[Guest Posting] The Best Cameras for Photographing Artwork at the Museum

Tags

camera, museum, Photography, Travel

 

Due to the increasing ubiquity of smartphone and digital cameras, as well as the public’s penchant for sharing information on social media, many museums now allow photography in some or all of their permanent-collection spaces. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art are just some of the notable institutions that have begun allowing museumgoers to snap photos under certain conditions.

On the other hand, many museums still ban flash photography in most of their exhibitions and permanent-collection spaces because it can damage the more fragile artworks on display. Also, as many museums do not hold the copyrights to the artworks in their collections, some only allow museumgoers to snap photos if they’ll use the photos for non-commercial purposes such as sharing photos on social media.

Choosing a Camera to Photograph Artwork

Are you interested in snapping crisp, high-quality photos of artwork? The internet and social media are full of bad photographic reproductions of famous art pieces. If you want to avoid the blurriness, oversaturation, and bad lighting of inferior photographic reproductions of art, then carefully consider the camera you’ll be using.  

When photographing art, the primary aim should be to make the resulting image as sharp and representative of the actual artwork as possible. If you’re going to photograph art mainly for use on the internet and social media or to make small prints, then a less expensive camera (such as a compact camera or an advanced compact camera) would suffice.

If you own a high-end smartphone such as iPhone 7 or Samsung Galaxy S8, you can use your smartphone’s camera to take sharp, high-quality shots during your next museum visit.

However, if you want to capture photographic reproductions of art that can be made into medium- or large-sized prints, you’ll need a DSLR or a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC). Go for a camera with a bigger sensor size, as this leads to better image quality. You should also consider the camera’s megapixels (MP) and the resulting resolution.

Megapixels represent the number of dots in an image, and the more megapixels a camera has, the higher the resolution. Take note that a higher resolution does not always mean higher image quality, though a higher resolution does mean more detail and a greater potential to crop in on the details of your photos. A camera with at least 12 megapixels or more is ideal for photographing artwork.

Although professional photographers recommend using a tripod when photographing artwork, this is bound to raise a couple of eyebrows as well as inconvenience other museumgoers during peak hours. You can instead opt for a camera with image stabilization (IS) to reduce blur.

As for lenses, while zoom lenses allow you to zoom in on the artwork, high-quality images are only possible in the mid-range of the zoom. Prime lenses cannot zoom in at all but tend to produce shots of better image quality.

Lastly, consider shooting in RAW when photographing artwork. RAW allows greater detail, increases potential for editing and correcting, and facilitates the production of better art prints.

Recommended Cameras for Photographing Artwork

Advanced Compact Cameras

Museumgoers who want to take higher-quality shots that make great small- to medium-sized prints should consider investing in an advanced compact camera. Advanced compact cameras are a step above basic point-and-shoot cameras and are an affordable alternative to DSLRs and MILCs.

A great camera in this category is the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 II. It’s equipped with a 20.2 MP Exmor 1-inch CMOS sensor that delivers great image quality and less noise in low-light conditions. It also comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and has the “touch connection” feature that allows users to seamlessly transfer images to Android smartphones and tablets.

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 II has good battery life (which makes it ideal for full-day trips to multiple museums and cultural sites), a large LCD screen for composing and viewing shots, and the ability to focus as quickly as 0.13 seconds with high speed AF.

Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras

MILCs are great for museumgoers who are willing to spend more money to get a camera capable of taking finely detailed, high-quality medium- to large-sized prints. MILCs are less bulky than DSLRs because they don’t have a complex mirror system. Instead, they use an electronic viewfinder (EVF), or sometimes a rear screen, to preview images.

MILCs offer significantly better image quality compared to compact cameras because of their interchangeable lenses, bigger sensors, and higher megapixels. A great MILC for museumgoers is the Samsung NX1 mirrorless digital camera. It’s equipped with a 28.2 MP BSI APS-C CMOS sensor, which excels at delivering high-resolution digital imagery while enhancing low-light performance with its 100 to 51,200 ISO range.

Users can use the camera’s tiltable 3.0-inch HD 1036k-dot touchscreen monitor to review images, frame subjects, and select different menu options. When the use of a viewfinder is preferred, the XGA OLED EVF activates when it is brought up to the user’s eye.

