Ryan Phillips Blog

Here are some of Rachel’s Questions and the answers… ( I know this is kind of advanced but so were the questions. To all my clients and the beginners, please feel free to ask questions no matter how simple you think they are. I am here to help so please ask )

Oh wow, you’ve opened the floodgates! I could keep you busy for a while. :-) Here are a few questions that come to mind:

Q. When shooting at larger f-stops, it seems the quality seems to change – doesn’t seem as sharp, has kind of a funky look. Why is this? Am I doing something wrong? Do you use the larger f-stops much? What f-stops do you use when shooting large groups to make sure everyone is in focus? (any other tricks for this?)

A: I’d like to see some images of this to get a better understanding as well as knowing what lens you are shooting with. However the first thing that comes to mind is that when you start moving to smaller f-stops (larger f-number) your shutter speed will start to drop. Depending on the lens you are using this can dramatically effect the sharpness if you are hand holding. Try using a tripod and see what happens. There should be no reason that a shutter speed above a 60th on a normal focal length should look “funky.” If you are using a 200mm lens then dropping below 1/250th of a second might be difficult to handhold if you are not used to proper breathing technique while shooting. There is a great video of Joe McNally showing proper technique here. As far as shooting groups goes, I typically shoot from 5.6-11 depending on the size of the group. If you have a group of 8 or more you are going to need an f-stop greater than 8.0 and will most likely need a tripod unless it is really sunny out. Unless of course you have lights ;-)

Q. What’s a good starting point for sharpening in RAW. I haven’t figured that one out yet. I still just use Unsharp Mask.

A: I personally never sharpen in RAW and most photographers I know don’t either. Sometimes I will bump up the “clarity” setting in Lightroom. If I am printing something large for a client I will sharpen it if it needs it. First I up-size using Genuine Fractals but only if it needs it. I use NIK Sharpener Pro 3.0 because it gives a very realistic output. However, Unsharp Mask is used by most people and it is a very good tool. If you want to try it, some good all around settings are (Amount=%80/Radius=1.5/Threshold=5) I always put it on another layer and then dial it back if it is too strong. You have to experiment and learn what each function does so you know how to get the results you want.

Amount: On average stick to 100 but adjust it based on what the photo needs. Radius: Is the amount it spreads to other pixels around but I would never go higher than 4. Threshold: I am not sure what it is but a safe range is from 2-16 with 2 being the most intense.

Q. Any tips on using curves? I never use it, know I probably should, but can’t seem to work it right.

A: What do you want to do with curves? It is a powerful tool and can be used for a variety of things from color balancing and brightening an image to burning and dodging and color shifts. Most people use it to brighten the image a bit and pop the color. To brighten, just grab from the middle of the curve and drag upwards. To pop the contrast us an S-Curve. Drag the upper 1/3 portion of the curve up slightly and drag the lower 1/3 down slightly. Use sparingly. Create a smooth “S” and it will make the image pop a bit.

Q. Flash tips are always appreciated.

A: Now that really is a can of worms! I did a lengthy post for this on the PhotoZen Facebook page. become a fan and go to the discussions tab ;-)

Q. And lastly, how do you get such eye-popping photos? The colors just POP! Do you always use plug-ins like Nik Effects? That’s what drew me to your website in the beginning – your photos look so glossy and gorgeous.

A: This one is hard to believe but it isn’t always filters and Photoshop. For me it’s a whole process. I start with the highest end cameras and the best glass. It has a huge effect on the data you capture. Also note, I don’t use any filters on my lenses! Why would you put a $25 piece of glass in front of a $2500 piece of glass? After that it’s all about the LIGHT. Seriously, learn about light, it has a huge impact on the color and contrast of in image. The next step is processing. I process every file in Lightroom by hand to ensure accurate exposure, black and white points, color temp, clarity and contrast…etc. So already I am ahead of the game and shouldn’t need a ton more than that. Now the fact is…ALL photographers use Photoshop to enhance their images, it’s just part of what Photography is. The key is to know when and how much. I make sure it is as natural as possible and will print realistically as well. Many people push it too far and it’s obvious.

So here is my trade secret ;-) As most people know I primarily use NIK filters…The one I use most often is Tonal Contrast. It is a tricky tool and too lengthy to explain here at the moment. I will do a video on it later this year. Like all tools, experiment with it and find something you like. All the filters out there lay it on thick and you have to tweak them and pull them back to find the sweet spot.

Address whatever of these you think are interesting. :-) And maybe at some point I’ll have the guts to have you critique a photo!

Guts have nothing to do with it…you can only learn by falling – what better place then here ;-) At the very least, send me a photo and I will make it sing and re post so you can see what some simple adjustments can do to a photograph ;-)

Thanks, Ryan. You rock!
Rachel