How to Remove Wrinkles From Clothes in Photoshop (Fast and Effectively)

The post How to Remove Wrinkles From Clothes in Photoshop (Fast and Effectively) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Did you know that you can easily remove wrinkles from clothes in Photoshop?

Wrinkled clothing is one of those details that gets easily overlooked. You just don’t notice them until you get back home, open your image, and see a big, ugly wrinkle ruining your photo.

Fortunately, there are several simple ways to get rid of those wrinkles and keep clothing looking as good as new!

And in this article, I’ll show you the techniques for quick and easy wrinkle removal.

Let’s get started.

Why do you need to remove wrinkles from clothes in Photoshop?

Wrinkles are distracting.

In fact, most people underestimate how eye-catching wrinkles can be.

And if you’re after a great image, then everything in the shot needs to work together and guide the viewer’s eye toward key compositional elements.

That’s why wrinkles can have such a negative impact. Viewers will get fixated on the flaw instead of considering what they love about your photo.

And if you plan on doing professional portraiture, you must get wrinkles under control.

Because here’s the truth:

Often, the difference between a professional photo and one taken by a beginner is merely attention to detail.

(Detail such as wrinkles!)

Removing wrinkles from clothes in Photoshop: The basics

There are many tools you can use to easily remove wrinkles from clothes in Photoshop.

But the most popular options are the healing tools.

Now, there are three healing tools in Photoshop: the Healing Brush tool, the Spot Healing Brush tool, and the Patch tool. Each of these can be used to “iron” your clothes and remove wrinkles in Photoshop.

When you heal an image, Photoshop samples pixels from the area’s surroundings and then matches the texture and lighting to the pixels being healed. That way, the retouch blends with nearby elements.

Now, the Spot Healing Brush will automatically determine the best pixels to sample, so all you have to do is set the size and hardness of the brush and paint over the wrinkle. Photoshop takes care of the rest.

Note that the Mode menu (in the top bar) allows you to choose the Spot Healing Brush painting mode. For removing wrinkles in clothes, the best option here is Replace. You see, fabric always has texture, and the Replace mode allows you to preserve this even as you heal away wrinkles.

You can then choose the Healing Type. You have three options: Content-Aware, Create Texture, and Proximity Match.

There’s no single “best” pick; instead, just experiment to see which one works best for your photo. In the example above, I found that Content-Aware gave the best results.

The Healing Brush tool works the same way, except that you choose the pixels you want to sample. Simply hold the Alt/Option key and click on the area from which you want to sample, then release the Alt/Option key and click on the pixels you want to heal.

Finally, the Patch tool lets you draw a selection around the area that you want to heal, then drag it toward the pixels that you want to source.

The Patch tool will allow you to work faster, as you can cover large areas with each retouch. Don’t overdo it, though. If the area is too big, the Patch tool won’t do a great job – so you need to find the right balance.

You can also move the Diffusion slider to adjust the blending speed and quality. Use lower values for pixels that have a lot of detail and higher values for smoother areas.

Challenges when removing clothing wrinkles

When you are removing a single, isolated wrinkle, things are not very complicated. However, when there are many wrinkles or you have large areas to cover, you can run into trouble.

Some of the most common issues when using any of the healing tools – as well as the Clone Stamp tool – are the accidental patterns you can create.

To avoid this, adjust the size and hardness of your brush. Also, change the source point and distance to avoid any recognizable repetitions. Finally, vary the blend mode and the opacity.

Keep in mind that, while you don’t want to create accidental patterns, you do need to follow the patterns of the fabric’s design and texture.

That’s the challenge.

Another difficulty is maintaining luminosity. Always clone or heal from places where the brightness appears to match the surroundings, though this doesn’t necessarily mean you should source pixels from right next to your wrinkle.

Otherwise, while you might not notice your heal on the first brushstroke, you will after a handful of strokes.

