Tag Archives: tutorial

EXPOSURE TIPS: How to Use Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and The Histogram

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Last week, I posted a video lesson on how to ensure proper exposure when shooting with mirrorless cameras. It’s actually a surprisingly easy method, and it will get you by in most situations, even when shooting in tricky and challenging light.

In that video, I share my exact exposure method when I’m shooting with my FUJIFILM mirrorless cameras, even when dealing with very tricky and challenging light. Note, these methods work for other types of mirrorless cameras as well, which make getting the right exposure a much easier process than when using DSLRs. (They also work when shooting in Live View mode with a DSLR)

>My second lesson in the series is called EXPOSURE TIPS: How to use. Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and The Histogram. In this tutorial, I explain even further the exact method I use when espouse for my photos, and show you how to combine these fundamental exposure components into an efficient workflow when you’re shooting your own images on location. I also teach you a couple of important tips that can help you be even quicker with the camera.

Proper exposure is one of the most vital aspects in photography, so this is pretty important information. You may already know it, but it’s worth a refresher and to see how I handle tricky scenes with my own cameras.

Enjoy the video and let me know what you think by leaving a comment!

You can also read a blog post version of the entire two lessons combined here.

Video Lesson – How to Use Fuji’s Highlight/Shadow Tone Controls

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I have just uploaded my latest video lesson, How to Use Fujifilm’s Highlight and Shadow Tone Controls.

In this 10-minute tutorial, I show you how to make use of one of the most powerful and easy-to-use tools that’s found on every single X Series camera. The Highlight and Shadow Tone controls give you an very straightforward way to manage the contrast of your images.

By making simple adjustments with one or both of these settings, you can bring slight highlights under control, you can open up the shadows to reveal more detail and texture to the darker areas of your images, or you can increase the shadows for added contrast and drama.

With adjustment settings between +4 and -2, “plus” always adds more contrast, and “minus” always decreases contrast, and you can see the changes reflected in real time inside your LCD/EVF even before you capture your image.

Although you can make Highlight and Shadow Tone adjustments when shooting in RAW and adjust them further in Fujifilm X RAW Studio Software, they’re ideal when shooting in JPEG. They allow you to, in effect, process the scene right there in the moment, before you take the shot, and gain added confidence when shooting in tricky or high contrast situations.

They won’t allow you to make huge moves, and if your images is way overblown on either side of the histogram, there’s only so much you can recover, but for many scenes, a simple Highlight and/or Shadow Tone adjustment might be all you need to walk away with a better image that match your creative ideas for the scene.

You can watch the lesson on my YouTube channel here. Stay tuned for the next lesson, where I discuss how to further tweak your film simulations by using these settings and other tools found on the X Series cameras.

New Video Lesson – 5 Tips for Creating Stronger Images

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We photographers seem to have it easy. Whereas most artists spend anywhere from hours, to months to years to manufacture their creations, we can simply point, press and be done. However, that kind of convenience doesn’t necessarily translate into great imagery. 

Shooting powerful photos that have lasting visual appeal requires more than just pointing and clicking; it takes applying some fundamental compositional methods that are designed to simplify your compositions and actively engage your viewers.

This is the subject of my latest YouTube video lesson. In this short tutorial, titled 5 Tips for Composing More Powerful Photographs, I outline a few essential techniques that you can use to help you strengthen the visual impact of your imagery and craft photos that will connect with your viewers.

I hope you enjoy the lesson. If you do check it out, leave me a comment and give me your feedback.

I realize that hobbies like photography have taken a backseat for many people right now, but I believe that continuing to engage in our creative passions and immersing ourselves in learning can help alleviate the stress that we’re all feeling right now in this uncertain time.

So, while you probably won’t find it quite as entertaining as Chris Mann’s awesome My Corona video parody, you might learn something that you can use the next time you pick up the camera.

Stay safe and be well, everyone.

Watch the Replay for My Recent Luminar 4 Webinar

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  (NOTE: This event is already over, but you can watch the entire replay above, or at Skylum’s YouTube Channel. ———— Join me for a Luminar 4 webinar tomorrow, on Tuesday, November 26, at 11:00AM PST. During this hour-long presentation, presented … Continue reading →

My First Photoflex LightingSchool Lesson – Now Online

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I celebrate my birthday today with two great professional notes. First of all, I’m the featured photographer this month in the Photoflex Pro Showcase. As someone who’s been using (and sometimes abusing) Photoflex gear for 20 years, I’m honored to … Continue reading →

Tutorial: Interpreting The Moment With Topaz Adjust 5

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Digital Imaging Tips by Dan Moughamian Introduction Topaz Labs recently announced Topaz Adjust 5 plug-in for Photoshop, so I thought it would be useful to follow up on the prior Adjust 4 tutorial to show another example of how it can … Continue reading →