Best technique to shoot whole room panoramic photos using 35mm lenses

There are many  options for camera to capture panorama image,Unfortunately some with most expensive and priced out of reach for most people and used just for specialized tools rather then general.
The Hasselblad X-pan and Fuji 617 medium format camera is one of a popular camera for panorama as the ability to combine two images into a single 35mm frame.

The good news today is that you don't need to spend much money to buy cameras and special lenses to shoot  panoramic image, with a little trick using a 35mm lens that you already have, combining some of the frame 35mm in a panoramic format using software to create panoramic image. This article will explain the process of making high-resolution  panoramic image using a 35mm frame.

Keys to produce good panoramas is to set up your equipment meticulously before taking the primary frame. an ideal set-up before shooting can create the stitching significantly easier later. Here are some easy steps to follow to get nice panoramas:

• Place the tripod should be leveled perfectly. several tripods have alittle bubble level to enable this. ensure that the bubble is perfectly targeted. a completely level tripod will enable the panning to be perfectly horizontal with no vertical offset between the various photos which will be used to create the panorama.
• Purpose the camera at the tallest space that you simply need to capture and choose a focal length lens that enables you to capture the tallest component. If you're using a zoom lens, zoom to the correct focal length to get the tallest object within the frame. you may need to leave a small degree extra space to permit for perfecting the final crop later.
• Compose the shot on the tallest part of the panorama and then level the camera perfectly within the horizontal axis (left to right). A bubble level that clips into your hot-shoe comes in terribly handy here. As a less correct different, a gridded focusing screen will be used. Again, this leveling step is imperative in order that the different pictures have good registration with one another for later stitching. Lock your tripod heads ball or the vertical control on a tilt and pan head tight so your leveled panorama system isn't compromised. At this time, you'll be able to freely swing the camera left and right using the pan control on your tripod head.
• If your shot needs the use of a split neutral density filter you may need to set it up at this time. find the area in your pan which will require the split ND filter to possess its graduation set at the lowest purpose in the image. Set your filter for this space. always keep in mind to use your depth of field preview button to accurately place the filter.
• Meter the scene in no matter mode you would normally meter it in however ensure you take your meter reading off of the brightest section of your panorama to avoid overexposure. this can be especially necessary if you're using transparency film or digital film as these media are not tolerant of overexposure. Lock that meter reading into the camera in MANUAL exposure mode. it's important not to use auto-exposure when doing panoramas as you wish the shutter speed and aperture to remain constant for eachframe. If you do not try this, stitching along frames of various brightness or depth of field is very difficult.
• Work from left to right as each film and digital pictures are indexed from left to right – it simply makes it easier after you assemble the final image. Compose your first shot at the far left and press the shutter whereas committing a feature along the correct edge to memory.
• Pan the camera to the right and ensure you leave at least {20|twenty} to 25th of overlap area in each frame referencing off of the feature you committed to memory within the first frame. If you utilize a grid type focusing screen, using the rightmost and leftmost vertical grid makes a good reference purpose and permits for lots of overlap. Continue taking shots till you have completed the sequence. Note that in rapidly changing light-weight, it's important to finish your work as quickly as possible. this can be another reason to form positive you have everything set-up perfectly ahead of time. 

Some photographer create  panoramic image in landscape view. Although this is effective, may cause very narrow with a vertical view panoramic restricted. An alternative method is to take pictures in portrait mode. This has two important advantages. In the first place, there are 1.5 times as much information and then, the vertical resolution. Secondly, a focal length used to induce the perspective distortion less. If possible, I recommend you stay away from the focal lengths of less than about 35 mm, if you shoot in portrait or 28 mm when shooting in landscape mode, for any angle on the vertical axis (up and down) with a distorted view of the stitching to make the process difficult.

More suggestion! Do not use a polarizer in the days with blue skies. The polarizer darkens the sky, although most in a 90 degree angle to the sun. Since you're going to take a picture that usually takes a substantial arc of the sky can appear unnaturally dark areas where the camera is left with an angle of 90 degrees in the sun. If you want to darken the sky, instead of using a neutral density filter division.

