Tama Zoom: 2016

6 Benefits of Shooting in RAW Format

In the article about RAW vs JPEG , basically we've known and understand what the benefits/disadvantages of that formats. In this article i will explain more specific and detail about what exactly the benefits if we shoot in RAW format.

There are 6 main benefits if you shoot with RAW format, they are :

1. Editable White Balance

When you are shooting in RAW format, camera will never touch white balance setting of a photo. A photo will directly sent by censor to memory card and the camera system never change or set anything.

White balance will be sent when we export our file using RAW converter such as Lightroom. It means that we can change white balance setting become anything what we want after you've done for shoot.

It's very useful for us when we shoot in situation when the light temperature which is complex and unstable (read more about white balance), so we can easily do the correction while we editing in computer. Once more, when we use RAW format, change of white balance will not affect the posterize artifact such as if we change the white balance in JPEG like this picture bellow :

2. Highlight Recovery

When we adding the over exposure on a highlight, they will lost the detail and become totally white. When we using RAW format, sometimes it can recover the lost detail. Sounds like impossible but the explanation is pretty simple. A pixel is arranged by element/ Red , Green, Blue Channel (RGB). Sometimes when we lost the detail, it's not mean both of three RGB elements are lost, who knows if there is Blue or Green Channel still there and the detail can be recovered.

It doesn't mean that we can shoot whatever we want, but this feature can be used as safety nets of shooting.

3. Much more fexlible in Editing

Shooting in RAW format is like the little kid who is painting with crayon box that have 64 colors, but if we shoot in JPEG its like painting with crayon box that only have 16 colors. See, more many crayon ! So we can more flexible to choose the colors combination, choosing gradient which is more smooth and etc.

You will feel the benefits when you start to editing photo in Lightroom or Photoshop, photo in RAW format is rich of detail, smooth gradient, shadow and etc.

4. Non Destructive

RAW format is always saved as pure file and untouched and it doesn't change. So we can save it and we can always edit it as we want and until whenever. With Lightroom software, when we are editing a photo with RAW format, so the any editing process ( Conversion to black and white, crop, exposure correction, and etc) will be saved as information which is separated with the original photo, so our photo will always seen pure.

5. Batch Processing

When we are working with RAW file in computer, we can apply a editing rule on some file at once. For example, when we back from photo hunting and find that all white balance in photos are wrong! and the exposure was under 1/3 stop, so we can so the correct the white balance and exposure in a row on all photos. Something like this is kind of difficult to do in JPG file.

6. Digital Negative

Because RAW file is always pure, we can save it and process it suitable with the future trend. Who knows if someday the photo editing software more shopisticated better than nowadays and our photo still pure and we can edit it again. Still remember film for camera? we always have the negative from a photo i oerder to be printed again and again, that's why RAW file can be assumed as Digital Negative from a photo.

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Understanding 5 Light Directions

In Photography, knowing where's the light direction fall to subject will very influence how the picture looks like. Light direction determine its character and also show the impression and dimension that show up on subject, so it build our photo overall. Natural light direction (Sunlight) or from artificial light (flash) are divided by 5 , they are : Front Light, Back Light, Top Light/ Down Light, and Side Light. Let we learn one by one :

Front Light

Front light is the light source in front of the subject in photo, usually the light source is in the back of our camera. The front light may come straight to the subject, kind of when we face the sunrise at the beach. Front light can also make an angle, kind of when we face the sun at 10 am. If we using flash, we can make front light right in the front of face or make an angle toward face. Most of photos are made from front light.

Side Light

The light touch the subject from the right or left side. The side light give such a strong dimensional impression, so this light source usually used for architecture or landscape photos. The light side also will strenghten the texture of a subject , you can see the desert surface above. If you want to take a headshot, acne will be more visible if we use side light. Side light is really good in black and white photo.

Back Light

Back light happen we we shoot subject in light source that come from back, in other words the light source in the front of camera bun in the back of the subject. When we shoo a subject that distance from the sun, for example shooting your friend that face to the west at 4 pm , so you will get the back light photo. In this situation usually you can get silhouette like this picture bellow :

Most of photo back lights will show more of shape and profile from the subject.

