I see a lot of folks say they apply some presets. Other than the lens profile corrections, what other kinds of presets could you use that would be applicable to every photo? Or to most of your photos? Don't you have to evaluate each picture to determine what edits it needs?
I understand a lot about interior shots but haven't paid much attention to exterior. What's good to know or different for exterior? E.g. I assume a longer focal length is preferred, maybe tripod raised higher....?
My first question is - is it is just me, or is the difference between the two techniques barely noticeable, at least for this particular type of room? (small, no window) Which one looks better?
My second question is - what else should I have done composition or editing wise for this to be a "professional" looking photo? I mean, it's just an ordinary small bathroom so not sure if anything extra is really needed or not, but I don't know....
For the HDR merge I did 5 brackets 1.5 EV apart.
For the Flambient shot I just brought it over as layers in photoshop with ambient as top layer and 50% opacity.
Obviously every agent can be different, but I am just curious, on average do most agents actually know and understand HDR , window pulls/masking, editing, or flash/flambient (or maybe photography basics in general), or is it something they don't really bother to understand?
Because before I started getting into photography/real estate photography, I would have no clue what any of that meant, but maybe if you are in the real estate industry you would have some base understanding?
Is it just a matter of personal taste? Or are there some clear signs you spot that an image has been poorly edited? Speaking mostly from the perspective of the photographer, but also curious if there are things that agents will also immediately notice in poorly edited photos, or maybe they are not astute enough to notice or care...
I know opinions on this vary and everyone has their own techniques. As I've been studying this industry, my perception is that HDR bracketed shots have been kind of the standard for a while, while of course some also shoot flash or single exposure etc.
Ignoring the obvious use case for a separate exposure for windows, how much of a difference is there really in the merged bracketed shots vs a single exposure properly edited? I realize the point of the bracket is to get a broader dynamic range (I think), but just wondering if after editing is applied if it really makes much difference.
I have a Sony A7V with stacked sensor, supposedly it has 16 stops of dynamic range. Seems like it would be a lot easier to not have to worry about merging 3 to 5 images together for every picture taken.
Do you other paid photography work besides Real Estate, and if so what type and what the % breakout of the different work you do?
I am brand new to Lightroom and editing in general. I've finally wrapped my head around LrC being non-destructive, but now am left wondering what the best way to organize my workflow is. Please see below example:
Here is part of my confusion. I had heard it was good for LrC to be reading off a fast SSD drive and then transferring the files to a large external hard drive after editing, but if I do that, the link will be broken between the LrC image and the raw file, right? I can re-map it but that sounds like a pain. So does it make sense to just always transfer my photos onto the 10TB external hard drive and edit from there? Everything under 1 folder called MASTER? And just 1 catalogue? Where should the catalogue be saved to?
Looks like this thing comes with 3 head attachments:
There are also modifiers available:
Which head, and which modifier, if any, should be used? Best place or angle to aim or bounce the flash? Do you turn off the artificial lights?
Usiing broad strokes here:
Basic camera functions/settings
Focal lengths
Exposure triangle as well as its individual components
Metering
Lightimg (natural and controlled)
Composition & Framing, storytelling
Advanced camera functions/settings
Histogram
Editing/post-processing
Posing
I've decided I've become open to the idea of eventually doing weddings. I was afraid I'd be in over my head, but I like the idea of documenting it as an assistant with someone else running the show. Could also get me some good experience. Thoughts?
They are currently on sale, $30 off. Unsure if it worth getting 2 while on sale. Of course, it's only $30, so not a huge deal.
I realize this is a probably a pretty obvious observation, but as I've been navigating this forum the past few months I see a lot of different takes in terms of what realtors want, what techniques to use, how to edit, the impact of AI, etc.
Now I realize there is no one fits all approach, but it can all be a little confusing for someone like me trying to get started in the industry and how best to do it.
Maybe I am wrong, but I live in one of the top 10 metro areas in the country with huge suburban sprawl and McMansions, and I am wondering if what I need to do to be competitive is different than what the person that's been working the last 10 years in a town of 50,000 has been doing without any difficulty, you know what I mean? I grew up in a town like that and the listings/pictures are definitely different than what I see in my market, and I don't think a lot of people in that town are into photography really, so I assume less competition, but could be wrong.
None of this is meant to be said in a condescending way, I am just wondering how realistic my prospects are in my market and what approach I need to take to break in and be competitive.
I've never done one. Is there some secret sauce to it. Like a certain time before or after sunset (or does it depend on time of year?) Or some special camera settings to use for correct exposure?
I am trying to learn and get better at editing but unsure if I am going down the right path. I'm even brand new to Lightroom.
Do you always edit your keepers? Or at least review if it needs any edits?
Only if I am in full manual mode, I can get the M.M. to show up that will show a number between -2 and 2, with 0 indicating a correct exposure.
If I go beyond -2, it just blinks, but doesn't show me a number to show how far underexposed I actually am.
Is there a setting to change this, or are all cameras like this? Or am I misinterpreting the M.M. numbers?
Yes, I realize I left the window blown out.
Yes, there is also some clutter I forgot to clean up.
This is not client work, this is just practice to get used to taking pictures of rooms. I did not aim to make them perfect, yet.
These are HDR, 5 images 1 stop apart. f/8.0 aperture, 200 ISO. I used a gray card to try and get the right white balance. The gray card took me from ~3350 to ~2850. Did not do a ton of editing, just tried to shift histogram and eyeball what looked half decent.
I always thought blinds and curtains and shades should be open, but what if the view outside looks bad or the window is really dirty or something?
Aside from the obvious (knowledge), what makes special photographers special? Here's a hypothetical example:
3 people travel to a good photography location with the same exact gear
The 1st person has never used a camera body before and takes pictures in auto mode.
The 2nd person has some experience and knowledge with cameras (exposure triangle, focal lengths etc)
The 3rd person is a professional photographer
What will make the 3rd person's output (presumably) better than the others?
For fun, let's say there's a 4th person that is not only professional but world reknowned and in elite category. What does he do that the others don't?
It it just "having an eye" for things? Practice? Something you are born with? E.g. elite professional athletes or musicans etc usually have an innate talent along with great focus and dedication/training. So what does an elite photographer have?