Once you processing the slides and scan, or use images from the digital storage medium, it is time to unite. There are many ways, but this is by far the simplest and most effective way to do this is with a program called ArcSoft Panorama Maker 3 ($ 40 - www.arcsoft.com) do. This software automates many functions of sewing, including the search for optimal exposure, and sutures between frames. Sometimes in low contrast / detail situations, help you find the best stitches, but still makes the process much easier than any other method. A further advantage of the Maker Panorama 3 is not limited to vertical linear network. The software is a reproduction of the transparent, even if the transition is a curve optimal, in a zig-zag or otherwise. You can also replace the key points that the selected program. The program will issue a TIFF file, which can then be loaded into an editing program like Photoshop popular image can then be processed normally.

Other way, you can use your image editing software to use the images together manually, but this is much more work. This is achieved by dividing each frame into a single document as a separate layer. Here are their intersections until you see the result you get. With the guides can help this process. You'll need a bit 'image processing know-how and familiarity with the program, to do well.

If the images that make up the landscape was remarkable tilt up or down, and a wide angle lens are recorded, the difficulties caused by the perspective distortion of leaflets. For example, if your 24 mm lens is slightly tilted, if you took the picture, the right point of an arc, like a smiley face from the perspective distortion. In this case, it is necessary to include the perspective of each of the individual frames in the image editing software before, fix the seams (in Photoshop: Edit> Transform> Perspective distortion). This makes the process much more difficult to record the images to each well. It 's better to keep the camera right in this situation, the perspective distortion, and later crop for purposes of composition.

With careful and precise set-up, wonderful  panoramic image will be created with the camera equipment you already own. Before attempting this in those fleeting moments of excellent light, provides it a attempt at home. you'll set up your camera in your front yard and shoot  panoramic image of your neighborhood to apply. go out and provides it a attempt so you may be ready to capture that magnificent scene after you are out in the field!

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How To Capture Fall Colors

Colors in potography will make the image brighter and more alive, thats a reason for many photographer still waiting to capture fall colors becomes a very colorful picture.

For maximum results, there some techniques and practices to capture fall colors look charming. following article will explain tips on autumn colours , accompanied by examples of images that can be your inspiration.

Planning for fall color

The first factor you would like to do is set up your location. If travelling domestically, you've got the advantage of visiting the place more and more. If you travel abroad or cross-country, however, then you may need some plane before departure some best locations to go to for call colors and therefore the best time inside the autumn season.

Other factor you have to recollect is weather condition. Going to rain for the whole day is pointless to go . if you're planning for capture a sunrise or sunset, you need to remember times for sunrise and sunset. arrange your trip carefully and everything going to work simply fine.

Time when capture

You may hear several photographers saying that the most effective time of day is around sunrise, others like sunset. the actual fact is that the vast majority will visit throughout the day.

For times, there is no rule for that  to capture fall colors. throughout the first morning hours, you're a lot of lucky with mist. during sunset you may probably experience beautiful aspect lighting and during the day, lightweight beams in a forest returning from above or gorgeous subtle light during a cloudy day. the selection is yours to be there on no matter time you want. One issue is definite, select the situation carefully and you'rein for an enormous surprise.

Equipment nou may need

You don't need an upscale camera and lens, simply the one you own can do the work nicely. Our recommendation would be to use some of the following equipment to capture fall colors:

• Tripod: If in the woods, you are more likely to experience slow shutter speeds in which case, a tripod will be a necessity. Is that the only reason? Of course not. A tripod will slow you down and this in return, will greatly help with your compositions. Slow down and think about your compositions and take your time to make sure they are all spot on.

• Circular Polarizing Filter: This is the best filter you will need for capturing Autumn colours. It will not only supply your images with vibrant colours, it will also take away any glare from wet surfaces.

• Umbrella: This will come in handy not just in case it rains but also in the case you need to diffuse the light off a small area.

