Tips | Cristina Colli

Jan

Understanding exposure

photography / Tips / 12 Comments / January 12, 2019

When I bought my first DSLR camera, back in 2010, I was both thrilled, and overwhelmed.

I unwrapped my brand new camera and lenses, admired it for a little while, and then put it back in the box.

I was almost afraid of using it, partly because it was so precious and I didn’t want to damage it, and partly because I didn’t have a clue what all those buttons and dials would do. I felt intimidated, and didn’t know where to start.

For a few days I left it in the box, then one day I took it out and and started using it, in automatic mode, but I wasn’t happy with how my photos turned out.
I had a vision in my mind, a mental picture of how I wanted my photographs to look, but no matter how much I tried, the final result was always disappointing.

I read books and scoured the internet for free tutorials, but I still struggled to understand. All the tutorials I found were either too vague, or too technical, and it’s only when I joined an evening course on digital photography that I understood how a camera works.

That was a major stepping stone for my photography journey, and I’m so glad I joined that class.

In order to learn, I need to understand how something works. Once I know that, I like to experiment and play around until I intuitively know how to bring my vision to life.

For a while I wasn’t even sure whether to create a photography course for my visual storytelling series, since there are so many photography classes and tutorials…but then I thought of all the people who, like me, prefer to understand how things work, and then practice and play until they can turn their vision into reality, and so the idea for Visual Storytelling 2 – photography & editing essentials was born.

The class is designed for beginners, and focuses on still life photography. Still life photography is my passion, and it’s perfect for honing your photography skills.
When you create a still life, you’re in control of every detail, from light to composition, and what you learn will make it easier to create other types of photographs too, from landscape to lifestyle photography.

All lessons are on video, with lots of examples and illustrations to help you understand.
After this class you will be able to take any DSLR camera and (once you’ve figured out where the buttons and dials are positioned!) take a photograph in manual mode or aperture priority mode, and edit it with Lightroom. And of course you will learn essential composition guidelines, and natural light set ups.

I’m sharing the first video lesson of the class here, so that you can have an idea of my teaching style, and see if it’s right for you. This video is about understanding exposure and the exposure triangle – aperture, shutter speed, ISO.

I hope you find it useful, and if you’d like to learn more about the class you can find all the info here.

Enjoy!

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P.S. In my monthly newsletter Creative Notes I share updates on my work, composition tips, thoughts on creativity, promo codes & special offers for my online classes, and access to my Inspiration library & free downloads – you can subscribe here

Nov

How to hold your camera correctly

photography / Tips / 4 Comments / November 8, 2018

The best way to get sharp photos is to use a tripod, but if that’s not possible, or you choose to hand-hold your camera, you need to know how to properly hold it.
Today I’d like to share with you a simple video tutorial I made to show you how to hold your DSLR camera correctly, to prevent camera shake and get sharper photos.

I’m also sharing how you can improve your chances of getting a sharp photograph when you are hand-holding your camera and are using a slow shutter speed.

This is my first video, so please bear with me – it’s far from perfect, and I’m sure you can tell that I’m way more comfortable behind a camera that in front of it…but I do hope you find it useful :)

Enjoy!

P.S. I’m currently creating lessons for my new online course “Visual Storytelling 2: photography & editing essentials”. The class will teach you how to use your DSLR camera in manual, and the fundamentals of editing. I’ll also cover natural light in more details. If you want to be the first to know when the course opens for registration, sign up here.

Jul

Still life photography tips

photography / Tips / 4 Comments / July 12, 2018

Today I’d like to share some simple tips to improve your photography skills and create beautiful still life images, but first I’d like to say a few words about the reasons behind my love of still life photography, and why I think you should give it a go.

I like do things slowly and purposefully, and still life photography suits my calm nature perfectly.
Some people thrive when they’re under pressure, but I don’t. When I force myself to do something quickly, I get flustered, and often end up forgetting some essential steps. This leaves me frustrated at the best, and stressed out at the worst.

With still life photography, slowing down is part of the process, and I can take my time creating an image without the fear of missing the perfect moment. I can lose myself in the process of moving objects and flowers around, trying different set ups, and playing with light.
The whole experience feels almost like a meditation, and when I allow myself to play and be present to the act of creating I forget my worries, and feel at peace. So if you are looking for a simple way to slow down and practice mindfulness, I recommend trying your hand at still life photography.