So when you have to work with big areas, it’s better to use an advanced technique (which I explain in the next section).

An advanced technique for removing wrinkles from clothes in Photoshop: Frequency separation

Frequency separation is a popular, high-level technique for retouching skin blemishes.

But it’s also fantastic for getting rid of wrinkles in fabric.

The basic idea is that you separate the texture and the color into two different layers.

To do this, create two copies of the original layer.

Then hide the top copy by clicking on the eye icon next to it.

Select the middle layer (i.e., the layer sandwiched between the top copy and the original). If you want, you can rename it Color.

Select Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Drag the slider until you don’t see the details of the fabric.

Now enable the top layer again and select it. You can rename this one Texture.

Select Image>Apply Image.

In the dialog box, choose the layer called Color. Then select Subtract as the blending mode.

Finally, set the Opacity to 100%, the Scale to 2, and the Offset to 128. Then click OK.

Now head to the Layers panel. Make sure the Texture layer is selected, then set the blend mode to Linear Light.

And that’s the basics of frequency separation – now your photo is divided up into Texture and Color layers. And you can heal each layer separately!

Also, if you feel that the subject is too flat after applying this frequency separation technique, you can dodge and burn to bring back some dimensionality.

How to remove wrinkles from clothing in Photoshop: Conclusion

You should now be able to confidently remove wrinkles of any type – with just a few quick edits in Photoshop.

In fact, I used very extreme examples for this article, and it’s unlikely you’ll face wrinkles that serious unless you don’t iron anything at all.

(In fact, I recommend you or your client/model do a bit of ironing before a photoshoot, just to save time in editing later.)

I hope that, the next time you need to remove wrinkles from clothes in Photoshop, these techniques can be of help!

Now over to you:

Have you ever been faced with frustrating wrinkles in your photos? How did you get rid of them? Share your thoughts and images in the comments below!

The post How to Remove Wrinkles From Clothes in Photoshop (Fast and Effectively) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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What’s the Best Aperture for Portraits?

The post What’s the Best Aperture for Portraits? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Choosing the best aperture for portraits doesn’t have to be complicated…

…but there are some guidelines to follow if you want your shots to look stunning.

And in this article, I’m going to break it down for you. I’ll share with you my favorite apertures for different types of portraits – so that you can confidently pick the perfect aperture whenever you’re out shooting!

Let’s get started.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 185mm |1/350s | f/4 | ISO 2000

Why is aperture important in portrait photography?

Aperture matters for several reasons:

First, aperture is one of the three components of exposure. If you don’t get your aperture right, you might end up with a too-dark or too-light image.

And, because of its effect on exposure, your aperture limits your shutter speed and ISO.

The right aperture also puts your viewer’s attention squarely on your subject and regulates your depth of field to get just the right amount of background blur.

Now, the best portrait lenses have wide apertures of f/2.8 to f/1.2. With these lenses, you can capture photos in virtually any lighting condition, plus you can create dreamy bokeh behind your subject.

As you consider what aperture to use when shooting portraits, you also need to pay attention to the focal length of your lenses, as well as how close you’ll get to your subjects.

A wide aperture on a 35mm lens won’t blur the background as much as a wide aperture on an 85mm lens. Also, longer focal lengths require fast shutter speeds to reduce vibration, unless the lens or camera has built-in stabilization. Wide apertures can help get those fast shutter speeds without requiring a high ISO (and a high ISO might result in unwanted noise or grain).

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 200mm | 1/180s | f/2.8 | ISO 250

What is the best aperture for portraits?

The best aperture for individual portraits is f/2 to f/2.8. If you’re shooting two people, use f/4. For more than two people, shoot at f/5.6.

These aren’t the only apertures you can use, and there are certainly other elements to consider. But if you want great results, you can’t go wrong with these rules of thumb.

