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When it comes to lens filters, the possibilities are endless, and your choice of filter depends entirely on what you are photographing, and how you would like your photograph to look. Here are a few examples of popular filters, going beyond the traditional UV filter. The descriptions of the filters are simply to help you figure out what filters you may like to experiment with, but once you purchase your filter, doing your research and learning the ins and outs of the filter you have chosen will really help you achieve the desired effect.

1. Neutral Density Filters (ND Filters).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramyoga/5985595003/

ND filters serve several purposes, the most important being that they disperse color and light evenly throughout your photo. This type of filter is particularly common among landscape photographers, because the filters allow you to capture a wide range of shadows and highlights, without having too much contrast and losing detail.

The filters come in varying intensities, measured in “stops,” create a variety of effects, and allow you to shoot at a high ISO or wide aperture in bright light. They also give you the ability to experiment with motion blur, as you can see in the image above, the water is completely smooth.

ND filters also come in a “graduated” variety, with the top of the filter being darker than the bottom. This is helpful if you are happy with the exposure at the bottom of your frame, but you want the top of your frame to have more detail (again, this is popular among landscape photographers because the filter will enhance the sky without altering the color and exposure on the landscape).

2. Circular Polarizers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gustaffo89/4489206505/

Polarizing filters are a great accessory to have in your camera bag! They increase saturation, and reduce glare on water, haze, glass, or any reflective surface. You can adjust the intensity of the filter by rotating the filter from left to right on your lens. The photo above illustrates the polarizer at its highest and lowest intensities. Notice how, in the photo on the left, there is more detail and color in the sky, as well as the buildings. Polarizers are also extremely easy to use.

3. Warming and Cooling Filters

Warming and cooling filters are exactly what you would think – they adjust the color temperature within you camera. Now, this is something that can easily be corrected in post-processing, but if you prefer to get your shot as accurate as possible in-camera to speedup your workflow, you may want to consider one of these filters.

4. Star Filters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonnyfixedgear/3876463076/

There are a wide variety of special-effect filters, a popular choice being the star, or starburst, filter. The effect is created by thin etches of lines on the filter that draw rays of light outwards from the central light source. Reflections on glass, or light from street lamps, can be turned into a star shape, and add a sparkle of light to your photos.

Star filters come in a variety of points, such as 4, 6, 8 and 12 points, depending on the number of lines that are etched into the filter.

5. Infrared (IR) Filters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/evanleavittphotography/3665244630

IR filters can be tricky to use, but the results are stylistic and surreal. They are extremely popular in black and white photography, but can also be used for color. Essentially, IR filters only let IR light enter your camera, while all other wavelengths of light are blocked. The result is especially visible on foliage, because the chlorophyll in plants radiates a high amount of IR light, therefore, all the foliage in your photo will appear white. Again, this is a completely stylistic choice, but can be very rewarding in terms of achieving a surreal quality in your photos.

Be ware, though: not all cameras process IR light in the same way. For example,Olympustends to process IR light quite well, and you will see a wide range of colors from red, to orange, to purple. Canon, on the other hand, tends to lend itself more to red and purple.

Finally, most IR photos, unless converted to black and white, will need a great deal of post-processing if you want to display colors other than red. Using the Channel Mixer in Photoshop seems to work well for most people who shoot IR, so be sure to play around with the channels, as there is not set method for a achieving a certain look.

Anna Gay is a portrait photographer based in Athens, GA and the author of the dPS ebook The Art of Self-Portraiture. She also designs actions and textures for Photoshop. When she is not shooting or writing, she enjoys spending time with her fiancee, and their two cats, Elphie and Fat Cat.

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Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to give to people who have went out of their way to help others. In each of these circumstances these photographers felt that they should continue to pay it forward and took it upon themselves to encourage someone else.  One of these photographers made it a point to go to a retirement home and take pictures of an elderly couple, who otherwise wouldn’t have had recent pictures of themselves.  Her desire to do this made me think, “how can we all Pay It Forward“?