• Padded mat: Remember that you might have to spend time on your knees, this will offer some comfort and extend shooting times.

• Macro Lens: If you own one, it can come in very handy as there is plenty of close up photography to be had.

What to shoot and what to look for:

Here we have added a list of things to look for, accompanied with some lovely images.

Compose so that the surrounding areas / background are darker and/or dissimilar colors, so that the fall colors really stand out.

Aspens And Other Trees

A stand of Aspens is always a delight to photograph, especially when they are bathed with golden early morning or late evening light. Also, Aspen leaves offer one of the most stunning colour in nature’s palette.

Solitary Trees

Solitary or stand alone trees can be a superb subject as they provide you with an almost blank canvas full of colour. Make sure you allow for enough breathing space around the tree in the frame. Their colour works well in combination with green grass and blue sky. (Related Article :Tree Photography Techniques)

Stormy Weather

Keep an eye on these sudden stormy patterns in weather. They do not only bring rain but also mood, stunning light changes, rainbows and many more surprises. (Related Article: How to Photograph in the Rain)

Hit The Floor

Get down low and put that ultra wide angle lens to test and of course, why not try a strange angle by using a fisheye lens? (Relate Article:Get Creative with a Fisheye Lens).

Combine Colours

Move closer or zoom in on those beautiful details. Combine colours, contrast, textures and patterns. (Related Article: Tips on photographing household objects).

Get Closer, Use A Macro Lens

Use macro lens you have in your bag and hasn’t been used for ages. Get in close and isolate your subject. Create a beautiful design and use shallow depth of field to emphasise details. (Related Article:Macro Photography, lets get started).

No Need To Go Far

Remember that some times, you do not have to go far to catch the Autumns colours, they can also be found in your house. We need to remember that many of us for any reason, can’t get out or not fully mobile. For all those people we have one word to say, improvise, create your own Autumn colours. You can pick up a leaf or two from the garden or even a bunch of things from the veg basket.

A Walk In The Park

Some times your local park can be a great source of inspiration as there is more than you think all around, all you need to do is open your eyes and start looking for various subjects like: Trees in a row, scattered leaves on the ground and so on.

Reflections

Many parks, woods, little forests or even out in the grand open spaces include some sort of pool, little lake or any other water feature. We should not forget the importance of water in Autumn colour photography and the amount of creativity it can offer. Even colour reflected can create stunning images, without the foliage being even seen.

Visit A Vineyard

Many of us live in countries that produce grapes and wine. Don’t forget to visit a vineyard near by, Autumn is the season for grape picking and human activity and colours are the order of the day.

Grand Vistas

And finally, we shouldn’t forget the grand vistas, the ones that every landscape photographer dreams and constantly talks about. Approach them with the same care that you would any other time of year.

Keep all this advice in mind, get out there and have fun.

Source Article and Images: http://landscapephotographymagazine.com

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All in one zoom lenses Pros and Cons

All in-one zoom lens - Having a single lens to cover everything from ultrawide to strong telephoto is incredibly appealing, but how well do these extreme zooms perform in a variety of situations? We’ll show you where the trade-offs are.

For outdoor photographers, the all in one zoom lens provide great benefits due to the power of a telephoto lens in wide angle, but the size is lightweight and versatile, All in one  zoom is very easy to pack in a smaller bag. if you have to choose a lens that can handle almost any situation, then a superzoom lens could be your consideration, here are the pros and cons.

PROS: Focal-Length Flexibility
a wide range of focal lengths in an exceedingly single lens clearly is incredibly convenient. a single superzoom might cover all of your desires when you are traveling or hiking within the outdoors. you will not miss shots due to you did not have the correct lens on the camera when the photo op occurred—zooming to the proper focal length is far quicker than changing lenses within the heat of instantly, and it's usually easier than changing your position. Also, these All in one  zooms provide you with the flexibility to shoot a wide-angle landscape and then zoom in on wildlife in a second. The focal-length flexibility is that the strongest single advantage of an All in one zoom."

