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People often hear photographers talk about workflow.  Most of the time this is referencing "digital" workflow or the steps, settings, processing techniques and file cataloging a photographer uses from the time an image is captured until an image is prepared for social media or some other display.  While studying digital workflows and creating one of your own can pay dividends for your own advancement it helps to see how it fits in your overall workflow, or as I refer to it as your creative workflow.  This encompasses the totality of your workflow from the time you start thinking about creating an image, whether shooting an iconic image photographed by many or finding that new composition, to the end when the image is shared through social media, printed, or just enjoyed at home.  

To help photographers discover their own creative workflow I am sharing mine that I have broken down into four phases: Explore, Compose, Capture and Publish.  Below I have listed a brief description of each phase.

Explore - How do you find the places you photograph?  This is something that I get asked often and I usually reply, "by exploring."  The process usually starts long before I head to a location and continues once I arrive.  Explore the websites that give you a good understanding of your composition possibilities.  This means searching images of the place you plan on visiting at 500px, Flickr, or google images.  What does the weather look like?  Explore the weather apps.  When does the sun rise and set?  Where will the sun or moon rise and set?  Apps like PhotoPills (I use it) and Photographer's Ephemeris (I use it) are great apps and allow you to know exactly what to expect when you arrive at your destination. 

Once you arrive you should have a good idea of where and when you want to be to get the image you imagined.  However, don't stop there.  Once at the site be sure to explore the area.  Look behind you.  What's just down the trail or around the bend?  Don't leave without finding another place to photograph.  In fact, you should be "exploring" the entire time - while hiking or driving to your destination, once there and when you are leaving, be on the look out for a new place to photograph.  

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I found Waterholes Canyon while exploring the area using Google maps and search engines

Now, once you are in position determine your composition.....

Compose - Composition may be the most important element of any image.  How you compose an image lets the viewer understand what you are trying to convey with you work.  Easier said than done, composition should be studied and practiced in the field.  What does the image in front of you provide you with to enhance your composition?  Color?  Leading lines?  Texture? Is it time to break the "rules"?  Wide angle?  Telephoto?  Both?  This is where you put your stamp on your images.  Do you convey a certain "look" that fits with the rest of your portfolio?  This will take time to figure out on your own but while you are working on it be sure to study other artists photos that you admire.  The best presentation encompassing the major aspects of composition that I have seen is Jennifer King's " Image Design: Using the Principles of Design to Create Better Images".*  She teaches this at her workshops and on the lecture circuit at photography clubs and conferences.  It is straight forward and covers the most important topics for composition.  Great for beginners and for those looking to refresh their knowledge regarding composition.

20170618_JMS_BRP_0144-234Doughton Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

I found this composition while exploring Doughton Park after I arrived.

Once you have your composition determined it's time to capture that image.....

Capture - Aperture?  Check.  Shutter speed?  Check.  ISO?  Check.  Focus?  Check.  Capture the image the way you imagined.  Here is where you digital workflow kicks in.  Utilize your camera to capture the image you imagined.    It's as simple as that.  Then make sure you get it backed up and saved into your workflow.  Develop the image to your style or liking using the software of your choice or, if you prefer, just use the image straight from the camera.  There is not a right or wrong answer.  Just be happy with the work you produce.

20170221_JMS_DeathValley_441-104Color on the mountain range reflects in the water at Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park

Once I had my composition I waited for the light to strike the mountain tops before capturing this image

Now that you image is complete let's share it with the world (or family and friends).....

Publish - You have just created an image that you have dreamed about.  You explored the area and found your spot.  You determined your composition and when the light was right you captured the image and finally processed it to make the most fantastic image you could imagine.  Now it's time to share!  Creating images can be thrilling but what good are they if they are not shared with others.  Even if it is just with your family or maybe even one other person, sharing your images should be your final goal.  Let the world see what you see and how you see it.  Print the image.  Post the image on social media.  Create a slideshow for family and friends.  Have the image printed on a coffee mug so every morning you remember that time you drank coffee over looking the Grand Canyon.  Provide it to a local charity for use.  Enter it in a contest.  Do something!  Don't let them sit on your hard drive and become obsolete.  Don't.  

And there you have it - a bird's eye view of my creative workflow.  Hope that gets you thinking about your creative workflow.  What's yours?

EXPLORE | COMPOSE | CAPTURE | PUBLISH

*I am a workshop instructor with Jennifer King Photography Workshops

20170414_JMS_SW_AZ_NM_0823-119Waterholes Canyon, Page, AZ

Have you ever heard of Antelope Canyon?  How about Horseshoe Bend or Lake Powell?  If you are a landscape photographer these landmarks are well known and are some of the most photographed areas near Page, Arizona.  What if I asked if you knew about Waterholes Canyon?  Probably not, huh.   I have to admit that when I knew I was heading to Page, Arizona for a night my first thoughts were to photograph Horseshoe Bend in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and either Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon.  Both are jewels of photography near Page and I had hoped to photograph them, especially Antelope Canyon, for some time.  When I started to research the possibility of photographing Antelope canyon I quickly ran into a problem.  See, everyone wants to visit Antelope Canyon, not just me.  I quickly learned that it was going to cost me $140 or more just to photograph the canyon and I would be sharing the area with 100+ of my closest photographer and non-photographer friends.  While I know that Antelope Canyon would be absolutely breathtaking, paying $140 or more was not in my budget.  The expense along with being in a line like Disney World also convinced me not to book the tour.

After some more research I came across some information on Waterholes Canyon, just about 5 miles south of Page.  You needed a Navajo hiking permit that cost $12 and that's it.  You did not need a guide.  It sounded too good to be true.  I had visions that upon my arrival I would find that you get what you pay for and the canyon would be merely a nice hike in an otherwise forgettable place.  Boy, was I wrong!

