Issue 244
Fast Cars With Easton Chang How To Use A Grey Card or Colour Target Professionally Automate Your Processing With Lightroom Why APPA Really Is Fair!
August 2016
CONTENTS
Cover
Easton Chang APP 2015 AIPP AUSTRALIAN ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
AIPP JOURNAL is the official newsletter of The Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). Editor Peter Eastway APP.L, FNZIPP, Hon. FNZIPP, G.M. Photog., Hon. FAIPP, FAIPP Disclaimer The information provided in the AIPP JOURNAL and associated publications is made in good faith, but is general in nature. Neither the editor, the publisher or the AIPP accept responsibility for or will be under any liability for any recommendations, representations or information provided herein. The AIPP JOURNAL presents information, opinions and suggestions for subscribers to evaluate in coming to their own decisions in the light of their own individual circumstances. The information should not be relied upon without readers first obtaining independent advice from their own financial and legal advisers. Unless otherwise noted, all articles are written by Peter Eastway. Publication The newsletter is published 10 times a year – monthly with November/ December and January/February being combined. The AIPP JOURNAL newsletter is published by Pt 78 Pty Ltd, ABN 75 003 152 136, PO Box 351, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097, Australia. Phone: (02) 9971 6857; Fax (02) 9971 6641. E-mail eastway@betterphotography.com
AIPP Membership Contacts Suite G.02, 171 Union Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria 3127 Phone: 03 9888 4111 E-mail: admin@aipp.com.au
2
4
Making Brand AIPP Work For You
8
Busting The Saturated Market Myth!
National President Vittorio Natoli APP.L, M.Photog. IV suggests that by using our post nominals, our APP logo and linking back to the AIPP website, we can greatly improve our position within a competitive market.
A saturated market? Who are we kidding! Mary Trantino questions the myth when all the evidence points to a myriad of opportunities – if only we adjusted our businesses to give our clients what they want to buy! So, do you know what your clients really want to buy?
10
Advertising Photography @ Easton Chang Travelling around the globe photographing cars for a living sounds incredibly glamorous - and no doubt it is! But as Easton Chang APP explains, there’s a lot of serious business behind that glamorous lifestyle and it doesn’t just happen automatically.
ISSUE 244 / AUGUST 2016 20
Challenge, But Please Don’t Denigrate! By all means challenge our Awards system, question the process and discuss (over a glass of red wine preferrable) individual successes and failures, but please, don’t question the integrity of countless volunteers by calling it ‘unfair’. That is just cheap journalism!
25
Low Scores = Inexperienced Judges?
28 32
38
How To Speed Up Editing In Lightroom A lot of professional photography can be very repetitive and this is certainly true of ingesting and editing a shoot. However, you can use Lightroom to streamline and speed up your workflow by using Auto Tone within a User Preset. Here’s how.
42
4 Lights 4 Portraiture Everyone knows the limitations of a single flash on a camera, but this limitation doesn’t apply to studio photography, While some lighting setups can use a dozen or more lights, most portrait studios can get by with three or four lights. So where do you place the lights and what type should they be? Here’s a standard portrait set-up to consider.
Should the judging panel only have ‘experts in the category’, or is there an argument for having a wider cross section of judges - to maintain professional standards overall?
Whose Work Is It Really? Should APPA entrants be allowed to have someone print their images for them, or should the rules be changed and entrants be required to print their own?
The Photography Book Award Are you a photographer who is fascinated by the process of creating and publishing a book? Do you love the way photographs and text fall together on pages to create a completely new expression? Libby Jeffery from Momento Pro reviews the APPA Photography Book Award.
48
SpyderCheckr & Colorchecker There are many reasons for using a grey card or a set of colour patches for every professional shoot: easy white balance, colour and tonal accuracy, and then there is the theatre of being a professional photographer too!
3
NEWS
Making Brand AIPP Work For You National President Vittorio Natoli APP.L, M.Photog. IV suggests that by using our post nominals, our APP logo and linking back to the AIPP website, we can greatly improve our position within a competitive market.
TAGS AIPP B o a rd
Welcome to August APPA and The Nikon Event!
identified as respected service providers.
Here we come, ready or not, and there are still
places available at The Event and APPA if you
taken full advantage of it, here’s what I sugest
can make it – so don’t miss out!
you do.
BRAND AIPP
POST NOMINALS
As many of you already know, the AIPP
The first thing is to use your post nominals!
Accreditation program has been certified by
These are the letters placed after your name
the ACCC. We are now the only photography
to denote you are an Accredited Professional
association with a certified accreditation
Photographer - APP.
process. So now that we have accreditation,
what should we do with it?
the profession and they are Licentiate APP - or
APP.L.
We need to recognise accreditation
If you’re accredited and you haven’t yet
Some APP members have longer standing in
as a major advantage for our businesses.
It’s a differentiator for us as professional
your post nominals. Mine look like this:
photographers in Australia and so to make
Vittorio Natoli APP.L M. Photog. IV
the most of it, we should use accreditation
to promote our own qualifications, as well as
Your name + APP/APP.L + APPA Honours +
Brand AIPP.
Institute Honours
If we all band together and present our
accreditation to the world, this will lead to
So when you write or sign your name, add in
The format is:
An example is:
Billy Bloggs, APP M. Photog. IV Hon. FAIPP
the general public becoming aware of our
4
credentials and status as a profession – and
AND THE LOGOS
choosing to use us because we’re known and
In addition to your post nominals, use your
logos next to your email signature - and
anywhere else you can.
our EO, have lots more information should you
require it.
Another thing we can do to build credibility
The AIPP national office and Peter Myers,
for ourselves and the profession generally
Happy promoting and enjoy the many
is to link our websites to the AIPP website’s
benefits AIPP membership offers. For instance,
professional page. The AIPP website is seen as
take a look at some of the other great resources
an authority website because it is independent
that are available on the website - such as the
of us, so when we back link to the AIPP website,
video presentations.
our visitors will see it as external validation
of our claims and in turn we will gain higher
can at the upcoming Nikon Event and APPA in
personal ranking as a result of our AIPP
Melbourne later this month.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as I
membership.
So let’s get started and become brand
promoters and ambassadors for the AIPP, and become recognised as professionals by using
vittorio.natoli@aipp.com.au
our post nominals.
0400 418 888
5
THE EVENT 2016 NIKON AIPP
THE EVENT elbourne 2016 NIKON AIPP
melbourne
27th August-31st August 2016
27
TH
31 AUGUST 2016 ST
PULLMAN MELBOURNE ALBERT PARK
melbourne
melbourne
27th August-31st August 2016
melbourne
27th August-31st August 2016
EARLY BOOKINGS OPEN There’sBIRD still time! - Book Now!