They’ll help ensure your portraits are sharp and your subjects are all in focus.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 200mm | 1/350s | f/4 | ISO 2000

Apertures in portrait photography: A detailed breakdown

Unfortunately, there is no single best aperture for portraits. There are myriad factors that affect the final photo, so you’ll need to adjust your aperture depending on your subject.

Let’s take a closer look at some different shooting scenarios and the apertures I recommend:

The best aperture for individual portraits

While I stand by my earlier recommendation for an f/2 to f/2.8 aperture, you should consider those apertures as starting points, or as an insurance policy of sorts. Depth of field is so thin at wider apertures that it’s best to start a bit smaller than your lens’s maximum aperture value, simply to make sure your bases are covered.

After all, shooting at f/1.2 can keep a person’s eyelashes in focus while their iris ends up blurry!

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 200mm | 1/250s | f/2.8 | ISO 100

Note that, when using a wider focal length, you can shoot at larger apertures, because the depth of field won’t be as shallow.

For example, if you use a 35mm prime lens, you can go all the way to f/1.8 or wider and keep plenty of your subject in focus.

One caveat: Some lenses, especially less-expensive zooms and even some primes, lose sharpness at maximum apertures. For that reason, I recommend shooting conservatively and not always going as wide as you can.

Of course, each lens is different, so test out different apertures and see what you’re comfortable with.

Nikon D7100 | Nikon 35mm f/1.8 | 1/750s | f/1.8 | ISO 200

I like to take a two-pronged approach when shooting portraits.

First, I always use Aperture Priority mode paired with Auto ISO. This lets me specify the aperture while my camera takes care of the shutter speed and ISO.

Since the aperture is my primary consideration, I need to get that right. As long as my camera doesn’t drop below a certain shutter speed or go beyond a specific ISO value, I know my photos will be fine.

Second, I always start by taking several shots with a smaller aperture. It’s how I cover my bases; that way, I know I have at least some shots where everything is in focus and the depth of field isn’t too shallow.

Then, like stepping on the gas pedal of a sports car, I spin my camera dial and widen the aperture. This lets me turn my portraits up to 11, and clients love the results – but I know that, if my depth of field does turn out too shallow and something isn’t in focus, I can always rely on the narrow-aperture shots I started with.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8G | 1/180s | f/1.8 | ISO 250. I took lots of shots at f/2.8 and then went all the way to f/1.8, knowing I had a fallback plan if the wide-aperture photos didn’t turn out sharp. Fortunately, the f/1.8 shots were great!

The best aperture for small group photos

Selecting the right aperture for small groups depends on a number of factors.

Though you can’t go wrong with f/4, there are variables to consider that will help you get the best shots possible.

(One reason f/4 works well is that it gives you depth of field wiggle room while still producing great results.)

When photographing a single subject, it’s essential to get the eyes in focus, or at least the one eye that is closest to the camera.

But when working with small groups, you ideally want everyone’s eyes in focus. So the depth of field should be wider, which requires a smaller aperture.

Fortunately, when shooting groups, you’ll be positioned farther back from your subjects, and this will deepen the depth of field.

An f/4 aperture strikes a great balance between blurring the background, sharpening your subjects, and giving your clients frame-worthy photos.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 200mm | 1/250s | f/4 | ISO 900

Note that apertures wider than f/4 can work, but people must be aligned perfectly with one another; otherwise, there’s a good chance someone will be out of focus.

So apertures such as f/3.5 and f/2.8 tempt fate, and you might not realize it until it’s too late.

In fact, if your subjects are too far out of alignment, even f/4 won’t do the trick. Look at the photo below; the mother is holding her son on her lap, and his eyes are sharp while her head is blurry. She is only a few inches behind her son, and f/4 resulted in her being out of focus:

Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8 | 1/250s | f/4 | ISO 800. The mother’s eyes are just a bit blurry, which could have been fixed by using a smaller aperture of f/5.6.

