there is something so incredibly beautiful about snow. even when it is nighttime and there is snow on the ground, it makes everything so bright and beautiful. while i love everything about snow, i am a little hesitant to photograph while it is snowing because i get really nervous about my gear getting wet. not to mention, my clients don’t always love the idea of being photographed during the snow because it makes scheduling a little tricky with slippery roads and unknown forecasts, and having snow falling around you, while pretty, has it’s challenges during photo sessions, like keeping mama’s hair pretty or keeping the focal point on the subjects instead of on the snow to get focused photos. all that being said, i love snowy photos. they are just so pretty and cozy and portray happiness to the viewer because, let’s be real, snowflakes mean happiness. for me, i like the idea of photographing after the snow has stopped and adding some snowflakes into my images during post processing. that way, i get the best of both worlds: dry, safe gear and happy clients, and warm cocoa while i can easily add snow to photos while editing.
does winter leave you uninspired to pick up your camera? check out how to stay inspired with your photography during the winter.
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An Easy Way To Add Snow To Photos During Editing
.jpg "An Easy Way To Add Snow To Photos During Editing | Bethadilly Photography")
i collaborated with bellevue avenue to show you how you can easily add snow to your photos in photoshop with their gorgeous winter wonderland snow overlays in seconds. this literally took me seconds to add snow, i couldn’t believe how easy it was and how beautifully natural the snow looks in my photo. i believe i only had to click my mouse about 3-4 times in photoshop to transform this image into more of a wintery wonder. and it was exactly what this image needed to really stand out.
p.s. this photo was taken in idaho a few winters ago and it was so cold that my fingers literally almost stopped working, making it so hard to photograph with stiff fingers. behind this gorgeous girl is a beautiful pond that is frozen solid as a sheet of ice. the only thing missing from that day was snow.
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for this image, i used the snow overlays from bellevue avenue to quickly add snow to the image. by opening up this image in photoshop, i then went to my file folder where i store the snow overlays and chose the best option for this image, which was “light snow 8.” the best thing about these overlays is that, not only are they natural and stunning, but they come with so many different options. you can add light snow or heavy snow, or you can add snow that looks like a blizzard or snow that is simply blowing. i love that there are so many unique options, allowing you to make each photo look different should you want to add snow to a collection of similar images from the same session or photography outing.
once i decided that “light snow 8” would be a great choice for this image, i simply placed it on my image in seconds and was done. bellevue avenue also shares a video tutorial with you so you can quickly learn how to put the overlays on your images, which was so great for a photoshop newbie like me. i think i watched the video for maybe one minute and was adding snow confidently to my images easily right after.
if you have some wintery images that are perfect, but lack snow, be sure to buy these snow overlays from bellevue avenue, they are stunning. not only was i so happy with how my image completely took on the winter feel that i hoped, but i was so happy with how easy it was to add snow to photos with these overlays. you will be very happy that you have these overlays the next time you are editing your winter photos. it’s amazing how you can completely transform the feeling of an image when you decide to add snow to photos. these overlays will make you start digging up old wintery images to add snow to photos and fall in love with them all over again!
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street photography is one of my favorite things to do, especially when i am traveling to a new place or simply if i need a boost of inspiration. when i get ready to pack my camera bag for a day of photographing and walking, i make sure to keep my bag light. there is only one thing worst than sore feet when walking, and that’s a heavy camera bag. for me, i don’t like wasting time switching out lenses while doing street photography because i feel that it interferes with my inspiration and makes me waste time fiddling with my gear instead of spending time taking pictures. for me, there is only one choice for lenses and i think it is the best lens for street photography for many reasons.
make sure you have the right camera bag when heading out. check out my go to camera bag when i want to pack light.
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The Best Lens For Street Photography
.jpg "The Best Lens For Street Photography | Bethadilly Photography")
the best lens for street photography is by far a wide angle lens. i love using my sigma art 24mm f/1.4 lens when heading on a street photography outing because i feel that it does the best job allowing me to photograph my surroundings easily. i don’t feel like i am always having to take a step back, but instead i am getting the photos that i want easily from where i stand. that is so important, as some places you choose may be crowded, not allowing you to get further away from your subject to photograph it in it’s entirety. because you will be limited to the sidewalk at times, having a wide angle is the best choice. here are 4 reasons why my wide angle lens is the best lens for street photography.