Top Light and Down Light

Top light or down light are rarely to use because it makes photo which is not so good, for example top light photo is when we shoot at 12 pm. Headshoot photo that make in the daylight or 12 pm will make produce eye bags shadow that make your friend seen ugly.

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In this article, we will try to understanding about what is pixel, megapixels and resolution of digital photo with simply explanation.

Pixel dan Megapixels

A digital photo composed by millions little points called pixel. Pixel itself is the word from abbreviation of Picture Elements. Each pixel bring information that determining the color (hue), Color strength (saturation) and how bright that color ( brightness).

Because almost photo composed by millions pixel (1 megapixels = 1 million pixels), it makes our eyes can't recognize a pixel separately, you just can see the photo with smooth gradation between bright-dark, friction of color and tone.

If you want to see a pixel, you can resize your photo. Like photo bellow, this photo have resolution size 600 x 450 pixels.In small size like this you still can't see a pixel, all you see just smooth color.

But if we change the resolution become 100 x 75 pixel, we starting to see how the pixels arrange this photo.

Moreover with low resolution 40 x 30 pixel, each pixel box will seen like puzzle. We can see the pixel- this condition called pixelate:

Photo Resolution for Monitor Screen and Print

Resolution of digital photo measured in pixel per inch (ppi), and standard resolution for photo quality is 300 ppi. So if we know the number of megapixels in a digital camera, we also can know the optimum print size that can be produced by that camera.

For example, we suggest that a digital camera have resolution 6 Megapixels (MP) with the precise size is 2816 pixels (length) x 2112 pixel (wide)- so the total is 6 MP. To counting the optimum print size that can be produced by camera, we divide 2816 x 2112 pixels by 300 pp1 and the result is 9,5 and 7 inches. So a digital camera with resolution 6MP can produce photo print with the size 9,5 x 7 inches or 24 x 18 cm.

For monitor screen, the standard is 72 ppi (Windows) and 96 ppi (Mac), so the display in monitor screen actually is still far away from standard resolution for print (300 ppi). It means a photo still look good in monitor doesn't mean look good we we print it, but a photo that start to look "pixelate" when printed in 300 ppi , it can be smooth in monitor of computer.

Table of Megapixels vs Print Size of a Photo

In the table bellow is the sample table about how optimum your camera skill to produce a photo which is print in 300 ppi or 200 ppi. Generally, most of digital camera nowadays ( that start to approaching 24 megapixels as the standard resolution) have printing skill more than good that user need. Except if we want to make poster with big size in 200 ppi, our camera is very rare to be used suitable with the camera skill to get print photo, moreover usually we just see the photo on monitor screen. The Megapixel camera isn't the most important thing if you want to buy a camera.

Camera	Print Size (300 ppi)	Print Size (200 ppi)
6 Megapixels	24 x 18 cm (9,5 x 7 in)	36 x 27cm (14 x 10,5 in)
7 Megapixels	25 x 19 cm (10 x 7,5 in)	39 x 29cm (15,5 x 11,5 in)
8 Megapixels	28 x 20 cm (11 x 8 in)	42 x 30 cm (16,5 x 12 in)
10 Megapixels	33 x 20 cm (13 x 8,5 in)	49 x 33 cm (19,5 13 in)
12 Megapixels	37 x 24 cm (14,5 9,5 in)	55 x 36 cm ( 21,5 x 14 in)

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CPL Filter or Polarizer or we can say polarization is one of the filter that most useful accesories for landscape photographer. Main function of CPL filter is to strengthen color contrast (vividness) in Landscape photo.

To know how it work, look at 2 photo bellow : first photo is taken with CPL which is cling on lens and seen darker sky, clouds seen contrast, the building roof also more white and clear. Meanwhile the second photo without CPL, the sky seen more bright, the contrast on cloud is not really visible, so it's seen not so dramatic if we comparing with the first photo also the building roof see more dark.

