9 Tips for Beautiful Landscape Architecture Photography

The post 9 Tips for Beautiful Landscape Architecture Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Architectural landscape photography is a unique and challenging genre that blends elements of both landscape and architectural photography. It involves capturing landscapes within architectural settings and buildings within natural landscapes, and the results can be stunning – if you know the right approach!

In this article, I offer plenty of practical tips for shooting architectural landscapes, with a focus on gear selection, composition, lighting, and planning. Whether you’re an intermediate or advanced photographer seeking to enhance your architectural landscape images, this guide can help you out – so if you’re ready to level up your shots, then read on!

1. Use a wide-angle lens

As I mentioned above, landscape architecture photography involves capturing both buildings and landscapes in the same frame. But while there are plenty of stunning examples of this type of image, getting top-notch results can be a bit more complex than it appears.

You’ll want to start by choosing the right equipment, and while your camera won’t make a huge difference, a wide-angle lens is essential. It’ll let you include more elements in the frame, which is particularly useful when photographing large architectural structures alongside significant landscape features.

Plus, wide-angle lenses can help you add depth to your landscape architecture subjects by including room for interesting foreground elements, such as vegetation or paths.

That said, wider focal lengths do tend to cause converging verticals – where straight lines lean inward – and while it’s possible to correct this perspective distortion in post-processing, I actually recommend a different approach:

2. Try a tilt-shift lens

Converging verticals are a common problem in architectural photography. This perspective distortion occurs when parallel lines, such as those created by the walls of a building, tilt toward the center of the image. And the unfortunate result is that vertical objects appear to fall backward.

Correcting this issue in post-processing can be challenging, but tilt-shift lenses are designed to address it before you press the shutter button. Tilt-shift lenses are particularly effective at straightening lines in architectural landscape photography because by carefully shifting the lens either horizontally or vertically, you can straighten the edges of buildings as well as inward-leaning trees in the landscape.

Tilt-shift lenses are more expensive than conventional glass, and there aren’t a whole lot of options – but if you’re serious about photographing landscape architecture, grabbing a TS model is often worth the cost and the reduced flexibility.

(That said, in some cases, leaving the lines as they are may benefit the composition of the image! Therefore, if you don’t wish to use a tilt-shift lens, or you simply happen upon a scene that looks better with perspective distortion, feel free to use the more conventional approach.)

3. Incorporate flowers and plants

When observing interesting architecture, have you ever stopped to appreciate the breathtaking flowers and plants in the gardens or surrounding landscape? The flora around architectural wonders – be it palaces, castles, or urban skyscrapers – can dramatically spice up your photos.

Because flowers are seasonal and generally only last between two and twelve weeks, timing is crucial if you want to capture them at their peak. For instance, many snowdrops are typically found in winter, daffodils in spring, and lavender in summer.

Incorporating these elements into your shots can enhance the overall scene and even make the architecture seem more prominent, so do your research and try to photograph when the gardens are in peak condition!

4. Think about the light

Lighting significantly influences your results in landscape architecture photography; depending on the light quality and angle, you can capture dramatic silhouettes, soft scenic views, high-contrast building profiles, and more.

There’s no single best type of light for landscape architecture subjects, so experimenting with different lighting conditions is a great idea, especially when you’re just starting out. Daytime offers opportunities to capture scenes under overcast skies or in bright sunlight, which can look nice but lack drama. On the other hand, early morning and late afternoon shooting can accentuate shadows, adding depth to your files.

Shooting just after sunset is another excellent choice, as the mix of artificial building lights and the dimming sky can yield stunning results.

Basically, you have a lot of options, so the key is to carry your camera in a wide variety of lighting scenarios, and then simply photograph scenes that captivate you. Over time, you’ll gain an eye and an appreciation for certain types of light, and you can use that as a springboard to even better shots!

5. Composition matters!

Composition in landscape architecture photography is often neglected in favor of stunning subjects and dramatic light. That is a mistake. Composition is a critical aspect of landscape architecture photography because the placement of elements within the frame can significantly influence the impact of your images.

Therefore, you must think long and hard about the composition of each frame before pressing the shutter button.