CONS: Not Sharp
The main downside to All in one zooms is that they aren't quite as sharp at any given focal length as a shorter-range pro zoom or a prime lens of that focal length. Each focal length creates its own aberrations and distortions, and requires its own solutions. It's tough enough to minimize these problems for a single focal length; to do it throughout a wide range of focal lengths, especially when trying to keep bulk and cost down, is quite a challenge. That the lens makers do it so well is a remarkable achievement, but you should understand that there are limitations, and you're more apt to see those limitations with today's high-pixel-count DSLRs or mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. That said, the superzooms usually perform better than the typical 18-55mm kit zooms sold with many DSLRs, making them great alternatives or step-up lenses.


PROS: Compact Package
Next to focal-length flexibility, the main advantage of the All in one zooms is their compactness. Most measure around 3x4 inches (diameter x length) and weigh 15 to 20 ounces. That's remarkable considering that they provide every focal length from true wide-angle well into telephoto territory. That certainly beats carting several lenses around when you want to travel light. For a photographer on a road trip, it also means you don't have a large camera bag in your car tempting would-be thieves. With just a camera body and a single lens, you can easily conceal your gear or carry it with you everywhere you go.

CONS: Slower Than Pro Zooms
Being slower, the superzooms don't let you limit depth of field so much, and they produce a dimmer viewfinder image. Typical superzooms are variable aperture, and their range is usually from ƒ/3.5 to ƒ/5.6 or ƒ/6.3. For example, an 18-250mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 zoom has a maximum aperture of ƒ/3.5 at 18mm, slowing to ƒ/6.3 at 250mm. The minimum aperture also changes as you zoom; for our example lens, that's ƒ/22 at 18mm to ƒ/40 at 250mm.


That's in contrast to shorter-range pro zoom lenses, which typically have ƒ/2.8 maximum apertures and maintain that maximum aperture throughout their focal-length range. This makes the pro zoom much better for shooting in dim light, especially at the longer end of its range. An ƒ/2.8 aperture lets in twice as much light as an ƒ/4, and four times as much light as an ƒ/5.6, for example. Faster lenses also provide a brighter SLR viewfinder image for composing and visual focus confirmation, and faster lenses help considerably with autofocus. And a wider maximum aperture means you can shoot with less depth of field, which is necessary for selective-focus images of flowers and such at the long end of the focal-length range.

We've pictured several popular models. 1) Canon EF 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6L IS USM; 2) AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6G ED VR; 3) Sigma 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM.

If your shooting style usually requires maximum depth of field and you don't rely on fast autofocus, you may not feel the effects of a superzoom's slow maximum aperture too much. However, if you need top autofocus performance, the all in one zoom won't be an ideal choice.

4) Canon EF-S 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS; 5) AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-5.6G ED VR II; 6) Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM.

PROS: Good Close-Up Capability
Most all in one zooms will focus down to under 20 inches, close enough to provide 1/4 life-size images at the image plane when set to their longest focal length. That's not true macro territory, which would be 1:1, but it's close enough to do some amazing flower and insect portraits.

CON: Not True Macro Performance
Besides being able to focus down to 1:1, true macro lenses are optimized for close shooting distances. As "generalists," the all in one zooms aren't as sharp as true macro lenses at close range. Superzooms are able to focus down to 20 inches or less when set at their longest focal length, but many of them also shorten the actual focal length as they're focused at close range: an 18-200mm zoom set at 200mm and focused at its minimum focusing distance actually may have a focal length of 140mm or so. This isn't really all that significant of a problem. You don't get the magnification you might expect from 200mm at 20 inches, but you still get that 1/4 life-size or better magnification, and with it, good close-up capability.


PRO: Relatively Inexpensive
Many of the all in one zooms sell at estimated street prices of under $600, some for as little as $300. That makes them great deals in terms of cost and versatility. If you were collecting a number of lenses to fill the same 8x or greater superzoom focal range, you easily could spend a couple thousand dollars or more—much more. The superzooms incorporate low-dispersion and aspherical elements to reduce the adverse effects of aberrations and distortions, and do a remarkably good job, considering their cost and focal-length range. Their price makes a superzoom a very attractive option for many photographers.


