The MCP photo challenges give you a stress-free chance to sharpen your creative editing skills. Edit the weekly photo, share it for critique and you can gain increased strength and confidence with your editing skills. Participation allows you to strengthen your editing skills, learn how to give and receive constructive criticism, and watch how others work with different Photoshop actions and Lightroom presets.  Join us to edit a member submitted photo bi-weekly.

This week’s editing challenge photo is a lovey Italian countryside shot taken by Sheila Dickson Clapperton

If you have an idea on how you’d edit the image below, or want to see and learn what others did, JOIN US HERE. Haven’t had time to try your hand at this photo? No worries, you still have an additional week to post yours.

Several of members of the group have shared great edits. Here are a few of the many favorites:

Submitted by Amanda Holowaty using MCP Mini Fusion Action Set

Edited by Jordana Jelinek Zdanowicz

Edited by Justin Borden 

Edited by Maureen Barry Souza

Thank you again to  Sheila Dickson Clapperton for allowing us to use this photo.  The current challenges are linked at the top of the group. Remember, you can also ask for critique on your edit.

This week the Photography Challenge continued look at things from all angles. So many fabulous photos flooded the gallery this week! It was very hard to choose, but here are a few additional favorites:

Submitted by Danielle Potts 

Submitted by Jaclyn Brenning Sisk 

Submitted by Jamie Lynn

Submitted by Patty McCabe

Submitted by Tammy Burns Trejos

Submitted by Yvonne Germond

 The photo challenge is a great way to reach outside the box and shoot creatively. In addition to new ideas,  you have the support of a large group of photographers who can assist you and give you feedback as you work on specific themes and skills.  We loved seeing so many great photos. Here are a few we wanted to feature, but make sure to check the album on the group page for more.

The team would like to thank everyone who submitted a photo for the challenge. Visit the the Facebook Group on Monday for a new Photography Challenge.

The post MCP Photography and Editing Challenge: Highlights from this Week appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

What editing style fits you most?

When you first start out in photography, chances are you are trying to find your style.  This takes place in camera, as you pose (or don’t pose) your subjects, as you decide what lighting to use or avoid, and more. When you sit down at the computer, you bring your style to light even more.

What editing tools and products you use often further define your style. But they do not have to.  You can achieve so many different looks from our actions and presets

So many times people ask which set of Lightroom presets or Photoshop actions they should buy.  Or photographers will ask exactly what their photo would look like with a specific set. Since our products are so adjustable and include so many options, there is truly something for everyone.  You can edit as light or heavy-handed as you like, and mix and match until you build the edit exactly as you imagined it when you clicked the shutter release button.

Here’s an example using just one product of why it’s hard to answer which product gets you a specific look. All of these edits below used just the Enlighten presets for Lightroom. Imagine if I edited this image with other presets from the set, or with one of our action sets?  I could literally make thousands of examples that looked different using just one image.  Now factor in camera settings, styling, lighting, etc.  You can accomplish anything with that combination at your fingertips.

Add a comment below and tell us which of these images best fits your style.

The post What Editing Style Fits You Most? appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

Successful Senior Photography: Specializing within the Senior Market

If you were having problems with your knee and decided you needed to see a doctor, would you prefer to take a trip to the general practitioner or would you rather see a bone & joint specialist? Since the knee is a joint, most people would probably rather see a bone & joint specialist – or even better, a bone & joint specialist that exclusively treats knee injuries. You would likely have to pay a premium to see this specialist because they have more extensive knowledge about knee injuries – they have special training, expertise, and experience with knee injuries.

Why am I talking about doctors in a post about photography? Because, like doctors, photographers can choose to specialize and become experts at a particular type of photography – and people are willing to pay a premium to work with experts. If you specialize in senior pictures, that’s a good start, but specializing within the senior market is even better! (Disclaimer: this does not mean you need to specialize and certainly you can photograph seniors, children, families, etc – but specialization is the business model I will be discussing today.)

For example, I am a senior portrait photographer that specializes in outdoor, natural light, natural looking senior pictures. My website is full of these kinds of pictures, most of which are taken out in the country with tall grass, gravel roads, trees, ponds, etc.

My clients tend to be fun, confident and easy-going. Some bring their animals with them (which I love) and some choose to use my vintage props to ‘stylize’ some of their pictures.