Symmetry, for example, can be a powerful compositional tool. You can create horizontal symmetry by dividing the image into two similar top and bottom sections, or you can create vertical symmetry with a central line creating mirror images on either side.

One of the easiest ways to create horizontal symmetry is through reflections on water surfaces, and the results can be very compelling:

6. Remember the rule of thirds

While symmetrical compositions can be effective in some instances, and while it’s a good technique to have in your back pocket, I don’t recommend symmetry as a go-to compositional approach.

Instead, when doing landscape architecture photography, applying the rule of thirds often yields better results. This technique involves dividing the image into nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines. By positioning the main subject off-center, either along the gridlines or at their intersection points, you can achieve more visually appealing and impactful photographs.

Notice how the most prominent element in the image below – the tree – is positioned left of center for a dynamic effect:

7. Frame your subject

Including a frame in the foreground of your composition is a classic trick, one that works great when photographing architecture in the landscape!

The frames can be created by any natural or human-made elements, such as trees, windows, or bushes, that surround the main subject or even just lead the viewer’s eye into the shot. This technique not only creates contrast but also adds depth to the composition by incorporating a foreground element that highlights and complements the primary subject.

8. Spend time planning

Arriving at a location unprepared makes it challenging to capture compelling images. Research and planning are key; it’s during these early stages that you can identify interesting subjects and determine the optimal time for your shoot based on desired lighting conditions.

If possible, scout a location on foot a few hours (or days) before you plan to photograph. Consider different compositions. Think about the position of the sun and the effect it’ll have on the scene.

If you can’t check out a location in person, spend some time Googling other images captured of the subject, or at least “drive” by on Google Maps. Compile a list of shots you might be interested in creating.

But during the real shoot, don’t become so focused on the plan that you miss any outstanding spontaneous opportunities. In other words, spend time planning, but be flexible and adaptable!

9. Use a tripod

A tripod is a vital tool for capturing landscape architecture photos. It can be useful in any light, but it’s especially important to work with a tripod in low-light conditions.

If you shoot sunset images, blue hour images, or night images, a tripod will ensure that your files turn out tack-sharp. That way, you can focus on creating a well-composed, well-lit photo, and you won’t have to worry so much about maintaining a fast shutter speed while handholding.

Just make sure you don’t spend money on a cheap tripod that won’t last. With tripods, it’s generally better to invest a decent amount of cash upfront than to pay for a sub-$50 tripod and be forced to upgrade within a few months.

Landscape architecture photography: final words

Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate, or even an advanced photographer aiming to enhance your landscape architecture photography skills, these tips can significantly improve your results.

Remember to pay attention to the issue of converging verticals in architecture and consider using a tilt-shift lens. Also, focus on creating strong compositions by employing techniques like symmetry, the rule of thirds, and framing.

You’ll be capturing gorgeous shots in no time at all!

Now over to you:

Do you have any tips for landscape architecture photos that I missed? Share your thoughts – and images! – in the comments below.

The post 9 Tips for Beautiful Landscape Architecture Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide

The post Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Andrew S. Gibson.

This article was updated in December 2023 with contributions from Andrew S Gibson, Rick Ohnsman, Sharath Prakash, and Chas Elliott.

If you want to capture beautiful close-up images but don’t want to spend hundreds (or thousands) on a macro lens, then you’ve come to the right place.

Because in this article, I’m going to explain everything you need to know about reverse lens macro photography. It’s a simple technique that lets you turn a standard lens into a macro lens so you can capture photos like this:

In fact, if you already own a 50mm prime lens or a standard kit lens (in the 18-55mm focal length range), then the reverse lens macro technique is the least expensive way to capture magnified images.

So let’s dive right in, starting with the absolute basics:

What is reverse lens macro photography?

Reverse lens macro photography is a method of capturing highly magnified images using an interchangeable lens camera, a lens, and a cheap adapter. You turn your lens around so the rear element points outward, then use an adapter to attach the reversed lens to your camera body (or to another lens).

In other words: You take your lens. You flip it around. And you’ll be able to shoot at macro magnifications.