CON: You Can't Expect A $500 Lens To Perform Like A Pair Of $1,500 Lenses
Higher-end lenses feature better materials and construction to obtain better optical and mechanical performance, and those cost money. You're not going to get the most exotic optical elements and rugged, weatherproof pro construction in a $500 superzoom.

9) Tamron 18-270mm Di II VC PZD; 10) Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 18-180mm ƒ/3.5-6.3; 11) Sony SEL 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3.

 PRO: Save Money On Filters
If you have several lenses, each with a different diameter, you'll need a set of filters for each sized lens, or a series of adapter rings (which could cause vignetting when used with wide-angle settings). With a superzoom, one of each filter type covers all of your focal lengths. You just need one polarizer, neutral-density, grad, etc., instead of one for each lens you have. Besides the cost savings, using one superzoom in place of several prime lenses or shorter-range zooms means less stuff to keep track of like filters, lens caps and cases.

PRO: Fewer Lens Changes
A wide-range zoom means fewer lens changes in the field—and that means less dust on the camera's sensor assembly. This is even more important with mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, which don't have a DSLR's mirror to help deflect incoming dust particles from the sensor.

All-In-One Zooms
FOR FULL-FRAME (also can be used on APS-C):	Elements/ Groups	MFD	Max Magnif.	Filter Size	Size (in.)	Weight (oz.)	Est. Street Price
Canon EF 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6L IS USM	22/16	27.6 in.	0.30x	77mm	3.6x7.2	58.9	$2,689
AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6G ED VR	19/14	19.3 in.	0.32x	77mm	3.3x4.5	28.2	$949
Sigma 50-500mm F/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM	20/16	19.7 in	0.32x	95mm	4.1x8.6	69.5	$1,659
Tamron 28-200mm F/3.8-5.6 XR Di	15/14	19.3 in	0.25x	62mm	2.8x3.0	12.5	$299
Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di	12/9	19.3 in	0.34x	62mm	2.9x3.3	14.8	$419
Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD	12/9	19.3 in	0.33x	67mm	3.1x3.9	19.4	$629
FOR APS-C ONLY:
Canon EF-S 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 IS	16/12	17.6 in.	0.24x	72mm	3.1x4.0	20.1	$699
AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-5.6G ED VR II	16/12	19.2 in.	0.22x	72mm	3.0x3.8	19.8	$849
Sigma 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 DC	15/13	17.7 in.	0.23x	62mm	2.8x3.1	14.3	$279
Sigma 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM	18/13	17.7 in.	0.26x	72mm	3.1x3.9	21.5	$499
Sigma 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM	18/14	17.7 in.	0.29x	72mm	3.1x4.0	22.2	$479
Sony DT 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-6.3	15/13	19.2 in.	0.27x	62mm	2.9x3.4	14.0	$549
Sony DT 18-250mm ƒ/3.5-6.3	16/13	19.2 in.	0.29x	62mm	3.0x3.4	15.5	$649
Tamron AF18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD	15/13	17.7 in.	0.27x	62mm	2.9x3.3	14.0	$299
Tamron AF18-270mm Di II VC PZD	16/13	19.3 in.	0.26x	62mm	2.9x3.5	15.9	$649
Tokina AT-X 16.5-135mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 DX	15/9	19.7 in.	0.19x	77mm	3.5x3.1	21.5	$299
FOR FOUR THIRDS SYSTEM:
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 18-180mm ƒ/3.5-6.3	15/13	17.6 in.	0.23x	62mm	3.1x3.3	15.3	$499
FOR MICRO FOUR THIRDS SYSTEM:
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital 14-150mm ƒ/4.0-5.6	13/10	36.0 in.	0.16x	58mm	2.5x3.3	18.5	$299
Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm ƒ/4.0-5.8	17/13	19.7 in.	0.20x	62mm	2.8x3.3	16.2	$649
FOR SONY NEX:
Sony SEL 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3	15/13	12.0 in	0.27x	67mm	3.0x4.0	18.5	$898
Tamron 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC	17/13	19.7 in.	0.27x	62mm	2.7x3.8	16.2	$739

Key: MFD: Minimum focusing distance Max. Magnif: Maximum magnification; 1.0x equals life-size, 0.25x equals ¼ life-size (at the image plane)

The chart above lists currently available all in one zooms (8x and greater) from the major camera brands.

