Photograph Restoration Course in Dublin

Photograph Restoration Course in Dublin using Adobe Photoshop

Are you Looking to take a course in Photograph Restoration? Then Check out Dublin Photography Schools latest workshop. Do you have a precious family photo which has been in your wallet for many years and is now full of marks, folds or scratches from wear and tear? Maybe you have found a box of old photographs in the attic which have fallen foul to some damp mould or water damage? With the photoshop skills that you already have, take them to the next level and learn a fantastic new practical skill with our photo restoration workshop. This workshop will teach you everything you need to know to restore your precious memories to their former glory. Throughout the day you will be taken from preparation and scanning to cloning and patching. This practical workshop will be in the comfort of a dedicated computer, multi media lab room which provides everything that you need. A basic knowledge of photoshop is recommended for this worshop.

Check out our fun video here

 

See the Photograph Restoration Course in Dublin on The Dublin Photography School Website Here:  http://goo.gl/jLTTCa

Macro Photography Shoot Dublin

Join DPS (Dublin Photography School) and other photographers for a morning of Macro photography in the National Botanical Gardens. Macro photography is extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects (insects, plants, flowers & so on). With that in mind the National Botanical Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin are an ideal shooting ground and will provide you with everything that you need to achieve some amazing pictures. Learn how to achieve the results by slowing down your work and come away knowing what equipment is needed and the finer points of nailing down your techniques. There will be two DPS tutors on hand and demos with tips and techniques will be given throughout.

We are also offering the option to purchase macro rings from our website and have them brought to you at the shoot. Just look for the option when paying by paypal.

See the Macro Photography Course on The Dublin Photography School Website Here:  http://goo.gl/koqcNb

It’s been a busy few weeks here in Dublin Photography School or as a lot of our guys have taken to calling us “DPS” and we hope to launch new programmes over the spring and summer 2016, These Beginner Photography Courses will take Place in Dublin but we are hoping to roll a few Photography Courses around Ireland soon.

 

 

Using Your DSLR Video 9 Tips

(See original Article that I wrote for Dublin Photography Schools Snapshot Magazine here)

Altough video functionality on Digital SLR’s has  been  with  us for a while now, many photographers were initially sceptical of it’s usefulness.  However over the last number of years DSLR‘s have gained more ground and are being used by everyone from big budget productions like, House and The Tudors, to a generation of youtubers and vimeo users.  While many of us have yet to dip our toes into any form of video production, those of us that have are often surprised by the attention to detail and intricate nuances  that good production value requires.

Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of making videos on your DSLR camera, so you can avoid some of the common pitfalls that many novices coming from photography to film production often encounter. The best way to approach video shooting is to have the mantra – “similar but different”.  Like with photography, get as much as possible right at point of shoot, this includes things that we often take for granted like, white balance and level horizons. These can be difficult to fix in post production.

1. Set Your Frame Rate
One of the first things to be done is to set the correct frame rate. The higher the frame rate the smoother your video will look. Set your camera to 24 FPS (frames per second) for a movie look, or 30 FPS for an HD look.

2. Get It Rght In Camera
As photographers we often have the luxury of changing information and cropping areas out in post production. Unfortunately this is not really an option with video without severely compromising the video quality. Make sure to double check your settings before you begin.

3. Similar Yet Different
Video and photography share many of the same principals; however they differ in areas like ISO and shutter speed. If you are filming handheld, make sure you keep your shutter speed  double  your frame rate as a rule of thumb. For example if shooting at 30fsp =1/60th of a second.

4.  Turn off Autofocus
When moving around your camera will try to live focus and while this technology has improved in recent years, it is still a long way off perfect. Focus tracking will often go for a walk while filming busy scences so be sure to pop your camera into manual focus.

5. Purchase An External Mic
The audio that your camera records can be very poor quality. The microphone is too close to the internal workings of the camera and threfore also records the internal workings of the camera such as VR, AF , humming and button pressing noises. We recommend purchasing a zoom mic or a hot shoe mic.(see my blog about getting clean audio on a DSLR here)

6. Magic Latern
If you are serious about using your DSLR video function then take a look at  ‘Magic Latern’. It will open up the firmware in your camera  and will allow you many more options than your camera came with. Be warned however, this is open source firmware and loading it will void your warranty.

