Nigel Waters

About Nigel Waters

With years of experience and a number of award winning photographs Nigel Waters is a UK landscape photographer based in Worcestershire. With a passion for the great outdoors and continually chasing the light to capture beautiful photographs his landscape, seascape and nightscape photography will give you inspiration to get out and explore the best British landscapes have to offer.

Posts by Nigel Waters:

When is the best time to take pictures outside?

The question I get asked over and over by photographers starting out on their photography journey is When is the best time to take pictures outside? This will depend on several factors such as what subject you are trying to shoot, weather conditions, seasons and location but mostly photographing in soft light can give the best results especially in landscape photography.

Most Landscape Photographers will often refer to roughly 30 minutes after the sun rises and before it sets as the best times of the day to take photographs during what is commonly known as “Golden Hour”. This is when the Sun is close to the horizon and daylight appears warmer and softer.

Here I explain the different times of the day in relation to the position of the sun and what affect this has on your subject so you can decide which is the best time of the day for you to take pictures outside.

The importance of light in photography

In Landscape photography or any other genre light is key to capturing beautiful photographs. The quality of light that falls upon a scene will determine a viewers emotional response to the image while influencing the photographers composition and creating a sense of depth.

This is so important when we look at two dimensional photographs taken of a three dimensional subjects and what can make or break an image.

Practicing photography within a studio allows a photographer to control the light and how the light falls on the subject and only limited by the amount of artificial lighting available or ones creativity. However once you step outside control is very limited and in landscape photography practically none existent other than the use of filters.

This why when practicing outdoor photography it important to learn and understand how natural light works, its effect on different types of scenes and how the different seasons and weather conditions effect the quality of light and how it will fall on a scene at a given time.

Panorama Tower Croome Open Edition Fine Art Print

The key to taking successful outdoor photographs consistently is learning how to anticipate these conditions by understanding there influences on a scene and using the numerous tools and apps at your disposal.

Sunlight phases depending on the elevation of the sun

We know the importance of the Quality of Light in outdoor photography and therefore understanding how Sunlight behaves and the factors that influence it are key to capturing the images that you envisage. By knowing when each sun phase occurs and its light conditions, you will be able to assess what type of photography will be most suitable for each moment.

Different times of the day can be broken down into the following well known phases of light. The precise time when these occur will change day by day as we transition through the seasons and your location relative to the equator.

If we think in terms of sun elevation in degrees reference the horizon then these phases will always be the same no matter where we are only times and duration will change.

The Morning Magic hours

Blue Hour: Sun is between -6 degrees and -4 degrees

Golden Hour: Sun is between -4 degrees and 6 degreesDaytime: Sun above 6 degrees

The Evening Magic Hours

Golden Hour: Sun is between 6 degrees and -4 degrees

Blue Hour: Sun is between -4 degrees and -6 degrees

As we transition into night there are three further phases that i will list just for completion of the sun phases.

Twilight Phases

Civil Twilight: Sun is between 0 degrees and -6 degrees

Note both Blue Hour and Golden Hour are present during Civil Twilight

Nautical Twilight: Sun is between -6 degrees and -12 degrees

Astronomical Twilight: Sun is between -12 degrees and -18 degrees

Night time: Sun is below -18 degrees

Why is it important to think in terms of degrees instead of time?

Have you ever been walking to a desired location only to end up running as the sky bursts into life right in front of you. You curse to yourself saying sunrise isn’t for another 30 minutes and if only I had left 30 minutes earlier. Yes we have all experienced this!

As I write this at the end of March in the northern hemisphere sunset today is 06:55. However Golden Hour is actually 06:34 to 07:40 when you think in terms of sun position.

So if I planned to get to my destination just before sunrise at 06:55 it is likely that I could have missed some of the best light and be already halfway through Golden Hour before I even had chance to get my camera out of my bag. This is why I always use the sun elevation times to plan my trips not sunrise times.

Golden Hour

The Golden Hour phase of light can be defined as when the elevation of the sun is from -4 degrees to 6 degrees. This is when the sun is low in the sky and clouds are lit from below which can produce dramatic and colourful skies.

As its name implies golden hour is when the light transitions from Red hues to a golden yellow warm light temperature which is soft and diffused. Due to the sun being low in the sky the light is diffused and soft with less contrast and why it is the favourite time of the day for Landscape photographers.

Subjects are illuminated by sun rays at acute angles below 6 degrees and often this soft golden light can be easier to work with and produces natural contrast and depth. Any clouds in the sky can also act as huge reflectors reflecting subtle light onto the subject from above or as a large canvases in the sky.

Sky Blaze - Seascape Photograph during an amazing sunset in Wales — Sky Blaze – Seascape Photograph during an amazing sunset in Wales

Subjects silhouetted against the colour of the sky or sun light during this phase can work well or large compositions with the sun low in the frame. However my personal choice is to shoot subjects with the sun behind me or to the side using the golden light to illuminate the subject in front of me. This can be particular faltering for portraiture photography.

One final point about light during Golden Hour is that the evening light can often be warmer than morning light. This is due to more particles being present in the sky to diffuse the warm light of the sun.

Although evening light is easier and you don’t have the early morning alarm call to wake you up especially in the summer months, I prefer the morning light where it is fresh and nature is just waking up and what I like to call Quiet Light.

Blue Hour

Blue hour phase of light is defined when the elevation of the sun is between -6 degrees and -8 degrees. During blue hour the sky turns a deep blue hue where you get a colour gradient as it transitions from blue to yellow where the sun has set or about to rise on the horizon.

The colours in the sky are saturated during these phases and it can make for beautiful landscape and seascape images. It is my preferred time shoot cityscapes when they are also illuminated by streetlights adding extra dimensions to my images.

Croome Court winter blue hour — Croome Court at blue hour on a frosty winter’s morning with a little mist

With modern camera technology and the crazy dynamic ranges that the latest image sensors can cope with blue hour can be a very special time to be out taking images. I strongly suggest to give this a go where you can take images where it is near impossible to see with the naked eye.

It is possible for a camera to pick out detail in very low light conditions and this can work extremely well looking for shapes or leading lines creating etherial like, calm and pleasant photography. It is one that I don’t practice enough myself and something I must do more of over the year ahead.

This very cool light that is produced during this sun phase long after the sun has set or before it is due to rise has led to it being commonly known as the Blue Hour.

Daytime

This is when the sun is above 6 degrees and light will change through the seasons depending on sun elevation and the weather. In the winter months the sun is much lower in the sky and with the right weather conditions can produce amazing light all day long you just have to brave the elements and the cold.

Limited Edition Landscape print of Kilchurn Castle and Rainbow — Kilchurn Castle and Rainbow in the highlands of Scotland

During summer months when the sun is high in the sky it creates a very harsh light and this really doesn’t show landscapes at their best and why most landscape photographer try to avoid this time of the day. However just because the sun is harsh doesn’t mean there isn’t a photograph to be had and you might as well stay at home.

Dappled light on Chrome and Parkhouse Hills — Dappled summer light on Chrome and Parkhouse Hills on a blustery afternoon.

On harsh sunny days man made subjects can make great photographs and even landscapes can be pleasing on the eye especially in monochrome. If I am out and the light is harsh I try and switch my brain to see in black and white and shoot images with monochrome in mind.

I won’t go into detail here about the night phases of light and save that for an Astrophotography nightscape post in the future.

To answer what is the best time of day to pictures outside?