Files saved on a memory card within the NX1 can be downloaded outside the camera via a USB 3.0 connection. Moreover, NFC capability image transfer from the camera to a smartphone or tablet with one tap. Paired with the right macro lens, such as 60mm f2.8 Macro ED SSA OIS Lens, museumgoers can capture finely detailed shots of artworks.

DSLRs

DSLRs are the definitive cameras for photographing professional-standard artwork for print and digital display. Their mirror system allows users to look through an optical viewfinder to see exactly what the camera sees, which gives users a good idea of what the final reproduction will look like.

DSLRs generally have much larger sensors than compact cameras, enabling them to take much higher-quality shots at much higher resolutions (including large-sized prints). Plus, they offer users greater versatility with the use of interchangeable lenses.

The Canon EOS Rebel T5 is the great DSLR for museumgoers. This camera is suitable for first-time DSLR users, has an easy-to-use interface, and is the least expensive way to gain access to Canon’s lineup of EF and EF-S interchangeable lenses. Key specs include an 18.0 MP CMOS (APS-C) image sensor, continuous shooting up to 3.0 fps (frames per second), and an ISO range of 100-6400 (expandable to 12,800).

Another great feature of the Canon EOS Rebel T5 is its large 3.0-inch LCD monitor, which is ideal for composing and capturing sharp, finely detailed images.

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Shane Haumpton  is a beginner in writing, self-confessed coffee addict and shutterbug, and manages to do all these while enjoying life as a nomad. She is interested in writing on a variety of topics, ranging from photography, travel and arts. Currently doing writing about Museum Photography.

[Guest Posting] 8 Best Places to Visit in America

Tags

Travel, USA

The United States is a place full of cultural and historical sites. A state of beautiful landmarks- both natural and man-made. Surrounded by three largest oceans of the world; Pacific, Atlantic, and Artic, this place has great tourist sites for the travelers. From coastlines to the attractions of major cities, United States has such a diverse range of travel destinations that it becomes hard to decide which place to visit first.

If you’re planning a trip to this beautiful place, the very first question that comes to your mind is which sites should be visited to make your vacations memorable and enjoyable.

Here is a list of some best places you should not miss when traveling to the USA.

New York

Nightlife- all its own, New York is a city that never sleeps. It is the only place in the world with an all-night running subway system. All restaurants, stores, and dance clubs remain open at all hours of the day. So you can enjoy the life of this city at any time, even in late hours of the night.

Things to do:

The sites for travelers are endless in this city. You will always run short of time when visiting the famous sites at every turn of this place.

· Visit the huge Central Park to add more fun to your trip.

· Plan a visit to the famous historical art museum ‘Metropolitan Museum of Art. See the sights of famous landmarks; The Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, and Statue of Liberty.

· Take in a theatrical performance at Broadway, considered as the central spot of American theater.

Best time to Visit:

April to June and September to November is the best time to visit this place when the weather is ideal and pleasant.

Los Angeles

The Home of Hollywood films, Celebrities, hotels and the world’s famous beaches makes Los Angeles a favorite location for tourists.

Things to do:

· Visit the famous Venice beaches, Malibu or Santa Monica.

· See the sights of Hollywood and explore the walk of fame.

· If traveling with kids, don’t forget to visit the Disney Land, The Universal Studios of Hollywood, and the amazing Griffith Park.

· Plan a trip to Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Griffith Observatory.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit this place is between September and November and from March to May when the crowd is less, and the air is quite breathable with pleasant weather.

Florida

Florida known as The Sunshine State is a city with beautiful weather and hundreds of miles of beaches; with Atlantic on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on another side. Destinations like Orlando, Miami, Key West and much more makes Florida a fun-filled place for tourists.

Things to Do:

· Don’t forget to visit the famous Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter located in Orlando, the most visited city of USA.

· Plan a trip to Panama City Beach.

· Located on the Atlantic to the north of Miami Beach is Fort Lauderdale, a must-visit city with impressive and vast infrastructure for tourists.

· Visit Miami, a city known for its nightlife and cultural heritage.

· Visit the Florida Keys, to enjoy a variety of outdoor recreations such as beaches, botanical gardens, museums and Theater of the Sea.

Best Time to Visit:

Best time to visit Florida is between one of the two shoulder seasons: April to May and September to November.

