jpeg or raw?

There are reasons to use jpeg but IMHO if you plan to postprocess to improve, exposure, color, ...

Use a bigger Box, RAW, of crayons.

OMD E-M5 III

 Live Composite

Focus Bracketing

Along the road

KOA usually not or first choice but any port in a storm.  We are in the overflow area because we didn't plan very well.

It was a great drive on l 70. What fantastic views. Suzette took many with her cell and many with my Oly. 

Our location

Horizons straight or not?

Recently I read, more correctly viewed, a post of award winning photos. Of those I saw none were "wow I wish I took that". One comment was that the horizon was not level. To me it was about 2 degrees off. A response was to the effect that it was an artistic choice. Maybe. But to me an artistic choice would have been several degrees off.

My friend Daijah created this photo which is an artistic great choice. Leading lines with purpose.

Thanks Daijah for permission to share your work.

Filters the why and where

I like Brenda Petrella of OPS, Outdoor Photography School, you can find her on FB, Instagram, Youtube. 

In this podcast she discusses filters and provides links to additional sources.

Noise Reduction and Sharpening

I had been following Matt K tutorials and tips and techniques. In many of his videos and tutorials he basically said for NR & Sharpening lightroom and/or Photoshop was all you needed.

Well, he said he's wrong.

Olympus OM Camera Info Screen

Often those new to OLYMPUS wonder how to change the photo/live view screen to display various information. 

The Info button is your friend. See the following screen grabs from me M-5 iii.

How Does Your Camera Work?

This article is easily 5 years old but we'll worth a read.

How Does Your Camera Work

Pulling Shadows

This video is about pulling shadows out of your photos. But really it explains ISO and discusses lighting also.

Pulling Shadowa

More on Range Mask

More on range mask mask I'll Lightroom and Photoshop camera raw @[100044366172403:2048:Matt Kloskowski] 

https://youtu.be/m17SbhGn7Io

An Olympus, OM Digital Solutions, Convert

About a year ago I ditched my Nikon D5500 gear in favor of an Olympus OM-D E-M5 iii and gear. I've never liked back. 

Although I'm very comfortable with it's controls, menu and how will it works. There are a lot of features and functions I have not tried. Video, art filters, JPEG customization. 

I also found this article of interest.

Lightroom Texture and Clairty

I've been following Matt K tutorials and like his style. This video shows the why and how using is the Clairty and Texture sliders.

The Secret to Knowledge

I frequently leaf through the a instructional rather than read it. I want to know what's in it so I can find needed information.

I went looking for RTFM and found this,

Cuban’s Secret Knowledge

In the interview, Cuban was asked what he knew about PCs. He answered, “I don’t know a lot, but what I do know is how to open up a manual and read and teach myself.” The interviewer loved the answer and hired Cuban as an entry-level salesman.

Cuban describes this first job in further detail in his autobiography, How to Win at the Sport of Business:

“Every night I would take home a different software manual, and I would read it. Of course the reading was captivating. Peachtree Accounting. Wordstar, Harvard Graphics, PFS, dBASE, Lotus, Accpac… Every night I would read some after getting home, no matter how late.

“Turns out not a lot of people ever bothered to RTFM (read the frickin’ manual), so people started really thinking I knew my stuff.”

Ten things to consider

This post is targeted at bird photography but all apply to most subjects. Consider which of the 10 work for your image.

Understanding Focal Length

Many of you know this but I thought this is a good reminder. 

Click this link.

Micro Four Thirds, the future?

Yes I have and use Olympus so I'm already in the future.

Join me in the future with MFT

I Didn't Know This

Matt K has published several videos about how Adobe subscription users can use little known, to me,  features that are included. 

Get The Most From Adobe

One Photographers Reason

This is one Photographers Reason he moved to Olympus

"Luis A. Troconis

Thank you for the add.

I am a traditional photographer (film) who ventured 9 years ago to digital with a Nikon D3s I have been shooting with the Nikon since the 70’s so I own a large amount of manual lenses and it do not make sense to begin with another brand.

Last year I notice a photographer in one of my hikes shooting with the MK II, talking to her, she show me her equipment and I was in shock to find that my equipment backpack was at least 10 kilos heavier than hers and I only have 1 body and 3 glasses against her 2 bodies and 4 glasses that make me think a lot,  so finally, I took the big leap I am migrating to Olympus OM D E-M1 mark III, but I have to be honest the system has not been easy to understand and learn menus are complicated and sometimes it really drive nuts that I think to go back.

I am here to learn how to use the equipment all help and tips will be great.🐾"

Work and you will be rewarded

Geo-tagging with no GPS

 I haven't had a camera with a built in GPS. I would really like to populate the Lightroom Map with the images I have taken. I first read about this in Reverse GEO-Tagging in Laura Shoe's training series.

I have been using it off and on for some time. I really want to ingrain GEO-Tagging in my workflow to make it a part of my import process along with Keywording..

Update: the city, state, country information that Google supplies, not the longitude latitude, are "suggestions", which are italicized, need to be confirmed when you plan to use them in the, Book, Print, Web modules.

To show how I use Reverse GEO-Tagging I have created this unpolished video.

This is an example of my map.

Using Lightroom Print Module

 This isn't a complete guide to using the print module but just a procedure that I used to tag metadata, Title Comment and other, to my photos prior to posting on various social media and blogs. 