Source Article : http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/

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Simplicity Way Capturing Maternity Photo

There is always a way to make maternity photos look beautiful and detailed though a simple manner, location, clothing, the results obtained can be kept in the exploration. maternity photos are very good to keep simple due to the mother look busy prepares a baby arrive so the time to produce an image are seen to be less remarkable or mother doesn't have more energy to stand up several hours in the shooting. The following article will explain simple ways to capture maternity photos.

The place to  capture maternity photo

Choose an outside location depend on how willing your expectant mum is on venturing out. Hiking out to a distant waterfall in the jungle could be out of the question! do you have a beach nearby? Or a pleasant neighborhood park? Even somewhere as easy because the brick wall of a house will create for an amazing outdoor venue with lots of texture and contrast. (read 10 Parks Photography tips from Ralph Lee Hopkins)

The client could be one who’s on doctor’s orders to remain in bed. Your location is currently chosen for you. you may feel ‘stuck’ creatively by being at someone’s home, however don’t let that get you down! There are several choices at hand.

Think about using the nursery or a pretty window on the landing. perhaps it’s their house that has the good brick wall! Or their garden, driveway, fountain, water feature, pond, library, kitchen.

Equipment you might need

Most of the time all a shoot like this involves is your camera and favorite portrait lens. If shooting inside, think about bringing your flash, atiny low spotlight (or use a lamp already at the house). If outside think about contemplate a reflector…and that’s about it really! clearly, don’t forget all of your back-up bits and bobs like a spare battery, next favorite lens, additional batteries for your flash, and all the rest.

The Outfit

This will possibly depend on what the mother feels most comfy in. you'll be able to after all make some suggestions! Dresses would appear the foremost feminine and depending on the material used can provide off totally different sentiments like romance, love, beauty, nurturing, etc. The manner dresses fall over the body shows the expectant form wonderfully and will flatter any figure.

The ther outfits would possibly  a men’s outsized shirt with buttons undone halfway right down to show belly. Or for a more elegant look come with piece of long cloth to drape over female form in varied ways. For more casual look, go along with a tube top or bikini top with unbuttoned pre-pregnancy jeans to indicate off belly’s size & contrast. place confidence in jeans and an easy tank top, placing color mixtures, stripes/dots or lingerie.

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Guide to Use LumiQuest’s Fold Flat Softbox

LumiQuest Softbox III - The power of little flash units is actually outstanding. From battery powered flash units, we are able to pull enough lightweight for wildlife, portraits, and lighting entire scenes. However, generally that light-weight are often harsh and unflattering to subjects. Modifiers are an amazing way to soften the sunshine and unfold it a lot of evenly, and these days we’ll be viewing one of the most effective ones out there, the LumiQuest Softbox III.

Why use Softbox?

The form of a softbox is to melt the light from a flash supply. If you’ve visited or tried the setup of huge photo studios, you would possibly have noticed big flash units, usually known as monolights or strobes. You’ll nearly always see some variety of modifier connected to these unit, whether it’s a big umbrella, a softbox, or a more unique form of modifier like a beauty dish.

The truth is that for flattering photos of subjects, direct light from these units is almost always too harsh and throws unsightly shadows on the person being photographed.

When we think of light, we should always keep in mind the size of our source. An example that I frequently use is the sun and clouds. If you’ve ever been out and taken pictures on a bright and sunny day, you’ll notice the harsh shadows almost anywhere you look. Portraits in direct sunlight will feature big shadows under the chin or around the eyes, depending on the placement of the sun.

