Lens Filters, Who knew

 I recently saw a milky way photo with foreground lighting that had star bursts on a point light source taken with a Hasselbland f/4.0 21mm. So I asked how do you get star bursts with an f/4.0 aperture? Every thing I've read is use a small aperture like f/11.0 or smaller.

A reply said that the photographer likely used a Star Filter. What? Frequently we hear about UV, CpL, ND, graduated ND  and light pollution filters. So my education is lacking so I asked Bard for help.

Some of there special filters that it, Bard is an it (AI ).

• Close-up filter to allow allow you to focus closer than your camera. See Hoya
• Light Pollution filter From PetaPixel to get the detail. and see Hoya.
• Star Burst to create a star burst say in an aperture of f/4.0 again from Hoya.
• And more see PetaPixel

From Bard Types of Filters and Special Filters 

Photoshop's Select and Mask Workspace

 I have had had difficult get a making a good selection and refining it to insure it is what I want.

I dug around and found this Adobe information about it's Dedicated Select & Mask Workspace.

I wanted to make a selection so that I  could use Adobe's Generative Fill which was just announced to be in Photoshop. I've been using the beta for maybe a week or so. I created the image 

From this

Yes I need to work on my selection but not to bad.

WOW This is so ---

 I've been trying Photoshop (beta) Generative Fill. It is amazing what AI can do. Following are 2 images where I used Generative Fill on the first image to create the second image. WOW!

The above photo was sent by a friend of mine I attempted to us Photoshop masking and other tools to remove the branch across the face of the Owl. I gave up because I didn't have the time or perhaps skills to create a reasonable image.

Now bring in Photoshop (beta) which you can get from your Creative Cloud. I used the lasso tool to to mace a loose selection around most of the branch. Clicked Generate and walla, well just wait a few seconds, and you get 3 choices. If you don;t like any of the 3 ask Generate to do it again ad get 3 nnore.

I took the second image of the fiet Generate.  I'm blown away.

5 Tips For Taking Better Photos With Any Mobile Device

I didn't follow my own advice. I read the article and thought my pixel 6a is better s better than ditching the default camera.

Then after going through the the various settings I found the article is 4 years old. In camera years that could be 4 thousand years. My Google Pixel 6a is not that old. I do have another camera app that is included with Lightroom mobile that has a few additional features. 

Following are a few screenshots of the settings on my pixel.

Actually I also use the camera include with Lightroom Mobile. You can download Lightroom Mobile for free but it is not as full featured as those that have a subscription, 

Additionally most allow you to take a RAW file, usually a DNG file. Both are "digital negatives" because they need to be processed, basically "Developed".

i can tell how to reach the settings on my phone but your phone is likely different.

Screenshots from my Lightroom mobile camera.

Sharing your photo work

 I had wrote a post about using the Adobe Ecosystem. However I left out an  important link from Jared Platt. This 50 minute video goes into more detail of using the ecosystem to share your work.

I have been using the portfolio to create a portfolio for the Snowbirds, Disc Golf, and my personal work. Additionally John and Steve have posted their own portfolios.

I have found the video from Jared to be most useful and suggest you investigate it's features.

Anthony Morganti: The Dark Side of Instagram

 I've pretty much gave up on most of the Social Media for posting my photography. My blog has a page dedicated to photos and also use Adobe Ecosystem to share my photos.

Anthony Morganti: The Dark Side of Instagram

Comments are welcome.

DoF, Depth of Field

Previously I wrote on DoF and wanted to follow up. So I asked Bard for help.  

Basically what many don't tell you is that there are 4 major factors that influence DoF. 

• Aperture
• Focal Length
• Distance between camera, subject and background
• Sensor size

Read the links above for detail and use DoF Simulator setting your camera and lens to get an idea of your DoF

The Picture in the Picture

 In one of MattK's courses of youtube videos he discussed the photo in the photo. So I took one of our camera club's photo and edited and cropped to view the Photo in the Photo. As you are taking some photos you may want to think about the Photo in the photo.

The original photo

Tonal editing

The photo in the photo with cropping. I suggest using a longer focal length.

The photo in the photo photo with more cropping. Again use a longer focal length.

Often times in the moment I don't think about the photo in the photo in landscape.  Since I usually have a zoom lens on my camera it's a non issue to crop in camera, zoom, and look at the results in your computer to see what you like best.

Oh, used the photo without permission.

You never know what you will find

Looking through my Lightroom Classic catalog I came across this.

Other recent additions are here 

Lightroom.adobe.com Have you used it?

 You can use Lightroom Web and sign into your account and use many features.

For example on a lightroom classic shared collection you can allow Adobe AI to select the best photos in the collection. You can set thresholds for people and your ratings and flaggs.

Click the 3 dots on the right to make the dialog show. Then click "Choos Best Photos"

Then 

Then you can adjust options to see the AI selections.

This is how Gooble Bard, AI, says the selections are done 

Become a better photographer

The following links from Steve Perry's Backcontry Gallery may likely help your become a better photographer. The links deal with Birds in Flight but the information is relevant to all photography

Shutter Speeds for Tack Sharp BIF  This applies to all photos that you have taken that are blurry

BIF Crash Course  Basically this applies to all motion, Wildlife, sports, etc.

Spot Metering Crash Course   Applies to all metering on your camera.

The right height 

Photoing a Bubble

At the Florida folk festival there was a bubble machine.  As an inquisitive soul I wondered, can I capture a bubble and have a decent photo?

You be the judge.

Do you create our take a photo?

Is there a difference? It's really how you look at the world and photography. Anyone with a camera can take a photo fewer can create a photo.

Creating a photo takes; 

• Planning
• Composition
• Lighting
• Angle
• Subject or as MattK states a "Why"

I asked My friend Bard, "What is the difference between creating a photo and taking a photo "

And he gave me 3 versions. flowing is 1: 

The words "create" and "take" are often used interchangeably when talking about photography, but there is a subtle difference between the two.

• To take a photo is to capture an image of a scene or object using a camera. This is the most basic definition of photography, and it is how most people use the word "take" in this context.
• To create a photo is to go beyond simply capturing an image. It is to use the camera to express your own artistic vision, and to create an image that is more than just a record of reality. This can involve things like choosing the right composition, using lighting to create a certain mood, or editing the image to achieve a specific look.

In general, the term "create" is more likely to be used by professional photographers who take their work seriously. They see photography as a form of art, and they use their skills to create images that are both visually appealing and meaningful.

The term "take" is more likely to be used by casual photographers who are simply interested in capturing memories. They may not have the same level of technical skill as professional photographers, but they can still create beautiful images by simply pointing and shooting.

Of course, there is no hard and fast rule about when to use one term or the other. The best way to choose the right word is to think about your own intentions when you take a photo. If you are simply capturing a moment, then "take" is probably the best word to use. But if you are trying to create something more artistic, then "create" might be a better choice.

Here are some examples of how the two terms might be used in different contexts:

• "I took a photo of my family at the beach."
• "The photographer created a stunning image of the sunset over the ocean."
• "I'm going to create a photo collage to commemorate our trip."
• "I took a photo of the painting in the museum."

Ultimately, the choice of words is up to you. But if you want to be more precise in your communication, then it's helpful to understandthe difference between "create" and "take."

This is an example of creating a photo, https://fstoppers.com/film/truth-behind-one-americas-most-famous-photos-334984