IMAGES LEFT TO RIGHT: DAVID EDMONSON, NICK RAINS, LUKE EDMONSON GRECCO, ROCCO ANCORA, DAVID DECHUMIN, NATALIE HOWE, GLENN GIBSON GEOFF COMFORT, JERRY GHIONIS, MARCUS BELL, ROCHELLE & DEAN MO CAMPBELL, VICTORIA BEREKMERI, SARA DELPOPOLO, RUSSELL BARTON, STEVE
N, ADREW CAMPBELL, KAREN ALSOP, MICHAEL N, TIM BAUER, CASSIE EMMETT, NICK GHIONIS, ORRIS, MARK DUFFUS, ALAN MOYLE, ROBYN SCALONE, KAREN ASLOP AND DAVID DCHUMIN.
SPEAKERS MICHAEL GRECCO COMMERCIAL DAVID & LUKE EDMONSON PORTRAITURE/INSPIRATION TIM BAUER EDITORIAL PORTIATURE DAVID DECHUMIN PHOTOJOURNALISTIC VICTORIA BEREKMERI & CASSIE EMMETT BIRTH GEOFF COMFORT AERIAL JERRY GHIONIS WEDDING NATALIE HOWE NEWBORN MARCUS BELL WEDDING STEVE SCALONE CREATIVE PROCESS NICK GHIONIS LIGHTING ROCCO ANCORA POST PRODUCTION MARK DUFFUS COMMERCIAL/BUSINESS GLENN GIBSON ADVERTISING KAREN ALSOP POST PRODUCTION ALAN MOYLE BUSINESS SARA DELPOPOLO LEGAL/COPYRIGHT ROBYN CAMPBELL BUSINESS ROCHELLE & DEAN MORRIS VIDEO RUSSELL BARTON BUSINESS NICK RAINS TRAVEL/DOCUMENTARY AND MORE...
WWW.AIPPTHEEVENT.AIPP.COM.AU
EDUCATION
Busting The Saturated Market Myth! A saturated market? Who are we kidding! Mary Trantino questions the myth when all the evidence points to a myriad of opportunities – if only we adjusted our businesses to give our clients what they want to buy! So, do you know what your clients really want to buy? I am constantly being told by photographers
to be a professional photographer to get access to
that they are in a saturated market and that
the equipment, the printing and the albums.
the competition is choking them. They believe
that if it wasn’t for the cheap ‘shoot-and-burn’
took the leap into digital photography – the year
photographers, they would be thriving.
2000. For the first time ever, our business had
an overdraft, a line of credit and a bank loan. Of
They also believe that the stay-at-home
Mum who dabbles in photography is killing their
course, back then a small 42” flat screen TV was
business.
$15,000 and digital cameras were expensive too!
TAGS AIPP B o ard
8
I remember the year our glamour studio
So, if our business was changing overnight 16
SMART PHONE COMPETITION
years ago, so was the way our clients shopped and
The fact is that your next door neighbour with a
now the world is on steroids!
smart phone is your competition. In fact, if that
next door neighbour has a child in high school,
technology is leading the way in how we go about
then they are your biggest competition! The speed
it.
at which the smart phone and compact cameras
Booking a professional photographer for family
are changing the way we capture our everyday
photos is no longer about the quality of the
lives is the professional photographers biggest
tools or the finished product. Our neighbor can
challenge.
reasonably access all a professional can.
Once upon a time, going to a professional
The lives we live are faster and smarter, and
But what they can’t get is time. They can’t
photographer for your family photos was all about
slow it down and they can’t create a memorable
the quality of the finished product – the photos
experience by setting up the timer on their camera
themselves. It was something that was not only
and asking the family to stop whining and smile!
expensive for the everyday person to produce, but
it was unavailable to them privately. You really had
is spending their money, what they are spending it
Your business needs to reassess how your client
on and what is of value to them now.
evening dress as she steps into the light of the
soft boxes. WOW! The shy woman from earlier
We are living such a fast-paced lifestyle that
when we give our clients permission to slow down,
was transformed into this smiling, shoulders back,
to relax and have ‘me time’, to listen to their children
confident woman who was working a floor fan like
laughing, reflect on who they are becoming,
a pro!
spend time together, honour their child or fur child,
show their partner how much they love them or
room where the slide show unfolded images of
celebrate an unborn life, the value for a professional
her in a way that she thought was not possible.
photographer’s services just went UP!
This woman had lost herself along the way. She
I decided to follow her journey into the viewing
had three grown up children, lost her husband
OUR VALUE WENT UP!
tragically and did everything for others. She sat
Clients are now spending their discretionary
there with tears rolling down her cheeks, thanking
income on ‘experiences’ more than ever before. But
the team for everything they had done for her.
are you providing an experience, or just some files
on a USB stick?
The photos were a by-product of the experience
she had during a professional photo shoot. This
I will never forget the day when I realised the
This woman was not there to buy photos.
photography industry was where I wanted to live
woman was buying self-confidence.
out my passion for customer service.
if you truly know why your clients need you and
I was the accountant (don’t hold that against
So, there is no such thing as a saturated market
me!), sitting in a corner of a glamour photography
you show them how you can solve their problems.
studio, crunching the numbers when I saw a shy,
self-conscious, lacking in confidence woman enter
service is the new product.
Building a desire to want what you have as a
the studio with an arm full of clothes, brushing her fringe over her face as if to hide herself.
Mary Trantino is the founder of the Photography
Business Academy. The Academy specialises in im-
The studio make-up artist and team members
all greeted her with open arms. One takes the
plementing marketing, sales and customer service
clothes she is carrying, one runs off to get her a
systems designed to help portrait photographers
freshly ground coffee and one chats with her for a
gain qualified leads, high-paying clients and repeat
while, before sitting her up in the make-up chair.
customers. For free one-on-one consultation call
Mary NOW. Contact Mary on (03) 9448 2303 or via
About an hour goes by and a woman wanders
into the shoot room, stunning, beautifully made
Facebook www.facebook.com/photographybusi-
up, hair curled and flowing, picking up her
nessacademy
9
FEATURES Easton Chang is giving a seminar and a workshop at Incite, the 2016 Nikon AIPP Event. BOOK NOW!
Advertising Photography @ Easton Chang Travelling around the globe photographing cars for a living sounds incredibly glamorous - and no doubt it is! But as Easton Chang APP explains, there’s a lot of serious business behind that glamorous lifestyle and it doesn’t just happen automatically. Asked to suggest one of his most memorable
but when you start working for international
experiences as a car photographer and Easton
advertising agencies, it’s a completely different
Chang APP was quick to nominate a 350 kph
game with big budgets and high expectations.
jaunt down a Northern Territory highway in a
million dollar Porsche 918 Spyder.
advertising job, I had no idea what I was doing.
