Filters, Photoshop, and Reality - Is it Real and Does it Really Matter?

An image from a series of limestone outcrops on the western shore of Madagascar. Purists would look at the relative paucity of post-production and claim that the image is somehow more real (although detractors of neutral density filters might claim otherwise), yet the black and white, almost infra-red view of the image is quite far from the lived visual reality.

Depending on where, or who, you are reading, perceived reality seems to matter a lot. Looking through some image forums on the internet I came across a fairly large trove of vitriol towards images that were perceived as ‘unreal’ by the viewers. An image by a fairly well known American landscape photographer seemed to arouse a surprisingly amount of ire amongst armchair photographers the world over. These screen grabs were taken from the image in question:

Composing The Winelands

 

This is a photographic workshop that will combine the genre’s of landscape, product and commercial lifestyle photography into what has become known as ‘Wine Imagery’: something quite unique to the South African wine region, known as The Boland.


The Boland is the heart of the greater South African wine region, and the town of Stellenbosch is at the very heart of this exquisite wine region.


And what better location to base ourselves while we aim to produce a range of images, from landscapes of the endless rows of vineyards and mountains, the colourful details and textures, to the wine barrels in the cellar. As well as the product images of individual wine bottles and the commercial lifestyle images of select wine-farm staff, in the vines and in the cellar.

Read more at Composing the Winelands...

Photographing with the family


Photographers can be an odd brood. They are difficult to travel with, period. Unless of course they are traveling with other photographers (although tripod rage is a real thing). Pity the poor traveler who has to put up with a group of photographers when they themselves are armed with nothing more than a smartphone. Be prepared for long waits if you happen to be one of those (usually persevering and patient spouses). What about a photographer’s family though. It’s one thing to be constantly the subject of a trained lens, it’s another to have to hang about while mom or dad grapple with a tripod and a set of filters as the light fades. So how do you as a photographer handle it?

Basic blending of layers in Photoshop

A simple tutorial recorded on location during the 2017 Composing The Dunes workshop in Namibia. This 7 minute video covers an easy workflow to blend two images in Photoshop using layers and masks.