Delete the Bad Ones

Ultimately, when you are taking a lot of photos, there are going to be some shots that are not good. Perhaps areas are out of photos, you missed the action or simply the lighting is not right. Either way, you have to be ruthless and go through your images. Delete the ones you do not like before you get to editing After all, editing can take a while and it is going to take even longer if you are editing some that you do not plan to use.

Speedy Photo Editing – Choose Your Favorites

 When you are going through the images, you are going to find ones that stand out. Well, you want to be able to find these ones quickly later on so that you can look at them in more depth and edit them to use. So, flag them so that you are able to find them. You will thank yourself later for doing this and it will make it so much easier when you are selecting images to use. Try to think about the quality of the image and the subject, as well as if you like the colors and style.

Learn About the Software

Before you take on the task of editing all of your photos, you need to make sure that you know the editing software. While you might want to rush and get started, take some time to know all about the software you are using if you are not familiar. In particular, make sure that you note and learn the keyboard shortcuts. This is going to save you a lot of time later on and make your life a lot easier. In addition, if you have not used the software before, learn how to use it properly so that you can achieve the best results.

Do not forget that you can customize your keyboard shortcuts. So, if you feel like you would be more productive using certain keyboard combinations, this is something that you can do. We all know that editing can become tedious after a while. You want to do everything you can to make the process smooth and simple. This could be to add visual effects, edit the colors or do some cropping. Whatever it is, look for ways to make it easy for yourself when you have to grind.

Speedy Photo Editing – Invest in Hardware

We all know that editing software is not the cheapest. But, it is worth it in the end. You can create the type of content you love and that you know works the best. Well, there are also some more hardware accessories you can invest in to make editing easier. Of course, you want to make sure that you have a high-quality display for your computer. This is going to allow you to see your photos in detail. Then, there are some other accessories you can consider. This can include decks for editing and devices especially for adjusting colors and everything else.

Then, there are the ergonomic adjustments you can make. If you are going to be editing for a long time, this is something you really should consider. When you are comfortable, this is going to allow you to work more efficiently. This includes investing in a good chair or even opting for a fun standing desk. Think about what is going to allow you to feel good and enjoy your editing.

Make Sure You Are Organized

Editing is something that is not an easy task. This is particularly true if you have a lot of photos to get through. So, you have to make sure that you are organized to begin with. This is going to help you stay on track and make the most of your time. For example, you can create to-do lists in order to know what you are working on next. This is also something that can help with motivation when you see you are getting through all of the tasks.

It can help to create a variety of folders. This way, you can keep your photos here and know what you are working on. You can see what you have completed, what you want to edit next and what images you can leave until next time. You can even use things like Photoshop Actions to make your life easier. This means that you can automate some of the editing processes and they can be completed in minutes. It can take the tedious labor out of some photo editing tasks.

The post 4 Tips for a Speedy Photo Editing Workflow appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Wedding Digital Photo Enhancement Services

Average price: $0.20 per photo

Best for Wedding and portrait photography

If you want to improve photos of a particular event with many people like a wedding ceremony, birthday party, graduation, or anniversary, use this service. Here photo retouchers perform such manipulations as color correction, portrait image retouching, stylization, elimination of unnecessary objects, changing, background blurring or retouching, etc. 

These services devote most of their time to color correction. We definitely recommend using the FixThePhoto digital photo enhancement service, besides, they also share some tips on how to improve your photos on their photography blog.

Portrait Photo Enhancement Service

Average price: $5 per photo

Best for Portrait, wedding, and fashion photography

This digital photo enhancement service is very popular among all beginning photographers. If you want to fix dark circles under the eyes of your model, make the skin smooth, hide wrinkles and fix hair, this service is what you need. 

Retouchers pay a lot of attention to skin smoothing. They give your model’s skin tone a natural and clear look and remove all the skin defects.

Architecture Digital Photo Enhancement Services

Average price: $2 per photo

Best for Real estate photography

This service is suitable for photographers who enjoy taking pictures of buildings, sights, private houses, hotels, restaurants, interiors, etc. or real estate agents. 

When you are taking handheld pictures, it’s almost impossible to have straight vertical lines in them. If you use this photo enhancement service, retouchers will edit photos in a way that they will look like they were taken using a tripod. 