Chicago

Located on Michigan Beach in Illinois is the country’s third-largest city, Chicago. It is a city known for its museums and bold architecture including giant skyscrapers such as The Neo-Gothic Tribune Tower, The Willis Tower, and The John Hancock Center.

Things to do:

· Plan a trip to Millennium Park, Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium and the Garfield Conservatory and add more fun to your exciting adventure.

· You can also visit several museums in the city such as Chicago History Museum, The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, National Museum of Mexican Art, Museum of Science and Industry, and Museum of Contemporary Art.

· Chicago has an incredible theater, Music Box. If you’re a movie lover, you should visit this place.

Best Time to Visit

The ideal time to visit Chicago is April to May and between September and October. Most Of the Festivals held during this time when the weather is warm and pleasant.

Washington DC

Washington DC, the capital of United States, is the home to political power and all foreign staff. It is famous for its museums and monuments that are free for visitors, thus making it one of the most visited cities in the US. A perfect place for tourists to explore the history of the US by checking out numerous historical sites such as Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, Mount Vernon, White House, and various art galleries and theaters.

Things to do:

· Visit the picturesque city, Seattle with a variety of tourist attractions. Must visit the Sky View Observatory or the Space Needle, to enjoy a farfetched view of the city and nearby mountains and islands.

· Plan a trip to Spokane and visit its most beautiful spots such as Riverfront Park, John A. Finch Arboretum, and Manito Park.

· Are you a hiking lover? You must not miss the 40-mile smooth Centennial Trail along the Spokane River in Riverside State Park.

· Take a tour of the Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC).

Best time to Visit:

The Ideal time to visit Washington is Between March and April when the famous cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

Hawaii

Hawaii is known as an island paradise. Its islands are famous for their scenic landscapes, breath-taking waterfalls and numerous beaches with gold, red and even black sands. The main six islands of this state include Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii (The Big Island) with twice the size of all other islands put together. Of all these islands, Oahu has the state’s capital city Honolulu, with main tourist attractions- Pearl Harbor and the Waikiki beach.

Things to do:

· One of the most beautiful attractions is found on Hawaii Island at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

· Plan a trip Waikiki beach and enjoy all facilities and entertainment of a modern city.

· Visit Pearl Harbor- A World War II memorial, located in Honolulu.

· You can also plan a visit to Waipio Valley, Haleakala National Park, Maui Ocean Center, Hana Road, and Mauna Kea- the highest mountain in Hawaii.

· With so many attractions to see, start planning your next trip to Hawaii Island.

Best time to Visit:

Best time to visit Hawaii is between September and November when the weather is pleasant, and rainfall is minimal.

San Francisco

The cultural, financial, and commercial center of Northern California is known as San Francisco. It is located in the northern part of the San Francisco Peninsula. San Francisco is a famous tourist destination, which is praised for its cool summers, steep rolling hills, fog, landmarks, and eclectic mix of architecture. Some of its popular spots include the Golden Gate Bridge, the former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, and cable cars.

Things to do:

· Search for a hotel room in SOMA to have the best time in San Francisco.

· Have the yummiest meal of all times, at Bon Appetit, along with a very cozy and elegant interior, which makes its visitors experience an unforgettable visit.

· There is also a treat for health lovers in San Francisco. A stay in hotels along the Embarcadero gives a fantastic view of the Bay Bridge.

· Plan a stay at the Union Square and shop to the fullest. It surely is a piece of satisfaction.

Best Time to Visit

The ideal time to visit San Francisco is from September to November, as it offers the warmest surroundings of fall season during this period of the year.

Boston

The enormous population of Boston itself gives an idea of the choice of selection of people. In the United States, it is one of the cities that famous for their historical abundance. The fact that Boston is the only part of United States that is located along the oceanic shoreline, it not just automatically leaves it with a great advantage, but also offers Boston beautiful views.

Things to do:

· America’s oldest park, Boston Common, is located in the heart of the city and is the beginning of a must-try Freedom Trail.

· Beacon Hill is the choice, in case one feels the need to have a stay in the most beautiful neighborhood of United States.

· Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – it may be the oldest, but one can easily comprehend the meaning of “old is gold” by visiting this place.

Best Time to Visit

The ideal time to visit Boston is from June to October. Despite its high tourist rate during this time of the year, the environment it provides its visitors makes it worth trying.