Well as explained there really is not a simple answer and its for you the photographer to decide what type of light will best suite the subject you intend to shoot while anticipating the weather conditions for any given time. However most landscape photographers would agree during the phases of Golden Hour are the best times of the day to take pictures outside.

A New Day - Golden Sunrise Photograph in Worcestershire — Titled A New Day – A photograph of a golden sunrise taken in Worcestershire

There is always a photography to be had when out with the camera it really is just about being able to see it and why I encourage anyone to get out as often as they can no matter what time of the day or night. The more you practice the more you see the more photographs to be proud of you will have.

Most of all a better photographer you will become!

Camera Lens Hoods: Why When How to use them

With all the latest and greatest camera equipment photographers have at their disposal these days we have to be selective on what to take with us and the item I see sacrificed more often than any other are camera lens hoods. This often overlooked and seriously underrated piece of camera equipment is frequently discarded in choice of an extra lens, filters or second camera.

A lens hood is an invaluable piece of camera equipment that shields lenses from unwanted stray light in bright sunny conditions, water droplets on rainy days and adds extra lens protection against accidental damage. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes often supplied with new lenses purposely designed to maximise their effect with the lens focal length and diameter.

Whenever I pack my camera bag I always make sure I have the correct matching lens hoods for the lenses I am taking. Here I explain why and how to use them and why they are one of the first things I make sure are in bag.

Why use a camera lens hood?

It always amazes me how little is spoken about this invaluable piece of equipment that lens manufactures spend so much time in the design process to manufacture the prefect lens hood to compliment their lenses. If they pay so much attention to detail in their design then why should photographers often dismiss their use and leave them at home.

So why use a lens hood? Well quite simply the main reason to use a lens hood is to reduce lens flare. Unless you are trying to achieve lens flare in your images it can quickly ruin a photograph by adding unwanted artefacts which are distracting to the viewer or reduce image contrast.

Lens flare occurs when stray light that is non-image forming enters the lens and hits your camera sensor. By non-image forming light I mean light that its not reflected from the subject you are capturing.

Another reason to use a lens hood is during bad weather conditions. I find them invaluable to give the lens element extra protection from rain and snow giving me enough time to capture an image. There has been a number of times in the past where I accidently left a lens hood at home while transferring my camera gear to a different bag which made it near impossible to get an image due to heavy rain.

The best times to photograph woodland scenes is during those early misty mornings and believe me trying to photograph these without the extra protection of a lens hood can be very frustrating. The lens element very quickly becomes covered in fine water droplets and before you know it you will spend more time cleaning your lens that you will taking photographs.

Have you ever been in woodland after a rain shower, composed a shot only for large water droplets to randomly fall from trees above onto your lens? Very frustrating but using a lens hood protects your glass and reduces the likely hood of this happening.

So as you can see other than the main designed use of a lens hood to reduce lens flare there are a number of reasons why you should think about using a camera lens hood.

What does a camera lens hood do?

To summarise the above let me answer the very often asked question, what does a camera lens do?

It blocks Unwanted Light

It quite simply blocks unwanted light entering the lens by shielding the front glass element from stray light when fitted. Think of it like when you have had to shield your eyes from bright sunlight well a lens hood works in exactly the same way.

The lens hood acts as visor to the lens which reduces the chances of lens flare or glare produced by scattered light as it hits your front element and enters the lens. This especially happens from bright light sources that are often at angles to the lens and outside of the field of view and not realised until you get home and check your images.

It is worth mentioning that lens manufactures do add different coatings to their lens surfaces to reduce flare but they are not perfect and should not be relied upon on their own without a lens hood.

It can increase Image Contrast

When non-image forming light hits the lens and creates flare and strong glare it can effectively wash out your image. This washout effect will decrease contrast in the area it is present in the image and can also produce discolourations reducing the final image quality.

So although just popping on a lens hood doesn’t magically increase the contrast in all your images it can certainly help retain the contrast by reducing the effects of flare and glare giving you an increase in contrast than you would without one fitted.

It Helps Protect the Lens

As a landscape photographer always out in typical wet British weather, protection form rain droplets is a major factor for me in deciding when to use a lens hood. I often shoot in terrible weather conditions where a hood has given my lens enough protection to allow me to capture the images I have been after. Without it, it just would not have been possible and my landscape photography would suffer.

Another added protection you get is from accidental impact. Recently I had my tripod precariously balanced on a wet rock and as I reached down to grab something out my bag the tripod slipped and camera fell forward lens first straight onto a large rock. The lens hood took all the impact and luckily saved my very expensive glass.

Don’t get me wrong there are no guarantees that a lens hood will protect your lens from drops and bangs but it does help and certainly saved me on this day from a hefty repair bill. I know I would prefer to have a cracked or broken lens hood as apposed to a damaged expensive lens!

When you should use a lens hood?

A lens hood can be used in most situations as it certainly won’t do your photography any harm. But there are situations where a lens hood is especially useful and certainly should be considered using them.

Bright sunny days or at sunrise and sunset when the sun is low in the sky.
When shooing at night close to lamps, buildings and roads due to vehicle headlights
Shooing silhouettes where the subject is backlit
When using off camera light sources
Shooting Seascapes for protections against sea spray
Shooting close to waterfalls for added protection against spray
In harsh weather conditions such as rain and snow to keep your front element dry
Photographing in fog or misty conditions
Woodland photography during or after rain fall
Taking photographs hand held for extra protection against acidental knocks
Shooting in precarious positions….just incase!

How to use a camera lens hood

Using a lens hood is as simple as screwing it to the front of your lens. Just make sure it is fitted correctly and properly located.

One issue with lens hoods are their size and they do take up room but a simple tip here is turn them round and fit them in reverse to your lens. This will mean that you always have them with you and when you want to use it just quickly unscrew it and fit it the correct way round.

I do have a few lenses that when the lens hood is reversed it covers my focusing ring which is annoying so Nikon if you ever read this please take this into account when designing new lenses 😛

One thing to note here though is to make sure you have the correct lens hood fitted to the lens. If you have many lenses it is very easy to get them mixed up and especially with wide angle lenses you don’t want to fit a long hood. This can result in being able to see the lens hood at the edges of your images so care needs to be take to use the correct one.

Types of camera lens hoods

Lens hoods typically come in two styles either Cylindrical or Petal shape.

Cylindrical Lens Hoods

Usually Cylindrical lens hoods are fitted to longer focal length lenses. Due to the narrower viewing angle of telephoto lenses their lens hood can me be longer giving extra protection without them appearing at the edge of the frame.

Petal Lens Hoods

Wide angle lenses or wide angle zoom lenses will have a Petal shaped hood which will be much shorter in length and offer less protection. Again this is required due to the viewing angle of the lenses to ensure that they do not appear in the edges of the frame.

When Not to Use a Lens Hood

There are many reasons why you should use a lens hood but there are certain situation when not to use a one. It is just important to understand when not to use one as it is to know when to use one.

When not to use a lens hood:

You want a lens flare effect
You want to get really close to the subject such as macro
When the lens hood blocks your flash
Using an adapter ring and filters
You want to use a diffuser
In Windy Weather
Long Exposures when chance of wind gusts

White horses at Pen y Garreg Dam Elan Valley during a storm — White horses at Pen y Garreg Dam at Elan Valley during a storm

What If You Don’t Have a Hood?

If you have left your lens hood at home or just don’t have one all is not lost. You can simply use your hand to shield the lens from the bright light source. I have done this many times where I have put the camera into live view mode and waving my hand around the lens to find the best position before taking the shot. On a couple of occasions I have set a timer and literally just stood next to the lens to shield it from a bright setting sun.