What I love most about my business is the opportunity to meet others and to be able to encourage them.  Personally, I get more joy out of giving than receiving.  I know I’m not alone. I imagine that you may have started your photography business for some of the same reasons. You may love working with people, you may enjoy giving back to your community, or capturing those special moments for others!  For whatever reason you’ve started your business, you have a special opportunity to give back.

Here is my challenge to you. What can you do to pay it forward this week?   In our industry we are always working with people. Can you include an extra 5×7 in an order or maybe send out a special birthday or anniversary card to your client.  Sometimes life gets so busy that we forget how something so small can go such a long way.

I encourage you to join me this week and pay it forward.  Let us know what you did to pay it forward and share the results of your graciousness.  For each person that comments I will give a $1 donation to World Vision. Your willingness to give will make a difference.  Share through Thursday night and on Friday I will post some stories and highlights from the week.

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. Mother Teresa

This is a glimpse of World Vision.  This is my favorite charity.  There is so much need and every little bit helps!  You can visit their website at www.worldvision.org.

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One of the many great questions posed on the Pretty Presets Facebook page the other day was, “who do you compare yourself to?” as a photographer. Originally, I wasn’t going to answer this question, because I have learned for me, personally, that comparing my work, or my business, to other photographers, can be a dangerous game. This is a touchy subject for many photographers, and artists in general. Rather than avoid the question, I thought I would instead share my thoughts on why comparison should be avoided as much as possible.

Let’s face it – it is human nature for us to compare ourselves with others, whether or not we do this on a conscious level. We compare houses, salaries, cars, etc. which more often than not, if we do it too much, makes us feel like a bit of a failure, even for just a moment. No matter how well you are doing for yourself, there is always someone out there who you will think is doing better than you, based on what your idea of success may be.

The same is true with photography.

There is a very fine line between admiring another photographer’s style and achievements, and comparing yourself to them. If you are comparing yourself to a photographer you really admire, chances are, you will always feel like you are missing the mark and falling short, simply because of your admiration for their work. You may find yourself thinking, “Why can’t I take photographs like that, or have that many opportunities come my way?”

For example, I really admire Brooke Shaden. I can get absolutely lost in her images! They are like paintings, or a really great book – so detailed and intricate, that every time I revisit one of my favorite images from her, I see something new. She is most definitely an inspiration to me, but if I compared myself to her, I would become very, very down on myself! She has a completely different vision than I do, far more conceptual, and she has editing skills that I will never know because she has spent so much time developing her unique style of post-processing. I can learn from her by studying her images or reading her blog, but the moment I start to compare myself to her, I may quickly find myself in the vicious thought pattern of “Why can’t I produce images like that?” and before I know it, I could be thinking less of my own work. Sure, I can be inspired by her and learn from her, but comparing myself to her would be unhealthy and counterproductive.

The same is true on the business side of photography. I sell textures and Photoshop actions, but are they as popular as Florabella or Pretty Presets? Well, not hardly! Am I proud of them, and doing the best I can with them? Of course! Just as I am inspired by Brooke Shaden’s artistry, I am inspired by the many smart and business-savvy photographers who run successful businesses. Instead of comparing myself to them, and getting discouraged when I feel like my business is not doing as well as I would like, I start asking questions of the people who I admire as successful business-owners, finding ways that I can apply their expertise to my own business.

In a profession like photography that is based on creativity and originality, being yourself, and finding what you have to offer that is completely unique, will get you a lot further than spending time comparing yourself to others. Be inspired by people and look up to them, but compare yourself to them as little as you possibly can.

Michelangelo once said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” We all have unique forms of creativity and talents to offer. Discovering what lies within us is far more rewarding, and productive, than comparing ourselves to others.

Anna Gay is a portrait photographer based in Athens, GA and the author of the dPS ebook The Art of Self-Portraiture. She also designs actions and textures for Photoshop. When she is not shooting or writing, she enjoys spending time with her fiancee, and their two cats, Elphie and Fat Cat.

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Tuesday is Valentine’s Day and I wanted to put  together something sweet for you (pun intended)!  Valentine’s Day is such a great opportunity to show love to those closest to you.  Which brings me to my giveaway.  I love the opportunity to work with you each day and I’ve been picking up on a few things that you are “sweet on”.  I’ve found you love KELLY MOORE BAGS. You also love beautiful Bad Sass Backdrops and perhaps a 50mm Lens too?!  Here is the opportunity: share your love for Pretty Presets this Monday through Thursday and have the possibility to win one of these amazing prizes!