So, get ready to enjoy the beauty of this world. Pack your bag, wear your best boots and head out for an amazing adventure.

 

Author Bio:

Shawn Michaels is a blogger who loves to write about his outdoor experiences. He is also a passionate rock climber and loves traveling. Currently, he is studying and spends his free time reading reviews and gear shopping! He regularly blogs at Thesmartlad.com.

Thursday Tips: Selecting a Tripod

Tags

Photography, Tips, tripod

I’ve written about tripods on this blog before, but only in the general sense of enumerating the basic advantages of using one. In this post, I’m going to discuss some of the considerations that you might want to keep in mind when choosing a particular tripod. I’m not going to recommend specific makes or models; there are literally hundreds of options available for purchase. Rather, I’ll focus on specific feature sets that are worth prioritizing.

The Prime Directive

Remember what the main, substantive point of a tripod is—stability. Therefore, it’s important to get a tripod that’s capable of supporting the heaviest head/camera/lens combination that you’ll want to place on top of it. Tripods are “rated” for certain payloads. In my experience, you don’t want to be anywhere near the listed weight support. So, if the tripod in question allegedly supports, say, 15 pounds, I wouldn’t want to put even 10 pounds on it. My general rule of thumb is to make sure that the tripod specifications claim a payload support at least double the total of the highest payload I plan to use with the tripod. Remember to include the weight of whatever head you plan to put on the tripod itself. (There are some tripods that come with a dedicated head, but I generally don’t recommend using these models as they have limited flexibility.)

Basic Function: Independent Leg Positioning

Unless you plan to use the tripod exclusively indoors, be certain that the tripod you purchase allows you to independently adjust each of the three legs. There are a good many low end tripods that don’t allow for this; avoid them like the plague if you plan to shoot outdoors on uneven ground.

Size & Weight

While it’s critical to be certain that the tripod supports your payload, depending on your planned usage the weight and size of the tripod itself may be an issue. For instance, if your focus is travel photography you’ll almost certainly want to keep the length and weight of the tripod as low as possible, for two principal reasons: the first is the importance of having something very light and easy to carry when you’re constantly on the move; the second is the rather strict limits on luggage put in place by many airlines. Not incidentally, many of the same considerations apply if you plan to do any overnight backpacking with your gear. In such circumstances, every pound (and inch) saved is important.

Materials

Also on the subject of size/weight, you’ll want to consider the materials that make up the tripod itself. Generally speaking, the choices are aluminum or carbon fiber. Both are quite sturdy when properly manufactured, but carbon fiber tripods are significantly lighter, all things being equal, than aluminum tripods. On the other hand—again, all other things equal—comparably designed aluminum models are almost always less expensive than their carbon fiber equivalents. Whether the extra money is worth the lower weight is something you’ll have to determine for yourself based on your budget and shooting proclivities.

Maximum Height

You’ll also want to be sure that the tripod you obtain is adequate in terms of extended height. Generally speaking, you want to be sure that the unit extends high enough for you to use it at its tallest point without extending the unit’s center column, assuming it has one. Doing so will ensure that you can utilize the tripod in relative comfort in the field. The part about the center column is critical. One of the biggest mistakes I see many less experienced photographers make when in the field is extending the center column on their tripods when they don’t have to do so. Doing so effectively turns your tripod into a monopod, which means that your rig is far less stable than is the case when the center column isn’t extended. Mark my words—do not extend the center column unless it’s absolutely necessary for you to do so to reach a certain height.

Minimum Height

As important as it is to be certain that your tripod extends high enough, it’s just as important that it can be set up as low as you need it to go. This is a particularly relevant consideration if you’re into macro photography and need to get close to ground level to photograph things like flowers, but it can come in very handy to get low for certain other purposes, including (but not limited to) wildlife and landscape photography. Some tripods can be set up considerably lower than others, so be sure to check the specifications on this.

Number of Leg Sections

Some tripod models are available in either three- or four-leg section units. The former are usually a little bit more stable (because the bottom leg section of a four is typically thinner and, thus, less sturdy, than a three), but the latter can typically be collapsed into a significantly smaller package. Again, you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons based on what’s most important to you.

