Photographing deserts Archives - Infrared Conversions, IR Modifications & Photography Tutorials

6 Beginner Tips For Photographing Sand Dunes

Sand dunes can be incredibly challenging to photograph. With the right lighting and subject, your sand dune photos can be brilliant and intriguing. But there are compositional challenges as well as general safety issues when photographing near sand. Good composition can be difficult because of the lack of points of interest in places like the desert. You also have to constantly be aware of not leaving behind footprints as well as keeping your camera safe. Fear not because here are 6 tips to help you when photographing sand dunes.

Know the dangers

The first thing that you should always be aware of is the weather. It may be pretty hot or possibly even cold (at nights) in deserts so make sure that you are appropriately dressed. Early morning is better than sunset due to the extreme heat conditions. But sunsets will also provide a wonderful light. Sand and especially dunes are also challenging to walk on and can be very tiring and hard work, especially in hot conditions. So make sure you carry plenty of water and take regular breaks under shade if possible. It is also vital to pay attention to your route, so you know how to find your way back in the dark.

It’s not just your safety that you need to be aware of either. But also your sensitive, expensive equipment. Sand can be incredibly destructive for modern-day DSLRs so be very careful. Dust or sand can easily get blown into unsealed consumer-grade lenses and onto your sensor if you are changing lenses and scratch them. Weather sealed cameras are best and if you have two camera bodies take both to avoid changing lenses. Remember that even on a calm day the slightest gust of wind will blow sand around.

Be prepared

If it’s your first time photographing sand dunes start somewhere easy to get to and accessible so that you can practice. Going to Death Valley on your first attempt might not result in successful shots. Dunes can differ in shapes and other features based on wind or water differences. As a result, your composition will have to constantly change based on the scene you are faced with.

You also need to ensure that you bring the right equipment with you as it might be a long way back to the car if you haven’t packed something. As with any type of photography, a tripod is a must if you are planning on photographing early morning or late afternoon. Graduated ND filters will also be invaluable along with a polarizing filter. A towel or cloth is also useful to wrap or cover your camera with to stop any sand getting onto it. Use a UV filter attached to the front of your lens to protect the glass from sand and other flying debris. Finally, it’s a good idea to purchase insurance for your equipment.

Besides camera equipment safety, you should also wear sunscreen, and dress in layers. Remember that the weather changes drastically so bring a large-brimmed hat, sunscreen, and long-sleeved layers. These items may seem counter-intuitive when the weather is hot, but the long sleeves keep you cooler. There is also the extra benefit of additional sun protection. Being prepared for the elements will prevent losing a good shot due to discomfort.

Decide what you want

If you want a unique shot, you need to work for it. Finding a different vantage point or an unexpected angle will make a better picture. If the image is important enough, be prepared to have walk, hike or even camp to get it. But try to have an idea of what you are looking to capture. Is it the vastness of the desert? Is it the size of a sand dune? Or maybe you want to show activity like a car driving on sand dunes? It could be flora or fauna on sand dunes on a beach. The reason this is important is that all of these shots will require different types of planning and execution. For example, a photo of a 4×4 driving in the desert will need much faster settings than an empty landscape. By knowing what types of shots you want before you start you’ll have a better chance of capturing them.

Create a plan

Do not plan to take all your shots on the same day you first view the site. Explore the day beforehand, then plan your routes to avoid walking where you later wish you had not. For example, try to avoid walking on the ridge of a sand dune which will spoil those sharp edges. Instead, walk on the smooth sides where if you need to remove your footprints in post-production it is easier to do so.

When you get to the location you want to shoot, just pause for a few minutes and think about the composition, position of the sun and any other points of interest. Work out the different shots and angles before you start walking around.

Try to have a point of interest

Some scenes will be easier than others to photograph. For example, sand dunes on a beach might have rocks, boulders, buildings or flora and fauna to help you build your composition around. If there are elements like this, try to incorporate them into the shot. But if you are in the desert with nothing but endless sand, what do you do?

