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How to future-proof your digital images

Peter Townshend — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 10:59:34 +0000

Ensure your photographs stand the test of time with our guide to future-proofing your digital images

There’s no doubt a photograph can be an extremely powerful thing from the moment it is captured, but the addition of time can really add something special. As years go by, even what once seemed like the most mundane of images can become remarkable.

Many of us have enjoyed looking at old photographs, traveling back in time to admire the fashion, laugh at the hairstyles, and romanticize the years gone by. But have you ever considered how future generations will do the same with your photographs?

Since the transition to digital photography, the ever-evolving nature of technology has seen photo storage go through a number of different formats, with those that are replaced quickly becoming forgotten.

For example, even as late as 2010, many photographers could still be found writing their images to DVD-Rs. However, just 12 years later the format is all but obsolete, with disk drives no longer a standard feature on most modern personal computers and the disks themselves useful as little more than coasters in many of today’s homes and offices.

With the decline of printed albums and the possible risk of format obsolescence, it is important to ensure that you have done everything you can to future-proof your digital images so they can be enjoyed in years to come. So what are the key things to consider?

Using the most accessible digital image file format

It is not just hardware that changes – software does too. Updates take place frequently – often automatically – and as software evolves, so do supported file formats.

For example, we have recently seen the introduction of the HEIC file format on Apple devices. This proprietary image file format was introduced with the iOS 11 update and is the only format used by iPhone and iPad cameras operating on that system or later.

This evolution of file types presents two concerns. On one hand, as more are introduced and those that have been superseded become less common, there is a danger the latter could slip into obsolescence.

On the other, new file formats such as HEIC, which has limited support outside Apple’s ecosystem, restrict wider compatibility and could potentially cause problems in the future. For example, while unlikely, there is a possibility that in 50 years’ time Apple may no longer exist.

Learn more: Image file formats: Which is best and how to convert between formats

For this reason, where possible, it is a good idea to save your most treasured photographs in a format that is widely accessible and compatible across hardware to ensure it will stand the test of time.

Most smartphone cameras do not offer the option to choose what file type is used, although it is relatively easy to convert files after taking them using photo-editing software or online converters.

Shooting Raw

If you’re using a mirrorless or DSLR camera, you will have the option to take photos as Raw files in addition to standard JPEGs. This option is also available on more premium compact cameras and an increasing number of smartphones.

As the name suggests, a Raw file contains all image data captured by the camera’s sensor in its entirety, without the usual processing. This data is also typically losslessly compressed or uncompressed, which helps to preserve maximum quality.

The advantage of this is that, by using a Raw file as your starting point, it is possible to create most other image file types with the highest possible quality. For this reason, it is one of the most futureproof image file formats.

That said, even Raw files are susceptible to the unstoppable evolution of the digital world, and camera manufacturers tend to offer different formats from one another, from Canon’s CRW, CR2, and CR3 files to Nikon’s NEF and NRW files and Sony’s ARW, SRF, and SR2 files.

As specific cameras and their corresponding Raw files grow older and less common, there may come a time when photo-editing software simply stops supporting them. In an effort to combat this, Adobe created the DNG format.

What is a DNG file?

A DNG or ‘Digital Negative’ file is an open standard for the Raw file format. It was developed by Adobe and is designed to provide universal compatibility across hardware and software providers.

Not only does this make DNG files future-proof but they are also smaller, so they take up less storage space.

While this sounds like the perfect file-storage solution, the problem with DNG files is that they have not enjoyed widespread adoption. While some cameras, such as those manufactured by Leica and Pentax, can write DNG files natively, many still use their own specific Raw file formats.

It is, of course, possible to convert Raw files to DNGs before archiving, but this can be a time-consuming addition to already busy workflows. Nevertheless, many would argue that this is a small price to pay to ensure the most future-proof image file format available.

Employing an effective digital image filing system

A digital image archive is only as good as its filing system. That’s why it is important to ensure that your images are appropriately labeled and arranged in a way that is easily accessible.

What constitutes an easily accessible filing system is entirely dependent on the collection of images and your own personal preference.

A good way to approach it is to start at the end. Consider your future self, searching for an image. How would you begin that search? By date? By location? By genre?

Alternatively, think of a filing system you have used in the past that you have found most intuitive and replicate that.