Apart from its therapeutic nature, creating still life images is also a fantastic way to practice your photography skills in a controlled environment, and learn how to use your camera. Nothing moves, you get to decide everything, from subject to light, and you can take your time to compose the still life, choose the camera settings, and frame the photograph – a perfect learning process for beginners.

So here are 10 tips to help you create beautiful still life photographs:

1 – Choose natural light or daylight bulbs. Photography is all about light, and choosing the right one is vital. Set up your still life very close to a window, and turn off all lights, so that you don’t get the yellow-orange cast typical of house lights.

Natural light has a colour too, a temperature (your White Balance) that changes with the time of day, weather, and season. I take photographs by a glass door exposed to the North, because the light changes less during the day.

North light is soft and diffused, and produces soft shadows, but if the only available window you have is not exposed to the North, don’t panic :)
Use white sheer curtains, or even some tracing paper, to cover the glass panes and soften the light, and try to take photos more or less at the same time of the day, so that your whites are consistent.

If taking photos in natural light is not an option, consider investing in a couple of studio lights with daylight bulbs.

2 – Choose manual or aperture priority mode. Automatic mode might work in some situations, but if you want creative control you need to learn how to take photographs in manual mode, or at least aperture priority mode.
This way, you can control your depth of field – how much of your still life will be sharp, ad how much will be blurred and out of focus.

Depth of field is a powerful creative tool that helps direct the viewer’s attention to parts of the image, and evoke different emotions – something essential if you want to create images that tell a story.

3 – Use reflectors to bounce off light or block it. Use a white reflector to bounce off the light coming from the window and soften the shadows, to get a bright and airy look.
Use dark reflectors to block light so that it hits only some areas of your still life, for a dramatic look.
You can use white, or black, boards, or paint some cardboard. The bigger the reflector, the more light it will bounce off (or block).

4 – Use a tripod. A tripod keeps your camera stable and lets you take sharp photos in all occasions, even with a slow shutter speed setting. If a tripod is not on your budget, try to place your camera on a table or similar, to stabilise it. I also use a remote control to avoid touching the camera, but if you don’t have it just use the self-timer setting.

5 – Keep your still life simple. Start with simple arrangements of two, three or five objects, and add more details to the scene when you feel more confident.
Choose a simple background that complements your subjects, and when you frame your photograph remember to leave some empty space to make them stand out (negative space). Place objects close enough, to show a relationship between them, and try to have different heights to create interest.
Arrange your subjects in a way that directs the eye to several parts of the image, to keep the viewer engaged.

6 – Play with colour & texture. Colour is very important, and can make or break an image. Unless you’re a master at using colour, limit your palette to one or two hues, with maybe just a small pop of a contrasting colour, to create a harmonious look. Textures can add depth and interest too, so experiment and try pairing objects with different textures that complement each other and evoke the same mood and look (like cosy, rustic, vintage, modern, romantic, and so on).

7 – Check your still life on camera. Keep in mind that what your eyes see is different from what the camera sees, so once you’ve set up your still life you need to check how it looks on camera. I often make small adjustments and move objects around, until I’m happy with the way the composition looks on my viewfinder.

8 – Move around. Instead of standing just opposite your still life, try taking photos from several angles, and also at several distances. Move your tripod closer or farther away from your subjects, and notice how the mood of your image changes and evokes different emotions.

9 – Edit your photos. Editing is a powerful creative tool, so use it! Don’t skip this step, because it can turn a good photograph into an amazing one. Aim to take photographs that are correctly exposed and framed, and then work some magic with editing. I use Adobe Lightroom for all my editing, and also Photoshop for some final touches.

10 – Practice, play, have fun. Create your still life with objects you love – I adore flowers, but we all have different preferences so choose something you’re passionate about and that feels fun, to keep you interested for a long time. Don’t expect to learn everything and become a master in one day, or you’ll quickly get overwhelmed and discouraged.
Just practice, practice, practice…and remember that everyone starts out as a beginner, so don’t compare your recent photographs to other people’s work, only to your older photos – it’s the only way to measure your progress and improvements.

I hope you find these tips useful, and if you do please feel free to share this blog post with friends and on social media :)

Feb

My photography equipment

photography / Tips / 8 Comments / February 27, 2018

I often get asked what kind of photography equipment I use, so I thought I’d share all about it in a blog post.