Well; for one, you can put a person (even yourself in the shot). This is a really great way to get a sense of scale across. For example, someone standing at the foot of a huge sand dune will immediately get across its size. Sand dunes themselves can also be your point of interest and you can also use the leading lines from them (or even on the sand itself) to help the viewer navigate the scene. The key is to have something within the shot that immediately catches the eye.

Lens and settings

There is no specific lens for photographing sand dunes. It really depends on what you want to achieve. A wide-angle lens is ideal for those epic landscape shots. But using a telephoto lens can also provide some wonderful result by compacting distances. It’s best not to take too many lenses as you should avoid changing lenses when you are near sand as much as possible.

Your settings will also be determined by what you are photographing. A typical landscape shot will require a long depth of field achieved through a narrow aperture. If you are shooting handheld, then a minimum shutter speed to avoid camera shake has to be considered. As does what you are photographing. For example, if you are photographing something moving like a person, animals or a vehicle than their speed will determine your shutter speed.

Sand dunes are often naturally in beautiful places. But they can also be difficult to capture well. The best way to improve your sand dune photography is to practice. Which can, unfortunately, be difficult for many who may not have any near them. But if you do get a chance to photograph sand dunes, be it in the desert or on beaches, use the tips above to guide you in getting those awesome shots.

Speed Up Your Processing with Lightroom Import Presets

We all know about presets in Lightroom and all the great things they can do your post processing. Presets help make your editing easier and make achieving a constant styling much more efficient. The biggest benefit of using presets is that they speed up your post processing so you can get back to making photographs, baking muffins, building model airplanes, or whatever it is you might rather be doing instead of sitting in front of your computer screen. But did you know you can use presets jumpstart your post processing efforts before you even import your photos into Lightroom?

In this article I’m going to show you how easy it is to apply presets to your photos as they import into Lightroom. These presets aren’t even limited to develop presets…oh no. You can even add in metadata presets like copyright information and keywording along with camera and lens profile information. This is the kind of thing that the pros use and you should as well. If you find yourself editing large batches(weddings, portraits, events) of similar photos then you’re going to love using import presets in Lightroom. Let’s get started.

Applying Presets on Import

It all starts here in the Import screen of Adobe Lightroom.

If you look to the right you’ll notice an ‘Apply During Import’ panel.

This is where all the magic will happen. Click on that tab to open up your options. From here we’ll have a few choices.

Develop Presets and Camera Calibration

Applying develop and camera calibration* presets as you import your photos into Lightroom couldn’t be easier. The process is essentially the same as it is while editing your images in the Develop Module. To begin, make sure you have the photos you wish to import with the preset. Next, click the ‘Develop Settings’ drop down. This will bring up a list of all the develop presets you have currently installed in Lightroom.

From here it’s simply a matter of selecting the preset you want to apply to the images you’re importing. After you’ve made you’ve made your choice click ‘Import’ and your photos will be brought into Lightroom with the chosen develop preset freshly applied.

**To apply camera calibration settings to your photos on import simply save them in a develop preset and then use the same steps as above.

Copyright and Metadata

Import presets aren’t limited to develop settings. We can also apply keywording and metadata(copyright information/location/creator) to each and every image we import. This helps to better organize or photos and perhaps more importantly, it allows us to protect them from unwanted use. Adding in keywords is super easy as you can type them right into the keyword box. Alternatively, you can add in keywords alongside your other metadata.

Assigning metadata to images is just as easy as applying develop presets. To start, click the ‘Metadata’ drop down arrow.

Select your preset or to add a new one click ‘New’. This launches the new metadata preset dialog box.

It’s here where you can add in virtually any information imaginable. When you’re finished be sure to name your new metadata preset. In the example above I’ve left the title as ‘Untitled Preset’ (I’m lazy) but it’s always a good idea to title any preset you make in such a way that you can immediately know what it contains. Once you’ve created the new preset it will then become selectable from the metadata preset drop down menu. After you’ve applied it, click ‘Import’. Your new metadata information will automatically be applied to each image you selected to import just as the develop settings were in the previous example.