Final Considerations

Ultimately, you want to get a tripod that you’ll actually utilize. I know of many photo enthusiasts who own multiple sets of tripod legs, with each model designed to fill a specific need. Many other people have only one unit, intended to cover a broad set of purposes. Regardless, if you’re not going to carry the tripod with you and actually use it in the field, it’s a bad investment. Think carefully about the circumstances in which you normally shoot and make your purchase accordingly, because—like the best camera—the best tripod is the one you’ll actually use.

Thursday Tips is written by Kerry Mark Leibowitz, a guest blogger on 1001 Scribbles, and appears every other Thursday. To read more of his thoughts on photography, please visit his blog: Lightscapes Nature Photography.

Thursday Tips: Image Organization

Tags

image organization, lightroom, Photography, Tips

Let’s spend a bit of time talking about what is surely the most exciting photography-related topic in the universe—image organization. Okay, so it’s not exactly the most thrilling subject, but it is, undeniably, extremely important as anyone who’s tried to sort through thousands of files to find a particular photograph can attest.

Caveats

Before I plunge in, I want to make two, essentially unrelated, points. The first is that while I may touch upon issues of data back up in general, that’s not the point of this post. Backup is a topic worthy of a seminar of its own, so that’s a subject for another day…maybe. The second matter is to address the notion of an objectively “best way to organize” your images. Let me be clear about this—there is no such thing. The “best” system is one that makes sense to you and is one you will use as part of your personal workflow. I’ll spend some time talking about what I do, but don’t take it as gospel. Parts of it may work for you as well, and I’ll provide some details just to give you some points to consider but by no means do I think that my system, in whole, is necessarily the best (there’s that word again) option for anyone else, let alone everyone else. The key to putting together a process that serves your needs is to consider—honestly—how you think and work and adapt a specific set of procedures accordingly.

With that said…

The Sooner You Start, the Better

One thing that is almost universally true about this matter is that the longer you wait to get started the harder it’s going to be to establish a working system…and because of that, the longer you wait the more likely you are to put it off which will—you guessed it—make it even harder to get started. Rinse and repeat. It’s really quite a vicious circle.

So, my advice is to think hard about exactly how you want to implement your organizational system, but don’t think too long about it, because it becomes more difficult each time you click the shutter button.

Folder Structure

The basis for the entire enterprise is centered around the notion of how you go about structuring the folders that will hold your images. There are countless options available to you and the “best” one is really based on how you’re inclined to think about the images you take.

For instance, if you’re a photo generalist, you might—might—want to start by arranging things around different photographic subjects (e.g. people, nature, objects, etc.) or genres. If you’re pretty single-minded like me, that doesn’t make much sense. (I shoot nature almost exclusively and roughly 95% of my nature images are landscapes.)

I tend to think about my images, first and foremost, by location, so my first layer of folders is arranged accordingly. For instance, this fall I spent two weeks in the Canadian Rockies. This was the first time I’d been to the region, so when saving my images during the trip I first created a folder called “Canadian Rockies.” Within that folder, I created sub-folders that corresponded to each date of the trip and the files for each day went in that folder. And that’s as complicated as I’ve made my folder structure For a place that I return to regularly to shoot—Starved Rock State Park, for example—I have a “Starved Rock” folder and subfolders corresponding to each of the times I’ve shot there, labeled by date.

Given my style of shooting and the way I think, this organization works for me. I put this structure in place more than 10 years ago, during which time I’ve placed tens of thousands of files into hundreds of folders and I still have no trouble working with this arrangement. Unless you work and think the way I do, this approach probably won’t be the best choice for you, so consider about how you work and think and create a folder structure that seems logical and actionable to you.

Filenames

While this matter isn’t necessarily a huge deal if you’re diligent about keywording (more on this below), I think there’s something to be said for going to the modest trouble of giving your image files unique, meaningful names upon importing them. The value is mostly in being able to see at a glance roughly what a stray image file contains. For what it’s worth, I use filenames that are—again—location specific, typically using a broad location name and a specific object or event (when relevant), plus a sequential number.

So, for example, one of my image files from my trip to the Canadian Rockies might be:

Jasper_Athabasca_Falls_3514.NEF

Jasper is the national park (i.e. broad location), Athabasca Falls is the “specific object,” 3514 is the sequential number. (NEF is Nikon’s proprietary RAW file format.)