I tried to put a budget together, but really I
engineering experiment. Porsche just wanted to
didn’t even know about production companies
see how fast its new super car would go, so they
or licensing. After I lost the job, I swore that I
shipped it out to Australia and threw me in the
would never make those mistakes again and I
passenger seat next to Carrera Cup winner Craig
did as much research as I could. It was difficult
Baird.” Easton said he had full faith in Craig’s
because most of my contacts at the time were
ability at the wheel, but at 350 kph, “the car is
shooting editorial, but a colleague’s partner
moving around and the world is running past
turned out to be an advertising producer, so I
you so fast that even pointing a camera towards
took her out for coffee and she gave me the low
the driver’s face can be very dangerous”.
down.
TAGS Adver ti s i n g Po r tfo li o
“It was a fun job and basically a public
Based in Newcastle, NSW, 33-year-old Easton
Chang has been photographing cars for over
TWO PYRAMIDS
15 years, yet he considers himself a newcomer
Easton describes the role of an advertising
to the profession. And one thing he has learned
photographer as being more like a film director
is that being an advertising photographer is
than a camera operator.
all about understanding the business side of
photography.
photography. The agency pyramid comprises
the client, the in-house producers and, at the
Advertising is a challenging career path.
At one end, it’s a product shot for a website,
10
“The first time I was asked to bid on an
“There are two pyramids in advertising
very tip, the creative director. The other pyramid
Photography by Easton Chang APP
11
FEATURES
is all about production and includes everyone
the other. As the photographer, you sit in the
from the grips, runners and assistants up to the
middle, so I see myself as an interpreter as much
line producers and executive producers at the
as anything else. On the one pyramid is the
top.
client who knows what they want, but no idea
how to implement it. It’s up to me to translate
“So you have all the creative people on one
side, and the pragmatic production people on
12
this idea or concept into a visible outcome. I
Photography by Easton Chang APP
give the producer the instructions - like I need
Not all advertising photography happens
a car, a location and lights - and this all filters
this way, of course, but when you’re dealing
down the production pyramid to make the
with the car industry and their international
shoot happen.�
reach, you know that there are going to be lots
13
FEATURES
of layers of creativity and bureaucracy involved.
university when he picked up a camera and
started photographing his major passion, cars.
“A car manufacturer will engage an
advertising agency and then the agency asks
“I started with a Canon PowerShot S45 with a
for bids from three to five photographers. It is
four-megapixel sensor and a few of my photos
always a bidding process, although the exact
turned out alright. A year later I scored my first
details can vary from country to country and job
commission with a local car magazine called
to job. Sometimes it’s up to the photographer
Speed, so I put the payment towards a new
to set up the production pyramid, to get
Canon EOS 300D and started shooting editorial
quotes from subcontractors for production and
car photography.”
retouching etcetera. Other times agencies will
directly source production houses, who in turn
magazine cover and by 21, his first Wheels
may find and pay the photographer.
Magazine cover. “Things moved quite quickly
and I found myself shooting lots of covers
“I get a lot of emails asking for quotes and
At the age of 20, Easton had his first
you can usually tell how big the job is going
for several car magazines. This work was
to be based on who sends the email. The
inadvertently training me for advertising shoots.”
larger jobs will come through an agency or a
production house.”
is all about shooting 20, 50 or 100 shots in
a session. You’re shooting from the hip and
Easton says an agency email will also tell you
Explained Easton, “Editorial photography
a lot about who the client is likely to be and also
reacting to events as they unfold, whereas with
the likely usage.
a cover photograph, it’s much more planned.
You have a full day or session to shoot just
Usage in advertising photography is
incredibly important. In addition to the creation
one photograph. You need to leave room for
of the photograph, there’s a further payment for
the title and shout lines and there are lots of
the use of the photograph based on territory
political issues to be aware of. For instance,
(where the photograph is used), time (how
you may need to find a very specific angle to
long the image is used) and how the image will
present a special car feature that is a key point
be used (size, number, media etc). Usage can
in the cover story. You have to be very, very
be a significant component of an advertising
specific.
photographer’s income stream.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
14
MOVING INTO ADVERTISING
“So all those years of cover photography ended
Easton was studying software engineering at
up training me for advertising work.”
Photography by Easton Chang APP
15
Photography by Easton Chang APP
16
FEATURES
However, Easton is the first to suggest that
they became a photographer themselves, they
there was some good fortune when it came
knew how the process worked.
to his early advertising jobs. Good fortune – or
simply keeping his options open by doing good
background where everything is done on a
work for all his clients.
shoestring. A lot of car photographers of my
generation are the same – they have all learned
It was a magazine client who found him
“However, I’ve come from an editorial
his first job. “I was known by an art director at
online and are predominantly self-taught. While
Car magazine who left to become a creative
this is challenging, the advantage is that we’ve
director at a new advertising agency - that just
all developed our own styles. Our styles haven’t
happened to have the Jaguar account in the UK.
evolved from the work of a mentor.
He specifically wanted to bring photographers
on board with an editorial edge.”
how to use Capture One or do what a grip does.
I can’t tell them what weight scrim I want, I
Easton’s first bid for his contact was
“Today, assistants know that I don’t know
unsuccessful, simply because he was unknown
just tell them I need some diffusion overhead
and the client didn’t want to risk using a new
and they sort it out. However, what I do know
photographer.
is how to piece together and engineer a visual
concept. I know how to manage clients and
“So six months later, the creative director
tried a different approach. He invited six
agencies and I can interpret a visual brief – and
photographers to develop a mood board from
that’s what clients are buying.”
their recent work and then presented them,
anonymously, to the client. Fortunately for me,
car photographers on social media because he
the client picked my work. I realise this is a great
finds it distracting. “It can inadvertently affect
little story, but I think a lot of us need something
the direction of my own creativity – and it can
like this to get a break.”
be depressing to look at other people’s amazing
work! Of course I see my friends’ work from time
Easton said that some months later when he
Easton doesn’t purposefully follow other
found out who the other photographers were – big
to time, but I don’t actively research it – and
name international shooters – he fell off his chair!
I think that’s important. I believe those who obsessively copy other artists’ styles are doomed
FINDING CREATIVITY
to never discover one of their own.
“Typically in the past, photographers would
learn the business and develop their style while
digital drawings – like the nerdy video game
assisting other photographers, so by the time
covers with amazing atmospherics and lots of
“Personally, I draw a lot of inspiration from
17
FEATURES
eye candy. They have nothing to do with cars, but I love looking at them and trying to capture colour, dynamic range and atmosphere in my own work. I think they are the inspiration for my photography.”
FOOTNOTE Elsewhere in this issue of the AIPP Journal, there is a discussion about photographers engaging the services of experts to retouch and print their APPA entries. While the nature of Easton’s professional work is to collaborate with many different creative people, including retouchers, he does all his own work when it comes to entering APPA.