Some Final Thoughts….

Import presets are a great way to easily jump start your processing workflow. By applying certain develop and metadata presets on import you can yourself a lot of time by having the settings you use the most already applied before any work actually begins. This becomes especially useful when you find yourself editing a large number of photos at once. Not only can import presets making editing a breeze but they can also play a big part in protecting your photos by attaching important copyright information to your photos. If you haven’t already give import presets a try and see just how much they can help you and your photography.

Working with Texture in Photography

As a word, “texture” carries quite a few meanings. For photographers, texture is a concept that is often difficult to explain. It’s almost as if it has to be shown instead of merely described. Texture is simply the pronounced visualization of the surface feel of an object which is photographed. Now, you may be thinking “well, everything has texture…”. While this is true, the way in which that tactile nature of whatever you’re shooting can play a huge role in the overall mood and expressiveness your final image. Understanding texture in photography means learning how to recognize the importance(or lack of) the portrayal of the physical surface of a substance will impact the viewer.

I know I know…how boring can you get, right? Just hang in there and read on. You might be surprised just how much incorporating and focusing on textures can strike increased interest in a photo. We’ll talk about how the directional properties of light morph the textural feel of a scene and how you can put that to work for you. Let’s get started!

Communicating Texture

How do you transmit a physical sense into a two dimensional photograph? It all comes down to the type of thing you happen to be shooting and how you position your focus and your camera. Generally, there must be some degree of angle involved between the subject and the camera. This essentially places the surface of whatever your shooting into profile and thereby better displays whatever the irregularities might be into sharper relief. Here, have a look at this. It was shot with the camera directly overhead and perpendicular to the cloth.

This is a rather mundane example but it does a good job at displaying the relationship between camera angle and texture. Notice how with the straight on camera position all the texture within the cloth is muted and visually flat. This next image is made after moving the camera to approximately a 45 degree angle to the subject.

This places all the nonuniform attributes of the cloth at an angle and makes its texture more pronounced. If you want to amplify the texture of a scene, try different shooting positions and avoid photographing the subject from 90 degree angles.

The Effects of Light

Extremely closely related to camera position is the directionality of the light falling on your subject. Shadows are key when showcasing texture. The textures of an image will be enhanced by the addition of contrast which is, afterall, the differences between lights and darks in a photo. The direction of the light will determine how and by how much the contrast of the texture will be determined. The more contrast, the more obvious the texture will become. If you’re ready for another effective yet basic example, you’re in luck. These next two images are of the same floor tile. The first was shot under very diffused natural light from above.

The next photo was shot with the window blinds open which produced a much harsher directional light. And the camera angle was lowered to enhance the lighting effect even more.

All the textures within the tile are brought out due to the shadows produced by the side lighting and camera angle. These were not at all evident with the previous lighting conditions.

Using Depth of Field

Photographs that center around textural elements work well when shot in abstraction and/or with shallow depth of field. The small plane of focus adds contrast to the texture by framing it with foreground and background blur. Here’s an image shot using an aperture of F8.

The entire subject is in focus. And while the texture is evident it’s not readily defined. Next have the the same little pine cone but this time shot at a much wider aperture of F2.8.

The softening around the edges help to focus the attention on the textures of the cone and seperate it from the rest of the frame. While not a rule(what are those?) wider apertures generally work well to isolate and draw focus to the evident textures present in a subject.

Final Thoughts on Texture…

Let’s face it, talking about texture in photography isn’t the most exciting thing in the world. Still, ignoring it completely means ignoring one of the most powerful techniques for adding interest to your photographs. Texture is all around us and can be made the centerpiece of your images if you understand how to put it at the forefront. Using textures effectively will open up so many more shooting opportunities that you might not have considered before now.