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1. Achieve Bokeh
my wide angle lens is amazing in that i can get a lot of information within my frame, while being able to use a large aperture like f/2.8 to create bokeh. street photography will give you many opportunities to create bokeh whether you are working with the light that is coming through the trees or the lights on buildings, or in traffic. i love that my sigma art 24mm f/1.4 lens allows me to use such a large aperture to bring more depth into my street photography images.
.jpg "The Best Lens For Street Photography | Bethadilly Photography")
2. You Can Get More Within Your Frame
when doing street photography, you will want to photograph the entire scene, at times. having a wide angle lens will help you to get more of your surroundings within your frame so that you are getting some amazing pullback shots of where you are. street photography gives you wonderful opportunities to photograph lines, and having a wide angle lens will really help you incorporate long lines within your frame, making your image that much more compelling. wide angle lenses allow you to easily get more people within the frame, without having to take multiple steps back to compose. be sure to place your subject near the center of the frame when photographing with a wide angle lens as the objects near the edges of the frame tend to slightly become distorted from the wide angle.
.jpg "The Best Lens For Street Photography | Bethadilly Photography")
3. You Can Photograph Better In Small Spaces
wide angle lenses are a life saver when it comes to photographing in small spaces. allowing you to get more within your frame, you can take a wide angle lens into a smaller space and still get some amazing shots…and even make the space look bigger! i love this option, as there will be times during street photography when i may go inside a store and it’s refreshing to know that i am able to photograph in any space that i am presented with, big or small.
.jpg "The Best Lens For Street Photography | Bethadilly Photography")
4. Achieve Crisp Photos
one of the main reasons why i am obsessed with my sigma art 24mm f/1.4 lens is that it takes the most crisp photos out of any lens i have ever owned. because it takes such sharp photos, i think it is the best lens for street photography because it allows me to photograph textures and bring them to life within my photos. because street photography can mean photography buildings of all type of textures, i like knowing that i can depict real texture in my images with this lens, allowing my viewer to actually feel like they are standing in front of the same building that i am.
street photography is a wonderful way to boost your inspiration, as it introduced you to a new place that is full of interesting elements. be sure you do yourself a favor and pack a light back so you can make the most of your time photographing, without lugging around a variety of lenses. know that a wide angle lens is the best lens for street photography and that it will help you capture the images you desire without having to constantly switch out lenses to do so.
all images in this post were taken with my nikon d750 and sigma art 24mm f/1.4 lens.
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it’s the best lens ever! on amazon, there is a handy feature where you can look up the lens you want to purchase and then input your camera model to ensure that the lens will work with your camera. I would recommend using that to make sure you are buying lenses that are compatible with your camera model.ReplyCancel
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i think it is easy for us to use rainy days as an excuse to not pick up our cameras, when really photographing after rain can create some of the best images. i don’t know about you, but spring at our house is a rainy mess. the entire month after our daughter was born, it rained. instead of being uninspired and letting my camera sit, i like to think about the unique possibilities that rain gives us, when it comes to photography. it’s important to note that i do not photograph while it is raining, as i am not comfortable allowing my gear to get wet. instead, i like to venture out after the rain has stopped to find some inspiration. tried and true, each time i go searching for inspiration after it rains, i always have success in these three places.
winter is another season that leaves photographers uninspired. check out 5 ways to stay inspired during the winter.
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Photographing After Rain : 3 Places To Be Inspired
.jpg "Photographing After Rain : 3 Places To Be Inspired | Bethadilly Photography")
1. Rain Puddles
photographing after rain can be really fun because you can use rain puddles in a variety of ways to create very intriguing images. you can shoot from above and capture some rippling movement and wet texture, or shoot from down low and photograph reflections in the puddle. if you have willing participants, you can also play around with movement as you have them splash around and jump in the puddles. use a slow shutter speed to portray movement, and a faster shutter speed to freeze the motion all together.
.jpg "Photographing After Rain : 3 Places To Be Inspired | Bethadilly Photography")
2. In Your Car
it is really fun to find inspiration in your car after it rains. for me, i love the way that the little beads of rain look on the sunroof of our car. i think that the texture is really fun and makes for a really interesting photo. when photographing in small spaces, like a car, i always find that using a wide angle lens is the best choice as it helps make the most out of the small space and makes photographing easier when there is not a lot of room to move around.
.jpg "Photographing After Rain : 3 Places To Be Inspired | Bethadilly Photography")
3. On Branches
i love the way that raindrops cling to plants and individual branches after it rains. while traveling during the fall, we experienced a really rainy day. once the rain stopped, i ventured outdoors and found a really neat pine tree that had raindrops clinging to the needles. only having my iPhone handy, i used the macro lens on my olloclip to bring the raindrop to life. be sure to look for drops of rain on strands of grass, leaves on trees, or also on objects like toys that are left outside.
while rainy days tend to keep us cozy inside, don’t forget the inspiration that you can find in photographing after rain. venture outdoors once the rain stops and use the gloomy weather as an opportunity to get creative with your photography.