My use of Lightroom Print.

Lightroom for export and print

I read this some time ago and posted the article like to a private FB page. But if there is anyone who reads this blog they may find it useful.

Export & Print

Information about the moon

I found this in a post by Siegfried IAM in Olympus OM-D - Astrophotography

For the "Moon addicted":

...also available for this who see the Moon in a "different way"  ;-) (southern Hemisphere)

A lot of data to the actual Moon like Libration distance an more...

Photopills

When you are trying to plan a short shot many will say someone like, "... use Photopills ..." Yes it cost a few $$ but I think it's worth it.  Watch a few of the videos and make your own decision. 

This 20+ minute video provides you an idea of planning a shot.

Many YouTube videos fall a little short when you are learning Photopills. I've viewed 1 to 10 of these so far. Brenda is very good.   The videos length are short and easy to follow.

Why I Edit in Lightroom Library Module. On edit: gotta change

On Edit: Once I wrote this entry I searched for more information. So as a result I need to change my workflow. So I posted the following in Facebook group "Ok Randy Saffles  you're right, do your work in collections. I haven't read the following article by Scott Kelby.  I'll change my workflow.

But remember that the catalog is the key to Lightroom classic. If you have an image in several in several collections the work done on one image is reflected to the image in all collections of that image. When you want, for example, color and B&W one image must be a virtual image."

 I have had some, read and heard discussion of the correct, perhaps to strong a word, workflow in editing your photos in Lightroom should be done in Collections and not in the Library Module. I choose to do my initial editing in the Library Module. 

WHY?

This requires an understanding of the that Lightroom is a Digital Asset Management Database. That means that your photos are NOT in Lightroom. They reside on your storage media. Most frequently a disk drive. The database of Lightroom is the Catalog. As a database the catalog links, references, the image on your storage device. As it is often referred  to being similar to a library card file. It tells you where the book is located. When you add your image to a Collection an entry in the Catalog indicates that the imaged is in the collection. A single image can indicate several Collections. But it is the SAME image location on your storage media. All meta data, keywords etc. are all recorded in the Catalog. Some of the meta data came from the camera while some was added to you. But it is all for the same image location.

As you make you move to the Development Module and make changes to your image those changes are recorded in the Catalog for that image location.

What does that mean? If you have an image in multiple collections ALL have the same Catalog information, metadata, Development Moldier adjustments. When you change on image in a Collection to B&W all become B&W.

But how do I have on collection B&W and the same image as Color without creating another image file? Use Virtual Copies. When you create a Virtual Copy entries in the catalog only refer to the Virtual Image not the original image. A method to create Virtual Images in a collection is to check the   "Make Virtual Copies" box. Now you can make changes to your image and those changes only effect the virtual image.

So my reason for doing my primary adjustments and keywords etc. are done on the Library image. It should be noted that a Virtual Image can be created at any time, Collection or Library and that virtual image carries all Database, Catalog, information to the changes were made previously.

In the following screen grabs that there is one and only 1 image. When you right click on an image and select show in Explorer/Finder the location on your storage device is the same.

The above shows the chosen image in the library.

In this screen grab I show a collection set and 4 collections where the last is a Virtual copy Note that there is no keyword.

This collection is a Virtual collection containing the same image above but it is B & W and that I have created a keyword to indicate that. 

Improving Your Photography

I subscribe to several Facebook groups, several respected web sites and authors and you tube content authors. Pick and choose your "mentors" to insure you receive good information.

Robin Wong is one I follow primally for Olympus OM-D cameras. Robin also provides good photography information.

This video gives 5 points to improve your photography.

News Years Resolution

I've read this article and the first resolution, read the manual, it the most important. If you don't know the tools in your tool box how do you hope to improve? Remember your manual isn't a novel. Get the pdf version so you can easily find information. Know the contents, major sections. Print the feature index, usually only a few pages, so that you can refer specific buttons, dials, menu items.

I know several folks that don't how to change focus settings, enable high light or shadow warnings.

RTFM!!!

I Don't Use Lightroom

Lightroom isn't for everyone as an photo editor. Some do not want the DAM, Digital Asset Management, tools and that's ok.

However many videos that cover photo editing are Lightroom centric. But most editing tools do the same or similar operations. Like various camera manufacturers have different dials, menus, buttons, etc. They all have the exposure triangle as their basis.

Photo editors, like cameras, are tools to accomplish a common goal. Learn your chosen tool, editor, to enhance your photo.

Study and learn the fundamentals as they apply to editing and apply then to your tool.

RAW, jpeg, enhance our not

There is a lot of discussion on these subjects. It is my opinion that you use RAW, and enhance the processes suggested result. There are times that I use the jpeg result provided by the camera.

All digital images start with a RAW file! The most common method to view an image is jpeg. Out of the camera jpeg image has had the RAW file processed by the camera software/firmware engineer's and technicians. Frequently It is possible to improve the image. The most common improvement is getting the horizon straight. Next is the lighting, especially in back lighted photos.

When you use the RAW file you are in control of all aspects of your development. That's why is called the digital darkroom.

So yes you can, must, improve your images.

"If you are using near-universal JPEG files in your camera, your image has already been enhanced to a certain extent by the camera’s built-in software to give you what the manufacturer has decided is the best result from the data captured by the camera." 

https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/is-enhancing-my-digital-images-really-worth-the-effort/