One last tip which can help even if you have a lens fitted especially if you have a bright sun in the frame is to take a series of images and just place a finger over the sun in the frame. This way you can blend images together with and without the sun covered to remove any flaring.

Where to buy a lens hood

In my opinion it is always best to try and buy a lens hood that was designed for the specific lens you are using. The cheapest options are the obvious such as Ebay where you can try and get a second hand one to match your needs.

If not then reputable camera companies I use are as follows:-

There are also a selection of after market Collapsible Silicone lens hoods which are a good alternative but be careful of their size and which lens you use them with so you can’t see them in the frame. Some have magnetic mounts which makes fitting them a breeze.

Lens Hoods Are More Useful Than You Might Think

Hopefully after reading this you have a better understanding of when and how to use lens hoods in your photography. They are versatile and have many uses so think before you take them out of your camera bag and leave home without them.

The day you leave them will most likely be the day you wish you had them with you!

Content Aware Fill in Photoshop: All You Need to Know

There are a lot of Photoshop tips and tricks out there, but finding the one that best fits your needs can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use Photoshop’s Content Aware Fill feature to remove unwanted elements from photos.

Table of Contents

What is Content Aware Fill?
Removing Object Using Content-Aware Fill
Content Aware Fill Adjustment Settings
Quick Content Aware Fill of a Selection
- Walkthrough to Fill Transparent Edges Easily
What is Content Aware Move Tool
What is Spot Healing Brush using Content-Aware
What is Patch Tool with Content-Aware
- How to use the Patch Tool Easily Example
Final Thoughts

What is Content Aware Fill

The Content Aware Fill tool is an incredibly powerful feature within Adobe Photoshop to remove those unwanted objects in your image. This feature was first introduced in Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 so you will need at least this version or later to make use of this awesome tool.

Content Aware Fill works by analyses the pixels within a selection and compares them to pixels elsewhere within the image. The tool will then attempt to re-create the selection area using its advanced algorithm.

I use it extensively to remove anything from a distracting piece of litter I didn’t see to and inappropriately placed bright yellow tractor after a 3 hour drive to photograph a landscape.

However, it is not just for removing objects. The tool is also invaluable for filling in gaps around the edges of an image when you stitch a panorama of multiple images together.

Let’s dive in and explore the Content Aware Fill tool and how to use it.

Removing Objects Using Content Aware Fill

Here is a quick image I took while scouting around in Scotland and lets say for argument sake that I didn’t like the rock circled. This could be a person, car anything that wish you could remove from the image, well Content Aware fill makes it easy.

Open a copy of the image you want to edit in Photoshop. Make sure it is a copy so you don’t overwrite the original file or use File > Save As and rename to something new.
Select the Lasso Tool and in the options bar set Feather to 25px.
Drag a selection Marquee around the object you want to remove. Include a little of the area surrounding the subject but this only needs to be approximate.
Chose Edit > Content-Aware Fill to open up the preview panel (Content-Aware Fill Workspace).

The Content-Aware Fill Panel is made up of 3 panels.

The left panel of the preview window displays the image and the selection you made. The green Overlay (highlighted area) indicates the areas you want the tool to sample for filling the removed area.

In the second panel is a image preview of the result of the sampling area and to the far right the Option Panel with the Edit Menu.

With the current settings the rock and heather are successfully removed but I am not happy with the foliage that it has chosen and think it looks slightly out of place and unnatural. This results can be improved upon by changing the selection area.
Using the sampling brush which is selected by default when you open content aware fill dialogue box you can remove it from the areas you don’t wish to sample. You can alter the brush size from the options bar or simply by press the [ key to make it smaller and ] larger. Note that that a minus sign is in the centre of the brush this is to indicate that it is in subtraction mode.
Paint over the area you do not want to be sampled in my case I painted over some of the foliage in the foreground. The fill is recalculated as you go along and you can see the updated results in the preview window.
What I tend to do once I am happy with the result is to try adjusting the Color Adaptation Settings. In this case I thought none gave a better result. One quick tip is to take note of the Output Setting in the options panel before you click OK. If output to new layer is selected the fill is created as a new layer. This is advisable so you are working in a none destructive way not modifying the original image. You can also select Current Layer or Duplicate Layer. Once you are happy with the preview click OK.

This is one method I chose to walk through to give you a basic understanding of how to use the tool. But there is one last thing I want to show you which is better suited to my image and gives me better control and results.

When I look at the final picture with the rock removed it does look like something is missing ideally it would have been better to be filled with some heather. Well this is very easily achieved by simply changing the Sampling Area options.

Again I have selected the rock using the lasso tool but this time I have selected Custom in the sampling area options of the Content Aware Fill dialogue box. When you select custom you will get a box pop up instructing you to use the Sampling Brush Tool to select the area you want to sample.

Here you can see I simply selected some of the heather on the right hand side telling Photoshop to sample this and hey presto this results in the rock being replaced by natural looking heather.

A tip here when using this in complexed images with lots going on is to choose areas to sample around the same distance into the image. This will look more natural especially with flower and foliage so they are of similar size retaining the perspective and look natural. The same also applies to colour and brightness so try and look for similar areas within the image.

Now your image should have the object removed and no one will ever now any different!

Content-Aware Fill Adjustment settings

Sampling Area Overlay

The Sampling Area Overlay settings gives you information about how samples are generated.

Opacity: You can use the Transparency slider to adjust the opacity of the overlay.
Color: The current color used for the overlay graphic or by clicking on it the color can be changed.
Sampling Area / Exclude Area: Tells photoshop whether the selection area is to be included or excluded in when the fill is calculated.
You can use the Transparency slider to adjust the opacity of the overlay.

Sampling Area Options

The Sampling Area options let you determine where you want Photoshop to for sample pixels to fill content.

Auto: Select for content similar to the surrounding fill area
Rectangular: Select to use rectangular region around the fill area.
Custom: Select this option to manually define a sampling are by using the sampling brush tool.

Fill Settings

The Fill Settings feature lets you adjust the intensity of colors, shadows, and textures in the image, making it easier to edit images.

Use the mirror option if you’d like to flip the image horizontally, and use the scale setting to resize it.

Color Adaptation: Lets contrast and brightness to adapt for a better match. Use this when filling content with gradual color or texture changes. There are four options available in the drop-down-list, None, Default, High and Very High.
Rotation Adaptation: Allows content rotation for a better match. Use when filling content has curved or rotated patterns such as flowers. There are four options available in the drop-down-list, None, Low, Medium and High.
Scale: Allows content scaling for a better match. Use this when you are trying to fill content with repeating patterns of different sizes.
Mirror: This will allow content to be flipped horizontally for a better match. Use when images have horizontal symmetry.

Output Settings

This is where you set how you would like your resulting fill to be outputted.

You can select Current Layer, New Layer or Duplicate Layer.

Quick Content Aware Fill Selection Method

This is probably the Content Aware Fill tool I use most often. Once you have made a selection using your preferred tool you can goto Edit > Fill from the menu bar. Here in its settings under contents you have the option to use content aware fill.

This is awesome at filling transparent edges left over from a Panorama stitch or some other form of image transform.

Lets have a quick look at it in action.

Quick Content Aware Fill Walkthrough

Here I have a Panorama that I have blended/stitched together in Photoshop and if I crop the image to a 2:1 ratio using the Crop Tool we are left with white space at the bottom of the image. Yes I can crop in further but then I will lose the composition that I am looking for.