And there is more…

Valentine’s Day is also my birthday.  It’s a pretty sweet birthday to have and an easy one to remember.  If only we had our anniversary on this day then Nathan would really have it easy!  Regardless, I am blessed with parents who already sent me flowers, a husband who gave me a card with the most thoughtful words and children who have put together hearts with “I love you” on them.  I’m thankful to be born on a day all about love, because that is what my life is filled with.  I will also be giving out 2 additional $100 gift cards on this SWEET GIVEAWAY! Thanks for being a fan and friend of Pretty Presets and myself.  I’m so thankful you are here and I love that you are going to join our giveaway, right now!

*BONUS* Any purchase of $99 or more will receive a FREE COPY of the ebook “55 Smart Ideas for Photographers” by Zach Prez and Wendy Roe.  You can read more about it here.

1. Any camera bag up to $250 at Kelly Moore. – Congratulations Jenny Neumann!  You can email me at laura@lightroompresets.com to claim your prize.

2. $250 Gift Card to Bad Sass Backdrops.  Congratulations Amy Barker.   You can email me at laura@lightroompresets.com to claim your prize.

3. A Canon or Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens -Congratulations Jeanette Gunkel.   You can email me at laura@lightroompresets.com to claim your prize.

4. $100 Gift Card to Pretty Presets - Congratulations Jennifer Lucero.   You can email me at laura@lightroompresets.com to claim your prize.

5. $100 Gift Card to Pretty Presets – Congratulations Lisa Bish.  You can email me at laura@lightroompresets.com to claim your prize.

6. $200 Gift Card to Ice.com – Just Added 02/14 – Congratulations Tina Cook.  You can email me at laura@lightroompresets.com to claim your prize.

There will be 5 winners!  In your entries you may include which prize you would love most.  Thank you and have fun!

Enter To Win:

1. Let us know what you love about Pretty Presets.  Feel free to include how you found us!

Extra Entries:

2. Share about this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. Type the following: “Go check out the Sweet Giveaway going on @Pretty Presets at www.lightroompresets.com and enter to win amazing prizes”.

3. Like us on facebook by clicking here.

4. Pin an article you LOVE to Pinterest!  You can pin this one too!  If you don’t have Pinterest then “like” an article by clicking the button at the top of the article.  You can get up to 3 entries with this.

5. Each purchase in the Pretty Presets store counts as an entry too.  If you win the $100, we will credit you back.

Giveaway Ends Thursdasy at midnight MST!!  Winners will be announced on the blog Friday afternoon.  Thanks for all the LOVE!

 Lightroom 3 is on sale for $99 on Amazon!  If you’ve been waiting for an awesome SALE, here it is. Click here for more details.

Posts to Pin or “Like” if you need ideas!

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1. What are Aperture and Shutter Speed?

2. How do I transition to a Full Time Photographer? 

3. Customizing Your Presets

4. How are they different? JPEG vs RAW

5. Should I sell my unedited pictures to clients?

6. Using the adjustment brush in Lightroom

7. LR vs PS: Still not sure? 5 Ways Lightroom will speed up your workflow

8. 5 Sharpening Presets for Lightroom

9. How Social Networking Can Increase Your Business

10. 6 Simple and Cost-Effective ways to advertise your Photography Business

11. Managing your business: Don’t be part of the 80% 

12. Lightroom Workshops + Creative and Clean Edit 

13. Lightroom’s Magic Targeted Adjustment Brush 

14. Finding the Perfect Location for your Portrait Session

15. 15 Most viewed posts on Pretty Presets

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We’ve had so many beautiful examples shown on our facebook page using the new brushes!  I wanted to put them all into one place so you could see the edits and how they were done.  I hope this helps and thank you to all the Photographers who allowed us to share them here.  These brushes will work on both RAW and jpeg images!  They work wonders for babies too.  Below I’ve included some of the testimonials shared on facebook about the newest brushes!

