petapixel (unofficial)Jul 2, 2021

The Best iPhone Camera Apps of 2021

Just as there is hardly a one-size-fits-all best DSLR or best mirrorless camera for any given user, there is certainly not any single best application for everyone. Users’ needs and preferences vary wildly, especially considering the extensive capabilities of today’s iPhones.

Updated 7/1/2021 by Matt Williams: Added FiLMiC Firstlight to the new category "Best iPhone Camera App for Image Quality."

It is estimated that nearly 1.5 trillion photos will be taken this year alone. Of those, approximately 92% will be snapped by smartphones, so shouldn't you try and get the best possible photo with them? These iPhone camera apps will certainly help you do that.

Certainly, a large percentage, if not a majority, of the vast number of photos taken are casual snapshots or what I’d call “non-photography photos” -- images taken for non-artistic purposes, like snapping a photo of a document for later reference.

A smaller percentage, though, are photos taken by amateurs and professionals alike who are seeking a higher level of image quality and output. In this case, users may and often do seek out third-party applications to put them in the driver’s seat -- whether it be manual control and RAW or simply applying a preset filter to upload to social media.

The issue facing these users are the perhaps hundreds, if not thousands, of third-party options available in the App Store. If you’re like me, you may end up trying (and paying for) half a dozen or more apps over the years. So, our goal here is to provide a list of the best apps to help steer you in a direction that will save you time (and money) with the best application – and therefore best photo results – to fit your needs.

What We’re Looking For

To make matters at least somewhat simpler, we’ve broken down our list into several categories to cover a wide, if not exhaustive, range of options for iPhone users. Some users value ultimate control and others value simplicity; some seek to milk every ounce of image quality possible from their camera and others simply want a quick path from the camera to Instagram or Facebook. There’s an app for just about anyone or anything these days, so we’ve selected a few outstanding choices that run the gamut of what most people expect out of their iPhone camera.

We’ve broken our list down into seven categories:

**

**

Best Professional iPhone Camera App: Halide Mark II

Above all others, Halide offers the most comprehensive set of controls and features of any iOS camera app to date. From histograms, to focus peaking, to long exposures up to fifteen seconds, Halide offers an extensive and exhaustive suite of features that will satisfy even the most demanding user. The swipe gestures (for example, swipe up or down for exposure compensation) are incredibly handy and keep the layout simple and clean, though they can take a bit of time to master before you'll be able to reliably capture quick snapshots.

One of the newer (and best) features of Halide is its excellent ProRAW support. So far this only applies to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, but presumably, ProRAW will become a standard option in future iPhone models. ProRAW has the advantage of combining RAW image quality with the computational photography that allows iPhone cameras to punch so high above their weight class.

Read more: Apple ProRAW Review: The Best Way to Shoot RAW on an iPhone

Upon Apple’s introduction of ProRAW, Halide did a deep dive into its workings and was ultimately successful in combining the best of their app with the advantages of Apple’s new format. This article from Ben Sandofsky (co-founder and developer of Lux Optics, who makes Halide) goes deep into the science of ProRAW, how it differs from standard RAW, and how they integrate it into their app.

It should be noted that Halide is solely for taking photographs -- there are no editing or processing options in the app itself.

Best iPhone Camera App for Image Quality: FiLMiC Firstlight

Firstlight iss developed and produced by FiLMiC Camera, the same team that made the excellent and incredibly popular FiLMiC Pro app for smartphone filmmaking.

Upfront, know that most of what Firstlight offers over Halide relates to its implementation and use of the ProRAW format. So, if your phone is an older model and does not support ProRAW, there will not be much for you to gain by using Firstlight -- though there are a few very neat features, like its film simulations, that are better than the competition.

Firstlight is, like Halide and ProCamera, a professional camera app designed for serious photographers who want to maximize the imaging capabilities and potential of their iPhone. And, like those apps, it has many of the same extensive features that allow you to control every aspect of your photo -- manual exposure, shutter and ISO priority, gridlines, manual focus with peaking, zebras, histograms, and so on.

Firstlight can shoot both standard RAW and ProRAW (as well as JPEG, HEIC, and TIFF). It has a bevy of film simulations, like most apps, but unlike those other apps, FiLMiC went the extra mile in terms of how those simulations are implemented. While other apps use soft-light composite, Firstlight uses what they call ISO Adaptive Mode -- the app converts digital noise to variable-density grain. In other words, the actual grain sizes and granularity change based on the sensitivity and level of noise. This is something you cannot achieve with the standard “film look” filter overlays in other apps. FiLMiC even built a light meter from scratch to optimize scene-by-scene metering for the best exposure.