Instead I can quickly select the white space using the quick selection tool. Tip once you have made the selection goto Select > Modify > Expand and enter a value of around 5px. This just ensures your selection overlaps beyond the whitespace and into the image slightly.

Select Edit > Fill from the menu to open the fill Dialogue box. Under Contents make sure Content-Aware is selected. With color adaption enabled and blend mode set to Normal click OK.

Hey presto content aware will do its best and fill the white space to match your image!

What is Content Aware Move Tool

The Content Aware Move Tool recomposes and blends pixels to accommodate a moved object. You can use it to move a selected object or extend it (duplicate it). When you accept the changes it will attempt to blend the moved object into its surrounds.

This tool I have to admit it is not a tool I really use and prefer to get the composition I want in camera rather than manipulate an image after the event by moving objects around or duplicating them.

I find the Content Aware Move tool works best when used with backgrounds that are consistent so Photoshop can recognise and replicate a pattern. This works well with sky, water, meadows and solid colour walls.

To use Content Aware Move Tool

Select the Content Aware Move tool from your side bar. On my version it is present but on some it can be found grouped with the Healing Brush and Red Eye tools.
The tool options bar has two main modes Move & Extend. Select Move if you want to reposition your subject in the image or Extend if you want to duplicate the object.
With the Content Aware Move tool draw a selection marquee around the subject. If the background is consistent draw it large enough to include a little of the surrounding area.
Drag the selection to the area in the image you want to place it.
Control-click (mac) or Right-click (Windows) and now you can use transform to make the subject larger or smaller if you wish by grabbing one of the transformation handles. If you want to reposition the subject position the pointer inside the transformation rectangle and move it. You can also flip the object horizontally if you wish to make it look different if say duplicating a flower by choosing Flip Horizontal.
Once done simply press enter to accept the move and make the transformation permanent. If you leave the selection selected you can change the colour but if you are finished just choose Select > Deselect.

What is Spot Healing brush with Content-Aware

The Spot Healing Brush tool lets you quickly fix small problems like blemishes, spots, wrinkles, scars and other imperfections in photos. It works by sampling pixels around the retouched area and matched the shading, texture, lighting and transparency of the sampled pixels to the pixels to healed.

This makes it an invaluable tool for retouching blemished in portraits but I use it extensively for cleaning up my images removing dust spots from the sensor.

What is the difference between Spot Healing Brush and Healing Brush tools?

Both the Healing Brush and Spot Healing Brush are similar in that they are used to repair and replace texture in your image. However, the Spot Healing brush differs by sampling from around the immediate surrounding area unlike the Healing Brush Tool where you have to designate a source point.

This makes the Spot Healing Brush tool a very quick and effective way to repair small irregularities in an area such as sensor dust marks. This is where Content Aware comes in with the option selected it turns the Spot Healing Brush into a smart tool where it analyses the surrounding area and attempt to replicate both texture and content for a better match.

What is Patch Tool with Content-Aware

The patch tool is one of the most powerful tools in Adobe Photoshop and is used to remove larger unwanted elements from an image. For instance if you wanted to remove an unwanted person from your photograph you could use the Patch Tool. Like the Spot Healing Brush tool it comes into its own when used in Content Aware Mode where the Patch Tool will attempt to create seamless blending with nearby content.

You can find the Patch Tool hidden under the Spot healing Brush Tool. To select Content Aware, in the Options bar choose Content Aware from the patch menu.

Let’s have a quick look at it in action. Here is a simple image zoomed in to show some sheep sitting under a tree.

How to use the Patch Tool Easily (Example)

If I wanted to remove an unwanted sheep from the image we could do this effortlessly using the patch tool.

Simply Select the Patch Tool and Select Content-Aware from the Patch options drop-down menu.
Draw around the subject you want to remove in this case a sheep.
Now selected drag the selection area to another part of the image you want to replace it with by holding down the left mouse button. Once released you will see that it will remove the object and blend new selected area into the image.
Deselect the area by simply pressing Cmd & D or from the menu Select > Deselect.

It really is that simple!

There are selectable options under the Structure menu which determines how close the patch reflect the existing image pattern. You can choose from options 1 to 7, with 1 allowing the loosest adherence to the struct and 7 being the strictest.

Color menu allows you to put constraints around how much the source colour can be adjusted and I usually leave this at 0 but is selectable up to a value of 10.

To Conclude: Final Thoughts

Hopefully you have enjoyed this post and now have a good understanding of the Content Aware Fill tool, how to use it and when best to apply it. Also other similar tools that use Content Aware within Photoshop which should now give you the ability to move, remove or duplicate an object within your image. These really are great tools that everyone should now how to use which will speed anyones workflow for editing images.

Go and experiment, practice makes perfect and with time the use of these Adobe Photoshop tools will become second nature.

Now you have gotten to grips with Content Aware Fill go and check out my guide on How to use Content Aware Scale here.

What is Spot Metering: Everything You Need to Know

Camera Metering modes can vary from model to model and with the continual development work by manufactures more sophisticated methods appear year on year in the way of Smart Metering modes. These complexed modes have their place to aid the photographer by using the latest technology to improve the cameras ability to accurately match its meter reading to what is in the frame.

However it is important for a photographer to have full control of their camera to be creative and produce images as they intended and why the original basic modes one being Spot Metering are selectable.

The four basic mode types available are Average, Center Weighted, Center Circle and Spot Metering and it is essential to understand these to get the perfect exposure every photograph you take. In this post we will focus on What is Spot Metering? How and when to use it and help you nail those perfectly exposed images every time.

What is Spot Metering?

When Spot metering mode is selected on you camera it uses a small circle usually between 1% and 2% of the entire frame to calculate and suggest the correct exposure. The cameras built in light meter measures the amount of light being reflected off the subject and calculates the exposure value based on the brightness of the subject and the camera ISO setting.

On most advanced DSLR cameras these days you have the ability to tell the camera exactly where to measure the exposure within a scene and is centered on the current focus point. It is important to note that when using single point focus that the Spot Metering area is larger than the single focus point and metering is not just confined to the focused area.

If your camera does not have the functionality to move the spot and is locked centered you can get around this by aiming off centering the desired tone in the scene you want to meter and then locking the exposure (usually by keeping the shutter release half pressed) and re-framing.

Spot Metering Area — Note this was not the actually spot size and for illustration purposes only.

When to use Spot Metering

You should consider using Spot Metering if your subject within the frame is strongly backlit. This will tell the camera to take a meter reading off of the subject and only off the subject that is within the area of the spot.

For example your subject is a person standing in front of a bright backdrop such as a bright white wall. In Average mode the camera would measure the entire scene and try to adjust the exposure information so that the wall was better exposed by darkening it. If you exposed the scene using this information from the camera your subject would be under exposed.

However using Spot Metering placed on your subject would give more accurate exposure information based purely off the person confined within the area of the spot ignoring the bright wall behind.

Situations where you should consider using Spot metering mode include:

Strongly backlit subjects that are resulting in the subject being underexpose
Snow or sunny beach environments where the brightness of the scene could fool the camera meter
Wildlife photography where a bird is inflight against a bright sky or clouds
When you feel the overall feel of the photograph is too bright or dark

How digital camera metering modes work

When Spot Metering is selected the camera meter averages all of the brightness values within it small circle (spot) to determine a middle tone often referred to as 18 percent grey. The camera then determine the exposure based on this middle grey value which is very important to understand. The easiest way to get to grips with what your camera is doing is to remember that it would under expose a white wall and over expose a black wall in an attempt to make them appear grey.