Now, consider the quality of light that you’ll observe on cloudy days. Even if you can’t see the sun directly, it passes through the clouds and is softened. Shadows on subjects are almost unobservable when there are clouds to diffuse the sun’s rays. In some ways, clouds are the world’s largest softboxes. They increase the size of the light source (in this case the sun) from a tiny dot in the sky to the size of the entire sky. The light is then described as soft.

The relationship in size with flash units is much the same. If we use a bare flash, the quality of our light is going to be harsh. We are pushing a lot of light out of a relatively small rectangle, so harsh light is the result. You’ll see photographers bounce flash to get around this, but another great way is to use a softbox.

The important part of my personal flash philosophy is mixing ambient light with light from flash units. If you aren’t familiar with the term “ambient”, it simply refers to the light that’s already in a scene. It can be something like the sunlight coming through the windows, or the lamp that lights up a living room. Sometimes, it’s not enough to light a scene, so we mix in flash with the ambient light.
However, flash can have a dominant effect. This is where a softbox becomes invaluable: softening the light introduced by the flash to appear more like ambient.

As you may have already learned with photography, there are rarely absolutes. Soft light isn’t what we are always looking for, but when we do, we look to softboxes as the perfect way to lose the harsh shadows and provide great light.

LumiQuest Softbox III

Awhile back, I began becoming interested in using flash in a less obtrusive way. I loved that I could manufacture my own light on location, but I wasn’t always pleased with the quality of light that my flash units provided me. I once told a friend that my goal with flash was always to make it seem as if I hadn’t used flash.

When a fellow photographer offered up this softbox as a solution, I took the plunge. It was inexpensively priced at under $40 and was virtually a no brainer. Additionally, it didn’t require any type of special connector or attachment to affix to my flash unit of choice, and worked with all of my flash units.

Another one of the things that attracted me to this product was the amazing form factor that it provides. It can fold down and fit flat in my camera bag and can spring to life in a matter of seconds.
The best modifiers are the ones that you will actually carry, so this softbox scores big in this category. I’ve got enough big accessories that stay at home because they’re inconvenient to carry. So when I add something, size is always important.

After receiving the softbox, I couldn’t wait to get started with lighting scenes. Setup was nearly instantaneous. The flaps of the softbox have the crinkly velcro that attached to the soft velcro on my 285HV. One thing that I might suggest is to pick up a Honl Speed Strap. This wraps around the flash and the softbox and keeps the connection tight. The softbox is pretty lightweight so it won’t fall off easily.

I used some metallic, reflective blinds to give you a better idea of how this softbox modifies the light. The top photo shows off the effect of direct flash, while the bottom shows off the impact of the LumiQuest Softbox III. As you can see, the light has a much greater spread and throws off far less harsh reflection in the center. The reflection from the blinds is different because the light is softer when you use the softbox. Harsh light throws back harsh reflections, so imagine the ways that a softbox will aid in providing high quality light in portraits.

In this photo using bare flash, some reflective glare appeared in the center of the image.

This photo used the softbox and the result is a much greater, even spread of light. (The vignetting was an effect of the lens and aperture being used)

The cool thing about softboxes is the fact that they can be used for so many different things and in so many different ways. I spent the afternoon making some shots with this softbox to show off the variety of things that can be accomplished with it and a small flash unit.

LumiQuest’s for Studio Portraits

It doesn’t take renting space and furnishing a studio to get those great studio quality photos. With this softbox, all it takes is a flash unit and a large enough space to manufacture studio style portraits from anywhere in the world.

Lighting Environments in LumiQuest’s Fold Flat Softbox

One of my favorite tricks to light creatively is to apply gels. It can make a part of a photo really stand out. Gels are simply colored, semi transparent thin plastic that go over flash units to change the color of the light involved.