Even though f/4 is my go-to aperture for small group photos, it’s a good idea to get shots at smaller apertures, as well. Otherwise, things can get so chaotic that you might not have time to check all your shots, and only after you load your images in Lightroom will you realize that you didn’t get everyone in focus.

This has happened to me more than I care to admit! For that reason, I recommend taking some pictures at f/5.6 even if you’re pretty sure you nailed the shot at f/4.

And by all means, go wider, too. Just be aware that, as the number of people increases, you are far less likely to get everyone in focus.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 85mm f/1.8 | 1/250s | f/3.3 | ISO 500. I opened up the aperture after getting several great shots at f/4, and I ended up with some beautiful images.

The best aperture for large group photos

The larger the group, the smaller the aperture, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Smaller apertures mean less light enters the lens, so you have to use slower shutter speeds and/or higher ISO values.

Plus, shrinking the aperture keeps the background sharp – so you won’t get the creamy background that many clients love.

Therefore, f/5.6 is a great place to start when dealing with large groups.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 130mm | 1/180s | f/5.6 | ISO 1100

There are exceptions to this guideline. You can use a wider aperture if you’re able to get everyone positioned (somewhat) in alignment.

Of course, this isn’t always possible, especially when kids are involved, since they tend to be somewhat less predictable. But if you have the option, it’s worth trying larger apertures.

That is, as long as you’ve already captured some small-aperture photos to make sure your bases are covered!

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 200mm | 1/180s | f/4 | ISO 1250

When doing large group shots, you are usually standing much farther away, so depth of field isn’t as much of an issue compared to single-person portraits.

You still have to be careful when using wide apertures, but sometimes you simply need to let in a lot of light and a wide aperture is the best option.

When shooting the image below, I was losing daylight as a light drizzle came on. I lined everyone up on my homemade photo benches and shot this picture at f/4.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 200mm | 1/500s | f/4 | ISO 2200

After getting a couple of shots at f/4 and f/5.6, I went all the way down to f/2.8. The result is okay, but the adults in the back row are just a bit out of focus. The image isn’t worthy of printing; let it serve as a cautionary tale about the importance of using smaller apertures like f/5.6 for large groups.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 200mm | 1/400s | f/2.8 | ISO 1100

The best aperture for close-up portraits

Doing extreme close-up portraits, whether with macro lenses or close-up filters, can be exceedingly tricky.

Why?

Because the depth of field is incredibly thin. Wider apertures further increase this issue, so it’s best to shoot in well-lit conditions and use a small aperture like f/5.6.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 50mm f/1.8 with a close-up filter | 1/90s | f/5.6 | ISO 6400

Wide apertures can work fine when doing macro photography with still subjects, but people (especially young children) move around so much that it helps to have some depth of field breathing room.

Nikon D750 | Nikon 50mm f/1.8 with a close-up filter | 1/180s | f/5.6 | ISO 6400

The best aperture for portraits: Final words

Choosing the best aperture for portraits isn’t difficult, but it does take a bit of experience and practice.

I recommend starting with the advice I’ve laid out here, but don’t be afraid to tweak it to suit your own style.

For example, you can’t go wrong shooting single-person portraits at f/2.8 – but over time, you may decide you prefer going much wider.

Or perhaps your clients like the look of smaller apertures with more depth of field. The choice is yours, and as long as you like the results, then there’s no bad option!

Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 | 200mm | 1/500s | f/2.8 | ISO 800

Q: Is f/2.8 enough for portraits?

A: Certainly! Many lenses have a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and this is a great middle ground for letting in enough light while still keeping the depth of field under control.

Q: I only have a kit lens. Can I use it for portraits?

A: Kit lenses work just fine for portraits, though they typically don’t have apertures that go as wide as prime lenses. I recommend zooming in as far as your kit lens will go and using your maximum aperture, even though it might only be f/5.6. This will blur the background as much as possible.

Q: Can I shoot large group portraits with very wide apertures?

