Web Link Collection:
The below links are a compilation of links I've been collecting for the past few years. If you have a favorite link, please share it with me by leaving a comment.
1 - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L
M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
I suspect not many Facebook users really think about sharpening their photos before posting. And it may seem odd to include piracy in the same blog---certainly, each can stand alone, but since they relate so nicely together, I thought I'd combine them.
For sharpening, if you don't have the right tools on the device you are using to post, it's not going to happen. Furthermore, is it even worth it? For candid spontaneous selfie shots probably not, but if you have the time and the tools, I think it is.
Most know by now that Facebook resizes (downsizes) images automatically if you try to upload anything larger than 2048x2048 (see Facebook Photos Cheat Sheet below) . Many DSLRs can produce images greater than 12MP (4000x3000), so if you post images directly from your camera, then Facebook will automatically resize them. In this process, your images get compressed and lose sharpness, among other things (this applies to other social media sites as well).
As far as piracy is concerned, at the max Facebook size you can print a fairly good quality 5x7. To avoid other not-so-friendly users from stealing your work, posting photos at about 640x480 (4:3 aspect ratio) or 630x420 (3:2 aspect ratio) is best. At this size, the print quality drops significantly. In fact, it's almost unusable. However, the Web quality is still very good. If you resize smaller than this, it starts to work against your intention of showcasing your work at it's best (in my opinion). Don't concern yourself with DPI---this is Dots Per Inch and relates to prints, not the Web.
Of course, there are still pirates out there who would steal your images for Web uses (i.e. Web design, online advertising, etc.), so the only way to really protect your work is to not post anything on the Internet <period>. How practical is this, especially if you have a web-based business?
Nevertheless, to showcase your images on Facebook with the best sharpness for the Web, you should resize first, then apply sharpening. Some photo editors (i.e. Lightroom) apply "output sharpening" for you automatically, but many don't. The type of sharpening and how much is entirely dependent on the image detail and image size. I was surprised to find that there are entire books written on the subject of sharpening.
So the next time you post a photo on Facebook, there are two things to remember:
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Note: The question of who has copyright of your photos after posting to Facebook comes up a lot. The short answer is YOU retain copyright of your photos. Moreover, you are not giving up copyright by posting your photos on Facebook, but rather you are agreeing to let Facebook use your photos as they see fit. Some might say there is no difference, but there is.
If someone downloaded your photo from Facebook and used it for personal and/or business gain, then you have a right to sue for damages---provided you can show damages. If you want to make sure your photos are properly documented as being your work, then you need to register each photo with the copyright office.
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Facebook Terms and Conditions
Sharing Your Content and Information
You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition:
There is some debate about how to correctly photograph moving water. For me, it's simple---I photograph what looks good to me, not necessarily what others think is correct. However, I do get feedback sometimes that my waterfall shots are not "realistic" or "not true to life". I guess the first thing that goes through my mind is what does "realistic" moving water look like in a still frame? How can anyone capture this without shooting a video?
I intentionally expose longer than the camera normally would in full auto mode. This does give the water a more "milky" look and feel, but it is more pleasing to my eyes. Regardless, it's a matter of choice, and there really isn't a right or wrong way to photograph things that are moving. It really depends on what you are trying to convey in a single frame.
Here are two photos taken recently on my hike to Romona Falls in the Mt. Hood Forest. You be the judge as to which one you like better, and leave me a comment below on your preference. Thanks!
This was shot at 1/8 of a second (i.e. slow shutter speed). My camera was in manual mode.
This was shot at 1/60 of a second (fast shutter speed). My camera was in full auto mode.
Have you ever wondered why some of those snow photos look more grey than they do white? It's because our expensive fancy cameras are color blind and try to meter everything in shades of grey---18% grey as a matter of fact. Therefore, if you let your camera expose a snowy scene, it will most likely be under exposed. Fortunately, you can compensate for this by changing the "eV" or exposure value. Give it a try---it's pretty easy to do; read your camera manual to learn how. Here's an example: In the top photo, I let my camera do all the thinking. In the bottom one, I increased the eV by 2 stops.
Increasing it by 2 stops was actually a bit too far, so the bottom exposure is slightly overexposed. I probably should have only gone up by 1.5eV. Regardless, the truth is, sometimes the camera is not as smart as we are. :-)
HDR or High Dynamic Range is something our eyes naturally have, but cameras don't. This shot is actually a combination of 7 different exposures from dark to light. I then merged them in Photoshop.
The great thing about HDR is that you don't need a special camera or shoot in a special format (raw). All you need to do is take a series of photos at different exposure values. The way you do this is by ONLY changing the shutter speed for each frame. Take one shot underexposed, one normally exposed, and one overexposed. Of course, you'll need a program like Photoshop to combine all three shots if your camera doesn't do this for you.
Underexposed | Overexposed |
Trillium Lake, Mt HoodCanon 6D, 1/45s, f/22, ISO 100, 17mm
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