20170414_JMS_SW_AZ_NM_0840 Wildflowers down in the canyon

At the top and in the canyon wildflowers were in full bloom.  This only added to my excitement.  The scramble down into the canyon was pretty intimidating.  Climbing over a couple of boulders and down loose rock to get to the bottom, while not very hard, was enough to get your heart racing.  But once at the bottom of the canyon, the beauty of the place takes hold.  The reddish-orange Navajo sandstone soared up on either side while a sandy path led in both directions.  When I picked up my hiking pass I also got a map that showed the area open for hiking.  West of the bridge was off limits.  I quickly checked it out to find a car that had crashed into the canyon was blocking the path.  I had also heard that the area requires rappelling so I quickly started my journey east.

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Blooming cacti at the trail head

The canyon is named for the waterholes that form after rain, but since rain had been scarce in the area I did not run into any of them.  The canyon changed from deep slot canyons to open areas and back to deep slot canyons.  At one point you had to climb a ladder to continue.  The ladder was not that steady and could of been a bit taller but luckily I was able to get to the top and continue.  It was coming back down the ladder that was the hard part, but I luckily made it down and was able to continue on my hike.

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iPhone photo of the ladder

Navajo sandstone formations

The best part, aside from the cost difference, about Waterholes versus Antelope canyon was that I only saw four people over two and a half hours.  Four people!  It was absolutely beautiful and more than I imagined.  I hope to get back and explore the area some more but for now I will just remember this great experience. For more of my images from this journey click here.  

NOTE: Make sure you get the hiking pass before going.  It supports the local people and it keeps you from having your car towed from the parking lot.  Also, past the power lines to the east is private property and off limits and requires a guide.  Please don't be "THAT" person and obey the rules so you don't ruin the chance for others to hike this beautiful area!

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Who doesn't like presets?  They can help speed up your workflow.  They can provide endless inspiration.  Or, they can just make processing images fun.  I was recently invited to review Sleeklens' (you can check out their website here) Through the Woods Lightroom presets which are touted on their site as "The Ultimate Workflow for Landscape photography.  Designed to enhance, tone and sharpen your landscape photos in a natural style".   First, let's look at Sleeklens' approach to using presets.  Then I will give my impression on how I used them and any positive or negatives that I found over the last couple of weeks.  And finally, I will give my opinion as to whom the presets are for and whom they are not for.  So let's begin......

THE APPROACH........

When I first visited Sleeklens' website I have to admit I was impressed.  They have a large number of preset bundles for both Lightroom and Photoshop along with templates, a blog and even editing services.  Under the "For Lightroom" tab you find numerous preset bundles for landscape, portrait, newborns, winter, black and white and even night photography.   What really impressed me was the number of tutorials they provide to make sure you learn how to use their system.  When clicking on the Though the Woods bundle you are immediately greeted with what's included, how to install the presets and 6 video tutorials on how to use the presets.  The preset bundles include a number of "all-in-one" presets to get you started but really focus on presets that "stack" on top of the other.  This means that the presets can be added without changing the previously used preset letting you build upon the changes that you have already made to the photo.  I received a zip file with the presets and brushes along with a file on how to install the file and a Through the Woods recipe file showing before and after images with the specific presets and brushes that were used to create the final image.  I quickly installed the presets without a problem on a PC using Windows 10.  

A quick look at the presets showed all-in-one presets starting with the number 0, and the stackable presets labeled 1-6.  Each number of the stackable presets represents the order in which to apply them to help you with your workflow: 1 means to apply first and so on until applying a preset with a 6.  Of course any of the numbers can be skipped or adjusted by using the sliders on the right hand side panel.  The brushes are found in the "Effect" dropbox inside of the brushes panel and are labeled using a descriptive work to describe what they are meant to do.  I found that most of these were true to the description with any of them being able to be adjusted to personal taste using the sliders.

Below is an image that I processed using their stackable presets along with some of their brushes.  I made some slight changes to get the image to my personal taste but overall was quite pleased with the ease of use and effects created using them.

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Before

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After using presets and brushes

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES........

Let's start with the positives:

• Easy to use - no issue here.  The descriptions are pretty straight forward aside from the all-in-one descriptions which seem to be based on feeling rather than actual outcomes

• Great resources:  How to videos and recipe files provide numerous sources on how to use the presets and brushes to get the look that you are hoping for

• Easy to fine tune once applied.  Change the sliders to taste after applying the effect.

• Can speed up your workflow once you know what each preset does (See negatives)

• Loads of inspiration

And now the negatives:

• It may take a while to know what each preset does and to determine which ones match your taste.  I am not sure this is even a negative but some people may think so.

• They cost money.  There are a lot of free presets out there and of course you can always make your own.  However, shelling out a few coins to get such a large library of presets is easily understandable.

Yep, that's it

WHO ARE THEY FOR?

Are they for you?  Maybe.  If you don't like spending time in front of the computer and like the thought of hitting one button then the all-in-one presets will work wonders for you.  Do you prefer to have brushes with descriptive names like Cloudy Sky Definition or Brighten Shadows instead of playing around with the sliders to get the desired effect?  Then the brushes are for you.  Do you like getting inspiration from the endless different possibilities of processing combinations?  Then presets are a great opportunity.  

FINAL THOUGHT

As of this writing the Through the Woods LR presets and brushes are sold for $39.00.  Not bad considering the amount of time it would take someone to come up with that many on their own.  You can find these presets and many others at their website Sleeklens.com.