted all the way through to the center. (Okay, I admit it. I went off my mostly raw, vegan eating style for this event. Can you blame me?)

Others are not quite as artful and like to eat the charred remains of a marshmallow straight out of the fire. That’s what I captured in this series of images. Pretty amazing to see the marshmallow engulfed in fire.

When was the last time you roasted marshmallows? Are you a golden brown or charred marshmallow type?

Specs: Nikon D50, 50 mm lens, 1/100 @ f /2.8, ISO 800. Processed in Lightroom to sharpen slightly. No need for other processing, which is always a bonus!

Manual: Page 103—Settings.

Images: TIME Magazine released their Images of the Year in this week’s issue. Some interesting images.

In 365 project, Month 4: Dec '09 50 mm, Images of the Year, Lightroom, photo series, roasting marshmallows, Time Magazine

D100: How to Take Your Photography Up a Notch

Tasra Dawson — December 9, 2009 — 7 Comments

We made it this far! Unbelievable.

It’s time to take your photography up a notch. Read on to find out how…

Manual Monday. If you’re not reading your manual every day, I encourage you to at least read it once a week on Monday. The rest of the week you can read other technical books on photography, lighting, etc. But reserve Monday for your manual. If you’re feeling inspired, post an image with something you learned or tried after reading your manual!

Twitter Tuesday. On Tuesday, I’ll retweet anyone who is tweeting their images with the hashtag #tasra365. So make sure to use the hashtag so we can all see your daily images!

Theme Thursday starting tomorrow. Got ideas for themes? Post in the comments and I’ll add them. We’ll see how many tasra365-ers we can get to shoot on the same theme each week. Tomorrow’s theme: Celebrate.

Feature Friday starting this week. I want to feature YOU! Send me your story—long or short. I’ll link back to your work and hopefully get you a few more visitors! I’ll also start going through the list of photogs on the Join Me page too. Make sure your link is on the list!

Today’s image was me literally chasing the sunset. As I was leaving the library tonight I saw these incredible ominous clouds with bold blues and pinks, but the trees were blocking my view. So I hopped in my car and started driving, chasing down those clouds, praying they would stay until I found a clear spot.

I have no idea how long I drove winding down neighborhoods and streets I’d never been down, but finally I found a clearing. That’s when I parked my car and shot this image from my driver’s seat with the window rolled down. It was an exhilerating chase, yet somehow fitting for my 100th image. Have you ever done anything like that?

Specs: Nikon D50, ISO 1600, 50 mm, 1/80 @ f/1.8. Processed in Lightroom to increase black, then added Kubota action Anime Bold CS2 and Dragon Queen to enhance color and soften image.

Manual: Page 72—Naming Folders. I’ve gone through the entire manual now so I’ll be repeating pages. Moving forward, I’ll just list the page and title unless something significant jumps out at me OR when I get a new camera and start all over! Subtle hint to Santa.

Images: Christian del Rosario. One of the Emerging Photographers of the Year from Photofocus. I’m thinking about adding all the links to photographers I’ve discovered during this journey on a separate page. Do you think that would be helpful? Maybe even categorize them. Let me know your thoughts!

In 365 project, Month 4: Dec '09 Christian del Rosario, Emerging Photographer of the Year, hashtag, Kubota Actions, Lightroom, Nikon, PhotoFocus, Photoshop, Twitter

D84: Make Lemonade

Tasra Dawson — November 23, 2009 — 10 Comments

It’s a tired cliche I know, but that doesn’t make it any less true. I’m living a perfect example of making lemonade out of lemons right now. We’re on vacation for the first time in years, and I promptly get sick. Sucking on a sour lemon would mean complaining and moaning about it. Making lemonade means enjoying the extra rest and time to catch up on blogs and videos.
tasra365 sour lemon D84: Make Lemonade

Yes, that is my life as I know it right now. In the sick bed all day, drinking down too much lemon water to remember, trying to kill this cough. However, I have been enjoying the peace and quiet. Really enjoying it. If every vacation were just days on end of peace, quiet and rest, I wouldn’t complain.