If you’ve never seen the reverse lens macro technique, it may seem a bit strange – after all, why does reversing a standard lens let you shoot at high magnifications?

But it really does work, and the diagram below shows why. In normal use, a 50mm lens focuses light from far away to create a much smaller image, one that fits onto film or a digital sensor (which is often around 35mm wide). Reverse the lens and the opposite occurs: the 50mm lens magnifies what it sees, giving near life-size reproduction:

How to do reverse lens photography

There are two ways you can use the reverse lens macro technique:

1. Single lens reverse macro

This method involves reverse-mounting one lens to the front of your camera. First, purchase a reversing ring (also known as a reverse ring) like this one:

You can buy these adapters for cheap on Amazon. One side screws onto the end of your lens like a filter, while the other attaches to your lens mount. Here’s a reversing ring in action:

Note that the reverse macro technique works best if you use a lens with a manual aperture ring. That way, you can stop down to increase the zone of sharpness (which is very helpful because depth of field decreases as you get closer to your subject).

Unfortunately, if your reversed lens doesn’t have a manual aperture ring, you won’t be able to make any f-stop adjustments and you’ll be forced to work at your lens’s maximum aperture. But while this can be inconvenient, don’t let it stop you – you can use a reversed lens at its widest aperture to take some beautiful photos. You just have to get creative!

2. Twin lens reverse macro

This reverse lens macro technique is less popular but will get the job done. Instead of reverse-mounting one lens to your camera, you mount one lens normally, then reverse mount a second lens on the front of the first, like this:

I’ve attached a reversed 50mm lens to my 85mm prime lens. In this setup, the 85mm lens is called the primary lens and the reversed lens is called the secondary lens.

The actual mechanics are nearly identical to the single lens technique discussed above; simply purchase a coupler ring (shown below). Then use it to mount the second lens to the first.

Now, when using the twin lens reverse macro technique, the reversed lens acts like a powerful close-up filter, except that it’s much stronger than any filter I’ve encountered. In fact, the twin lens technique offers two major benefits over the single lens technique:

1. It offers insanely close magnifications. Depending on the focal lengths you use, you can achieve up to 3x life-size reproduction. (That’s three times as close as most professional macro lenses!)
2. It increases your depth of field flexibility. You can leave the reversed lens open at its widest aperture, while stopping down the primary lens to increase depth of field (even if you don’t have a manual aperture ring).

Note that you can do this technique with essentially any lenses, though the longer the focal length, the more magnification you’ll achieve. What’s most important is that the filter thread sizes on the two lenses match – that way, you can buy a coupler ring that will easily join them together.

(If your lenses have different filter threads, you do have the option of purchasing a step-up ring in addition to your coupler ring, but this can be inconvenient.)

Caring for the reversed lens

The reverse macro technique does leave the rear element of your reversed lens open to the elements, regardless of which method you use. So you should always work carefully to avoid scratching the exposed element as well as the connection pins.

If you have an extension tube, you can attach it to the back (now front) of the reversed lens, as I did in the photo above. This helps protect the rear element and also acts as a lens hood. Additionally, if you’re not yet ready to shoot, keep your lens covered with a rear lens cap.

Finally, because of the risks to the lens, I’d recommend using relatively cheap glass, like a 50mm f/1.8.

Image sharpness

The reversed lens technique gets you so close to your subject that it’s virtually impossible to handhold the camera. For the sharpest results, use a tripod to keep the camera steady and use a cable release to fire the shutter.

I find it best to use a reverse lens macro setup indoors, especially for delicate subjects like flowers. If you try it outside, the slightest breeze can move the flower and spoil the photo.

Of course, you can always embrace a blurry result and create some interesting abstract shots – but if your goal is to create magnified-yet-sharp photos, you’ll need to follow this advice closely.

If possible, stop down your primary lens to at least f/4. That way, you’ll get increased depth of field, and if you’re using the twin lens technique, it’ll help you avoid the softening that may happen when the first lens is at its widest aperture setting.

How to light reverse lens photography

As long as you don’t mind using a tripod and long shutter speeds to obtain the required exposure, natural light will work just fine.