“When you retouch yourself, you have your
own signature style and that’s very important to me. I am constantly shooting personal images when I am not working, and then using that personal work to get more advertising commissions. Clients want to see something new and exciting, not what is already out there in the market, so it’s essential to generate new material all the time – to reinvent yourself.
Laughed Easton, “Of course, after they see
something amazing in my portfolio, all they do is hire me to shoot a basic shot against a white background!”
Some things in advertising never change!
You can view more of Easton Chang’s work at www. eastonchang.com or see him at the Nikon Event.
18
Photography by Easton Chang APP
19
AWARDS
Challenge, But Please Don’t Denigrate! By all means challenge our Awards system, question the process and discuss (over a glass of red wine preferrably) individual successes and failures, but please, don’t question the integrity of countless volunteers by calling it ‘unfair’. That is just cheap journalism!
TAGS APPA s s Busine Advordc as c y Awa Co mpeti ti o n Ca tegor i e s
20
Should we never question the APPA system or
complaints about this not being fair.
the judges who cast their votes? Of course not!
Everyone should be subject to scrutiny and
from the judges themselves because, in their
perhaps the system most scrutinised in the
collective opinion, the best portfolio did not
profession of photography is APPA.
end up with the highest score, but they were
powerless to change things.
However, I took exception to Keith Shipton’s
Significantly, many of these complaints were
opinion piece on the ProCounter website when he
called Alison Lyon’s result in the Epson AIPP NSW
and today around the world, there are many
Professional Photography Awards ‘unfair’.
professional competitions that take the top
photos or portfolios and assess them a second
Alison earned four Gold Awards (including one
The AIPP agreed the old system didn’t work
Distinction), but placed second in her category
time because it gives the judges an opportunity
behind a portfolio which scored some 30 points
to review their scores.
lower. This, according to Mr Shipton, was ‘unfair’.
irreversible decision several hundred times in a
The following reply was posted on the
What’s not fair is asking a judge to make an
ProCounter website and is reproduced here so all
day without a chance of review.
our members can have a better understanding of
what is probably the fairest system in the world.
print assessed by a judge who is generous with
the scores, while another entrant is scored by a
I feel for the organisers of the AIPP and our
What’s not fair for an entrant is having one
Awards system who seem to be damned if they
miserly adjudicator.
do and damned if they don’t. May I first separate
the awards system from Alison’s experience?
held behind closed doors is to keep the winners
anonymous during the final PPY judging (which
A decade ago, we gave first place in the
And the reason the final category judging is
category to the four prints with the highest
is between all the category winners), and also
aggregate score. Over several years, we received
so there’s a surprise at the awards dinner or
•
Ken Spence
AWARDS
22
announcement party. It is ‘opaque’ for good
will agree with you, but I don’t think it is ‘fair’ of
reason.
us to call into question the fairness of the AIPP
awards system or the honesty of its judges.
When I was the APPA Chairman, I inherited
and defended these rules because they are
fairer than giving first prize to the highest
120 category judgings and I can guarantee you
scoring portfolio. In fact, I congratulate the
119 will work as the designed - but that is just
AIPP for listening to its members and creating a
my ‘opinion’!
system that better served them.
with the following observation:
Sometimes we forget that the people
This year I estimate the AIPP will conduct at
Keith duly posted my reply on his website, along
who run the AIPP, voluntarily, are just other
photographers like me and Alison.
the background to the system as it stands today.
So now, let’s turn to Alison’s experience.
I just re-read the story to try to see whether I
Keith, I agree with your opinion and were I one
had indeed called into question the honesty
of the judges (and with the greatest respect to
of the judges. I think you are on shaky ground
the photographer who won the category, and
in that assertion. But as for questioning the
the judges on the panel), I would have voted for
fairness of the system – that’s what people do in
Alison’s portfolio as well.
open societies.
You suggest that the judges were wrong,
Thanks, Peter, for taking the time to give us
Keith has been in the photography industry for
but how can an opinion be wrong?
many years and I don’t question his loyalty to it.
He is just as passionate as I am and that’s a good
We can disagree with opinions, but if we
have invited someone to be a judge, I think we
thing.
need to give them the benefit of the doubt
when it comes to their intentions.
Keith’s opinion piece began, “This is why I will not
be participating in the AIPP anymore...” Both Keith
There were five judges on the panel and it is
However, the first online comment following
a majority decision.
and perhaps many others still seem to confuse
‘fairness’ with ‘opinion’.
The process is not wrong, nor is it unfair,
but you’re correct that situations like these can
damage the Awards when they are looked at
disagree with the judges, but just because the
from the outside.
system doesn’t produce the result we think is
correct, doesn’t make it ‘unfair’.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity of
We are all entitled to our opinion and to
defending our system. And by all means declare
that Alison was robbed and (on this occasion) I
my opinion!
But perhaps I am not being fair and this is just
•
H i l a r y W a r d h a u g h A P P. L M . P h o t o g I I I
23
•
Stefanie King APP M.Photog
24
AWARDS
Low Scores = Inexperienced Judges? Should the judging panel only have ‘experts in the category’, or is there an argument for having a wider cross section of judges - to maintain professional standards overall? It’s understandable to be disappointed when
A: The advertising photographer may be
you don’t earn a Silver Award (or higher) for a
a father. He may have done a national
print that you really believe in. And it’s true that
campaign for baby products which involved
the result is not always correct, but that is the
photographing lots of newborns.
nature of print judging. However, while we can
point to specific examples where we agree the
judges provide a broader pool of experience
wrong score was given, overall we have a very
against which an entry is assessed.
robust system - with two provisos.
is to provide five expert perspectives. If we
The first is that we have a high standard
More importantly, these ‘out of category’
The idea of having five judges on a panel
of judging. The second is that the entrants
only had wedding photographers judging the
understand what the Awards are all about - and
wedding category, the judging panel could be
how their genre fits into the overall scheme of
considered to have too narrow a focus. Similarly,
professional photography.
a newborn panel without any newborn photographers would be considered to have
EXPERT JUDGES
insufficient expertise. It’s a balancing act.
Q: “Why is a landscape photographer judging
weddings? What would she know about
advertising judges were experts in post-
photographing brides?”
production because their clients had the
A: She may have been a bride herself! She could
budget to pay for expensive equipment
also be well placed to consider the wedding
and re-touchers. In comparison, wedding
photographs that include figures in the
photographer judges were just learning about
landscape.
post-production. It was all new to them.
Q: Why is an advertising photographer judging
newborns? What would he know about
wedding photographers and one advertising
shooting a young bub?
photographer assessed a print. The four
An example. Around 15 years ago,
TAGS APPA Award s Comp et it ion Categ or ies
On one occasion, a panel of four
25
AWARDS
wedding photographers wanted to give it
Gold, but the advertising photographer said
together, we expect to see a consistent
he couldn’t because the quality of the post-
standard of technique and creativity. It would
production was inadequate.
be incorrect to see one or two categories being
won by images of a lower standard.