Today’s shot was interesting. I tried to get some cool shots from my balcony as the sun was setting. Nothing outstanding. Tried a few more of the pool and the light shining on it. Eh. Just okay. I could’ve gone with either one, but something in my gut just wasn’t convinced I was done. So I took a break, went and got some more lemon water and then I saw it. The cut lemons against the yellow painted walls. This would be fun. So that’s the story of my shot.

Specs: Nikon D50, 50 mm lens, flourescent overhead light, 1/80 at f/1.8, ISO 800. Processed in Adobe Lightroom for clarity and sharpness.

Manual: Page 67—Print Set.

Images: Another day of reading and admiring the images in The Photographer’s Eye. Learning a lot about composition and design.

In 365 project, Month 3: Nov '09 composition, design, Lightroom, Photographer's Eye

D43: Face to Face

Tasra Dawson — October 13, 2009 — 2 Comments

Looking back through the images the last 40 days, I realize I haven’t photographed as many faces as I would’ve thought. So today I decided to return to the portrait… with a slight variation.

I chose to photograph the detailed face of one of my daughter’s dolls. It’s a collector’s item that she inherited from her grandmother who was an avid doll collector. This is one of our favorites because of the detail, the expression, and clothing.

After capturing a few images in natural light by the window, I processed it in Lightroom. Wanted to give it a painted, picturesque effect, something similar to the paintings of African princesses I saw at the MET. Fairly pleased with how it turned out. Even more delighted that this challenge is forcing me to take images I’ve always said I wanted to try.

Manual: Page 8—Charging and Inserting the Battery. Back to basics here. Look forward to getting into more meatier pages later.

Images: Got a new book in the mail today, Life Smiles Back. It’s a collection of more than 200 classic photos from the famous back page of LIFE magazine. Made me laugh.

In 365 project, Month 2: Oct '09 LIFE magazine, Lightroom, MET, photography

D40: Economic Insight From a Teen

Tasra Dawson — October 10, 2009 — 1 Comment

I was experiencing a bit of post-conference withdrawal. How do I follow the images of a man breaking the world record? Do I even want to?

Pondering this out loud, my daughter (who was folding towels at the time) chimed in and said she’d volunteer to be my photo subject. I asked what she’d do and she said she could scrub the floor. Uh, okay. And why would I want to photograph you scrubbing the floor?

Here’s her response, which was based on an article she read in Time Magazine:

Prior to the current economy, many immigrants were doing jobs Americans considered “beneath” them. But now because of the economy, Americans are stepping in and asking for those jobs out of desperation. They are getting past their pride. Why not take a picture of me scrubbing the floor to illustrate that.

Well, okay then. If getting rid of pride is the only positive outcome of this current economy, I’d say that’s not a bad thing. We all know that often you have to hit rock bottom before you can really experience change or transformation. Maybe this is exactly what America and Americans needed. And if we’re smart and learn our lessons now, our children and grandchildren may not have to experience the same thing. Here’s a salute to the future generation!

Sharpened and converted the original image to sepia tones in Lightroom. Then added Kubota Image Tools action, Enter the Dragon, to rough it up and give it a grungier feel.

Manual: Read page 13—Adjusting Viewfinder Focus. Done.

Images: Viewed winning images from the Energizer 2008 Photo Contest, as well as 6 category winning photos from 2009.

In 365 project, Month 2: Oct '09 Energizer 2009 Photo Contest, Kubota Image Tools, Lightroom, Nikon, Time Magazine

D15: Lighting Up the World

Tasra Dawson — September 15, 2009 — 6 Comments

Lighting. It’s becoming a semi-obsession with me. I find myself looking at and for light everywhere. Light. Shadow. Bright. Dark. It’s all a variation of the same thing: the way light shows up in the world. I get frustrated when I can’t find good light and my camera isn’t powerful enough to compensate. I’m excited when I stumble upon an ideally lit situation (not very often). I’m becoming more resourceful about using creative lighting setups when the ideal can’t be found.

Today’s photo just illustrates this growing fascination. I saw this light when I first entered the new Hilton Orlando hotel on Sunday evening. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I would be taking my camera and capturing at least a few images. Today was the day.
tasra365 lighting D15: Lighting Up the World

Sitting in a lobby chair, I shot in manual, increasing the shutter speed to let in less light. I wanted everything to be muted and dark but the lights themselves. In post, I added a Gavin Seim preset—Sepia Light. That’s it.