Again, this method makes sense to me given my photographic predilections, but the possible directions you can go with filenaming are almost endless. As with the folder structure, formulate a system that makes sense to you.

As for how to actually go about changing filenames, there are a number of things you can do. The operating system itself is one option (e.g. Windows Explorer if you’re on a PC), but this approach tends to be clunky and inflexible. Most camera companies have free software that is designed to help you download images from flash cards and there’s typically rudimentary file renaming capability built in. (Nikon, for example, has a program called Nikon Transfer embedded with a browser called Nikon View. Both Transfer and View have tools that allow you to rename files in bulk.) Another more powerful and flexible choice is to use a program that is designed specifically for bulk file renaming. Once such program (Windows only) is Bulk Rename Utility. The interface may be a bit intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it you can do almost anything you want in terms of renaming files, very quickly. Of course if you’re using a program like Lightroom, you have a number of renaming tools and procedures available to you.

Keywording

The question isn’t whether you’re going to want to apply keywords to your images, it’s (as usual) how you’re going to want to go about doing it. Once you build up an image library of any size at all you’ll rapidly realize the value of having a keyword system in place; a decent system can make finding images a snap.

My recommendation is to be too detailed with your keywords, rather than taking a chance of not being detailed enough. By applying both detailed information (e.g. location specifics) and general characteristics, you can very easily pare down image searches to a very small number of photographs, making it simple to find what you’re looking for. A system of broad keywords can help also can help if you’re doing a thematic search, rather than looking for a single image,.

For example, consider the below image:

Specific keywords would include:

Alberta, Jasper National Park, Medicine Lake

But general keywords (under my system) would include:

Trees, aspens, conifers, water, sunrise, lake, reflection, mountain, boulders, rocks in water, grass, hand of man, trail, clouds

Again, the specifics of what to include isn’t the point. You can see, however, that I could find this single image pretty easily by focusing on Medicine Lake and perhaps one or two other general keywords. But if I was trying to meet a themed request—say, sunrise shots at lakes in the Canadian Rockies—I could simply use, say, lake/sunrise/Alberta and pull up a search that would include this image—and all others that fit the criteria. Either way, I’m covered.

Regardless, a keywording system is dynamic. You’ll almost certainly find the need to add keywords to your inventory over time. The goal is to be comprehensive enough from the beginning that you don’t find the need to go back and add new keywords to large numbers of old images. Having too many keywords is functionally impossible. If you find over time that you have keywords that you don’t need simply ignore them going forward.

What do use for keywording? That’s covered in the next section.

Management Software

You’re probably going to want to use some sort of program to assist you with managing your images. There are a lot of options out there, but the most popular is probably Adobe’s Lightroom program. Full disclosure—I don’t use Lightroom. I use Bridge, also by Adobe, which is an addendum to the full version of Photoshop. I’ve been using Bridge for nearly 15 years and still find that it meets my needs. Lightroom is considerably more powerful and feature rich and many—if not most—photographers I know use it. It’s a perfectly viable option. (For what it’s worth, I don’t use it myself because I’m not a fan of the catalog format that the program uses.) There are other third party programs out there as well.

Once again, whatever you choose to use as management software, it’s important to be confident that it meets your needs and goals. One of the advantages of Lightroom, for instance, is that image searching is extremely quick. The compromise you must make, however, is that you have to buy into the catalog approach to managing your images, which can be a comparative problem if you ever have the desire or need to do any administrative work with your files outside the Lightroom environment. So, whether you choose to use Lightroom or not may be based on which of these points is more important to you. As is the case with everything related to photography, there are always tradeoffs.

Backups

I noted earlier that I wasn’t going to deal with this topic in detail, but I’m mentioning it here because nothing, in my opinion, is more important when it comes to image management than establishing and religiously following a well thought-out, comprehensive backup plan. After all, if your images aren’t secure, none of the rest of this means a thing.

I have five—yes, five—full copies of all of my image files, RAW and processed, arrayed across a total of seven dedicated external hard drives. Two full sets of files are kept in each of two places, roughly 200 miles apart, and the fifth set goes back and forth with me. If you think this is extreme…well, it may be, but I’d much rather be safe than sorry. I back up my files after literally every image editing session.