“♥ LOVE ♥LOVE ♥LOVE the new brushes.  I had a blast playing with them this evening! Thanks so much your presets are the bomb!!!”

“Your brushes saved my bacon again today!! The newest shot I was working on had sunlight filtering through little boy fingers making it appear as though he had red nail polish on….not really what I was going for!! Enter in a few brushes and voila all fixed quick and easy like!”

“Can I say easy….I use Lightroom and Photoshop normally but with these new brushes I can do all edits in Lightroom in Raw no less”

“So happy I got your new brushes set today! I just love how they helped reduce the redness of “stork bites” on this little one! Thanks for your amazing products!!”

“Good news is the brushes and filters are so easy in Lightroom. I had never used the brushes until I bought these ones learned in 15 minutes”

“At $20.00, this is a steal!! Not even a dollar a brush!! What will you waste 20 bucks on this week, which you could instead invest into your business/craft to make work flow easier and less time consuming? Yeah…I am a believer!!”

Brushes used: Grad Darken Flash (this really helped), Blue Eyes, Reduce Red, Cool Down, Under Eye, Whiten Eyes, and Smooth Skin.  Thank you Shally Arroyo for sharing this amazing transformation with us!

Brushes used:  Brighten the Face, Soften the Skin, Fix the Red, then Baby Feet and under eyes.  Thank you JAS Photography for sharing this beautiful edit with us!

Brushes Used: Blue Eyes and Rose Filter.  Thanks to Chianté Black for sharing this beautiful edit

Brushes used: BR Fix Red all over the baby, Fix Baby Feet on the lower eye and then Brighten and Soften Skin.  Thank you JAS Photography for sharing this beautiful edit.

Brushes used: BR Blue Eyes and Warm Haze.  Thanks to Chianté Black for sharing this beautiful edit

Brushes used: Rose Haze on his skin, and then Warm Haze across the whole image. Fix Clipping on his hands, then separately on his shoulder and cheek, and again separately on the fur.  Thanks to Jennifer at JD Waterhouse Photography for sharing this beautiful edit.

More about this collection and what it includes:

Brushes:

Baby Feet: use on areas that are red or purplish, like baby feet. Will help change the color to more skin-like.

Blue Eyes: use on blue eyes, to make them a bit more blue. Will brighten and sharpen also. Use in place of Eye Sparkle (set 1).

Brighten Faces: use to brighten faces. Brightens without making washed out or losing contrast.

Brown Eyes: use on brown eyes to make them lighter and warmer. Will sharpen also.

Cool it Down: use on faces that are a bit too warm. Slightly cools.

Desaturate: helpful when reducing areas that are too heavy with color.

Fix Clipping: use on areas that are still clipped after using Recovery slider in Basics pan-el. Make sure to only brush on the clipped area, not on area around it.

Fix Yellow Casts: use on areas that are too yellow.

Green Eyes: use on green eyes to enhance the green color and sharpen.

Paint on Color: use to enhance color of clothes or other objects in picture.

Warm-up Areas: use on areas that are still a touch cool, just to add a little bit of warmth.

Brighten: use for general brightness. Can be used as a gradated filter or a brush

Darken: really darkens. Can be used as a graduated filter or a brush.

Graduated Filters

Blue Skies: use from the top of picture and pull down to increase the blue of the sky. Will not replace a blown sky.

Colorful Background: use to subtly intense colors in the background

Cool Haze: adds a cool haze across part of image (your choice)

Darken Flash: use to darken the bright foreground of images where flash was fired

De-Haze: use on images that have haze from sun hitting the camera sensor

Green Grass: makes grass greener

Rose Haze: adds a sweet, soft rosy haze to image

Shine Light: use to add light to an area, good for lighting the dark background on im-ages where flash was fired (foreground is too bright/background too dark)

Soften Background: subtly soften the background

Sunlight: adds very warm, bright light, just like the sun

Warm Haze: adds a warm, soft haze 

25 Custom Lightroom Brushes + Graduated Filters - $20

CLICK HERE to purchase!