7. Use A Tripod/Monopod
If shooting a video handheld, your camera will record every bump, shake and rattle your hand makes. Invest in a good tripod or monopod and use it.

8. Storyboard
If you are doing a little bit more than some impromtu filming at an event, like making a short youtube video, then have a look a making a ’story board’. This means making some simple drawings of shoots, like a childs story book, so your scences make logical sense to your viewer.

9. Post production
This is where it all comes together. Final Cut, Premiere Pro and Avid are all common post production packages in the industry. If only dabbling in the area then consider looking at, iPhoto, Serif  Video, Windows Movie Maker or even Picasa. Your storyboard will be an invaluable tool when editing.

Dublin Photography School Will be introducing a DSLR Video Course in Dublin In Late Summer 2015, And will teach beginners how to shoot better videos with there dslr cameras and will include techniques such as zooming, panning, pull focus, prefocus, framerates etc so keep an eye out.

Lightroom Courses in Dublin Annouced By Dublin Photography School

Lightroom Courses in Dublin

lightroom course dublin

Dublin photography school are delighted to announce that we will be launching Adobe Lightroom Courses in Dublin starting in August of this year. Expanding out on our portfolio of courses that already include, Adobe Photoshop as well as DSLR Courses, Basic Photography Courses, Studio Courses and much more. This comes as demand for lightroom courses has increased in recent years and is rivaling if not replacing photoshop as the go to program for most amateur and beginner photographers. While photoshop remains king in the manipulation and retouching game it struggles to keep up with Lightrooms impressive workflow and keywording options. Our Lightroom course will teach a “as well as” and not an “instead of” ethos, that will show you what program to use where and making sure your getting the most out of the right tools for the right jobs. The course is very  reasonably priced coming in at just €135.

The overview of the course is as follows

‘Adobe Lightroom’ is a photo processor & image organizer. Some amount of post-processing is an unavoidable part of our professional photography & with all/any genre of photography we need to choose the right software for our needs. Lightroom is very much geared towards photography, as opposed to it’s older brother Photoshop, which has a wider appeal across all different platforms of digital design. With it’s no nonsense user interface & simple stripped down retouching tools, it makes it quick & easy to post-process multiple images in one easy environment. It’s focus is on speed & organization & non destructive manipulation. On this workshop we will show you the skills needed to post-process your images & make the best use out of ‘Adobe Lightroom’.

• On this Lightroom workshop learn:
• Common corrections
• Cropping & resizing
• Correcting exposure/adjustments & levels
• Retouching portraits & landscapes
• Graduated filters
• Black & white conversion techniques
• Patching & Cloning
• Sharpening techniques
• Cross processing
• Watermark Editing
• Import & exporting files

  See Full Details Here http://goo.gl/jBEym9
  

Free Photography Talk With Dublin Photography School

FREE THURSDAY TALKS WITH THE DUBLIN PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL

Free Photography Talks Dublin

We are delighted to bring you an evening of ‘Composition & Visual Theory’ presented by Stewart Kenny

Stewart is an award winning fine art landscape photographer based in Dublin. Stewart’s main areas of expertise are black and white photography, landscape photography, night and low light photography. After graduating from college he began work in several areas of the photography industry from retail and printing to consulting and lecturing.

Time: 7.45pm
Date: Thursday June 25th 2015
Venue: The Carmelite Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2.

Stewart has exhibited both nationally and internationally. He has a huge passion for photography and loves nothing more than to teach others how to achieve the perfect image. He is the head of training here at the Dublin Photography School and gives talks and seminars about about various genres of photography around Ireland. You can visit his website at http://www.stewartkennyphotography.com

R.S.V.P by emailing info@dublinphotographyschool.ie to secure your place
Please book early as places are limited & it will fill up fast