There was a huge stir from the wedding
When we see all the category winners
photographers who were simply enchanted
by the print. They had never seen anything like
entrants that the judges didn’t have the
this before, but the advertising photographer
experience to properly assess their work. “The
had. His experience was able to point out the
judges don’t know how hard it is to get a bride
problems in post-production. He was also able
to smile or a newborn to keep still. Without an
to reference other photographs that had a
understanding of the degree of difficulty, how
similar composition and style - and that were
can the judge properly assess an entry?”
produced to much higher standards.
take the entry. Our clients don’t care either! All
Today, all judges looking at that print would
From time to time I hear comments from
Judges shouldn’t care how difficult it was to
see the problems. However, without a different
that matters is the final print and the reason we
perspective on that panel, the wedding
have experts in a particular category judging
photography judges could have given a poorly
is because of their experience. They have seen
crafted print an unrealistic score.
a wide variety of imagery that allows them to
assess both the technical standard and, to some
This would have sent the wrong message to
advertising photographers (“How did that earn
extent, the entry’s originality.
an Award?), to wedding photographers (“So this
is the standard I need to aspire to!”), and to the
from outside (or with experience outside) the
market place in general (“This is a professional
category, we ensure that the standards are
standard of photography.”).
compared not just within the category, but with
Then, by putting in one or two judges
entries from all the other categories as well.
26
YOUR GENRE IN CONTEXT
We have already seen how Facebook and social
liking your print doesn’t really matter. If three or
media have dumbed down the standard of
more judges score it a Silver, it gets Silver based
professional photography. The idea behind
on the majority rule. If your print doesn’t score
our Awards is to lift it back up again. If our
well, you can never single out a judge, even if
profession is to survive, it needs to establish a
that judge talks your print down, because at least
base level of quality.
two other judges on the panel have to agree.
And remember, one or even two judges not
•
David Brittain APP M.Photog.
27
AWARDS
Whose Work Is It Really? Should APPA entrants be allowed to have someone print their images for them, or should the rules be changed and entrants be required to print their own? As a judge, when you look at a photograph
for assessment, should you assume it is all the
photographers to employ printers and
work of the entrant? And is this a reasonable
retouchers is because that’s how they ran
assumption for a professional photography
their businesses. That’s what professional
awards?
photography was all about.
Under the rules for the last 40 years, APPA
The original reason for allowing
In the days of film, most photographers
entrants can engage someone to produce a
didn’t run a darkroom, certainly not a colour
print for them, as long as the preparation of the
darkroom. It was quite common for wedding
print is under their direct instruction.
and portrait photographers to farm out the
processing and, when it came to Awards time,
In other words, you can’t hand a file over
to someone and say, ‘Make me a Gold Award,
they would have a custom print made where
please’, but you can tell them you want the sky
they could provide instructions on how the final
darkened down and a vignette added.
print should look.
Obviously there is a lot of ‘grey’ in between
In advertising, the photographer often
these two statements.
handed over the transparencies or raw files for
the agency’s designers and artists to work on.
Despite this rule, there is a perception that
some successful prints at APPA have been
It’s not that advertising photographers didn’t
produced not by the photographer, but by the
want to work on their files (some certainly did),
printer or re-toucher. And I know some of these
it’s just that’s the way business works.
winners are very open about the assistance they
received.
entered into the Awards, as representative of
And if we want to see the best photographs
what our profession can do, we want to accept
28
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
these entries.
But these are professional awards and there is a
difference.
today, believing their time is best spent behind
Some photographers still work like this
•
J a c q u i D e a n A P P. L F N Z I P P G . M . P h o t o g H o n . F A I P P F A I P P
29
AWARDS
the camera or marketing, and leaving the
work wasn’t even entered?
production to others. And if APPA’s purpose is to
assess the standard of professional photography
the print, not the photographer and not how it
in Australia, why wouldn’t we accept the type
was created.
of work that our entrants are selling to their
customers?
what the AIPP is: a professional organisation.
Here’s another thought: we are rewarding
Now I know this is semantics, but it goes to If you ask me for my personal opinion, I think
WHAT HAS CHANGED?
entrants should do all of their own work and
Over the years, APPA has changed and it’s
not send out anything except a finished file
more about the ‘art’ of photography, than the
for printing and mounting. However, that just
‘profession’.
suits the way I work and ignores the underlying
I don’t have a problem with this because
reason for having the Awards in the first place,
without the ‘art’, we have nothing to sell – and
so I’m not sure it is the right thing for the AIPP
certainly less to sell these days since all our
to do.
clients have their own cameras. What used to be
craft based by necessity needs to become art
enforcing the rules that are already there
based if we are to survive.
more strongly. If you ask someone to help you
retouch a print, you should be the creative mind
I realise that some entrants only have their
On the other hand, I have no trouble in
annual award entries produced by an expert
that is in control.
retoucher and all the day-to-day photos they
sell to their clients are done in house, so there
actually do this, I’m all ears (not that I am a part
is a disconnect between the practice and the
of APPA management anymore).
If anyone has a suggestion as to how we can
entry.
30
However, what hasn’t changed is the fact
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
that these are professional awards and one
criteria our judges use is ‘professional standard’.
of a retoucher, maybe we should make it
mandatory to acknowledge this person/s, as
If we change the rules to say that
And if an entrant does engage the assistance
photographers must do all the post-production
many other professional Awards do around the
and printing themselves, will we exclude a lot
world.
of high quality work created by specialists in our
profession? Does that mean that the images
entry receives, but it will acknowledge the
that end up winning do so because the best
creative team that put the image together.
That shouldn’t change the score that the
How To Master Photoshop Layers “The secret to photographic technique is layers, and that’s whether you use Photoshop or Lightroom.” How To Master Layers is a series of video/article presentations by Peter Eastway. To purchase and view on your computer, visit: www.betterphotography.com $6.49 each or $19.95 for all four titles
If you download the files from the website, they will not play properly on the iPad.