Editing Secrets Revealed!: Five Lightroom Tricks

Adobe Lightroom is one of the most widely used software programs out there. When it comes to editing your digital photos it’s extremely difficult to beat Lightroom when it comes to ease of use, versatility, and powerful post processing tools. It’s safe to say that most of you reading this likely have had some experience using Lightroom but do you know about some of the hidden capabilities of the software? Well, maybe I shouldn’t say hidden. Perhaps “lesser known” is a better way for my point to be phrased.

In this article, we’re going to show you five lesser known tricks to be found in Adobe Lightroom. You might even wonder how you’ve managed without them for so long!

#1: Direct Histogram Adjustments

You know how to adjust exposure using the adjustment sliders in Lightroom but did you know that you can make exposure adjustments directly to the histogram?

Yeah, really! Not only that, but you can work with the blacks, shadows, and highlights independently. To do it, simply hover over different areas of the histogram and pay attention to the bottom left corner of the histogram. This tells you which area of the histogram you will be adjustment. At the far left is the blacks region…

And to the far right will be the whites region.

To adjust an area, click on it and hold as you drag left or right on the histogram.

In the middle areas you will have shadows highlights and overall exposure. All independently adjustable in the exact same way.

#2 Visualizing Spots in Clone/Heal Mode

The clone and healing tools are a great way to remove unsightly dust and dirt specks that show up on your finished digital photo. It’s easy to just make some of those things go away with a click or two.

Did you know that there’s a super easy way to make removing those spots a lot more precise? It’s aptly called the “visualize spots” mode and to access it click…you guessed it, the visualize spots box at the bottom of the view window when in clone/heal mode. You can also use keyboard shortcut (A).

Your image is instantly converted to a black and white relief. Spots show up in white.

You can control the sensitivity of the spot revelation by using the slider.

#3 Sharpening Mask

Don’t introduce unwanted noise by sharpening your entire photo! There’s a smarter way and it’s by using the masking slider when sharpening your images in Lightroom.

Holding down the ‘Alt’ key(Option key on Mac) while adjusting the masking slider sensitivity will convert the image to a black and white relief similar to the visualize spots mode from earlier.

Now it’s just a matter of healing or cloning out the spots!

#4 Developing Video

For some, the downside of Lightroom is that it doesn’t work well with video editing. Video isn’t supported in the Develop Module so you have to rely on quick develop settings and presets to process any of your video files. Or do you? There is in fact a work around to help you edit your videos more precisely in Lightroom. First, make an image capture from your video.

Then make any adjustments to that image capture just as you would a normal photo. When finished, go back to the Library module. Then hold down the ‘Ctrl’ key(Command on Mac) and be sure both your edited image capture AND the video thumbnail are selected.

Now, click on ‘Sync Settings’

A dialog box will appear showing the available settings which can be synced. Make your selections and click ‘OK’. And boom! You’ve just developed your video.

#5 Custom Name Plate

This last trick is possibly the easiest…and the most arbitrary. You can customize the “name plate” in Lightroom along with a couple other things. The name plate is that little bit of text in the upper left hand corner of the view window.

Here’s how to change it. Simply right click on the name plate and choose ‘Edit identity plate’ from the drop down.

This will open the identity plate edit dialog box.

Select ‘Personalize’ from the dropdown at the top left.

Now change the font color, style, and size to whatever you want! You can even upload a custom logo image form here as well!

Final Thoughts…

Lightroom, as powerful as it is, offers some hidden gems if you just know where and how to find them. The secrets of Lightroom aren’t limited to just the ones we’ve shown here! Have your own tricks that you’d like to share with the class? Post them in the comments below!

How to Photograph the Desert

Deserts are one of my favourite places to photograph because there’s nothing quite like gazing out into the wilderness and seeing continuous rolling sand dunes against a beautiful blue sky, but the harsh conditions and lighting can make photographing the desert a challenge. Follow these simple tips and you could improve your desert photos.