Another thing to remember is to always attach and preserve accurate metadata to the images you take. This will ensure you always have a reliable record of when, how, and even where each photo was taken (provided your camera supports geolocation and the feature is activated).

Choosing reliable digital image storage

In a study carried out by the Library of Congress into the longevity of information stored on CDs, almost 10% of disks tested failed within 25 years of their manufacture, when subjected to an accelerated aging process designed to simulate this length of time.

Given that the first mainstream digital cameras were released in the late 1980s, it’s startling to consider how many treasured memories are tucked away on disks at the back of cupboards that are in genuine danger of disappearing forever.

For this reason, it is important to ensure your photo storage stays up to date. Below, we offer some ways to ensure yours is as future-proof and dependable as possible.

Cloud storage

Probably the most well-known and convenient form of digital image storage is cloud storage. Cloud storage refers to storage space that is located away from a physical device you own, and accessed via an internet connection.

A big advantage of cloud storage is that, in many cases, it backs up your images in real time, as soon as they appear on your device. This eliminates often tedious periodical manual backups.

Popular cloud storage solutions include Dropbox, Google Drive, SmartFrame, Microsoft OneDrive, and Apple iCloud.

While cloud storage does offer convenience, it is worth remembering that the space is only yours for as long as you can pay the subscription fee.

External hard drive

Another option is to create a backup of your photos on an external hard drive, which can either replace or complement cloud storage. The two most popular forms are solid state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs), and both of these have specific advantages over the other.

While SSDs are the most reliable, they do come at a cost, so many people opt for the more affordable HDD option instead, which comes in a variety of capacities to suit most requirements.

External hard drives are more expensive than cloud storage in the short term, but it is a one-off payment compared to an ongoing subscription. Additionally, they offer the added security of being offline, keeping you in complete control of their whereabouts.

While external hard drives do come with many advantages, remember that they are physical objects – some with moving parts – and are therefore susceptible to wear, damage, and malfunction.

Second backup

A great way to protect yourself against the unexpected loss of your digital image archive is to create a second backup.

One hard drive failure is possible, but the chance of it happening twice is naturally far slimmer.

It is also well worth considering storing the second backup in a different location to the first, as this can protect against burglaries, fire damage, and similar issues.

RAID storage

For the ultimate reliability, consider a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage setup. A RAID device is made up of a number of different individual hard drives that are connected using disk mirroring or disk striping to allow photographers to write their digital images to multiple different hard drives simultaneously.

This setup not only improves performance but also increases fault tolerance to maximize reliability.

Printing

Finally, while the world we live in is becoming increasingly digital, it would be remiss of us not to mention the good old-fashioned photographic print.

Granted, a photographic print does not provide the option to produce high-resolution copies, but it can be a great way to physically back up your memories.

Of course, with the average person taking hundreds, if not thousands of photos a year – and keen photographers likely to take considerably more – most of us will not have the physical storage space to print every photo.

However, by being selective, it is possible to create a collection of your most treasured memories that will last a lifetime, regardless of future advances in digital storage technology. After all, the healthy human eye will always be able to see a printed photograph.

The post How to future-proof your digital images appeared first on SmartFrame.

Image streaming: How it works, why you need it and everything else you need to know

Peter Townshend — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 10:50:01 +0000

Image streaming is set to revolutionize the way we view and publish images online. But how does it work? And what are the benefits? We explain all.

Any new or unfamiliar technology can seem intimidating at first – and image streaming is no exception.
Indeed, just the idea of streaming images might itself seem odd. Why exactly would you want to stream an image? What’s wrong with just uploading a JPEG?

The reality is that image streaming is easy to understand and even easier to use – and the benefits for image owners, publishers, and advertisers are huge.

In this article, we explain everything you need to know about image streaming, and show you how you can make it work for you.

What is image streaming?

Image streaming is a secure and efficient way to publish and display images online.

Instead of uploading individual image files such as JPEGs, PNGs or GIFs directly to a website, images are embedded using a piece of code, much like you would embed a YouTube video.

Can anyone stream images?

Yes, anyone can stream images. All you need to do is set up an account and you’re ready to begin streaming your images securely online.

How does image streaming work?

The first step is to upload your images to a secure, password-protected central server.

Once uploaded, you can generate an embed code that links to a specific image, which can then be pasted into a compatible webpage editor such as WordPress or Weebly.