However, flash is also an option. And you don’t need a specialized macro flash – I use a Canon Speedlite with a small softbox (though you’ll probably want to make sure you’re using an off-camera flash to avoid shadows cast by the lens).

A flash and a softbox were all I needed to take the photo featured above. Here’s a diagram of the setup:

In general, I’d recommend you start with natural light, unless you’re relatively familiar with artificial lighting. That way, you can experiment with different lighting qualities and directions and you don’t have to worry about complex lighting techniques.

What lens should you use for reverse macro shooting?

I’ve used a 50mm prime lens for the photos featured throughout this article. And a nifty fifty is a great way to get started with reverse lens macro photography.

But don’t forget that you can try this out with just about any lens (though I do recommend using a cheaper option, just in case your lens gets damaged). Kit lenses like the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II (pictured above) work great.

Got an old film camera lens?

If you’re an old guy like me, you remember film. You might even have your old film camera and a few lenses for it kicking around. If not, film camera lenses are cheap at pawn shops, online, or even at garage sales. For this technique, lens brand or mount type doesn’t matter since you’re not going to be connecting the lens to the camera in the usual way. Almost any lens will work so long as it has filter threads on the front.

The lenses I used with my old Pentax ME Super film camera are a 50mm Pentax lens with a 49mm filter ring and a Vivitar 28-105mm zoom with a 72mm filter ring. The thing to remember when using reversed lenses is the wider the focal length, the closer you can get to your subject. A zoom lens gives you a “variable macro.”

The biggest reason old film camera lenses work best for this is that, unlike most digital lenses, they have aperture control rings on the lens. You won’t be able to control the aperture from the camera, so having it on the lens is perfect.

Additional tips for top-notch reverse-lens macro photos

Now that you’re familiar with the basics, let’s take a look at some quick advice for improving your reverse-lens macro shots, starting with:

1. Think about the lens focal length

Choose the lens you want by considering how much magnification you want – shorter focal lengths allow you to get close to the subject with more magnification, while longer focal lengths allow you to be further from the subject but provide less magnification.

When reverse-mounting my 50mm Pentax prime, I was able to photograph at a little more than a 1:1 magnification ratio. My Vivitar 28-105mm zoom at 28mm gave me close to a 2:1 ratio. At 105mm, however, it was more of a close-up rather than a macro lens, and at around 70mm, it was 1:1.

This is the Vivitar 28-105mm reverse-mounted on a Canon 6D. (Image by Rick Ohnsman)

2. Choose your subjects carefully

Your depth of field when doing reverse-mount macro photos will be sliver-thin (sometimes only a few millimeters). If you’ve never done shallow depth of field photos before, you might want to start by choosing subjects with minimal depth and position them so they lie in the same focal plane as the camera. Stamps, coins, paper bills, or other flat objects are great, especially when you’re learning the technique.

3. Set your camera to Manual mode

When doing reverse-mount photography, you’ll be able to control the ISO and shutter speed from your camera, but not the aperture. (Remember, that’s on the lens ring.) Using Manual mode – which allows you to set the ISO and shutter speed independently – will let you tweak exposure and experiment with different settings until you get the result you want.

I’d recommend you focus before you dial in your exposure settings. And for the best results, open the aperture ring all the way while you focus manually. Move the camera or subject back and forth in tiny increments until you get the focus you want (the focus ring won’t have much effect).

A few quick tips: If you’re using a zoom, you can use the zoom feature to help you focus. If your camera has Live View, use that. Use the Zoom feature of Live View to magnify your subject and check the focus point. If you don’t have Live View, you’ll have to focus with the viewfinder. And remember: autofocus doesn’t work for this type of photography, so LCD screens where you touch to focus aren’t going to help.

Once you’ve focused, if the lens has an aperture ring, use it. Smaller apertures give greater depth of field, so if you’re photographing a slightly deeper subject, you’ll want to make sure you use a small (i.e., a narrow) aperture.

Know that as you stop down the lens, the viewfinder will get darker, as will the overall exposure. Also, it can be hard to adjust the aperture ring without bumping the focus slightly, so be prepared to refocus as needed.