My website and all of my marketing material, packaging and branding compliment my specialty and reflect my style. This helps attract clients that will highly value me as an artist and who will most likely be happy with my work. It also helps deter clients that have something else in mind for their pictures, therefore saving me from experiencing dissatisfied clients.

There are other successful senior portrait photographers in my town that focus on glamorous, high fashion, highly-retouched senior pictures. That’s another example of specializing within the market. As long as there is a demand for the types of pictures you offer, you can specialize in whatever makes you happiest!

Now, just because you specialize in a specific type of photography doesn’t mean you can’t do other types of sessions, too. When I first decided to tailor my business towards seniors, I didn’t stop taking other sessions; I simply marketed heavily to seniors and began shooting more seniors than any other type of portrait photography. Now, about 90% of my inquiries are seniors because I’ve established the reputation as a senior portrait photographer.

You also don’t have to limit yourself to one specialty, although, I would recommend two or three at the most and to establish one at a time. This year, I have added lifestyle family photography to my business and one day I may add a specialized boudoir component.

How to start specializing in senior photography:

If you like the idea of specializing, where do you start?

• I began by finding young, senior-looking models and offered them free sessions. I shot the sessions exactly how I envisioned them.
• Then I blogged those pictures and put them on my website and all over Facebook.
• I tailored my branding toward my specialty and I explained my style on my website. Slowly I began to attract my ideal clientele.

Establishing yourself as an expert or specialist takes time. But once people begin to see you as an expert, they are willing to pay more to experience your premium service.

What type of photography do you want to specialize in? I’d love to see everyone’s responses in the comment section.

Up next: Posing High School Seniors

All images in this post were edited using MCP Four Seasons – Summer Solstice Actions.

About the Author: Ann Bennett is the owner of Ann Bennett Photography in Tulsa, OK. She specializes in high school senior pictures and lifestyle family photography. For more information about Ann, visit her website www.annbennettphoto.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/annbennettphotography.

The post Successful Senior Photography: Specializing within the Senior Market appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

Uncover Camera Settings: Be a Photo Detective

Have you taken a photo and later been asked, “what where your settings?” Or have you looked at a session and thought, “how can I improve upon these next time?”  Sometimes you may even see a photo online and wonder what settings another photographer used …  For most photos, you can uncover information such as camera settings, metadata, copyright info, etc., even on photos that are not yours.

Where to locate the information: Photoshop

In Photoshop and PS Elements, you will find a wealth of information by following this path: FILE – FILE INFO. You can uncover camera settings of your images. Scroll down a bit if you have Lightroom to learn where to access it there.

Once there, you will see tabs with various choices.  It WILL look different depending on what version of Photoshop or Elements you use.  It has changed through the years – as the recorded information gets even more sophisticated. My screen shots below are from Photoshop CS6, the current version as of this writing.

Here is the basic camera info.  In Photoshop CS6 it is under the Camera Data tab. You can see this image was shot with a Canon 5D MKIII and even see a serial number.  You can see that I resized it for web since it is at 72 ppi and 900×600. You can also see that I used the NEW Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 Di VC lens. Additionally you can see that I was at a focal length of 200mm, an aperture of f4.0 and a speed of 1/800. My ISO was at 200, and metering set to evaluative.  That is just for starters….

But there is so much more you can learn about this image. In the advanced tab, since I shot raw, you can even see what settings I used in Lightroom.  I used the Enlighten Lightroom Presets and a few quick steps once in Photoshop. The raw edits are reflected as numerical data. This info shows in the Camera Raw Properties, so you can see the start of this edit documented: Blacks at +47, Clarity at +11 and so on…

And the copyright info and all the photographer’s info is there too – if you program it into your camera – or if you add it later when in Photoshop.  I HIGHLY suggest you do this to protect your images by documenting your ownership of them.

Where to uncover camera settings and more: Lightroom

In Lightroom, you can see certain data on your image in the LIBRARY and DEVELOP Module – look to the top left side of your images. Click the letter “i” on your keyboard to cycle through the different views or to turn it off if it annoys you.  It is just an overlay and will not appear on your image when exporting. Again you can see the same info from Photoshop – such as aperture, speed, ISO, lens used, focal length, etc.

