The Olympus 8-25mm f/4 Pro lens is a wide-angle zoom lens built for the Micro Four Thirds format. With an impressive 16-50mm full-frame equivalent focal length, the Olympus 8-25mm f/4 Pro lens covers most landscape photography needs. It even acts as a nifty fifty when zoomed in, giving it an unusually wide range for everyday photography. With a maximum aperture of just f/4, it’s not the fastest lens in my bag, though. Do the pros outweigh the cons? I’ll answer that question in today’s review of the Olympus 8-25mm f/4 Pro.
If you’re a new Lightroom user bewildered by the software’s vast array of features, this quick post-processing tutorial will calm you down and set you on a path for quick and effective edits—with three simple “must-use” tools that a respected pro says she uses for virtually every edit.
Instructor Lori Lankford works both as a photographer and professional image editor who regularly shares straightforward editing and shooting advice for making better macro, floral, and nature images. In barely seven minutes she reveals three favorite Lightroom tools and provides examples of her imagery to illustrate exactly how they work.
Lankford jumps right in to her first tip which is to examine Lightroom’s histogram to see if there’s room on the left side of the graph (the darks) and/or on the right side (the brights) to open them up for more details in shadows and highlights. Her first image of a slightly dingy white rose is a great example of how a simple adjustment can make all the difference by brightening photos in a very realistic way.
She similarly opens up the shadows a bit to achieve a nice balance of tones throughout the scene in which the flower remains very prominent. Next on the list is the thoughtful use of cropping. Lankford demonstrates how this simple task helps you accentuate a key element in a scene and direct the viewer’s eye to exactly where you want it to go. And sometime this means breaking the rules by positioning a subject in the middle of the frame.
She also explains why you should consider breaking the Rule of Thirds, and why the simple act of flopping a photo may add more impact to a shot She provides a couple interesting examples: One making use of leading lines and another in which she eliminates distracting elements and takes advantage of negative space.
Lankford concludes the video with a discussion of Lightroom’s oft-ignored Tone Curve tool, and she puts it like this: “The Tone Curve is one of the least-used tools and it should be the most used.” We’ll let her demonstrate how to take advantage of this “essential” tool that she describes as a “reflection of the histogram”—with darks tones on the bottom and bright tones up above.
You’ll see how easy it is to adjust one or both of these exposure attributes by dragging up or down on the Curve. The bottom line is this: Even if you’re a Lightroom newbie, these three tools and enhancements will make a significant difference, and then you can experiment with more advanced techniques as your skills evolve.
One advantage of owning a home, or living in an apartment with a pretty yard, is that there’s abundance of great photo opportunities right outside your door. Today’s topic is garden photography, and the following tutorial from Quiet Light Photo provides five time-tested tips for getting the job done to perfection.
Instructor Adam Gibbs specializes in all forms of nature and landscape photography, with an avid following on YouTube among subscribers who appreciate his shooting and editing advice. He summarizes today’s episode this this: “Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out these five tips will help you capture the beauty and essence of any garden.”
Gibbs insists that by following his advice you’ll be able to easily transform photos from ordinary to extraordinary. He begins with a tip that’s important when capturing all types outdoor images so be sure to keep it in the back of your mind. This one is all about experimenting with unusual camera angles and perspectives.
You see how a simple shift in viewpoint can turn a ho-hum shot into one that really demands attention. Getting down low for a ground-level shot, for example, makes plants appear larger and more dramatic. Conversely, shooting from above provide a bird-eye view of a garden to show off its layout and interesting patterns.
Gibbs’ second tip is what he calls “Tell a story with smaller vignettes.” This is what he means: Instead of capturing the entire garden in one shot, try focusing on individual flowers, unique plant arrangements, or even interesting corners within the garden. As he says, “these detail photos will convey the garden’s character and mood more effectively that a single, wide shot.”
Next on the list is incorporating man-made objects within the frame to add a human element to your photos. Simple elements like garden tools, benches, a bird bath, and sculptures, will add depth and context to an image.
There are two more tips to go and they’re just as easy and effective as those summarized above. One involves capturing close-ups and patterns, while the other demonstrates how to use overcast skies to enhance colors and minimize noise. So take a look and see how all five techniques will significantly improve the garden photos you shoot.
After watching the lesson take a look at Gibb’s popular YouTube channel where you’ll find an abundance of shooting and post-processing advice.
Before you swat that annoying mosquito that’s just sucking your blood, hold on. This week is Insect Week. I have generously given a lot of blood to mosquitos over the past few weeks and didn’t even get any photos of them in return. Instead, I tried to photograph butterflies in flight. With a fairly heavy 500mm lens, this is quite a challenge, but great fun and excellent practice for photographing birds in flight. Just give it a try. But before you head out to a meadow somewhere, check out the photography news as we approach the halfway point of 2024.