Before I delve into my list of equipment though, I’d like to remind you of something crucial: your camera doesn’t take the photograph – you do. Your camera is just a tool that you use to create images.
Just like buying good quality brushes won’t turn you into a great painter, buying an expensive camera won’t turn you into a good photographer.
Sure, some cameras, and some lenses, deliver a better image quality, but each image is only as good as the person who takes the photograph is…so don’t despair if your camera is not “the best one on the market”, and instead focus on learning how to use your camera and become a better photographer ;)

I have seen amazing photographs taken with an iPhone, and awful photographs taken with top of the range DSLRs. In fact, until a couple of years ago, most of my Instagram flatlays were iPhone shots, and some people couldn’t believe it…I much prefer taking photos with my DSLR of course, because it gives me more creative freedom, but when you know about exposure, light, composition, and other fundamentals of photography, you can take beautiful photos regardless of the camera you have.

My first digital camera was a small compact – or point-and-shoot camera. I don’t even remember what brand it was, but I remember that it had a few settings like macro, landscape, and portraits. I did my best to take photos with it, but I wanted to have more creative control and so in 2010 I bought my first DSLR – a Nikon D5000.

I then graduated to a Nikon D700, and two years ago I switched to Canon. I wanted a camera who supported larger files for prints, and that took professional photos. My friend had a Canon 5D mark III and was waxing lyrical about it, so I borrowed it and tried it for a little while.
I liked it a lot – the image quality, its user-friendly design, and the way it feels in my hands, so I went for it.

I took this photograph of a peony in a teacup with my entry level camera, the Nikon D5000, with an AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 G lens.

For the image below of David Austin roses, I used my Nikon D700 with a Af-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens.

Finally, I took the photograph of the spring blossom and egg nest below with my current camera, a Canon 5D mark III with EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens.

I wanted to show you examples of photos taken with different cameras, from an entry level one to a professional one, to prove my earlier point that you can take beautiful pictures with any DSLR camera :)

If you are just starting out with DSLR photography, there are lots of great DSLR entry cameras. Different brands, and different models, have their pros and cons.
Some cameras and lenses are designed to be very fast, to accommodate the needs of sports and wedding photographers, who need to be able to shoot fast, and change settings quickly too, to capture the scenes.
If however you are only interested in still life photography, you can settle for a slower camera and lens, because speed doesn’t really matter for this type of photography.

Do a bit of research on the types of cameras that might be right for you. Think of your needs, of your budget, and of all the technical equipment you need – camera, lens, tripod…

If you cannot afford a new camera, or lens, consider buying second-hand – my Canon 5D and 70D are both second-hand and they work just fine.

Do your research, and if possible try your camera before buying it: it’s important that you feel comfortable with it, and that it feels right when you hold it. In the end, it’s always a personal choice.
There are places where you can hire cameras too, so it could be an idea to hire one or more camera bodies with the same lens, and see how you like them and which one you prefer.

To get back to what I use, this a list of my essential gear:

– Canon 5D mark III with EF lens 50mm 1.4 – I use this camera for most of my photography. This lens is sharp, fast, and has a lovely blur when used with wide apertures.

– Canon 70D with EF lens 50mm 1.8 – this is my backup camera, and I’ll soon start to use it for videos too – as soon as I find the time to play with it!

– Manfrotto Tripod 055XPROB – I bought this in 2010, so I don’t know if they still sell this exact model or if they have upgraded it. It’s a sturdy tripod, quite heavy, with a lever head.

– Manfrotto Arm 131DB – I bought this arm to take photos from above. The arm keeps the camera straight, and it’s very quick to set up. It’s important to use some kind of weight to counterbalance the camera though, or the tripod will tilt and fall (and you definitely don’t want that!). I usually put a few cans of chickpeas or similar inside my camera bag, and hang it at the end of the arm to balance off my camera. Since I bought this arm it’s become much easier to take photos of floral flatlays.

– Manfrotto BeFree Aluminium travel tripod with ball head – This is a very light tripod that can be folded quite small and carried around with ease. I use it to take classical still life photographs around the house, to make videos, and, sometimes, for taking photos when I go for walks or travel. Even though it’s quite light, it’s sturdy enough for my Canon 5D with 50mm lens.