A: Yes, but make sure everyone is lined up so your depth of field is under control. I shot this group photo at f/2, and it only worked because everyone was in a straight line:

Q: I want to use a very wide aperture in bright sunlight, but my photos always turn out overexposed. How can I prevent this?

A: You’ll either need a very fast shutter speed or an ND filter.

Q: Do I need to get an expensive f/1.4 lens to shoot portraits?

A: Absolutely not! F/1.8 prime lenses are outstanding for portraits and won’t break the bank. Canon and Nikon make affordable 50mm f/1.8 lenses, and many other manufacturers have relatively inexpensive options, as well. Don’t ever fall into the trap of thinking you have to spend thousands of dollars to get great portraits!

Q: My camera has a Portrait mode. Should I use that for portrait photography?

A: You can, though I recommend using Aperture Priority mode; it lets you select the exact aperture you want to use. Portrait mode tries to make decisions based on available light and can give you apertures that are wider or narrower than what you might want.

The post What’s the Best Aperture for Portraits? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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Why Every Photographer Needs a 70-200mm Lens

The post Why Every Photographer Needs a 70-200mm Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Tom Mason.

The 70-200mm lens is a photography staple, found in pretty much every pro’s camera bag.

But what makes a 70-200mm lens so special? Why is it trusted in nearly every shooting scenario, from studio portraits to wildlife shoots in the heart of the Amazon? And do you really need a 70-200mm lens?

Let’s take a closer look at the power of this lens – and why you definitely want one in your bag!

Optical performance

Let’s start with the big reason for the 70-200mm lens’s success:

Optical performance.

Pretty much every 70-200mm is a professional lens and features the latest in optical design and quality.

Perfected over the last 30 years, 70-200mm lenses tend to have excellent edge-to-edge sharpness, both wide-open and stopped down. They fend off chromatic aberration and flare while producing stunning, sharp, contrasty images shoot after shoot.

Focal length

Short telephotos and wide-angle lenses are fantastic for wading into the action and capturing a wider perspective.

However, when it comes to certain subjects, shorter lenses can be, well, short.

Specifically, if you are trying to photograph wildlife, candid portraits, or any other subject that you can’t get close to, a wide-angle lens probably won’t work.

Enter the 70-200mm lens.

The 70-200mm reach is perfect for so many situations. It allows you to focus on key subjects, crop out distracting elements in your frame, and just get closer to the action.

Plus, 200mm is long without being overkill. The focal length gives your subject space to move, while still offering the reach for those tight shots. It also allows you to be creative in new ways, giving you the option to focus on small details within a composition.

And the 70-200mm lens is also a fantastic choice for nature photographers who also have a passion for landscape photography. The focal length gives you the reach you need to pick out sections of a landscape, capture details within a smaller scene, and more. Plus, the standard-to-telephoto reach offers lots of flexibility when composing. At 70mm, you can create environmental shots, and at 200mm, you can compress a distant scene for a flattering perspective.

Large maximum aperture

There are two types of 70-200mm lenses:

The 70-200mm f/2.8.

And the 70-200mm f/4.

Now, the 70-200mm f/4 offers a decently-wide aperture, one that you can use for nice backgrounds and (in some cases) acceptable low-light shooting.

But the 70-200mm f/2.8 takes this a step further, and the wide aperture is a key reason why so many pros love it.

Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why an f/2.8 maximum aperture is so great:

Benefits of an f/2.8 maximum aperture

The first benefit is the bokeh (i.e., the out-of-focus areas around your subject).

If you shoot at f/2.8, you’ll create images with a very narrow depth of field. Much of the background and foreground will drop into mushy, out-of-focus goodness – and this, in turn, will keep the viewer’s attention on your main subject.