In this photo, I used the flash with a softbox and a yellow gel to light the mailboxes outside my apartment. It makes them stand out and appear unnatural in a good way, although the softbox makes it look perhaps as if I didn’t use a harsh flash. The effect here is to provide a light that appears from nowhere, yet doesn’t have the telltale look of bare flash.

Environmental Portraits 

One of the most ideal applications for a softbox like the LumiQuest is to utilize it on the go in environmental portraits. When I use the term “environmental portraits”, this just refers to placing a subject somewhere outside a studio in the midst of any type of environment. The truth of the matter is that you will rarely have ideal lighting for photographing a person. Although natural light works quite frequently, the truth is that only flash can provide certain lighting looks. If that’s what you’re looking for, the need to introduce flash arises.

However, with bare bulb flash (no modifier) we are somewhat tied to a look. Bare flash is harsh. Again, this isn’t always bad, but if we’re looking for natural yet unique lighting, introducing flash with the LumiQuest softbox III attached is the perfect solution. That’s exactly what I applied when I ventured out for the evening with a friend. We were testing it and fired a test shot in the nearby woods in front of some train tracks. It was almost pitch black, but we used the softbox with our flash unit to provide simple yet effective lighting.

Conclution

In all, I can’t recommend a softbox such as this one enough. It may sound cliche, but it’s truly a game changer when it comes to using small flash units. I feel as if I can get the best of both worlds, portability and quality, from the small flash units that have somewhat limited my lighting style in the past. Inexpensively priced and extremely portable, it’s not hard to justify a spot in your bag for it.

Above just few examples of the use of applications with flash softbox. and only a small part that can be done by this great application. you'll be able to flip to a softbox any time that you simply wishto subtly add in your own soft light. bare bulb flash definitely has its place in my list of flash tricks, however I notice myself turning to applying natural flash techniques a lot of usually that mimic the design of ambient light.

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Best 5 iPhone Photo Editor Apps

There are many applications for iphone and one of is an application for photo editing. Take pictures, editing and share online are a favored flexibility on iphone. However too many option for photo editing for the features offered can be a problem. following are best 5 iPhone photo editor apps  you really need and can be your consideration

PicYou iPhone Photo Editor

One distinct quality of PicYou is its eye-candy interface in each the web and the iPhone. Its full-screen high definition showmanship definitely offers out what one extremely desires out of iphone a photo editor. Its responsiveness is maybe the best out there. and more, you'll be able also share those photos with no problem. With these qualities in mind, I’m pleasantly surprised to know it’s free. however I doubt it will keep that manner due to its solidity.

PowerCam iPhone Photo Editor

If your creativity is quite more the average, then PowerCam should suit you. Tools like tilt-shift, sketching, color splash and more than 50 effects are out there for you to tinker on. Plus, if you're social website fan, you can share your photos on Flickr, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and others with a flick of a finger. therefore grab it now while it’s still free.

Procamera iPhone Photo Editor

Skilled photography is all regarding composition and Procamera simply offersyou that. you'll additionally tap anywhere on the viewfinder once you area ready to take the shot. The professional mode and anti shake options are simply bonuses for you to play with. It’s also stacked with different features for you to get a hand on for only $2.99, of course.

Hipstamatic iPhone Photo Editor

This app allows you to bring out the old fashioned and creative side of you. It features an extended line of filter modes for you to decide on from. choose among weird lighted effects, blurry-laden objects, to awesomely faulty vignetting that offers out a special and odd look to your photos. Ever wonder about that sure something that is bizaarely different from the others? Hipstamatic is one that I can think about and it’s smart for $1.99.

Instagram iPhone Photo Editor

Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Flickr and lots of common social sites all came from scratch. Instagram might be joining these social-themed websites soon due to its social capability. This app keeps simplicity in check by removing the sense of complicated editing and focuses on its strong quality; photo sharing. To use Instagram, you have got to create you own account and at that time, you can show your photos to people on-line all for free.



5 iPhone apps photo editior apps above are most frequently used, it is very difficult to choose the best applications in the fifth, all up to you to choose the best iPhone Photo Editor apps in accordance with the features you like best.

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