But above all else, Firstlight is capable of the absolute best image quality you can get on a smartphone. I was at first dubious given that there is not a whole lot of difference between Halide’s ProRAW and ProCamera’s ProRAW, so how much better could Firstlight's be? But after side-by-side testing and over a month of use, I came away incredibly impressed at what the FiLMiC team has accomplished here.

What Firstlight gives us is something I have never seen -- ProRAW capture that is essentially always as good -- or better -- than standard RAW capture.

The reason we added an additional category instead of replacing Halide with Firstlight is that I cannot recommend the app as the absolute best when taking into consideration everything as a whole. Specifically, the user interface needs work and making adjustments is slow and tedious. But for pure image quality, Firstlight is unbeatable.

Best All-in-One iPhone Camera App: ProCamera+

ProCamera is a close second to Halide and like Halide, it offers a high degree of manual control across dozens of settings. It also includes ProRAW support, though Halide’s integration is a notch above which we found produced cleaner and more malleable results.

However, unlike Halide, ProCamera includes a fairly extensive built-in editing suite which even supports features like portrait mode (provided your phone does, of course). If you’re looking for the best app out there to both capture and edit, this is it.

Of all the advanced-level applications mentioned here, I think this one has the most intuitive layout with a very easy learning curve, provided you understand the essentials of exposure and editing. If you’re an amateur user completely unfamiliar with the basics, this app would make it easy to see how different exposure parameters affect an image and could be a useful learning tool. If you’re not interested in that and only desire higher degrees of automation, ProCamera is likely overkill.

Worth mentioning is one of ProCamera’s more unique features, which sets it apart from many of its peers: integration with Adobe which means you can send photos directly to your Creative Cloud storage. If that is not relevant to you, it won’t get in your way, but it’s there if you need it.

Best Free iPhone Camera App: Adobe Lightroom CC

For those familiar with the standard version of Lightroom and the Adobe Suite in general, it may seem strange to see this listed as a free app, but it is! It does require registration, which you can easily do via your iCloud or Gmail account, but the entire application functions for free with the exception of syncing across multiple devices via Adobe Cloud -- that obviously requires an Adobe subscription. Naturally, if you already pay for Lightroom, just simply sign in with your Adobe ID.

Not only is Lightroom one of the best mobile photo editors out there, but its built-in camera has extensive features that make the entire app worthy of all-around use. Full manual exposure and focus control, RAW capture, Lightroom presets, watermarks, and of course all of the color correction and editing features you’d expect from a mobile version of Lightroom.

As a bonus, and unlike the desktop version, it’s surprisingly simple to navigate the app as a first-time user. Adobe managed to compress the best features of the full-blown program into a very user-friendly, but still feature-rich, mobile camera suite.

Best iPhone Camera App for Filters: VSCO

VSCO is one of the most popular iOS camera apps on the market and offers over two hundred presets including popular “vintage” looks that attempt to emulate film stocks such as those from Ilford, Kodak, Agfa, and others. VSCO also includes a fairly robust image capturing system and gives you the ability to take full manual control of exposure settings. It also includes some basic post-capture editing. Beyond photos, VSCO also supports recording video, looping videos (DSCO), and double exposures.

Like most apps, there is a stripped-down free version, but to fully unlock all the presets and features will require a subscription. Unlike other apps, VSCO has an entire community for members with bonus content -- including tutorials -- and weekly photo challenges that add to the value of that subscription.

As one of the most highly rated photography applications available in the App Store, VSCO is certainly worth a look, especially if you value a large library of quick and easy filters.

_Editor 's note: A previous version of this section mentioned VSCO supported RAW capture. VSCO did at one point but has since stopped, though users can still edit RAW files in the VSCO app on iOS only. _

Best iPhone Photo Editing App: Darkroom

Like VSCO, Darkroom is one of the highest-rated photo apps available for iOS users, but Darkroom goes well beyond VSCO with its editing capabilities and offers pro-level features in a very beginner-friendly layout.

The interface and design are among the best out there as it sports an extremely clean and easy-to-use RAW editor with all the expected adjustment sliders and curves, batch editing, portrait mode adjustments, content-aware frames, and a library of filter options (including the ability to create your own), plus ProRAW and HDR support.

Not only is Darkroom a powerful editing app but it’s also a very competent video editor, which is not something many other apps can claim to include. Finally, like Lightroom, there is a desktop version that you can get access to if you subscribe to the mobile version (or vice versa), another bonus that is a rarity among competitors. The overall user experience is actually not unlike Lightroom, but a bit cleaner and beginner-friendly, too.