Reverse lens macro photography: conclusion

Now that you’ve finished this article, you should be able to confidently create a macro photography setup (without spending lots of money on a dedicated macro lens).

Reverse lens macro photography is a lot of fun, so order your reverse ring and get shooting!

Now over to you:

Do you prefer the single lens reverse macro technique or the twin lens reverse macro technique? Do you have any tips for improved macro photography? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Table of contents

Macro Photography

• GENERAL
  • Getting Started Guide to Macro or Close-Up Photography
  • 5 DIY Macro Photography Hacks for Stunning Macro Photos (on a Budget)
  • 7 Different Ways to Approach Macro Photography
  • 5 Rules in Macro Photography and When to Break Them
  • 5 Surprising Macro Photography Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity
  • 5 Quick Tips for Outdoor Macro Photography
  • Five Common Macro Photography Mistakes and How to Fix Them
  • Backyard Macro Photography Safari
  • 5 Macro Photography Tricks to Make Your Images Stand Out
• SETTINGS
  • Sometimes Close-ups Are Better From Far Away
  • 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know
  • A Guide to Working with Different Focal Lengths for Macro Photography
  • 3 Ways To Get Sharper Close-Ups
  • Tips for Depth of Field Control in Macro Photography
  • Does Mirror Lock-Up (MLU) Help Macro Shots?
• LIGHTING
  • A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Light in Flower Photography for Awesome Photos
  • Lighting Tips for Macro Photography
  • How to Use Natural Light for Macro Photography
  • How to Create Gorgeous Flower Images using a Flashlight and a Reflector
  • The Cheapest and Easiest Lightbox for Macro Photography
  • How to Use a Reflector and Diffuser to Enhance Flower Photographs
  • Macro Lighting Advantages Of The Canon Twin Lite MT-24EX
• COMPOSITION
  • Guide to Choosing Subjects and Compositions for Flower Photography
  • 5 Tips for Killer Macro Backgrounds
• GEAR
  • Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide

    • What is reverse lens macro photography?
    • How to do reverse lens photography
    • 1. Single lens reverse macro
    • 2. Twin lens reverse macro
    • Caring for the reversed lens
    • Image sharpness
    • How to light reverse lens photography
    • What lens should you use for reverse macro shooting?
    • Got an old film camera lens?
    • Additional tips for top-notch reverse-lens macro photos
    • 1. Think about the lens focal length
    • 2. Choose your subjects carefully
    • 3. Set your camera to Manual mode
    • Reverse lens macro photography: conclusion
    • What is reverse lens macro photography?
    • How to do reverse lens photography
    • 1. Single lens reverse macro
    • 2. Twin lens reverse macro
    • Caring for the reversed lens
    • Image sharpness
    • How to light reverse lens photography
    • What lens should you use for reverse macro shooting?
    • Got an old film camera lens?
    • Additional tips for top-notch reverse-lens macro photos
    • 1. Think about the lens focal length
    • 2. Choose your subjects carefully
    • 3. Set your camera to Manual mode
    • Reverse lens macro photography: conclusion
  • 6 Tips for Near-Macro Photography with a Telephoto Lens
  • Macro Photography on a Budget: An introduction to Close-up Filters
  • Getting Up Close with Close-Up Lenses
  • How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows
  • Macro Photography Tips for Point and Shoot Digital Cameras
  • How to Shoot Abstract Flower Photography using Close-Up Filters
  • Extension Tubes: Close Up Photography Lesson #2
  • How to Choose the Perfect Macro Lens
  • Macro Photography on a Budget
  • Alternatives to Buying a Dedicated Macro Lens for your DSLR
  • Mirrorless, DSLR or Point and Shoot: Which Camera is Best for Macro Photography?
  • Cheat Sheet: Macro Lenses – How Much Magnification Do You Need?
  • Equipment for Macro Photography – Video Tips
• ADVANCED GUIDES
  • 10 Flower Photography Tips for Gorgeous Results
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Photographing Flowers
  • How to Photograph Beautiful Winter Snowdrops (or Other Flowers)
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Abstract Flower Photography
  • How to take Great Flower Photos without a Macro Lens
  • How to Shoot Super Macro Photos
  • Just Dew It – Fun with Macro Dewdrop Photography
  • Getting Started with Abstract Macro Photography
  • Abstract Macro Photography Idea
  • Tips for Doing Macro Underwater Photography
  • 8 Tips for Photographing Wildflowers
• CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
  • How to do Photography of Frozen Flowers
  • Unique Flower Photography Using Multiple Exposures
  • Creative Macro Photography – Using Fairy Lights
  • Creative Macro Photography – A Guide to Freelensing
  • Photographing Flowers with The Bucket Method
• POST-PROCESSING
  • How to Focus-Stack Macro Images using Photoshop
  • How to Give Your Macro Photography a Fine Art Touch in Post-Processing
• INSPIRATION
  • Why You Need to Know the History of Flowers in Art and Photography
  • 27 Amazing Macro Snowflake Images Shot with a DIY Camera Set Up
  • It’s a Bug’s Life – 27 Super Macro Photography Images
  • 41 Delicious Flower Photographs
  • 20 Spectacular Macro Photography Examples
  • 9 Breathtaking Macro Images by Photographer Miki Asai
  • Behind the Scenes of Marvellous Macro Insect Imagery
  • It’s a Small World – the World of Macro Photography
  • A Collection of Photos of Nature’s Smallest Creatures – it’s a Bug’s Life