DPS Snapshot Photography Magazine Issue 4 Free Download Online Now

Snapshot Magazine Issue 4

Snapshot  is a  FREE online downloadable magazine produced by the staff and trainers at the Dublin Photography School. In each issue we will bring you guest articles from photographers around the country,  we will let you know what’s going on in Dublin and around the country with photography events, seminars, competitions, exhibitions, talks and much more. We will discuss “what’s hot and what’s not” in the world of photography products as well as tips and techniques to help you improve your photography. Here it is guys, ISSUE 4 of Snapshot – the Dublin Photography School online interactive photography magazine. Once again we would like to thank all of our very talented contributors as without them it would not be possible. I am sure you will all agree with us that it is a beautiful visual display of imagery with so may great articles and tips included. Spread the word, pass it on, share it on your own pages and let’s get it out there! Available to download here: http://goo.gl/XvMFbT

Snapshot is Ireland only free online downloadable magazine produced by the staff and trainers at the Dublin Photography School.

Using a graphics tablet for photo editing (a beginners guide.)

Using a graphics tablet for photo editing

graphics tablet for editing photos

Something that a lot of digital imaging enthusiasts and professionals recommend is if you are getting more serious about your post processing then you will benefit hugely from picking up a graphics tablet. I must say I’m inclined to agree with that advice. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you have to rush out and buy one the first day you sit your Photoshop course, but it is something that you should have a look at as you move from the beginner’s phase of learning into the intermediate and advanced stage.

Trying to figure out what tablet to buy can be an absolute nightmare for somebody who is new to digital imaging and post processing, so here is a quick guide set out in a FAQ format that will help you. I’m also going to offer my advice for the best tablet on a budget, for anybody looking to buy their first tablet and stylus.

 

Graphic Tablet & Stylus FAQs.

How does a graphic tablet differ from a mouse?

This is the most common question and the simple answer is two areas, the first one is accuracy, the pen offers the ability for much more finer control when making local adjustments in Photoshop such as air brushing, painting, history brush, dodging and burning etc, the second area is the stylus can be set to be pressure sensitive so the strokes you use are much more natural looking creating a smoother looking effect.

What are good brands of graphic tablets and styluses?

Hands down the industry leader in graphic tablets is Wacom, but other quality brands include Huion, VT, and Ugee, however support for these other brands can be hit and miss depending on where you live. Other computer component manufacturers like trust and advent make tablets, but are not flagship products and replacement stylus’s etc can be hard to come by.

How much do tablets cost?

This is where most people trip up, the price of tablets range from about €50 to €2500, and most people have no idea how much to be spending on a tablet that will give them good quality and value for money without massively under or over spending.

How much should i spend on a graphics tablet?

For the average amateur or semi professional photographer it’s my opinion that you should be spending somewhere between €90 – €200, without buying a lemon or massively over spending, you may be tempted to spend much more, but may not get the use out of the features are these may be geared towards professional animators or digital artists.

Do I need to take a course to use a graphics tablet?

Not at all, essentially your just replacing your mouse with a much more accurate pointer, however your Photoshop skills will need to be in place first to get the most out of the stylus, my advice would be to focus on learning local adjustment techniques like portrait retouching and learning shortcut commands that allow you to scoot around the screen like the spacebar and ctrl + 0 ctrl + and ctrl -, to help you get the most out of your tablet.

Are they difficult to get used to?

For the first half hour using it you will find it tricky as you get used to such a sensitive tool, after that you will not notice that you’re using it at all. My advice is because when we use a pen we are used to looking at what we are writing. With that in mind, when you start using one your instinct will be to look at the track pad or tablet instead of the screen, don’t ! Just keep looking at the screen and it will become second nature in no time. Also don’t worry about setting pressure sensitivity straight out of the box, spend a week or two just using the basic functions and when you’re ready just do a quick Google search on setting up the advanced features. It’s really very simple.

What do I recommend to my students?

The tablet I recommend to my students is the Wacom Intuos Manga, it costs about €120 depending on where you buy.

Wacom Intous Manga for editing photos

It’s just over the size of an A5 page and is light and compact

 

Wacom Intous Manga is just over half an a4 page in size

It’s thin and slim so easy to carry around in a camera bag or laptop case.

 

 

Has quick access buttons to the modify keys like alt, control and shift.

Has quick access buttons to the modify keys like alt, control and shift.

 

Can be easily upgraded to a wireless device with wireless add on kit.

Can be easily upgraded to a wireless device with wireless add on kit.