– Reflectors – I use reflectors, white mounting boards, and black mounting boards to manipulate light (bounce it off and/or block it). Check out this post for a few tips for bright and airy photography, and this one for dark and moody photography.

– Remote control – I use a remote control when I take photos from above, because touching the shutter makes the camera move a little. I also use it when I want to include my hands in the picture, or for self portraits. You could use the self-timer feature for similar results, but the remote control makes it mush easier to take these kind of photos.

– Backdrops – I paint my own backdrops, and occasionally use vinyl backdrops (Capture by Lucy sells some great ones for small scale photography). I have painted wooden plywood boards, and recently I also painted fabric backdrops. I use heavy cotton fabric, wall paint, and acrylic. Kim Klassen has a great e-course called Make Backdrops, in case you’re interested. I took her class last year, and enjoyed all the tips and techniques she shares in her videos.

– Adobe Lightroom – I use Lightroom to edit all my photographs. This software is specifically designed for photographers, and it makes editing very easy and quick. I have the photographer subscription, which gives me access to the latest versions of Lightroom and Photoshop. You can try Lightroom for free for a month trial (I was hooked after a week!)

– Photoshop – I use Photoshop after I have edited my photos with Lightroom, to add some finishing touches (mostly getting rid of specks of dust, cat’s hair, and imperfections in the flowers).

That’s it :)

P.S. I’m currently creating lessons for my new online course “Visual Storytelling 2: photography & editing essentials”. The class will teach you how to use your DSLR camera in manual, and the fundamentals of editing. If you want to be the first to know when the course opens for registration, sign up here.

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Feb

Bright & airy photography tips

Lightroom / photography / Tips / 6 Comments / February 21, 2018

After reading my blog post about dark and moody photography tips, many of you have asked me to share a few tips to create bright and airy images, so here they are.

Photography is all about the light, so choosing the right light is essential. I always take photos in natural light, very close to a large glass door in my dining area. The room is exposed to the north, so the light is soft and doesn’t change much during the day.
Have a look at the windows in your house, and see where you could take photos.
If the window available to you lets in strong sunlight instead of soft light, hang a white curtain, some white muslin fabric, or even a white shower curtain to diffuse the light and soften the shadows.
Place your subject (flowers, food, objects, and so on) as close as possible to the window, to make the most of the light.

Natural light changes during the day, and with the seasons. Take some quick snaps at different times, morning and afternoon, to understand what’s the best time to take pictures. This will change depending on your window’s exposure (to the north, east, south, and so on) and also depending on the seasons. In winter I usually have just a couple of hours of really good light, in the middle of the day, while in summer I can take photos for several hours.

Use reflectors to bounce off light from the window and soften the shadows. You can use white boards or paint a piece of cardboard white, or even use some thick white fabric.
You can also use a mirror, or cover cardboard with some foil, but the effect will be different. I tend to use white boards as the reflection is softer, but do experiment to see which reflector gives the effect you prefer.

The backdrops I use are almost white, so it’s like photographing snow – the camera will automatically try to darken the photo because it thinks there’s too much light. For this reason I tend to slightly overexpose my images. Be careful though and don’t overexpose the image too much, otherwise you’ll risk blowing out some details, and editing cannot really fix that.

Keep your camera steady to avoid blurred, out of focus images. Keep your arms close to your body, and lean to a wall if you can. Another trick is to not hold your breath, because that will make you tense up. Instead, press the shutter button at the end of your exhale.
Better still, use a tripod. I only hand-hold my camera when I take close ups with wide apertures. For anything else I use a tripod, because I tend to shake my hands a little.

Take more than one photo, especially if you are hand-holding your camera – you don’t want to wait for the editing step to discover that the image you like the most is slightly blurred! Sometimes it’s hard to really see how sharp an image is from the LCD screen, so it’s best to take at least 2-3 shots.

As with my dark and moody photographs, I use editing as another creative tool. I take the best possible shot of my subject, and then use Lightroom to bring my vision to life – and sometimes Photoshop for some finishing touches, like getting rid of my cats hair for example :)

I tend to change the white balance for most of my images, as I prefer cool tones, then use tone curves to soften the look, desaturate orange and yellow, make local adjustments with brushes, and sharpen the image.

This is a before and after of the same image – the one on the left is straight from the camera, the one on the right edited.