The post Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Andrew S. Gibson.

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Choosing Pictures: How to Pick Your Best Photos, Fast

The post Choosing Pictures: How to Pick Your Best Photos, Fast appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Melinda Smith.

This article was updated in December 2023 with contributions from Melinda Smith, Lara White, Kevin Landwer-Johan, and Annie Tao.

Are you tired of taking forever to pick your best pictures? Do you want to know how to choose photos, fast?

When I first started as a photographer, I’d get hung up on the picture-choosing process after every photoshoot. I’d spend way too much time agonizing over every photo (and I worried deeply about accidentally discarding a good one…).

But over time, I developed several strategies. Strategies that:

• sped up my workflow
• made the culling process far less painful
• helped me focus on actual photo editing

Below, I share nine of these strategies, all of which are guaranteed to make choosing pictures a piece of cake, and I also explain why putting in the effort to select your best shots is so important.

Let’s get started!

1. Don’t take so many photos in the first place

Yeah, yeah, I know; it’s not exactly a way to sort through hundreds of photos in a few minutes. But for many photographers, deliberately taking fewer photos is a game-changer, so you should at least consider it.

And I get it: Digital storage is inexpensive and cameras offer insanely deep buffers, so it feels good to fire off a thousand shots, knowing that you’ll eventually get some decent ones. But how many of those thousand photos are actually good? And how many of them do you really need to take in order to get some good shots?

In my experience, not only is it unnecessary to take so many shots, it’s actually harmful. As a photographer, you’ll get lazy if your finger is always pressing the shutter button. You won’t spend time carefully composing your images. Instead, you’ll shoot a lot, but you’ll miss a lot, too, and your photos will suffer.

Plus, constant shooting comes with another major drawback:

You have to sort through mountains of images to find the best ones.

Bottom line:

You don’t need to take hundreds of images. And if you can restrain yourself, you’ll have a much easier time during the post-processing and organization stages.

Make sense?

2. Start by seeing your best

Creative people often excel at being negative when it comes to their own creations. How many times have you heard musicians tell you they are not practiced enough to perform? Or friends who paint tell you they don’t have the confidence to complete a canvas they are working on?

It is quite typical of creatives to be too hard on themselves, which can slow down the culling process – or, even worse, cause you to discard images that deserve to be seen.

So when you first load your images from a new photo session, be purposefully positive. Don’t let yourself get sucked into negative thoughts. Start looking for the best photos in a series you have made, not the worst.

Take some time to scan through and get an overview of your new pictures. Look for the ones that excite you and mark them. You can use a flag, a color label, or a star rating. While this will take some time, it’ll make the rest of the choosing process a lot easier!