There are so many analogies easily drawn here about lighting. I’ll keep it simple and just ask you this one question: Whose world are you lighting up?

Manual: Page 103 in the Nikon manual—Factory Defaults. I knew how to reset to factory defaults, but was wondering if there was a way to keep some custom and return others to default. Now I know!

Images: Gene Higa. Always love his work. Humbled when he gave me a private lesson at his studio in San Francisco. Overjoyed when he did a photo shoot in the city with my husband and I. He’s the professional whose work I’m studying today.

In 365 project, Month 1: Sep '09 Gavin Seim, Gene Higa, lighting, Lightroom, presets

D10: Create Mystery with Your Images

Tasra Dawson — September 10, 2009 — 6 Comments

I’m not really a mysterious kind of girl. I’ve always thought of myself as simple and sometimes even a bit plain. My mother-in-law, who was a fashion diva, was always coaching me to think beyond basic black. Even if that’s how I live my life, there’s no reason for my images to lack an element of flash and flair, surprise and mystery. So that’s what today is about.
tasra365 mystery D10: Create Mystery with Your Images

Considering I couldn’t sleep (no surprise there) and that it’s 1 am, technically it’s now the 10th day of my photo challenge. What better time than now to create an image that might have a little mystery. And why is mystery on my mind?

Well, I stumbled across Scott Bourne’s recent post, 10 Ways to Know You Made a Good Picture. Emotion was the word that struck me. I want my images to evoke an emotion. To draw attention. To make you stop. And think.

This is my first attempt. Do you know what this image represents? Can you figure out why I chose to shoot this? Does the lighting and single focus draw you in? What do you think or feel when you look at it? I’d love to know your thoughts.

Manual: Flipped to Page 85 in my Nikon manual—Slide Show. I’ve seen this feature on the camera, but have never used it. Honestly, I doubt I ever will. As easy as it is to download images and create a slideshow in iPhoto or Lightroom, why bother with watching one on the back of your screen? I did use it a few times plugged into the TV when I first bought my camera years ago, but not since then. Do you use this feature?

Images: Looked through some galleries of Doug Menuez, award-winning documentary photographer based in New York. He’s a commercial photographer who has countless magazines, books, prints, as well as unbelievable experiences in photography under his belt. I met Doug personally through my husband when we filmed part of Doug’s work-in-progress documentary, The Wisdom of New York. Amazing photographer. Incredible person. If you’re not familiar with his work, check it out. I love the spontaneous emotion he captures so beautifully. And he plays a wicked harmonica too!

I have an entire set of iPhone images from our visit to New York. I plan to create a slideshow… when I find the time.

In 365 project, Month 1: Sep '09 commercial, Doug Menuez, iPhoto, Lightroom, Nikon, photographer, scott bourne

Memorial Day Photos Ready to Scrapbook

Tasra Dawson — May 26, 2009 — Leave a comment

I went on a hunt this Memorial Day to take pictures that would be scrapbook-ready. That means, images I wouldn't need to Photoshop or fix, images with color and texture that would jump off the page, and images that would tell the story of our life at this moment. To be clear, I wasn't looking for perfection or professional pictures, just real, everyday images that capture our story. I just added some quick and easy Lightroom 2 presets to the images. Less than 5 minutes for all 12 images.

My four year old actually decided to join me on the hunt for interesting images in our backyard and it turned into a fun mother-son bonding experience. He used my Nikon D50 and I used the Canon 5D Mark II. Yes, I let my four year old use my DSLR. You might be thinking I'm crazy to give him a good camera, but the truth is that he is very careful with it. He uses the strap around his neck. He shoots carefully and picks his images. He even gives me ideas for shots to take. And of course he loves the instant feedback he gets after every click of the shutter.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the photo hunt in a digital photo collage from BigHugeLabs Mosaic maker. I'm planning to do some digital scrapbooking with the images next weekend so stay tuned for pages.

What do you think? What would you create with the images? Any scrapbook page ideas or layouts?

6a00d83451bb0b69e2011570a7e9ae970b 800wi Memorial Day Photos Ready to Scrapbook

In photography, RWS blog bighugelabs, collage, dslr, Lightroom, photography, scrapbooking

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