31
NEWS
The Photography Book Award Are you a photographer who is fascinated by the process of creating and publishing a book? Do you love the way photographs and text fall together on pages to create a completely new expression? Libby Jeffery from Momento Pro reviews the APPA Photography Book Award. In contrast to the volume of photographs that
• 2007 Abstraction by Ryan Humphreys
now go unprinted, hiding on hard disks and
• 2008 Who Shot That? by Peter Adams
memory cards, the photo book format and its
• 2009 Three Days in the Gaspe by David Paterson
community have experienced a renaissance over
• 2010 25th Anniversary Big Book by Peter Lik
the last decade, with it now being possible to
• 2011 Aquabumps by Eugene Tan
spend the whole year hopping between photo
• 2012 The Contemporary Australian Family by The Fier Institute
book festivals and photo book fairs around the
• 2013 Houses: Denton Corker Marshall by Tim Griffith
globe. This year is the 10th year of the APPA
• 2014 2016 Shark Bay Inscription by ND5
Photography Book Award, so Momento Pro has
• 2015 Geiko and Maiko of Kyoto by Robert van Koesveld
compiled a history of the category winners and
explored the experiences of some AIPP members
ranging from a desire to archive a long-
who have published a book.
term photographic project, to creating a
The purposes of the books was varied,
cultural legacy, produce a resource or printed
TAGS Busine s s Pr in ts
32
TEN YEARS OF WINNERS
promotion, enhance professional credibility,
The APPA Photography Book Award is designed
generate awareness of an issue or simply an
to encourage excellence in photography in
alternative revenue stream.
published work, with entries being judged on the photography, storytelling, design creativity,
NEW MODEL
production values and saleability.
Whatever the purpose, the book format
allows more people to access and view the
The most popular genres have been animal
photography and landscape photography, with
photography beyond an exhibition or screen.
self published entries heavily outweighing trade
published entries.
dramatically in the 21st Century, as major trade
publishers consider art and photography books
The winners for the last ten years were:
The book publishing model has changed
2015 AIPP Australian Photo Book of the Year Winner: Geiko & Maiko of Kyoto by Robert van Koesveld
33
(Top) Promotional banner for Nuran Zorlu’s Persia to Iran book. (Above) Cover of Alex Cearns’ Zen Dogs.
34
NEWS
to be niche products. They are only willing to
is sold predominantly through art galleries and
gamble on content that has broad popular
museums. The book was partially funded by
appeal, such as iconic Australian landscapes,
the Australian-Iranian Embassy and led to an
animal or street photography.
invitation for Nuran to present at the Tehran Book Fair 2016 earlier this year.
NEW PUBLISHERS Consequently, photo books are now generally
ZEN DOGS
the product of independent or self-publishers
Alex Cearns of Houndstooth Studios in Western
and print runs have shrunk from tens of
Australia has an impressive publishing record,
thousands to only hundreds or tens, with higher
having just released her fourth book, Zen
production values and bigger margins.
Dogs, care of Harper Collins and an international
distribution deal. Her previous book led to a
The role of the publisher and creator is also
changing. The creator may be responsible for
pioneering collaboration with pyjama king Peter
funding, design and editing, while the publisher
Alexander, who saw the cover and will release a
manages the printing, publicity and distribution,
dedicated Houndstooth Studio sleepwear range
or a combination of both. Crowdfunding has
in September this year. ”I can’t even believe it!” says
become a popular vehicle for bankrolling a
Cearns. “Lots of amazing things can come from
book project too, as it provides small and self-
books – you never know who’s reading them!”
publishers with a natural pre-order system, so they only order what is needed from print-on-
BIG OPPORTUNITIES
demand or low volume print suppliers.
Just this month, Melbourne based photographer Craig Wetjen realised a long-
FROM PERSIA TO IRAN
term dream by publishing his first book, Men
Various AIPP members have successfully
and Their Sheds. The book was never about
published books in the last few years, including
making money, but it needed funding so
commercial and travel photographer Nuran
Wetjen approached mental health organisation,
Zorlu. Zorlu combined his photography skills
Beyondblue. Finance wasn’t forthcoming, but
with his passion for art and philosophy to
he got to photograph chairman Jeff Kennett
produce From Persia to Iran, a cultural resource
in his shed and as a result Wetjen is now a
about the landscape and architecture of Iran.
Beyondblue ambassador. The project became
He produced a proof book with Momento Pro
a reality when publisher Bonnier Publishing
before printing a larger hardcover edition that
Australia’s imprint Echo Publishing came on
35
NEWS
board and on 1 August the book was launched,
Entries are still open until 11 August and
selling at all major bookstores for $45.00. The
all category details can be found here (www.
book has arleady received great publicity with
aippappa.com/appa-2016).
a profile on the GO! Manspace TV series, and Wetjen has ideas for a second and third book
PUBLISHING PANEL
but says, “We’ll see what happens.”
There will be more photo book activities at AIPP Incite. From 10.00 - 11.30 a.m. on Saturday 27
LITTLE PIECES
August, Libby Jeffery of Momento Pro will host
Also this month, portrait photographer
a discussion on how Australian photographers
Kelly Brown of Little Pieces Photography,
can design, publish and distribute a photo
will strategically release her self-published
book, assisted by independent book publisher
photography resource, The Complete Guide To
Helen Frajman of M.33, Craig Wetjen, Peter
Newborn Photography, at The Baby Summit
Eastway, Dr Doug Spowart and Nuran Zorlu.
conference in Queensland.
The book was printed in an edition of 100
DO IT YOURSELF!
hardcover books, 100 softcover books and a
Continuing its current trajectory, the production
downloadable PDF format, and there will be
of photography books and the number of book
plenty more sales opportunities at the U.S. Baby
festivals and fairs where they can be traded is
Summit in October. Using a local print-on-
expected to continue rising in the next few
demand service allowed her to produce a proof
years.
and a small run within a month.
Australian photographers can take
advantage of this trend, but only if they have a
APPA JUDGING
book with a clear purpose, strong images and
Some of these books are entrants in the 2016
an excellent design, combined with a solid
APPA Photography Book Award, the judging
social network, a strategic publicity plan and a
for which takes place on Friday 26 August from
suitable distribution channel.
6.30-8.00 p.m. For the first time the judging
36
panel will include a publishing representative
Click through to find out more about
from Thames + Hudson Australia, along
Momento and the Awards here: http://
with photographers Peter Eastway and Sally
www.momentopro.com.au/?utm_
Brownbill, and artist book makers Vicki Cooper
source=APPA&utm_medium=Banner&utm_
and Doug Spowart.
campaign=APPA+blog+post
Craig Wetjen with his Men and their Sheds book.
37
EDUCATION
How To Speed Up Editing In Lightroom A lot of professional photography can be very repetitive and this is certainly true of ingesting and editing a shoot. However, you can use Lightroom to streamline and speed up your workflow by using Auto Tone within a User Preset. Here’s how. The idea behind Lightroom is to speed up the
editing and processing of a shoot. Everything
that you can more quickly edit a shoot, knowing
from its structure to the tools it provides are
that exposure, focus and lighting are optimum,
designed to streamline the chores of choosing
leaving you to concentrate on the timing,
the best photos and adjusting them to a
gesture and composition - your best frames.
professional standard.
camera technique by applying an Auto Tone
L igh tro o m Tech n i q u e
38
However, Lightroom can supplement good
system are consistently good captures in
adjustment to each file as it is imported, and
camera. You will always struggle with editing
even applying some styles or effects that are
and processing if your camera exposures,
suitable for the subject - such as a little more
focusing, lighting and timing are poor. There
colour saturation or a vignette.
is no substitute for good camera craft. In fact,
if you get your exposures correct in camera,
import your shoot into Lightroom – and at
Lightroom might not have very much to do at
the same time you add your tags and other
all!
metadata.