Best iPhone Accessory App for Stills and Video: Mark II Artist’s Viewfinder

Most of us think of smartphone cameras as we do other cameras: devices with the sole intent of taking photos (or video). But they can also double as incredibly useful photography tools -- in this case, as a viewfinder emulator for photographers and cinematographers. There are a number of options available on the App Store, but none are as feature-packed and complete as Artist’s Viewfinder.

For those with smaller, easily portable cameras this may seem like a trivial feature, but for photographers and cinematographers who work primarily off a tripod, the ability to previsualize your shots and frame precisely -- or scout locations -- before moving your entire set up can be a godsend and save untold amounts of time.

Artist’s Viewfinder has an insanely impressive catalog of “virtual” cameras and lenses to choose from. Want to know what the frame of your Linhof Master Technika with a Leaf Aptus 75 digital back and Rodenstock Apo-Sironar 55mm lens will look like? This app has it. RED Komodo in DCI 6K with a Zeiss 32mm Ultra Prime? This app has it. Name a camera – stills or cinema – and it’s in here.

The app supports the use of add-on lenses (including 1.33x and 1.55x anamorphic), includes thirteen aspect ratio options, allows you to view multiple acquisition formats (such as a 2K crop from a 4K sensor), custom focal lengths, custom cameras and backs, tons of frame line options, and all the usual manual exposure and focus controls of other apps plus RAW image capture. Photos that are taken within the app are stored with metadata that includes the simulated camera and lens information along with optional geotagging. There is also a very useful track logging option, stored in the standard GPX format, that can be referenced later or sent to assistants, crew members, or rental houses.

It’s worth noting that this app works best if your iPhone has both the standard lens and the ultra-wide, otherwise you’ll be unable to simulate anything below roughly 26mm full-frame equivalent. And, of course, it works even better if you have the ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto trio.

Best iPhone Camera App for Filmmaking: FiLMiC Pro

FiLMiC Pro is probably the most well-known and well-regarded video app that exists, and for good reason. It’s been used professionally to shoot everything from Netflix features, to a Zack Snyder short film, to high-profile music videos, to popular Sundance indies.

It offers just about everything you could ask for in a video app: full manual exposure tools, frame rates from 1 frame per second up to 240 frames per second for slow and fast motion, timelapse recording, zebras, histograms, focus peaking, manual focus pulling, false color, up to 150Mbps encoding in 4K, an array of pro audio features, integration with certain DJI, Zhiyun, and Movi gimbals, and so much more.

Anamorphic support, which includes automatic de-squeeze, pairs perfectly with both 1.33x and 1.55x anamorphic lenses such as those from Moment or Beastgrip. It even allows LOG gamma recording for maximum dynamic range and flexibility in post. Dolby Vision HDR support is available on 12 series iPhones as is 10-bit SDR.

Some of these features -- like LOG gamma -- are only available if you purchase the Cinematographer’s Kit for an additional $13.99. Also available is FiLMiC Remote ($9.99), which allows you to use a second iOS device (iPhone or iPad) as a wireless monitor or to control the recording device, which is particularly handy for crane/jib/slider shots or simply to relieve the camera operator from the responsibility of pulling focus. There is even a clean HDMI out feature on offer. You can purchase FiLMiC Pro and FiLMiC Remote as a bundle for $19.99 while purchasing them separately will cost $24.98.

#guides #mobile #software #technology #adobelightroomapp #adobelightroomcc #artistsviewfinder #bestiphoneapp #cameraapp #darkroom #darkroomapp #filmicpro #halide #halidemarkii #ios #iphone #previsualization #procameraapp #procameraplus

The Best iPhone Camera Apps of 2021

Get the most out of your iPhone's camera.

petapixel (unofficial)May 14, 2021

The Best iPhone Camera Apps of 2021

Just as there is hardly a one-size-fits-all best DSLR or best mirrorless camera for any given user, there is certainly not any single best application for everyone. Users’ needs and preferences vary wildly, especially considering the extensive capabilities of today’s iPhones.

It is estimated that nearly 1.5 trillion photos will be taken this year alone. Of those, approximately 92% will be snapped by smartphones, so shouldn't you try and get the best possible photo with them? These iPhone camera apps will certainly help you do that.

Certainly, a large percentage, if not a majority, of the vast number of photos taken are casual snapshots or what I’d call “non-photography photos” -- images taken for non-artistic purposes, like snapping a photo of a document for later reference.