Using metering modes can cause havoc and be confusing to the less experienced photographer when shooting very high key images such as a snow scene. Your images can appear dull and grey when your camera meter is telling you that you have the perfect exposure. This is where exposure compensation comes in to combat this to tell the camera to over or under expose by a defined amount of stops depending on the scene you are shooting.

Use Spot Metering to get the perfect subject exposure in bright scenes

Hopefully this blog post has given you valuable information explaining what is Spot Metering, how to use it and when. Understanding the different camera meeting modes and knowing exactly when to use spot metering will enable to nail those perfect exposures in challenging scenarios.

Remember above all your camera is a tool and the best way to master it is to use it so get out and have fun!

If you would like to read more blog post like this one checkout my Landscape Photography Blog

What is a Smart Object in Photoshop

Smart objects are non destructive layers containing image data from raster or vector images such as Photoshop or Illustrator files. You can think of it as a protective container allowing you to edit your image in photoshop without altering the original file.

What are the advantages to using Smart Objects in Photoshop?

The main advantage of using smart objects is that they are flexible and allow filters to be applied non-destructively and can be reopened and settings changed if required.

This is extremely powerful when editing photographs in this non-destructive workflow allowing for future alterations by simply reopening the attached filters and changing settings if you change mind in the editing process. If a client wants to make alterations at a later date or you change your mind and not happy with the final result then Smart Objects make it very easy to correct.

Other benefits are when using Transform or Warping layers where you can resize, rotate, skew, distort perspective etc without losing any of the original image quality. With a normal rasterized layer, as you resize the image its quality is degraded but as a Smart Object it can be transformed as much as you like without it losing quality.

If your image or design is quite complex you can place groups of layers inside a Smart Object and process them individually. You can also place several Smart Objects inside another Smart Object which is known as Nested Smart Objects allowing you to do tasks which otherwise would be very difficult to do such as multiple stroke Layers Style graphical effects.

This really unlocks the full potential of editing in Photoshop where you can work on your projects nondestructively making changes as you go along.

The benefits of using smart objects

Use with other filters
Nondestructive filters
Nondestructive transforms retaining original quality
Edit one smart object and automatically update all linked instances
Use multiple non destructive layers
Use multiple Smart Objects with one Smart Object (Nested)
Image averaging to reduce noise

How to create a smart object in photoshop

To convert a layer into a Smart Object just go to the layer menu and choose Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object

Alternatively you can easily convert a layer into a Smart Object by right clicking on the layer and selecting Convert to Smart Object

Smart Object Shortcut keys

The are no predefined short cut keys in Photoshop for converting a layer to a Smart Object.

Pro Tip! You can easily define your own shortcut keys by going to the Edit menu and selecting Keyboard Shortcuts. Here you can easily set shortcut keys for the Convert Smart Object function.

How to convert Smart Object to normal layer in Photoshop

To convert a Smart Object to a normal layer with the Smart Objected selected goto layer menu and choose Rasterize > Smart Object

Alternatively you can easily convert a Smart Object into a normal rasterise layer by right clicking on the layer and selecting Rasterize Layer

Disadvantages of smart objects in photoshop

While there are great benefits to using Smart Objects there are also a few disadvantages you need to be aware of.

The layer is protected inside of the Smart Object container and therefore its pixels cannot be directly edited. This means for instance that you cannot perform dodging and burning, cloning, dust removal or paint directly onto the Smart Object.

Although this is regarded by many photographers as a disadvantage for me it really isn’t an issue as there are simple work arounds. For instance it is possible to directly edit a Smart Object by simply double clicking on the layer which will open the Smart Object in another window for editing. Or the way I prefer to work is on individual layers within the Smart Object giving me total control. Alternatively simply copy the Smart Object and place it on the layer above to make minor corrections on it such as dodging and burning.

Another disadvantage to be aware of is file size. Yes like everything in life where there are pros there are cons and with Smart Objects it is the increase in file size. With todays extremely large hard drives this might not seem much of an issue but believe me as a photographer and you build your portfolio and client base this increase can have a large impact over hundreds of files.

But this is a small price to pay and of course once your project it completed you can simply merge all your layers and significantly reduce the size and store it away. However I strongly do not recommend doing this because there will be times in the future you might want to make simple changes and keeping them as Smart Objects is a huge advantage.

I did a very simple comparison of a file with a single rasterized layer and then converted that same layer to a Smart Object to show the difference in file sizes. The original file size was 434.9 MB but the Smart Object file is 705.5 MB.

The disadvantages of using Smart Objects

Pixels cannot be directly edited
Increase in file size

Should you use Smart Object in Photoshop?

The benefits out way the negatives for the use of Smart Objects in Photoshop. You might have to slightly change the way you work in Photoshop but the advantages it gives is why I use them extensively as a major part of my workflow when editing my photographs.

As a photographer one thing I can not stress enough is letting your images age. Once you think you have finished your image editing rather than publishing or printing straight away give it time and let your eyes and mood adjust. After a few hours or days review your edit and see if it is still exactly the way you like it. If not then Smart Objects allow you to easily make changes which really simplifies your editing process and ultimately leads to better quality images.

You can find more informative posts like this one in my Landscape Photography Blog

The difference between Vibrance vs Saturation

Have you ever wondered what the difference between Vibrance vs Saturation in Photoshop and Lightroom? Well you are not alone, this is a question that crops up in conversation often when I take people through various post processing workflows and techniques.

Vibrance and Saturation adjustments increase or decrease the colour intensity within an image. Vibrance will give subtle enhancements to colour and minimise clipping as colours approach full saturation. Saturation changes the intensity of all colours within an image making them more vivid or muted depending on the selected value. Vibrance is different to Saturation by making adjustments to lower saturated colours and less adjustments to higher saturated colours while also protecting skin tones from over saturation.

How to adjust Vibrance and Saturation in Photoshop

There are a few ways to adjust colour saturation in Photoshop let’s take a look at 3 different methods you can use.

Vibrance Adjustment Layer

This is my preferred method and the one I use most often with subtle precise adjustments to give the desired result.

The added benefit of using this adjustment layer is that you can also if required give an overall colour boost by adding a little saturation via the saturation slider along with the vibrance slider all on the same layer. I find this invaluable for giving the fine adjustments needed to create the final look that represents the colours in the scene.

Vibrance vs Saturation - Vibrance Adjustment Layer — Select the Vibrance adjustment layer from Layer Options

Using the Properties Pallet you can now add or decrease the Vibrance in the image by using the slider. To show the difference between Vibrance vs Saturation lets adjust both sliders individually to 100% and compare the results on the same RAW image.

The results show how using the saturation at 100% over saturates the greens of the grass and orange and yellow hues in the sky. With vibrance set to 100% the image is still a little over saturated but you can clearly see the difference in the grass and sky.

Difference between Vibrance vs Saturation — Comparing the difference between Vibrance vs Saturation in Photoshop

To find the sweet spot I usually use both sliders together where I would add Vibrance but also a little Saturation just to give the image an overall boost if required. Remember this is a RAW image and is by no means the finished article and requires further adjustments such as exposure and contrast.

Hue and Saturation Tool

This is what I find most people jump in and start using to adjust saturation and great care should be taken not to clip colours or posterise the image. This method I find to be quite course and recommend using the Vibrance Adjustment Layer instead.