If you are looking for more data, you can uncover much more.  Go to the LIBRARY MODULE.  Then look on the right side of your screen.  And scroll down until you see this:

And if that is not enough – click the left corner where it says “default” – and you can choose from an even larger variety of choices to see more about your image.

Or even the IPTC – where you can add your information – such as your name, studio name, title, email, and website.

Why is it important to uncover your camera settings?

1. You can learn from your settings and decide what you would do differently next time or what you did right this time. When posting for critique at places like our MCP Shoot Me Facebook Group, we ask members to give us their settings when they want constructive criticism, help or advice. These settings can help someone else tell you why your photo is soft or out of focus, why your image looks under or over exposed and even what you can do about it.
2. You can view other photographer’s information – see who shot an image, what settings they used, etc. Some photographers may “save for web” in Photoshop and wipe this information out, so if you see a photo that comes up blank, that is why.  Likewise if you do not want people seeing your settings, you can delete them.  Being an educator, I strongly suggest you keep them.  Just because someone sees your settings does not mean they get the same shot you did…
3. Make sure you add your information in camera, in Lightroom, in Photoshop/Elements or some other way to show you have ownership of your images. This could come in handy should someone steal your work and use it as their own.

Got any other tips to uncover information and settings in your images?  Add them below. 

The post Uncover Camera Settings + More in Photoshop, Elements, and Lightroom appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

This week’s photo challenge was all about looking at things from a new angle. The MCP Shot Me Group photography challenge for this week is to capture a photo from a new or different angle. Shoot high, shoot low, the choice is yours.

Join the photography challenge! It is a great  way to grow as a photographer.  You can be creative, try new things and shoot these images free from the pressure of perfection.  You will also have the support of a large group of photographers who can assist you and provide you with feedback as you work on specific themes and skills.

We loved seeing your “angle” on this challenge. Here are a few of our favorites:

Submitted by Justin Borden

Submitted by Megan Griffeth Barrow

Submitted by Nichole Harpel

Submitted by Sharon Peters

Make sure to check the album on the group page for more creative takes on the photo challenge this week. We want to thank everyone who submitted a photo for the challenge. You have one more week on this theme, so come join our Facebook Group and participate now.

The editing challenge continued this week with more edits of  Maria Arcement’s heartfelt photo. It is amazing how the different edits create a distinct feeling to the picture.

Several of members of the group have shared new edits this week. Here are a few of the favorites:

Edited by Amanda Holowaty

Edited by Erin Niehenke

Edited by Melissa Robinson Dickie

The photo challenges give you a chance to edit other photographer’s images, share them for critique, and see how others edit the same photographs.  Participating allows you to practice editing, learn how to give constructive criticism, and watch what steps or Photoshop actions and Lightroom presets are used in various edits.  Join us to edit the bi-weekly photos.

If you have an idea on how you’d edit the image below, or want to see and learn what others did, JOIN US HERE.

Again, thank you Maria Arcement for allowing us to use this photo.  The current challenges are linked at the top of the group. Remember, you can also ask for critique on your edit.

We will have a new edit challenge starting Monday, so come back to see what image you can edit then.

The post MCP Editing and Photography Challenge: Highlights from this Week appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

We made the pin-able graphic for fun.  But if you prefer read text on screen…. the below area is for you…

7 Tips for Your Next Outdoor Photography Newborn Session

1. TIMING

The best time of day to shoot a newborn session is one hour prior to sunset during the “golden hour.”

2. EXPOSURE/METERING

For proper exposure, shoot in manual mode. Set your ISO and aperture. Then get very close to the baby’s forehead and use center weight metering. Adjust your shutter speed while watching your in camera meter, and do not let it go below 1/125. If it does, increase your ISO.After setting your exposure, go to your shooting position.

3. HELPING HANDS

Be sure to have plenty of back up so that someone is always an arms reach away, spotting the baby.

4. WEATHER

Make sure you do not take a baby out unless it is at least 80F but no warmer then 90F. If you do decide to shoot in the middle of the day be sure to find shade or to make your own shade to protect the baby’s skin.

5. NOISE

Bring a portable white noise device (there are some great iphone apps for this) so that there is plenty of background noise.

6. COMFORT/SAFETY/FUN

Make sure that the baby has a full belly and is posed safely and comfortably before you begin. And have fun!