A smaller percentage, though, are photos taken by amateurs and professionals alike who are seeking a higher level of image quality and output. In this case, users may and often do seek out third-party applications to put them in the driver’s seat -- whether it be manual control and RAW or simply applying a preset filter to upload to social media.

The issue facing these users are the perhaps hundreds, if not thousands, of third-party options available in the App Store. If you’re like me, you may end up trying (and paying for) half a dozen or more apps over the years. So, our goal here is to provide a list of the best apps to help steer you in a direction that will save you time (and money) with the best application – and therefore best photo results – to fit your needs.

What We’re Looking For

To make matters at least somewhat simpler, we’ve broken down our list into several categories to cover a wide, if not exhaustive, range of options for iPhone users. Some users value ultimate control and others value simplicity; some seek to milk every ounce of image quality possible from their camera and others simply want a quick path from the camera to Instagram or Facebook. There’s an app for just about anyone or anything these days, so we’ve selected a few outstanding choices that run the gamut of what most people expect out of their iPhone camera.

We’ve broken our list down into seven categories:

**

**

Best Professional iPhone Camera App: Halide Mark II

Above all others, Halide offers the most comprehensive set of controls and features of any iOS camera app to date. From histograms, to focus peaking, to long exposures up to fifteen seconds, Halide offers an extensive and exhaustive suite of features that will satisfy even the most demanding user. The swipe gestures (for example, swipe up or down for exposure compensation) are incredibly handy and keep the layout simple and clean, though they can take a bit of time to master before you'll be able to reliably capture quick snapshots.

One of the newer (and best) features of Halide is its excellent ProRAW support. So far this only applies to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, but presumably, ProRAW will become a standard option in future iPhone models. ProRAW has the advantage of combining RAW image quality with the computational photography that allows iPhone cameras to punch so high above their weight class.

Read more: Apple ProRAW Review: The Best Way to Shoot RAW on an iPhone

Upon Apple’s introduction of ProRAW, Halide did a deep dive into its workings and was ultimately successful in combining the best of their app with the advantages of Apple’s new format. This article from Ben Sandofsky (co-founder and developer of Lux Optics, who makes Halide) goes deep into the science of ProRAW, how it differs from standard RAW, and how they integrate it into their app.

It should be noted that Halide is solely for taking photographs -- there are no editing or processing options in the app itself.

Best All-in-One iPhone Camera App: ProCamera+

ProCamera+ is a close second to Halide and like Halide, it offers a high degree of manual control across dozens of settings. It also includes ProRAW support, though Halide’s integration is a notch above which we found produced cleaner and more malleable results.

However, unlike Halide, ProCamera+ includes a fairly extensive built-in editing suite which even supports features like portrait mode (provided your phone does, of course). If you’re looking for the best app out there to both capture and edit, this is it.

Of all the advanced-level applications mentioned here, I think this one has the most intuitive layout with a very easy learning curve, provided you understand the essentials of exposure and editing. If you’re an amateur user completely unfamiliar with the basics, this app would make it easy to see how different exposure parameters affect an image and could be a useful learning tool. If you’re not interested in that and only desire higher degrees of automation, ProCamera+ is likely overkill.

Worth mentioning is one of ProCamera’s more unique features, which sets it apart from many of its peers: integration with Adobe which means you can send photos directly to your Creative Cloud storage. If that is not relevant to you, it won’t get in your way, but it’s there if you need it.

Best Free iPhone Camera App: Adobe Lightroom CC

For those familiar with the standard version of Lightroom and the Adobe Suite in general, it may seem strange to see this listed as a free app, but it is! It does require registration, which you can easily do via your iCloud or Gmail account, but the entire application functions for free with the exception of syncing across multiple devices via Adobe Cloud -- that obviously requires an Adobe subscription. Naturally, if you already pay for Lightroom, just simply sign in with your Adobe ID.

Not only is Lightroom one of the best mobile photo editors out there, but its built-in camera has extensive features that make the entire app worthy of all-around use. Full manual exposure and focus control, RAW capture, Lightroom presets, watermarks, and of course all of the color correction and editing features you’d expect from a mobile version of Lightroom.

As a bonus, and unlike the desktop version, it’s surprisingly simple to navigate the app as a first-time user. Adobe managed to compress the best features of the full-blown program into a very user-friendly, but still feature-rich, mobile camera suite.

Best iPhone Camera App for Filters: VSCO

VSCO is one of the most popular iOS camera apps on the market and offers over two hundred presets including popular “vintage” looks that attempt to emulate film stocks such as those from Ilford, Kodak, Agfa, and others. VSCO also includes a fairly robust image capturing system, which includes RAW capture, and gives you the ability to take full manual control of exposure settings. It also includes some basic post-capture editing. Beyond photos, VSCO also supports recording video, looping videos (DSCO), and double exposures.