I made a video tutorial with all the steps, I hope you find it useful :)

As usual, this is not the only way to edit photographs, just my way. You can often get similar results using different editing tools, and of course we all have a unique vision and taste, so what works for me might not work for you. Try to understand how each editing tool works, practice, and you’ll soon learn how to bring your own vision to life!

P.S. I’m currently creating lessons for my new online course “Visual Storytelling 2: photography & editing essentials”. The class will teach you how to use your DSLR camera in manual, and the fundamentals of editing. I’ll also cover bright & airy photography in more details. If you want to be the first to know when the course opens for registration, sign up here.

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Nov

Dark & moody photography tips

Lightroom / photography / Tips / 13 Comments / November 10, 2017

I often get asked how I create my dark and moody images, so I thought I’d share a few tips here.

I always take photographs in natural light. I work in my north-facing dining room, which has large glass doors and so plenty of light coming in.

When I create “classical” still life images, I arrange all my flowers and props on a table very close to the window, and keep the curtains wide open to make the most of the natural light.

When I want to take low key photographs I still work by the window, but I move the table a bit farther away from it, and partially close the curtains to leave just a small area in full light.

I place the main subject in the full light area, and then arrange the other props, keeping in mind the degree of light that they will receive.

Once I’m happy with the styling, I place a black reflector by the table, immediately opposite the window, to absorb the light and make the whole scene darker. The reflector also blocks any light that might come from other places (My living & dining area is open plan, with a window on the opposite side of this one, and the reflector blocks that light).

If you don’t have a black reflector, you can use some cardboard painted black, or even a piece of fabric like black velvet, which absorbs the light.

I usually take my pictures in manual, so that I can have full creative control and select the settings – aperture, shutter speed, and ISO – that I want.

In this set up situation, the camera meters the light available and it automatically wants to lighten up the photo, just because it sees a lot of darkness (the backdrop and tablecloth). For this reason, I usually underexpose these low key photographs a little bit, so that they don’t turn out too light.

I always take several photographs, and if I’m not happy with the way they look on the LCD screen I make a few tiny changes – I close, or open, the curtains just a bit, to change the amount of light hitting the subject, or move the subject slightly closer to the light, or farther away, until the photograph is as close to what I want to achieve as possible.

The next step is editing. I think of editing as an additional creative tool that allows me to bring my vision to life. It’s important to get your photograph right on camera, of course, but editing really takes it to another level.

I use Lightroom for my editing, and sometimes Photoshop for some finishing touches.

Have a look at the images below: the first one is straight from the camera, in RAW format. I only cropped it square, so that it’s easier to compare it with the final image.

The original image was too warm for my taste, and the colours were too intense.

I cooled down the photograph by changing the white balance, desaturated the orange and yellow, softened the look with Tone Curves, and used a brush to make a couple of local adjustments, before finally sharpening the image.

I made a video to show you all the steps of my editing – please bear with me, I’m not exactly a natural at speaking into a microphone :D

This is not the only way to edit dark and moody photographs, of course – this is just how I do it, following my own vision. There are many different ways to edit a photograph, and there’s no right or wrong. It all depends on your own preferences, and style – your own creative voice.

Maybe you liked the image as it was before the editing, warm and with vibrant, intense colours, or maybe you like it cool but would prefer more contrast, or more muted tones…

That’s absolutely fine. The important thing is just to practice and practice, to improve your skills and create the kind of photographs you love.

I hope you found this blog post useful, and if you enjoyed it please feel free to share it with others :)

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Oct

Flower flatlay routine & tips

creativity / photography / styling / Tips / 6 Comments / October 20, 2016

Today I’m sharing with you my routine for creating floral images, and also a tip for making flowers last just a little big longer for your flatlays.

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If you follow me on Instagram, you know that every day, Monday to Saturday, I post one of my floral images. I often get asked if I buy fresh flowers every day, or if I have a large garden filled with blooms.

The answer is no to both questions – I have a small garden, mostly paved, where I grow a few flowers in pots. I most definitely don’t buy fresh flowers every day – I wish I could!

Also, I don’t take photos every single day. I used to do that at the very beginning of my Instagram journey, when I was posting much simpler images with just a bloom or too.
The moment I started to create compositions with more flowers I quickly realised that I couldn’t afford to create an image a day though, so now I create as many floral images as I can in one go, to make the most of the flowers I have on hand, and then post them on Instagram during the week.