If you enjoyed this article have a look at our free downloadable photography magazine Snapshot, for articles, tips, tricks and much more.

Stewart Kenny is a Photographer, educator and photography tour guide living in Dublin, Ireland. When not on the internet pretending to be a blogger, enjoys drinking tea and martial arts and zombie flicks! See more of his work on his photography site here.

A Beginners Guide To Photographing Geysers

While geysers and hot springs may not top everyone’s list when they go to Iceland, New Zealand, or Yellowstone, once you catch a glimpse of these magnificent phenomenon you would be hard pressed to put your camera down.

So here is a complete beginner’s guide to how to photograph geysers and hot springs.

I was recently lucky enough to be leading a photography holiday through Iceland in conjunction with Travel Department and Dublin Photography School and had an opportunity to teach the group some of the most common ways to photograph these wonders.

1. Shoot in burst mode

Shoot in burst mode to take multiple shoots in a row

2. Turn Auto Focus to manual and Pre-focus your camera or turn on af-c, ai servo mode.

prefocus on the base of the geyser as this will stop shutter lag when the action happens

3. Stand upwind of the geysers as all you will photograph is steam downwind and if too close to the geyser may actually get a soaking.

Stand upwind of the geysers as all you will photograph is steam downwind.

4. To freeze motion you will need to set your camera to at least 400 ISO

use a high iso about 400-800 depending on the light to allow higher shutter speeds

5. Shoot in TV or S mode and set a Shutter speed of at least 1/1500 or faster

set camera dial to TV for Canon or S mode for Nikon

6. Try to compose your shoot with something to demonstrate scale

use objects such as signs and boulders to add a sense of scale

6. Water can be very bright and can fool your light meter so be prepared to review you histogram and slightly under exposure your shoot by up to a stop by using EV Compensation

Exposure compensation allows you to override the camera metering and adjust the exposure.

7. You can also add a Circ Pol filter to enhance definition by reducing glare and removing reflections and boosting colors. see a Dublin photography school video here on how to use them

A Circ Pol Filter reduces glare and saturates colors

8. There are many ways to photography these wonders of nature; this is just one simple way, once you got your safe shoots move on to experimenting with long exposures and bracketing or multiple exposures.

Should you have enjoyed this Photography Article, feel free to nip over to our website which specializes in photography courses. Here you can find a free copy of Snapshot Photography magazine, as well as information on photography holidays in Ireland, Iceland and Europe.

Stewart Kenny is a fine art landscape photographer and is head of training at Dublin Photography School. Stewart’s passion is black and white and regularly leads tours and lectures around Ireland when not providing photography courses with Dublin Photography School.

More Travel Photography Tips

More Travel Photography Tips

See Dublin Photography School For More Information On Taking A Travel Photography Course In Dublin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Air Travel Considerations

 

 

 

 

 

 

When traveling by air, please remember that this can have massive implications on the amount of gear that you can carry, first off if your carrying your photography gear in your carry-on luggage , some airport security may ask you to power it on to prove that it’s not been tampered with or that you have taken no images of the security point, so make sure your batteries are charged. Two if you are putting your camera in your check in luggage, please be aware that most airlines will not accept any responsibility for damage during transit. Also if your cases go missing, you are only insured for a certain amount, so make sure your gear is within the limit.

 

2. Set a Theme

 

 

 

 

 

 

Setting a theme for your travels has two fantastic benefits, first is that after your done getting the safe shots you wanted to allows you to see new shots and keeps you inspired to keep shooting and the second benefit is that, it will look fantastic if you compile a photo book of your travels when you’re at home.

 

3. Shoot the signs

 

 

 

 

 

 

With all the hussle and bustle of being in a new country, with the sights, sounds and smells, it’s easy to forget where you took a particular shoot. This comes in very handy for websites like flickr and 500px when tagging your images. It will also help you if you return back to the area in future.

 

4. Bracketing

 

 

 

 

 

 

When away on holidays, make sure you get the shot you want by bracketing your shots, this means that your camera will take several exposures of the same image, turn on AEB (auto exposure bracketing) to make sure you get the shot right and that you are not disappointed later.