Like most apps, there is a stripped-down free version, but to fully unlock all the presets and features will require a subscription. Unlike other apps, VSCO has an entire community for members with bonus content -- including tutorials -- and weekly photo challenges that add to the value of that subscription.

As one of the most highly rated photography applications available in the App Store, VSCO is certainly worth a look, especially if you value a large library of quick and easy filters.

Best iPhone Camera App for Beginners: Darkroom

Like VSCO, Darkroom is one of the highest-rated photo apps available for iOS users, but Darkroom goes well beyond VSCO with its editing capabilities and offers pro-level features in a very beginner-friendly layout.

The interface and design are among the best out there as it sports an extremely clean and easy-to-use RAW editor with all the expected adjustment sliders and curves, batch editing, portrait mode adjustments, content-aware frames, and a library of filter options (including the ability to create your own), plus ProRAW and HDR support.

Not only is Darkroom a powerful photography app but it’s also a very competent video editor, which is not something many other apps can claim to include. Finally, like Lightroom, there is a desktop version that you can get access to if you subscribe to the mobile version (or vice versa), another bonus that is a rarity among competitors. The overall user experience is actually not unlike Lightroom, but a bit cleaner and beginner-friendly, too.

Best iPhone Accessory App for Stills and Video: Mark II Artist’s Viewfinder

Most of us think of smartphone cameras as we do other cameras: devices with the sole intent of taking photos (or video). But they can also double as incredibly useful photography tools -- in this case, as a viewfinder emulator for photographers and cinematographers. There are a number of options available on the App Store, but none are as feature-packed and complete as Artist’s Viewfinder.

For those with smaller, easily portable cameras this may seem like a trivial feature, but for photographers and cinematographers who work primarily off a tripod, the ability to previsualize your shots and frame precisely -- or scout locations -- before moving your entire set up can be a godsend and save untold amounts of time.

Artist’s Viewfinder has an insanely impressive catalog of “virtual” cameras and lenses to choose from. Want to know what the frame of your Linhof Master Technika with a Leaf Aptus 75 digital back and Rodenstock Apo-Sironar 55mm lens will look like? This app has it. RED Komodo in DCI 6K with a Zeiss 32mm Ultra Prime? This app has it. Name a camera – stills or cinema – and it’s in here.

The app supports the use of add-on lenses (including 1.33x and 1.55x anamorphic), includes thirteen aspect ratio options, allows you to view multiple acquisition formats (such as a 2K crop from a 4K sensor), custom focal lengths, custom cameras and backs, tons of frame line options, and all the usual manual exposure and focus controls of other apps plus RAW image capture. Photos that are taken within the app are stored with metadata that includes the simulated camera and lens information along with optional geotagging. There is also a very useful track logging option, stored in the standard GPX format, that can be referenced later or sent to assistants, crew members, or rental houses.

It’s worth noting that this app works best if your iPhone has both the standard lens and the ultra-wide, otherwise you’ll be unable to simulate anything below roughly 26mm full-frame equivalent. And, of course, it works even better if you have the ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto trio.

Best iPhone Camera App for Filmmaking: FiLMiC Pro

FiLMiC Pro is probably the most well-known and well-regarded video app that exists, and for good reason. It’s been used professionally to shoot everything from Netflix features, to a Zack Snyder short film, to high-profile music videos, to popular Sundance indies.

It offers just about everything you could ask for in a video app: full manual exposure tools, frame rates from 1 frame per second up to 240 frames per second for slow and fast motion, timelapse recording, zebras, histograms, focus peaking, manual focus pulling, false color, up to 150Mbps encoding in 4K, an array of pro audio features, integration with certain DJI, Zhiyun, and Movi gimbals, and so much more.

Anamorphic support, which includes automatic de-squeeze, pairs perfectly with both 1.33x and 1.55x anamorphic lenses such as those from Moment or Beastgrip. It even allows LOG gamma recording for maximum dynamic range and flexibility in post. Dolby Vision HDR support is available on 12 series iPhones as is 10-bit SDR.

Some of these features -- like LOG gamma -- are only available if you purchase the Cinematographer’s Kit for an additional $13.99. Also available is FiLMiC Remote ($9.99), which allows you to use a second iOS device (iPhone or iPad) as a wireless monitor or to control the recording device, which is particularly handy for crane/jib/slider shots or simply to relieve the camera operator from the responsibility of pulling focus. There is even a clean HDMI out feature on offer. You can purchase FiLMiC Pro and FiLMiC Remote as a bundle for $19.99 while purchasing them separately will cost $24.98.