Hue and Saturation Layers — Select the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer from Layer Options

To show the difference between using this method and the Vibrance layer I have used the same image and taken the Saturation to 100% in the properties pallet. You can see how it has caused a posterised effect and totally destroyed the image.

In order to get the image to something acceptable I had to use a saturation value of 18 which shows how course this slider is and why I would advise to use the Vibrance Adjustment Layer for much better control.

Vibrance vs Saturation - Hue Saturation Adjustment Layer — Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer with Saturation at 100%

Curves Adjustment Layer using Saturation blend mode

Using a Curves Adjustment Layer set to Saturation blend mode is a more controllable way to adjust Saturation. In Normal blend mode curve adjustments will change both contrast and saturation but by selecting the Saturation blend mode you can focus on saturation.

Vibrance vs Saturation - Curves Adjustment Layer Photoshop — Select the Curves adjustment layer from Layer Options

This method can be used for changing saturation specific to tonal ranges such as shadows, midtones and highlights. In the example below I have increased the saturation of the colour in the shadows and highlights and can vary the amount by altering the shape of the curve.

In this example I increased the saturation of the greens in the shadows and the yellow and oranges of the highlights in the sky. It can be a little confusing at first but the best way is to just experiment and get used to using curves not only for Luminosity but also Colour.

Learning to use curves is an invaluable core skill in image editing and one I urge anyone to practice and learn to use adding depth to images and making colours pop. For targeting specific colours I highly suggest learning to use the Selective Color adjustment layer.

Vibrance vs Saturation using Curves Adjustment Layer

By far my preferred method and the one I use most in Photoshop to increase saturation is the Vibrance adjustment layer but I think it is always good to know and understand other methods and how they differ.

A good tip is to remember that you can make even further fine adjustment on any of these layer adjustment tools by simply reducing their individual opacity percentage.

How to adjust Vibrance and Saturation in Lightroom

You can adjust Vibrance and Saturation in lightroom by using the sliders under presence in the side panel. These sliders work in the same way as previously outline for photoshop or do they?

I have to admit I never use Lightroom to make these types of adjustments and always prefer to do it in Photoshop so I decided to carry out the same test on the RAW image with both sliders individually at 100%. I was totally surprised at the results and they were not the same as the results I achieved in Photoshop.

Although results for Vibrance at 100% look similar using Saturation at 100%, Lightroom heavily saturated the yellows much more so than in Photoshop as you can see from these images.

The saturation slider in Lightroom is much more course than Vibrance the same as in Photoshop and I would recommend using vibrance for more fine adjustment and add a little saturation to give an overall boost.

Like everything in Post Processing less is often more and with saturation this is definitely the case and you want to make sure you don’t over cook it and end up with images that look over processed and unnatural.

The best advice I can give when it comes to any colour adjustments is to take time out and let your eyes re-adjust. While staring at all these colours making minor adjustments you become colour blind and will end up pushing your colour too far. Take a break once you think you are done and then come back and double check.

A quick method I always use is to convert the image to black and white allowing your eyes to settle then simply switch back to colour. If you fall of your chair because it is too saturated then dial it back a little and do the same again.

I hope you find this useful if so please feel free to drop me a comment below.

How to use Content Aware Scale in Photoshop

While searching through my photographs for that perfect image to accompany an article I was writing, it was frustrating to find that all the best suited images were either the wrong aspect ratio or didn’t have enough free space to add the text I needed. When I took the images I didn’t plan on using them in this way and focused more on composition than for publication but there is a lesser known tool in Photoshop to come to the rescue and fix the problem called Content Aware Scale.

What is Content Aware Scale?

Content Aware Scaling was first introduced in Photoshop CS4 and is used to resize an image while preserving the proportions of important image elements. Normal scaling affects all pixels uniformly when resizing an image but content aware scale attempts to only alter pixels that have little visual content. This makes it possible to upscale or downscale images to improve composition or fit a layout without changing important visual content such as people, buildings and landscapes.

How does content aware scale work?

It works by analysing the image and removing lines or pixels that contain relatively little information so that a plain background is affected before the main subject. Specific content of an image can be preserved by using Alpha channels to protect content during resizing and will work with layers or selections in RGB, CMYK, Lab, and Grayscale colour modes.

Content aware scaling does not work on adjustment layers, layer masks, individual channels, Smart Objects, multiple layers simultaneously or layer groups.

A Walkthrough Example

To demonstrate the use of content aware scale I will use this seascape image of mine which is cropped to an aspect ratio of 3:4 portrait and change it to a 4:3 landscape aspect ratio.

If I resize the image horizontally using the standard Photoshop image size menu option you can see how badly distorted and unusable the image becomes. This is where we can use content aware scale to get get round this issue.

How to use Content Aware Scale

In order to have Content Aware Scaling available as a menu option first the image needs to be converted to a layer if not already. Select the locked background layer in the Layer Pallet and Click Right Mouse Button > Layer from background or Double Click Left Mouse button on the layer, rename layer as required.
Select content aware scale from Edit menu > Content Aware Scale.
Either drag the handles on each edge of the bounding box in the direction to scale the image, or directly enter the proportions into the text boxes on the tool options bar. Quick tip ensure that the maintain aspect ratio is not selected to scale in one direction. The opposite side of the image can be altered proportionally at the same by pressing the Alt key and moving one of the handles in the required direction.
Click either Cancel Transform or Commit Transform to confirm changes.

Content Aware Scale Options Bar

There are further options you can specify to further control the tool within the Content Aware Scale options bar.

Reference Point Location: Specify the fixed point around which the image is scaled by clicking a square on the reference point locator. The default is set to centre of the image.

Relative positioning for reference point: Click this button to specify the new position of the reference point in relation to its current position.

Reference point position: Used to position the reference at a specific point. Enter X and Y axis pixel dimensions.

Scaling Percentage: Used to specify the image scaling as a percentage of the original size for both Width (W) and Height (H). The aspect ratio can be locked if required.

Amount: Specifies the percentage ratio of content-aware scaling to normal scaling.

Protect: Selects Alpha channel to protect a desired area within the image.

Protect Skin Tones: Attempts to preserve regions that contain skin-tones.

Content Aware Scale using Protect

Although the Content Aware Scale algorithm within Photoshop is very good areas within an image can be further protected by using Alpha channels. Although this can seem a little complicated at first it is actually very simple once you have made a selection of the desired area to protect.

Make a selection of the area you want to protect using your favourite Photoshop Selection Tool. In this example I used the magic wand too to isolate the sea post in the centre of the image.
With the selection made click on the Channels Tab in the layers pallet then click on the Create New Chanel button.
Select the new Alpha channel created so it is selected the press Shift + Delete simultaneously to bring up the fill dialog box. Then change fill contents to White and hit ok.
You should now see your selection area for your newly created Alpha Channel white as shown below. To use this channel to protect your desired area simply follow the procedure earlier on how to create a Content aware fill but in the protect box select the Alpha channel name you just created.

Content-Aware Scale is one of those hidden gems within Photoshop that when used correctly can work magic on changing the aspect ratio of your images when you have large areas of negative space. Here I have talked about stretching out an image to change the aspect ration but Content-Aware Scaling works just as well the other way round to reduce an image size to change its aspect ratio like from a Landscape to Square or Portrait format without cropping and losing some of your image detail.

Here is the final image changed from a 3:4 aspect ratio Portrait format to a 4:3 aspect ratio landscape format. I hope you found this short tutorial useful but if you have any thoughts or questions about Content Aware Scaling feel free to comment below.