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A common question among new photographers is, “What are shutter speed and aperture?” A lot of people seem to get hung up on this question, thinking that it has a complicated answer, but with a little bit of study, it is really quite a simple concept: your shutter speed and aperture determine how much light enters your camera. The two are closely related, as you will see, so let’s look at aperture first.

1. Aperture

Aperture is the amount of light that is allowed into the camera through an opening in the lens, and is measured in f-stops. The smaller the f-stop number, the more light that will be let into your camera. For example, at f/1.4, the opening in the lens will be wider than at f/22, therefore, the exposure will be brighter.

As you can see in this diagram of common f-stops, f/1.4 has a very wide opening, whereas f/11 is much smaller. Always remember: the smaller the numerical value, the larger the opening in the lens, and the brighter your photo will be.

You’re probably thinking, “Why would I want less light to enter my lens, why not just shoot at the widest aperture possible, at all times?” Well, when you have your lens wide open, less will be in focus in your photo. A photo shot at f/1.4 will have a shallow depth of field, with a lot of background blur. This can be great for portraits, but if you are shooting a landscape, for example, you will want to have more in focus in your photo, so you will want to avoid a shallow depth of field by having a smaller aperture of somewhere around f/16.

In the example above, look at the progression between f/1.8 and f/3.5. As you can see in the first photo, the building behind the camera prop, as well as the table in front, are not in focus. As you progress to f/3.5, more of the building and table come into focus, but the image gets darker, since less light is entering the lens.

The shutter speed also affects how much light is let into the camera, so let’s now look at shutter speed. Then, we will look at how shutter speed and aperture work together.

2. Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is exactly what it sounds like – how quickly the shutter moves, and it is measured in fractions of a second. The slower the shutter speed, the more light that will enter your lens, while a fast shutter will let in less light. In most cases, especially if you are shooting a moving subject, or you do not have a tripod, you will want to keep your shutter above 1/60, which is 1/60th of a second.

In this example, I set my aperture as small as I could, at f/22. As you can see, more of the buildings in the background are in focus than they were in the previous example, seeing as how more of the background will be in focus at f/22 than it will at an aperture like f/2.8.

We are SO EXCITED that we are celebrating our ONE-YEAR Birthday today at Rock The Shot!!  To celebrate, we want to show our appreciation and LOVE for all of our AMAZING forum members!  If you’re not a member yet then continue reading!  If you are a member, please CLICK HERE and enter to win Kelly Moore Bags and MORE!

Not a member yet?  What are you waiting for??  Sign up today and get access to a FANTASTIC community!  And if you JOIN TODAY, you can save 25% off any new Membership, OR upgrade to a Lifetime Membership, using code BDAY25.

Because I really want you to join us at Rock The Shot, I’m throwing in an EXCLUSIVE OFFER for friends of Pretty Presets.  Check it out —>

*Sign-up for a 3 month membership: Receive a $10 Gift Card from Pretty Presets

*Sign-up for a 6 month Membership: Receive a $15 Gift Card from Pretty Presets

*Sign-up for a 1 year Membership: Receive the popular 60 page ebook 55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers (retail $29)

*Sign-up for a Lifetime Membership: Receive a $25 Gift Card and the 60 page ebook 55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers. ($54 Value)

Once you’ve signed up, email me at laura@lightroompresets.com and let me know your new username on the forum and I’ll send you out your prize ASAP!

This 60 page ebook from Zach Prez and Wendy Roe helps photographers optimize their website, WordPress blog, and Facebook Page. Learn to drive more qualified clients to your site and prime them for purchase!

55 Smart Ideas for Photographers is perfect for wedding, family, or senior photographers who have a basic understanding of web marketing and want dozens of quick ideas for growth. It is easy to digest and implement with one key idea and takeaway per page.

Effective practices outlined in this book:

1. Optimize and engage your Facebook Page to WOW potential clients and generate dialogue, loyalty and traffic.
2. Make your blog a traffic magnet by highlighting vendors, naming posts correctly and encouraging comments.
3. See a site through Google’s eyes and learn what factors lead to a quality rank.
4. Create an expanding email list to communicate with subscribers about specials, exciting work, new products, industry trends and helpful resources.
5. Point all marketing to a web hub where you control the branding, content, and engagement.