#guides #mobile #software #technology #adobelightroomapp #adobelightroomcc #artistsviewfinder #bestiphoneapp #cameraapp #darkroom #darkroomapp #filmicpro #halide #halidemarkii #ios #iphone #previsualization #procameraapp #procameraplus

The Best iPhone Camera Apps of 2021

Get the most out of your iPhone's camera.

petapixel (unofficial)May 11, 2021

Landscape Photo Editing: Why You Need a Plan

When I started my journey in photography, one aspect that fascinated me the most -- and this extends even to today -- was photo editing. I remember my first edits. I was so delighted to see how my images changed drastically by just moving a few sliders in Lightroom or Photoshop.

Those changes were not necessarily in a good direction either.

It was so fun to play with tone sliders, colors, local adjustments, masks, and any fancy filter, but what I rapidly discovered was that I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, and more importantly, why I was doing it. After a few months, and then a couple of years, I looked back through some of my old images and I was very frustrated: My editing totally sucked!

I definitely missed something during the editing process and it was not the lack of a specific technical skill or the wrong software. What I was missing was the overall vision of what I was doing -- such as editing to create some kind of meaning in the image -- which was the result of the fact that I didn't have any pre-planning -- or previsualization, if you want -- before I started to tweak sliders and curves.

This issue I had is one that I see frequently among beginner photographers since they don’t have enough experience to understand where to start or why specific adjustments are important. It’s easy to lose ourselves between random adjustments here and there when you go into an image with no plan.

There are no rules when it comes to editing images. All we have to go on is our taste, sensibility, and personal style. Editing is not quite as simple as it sounds.

In this video, I want to share with you what I amusingly named the “ACDC System.”

ACDC: A - Analyze | C - Cropping | D - Distractions | C - Colors & Tones

This system is basically a photo-development process that I use on a daily basis with my photos. To discuss the process, I will use an example image I captured in the Lofoten Islands, and show you the process I used to bring the photo from its original RAW version to a finished and polished product.

For this shot, I used the Fujifilm GFX 50R with the Fujinon GF32-64mm f/4 zoom lens. It’s a standard wide-angle shot, with a full-frame equivalent focal length of 27mm:

I usually start analyzing the overall image and try to define which are its characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses by going over the key aspects of a photo below, which I use to form my editing plan.

What is the focal point? What should the aspect ratio of the image be? How is the exposure? How is the quality of light?

Should I apply global or local contrast? What are the colors I want to highlight?

Are there any distractions?

What’s my goal for the image, and the outcome I’m aiming for?

Once I define the overall editing plan, I’ll start applying all the adjustments I need in Lightroom (or Photoshop, if needed).

I do not mean this process to be a bunch of shortcuts, not at all -- there are no shortcuts, in general. I believe that the idea of shortcuts will never get you where you really want to go. My goal is to give you, like in my previous video about the composition framework, some guidelines and suggestions to see photo editing from a slightly different perspective, and therefore help you to improve your confidence and vision on how to map a more robust and repeatable mind approach to define the direction of your post-processing workflow. You can do this by discussing the how-tos as much as the whys.

My finished edit.

As I said, there are no shortcuts and I can’t guarantee your photos will always be amazing. Actually, post-processing is not everything and there are a lot of other aspects to consider along the creative process. But I’m pretty sure you’ll find some of these concepts useful to shape your own vision and your approach to photo editing.

_About the author: Andrea Livieri is a Venice-based professional photographer, educator, musician, and spirited adventurer. He started exploring the photography medium by capturing images of fellow musicians, their families, and other friends and acquaintances in the music industry. As he continued honing his craft, he merged his love for photography and exploring the outdoors, enabling him to amass lots of photographic work of delightful scenery, rugged mountainscapes, and exhilarating terrain. He also lead photography courses, workshops, and tours to teach other photographers his methods and help them to bring out their own vision.

For more from Livieri, you can follow him on Instagram and subscribe to his YouTube Channel. _

#educational #tips #tutorials #andrealivieri #editing #landscapeediting #landscapephotography #landscapephotographytips #method #photoediting #photoeditingtips #photographytechniques #previsualization #rules #techniques #workflow

Landscape Photo Editing: Why You Need a Plan

Plan your edit.

petapixel (unofficial)May 7, 2021

Pre-Visualize in the Field for Better Landscape Compositions

Composing Tool Kit: Tamrac Pro Compact 2, Pocket Spot, Linhof 6×9 Viewfinder, Hoodman Loupe, Location Marker Tees

I create my landscape photography with film and digital technical cameras and received a request to share how I compose in the landscape with the gear I use.