Beware of sand

If you are going to be photographing in the desert, the first thing you need to do is protect your camera. Sand particles can cause havoc to your camera and even if it is a calm day with little wind, there will still be sand blown from dunes. Avoid changing lenses and if possible take two cameras with different lenses. If you have to change your lens, do it as quickly as possible and try to protect it by shielding against the wind. It is a good idea to wrap your camera in a cloth when you are not using it and use a UV filter to protect the glass on your lens. Remember it’s much cheaper to replace a filter than have to repair a scratched lens glass. And always remember to clean your camera thoroughly when you get back to your hotel room as the particles of sand would still be on the outside of your camera.

Avoid harsh light

In any form of landscape photography, the light is one of the most critical elements of the photo. Early morning or late afternoon light is usually best and this is even truer for photography in the desert. The soft golden light will enhance the image and give you much more contrast in the patters of the sand, but be mindful that your shadow isn’t intruding into your image and if you are going to be using a slow shutter speed make sure you use a sturdy tripod. Try to avoid the harsh midday sun which will make your scene look flat.

Use the correct settings

Like any type of photography, you need to ensure that your photos are technically correct and don’t have unwanted noise or camera shake. There is no hard and fast rule for photography and every scene and its conditions will require its own settings, but here are a few simple tips to get you started:

1. Low ISO – There’s no shortage of light in the desert, so keep your ISO as low as possible to avoid unwanted noise in your images. If you are photographing early or late in the day, use a tripod.

2. Middle range f-number (i.e. f/11) – In most cases you would want the majority of your image sharp and in focus. To achieve this you need to close the aperture as much as you need in order to get the required depth of field.

3. Polarizing Filter – A polarizing filter can be really beneficial in bringing out the blue sky and also reducing reflections from the sand. A cool blue sky can really compliment the golden or red colour of the sand.

4. Turn off stabilization – If you are using a tripod, make sure you turn off your camera’s image stabilization. This does not provide extra benefits and can actually be detrimental to your images by causing artefacts.

Find something interesting

Let’s be honest, sand itself is pretty boring. What makes those amazing photographs of deserts stand out is usually something that makes them interesting, like a point of interest, so always be on the lookout for plants, wildlife or even people that you can incorporate into your composition. Not only will this make your images much more interesting and tell more of a story, but it will help draw the viewer’s eyes to the subject rather than trying to process the whole image.

Create stories

Photography allows us to tell a story in just a few photos and the desert can provide an amazing backdrop for these stories, so instead of just concentrating on the landscape, try to look for and capture images that can tell a story. Footprints in the sand, an insect scurrying along or an animal resting in the shade can all provide amazing photographs, which also tell a story and can really help diversify your portfolio.

Details matter

Sometimes the most evoking photos of places are the small details. This is because our eyes usually look for the big picture and we miss some of the small details around us. In the desert this is in the form of the amazing sand lines that the wind creates. With the light coming from the side these can look fantastic as the shadows can really highlight the lines even more, so instead of trying to capture the whole scene, simply crouch down and focus on the detail in the sand. Make sure you are aware of where you are planning to photograph – the last thing you would want are footprints unintentionally spoiling the beautiful untouched scene.

Think beyond the obvious

If you really want to become a successful photographer, often you have to try and capture photos that are in some way different to what already exists. Sometimes this happens by luck in that you capture a scene with beautiful lighting, a dramatic sunset or a wildlife encounter, but the majority of the time you have to be willing to work hard to capture something unique. You might have to hike for a few hours to a location to give you a different view or keep coming back to a location until the conditions and composition are right. The key is to always analyze what you are seeing and try to think of how you can show it differently. Then be willing to do whatever it takes (within the law) to capture it.

For example, I made it a mission that one day during my stay I was going to try and capture this road from a point that could show it against the vastness of the desert, so I drove around until I could find the highest dune and then walked up in the searing heat and humidity to be able to capture this photograph.

Deserts are truly wonderfully places to photograph. The sheer vastness of the dunes often captivates anyone who sees them in real life or in photographs. With the right approach and hard work you can capture stunning photographs that will stand the test of time.

Show us your great photographs of the desert and share you tips and experiences below.