7. EDITING NEWBORN IMAGES

Whether your images just need a little boost or require more extensive retouching, MCP Newborn Necessities actions for Photoshop and Elements, make editing easier.

Need more help photographing newborns?  Check out our Online Newborn Photography Workshop. 

The post 7 Tips for Your Next Outdoor Photography Newborn Session appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

As a photographer, my personal style is bright and colorful so I love when spring rolls around and color starts to emerge! We’re starting to see the grass and trees turn green in Idaho and I use a few tools to really enhance that color.

My workflow is pretty simple and I keep it consistent so when clients view my site, they immediately see my style and whether or not we’re a fit.

Here’s a quick overview of my workflow with my outdoor sessions:

1. I shoot in RAW, so I make any necessary adjustments. I’m an obsessive gray carder, so I didn’t need to make any initial adjustments in my color balance.

2. With a curves layer, I do a very slight s-curve, raising my midtones and deepening my shadows.

3. I then use the Magic See Saw action from MCP’s Bag of Tricks to do a check on my color. My color values told me that I needed to lower my cyan a touch, so I made those adjustments.

4. Next, I use the Color Finder action from the same set of photoshop actions, MCP’s Bag of Tricks, to really enhance all the color in those trees! In this photo, the sun was behind my client and I was really able to bring out the yellows and oranges caused by the sun. I loved the effect of it because it really tied in the mustard yellow color in the little boy’s pants.  I did just a tiny bit of color enhancement on the grass. Saturating the color too much made it look fake to me and I prefer a more natural look. I reduced my opacity to about 40-50%.

5. Finally, I use the free Photoshop action, MCP’s High Definition Sharpening, to sharpen the picture, erasing back the hair so it is not over-sharpened.

These simple steps really made this classic family portrait pop and enhanced the spring colors beginning to show!

Melissa Gephardt is a military wife and mom of 3 who specializes in children’s portraiture. Currently residing in Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, she looks forward to their next adventure in life as they move to another military base this summer! Her work can be found at www.melissagphotography.com or on Facebook at Melissa Gephardt Photography .

The post Using Photoshop Actions to Bring Out Beautiful Spring Color appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

The Contest is now OVER.  

The lucky winner of this incredible $1,299 Tamron lens is: #2367 – Mira Crisp.

Congratulations.  Make sure to check out the Tamron 24-70mm lens. This fall for another great lens contest – this time for a telephoto lens.  You never know when your number will be the lucky one.  The chances are a lot better than the Powerball

You have the chance to win a brand new Tamron 24-70mm lens {$1,299 estimated street price}

I love this lens for its flexibility, sharpness, and vibration compensation.  I used it in Australia, Alaska and in Michigan on images of people, landscapes, and product shots.  And I’ve used it while standing still, as well as on a moving boat,  in a float plane and even in a helicopter. Tamron is showcasing the work of a number of photographers using this lens, including mine in a gallery of images here.

So are you ready to try to win a Tamron Lens?

Start by doing one or more of the first three entries.  Once you do that, you can do as many bonus entries as you want of the remaining four. Remember to qualify, we do need to know that you did one of the first three though.

Shortcut links for Entries 4-7:

• LIKE the MCP Page
• SUBSCRIBE to Jodi on Facebook
• JOIN Our Facebook Community Group
  
• FOLLOW MCP on Pinterest

Details….details…

The Prizes:

Tamron 24-70mm VC Lens (for full frame and crop sensors too).  The winner picks their choice of a Canon, Nikon or Sony mount (Sony cameras have image stability so there is not vibration compensation built into that mount).

Contest Rules:

The contest ends Sunday, May 19th at 8pm eastern time and winner will be picked via random drawing, and announced on the top of this post on the MCP Blog. You can enter between 1-7 times based on how many entry items you participate in. Odds are winning are 1-7/# of entries.  Valid only where permitted by law.

Tamron USA Inc, the sponsor of this contest, is responsible for sales and marketing in the USA, therefore, they cannot ship outside of the USA. BUT if you reside outside the United States, the lens will ship to MCP Actions, and we will ship it to you. In this case, you will be responsible for the international shipping costs as well as any duties, taxes, or tariffs.