Image by Kevin Landwer-Johan

3. Choose images that reflect your style

If you want to create a solid narrative of an event, or you want to produce a cohesive portfolio, then don’t just think in terms of “good images” and “bad images.”

Instead, ask yourself:

Does this image fit with my style? And if not, reject it. You don’t have to throw the shot away – after all, your style might change, and you might need images like that down the line – but put it aside for now, so you can focus on the style you’re developing.

For instance, if your style involves dark, moody, dramatic images, then a bright, upbeat, airy shot probably doesn’t belong in your portfolio, no matter how great it is. Does it deserve to be trashed? Probably not, but quickly add it to a rejects folder and move on. Later, if you decide to create a portfolio of happier images, you’ll know where to find it. But in the meantime, get it out of the way and spend time on what matters.

4. Look for distractions

As you’re choosing pictures you like, make sure you’re hyper-focused, not just on the main subject, but on the background, the foreground, and any distractions that they might contain.

Distractions are easy to miss when out shooting, but they can seriously detract from an image, so it’s up to you, in the editing room, to identify them and send them packing.

I’m talking about things like:

• Telephone poles
• Streetlights
• Wires
• Passersby
• Cars
• Fences
• Trees

Really, it all depends on the image – certain items can be distracting in one shot but work well in another – so take the above list with a grain of salt. But make sure you keep an eagle eye out for any and all distractions; that way, you can quickly reject photos that ultimately won’t work.

One thing to note, though:

Certain distractions can be fixed in post-processing. For instance, telephone wires can be removed from a portrait, cars can be removed from a street scene, etc. And you must decide whether the distraction is fixable and whether it’s actually worth fixing (especially if you took another, similar shot that doesn’t suffer from the same issues).

Check out this set of images:

The top image features a garden hose in the grass, but I removed it in post-processing, and the photo looks much better. The image was too good to send it packing, and I knew the hose would be easy to edit out, so I held on to the shot. In the end, it’s your call, but don’t keep too many images that require major fixes; it’s just not worth it.

5. If a shot is out of focus or blurry, reject it

If any photos have softness or blurriness, they’re automatically out. That’s my rule and I stick to it, no matter what else the photo offers.

After all, if you’re shooting for a client and you include a blurry image in their package, what if they want to print it on a huge canvas? An image that appears blurry at low resolutions will look horrible when blown up big, so just don’t go there. Instead, get rid of blurriness as soon as you identify it.

It’s often possible to instantly tell whether an image is blurry, but if you’re not sure, you can zoom in to one hundred percent in your favorite post-processing program, check for focus/blur, and then make your final decision.

(This rule also applies to any photos that are way off with exposure. Just let them go!)

I’ll be the first to admit: This can be really tough. Sometimes, the best poses are ruined by blur and I hate to get rid of them, but I know it’s necessary. Here’s an example where the top photo has the better head turns and expressions, yet one of the faces is blurry:

So I had to go with the bottom image.

6. Eliminate similar shots on your first photo-picking pass

When you’re choosing pictures, every time you come to a series of similar shots, be ruthless. Get rid of all but one photo, because no portfolio should include a handful of near-identical images, and no client wants to wade through a bunch of twin images, either.

Even if both photos are amazing, just pick one. You can do this any way you like: flip a coin, always go with the one on the left, or (and this is ideal) pick the one that makes you feel the most, because one of the shots is bound to be better than the other. You might also consider checking sharpness, exposure, and thinking about which shot speaks to your style and your client’s interests.

When comparing the two shots above, I knew I needed to get rid of one. But which would it be? I went with the image on the right because the expression was slightly more enthusiastic, and that little girl was full of enthusiasm. I wanted to show her personality!

7. Don’t miss the hidden gems

Thus far, I’ve offered strategies for getting down to your best shots as quickly as possible. But I’d like to throw this piece of advice out there:

Sometimes, the best photos aren’t immediately visible. Sometimes, it’s the hidden gems that include the best expressions, the best moments, the most worthwhile scenes.

So while you should go through your photos fast, if an image speaks to you, don’t immediately reject it, even if it has issues. Perhaps the shot could be great with just a little bit of magical editing.