With CPL

Without CPL

In Landscape photograph that usually contain the sky as the part of photo element, CPL filter make the sky more blue so we get more dramatic impression. Beside it, CPL filter also decrease the reflection of shining surface such as water and glass, darken the sky and make the cloud seen more contrast, so in generally become more vivid.

If you have lens that featured with whorl in front ( almost Digital SLR have it) , you can just put CPL filter on the whorl. After it, the way to use is just rotate the CPL clockwise or anticlockwise until you get the effect that what you want, which is light polarization. Polarization work with blocking the light that comes from current direction, so the light doesn't come to lens.

When using CPL filter, the thing that you must remember is maximum polarization effect reached when in backlight. The other thing you must remember is when use use CPL filter on super big lens ( under 16mm), we must careful because sometimes the sky is darker but the dark isn't equal.

Beside darken the sky, like i've explained above , this filter also effective to decrease the shining stuff reflection. look at the differences on the photo bellow, the photo on left without CPL filter , it seen the reflection of glass reflection and car body. Meanwhile photo on the right using CPL filter , it seen the reflection is gone so the colors seen more deep :

The price CPL filter in the market is from $ 22 until $ 225. Buy the best quality CPL filter based on your budget and make sure the size is suitable with the lens diameter that you want put in.

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Firstly, do you know what bokeh is it? Bokeh is the blur quality that make main object separated from its background. Eyes are enjoy when see the blurry background but soft, creamy, and beautiful. Maybe there are people still have problem why their bokeh isn't good yet? what's wrong?

There are six main factors that really influence quality of our bokeh photo, following this steps then i guarantee you will get awesome bokeh photo .

1. Use Big Aperture

Bokeh was born from lens, not from camera. That's why the most important thing that you have to do is aperture lens setting on big aperture ( biggest which is permitted in photoshoot condition- maximum aperture). You can do with using Aperture Priority Mode and change the f number in lowest value( rotate aperture ring counter-clockwise). Read more about depth of field.

In this setting, practically we lower depth of field become shallow.

2. Decrease the length between camera and main object

More close we standing from the main object, more blur the background. More close the main object, lens focus is also closer and depth of field will more narrow. Let's try to do this : hold up your index finger near the glass away approximately 50 cm in front of you, focus your eyes on the index finger, now move your index finger closer to your eyes, More close your index finger with the eyes, the glass behind will more blur, isn't it?

3. Keep the distance between object and the background

When you take a picture of your friend and you want to get awesome bokeh photo, more far your friend from the background, more good bokeh that you will get. Look at this photo bellow, the leaf that closer to camera looks so sharp, but the leaf that getting further from camera is more blur. Mean while the green leaf behind looks very blur.

4. Use the longest focal length.

When you sung zoom lens, use the longest focal length to make more separate the main object with the backgorund. For example : when you use the 70-200mm lens, set the focal length in 200mm to get awesome bokeh. read more about focal length.

If you bring lens of 300mm, 18-200mm, 14-24mm,choose the longest lens (300mm) if you want to get super awesome bokeh photo.

5. Choose the lens with the best quality optic that you can buy.

Bokeh quality also affected by optic quality of lens that we use. We can say if you have two lens with same maximum focal length, for example : Lens 18-200mm f/5.6 and Lens 70-200mm/f2.8, because the quality optic of lens 70-200mm usually more good better than lens 18-200mm ( so the Price is much much more expensive). So use the lens 70-200mm, and as can as possible set the aperture in f/2.8. Read more about 5 Consideration before You Buy Camera Lens

6. Use prime Lens

Because like i said on number 1 above that more big aperture more good the bokeh, if you gave prime lens, use it. Prime lens pr fixed lens is lens with the single focal length or we can zooming definitely, Prime lens type that usually produce bokeh photo such as : 50mm f1.4 , 85mm f1.4 or the cheaper variants 5omm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8. Read more about prime lens .

Okay, they are 6 tips to get AWESOME bokeh photo, Best of luck!