Embedded images will be displayed publicly much like when uploaded via traditional methods, but with numerous additional features (outlined below).

You can also allow images to be shared by activating embed and social sharing buttons, which appear within the image frame. This enables anyone viewing the image to copy the code and embed it as they wish.

Why is streaming images better than posting JPEGs, GIFs or PNGs?

It’s more secure

The current method of publishing images online leaves them completely unprotected against theft. A simple screenshot, right-click or drag-and-drop action is all it takes for a bad actor to create a copy of your image and redistribute it without your consent (or knowledge).

Worse still, image-scraping bots can crawl your entire website unchecked, downloading every image as they go.

By streaming images, you protect them against the above threats. And as they are all streamed from one place, no matter how many times an image is embedded or viewed, it’s always streamed from a single file for maximum security.

It looks better

Usually, images on websites are static and restricted to low resolutions to ensure the fastest possible loading times.

Image-streaming technology changes this, turning ordinary JPEGs into highly engaging images designed to have maximum impact.

Through features such as full-screen viewing and the ability to zoom in to the finest details, your images become fully interactive. Further integrated options, such as embed buttons and sharing controls, encourage users to share them securely.

Furthermore, because images are streamed rather than permanently uploaded to a site, only the detail that’s required on demand is served. This keeps image delivery efficient and your site light, while still ensuring that users see all the detail they require as they jump to full-screen views and zoom in and out.

It provides you with complete control

The fact that every image is streamed from one location gives you more than just security – it also gives you unprecedented control.

Once uploaded, it’s possible to attach uneditable metadata, captions and attribution to your images, and these stay with the images wherever they’re embedded.

Additionally, it’s possible to view a list of every URL and domain that is displaying your images and block them at your discretion so that they only appear where you want them to.

It also gives you comprehensive analytics

The ability to track where your images are viewed and shared is one of the prime advantages of image streaming over conventional uploading. But an additional benefit of this is that you also gain valuable data on usage.

Detailed image analytics provide you with the opportunity to measure image performance by the number of views, clicks, shares and other engagements. You can also see where these shares take place, view theft attempts and much more.

Can I make money from image streaming?

Absolutely. It’s possible to serve digital advertising into image-streaming windows, which means the more impressions images receive, the more money they stand to make.

In-image advertising works on a contextual basis. It uses a broad set of metadata and artificial intelligence (AI) to read both the contents of an image and the contents of the page on which it’s displayed. Not only does this mean that advertising is always relevant, but it also ensures brand safety for advertisers.
A proportion of the ad revenue generated goes to both the content owner and the content publisher, putting well-deserved dollars back into the hands of those hardest hit by the unsecure nature of the current online image ecosystem.

What are the benefits of image streaming for content owners?

Content owners can be anyone from independent photographers and visual artists through to global news agencies. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, you’ll enjoy the same benefits of image streaming.

Image streaming gives you the peace of mind of knowing that your content is displayed in a high enough resolution to look good across various devices, but protected against theft. It’s also fully tracked and easier to control where your images travel online.

This means you can be completely sure your images are being used as intended, always appearing with your chosen caption and/or credit.

In-image advertising also opens up a new revenue stream for content owners. This new way to monetize images is welcome in a digital imaging landscape where it’s getting harder and harder to make money.

These combined factors give artists, photographers, and other content owners the freedom to distribute their images to a wider audience without the fear of theft or value leakage.

What are the benefits of image streaming for publishers?

Publishers that stream images include anyone who embeds an image on their domain. This could range from an individual blogger to an image library.

Because image streaming allows content owners to monetize their images through advertising, many are happy to make their images available to you for free.

This gives you access to a huge pool of high-quality, free content that would otherwise be subject to usage fees under the traditional restrictive licensing model.

Image streaming also offers your audience a better user experience than with conventional images, with built-in interactive features such as Hyper Zoom, full-screen viewing, and captioning encouraging higher engagement.
However, possibly the best part is that if the images you publish receive enough impressions from your domain, you’ll get a share of the advertising revenue. This means you can earn money simply from embedding an image on your site.

Additionally, image metadata and various AI technologies ensure all ad placements are relevant and contextual, and leading ad-security providers prevent threats from bad ads. This means you can enjoy complete brand protection.

What are the benefits of image streaming for advertisers?