TAGS
Of course, at the heart of a good editing
The idea behind good camera technique is
All this can be done at the same time you
This is easier to do when you’re working in
a studio with a constant light source, but much
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
harder when faced with the complexities of
Presets in Lightroom are very powerful – and
outdoor locations and variable lighting - such as
very precise. If you edit an image to perfection,
encountered at most weddings. Nevertheless,
then saving those settings as a preset may not
if you get your exposure right (and, we assume,
work so well on the next file. Some settings will
correct focus, lighting and timing too), then you
change with each image, depending on the
should end up with a folder of consistent image
light, the subject and the camera exposure.
files to work with.
For this reason, you generally won’t create
STEP 01
Open up a photograph and reset any adjustments to zero [Develop: Settings > Reset All Settings]. Next, make the types of adjustments you wish to apply to all your images (or all images of a particular type or from a particular shoot – you can set up as many presets as you wish following this approach).
STEP 02
Some adjustments can’t be easily or appropriately applied to every image, so keep it simple. Leave the tonal adjustments alone as we will fix these later. However, you can look at Auto white balance, clarity, vibrance, saturation, cropping and vignetting. Remember, just because these settings are applied during import doesn’t mean they can’t be changed later on.
STEP 03
Create a Preset with these settings. On the left, click the ‘+’ sign in the Presets panel. The dialog (opposite) will open. Name your preset (e.g. Portrait01), place it in the User Presets folder, and then tick (and untick) the options. Click Auto Tone to correct your exposure and contrast. Click White Balance if you selected Auto.
39
EDUCATION
STEP 04
STEP 05
When you import (ingest) your next shoot, look for the Apply During Import panel on the right of the Import screen. Next to the Develop Settings, click the drop-down box and select your preset from the User Presets folder (assuming this is where you saved it. After you have selected it, the preset name should show in the panel.
Now, as the files are imported, your preset is being applied to each image. You could also have your EXIF data (copyright, captions etc) being added at the same time. Note, it may take a few seconds for the thumbnails to update with your preset adjustments, but by the time you move from the Library to the Develop module and open them up, they will be there!
a general preset with specific tonality settings
(exposure, contrast, highlights etc) because they
Auto Tone function is to fix up most of your
will be different for each raw file. Fortunately,
files most of the time. It still requires you to go
Lightroom understands this only too well and
through your shoot and adjust the images.
offers a solution: Auto Tone.
make final adjustments if the preset has taken
You are possibly already using the Auto
The idea behind applying a preset with an
However, it should now be a lot quicker to
button to set the tonality when editing your
you most of the way. And if you do need to
files in the Develop module. In the same way,
adjust the entire shoot a little more, then this
the Auto Tone check box under the Auto
can be easily done as well.
Settings (accessed when you’re creating your
preset) will automatically set the tonality as you
Auto Tone feature will disguise your incorrect
import your files.
exposures. You may think you have nailed a shot
One little caveat for using this approach: the
and that all it needs is a little more adjustment,
40
NOT ALL CORRECT
only to find that Lightroom has already pushed
One thing to remember is that this system does
the file about as far as it can go. So, if you’re
not guarantee you perfect results all the time.
learning, this might not be a good thing to do!
•
Raquel Betiz
41
EDUCATION
4 Lights 4 Portraiture Everyone knows the limitations of a single flash on a camera, but this limitation doesn’t apply to studio photography, While some lighting setups can use a dozen or more lights, most portrait studios can get by with three or four lights. So where do you place the lights and what type should they be? Here’s a standard portrait set-up to consider. As we move into more complicated lighting
three dimensionality in the portrait.
patterns, we need to make some assumptions.
For this lesson, the lighting pattern is designed
appreciate a strong angle, so you may bring the
to photograph a single person, head and
light back around towards the camera for them,
shoulders.
with less angle on the light (and less shadow
cast by the nose).
We can control the mood and atmosphere
Sometimes people with longer noses don’t
to some extent by our choice of background,
wardrobe, make-up and the lighting ratios.
dish for the key light. A beauty dish is a large,
shallow reflector with a deflector in the middle
Lighting ratios describe how bright one light
A lot of portrait photographers use a beauty
is in comparision to other light sources and can
over the flash tube. The result is a harder light
be used to transform our multiple lighting set
than an umbrella or a softbox, but it is soft and
TAGS
ups from soft and fluffy to strong and dramatic.
flattering enough to be useful for portraiture.
Tech n i q u e L igh ting
We’re not going to discuss lighting ratios in
this lesson, rather we’ll concentrate on what
the beauty dish retaining some of the specular
different lights do and the angles to consider
highlights that can be flattened by an umbrella
when setting them up.
or a softbox. However, there is no rule that
The difference is in the quality of the light,
says your key light needs to be a beauty dish,
KEY LIGHT
you can certainly use a standard dish reflector,
The key light (also called the main light) sets the
umbrella or a softbox.
scene. It is the strongest light and it is usually
42
positioned at an angle to the subject and
FILL LIGHT
slightly above the subject as well.
The fill light isn’t at all sexy. Its job is to fill in the
shadows. If you set the fill light with too much
Because the key light is angled, it creates the
PORTRAITURE LIGHTING SET UP
4 Light Combination a s i t h g i l r i a h h c i e h h w T h c d u e o v t e nice est achi b e l e p b i t l u can m a . h p t i u t w e s g n il ghti
The b light ackgrou help nd s sepa the s rate ubje ct an creat d e sha dark pe in ened a stud io.
BACKGROUND Hair Light
Background Light
Subject
Key Light Fill Light
43
EDUCATION PORTRAITURE LIGHTING SET UP
4 Light Combination Key Light
44
Fill Light
The key light (also called the main light) is
The angle of the key light will create some
usually placed at a diagonal angle, meaning it is
deep shadows, so a fill light is used to fill in the
not directly in front of the subject, nor directly
shadows. On its own, the fill light is quite flat
to one side. This isn't to say you can't position
and uninteresting, but it bathes the subject in
your key light here, but for general portraiture,
light, removing unwanted deep shadows. The
it is usual to have it at around 45 degrees, and
trick is not to overpower your subject with fill
also a little higher than your subject's face, so
light. Either use a lower power setting for the fill
the light is pointing down, again at around 45
light, or position the fill light further away from
degrees. Try using a beauty dish or an umbrella.
the subject. Or both! Try using a softbox.