As always, you don’t necessarily have to do what I’m doing, but what you should do at a minimum:

• Back up your files regularly. Here, I don’t think I’m being extreme at all. Every time you add or change a file, run a backup (assuming you don’t have a system that includes backing up in real time).
• Don’t settle for any fewer than three backups. Why isn’t two enough? Let’s say that something goes wrong during a backup. Your original file set can be compromised and so can your backup.       In one miserable moment, all of your images could go poof.
• If at all possible, keep at least one backup in a remote location.       That way, if something catastrophic happens to one place (a house catching fire, for instance) you’ll still have a full copy of your images. The “remote location” doesn’t have to be 200 miles away (I only do that because I split my time naturally between two places), but it should be somewhere other than the same structure. A number of people I know keep a backup hard drive in a safety deposit box at a bank.

Conclusion

Image management isn’t a very sexy topic, but it’s a (very) necessary evil. Put a well-designed system in place, using an appropriate piece of software to help you and you’ll be able to easily integrate it into your postprocessing workflow. Down the road, it will save you far more time than you’ll expend putting it all together.

Thursday Tips is written by Kerry Mark Leibowitz, a guest blogger on 1001 Scribbles, and appears every other Thursday. To read more of his thoughts on photography, please visit his blog: Lightscapes Nature Photography.

Thursday Tips: Equipment Familiarity and Once In a Lifetime Trips

Tags

photo gear, photo trip, Photography, Tips

So, you’ve got the photo trip of a lifetime planned—Antarctica, perhaps, or the Galapagos Islands or a photo safari in Kenya or Tanzania. Wherever it is, since it’s the “trip of a lifetime,” what better opportunity to finally break down and splurge on that new camera or new lens or new tripod that you’ve had your eye on for so long time. Since it is the photo trip of a lifetime, why shouldn’t you have the best? The top action camera that you’ve been drooling over, to best capture the animals on the Serengeti…the most resilient camera to stand up to the cold and wet conditions in Antarctica…the exotic prime lens to photograph the wildebeest or the penguins or the albatross or the cheetahs or whatever.

Right?

Let me just make one suggestion about taking new gear on an expensive trip—don’t do it. Ever. I understand the temptation; I’ve essentially laid out the appeal in the first paragraph. Don’t give in.

Trust me, the very last thing you want to do when you’re faced with once in a lifetime photo opportunities on a once in a lifetime trip is fumble around with unfamiliar equipment and—again, trust me—when your equipment is unfamiliar you will fumble around with it.

A new camera is the worst because it’s the nerve center for everything you’re doing out in the field. That new camera will have some new features—which you won’t be able to easily implement because—you guessed it—you won’t be familiar with them. It will also have some new ways of implementing pre-existing capabilities…and you’ll struggle to execute them because—that’s right—you’re familiar with the old way of doing so. There will be some new buttons, possibly some new dials, certainly some new menus. And when you’re out in the field, trying to remember where the exposure compensation button has moved to, the cheetah will disappear from view. While you’re fighting with the new autofocus system, the albatross will fly off. While you’re trying to remember how the new auto ISO system works and is implemented, the wildebeest will gallop away.

You get the idea.

While a new camera has the largest number of potential pitfalls, other new equipment can have its own issues. For instance, if you’re not used to using long, prime lenses, you’re going to flip and flop around trying to get used to finding objects with a very, very small field of view…to say nothing of the difficulties you’ll have getting used to obtaining sharp images with a big, heavy (here it comes again) unfamiliar lens. (A hint—it requires different support and/or technique.)

Even something as seemingly innocuous as a new tripod or head can cause problems. Each tripod model has its own system of extending and retracting the legs, with different kinds of locks. Heads have their own quirks—different types of quick release systems, different sized knobs and different levels of tension. A lack of experience with all of these things will slow you down in the field and lead to the frustration of missed shots. The same principle applies to other accessories as well.

The point of all this is not to suggest that you shouldn’t get new (better?) equipment. The notion of having better tools to accomplish a task isn’t a bad one. But the key is to obtain this equipment, and familiarize yourself with it, long before heading off for that “once in a lifetime” trip. Do so and you’ll surely return home with once in a lifetime images…which was surely the purpose of the trip in the first place.

Thursday Tips is written by Kerry Mark Leibowitz, a guest blogger on 1001 Scribbles, and appears every other Thursday. To read more of his thoughts on photography, please visit his blog: Lightscapes Nature Photography.