Advertisers keen on taking advantage of image streaming can enjoy a long list of benefits. If you’re looking for high-visibility placement on webpages relevant to your ads, in-image advertising is for you.

Images are often the focal point of any online article or page, so by serving ads over them, you gain premium ad placement.
The ads appear briefly and only occasionally in selected SmartFrames. These are also contextually targeted, which means they work with a webpage’s content and the image on which they are displayed so that they are as relevant as possible.

This also means they don’t require the use of intrusive third-party cookies; considering the current changes in data collection and the effect these will have on personalized ads, this provides a far more logical foundation for a future-proofed ad strategy.
Furthermore, with image streaming, you’re protected from the potential damage caused by badly placed ads. That’s because in-image advertising makes use of AI to check images and webpage content so that your ads are always shown in brand-safe environments.

How do I start streaming images?

Content owners

If you’re a content owner, it’s easy to start streaming your images. Simply go to the SmartFrame registration page, enter your details and follow the instructions.

If you encounter any issues, our extensive Help Center is on hand to provide you with everything you need to know.

Publishers

If you’re a website owner or publisher who wants to stream other people’s images, all you need is an embed code. You can get this by simply clicking on the embed icon – which looks like – within the image window, before copying the code and adding it to your web editor’s HTML or text editor. Take a look at our Embedding guide for more information.

The content owner has to activate the embed option on their streamed images, so if the embed icon isn’t there, the image is not available for free embedding.

In exchange for a free embedded image, the content owner will usually require that contextual ads are served over the images you publish. In order to ensure this happens, you’ll need to add the SmartFrame Publisher ID to your domain’s ads.txt page.

If you don’t have an ads.txt page, you’ll need to create one – here’s how it’s done. This gives our ad partners permission to sell inventory on your behalf. Want to learn more? Here’s everything you need to know about ads.txt.

The post Image streaming: How it works, why you need it and everything else you need to know appeared first on SmartFrame.

10 great ways to get the most out of your photography right now

Matt Golowczynski — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 16:59:30 +0000

Stuck indoors? Can’t travel or photograph what you normally would? Use this time to your advantage and stay creative with these tips.

Right now, we’re living in a very different world to the one we remember a few weeks ago. The coronavirus pandemic has upturned our day-to-day lives and ushered in a range of challenges we probably didn’t think we would ever face.

While it’s easy to become despondent, those of us who suddenly have more time on our hands, or restrictions on our movement (or both), can still do much to keep our spirits high and our photographic passions stoked.

There are many ways in which you can put this time to good use for your photography, from sharpening your editing skills or exploring a new photographic genre to getting the admin and business side of your photography in shape. Here are 10 things to consider.

1. Dive into the world of macro photography

Macro photography is a genre accessible to all photographers, not least because the range of potential subjects is limitless. Just venturing out into your garden may be enough to inspire you to shoot something you never considered to be good photographic material.

A dedicated macro lens will give you the best results, although you don’t strictly need one as there are many other options for those on a tighter budget. These include close-up filters that can be used with existing lenses, and reversing rings that can transform your conventional optics into macro tools for next to nothing (albeit with some limitations). The results from modern smartphones are also now considerably better than they used to be, so don’t necessarily rule these out if you don’t have access to a regular camera.

If you are using a DSLR or mirrorless camera, however, make sure to place it on a sturdy tripod and use your camera’s self-timer option, or a remote release, to prevent the camera from moving during the exposure (which can create image blur). You’ll also probably want to use a moderate aperture rather than a very wide one as depth of field is particularly shallow when shooting close up. But above all else, experiment with new subjects and techniques and see where it ends up taking you.

2. Backup your images

The most basic approach here is to have a secondary hard drive that replicates the contents of your main one. That way, should anything happen to one of the drives, the other will still allow you to access your images. The only drawback is that you need to manually update both as you add images to keep them up to date.

Many photographers will have another duplicate drive that’s kept in a different location, such as an office, garage or a second home. This is a sound idea as it provides additional insurance in the event of a fire, flooding or theft, given that each of these events stand to affect both drives stored in the same location.

A more convenient solution is to have a RAID 1 configuration for your drives. In this setup, you’ll typically have two hard drives within a single enclosure, with the secondary drive mirroring the first. So, if one drive fails for some reason, you’ll still have the other with an up-to-date copy of your images. This does mean, however, that you’ll have less space in total than if you weren’t using RAID 1, given the need for one drive to simply act as a backup for the other.