Learning how to compose images is not a simple topic to cover, nor can that be shared in one article alone. However, sometimes we can find tidbits of information from other photographers that can add to our technique and save time, expense, or simply makes sense to our particular way of looking at things. My objective in this article is to share the pre-visualization technique that guides me to where I need to set up the camera.

Photographers who shoot tech cameras -- be they pancake, field, or view camera design -- have a few things in common. One is their pursuit of perfection. Why else do we get hooked on cameras that at first look may be mistaken for a measuring device instead of a camera? Another common thread is the amount of care and time we must put into their operational use. I am always looking for ways to save time while pursuing this perfection. My landscape shooting technique has changed over the years, and the switch to Live View on a digital back over an interchangeable ground glass was a welcome change, but the one constant need I have that never changes: previsualization.

Linhof Viewfinder 4×5, Linhof Technar 65 Viewfinder, Linhof 6×9 Viewfinder

Viewfinders

Walking around looking through a detachable viewfinder is how I find compositions in the landscape; this is previsualization. I could use a black frame cutout made from mat board if I had too, but being able to use a small handheld viewfinder that matches my camera lenses with the film or digital sensor format is my first tool of choice. With the various format sizes available, it may not be easy to find exactly what you need, but over time I have been able to tweak my viewfinders to match my needs. Using a DSLR and a zoom lens may work as well, but that idea does not interest me because I want to be as minimalistic as possible. This Lens Visualizer Tool has helped me previsualize lenses and formats.

Linhof Viewfinder 4×5, Linhof Technar 65 Viewfinder, Linhof 6×9 Viewfinder

Technique

Most of my landscape shooting is done after I drive around looking for interesting views and then park and walk. I grab my Composing Tools Kit which will have the viewfinder for the tech camera I will be shooting, as well as a small light meter, Hoodman rubber loupe, and location tees. The light meter and Hoodman loupe are handy tools I keep with me on all landscape shoots. The light meter is for when I am shooting film, but if I am pressed for time in a weather or other situation while shooting a digital back, I can quickly get a meter reading without having to spend extra time looking at the histogram. The Hoodman loupe is an excellent cover for the digital back’s screen in bright sunlight, and since it is made of a rubberized material, it does not scratch the digital display. Once I find a location I want to return to with my camera, I place a location tee in the ground. I have not had a problem reclaiming a location tee, and if I did, I might resort to a GPS unit, but that seems a bit much at this time since a lot of the areas I venture into have intermittent cell coverage, and I really want to keep the gear to a minimum.

Composing tool kit, ready to go.

Cameras

The tech cameras I shoot include an ALPA SWA, a Cambo Wide 650, and a Linhof Master Technika 3000. I have shot digital and film with all of these cameras, but today I primarily shoot film with the Cambo Wide and Linhof 3000 and digital with the ALPA. Shooting black and white film is something I do not think I will ever give up, and shooting digital with my ALPA cameras has replaced any idea of shooting color film with a tech camera for me. All of these cameras have their own detachable viewfinders and I hardly, if ever, use the viewfinder on the camera. Now I will talk about how I previsualize with each camera.

ALPA SWA, SK 35/5.6, Hasselblad CFV II 50C, Litz Studio Hasselblad/ALPA Lens Adapter + Hasselblad CFi 100/3.5, Linhof 6×9 VF with 56×72 Mask

ALPA SWA

I chose the ALPA camera system for medium format digital because of its minimalistic size with the ability to adapt Hasselblad lenses and accessories. I use a CFV II 50C digital back and Hasselblad “C” film magazines with these cameras. My lenses are the ALPA Schneider digital lenses: 28, 35, 47, 72, and 120, and the Hasselblad V lenses: 60, 80, 100, 120, and 180. When I take my ALPA kit out in the landscape, I generally take a wide, normal, and telephoto. A typical pack will have the 35, 100, and 180. If I am shooting on location where I will be inside of structures, then it would be the 28, 72, and 120. Finding the correct aspect ratio for my 44×33 digital back and a viewfinder took a bit of testing, but I found the Linhof 6×9 viewfinder fitted with a 56×72 mask made for the 4×5″ viewfinder matched up nicely to my lenses according to the numbers on the viewfinder dial. When shooting film, I simply replace the mask with a different 56×72 mask designed for the 6×9 format. Once I find an interesting scene, I turn the dial of the viewfinder to match a lens I have packed. I will then scan the landscape looking for compositions. Once I find what I am looking for, I place a location tee down and move on, or move back to my van and set up the camera to return for the photography. I focus via Live View when shooting digital and use a Hasselblad ground glass for film focusing.