How to Deselect and Reselect in Photoshop

One of the basic fundamentals to editing in Photoshop is the ability to make key specific selections of desired areas within an image and being able to change them in isolation. There are many different tools to use depending on what you want to select such as Marquee, Lasso, Magic Wand and Quick Selections tools which are selectable from the tool panel. What can be less obvious is how to deselect your selection when needed.

How to deselect objects in Photoshop

Select the Photoshop Document window containing the selection you want to deselect. The selection will be outlined by a dotted or dashed line called marching ants.
On the Menu Bar left mouse click on “Select” to show the selection drop down menu.
Click on “Deselect” from the menu (second from the top) to deactivate all area selections.

You can use keyboard shortcuts to make a quick deselection by simultaneously pressing ⌘ and D (mac) or Ctrl and D (Windows PC).

It is a lot easier to deselect an object than what it can be to make complexed selection in the first place. Some selection tools can be very time consuming to make accurate selections such as the Lasso tool round irregular shapes such as a building and you might find that you accidentally deselect your selection and lose all your hard work. Don’t panic you recovering your previous selection is easy.

How to reselect objects in Photoshop

Select the Photoshop Document window containing the selection you need to reselect.
On the Menu Bar left mouse click on “Select” to show the selection drop down menu.
Click on “Reselect” from the menu (third from the top) to reselect your previous area selection.

You can use keyboard shortcuts to make a quick Reselect by simultaneously pressing ⇧ + ⌘ and D (Mac) or Shift + Ctrl and D (Windows PC).

Another method for undoing a deselection if it was the last action you performed is to use the Undo function which again can be accessed from the Menu Bar under Edit and selecting “Undo Deselect”. You can use keyboard shortcuts to undo an action by simultaneously pressing ⌘ and Z (mac) or Ctrl and Z (Windows PC).

What is a Selection Tool in Photoshop?

A selection tool in Adobe Photoshop is used to select a desired area within the photo so it can be modified or altered in isolation without affecting the rest of the photo. This is a key element within photoshop so specific areas can be accurately targeted and isolated so alterations can be made to enhance, modify or remove from the image without effecting the rest of the photo.

You can make selections by use of various selection tools to best suit the selection required or use a selection command such as “Select all”. When a selection is made a border surrounds the selection with a dotted or dashed line (marching ants) which can be hidden at anytime to remove distraction. This can be toggled on and off by pressing ⌘ and H (mac) or Ctrl and H (Windows PC).

When to use Selection Tools in Photoshop

Selections tools within photoshop are very powerful for isolating desired areas of an image and once a selection is made pixels within the selected border can be changed, copied or deleted. This is useful if you want to isolate an object and remove the background such as removing a background from a picture of a person or performing sky replacement in a landscape photograph.

Depending on the object you are trying to select will dictate which tool is best to use. More complexed selections can be made with tools such as the Lasso tools where selection edges can be smoothed using feathering and anti-aliasing to create images that look authentic and untouched.

All the available tools within Photoshop can seem intimidating and confusing at first but with practice it becomes second nature and it won’t be long before you are creating awesome images to be proud of!

What is B mode on a camera and how it controls shutter speed

While out taking some long exposure photographs the other day I got talking to someone who was just started out in photography and was interested to see what I was photographing and asking a few questions about my camera settings. Sometimes it’s easy to take someones understanding of camera settings for granted and as I rattled through what I was doing they asked What does b stand for when referring to a camera’s shutter speed?

B is the abbreviation of Bulb, a mode which will keep a camera shutter open while the shutter button is pressed or will close the shutter on the second press of the button depending on your camera. This mode allows you to use longer shutter speeds than the maximum settable within the camera and is also used when using external shutter release buttons and intervalometers. This is useful when you require long exposure times for low light situations such as photographing a night scene while maintaining a low ISO to reduce noise.

How to select Bulb mode on your camera?

Selecting bulb on your camera is very simple with some camera manufactures having a selectable b position on the shutter speed selection dial. To select the mode simply rotate the dial to the b symbol (Bulb mode) position.

If your camera does not have a shutter speed selection dial then don’t worry you will most likely find it under your shutter speed settings. Simply scroll through your shutter speeds using the command dial until you see the word Bulb displayed on your screen.

Most modern day cameras have a selectable bulb mode but consult your cameras manual if you can’t find it to check your camera has this mode available.

One final thing to note on Bulb mode which is often overlooked and I find people saying their camera doesn’t have a bulb mode is because they are in the wrong shooting mode. To be able to select this mode you most likely need to be in manual mode and it will not work in other modes such as Aperture priority or Program mode. Again check your manual to make sure.

When to use Bulb mode?

Bulb mode is used when you want to take long exposure above and beyond the maximum shutter speed your camera allows which in most cases is 30 seconds. This is especially useful when taking photographs at night allowing for longer exposures such as star trails or using filters such as a 10 stop ND filter to flatten out water or catch the movement of clouds in the sky

In bulb mode the shutter is kept open until the shutter button is released and can keep your shutter open for as long as you have enough battery to capture the image.

On a lot of cameras now there is an additional mode called Timer mode which works in exactly the same way as bulb mode but will open the shutter with one press of the shutter button and remain open until it is pressed for a second time to close it. This is extremely useful as you can create exposure of any time you like by using a stop watch to time your shots without the need to keep your finger on the button which can introduce camera shake.

Bulb mode and Shutter Release Cables

As stated above on most cameras Bulb mode will require you to hold down the shutter for the length of time you want to exposure your shot which is inconvenient and totally impractical for long exposures. Using the bulb mode in this way can introduce camera shake while taking your shot holding down the button your camera.

This is where locking external shutter release cables are useful so the shutter release button can be activated without touching the camera body. You simply set the camera to Bulb mode and press the shutter release button and lock it pressed which will keep the camera shutter open.

Now you can time your own exposures for as long as your require and then simply unlock the release cable which will close the shutter and complete your shot.

These shutter release cables are relatively inexpensive and can be brought as both wired and wireless versions and are invaluable for taking long exposures. A word of caution though you need to think a little about how you use your camera setup because if you are using a L-Bracket to easily use your camera in portrait mode you might find that you lose access to the ports on the side of your camera when mounted on a tripod.

To over come this you can buy wireless triggers but with these you might not be able to lock the shutter button like you can with wired versions which means they are no good for bulb mode and long exposures. These will work fine though if your camera has a timer mode with a two button press to open and close the shutter.

Bulb mode and Intervalometers

This brings us on to Intervalometers which are indispensable for astrophotography and taking images of the night sky. In order for a Intervalometer to control your camera you will need to set your camera to Bulb mode.

An intervalometer allows you to set the length of exposure with a timed interval and how many shots you want to take. For example you could take a 4 minute exposure wait 2 minutes then take another 4 minutes exposure 10 times.

This gives you precise control of your exposure times and frequency where you can just set it up, sit back and enjoy your surrounds. Although most people use intervalometers for astrophotography it is also fantastic for taking images at sunset and sunrise where you can create beautiful time lapses of the rising and setting sun.

Intervalometers are available as both wired and wireless versions and I would personally recommend a wireless one which also gives you the option to use it wired if required. Handy when your transmitter runs out of batters and you have no spares…yes that has happened to me!

Again these are not overly expensive with wired version starting from £15 and wireless ones from around £35. The one I have used for a long time now is the AODELAN WTR-2 which is relatively cheap at £60 and has a fantastic range so I can easily take selfies up to 60 meters away and is available for most common makes of cameras.