3. Create your website

If you’ve been putting this one off for some time, ask yourself: what better time than now to put together a new website with all your masterpieces? Whether you never got round to assembling one to begin with, or your existing website is getting stale, now would be a good moment to consider how you want people to see your images and your brand from this point on.

Not had a website before? All you need to do is register for a domain and find a web-hosting service. Popular services such as Wix and Squarespace are compatible with SmartFrame, which means you can easily embed images from your SmartFrame account and keep them protected from theft. If you prefer to use WordPress, you can even download a plugin to instantly convert your images to SmartFrames and show them off with the same protection.

4. Give your camera kit some love

When did you last clean your camera’s sensor? Or update its firmware?

It’s easy to forget about these things – they’re hardly the most exciting tasks. But taking some time to regularly check and clean your equipment, and make sure everything is up to date and working as it ought to be, is a good habit to get into if you want to get the best out of your kit.

Start off by checking the sensor for dust. Your camera may already have an option to clean this away automatically, but a long exposure of a clean, white wall or ceiling at a small aperture may highlight more stubborn spots that may require physical cleaning with a rocket blower or swab.

Viewfinders and LCD screens are magnets for grease and dust, so give these a clean with a microfiber cloth if you have one. Your lenses may also need some attention for the same reason; start with a rocket blower to blast away looser dust particles, before moving to a contact method if you can see the need to do so.

To check whether your camera is running the latest firmware, find this option in your camera’s settings or tools menu, and compare this with the most recent version available on your camera manufacturer’s website. Also consider adding your copyright information to your camera so that it automatically attaches itself to all your images as you capture them.

If you have a relatively modern DSLR, you may also be able to check your lenses are focusing properly and adjust this in camera to compensate for any slight inaccuracies. Guides on how to check and adjust this can be easily found online, although you should consult your camera’s manual first to understand how to do it on your specific camera body.

5. Learn new editing skills

Most of us are probably only using our current image-editing software to a fraction of its full potential. If, like many photographers, you pay a monthly fee for an Adobe CC Photography plan subscription, this will almost certainly be the case.

So why not use this time to learn how to get the most out of it? Between your software manufacturer’s website and blogs through to YouTube and Vimeo, and learning sites like LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com), the internet is bursting with tutorials that guide you through all aspects of your editing software’s capabilities.

This isn’t just about learning new skills either. You may discover easier ways to do something you rely on with some frequency, or ways to integrate different software packages to help speed up your workflow.

6. Look around you for still-life or abstract inspiration

It’s easy to think we need to head somewhere picturesque to capture something unique, but sometimes good subject matter is right in front of us – even at home. Even the most mundane objects can be transformed into works of art with a little experimentation, appropriate lighting and the right camera technique.

The kitchen is an obvious first place to seek inspiration. Cutlery, straws and kitchen utensils like balloon whisks and cheesegraters can all be successfully used to create more abstract works of art. Close-ups of fruits and vegetables can turn everyday patterns and textures into works of art, while playing with sparkling liquids, oils and food coloring can also yield interesting results.

Outside of the kitchen, you could experiment with pencils and folded pieces of paper, stationery or general household objects. Capturing images deliberately out of focus to create more abstract results can also be fruitful, particularly where many colors are involved. Incorporating movement into your images too, be it through a moving subject or camera movement, is a good way to capture something more unique and unrepeatable.

7. Print your work

Many of us don’t have a dedicated photo printer that can produce wall-worthy images, and, as a result, we don’t print our images as often as we ought to. So if you fall into that camp, and your walls could do with something fresh, consider spending this time on getting your best photos ready for display.

You may already have your best images edited but the whole process of ordering prints, deciding on mounts and frames, and working out where you want everything to hang requires time and consideration. Start now and by the time things start to return to normal you may have all the hard work out of the way.

8. Revisit your earliest images

With memory cards and hard drives cheaper than ever, it’s easy to shoot so much that you forget about everywhere you’ve been with your camera. So why not revisit some of your earliest images?

Raw-conversion software has probably moved on some way since you started shooting, and no doubt have your abilities in the digital darkroom, so you could bring something new to images you previously discarded, or maybe even completely forgot about.