When I get the flowers home from the florist, flower farm, or from my garden, I first condition them (lots of good advice on how to do that here) and then I store them in the coolest room I have.

It’s best to photograph flowers as soon as possible, so that they look their best. I start with the more traditional still life compositions, because of course once you’ve cut the stem for a flatlay you cannot reuse the same flower for a posy any more.

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This might seem pretty obvious, but I can assure you that I learned the hard way…I’m all for going with the flow, but in this case a little organisation helps to avoid disappointments, believe me.

It’s also much easier to set up the scene: when I set up for a flatlay I need to move the small table that I use for classical still life photography to make room for the flatlay set up. Focusing on just one type of still life means that I can leave everything in place, table and tripod, until it’s time to create flatlays.

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At first I arrange and photograph the tall, large compositions, and then I move on to posies perfect for small vases – again, once you’ve cut the stem short, it’s not that easy to make it long again!

At times I have used florist wire to recreate a long stem, but depending on where the flower needs to go it might be hard to disguise the wire even if you wrap it with florist tape…and it’s all a bit of a faff anyway…not the fun kind of faffing, the tedious one :)

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Once I have finished photographing flowers in traditional still life set ups, I begin creating flatlays. First I use the whole flowers, and when I can’t think up of any more ideas I start snapping the flower heads off the stems without being afraid that I might need the whole flower again.

This works in theory, as sometimes I think of a new flatlay or composition where I need the whole flower just right after I’ve cut off its head…oh well…

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When I have finished photographing the flatlays, I always feel bad about throwing away the flower heads…sometimes I fill a bowl with water and let them float, so that I can enjoy them a bit longer.

Most of the times though, I put them in a lidded plastic container, mist them lightly with water, put the lid on and store them in the fridge. This way they stay fresh for about a week or more, depending on the type of flower.

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I learned this tip from Philippa Stanton (@5ftinf) and it really works! Some very delicate flowers, like sweet peas or poppies, last only a couple of days before the petals fall off, but others can last even 10-12 days! This is a great way to keep your flowers nice and fresh for longer, ready to use in flatlays.

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I have a small fridge and need to restrain myself to avoid filling it up with flowers – my husband still thinks that a fridge is for food…what does he know right ;)

Jokes apart, store only flowers that are fresh and still look good. If they are already starting to wilt, storing them in the fridge won’t help much I’m afraid.

That’s it for now, I hope you find the post helpful :)

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Jul

Making a painted backdrop

photography / styling / Tips / 16 Comments / July 29, 2015

A couple of months ago I read the book In Detail by Hans Blomquist. The book is full of wonderful still life images, and I particularly liked all the beautiful textured backdrops that Hans created by painting over pieces of canvas with wall paint.

In_Detail_book

His approach inspired me to create some textured backdrops for my floral vignettes, however since I do a lot of flat lays I decided to paint on a wooden surface rather than on fabric.

So off I went to the hardware store, and bought:

a sheet of plywood
a mini roller set (roller & tray with two sponge sleeves, in the decorating aisle)
a small decorating sponge
a selection of paint sample pots
an interior wood primer and undercoat

My lovely husband sawed the plywood sheet in half, so I ended up with two pieces roughly 24 by 36 inches (tip: remember to lightly sand the edges before painting, or you might end up with splinters in your fingers…like I did!)

I then primed the plywood with the interior primer & undercoat, to seal the wood and avoid resins to reappear on the surface and cause yellowish stains. The stains wouldn’t show so much against dark paint, but they do show on light paint so I recommend priming to get a nicer foundation to paint over.

When the primer & undercoat was dry, the fun started. I donned a large apron to avoid splattering myself with paint (it’s happened before…) and gathered all the paint pots, the roller set, and the decorating sponge, that I cut into pieces roughly 2 inches wide.

I wanted to create a warm backdrop that ranged from white to grey, but that wasn’t too yellow…that meant choosing off-white paint with cooler undertones, plus some with a hint of pink-grey, a pure white, a light ivory, and a few shades of french greys (warm greys).

painting a textured photography backdrop

First I used the roller to paint the base: I poured some of the lighter paints and kept painting over with other off-whites, whilst the paint was still wet, in a kind of random way. This gave me a base that was a mix of off-white, light but not even – which was exactly my aim.