For instance, check out the images below. The top left shot has two great expressions and one bad one. So I took the bad expression, and I replaced it with the expression from another photo:

Just watch for that kind of thing: Photos that could be your favorites after a wave of the magic editing wand.

8. Be ruthless, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes

The whole point of this article is to help you pick photos fast, and you can’t do that unless you’re willing to make mistakes.

Yes, you’ll occasionally reject great photos. Yes, you’ll occasionally fail to identify shots that could be massively improved with editing. But is that such a bad thing? Why is rejecting a good photo so problematic? It’s not like you’re truly trashing it. Assuming you have plenty of storage, you can keep it on your hard drive, then come back to it later if the urge arises.

And you’ve got to be ruthless, too. You can’t edit every photo, and sometimes you just have to make quick judgment calls and move on. (On the other hand, as emphasized above, don’t be too negative! Accidentally rejecting a good shot or two is okay, but you don’t want to fall prey to negative thinking and struggle to find anything that you like!)

With the photos above, the one on the left is cute, but I decided that I liked the connection displayed in the middle shot, so that’s the one I kept. Did I make the right decision? I don’t know for sure, but I can always return to the other image if I decide it’s superior.

Quick tip: If I’m having a really hard time giving photos up, I will give them star ratings as I go through: five stars for definite keepers and four stars for the “maybes.” I usually end up with more five star shots than I need, so the four stars automatically get cut. Sometimes, it’s easier to let images go after you’ve given them a fair trial.

9. Think about the clients

The business of photography is a complicated matter. I spend hours after each photo shoot culling, processing, and sorting the photos to tell the story of the day.

Now, many photographers are not shooting for clients – and if that’s you, you can ignore this section completely! However, if you do photograph for clients, it’s important to not just think about what you like, but also what the client likes.

After a recent photo session with one of my children, I realized that choosing the final photos can be described as a Venn diagram! One circle represents images photographers love and the other circle represents images clients love. Some images overlap and some don’t.

To be successful, you want the largest area to be the one that overlaps: images both photographers and clients love.

Sometimes, you’ll like an image but you know a client won’t like it – perhaps it’s a little too artistic or abstract. In such cases, remember the client, and avoid including it in the final portfolio (unless you’re confident they’ll enjoy a more creative image or two!).

Other times, you know that a client will appreciate an image, even though it’s technically imperfect. In such cases, include it in the file selection. At the end of the day, your goal is to please the client, after all!

Why is it important to pick your best images?

Everyone looks at their work and thinks about what they like and don’t like. But until you make an actual decision about each image – is it the very best image, is it good (but not great), or is it just a practice shot? – you won’t open yourself up to the learning that comes when you actively force yourself to separate the best from the throwaways.

By making decisions about what works and what doesn’t, you begin to train your eye. Let’s say you are looking at a dozen good images of a landscape, each one slightly different. By comparing and contrasting several good photos, you’ll start to realize that some are better, some are worse, and one image is going to be the best.

Which one is the best, and how do you know? With this question in mind, you’ll be forced to look at the little details in a new way. Maybe one has better exposure or slightly better composition. The value might be in the details, and you’ll have to look carefully, but that’s where you’ll often find the greatness, and it’s often what separates the good photographers from the best photographers!

If you spend time carefully choosing your best shots, you’ll begin to see when you nailed the frame and what led to that moment. You’ll see what worked in that image, and you’ll see what didn’t work in the surrounding photos – was there too much sky? Not enough sky? Next time, you’ll compose a little bit better. You’ll remember what you liked. You’ll spend a little less time creating images that you know won’t work, and you’ll start spending more time creating better images.

Choosing your best photos: final words

I hope this article has given you some photo-picking strategies you can use the next time you need to go through lots of photos in a short amount of time.

Just remember: It’s okay to make mistakes. And don’t be afraid to get ruthless! It’ll make things far easier.

Now over to you:

Which of these strategies is your favorite? Do you have any strategies of your own for choosing pictures? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Choosing Pictures: How to Pick Your Best Photos, Fast appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Melinda Smith.

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