9. Spring clean your kit bag

We’ve all got a lens or two we never use, or a flashgun that we’ve called on far less frequently than we imagined we would. So taking this opportunity to re-evaluate your kit bag and trade some unloved items for a new addition or two could make sense.

Even at this time, it’s possible you could gather some quotes for your existing kit to better understand whether it’s worth your while selling an item or two, or even switching camera systems completely.

10. Network and plan ahead

This might seem like an odd time to start networking, but with shoots, shows and other plans either canceled or postponed, opportunities may be there for those willing to seek them out.

Sure, you may not be able to meet with others in person right now, but with more time on their hands, those you might want to contact online may well be more receptive than usual to any ideas or suggestions you may have.

Perhaps you want to get in touch with a photographer whose work you admire? Or grow your professional circle on LinkedIn? If you’re planning on a career move in the near future, updating your CV, LinkedIn profile or website might all be worth your while.

You may want to seek out local photography clubs or photo walks that will resume before long, or learn about galleries and exhibition spaces you haven’t been to before.

You should also consider how you might be able to help others with their own photography. If you’ve developed some skills over time there’ll no doubt be many who could benefit from this in some way – and you never know what opportunities may arise by you doing so.

The post 10 great ways to get the most out of your photography right now appeared first on SmartFrame.

How to attach copyright information to every image you take

Matt Golowczynski — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 10:33:37 +0000

It’s easy to program your camera to add copyright information to all your images, and it takes less than a minute. Here’s how it’s done.

If you publish your images online, or send them to others for some reason, it’s a good idea to append copyright information to them.

While copyright itself is granted as soon as you capture an image, it can be difficult to know who owns the copyright to an image once it has made its way out into the wider world. For that reason, it’s good practice to make sure your name is embedded within the information attached to the file.

Thankfully, the process of doing this is very simple. You just need to set it up once on your camera and you can (largely) forget about it after this point.

This information will attach itself to the metadata of the image. This is information that’s bundled with the image, which usually tells you things like when the image was taken, what the camera settings were, and what camera was used to capture it.

It’s attached to both Raw and JPEG files too, so even if you process your Raw files on more than one occasion, you should retain this information whether you use JPEGs straight out of the camera or images from any Raw files you process.

How to attach copyright details to your photos

The way to attach this information varies between cameras, but this is usually done through an option found within the tools, setup or settings menu. Some cameras mark this menu by a wrench or cog icon.

Many modern Nikon cameras, for example, have this option within the Setup Menu (above), with separate fields for the artist and copyright details. Similarly, Canon users will usually find this option in the Tools menu (identified by a wrench), with the same author’s name and copyright details options as offered by Nikon.

What should you include here?

This means that you can add your website and the current year if you want this to appear in metadata, rather than just your name. Some photographers even add their phone numbers, which gives clients or prospective clients an easy way to contact them.

Should you also add copyright details to your image captions?

Up until now, we’ve been discussing how to add copyright to the metadata of your images, which is only visible if someone chooses to look at this in the file itself. This is different from a caption, which you can include alongside your images wherever they’re displayed. So do you need to add it to both?

It’s certainly a good idea to do so, if only to discourage people from trying to take your images and use them without your permission. While the most effective approach is to combine it with additional security settings such as right-click and drag-and-drop protection, our research shows that making it clear that an image is subject to copyright restrictions is often enough to deter potential thieves.

Forgot to do this before you uploaded your images to SmartFrame?

Fear not – you can add captions and copyright information to any of your SmartFrames, wherever they appear online, very quickly.

To add or edit details for individual images, log into your SmartFrame account and find the image in Images, before clicking on the three dots to the right of it and selecting Update metadata. Fill in the relevant details and, once you’re done, click Save for your changes to take effect.

To change information for all the images within a specific Theme, find your chosen Theme in Themes and click on the small pencil next to its name. Now select Continue, before selecting Caption from the left-hand-side menu and click the Add a Caption control. The caption you enter here will be added to all your SmartFrames within that Theme.

Top tips

If you choose to include the year in your camera’s copyright information, make sure to change it at the start of the new one. Consider setting yourself a reminder to do this on January 1st.
Make sure to delete this information when it comes to selling your camera. It may be erased upon a reset of the camera’s settings, although some cameras retain this information even after you’ve done this, so it’s worth double-checking this has been removed.
It sounds obvious, but make sure that copyright information is set to ‘on’ once you’ve entered this information. Many cameras do not automatically set this to be enabled when you update these details.