After that I started using the sponges to create textured effects. I put a little paint on the sponge, and then dabbed it on the board, at times also twisting the sponge, and at times swiping it lightly to create a smoother effect. I kept doing this using the darker greys at the edges, whilst keeping the middle of the board lighter.

Fading rose

I worked fairly quickly, so that the paint was always more or less wet, and I could blend the colours nicely. When I didn’t like an area, I just went over it again with the sponge until I managed to get the effect I wanted. It’s all about layering the colours one on top of the other, in a random, organic way. I enjoyed painting the backdrops very much, probably because I knew that if I made a mistake I could simply paint it over, and that gave me the mental freedom to experiment and have fun.

I wanted to do a video of all the different steps, but taping my iPhone to my camera tripod didn’t really work – the phone kept sliding down – and the brand new mini tripod I bought recently for the phone didn’t work that well either: the iPhone kept moving, and I didn’t want to risk it dropping on the floor…I ended up with lots of blurry footage of my wrist and forearm, and I could only salvage a short video where you can see how I apply the paint with the sponge, and how I twist it and dab it. By the way, I recommend using gloves if you don’t want to end up with paint all over your fingers too :-D

I also made a dark backdrop, using all the dark greys I could find, a tiny bit of black, and a smudge of dark blue here and there. It works well for dark and moody images:

Next time I want to make a blue backdrop, but I’m not sure what kind of blue…turquoise, or indigo? Decisions decisions….

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Jul

How I edit my iPhone photos

photography / Tips / 4 Comments / July 22, 2015

Editing for me is part of the process of creating an image, and I thought you might find it interesting to see how I edit my iPhone photos before posting them on Instagram. I take photographs using natural light, and I use a reflector to bounce up light and soften the shadows (see my iPhone photography tips here) but even though the iPhone camera is brilliant, it doesn’t give the same control that you get when using a DSLR….so I always edit my photographs to give them the exact feel I want.

There are lots of editing Apps, including Instagram’s own editing tools, but I mostly use the Photoshop App. This is the image straight from the camera:

I don’t want to crop it, so I click on the little sliders icon and start with adding Clarity to increase the details

editing tips for iphone photographs

then I adjust the Exposure and lighten the image

editing tips for iphone photographs exposure

I then increase the Highlights

editing tips for iphone photographs highlights

and open up the shadows a bit to further lighten the image

editing tips for iphone photographs

I usually add a tiny bit of contrast

editing tips for iphone photographs

and finally a small amount of sharpening

editing tips for iphone photographs sharpen

That’s it, now I’m happy with my image and I can upload it on Instagram.

still life photograph after editing

Here’s the before and after, side by side.

editing tips for iPhone still life photographs

The adjustments I make are simple and take very little time – basically I lighten up my images as I tend to go for a light and airy feel. Some adjustments are tiny and perhaps you wouldn’t notice the difference, but they all contribute to the final image. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend doing too much editing, as the quality of the image is often compromised…if the image is too dark to start with, for example, then lightening it up would reveal a lot of noise, and the result wouldn’t be so pleasing.

Of course I don’t use the exact same editing for every photograph. Some pictures may require no exposure adjustment, or perhaps they might need a tiny colour pop (Vibrance tool), more (or less) clarity…sometimes I also use the Temperature tool to slightly warm or cool the image, depending of the quality of the natural light which changes with the weather and the time of the day…but in general this is how I edit my iPhone photographs.

That’s just my style, and thank goodness for personal taste or we would all end up with the same type of photographs…and wouldn’t that be boring!

Let’s say, for example, that you prefer “dark & moody” images: you could increase the clarity, and then darken the exposure, shadows, and highlights to your own taste, until you’re happy with the result. Here’s the same image, but with a moody feel: I increased the clarity same as for the “light & airy” edit, slightly decreased the exposure, darkened the shadows, lightened the highlights just a smudge to make the white pop, increased the contrast, and finished with a little sharpening.

before_after_editing tips_moody

And these are the three images – straight from the iPhone camera, bright & airy edit, and dark & moody edit.

editing tips for iPhone still life photography

As I said, I usually tend to prefer lighter images…They cheer me up, probably because they remind me of blue skies and sunlight flooding in through a window, and that instantly lifts my mood…having said that, I also appreciate the beauty of dark and moody photography, and sometimes I experiment with dark backgrounds, low lighting, and “moody” editing. Which style do you prefer? I’d love to know :)

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