 

5. Get up high

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get off the tourist trail and get high to get the best possible vantage point, this can be a balcony in a church, a rooftop restaurant, top of a landmark, the options are there if you look for them.

 

6. Shoot in shutter priority mode

 

 

 

 

 

 

When going walkabout in a city, make sure your shooting in TV, S, SP mode and try set your shutter speed to about 1/640 this will insure that you will be able to freeze about 95% of your shots, and catch them sharp.

 

7. Saving your battery

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s only when we are using our cameras all day that we realise, how short the battery life can seem sometimes, so here are a few tips to help you extend your battery life, 1. Don’t review your screen to often only when you need to, turn off automatic flash, turn your focus mode to one shot when not shooting movement, don’t turn off your camera, put it into sleep mode where possible, as constantly powering on and off the camera can require a lot of energy depending on the model. Think about turning off your VR/IS/OS when not needed (marginal savings)

 

8. Hotel room window

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your hotel window is a great opportunity to do overnight timelapses and night cityscapes, just make sure the lights are off in the room so there are no reflections in the window.

 

Travel Photography Courses Dublin & Ireland

Why not check out the upcoming Travel Photography Course that will be taking place in Dublin Photography School Later this year, to help you capture and record the trips of a lifetime. For all and any photography courses in Dublin and Ireland ….have a look here.

ND grad filters explained – How to use ND grad filters

one of the most important aspects of landscape photography is keeping as many details as possible within the sky. Often in my classes , I am asked a reoccuring question by my students, “when I take a picture of a lovely sunset, my camera dosen’t seem to record the clouds, why does this happen”? Most cameras have a very limited dynamic range, this means how much detail they can record from the darkest part, to the brightest part of a scene. A normal scene can have up to 20 stops of dynamic range. Most cameras will and can only record around 8-10 stops of detail. This means that anything that does not fit into this range will be represented as a ‘blown out highlight or a clipped shadow’. To answer this dilemma and improve the range of details recorded in each image, it’s very simple.When out and about shooting, all you need is a Neutral Density G radiated Filter or an ND Grad Filter.

 

So What Is An ND Grad Filter?

 

An ND Grad Filter is used to compress the dynamic range of a scene. The top half is dark , and the bottom half is clear, with the dark half slowly blending (gradiating) into the clear area. This will darken down the sky part of your scene keeping your cloud and sky details from blowing out. The results can give you fantastic colours and depth to your image.

 

Are All ND Grad Filters The Same?

 

Not at all. They come in all shapes and sizes, as well as part of different filter kits. They can also come in a variety of different densities (how dark they are), with a range of different blends (how fast they transition from dark to clear). The quality of the filter can differ massiviely depending on the brand or system that you purchase.

 

Can You Recommend A Good Filter For A Beginner?

 

If you are not using very expensive and high end lenses, for example, Canon L Series or Nikon Gold Rings, then I would recommend the ‘Cokin System’. The Cokin System comes in three parts, the ring, the holder and the filter itself. The entire set will set you back in or around €50. The set is ideal for beginners, or for casual landscape photographers. However if you are using expensive glass then you might want to consider upgrading to the Lee System. This system can cost you up to €300, depending on the option you go for.

 

Parts of ND Grad Filter

Have A Look at the image below that was part of Snapshot online magazine free from Dublin photography school, that will show you the anatomy of a ND grad filter. you can also download the entire magazine here for free:)

Have a in depth look at the anatomy of a ND Grad filter see the full article at http://www.dublin-photography-school.com/DPS_Snapshot_Magazine_-_free_online_irish_photography_magazine_.html

 

If used correctly, the ND Grad Filter is one of the most useful and versatile filters you will ever use. If you are serious about your landscape photography then they are an absolute must. Some of the most stunning and creative images are created with using these filters. Learning to use them is one of the key steps to becoming a good landscape photographer.

If you interested in learning to use these filters on a hands on trip as well as a ton more about landscape photography in Ireland then why not join us on our Kilfane glen and waterfall landscape photography excursion. here you will learn all the hands on practical techniques to get the most out of your filters and when, how, and where to use them.

 

For information on all our “photography courses dublin” then have a look here.

looking to sit a photography course in dublin or ireland then visit http://www.dublinphotographyschool.ie