PORTRAITURE LIGHTING SET UP
4 Light Combination Hair Light
Background Light
On it's own, a hair light seems to do very
The background light is another finishing touch.
little, but compare the Key Light and Fill Light
It separates the subject from her background,
examples with the 4 Light Combination on the
adding a more three dimensional feeling to the
previous pages to see what a difference it can
composition. It is also useful to give the subject
make. It's one of those finishing touches that
shape, especially where dark hair and clothing
gives the portrait a professional edge. The hair
can merge with the background. Adjust the
light requires a ceiling mount or a tall lighting
power of the background light to give the
stand with a boom arm so it can be positioned
separation you need. Some photographers
directly above and slightly behind the subject.
place the background light on the floor, without
Try a dish reflector with a snoot or honeycomb
a stand. A standard reflector will do the job.
grid.
45
EDUCATION PORTRAITURE LIGHTING SET UP
4 Light Combination camera’s LCD screen.
In addition to the hair light, or instead of
the hair light, some photographers skim the light around the side of the face. The light is positioned behind and to the side of the subject, creating a highlight which is sometimes called a kicker. If you don’t need a hair light (perhaps your subject is bald), you may choose a kicker instead.
The biggest challenge with a hair light is
positioning it above your subject, safely. A ceiling mount or a boom arm on a solid lighting stand will work. power, it will not only fill in the shadows, but overpower the key light as well. This isn’t the
BACKGROUND LIGHT
result you want.
The final light is for the background. You might
just position this on the ground, using a narrow
Generally speaking, the fill light is one to
three stops (EV) less than the key light.
dish reflector so you can control how the light spills onto the background.
HAIR LIGHT
How do you separate your subject’s hair from
setting, adjusting it so the result looks pleasing
the background? This can be a big issue when
on the back of your camera’s LCD screen.
shooting dark haired subjects against a dark
background: there is no difference between the
portraiture, but the lighting pattern on the
hair and the backdrop and the resulting image
opening page is typical for a standard portrait
is ambiguous.
sitting.
The solution is to light the hair separately. Again,
choose the power output carefully because too
or super creative, rather it is about ensuring
much will overexpose the hair, whereas too little
the subject is the most important aspect of
and the hair light won’t be visible.
the photo. The lighting makes it easy for the
viewer to engage with the subject, without
Fortunately, it’s an easy matter to experiment
and you’ll clearly see when it’s working on your
46
Once again, keep an eye on the power
There are many ways to use four lights for
The result is not supposed to be tricky
overpowering her.
•
Luisa Dunn APP
47
EDUCATION
SpyderCheckr & Colorchecker There are many reasons for using a grey card or a set of colour patches for every professional shoot: easy white balance, colour and tonal accuracy, and then there is the theatre of being a professional photographer too!
TAGS Equ ip m e n t Ca mer a s Co lo ur Management
48
Most photographers are shooting raw files. If
adjustment are easily accommodated.
you’re only shooting JPGs, then either you are
an expert with a specific need (e.g. press or
the scene with either neutral values (like a
sport), or possibly you don’t really know what
sheet of white paper, a proper ‘grey card’ or a
you’re doing!
more sophisticated series of colour and tone
swatches). You don’t leave the target in every
The reason for talking about JPGs is that
Step two is to photograph a ‘target’ in
it can be really difficult to adjust the white
photograph, just the first shot at the beginning
balance if you’ve captured it poorly in camera.
of each shoot or change of lighting conditions.
In comparison, a raw file is much easier to
manipulate and adjust and for this reason
your files, step three is to open the test file and,
alone, it is the preferred capture format in most
using the colour temperature tools (the colour
situations.
picker or colour temperature selector), click on
the target to set a neutral colour temperature
Accurate or pleasing colour is one of
After the shoot, when you’re processing
the hallmarks of high quality professional
setting.
photography. When your client looks at the
work you are presenting, there should be no
setting and apply it to all the other images
unwanted colour casts. Either the colour should
taken under the same lighting conditions and,
be natural, or if natural is not pleasing (such as
in theory, your colour balance problems have
tungsten lighting), then it should be corrected.
been solved!
CHEAP AND CHEERFUL
WHY BOTHER?
There are a number of ways you can easily
It’s true that many photographers may never
produce natural or corrected colour in your files.
consider colour temperature as a major concern
and, to be blunt, it shows in the standard of
Step one is to shoot raw files so later colour
Step four is to copy this colour temperature
Using a target like this SpyderChekr from Datacolor for each shoot is sensible practice for many situations. 49
Both Xrite and Datacolor provide a target and software solution for profiling your camera.
50
EDUCATION
their work. You only have to look through a
and, if you take the theory all the way through,
sub-standard portfolio of wedding or portrait
even the lenses will have an impact (due to the
images with ugly skin tones to understand
different multi-coatings and glass properties).
what I mean. That’s not what we should be
presenting to our clients.
several dozen different swatches is that a profile
can adjust the colour channels separately
Sure, there will be times when even a target
The advantage of using a colour target with
won’t solve all your colour problems, but in 95%
(which a white balance does not), thus giving
of situations, this simple procedure will make a
you an even more accurate result.
big difference.
camera profile will also open up your files to use
If you’re going to use a white sheet of paper,
However, in addition to more accuracy, a
don’t use a glossy sheet, nor a tinted sheet.
the full tonal and colour range available from
You’re better off looking for a neutral grey, but
your sensor - your images may look cleaner,
even these can be problematic because they
brighter, just like they’re freshly out of the wash!
might not be neutral. Your best solution is to buy a purpose-made photography target with
SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS
known values that are truly neutral.
Both Xrite and Datacolor offer comprehensive
solutions with separate apps or a plug-in that
And while it might seem to be a bit silly,
going through this process in front of your
works with Lightroom to produce the camera
clients, even asking them to hold the target
profiles.
for the first photograph, establishes you as a
serious photographer. Yes, it is partly theatre,
profile, load the photo into the software which
but it’s something they are unlikely to do
reads the colour values and then produces a
themselves. It’s also something they don’t
profile that will correct all your images. As a
completely understand - which helps establish
compromise, you often photograph the targets
you as an expert and someone they should feel
in one or two ‘typical’ lighting situations, so it
comfortable to employ.
becomes a combination of using the camera
FUR THER DE TAILS
profile and making a white balance adjustment.
w w w.kayellau strali a.com . au
Simply speaking, you photograph the
PROFILE YOUR CAMERA
You can take the simple white balance setting a
instructions and cost from $75 to $400,
step further and create a custom profile for your
depending on the number of swatches and the
camera. Of course, a camera profile will change
accuracy required.
every time you change your lighting conditions
Both systems come with comprehensive
Or a grey card might cost you just $20!
51
PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE AIPP