Put yourself in your clients’ shoes

Most clients need common questions answered before they purchase. They want to know who recommends you, what experience you have, how much your services cost, and if they’ll be comfortable working with you. A goal of your web marketing is to answer the questions your clients want to ask.  We teach you how to answer the basic marketing questions which leads to more contact requests for your services.

Web marketing is working when the phone rings

A number one Google rank and thousands of Facebook followers don’t translate to booming business. Those starting points for traffic still need to convert potential clients into customers who make contact and book a session. It’s about getting more traffic across your entire web presence and driving those visitors to contact you for a potential sale opportunity. Our marketing ideas help drive traffic to your websites, and turn that traffic into phone calls.

CLICK HERE to LEARN MORE!

Photography leaders who contributed

We included tips from some of the top photographers and marketers in the industry.

Kevin Kubota: Send out a customer service survey
Andrew Funderburg: Using YouTube to Help SEO
Jules Bianchi: Showcase Vendors to get others talking about you
Jared Bauman: Blog writing tips for the non-writer
Khara Plicanic: Nontraditional posts attract comments and connection
Seshu: Generate traffic with Twitter
Michael Corsentino: Use a blog series for repeat visitors
Mike Rheaume: Stumble your way to the top
Marty Thornley: Own your content
Leah Remillet: Leave a trail with watermarks

Co-author Wendy Roe spent the last 10 years ingrained in all things web marketing—from design and development to search and social media—often being the interpreter between geek speak and client strategy. She now focuses her time on business development and as a second shooter for Byron Roe Photography while speaking, mentoring photographers build the most of web marketing. Join her at an upcoming PUG event, at WPPI for her 2012 workshop or at Image Explorations in Vancouver, BC.

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This is our 2nd set of Custom Lightroom Brushes to make your job easier!  These have been such a big hit that we’re come out with a second set and have included graduated filters too.  This download includes the links to videos on how to install and use the brushes.  These can be used in all the current Lightroom versions 1, 2 and 3 and can be applied to RAW and jpeg pictures. Below we have listed the Custom Lightroom Brushes and Graduated Filters that are included with the download.

Brushes:

Baby Feet: use on areas that are red or purplish, like baby feet. Will help change the color to more skin-like.

Blue Eyes: use on blue eyes, to make them a bit more blue. Will brighten and sharpen also. Use in place of Eye Sparkle (set 1).

Brighten Faces: use to brighten faces. Brightens without making washed out or losing contrast.

Brown Eyes: use on brown eyes to make them lighter and warmer. Will sharpen also.

Cool it Down: use on faces that are a bit too warm. Slightly cools.

Desaturate: helpful when reducing areas that are too heavy with color.

Fix Clipping: use on areas that are still clipped after using Recovery slider in Basics pan-el. Make sure to only brush on the clipped area, not on area around it.

Fix Yellow Casts: use on areas that are too yellow.

Green Eyes: use on green eyes to enhance the green color and sharpen.

Paint on Color: use to enhance color of clothes or other objects in picture.

Warm-up Areas: use on areas that are still a touch cool, just to add a little bit of warmth.

Brighten: use for general brightness. Can be used as a gradated filter or a brush

Darken: really darkens. Can be used as a graduated filter or a brush.

Graduated Filters

Blue Skies: use from the top of picture and pull down to increase the blue of the sky. Will not replace a blown sky.

Colorful Background: use to subtly intense colors in the background

Cool Haze: adds a cool haze across part of image (your choice)

Darken Flash: use to darken the bright foreground of images where flash was fired

De-Haze: use on images that have haze from sun hitting the camera sensor

Green Grass: makes grass greener

Rose Haze: adds a sweet, soft rosy haze to image

Shine Light: use to add light to an area, good for lighting the dark background on im-ages where flash was fired (foreground is too bright/background too dark)

Soften Background: subtly soften the background

Sunlight: adds very warm, bright light, just like the sun

Warm Haze: adds a warm, soft haze 

25 Custom Lightroom Brushes + Graduated Filters - $20

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