 

The post Enter to Win a Tamron Lens 24-70 2.8 VC for Canon, Nikon, or Sony appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

How to Draw Attention in Lightroom Using the Graduated Filter Tool

When it comes to processing photographs there’s no question that one of the best values in for editing is Adobe Lightroom. It’s affordable and extremely powerful, but it can be a bit intimidating.  I do understand why people are hesitant to pull the trigger so to speak.

Jodi and the MCP Actions Team do a fantastic job at creating powerful Lightroom presets that take a lot of the manual work out of Lightroom. This makes it easier to get started and can shave minutes or even hours off your workflow.  That said, sometimes Lightroom presets might not get you all the way to your final vision, or you may want to customize them further, so you’ll want to still learn a bit about what Lightroom can do for you when you look under its hood. Side note: MCP does offer an online Lightroom class to teach the basics.

Today I’m going to show you a really quick technique for controlling your viewers eye with the Graduated Filter Tool in Lightroom.

What is the Graduated Filter Tool?

First let me start by introducing the the tool and give you a general overview of what it does and how it works. You’ll find the Graduated Filter Tool in the cluster of buttons located under your histogram in the Develop Panel of Lightroom. It’s the second one in from the right as seen in the photograph below, you can also simply use the keyboard short cut ‘M’ to activate the tool as well.

Once opened a new box filled with sliders for all kinds of things will slide open. Today I’m going to focus on using the exposure settings of the tool, but just know that you can apply this graduated effect to things like contrast, clarity, saturation and even white balance. The tool can be used as many times as you need in as many different ways as you can imagine so don’t just assume it’s only use is for faking the graduated effect of an on camera graduated filter.

Using the Graduated Filter Tool

To use the tool you simply click and drag on your photograph in the direction you want the filter to be applied. The direction from which you start will be the strongest effected and the direction you drag towards will see the least effect. In the example I have today I was able to use three of these graduated filters to control the light in the scene in such a way that it draws the viewers eye towards the post in the water.

To help you see what is going on here I created an overlay diagram to showing how I added the three graduated filters into this photograph. The red and green filters each had their exposures dropped a bit, while the blue filter had its exposure increased to draw the light in from the bottom of the frame. The arrows I drew in over the frame indicate the direction in which the graduated filter was applied.

This is a simple technique that can add a lot to your photography. It’s something that can be added after running through your standard workflow and using which ever Lightroom presets you enjoy using most. It is something that can be applied to a number of situations from a simple ocean landscape like you’ve scene today to a photograph of a bride as a way of making it appear that she’s under a spot light.

John Davenport is an avid photographer who enjoys sharing his photography daily on his Facebook Page. He has also started a weekly YouTube series called “Let’s Edit” which focuses exclusively on how to edit photos in Lightroom.

The post How to Draw Attention in Lightroom Using the Graduated Filter Tool appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

The MCP photo editing challenges give you a chance to edit other photographer’s images, share them for critique, and see how others edit the same photograph.  By participating you get to practice editing, learn how to give constructive criticism, and watch what steps or Photoshop actions and Lightroom presets are used in various edits.

This week’s photo editing challenge features a tender Father/daughter moment, captured by Maria Arcement.

Several of our members submitted creative edits of this heartfelt photo. Here are some of our favorites:

Submitted by Amy MagnetGirl

Submitted by Ashley Crerend 

Submitted by Jane Anne

Submitted by Tracy Anthony

If you have an idea on how you’d edit the image below, or want to see and learn what others did, JOIN US HERE.

Thank you to Maria Arcement  for allowing us to use this photo.  The current challenges are linked at the top of the group. Remember, you can also ask for critique on your edit.

Thank you to everyone who participated; we enjoyed seeing your take on the challenge. Didn’t get a chance to edit this week? You still have an additional week to add your edit to the Facebook photo album.

This week the Photography Challenge continued with more then and now comparisons.  The photo challenge is a great way to focus your camera in new ways.  Once you click and submit, you gain the support of a large group of photographers who can assist by offering feedback as you work on specific themes and skills.  We loved seeing so many great photos. Here are a few additional shots we wanted to feature, but make sure to check the album on the group page for more.

Submitted by Danielle Potts

Submitted by Jane Anne

Submitted by Sarah Kay McMullin

The team would like to thank everyone who submitted a photo for the challenge. Visit the the Facebook Group on Monday for a new Photography Challenge.

The post MCP Photography and Editing Challenge: Highlights from this Week appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.