In other words:

The large aperture, combined with the telephoto focal length, really allows for the rendering of wonderful out-of-focus elements. It gives images a truly dreamy quality, like in the example below:

A second benefit of the wide-open aperture is the low-light performance. An f/2.8 aperture lets in far more light than slower (e.g., f/4 or f/5.6) alternatives, giving the camera more light to work with.

That way, when the light starts to fade, you can still get sharp shots at a reasonable shutter speed – without needing to push your ISO.

Here’s a final benefit of the fast aperture:

The brightness it brings to the viewfinder.

If you use a DSLR, the optical viewfinder brightness will depend on the size of your lens’s maximum aperture. And if you haven’t used fast lenses before, you’ll quickly fall in love with the viewfinder brightness of a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

It might not sound like a big deal. But being able to see your composition better allows you to carefully select what you want in and out of the frame. And this makes for superior compositions and better images overall!

Speed

When working with fast-paced action, speed is essential…

…and most 70-200mm lenses won’t disappoint.

70-200mm glass offers brilliant autofocus speeds, and this is a huge benefit when working with erratic subjects such as sports players, wildlife, birds in flight, and more.

The autofocus generally locks onto subjects in the blink of an eye (something that certainly can’t be said for all telephoto lenses!).

Ultimately, the speed of a 70-200mm lens’s autofocusing makes photographing moving subjects ten times easier; that way, you can think about composing your shots, rather than getting frustrated by a lens that won’t focus.

Size and weight

Some people think the 70-200mm is a large lens.

And 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses do tend to be big, though 70-200mm f/4 bodies are actually pretty reasonable in size.

Regardless, weight and size do have their advantages. For one, the longer lens barrel provides for good placement of the controls, so that the large zoom and focus ring are spaced out on the lens’s barrel.

The length sometimes also allows for the inclusion of a tripod collar. This keeps the lens balanced when working with a tripod – and it also lowers the stress on the bayonet mount between the camera and lens.

A larger lens also lends itself to comfortable handholding. The wider barrel fits well in the hand, with the weight of the lens counterbalancing the camera body.

And modern versions of the 70-200mm lens include image stabilization (VR, IS, and OS), which further improves sharpness when shooting handheld and also prevents camera shake problems caused by such a large body.

(Note that optical stabilization systems help to reduce camera shake by several stops, so you can still work handheld with sharp results even when the light gets low.)

Build quality

70-200mmm f/2.8 lenses are designed to be used by professionals. Therefore, you can expect tank-like construction. These lenses are built to last, even when abused day in and day out.

And while 70-200mm f/4 lenses don’t always offer build quality on par with 70-200mm f/2.8 glass, they can still handle their fair share of tough conditions, too.

My 70-200mm lens has been everywhere with me and is built to withstand the elements.

I’ve had my 70-200mm lens for many years, and I’ve worked with it in rain, snow, freezing conditions, and the jungle. In all that time, it’s never skipped a beat. It’s rugged and reliable, just as you want a working tool to be!

Teleconverters

70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are designed to work with teleconverters, which fit between the camera and lens and magnify the image for a greater telephoto effect.

A 70-200mm lens, when paired with a 1.4x teleconverter, becomes a 105-300mm equivalent. When paired with a 2.0x teleconverter, it turns into a whopping 140-400mm lens!

This can be very handy if you need some extra reach but don’t want to invest in a super-telephoto lens.

This eagle was photographed at 280mm using the 1.4x teleconverter on a 70-200mm lens.

Why you need a 70-200mm lens: Final words

The 70-200mm lens is a worthy piece of kit – one that should be part of every photographer’s camera bag.

It offers top optics, a fast aperture, excellent speed, impressive ergonomics, and strong weatherproofing.

It’s built to last.

Yes, 70-200mm lenses are expensive – especially 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses – but they’re a long-term investment, one that every photographer should think about making.

You certainly won’t regret it!

So check out a large range of 70-200mm lenses for all brands of cameras right here.

The post Why Every Photographer Needs a 70-200mm Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Tom Mason.

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