One final thing to note is that your camera might have a built in Intervalometer which is great as I have this functionality on my Nikons but you need to check the maximum exposure time. You may mind find that this is also limited to just 30 seconds which is very frustrating but on some new models this has been increase but it is still not indefinite and limited.

What is ATTI Mode on a DJI Drone?

It is a scary moment, you are flying your DJI drone and for the first time you get a notification on the display to switch to ATTI mode. Like everything in life it always seems to happen when you least expect it and for me it was while I photographing a shipwreck with the drone over the sea on a relatively windy day.

If you are flying drones then then you need to know and understand the different modes and their effects on your drone. The last thing you need is to be in a situation where your drone is in the air and you are left scratching your head thinking what is ATTI mode?

Don’t worry if you are sensible and have done your research and know what you are doing you will be fine, most importantly keep calm and don’t panic.

What is ATTI Mode?

A DJI drone will automatically switch to ATTI mode short for Attitude mode when the GPS signal is weak , compass experiences interference or the vision systems are unavailable or disabled. Extra caution needs to be taken when flying in this mode especially in confined spaces as the drone cannot position or brake itself and can increase the risk of potential flight hazards due to the lack of obstacle avoidance. This can result in the drone being affected by environmental conditions such as wind causing the drone to drift horizontally.

Drone Preflight Checks

Drones are amazing aircraft with very sophisticated sensors and intelligent software to enable you to fly your device safely but like everything can fail and certainly should never be taken for granted. First steps a pilot should undertake are preflight checks before you send your drone off to your desired location and this will reduce the risk of in flight malfunction.

These are checks immediately before flight and don’t include your due diligence checks that should be performed before you leave for your flight destination such as software updates, restrictions, permissions, route planning and weather etc.

Quick check of aircraft for any sign of damage
Propellers are in good condition, tight and free to rotate.
Check Gimbal covers removed
Check all connections are secure
Power on Handset and any connected devices such as Mobile phone or tablets
Check Battery level and ensure fully charged
Power on Drone and check fully charged
Check signal strength connection to handset
Check GPS Satellite Strength
Check compass correctly calibrated and location indicator is facing the correct way on device application. Rotate drone 90 degrees at a time to ensure locator maintains correct direction.
One final check of surroundings to ensure its clear of any obstacles
Take off and hover and check everything ok then increase height to 15ft and hover for 20 seconds observing correct behaviour.
Rotate drone through full 360 degrees checking Signal strength, Satellite Strength and compass bearing indicator maintains correct direction.
Check controls are responsive in all directions.
Fly to desired destination keeping the drone in line of site at all times, fly sensibly and maintain drone code and rules at all times.
Have fun be sensible!

Drone Storage and transportation

Always keep your drown away from magnetic fields as this can disrupt the drones calibration sensors. Although you will get a warning when you power the drone on you really don’t want to be out in the field and have to recalibrate the IMU if you can help it and run the risk of not doing it correctly. This happened to me when I brought my first set of HD filters which came in a nice plastic case so I naturally put it in the carry bag with my Mavic Pro 2 drone for transportation. When I powered it up I had sensor calibration errors and couldn’t figure out why until I realised that the filter case had a nice powerful magnetic catch which upset the IMU calibration. It is a very simple mistake to make and one I don’t see mentioned often and to be aware of.

To calibrate the IMU in the DJI GO 4 app, go to settings > Main Controller Settings > Home Point Settings > Sensors > IMU > Calibrate

DJI Settings you should understand

These are not just specific to ATTI mode but I feel it best to mention them here and these are a couple of settings to be aware of that may help you and prevent potential disasters and fly aways.

Compass Calibration

There always seems to be confusion over compass calibration with some people calibrating before every flight and others saying they rarely if ever calibrate their compass unless instructed to do so by the DJI App. I personally like to follow DJI guidelines and because I spend most of my time travelling large distances to and from my destination I do tend to calibrate it before most flights.

The calibration is very simple and just mean you have to do a merry little dance spinning on the spot rotating the drone.

Here is what DJI say about calibration:

To calibrate the compass in the DJI GO 4 app, go to settings > Main Controller Settings > Home Point Settings > Sensors > Compass > Calibrate

Ensure the home point is set correctly

As tempting as it always is to start flying your drone round to try and catch the last fleeting light or epic shot ALWAYS take the time to check your home point is set to your location correctly. The last thing you need is for it to be set incorrectly over a sea or lake. To add to this while your drone is in flight periodically check your home position to check that it hasn’t been updated incorrectly for any reason especially before you hit the RTH button.

If you are on the move such as on a boat or like I do sometimes climbing a mountain then you can set the home location to your RC. This is in an important setting to check before you take off if you are in the habit of changing back and forth between home point settings between take off and RC positions to ensure you know what your drone is doing.

To manually update the home point in the DJI GO 4 app, go to settings > Main Controller Settings > Advanced Settings >

RC lost signal instruction

You can give your drone preset instruction on what to do in the event you ever lose signal and your aircraft disconnects from the controller. You have 3 options: Return to home (RTH), Land and Hover.

These are options that need to be thought about when flying your drone for instance you don’t want it to land if flying over water.

To do this, go to settings > Main Controller Settings > Advanced Settings > Remote Controller Signal Lost > Return-To-Home

Set correct RTH Altitude

This setting is often overlooked and I am as guilty as anyone but one you need to check before you fly your drone. Sometimes I will be using the drone for photography in a forest where it is under a dense tree canopy and the last thing I need is for my drone to RTH and all of a sudden gain altitude to my preset value and crash into the tree canopy.

To set the RTH altitude in the DJI GO 4 app, go to settings > Main Controller Settings > Return-To-Home Altitude

DJI Firmware Updates

I can’t stress this enough and that is always always update your drone firmware if required before you fly your aircraft. My big tip for this is to power on your drone before your leave home and do a quick check for any firmware updates.

There is nothing more frustrating than driving to a destination powering up your drone to get some epic footage to just get the firmware update message pop up which always seems to happen when you have little to no signal. With poor data signal this can take a long time and then you have either missed your shot or depleted most of a battery while it is just sitting there trying to update.

It takes a few minutes before you leave home so make it common practice and save yourself a lot of time and frustration!

DJI Inconsistent Firmware Found Message

If you get this then don’t panic just slide the slider across to update I find this usually happens when you update your drone but do not check your spare batteries. Many people don’t realise that it is not just the drone itself and controller that have firmware updates but also batteries and is so easily overlooked.

Always keep your eye on what is being updated when performing these firmware updates to see if there is anything for the batteries and if there are then you will need to power off the drone swap out the batteries and carry out the update for each one. Once complete this should fix the Inconsistent Firmware Message but power everything off and check to make sure.

Never fly your drone requiring firmware updates or ignoring Inconsistent Firmware messages, if you do then you are asking for trouble they are there for a reason!

Pilot Error

You hear many horror stories about drone failure following a serious malfunction but this is very rare, I won’t say it doesn’t happen but most of the time it is due to pilot error and if you follow the above simple steps you will seriously reduce the risk of a flight malfunction.

You can try flying your drone in a forced ATTI mode so you can practice controlling the drone under these conditions in a safe environment but extreme caution needs to be taken. Not all drones can be switched to ATTI mode so you will need to check if it is possible on your specific drone.

Happy flying and most of all follow the drone code, think and be sensible!

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