Cambo Wide 650, Schneider Super Angulon 65/5.6, Linhof Techno Rollex 120 Roll Film Holder 60×120, Linhof Technar 65 Viewfinder with 60×120 Mask

Cambo Wide 650

I acquired the Cambo Wide specifically for 6×12 black and white film panoramic shooting. The Cambo Wide is a lighter-weight 4×5″ camera that gives its users many options through the use of its Graflok back. Finding the Linhof Technar 65 viewfinder was a great find as the viewfinder that came with the camera was not adequate for pre-visualizing panoramas. Once I find an image through the viewfinder and return for the camera, I will then shoot one of two ways: (1) If the panoramas include the horizon, I will hyperfocal focus and shoot; (2) If the image will include a closer element I want in focus like this image, I will use the ground glass to focus. This camera can shoot 4×5″ film and other formats with the appropriate film magazines. The viewfinder masks I use include 4×5″ and 6×9 film formats.

Linhof Technar 65 Viewfinder, 4×5″/f=65 Mask, 60×120 Mask and 6×9/f=65 Mask

Linhof Master Technika 3000

The Linhof is my favorite camera because of its quality and versatility. When I shoot this camera out in the landscape, I previsualize with the help of the Linhof 4×5″ Viewfinder. I use lenses in the 65, 90, 150 and 210 range and can easily turn the dial of the viewfinder to match the specific lens. I use the ground glass for focusing when shooting 4×5″ film and Live View when shooting digital. This camera is precise enough to shoot with digital from my experience and can use my Cambo and Hasselblad accessories.

Linhof Master Technika 3000, Nikon W 150/5.6, Fidelity 4×5 Film Holders, Linhof 4×5″ Viewfinder

In Closing…

Pre-visualizing is simply knowing what you want to shoot and then making the image. How we get there is an individual approach that most photographers will work on throughout their photographic life. What helps to polish my “eye” is looking at art. I spent a few years studying art history in college only for the slide shows. If you spend time identifying what makes classic art “classic”, you will be educating your eye on “design that works”. The more you do this, the easier pre-visualizing gets.

The gear I use today accounts for a thirty-year career in the visual arts and years of buying and selling to get what I want. I have changed gear periodically, but the gear in this article (or similar) has been in my toolbox for many years. I found switching gear because new stuff is available was not always a good thing for my mental checklist; I like knowing my gear like my right hand. I encourage you to work with what gear you have and to work more on looking at art if you are unhappy with your compositions.

I was told by a longtime Linhof salesman that the 4×5″ and 6×9 viewfinders are the same, the painted lens numbers on the dials are the only difference along with the mask openings. I do not care if a viewfinder is in metric or feet, all I care about is that the view through it matches my lens as close as possible. I find it relaxing to visually explore inside the landscape prior to carrying gear. When I return for image-making, my camera is set up with the correct lens, filter, etc., and I will know ahead of time what technique for capture will be best.

A few photographers have reached out to me and shared their positive experiences using the Mark II Artist’s Viewfinder, an electronic viewfinder for your cell phone. I do have the ALPA version but found upon using it that I prefer to walk around with an optical viewfinder. An electronic viewfinder is an excellent tool for the right photographer, I am just not thrilled with using my cell phone for anything but calling and music syncing because of battery consumption. But if it works for you, it should be used!

When shooting on location, I wear a cloth waist pack that can hold a digital back, film magazine, lenses, and other essentials. It is “my free assistant” and I would never travel without one. At times I need a second set of hands and that is when this pack is indispensable for me. I have both sizes and find their lightweight construction top-notch.

Live View on a digital back was a breakthrough tool for a lot of technical camera shooters, but we quickly learned it eats batteries. I try my best to conserve battery life and rely on Live View for a quick compositional view and focusing only.

My Hasselblad CFi 180/4 lens is one of my favorites for landscape shooting. Here is an image made with it.

I hope this article was informative!

Photo credits: Images and Text ©2021 Darlene Almeda and republished with permission. Camera Work: Fujifilm X-Pro3 + XC 55-230/4.5-6.7

About the author : Darlene Almeda is a commercial photographer and photography teacher of over 30 years. You can find more of her work and writing on her website and blog. This article was also published here.

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How to Pre-Visualize in the Field for Better Landscape Compositions

Use pre-visualization to build better composition.