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photographing from above is one of my go to’s when it comes to photography, as i love the perspective it offers. while working on my photo for week 6 of the bethadilly 52, i found that my daughter’s crib was a really great opportunity to photograph from above because i could also incorporate the leading lines of the crib rails into the image, as another way to add interest for the viewer. to make it even better, the afternoon light was just beautiful as it was shining into the crib, creating yet another form of leading lines, leading the eye of the viewer right to the subject. i chose to photograph this image from above to give the viewer a realistic view of what i see when i peek into her crib, as a way to create realism in my storytelling. thankfully, my subject is the best little photo taker, even placing herself right into the perfect light, allowing me to achieve this image in the way that i imagined.
to join in on the bethadilly 52, where we take one photo a week using the hashtag #thebethadilly52 on instagram, check out the prompt list.
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The Bethadilly 52 Week 6 – From Above
.jpg "The Bethadilly 52 Week 6 - From Above | Bethadilly Photography")
this photo was achieved using : nikon d750, sigma art 24mm f/1.4 lens.
my settings were : ISO 400 | f/2.8 | 1/25ss
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to learn more about photographing from above, be sure to read 5 tricks for photographing from above.
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one way to ruin a photo without realizing it is by having a visible color cast. it is something we normally don’t think about when getting ready to take a picture, but having a color cast present in a photo can really disrupt it’s harmony. so what is a color cast? a color cast occurs when a color is unintentionally present on a subject because of it’s presence. for example, in the photo below the bright mint color of my pants is creating a color cast on the puppy’s fur. the bright color is reflecting onto the fur, creating an unnatural tone. had i not been wearing such a bright color, the integrity of his fur would have remained and the photo would have been more natural and accurate. being aware of color casts will help you to create better images, and save you time with color correction while editing.
did you know how you dress for pictures can ultimately make or break your photos? check out these 10 ideas for dressing for family pictures.
Color Cast : What It Is + How To Avoid It
.jpg "Color Cast : What It Is + How To Avoid It | Bethadilly Photography")
avoiding color casts is really quiet simple. when preparing to take a photo, be sure that your subject isn’t surrounded by bright colors that will reflect onto them. you should especially be aware of this if your subject is light, as light colors tend to reflect colors very easily. for example, white coffee mugs or human skin easily soak in surrounding colors. why do you think wedding photographers always wear black!? if they wore colorful clothing, white wedding dresses would start taking on new colors and it would be like the final dancing scene in sleeping beauty all over again. “i’ll make it pink! i’ll make it blue!”
eyes are another place that color casts occur. eyes can soak up color easily, making them take on surrounding colors.
which brings me to an important note. what you wear, as a photographer, is really important. be sure to stick to neutrals that don’t put off color. colors like tans, grays, navy blue, and white tend to work best because they don’t give off color. even better, if you wear white you can act as a natural reflector.
need help figuring out what to wear to sessions? check out for photographers : how to dress for photo sessions.
if you are working with clients, be sure to recommend that they choose clothing that isn’t too bright in nature. i tell my clients to avoid neons all together. because your family or newborn clients will spend most of the session in close proximity to one another, bright clothing can reflect on skin and make skin tones take on unrealistic tones. there is nothing worse than a mama snuggling her daughter that is wearing a neon pink shirt, only to have the mama’s skin start to reflect pink tones. explaining color casts to newborn clients is especially important, as newborns tend to be held throughout most of the session so wearing appropriate colors will ensure that the newborn skin stays the beautiful peach, pink that it should.
the light source you use will also play an important role in potentially creating a color cast. if you are to use natural light, but forget to turn off a lamp on the left side of the room, your photo will take on yellow tones from the lamp as well as natural light. this means your photo will have two different temperatures and will create a photo that isn’t balanced. be sure to only use one light source per image and, when possible, use only natural light.
did you know wall paint can create color cast problems as well? be sure you read how to choose paint for better white balance.
color casts are one of those hidden problems that it will be beneficial for you to be aware of. does photographing a child in bright clothing mean your photos are going to be terrible? of course not. but be aware of the potential color cast situation and how that will affect skin. when possible, choose soft neutrals for both your subject to wear while being photographed and for you to wear when photographing. your photos will be that much better.
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