The post How to attach copyright information to every image you take appeared first on SmartFrame.

How to fix the keystone effect in your images

Matt Golowczynski — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 11:00:55 +0000

Keystoning, also known as converging verticals, is a common issue that affects images, but one that’s easy to fix. Whether you’re using a computer, a smartphone or a tablet, we show you how to fix converging verticals.

The keystone effect is a type of distortion that affects many images. In photography, it’s usually found when capturing architecture – and it’s often referred to by the term converging verticals, as this is how linear details appear.

So what does this do to images? The effect makes buildings and other structures appear as though they’re falling backwards. You don’t tend to notice this in reality, and even in some images it might not be something you object to, that’s if you realize it at all. But it’s less than ideal when buildings are the main focus in an image – and once you spot it, it’s hard not to notice it.

So why does it happen? Can you avoid it? And how do you fix converging verticals when this affects your images?

Why it happens

Normally, in order to fit an entire building into the frame, we need to angle our cameras or smartphones upwards. This angling makes the bottom of the building closer to the camera’s sensor than the top, and this has the effect of changing the magnification between the two areas, relative to the camera’s sensor.

As the change is gradual, this has the effect of making a building appear increasingly smaller as its height increases – and it’s this that makes it look like it’s tilting backward.

This is more pronounced as you get closer to the subject as you’ll be considerably closer to the bottom of the building than you will be to the top. As you get farther away, the difference diminishes, so the effect becomes less of an issue.

How to avoid converging verticals

If possible, you should try to minimize converging verticals from forming at the time of capture, rather than leaving it to post-production. The benefits extend beyond simple timesaving; the process of rectifying this distorts the image, as you’re essentially stretching part of it, which compromises fine details. Unless you’re planning on enlarging and printing your images, however, you can generally get away with this when using a modern camera with a high-resolution sensor.

Ideally, you would capture a building from an elevated position, with the sensor parallel to the building itself, but being able to get to such a position is rarely possible. One solution is a tilt-shift lens, which is sometimes referred to as a perspective-control lens. This kind of lens allows you to shift the lens’ optical axis relative to the camera’s sensor, which helps you to get more of the building in without the same kind of angling, although these lenses are expensive and somewhat fiddly in use, and really only intended for professional photographers who capture these kinds of subjects with some frequency.

If you have a standard wide-angle lens, you can try to position your camera parallel to the building and zoom out so that you capture it in its entirety, before cropping away the unwanted parts of the scene using software or your phone, or even your camera. Incidentally, some cameras offer perspective correction as part of their post-capture correction options.

If you do end up capturing an image with significant keystoning and you’d like to remove this, the process is fairly simple.

How to fix the keystone effect using Photoshop

Software programs have long offered tools for fixing issues with perspective, and these can be used to correct images in a matter of seconds.

Adobe Photoshop users can do this by clicking on Edit > Transform > Perspective, creating a new layer beforehand if the option is initially not available. Then it’s simply a case of dragging one of the top corners outwards until the image appears to be sufficiently corrected, as in the example below.

Users of Adobe’s Lightroom and Camera Raw programs can use sliders for vertical and horizontal corrections instead. In Lightroom these are found in the Develop Module under Lens Corrections > Manual, while Camera Raw users can access these within the Transform Tool palette.

How to fix the keystone effect with your phone or tablet

There may be a specific app that you like to use to process your photos on your smartphone or tablet, although the default suite of editing options in the native camera apps of many modern smartphones typically give you the control you need to make the necessary changes.

Here, for example, we’ve not needed to go beyond the standard Gallery app on a Samsung Galaxy S10+. We just found the image we wanted to process, clicked on the pencil icon that allows you to start editing your image, and found the tool to correct perspective, which is the second one down next to the photo.

Now it’s just a case of selecting vertical rather than horizontal correction and shifting the slider until the scene looks sufficiently corrected.

How much is too much?

It’s tempting to apply this correction up to the point where the building in the scene appears to be completely parallel, but this can result in the image looking very obviously corrected. As a general rule, it’s best to apply this correction until you’re almost at that point, as this will look more natural.

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