Besides, experts can perform HDR image editing and sharpening, add fire to fireplaces, eliminate small objects, and retouch the windows.

Newborn Photo Enhancement Service

Average price: $5 per photo

Best for Newborn, baby photography

Whether you are a newborn photographer or just a parent who loves taking photos of your baby, these digital photo enhancement services might come in handy. Probably everyone who has ever dealt with newborn photography knows that the main problem with such photos is redness on the skin of babies. 

This service easily fixes red skin and also performs skin color and tone adjustment, image color correction, editing of eyes, nose, and cheeks, changing of the background, removing objects, and makes creative photo manipulations.

Magazine Photo Enhancement Service

Average price: $20 per photo

Best for Fashion, portrait photography

This service will be helpful to you if you want to create pictures looking like magazine covers. Retouchers will do a great job in skin blemish smoothening, make-up fixing, hair retouching, and image stylization.

This service is mostly dedicated to working with make-up. Retouchers, who perform photo enhancement here, do it in a few steps. First, they remove skin imperfections and make the eyes of a model more expressive. Then, they highlight or add lashes, fix the eyebrows to make them look accurate, adjust the texture of the lips, and make the make-up more vivid.

Photo Manipulation Service

Average price: $25 per photo

Best for Portrait, baby, wedding, and family photography

These digital photo enhancement services will be suitable for creative photographers and designers. Retouchers can improve any picture by adding an interesting and unique background in Photoshop. Besides, they can turn your photos into sketches, paintings, or cartoons, add special effects, eliminate, add or replace objects, and even perform professional stylization.

Also, they will make facial features of your model symmetric, fix the shape of the body and lines, eliminate skin blemishes and stray hairs. Perhaps, this is the most universal and creative service for editing photos.

Pet Photo Enhancement Service

Average price: $5 per photo

Best for Animal and wildlife photography

This service is for those who love taking pictures of wild animals and pets. Retouchers of this digital photo enhancement service work with different tools and techniques to fix popular mistakes like cleaning dog’s hair, perform professional color grading, eliminate unwanted objects, fix the background and make the eyes of an animal brighter.

Product Photo Enhancement Service

Average price: $2 per photo

Best for Product photography

If you have plenty of product images for your online store, simply refer to online digital photo enhancement services and get photos that are perfect for publication in the catalog. Retouchers offer photo rotation, image resizing, changing the background, and even picture compression.

Food Digital Photo Enhancement Service

Average price: $5 per photo

Best for Food, product photography

When it comes to food photography, it’s important to pay attention to the small things, details of which can make a photo recognizable. For a dish to look delicious, it has to be attractive. That’s why food photographers, Instagram bloggers, chefs, restaurants, cafes, and bars address this photo enhancement service.  Retouchers will change the background, add smoke and shadows, perform color correction, and add a mirror effect.

Background Photo Enhancement Service

Average price: $5 per photo

Best for Portrait, wedding, real estate photography

To ensure that the background perfectly fits the other objects in the composition, many companies provide realistic background enhancement services. They can either remove the background at all or replace it with another one. Also, retouchers can adjust colors, remove particular objects, or blur the background. This service will be also helpful if you need to change the background or add clouds or trees.

Digital Photo Enhancement Services – Photo Restoration

Average price: $50 per photo (medium difficulty level)

Best for Old damaged pictures

Pictures taken a few or more decades ago can be damaged due to natural causes like age, weather, etc. Retouchers will professionally restore the skin texture, eyes, hair and other important details of your photo. Also, they can correct the colors in photos/colorize if necessary.

The post Digital Photo Enhancement Services in 2020 – Top 11 to Look Up To appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Turn Photo into Sketch in Photoshop Using Actions

Using Photoshop actions, you can easily turn any photo into a professional pencil sketch in just a few seconds. Some actions create a black and white drawing while others allow you to colorize the finished work. At the same time, they can be applied to different types of photographs, not only to portraits.

The tools will automatically apply all the necessary adjustments. All you need to do is download the Sketch Photoshop Actions Bundle and install them in the program. After that, you will get a set of settings, brushes, and patterns. 

Furthermore, the tools work with JPG and RAW files, can be installed in all versions of Ps, starting with CS3. 

Step 1. Add Actions in Photoshop

First, launch the download and note down which folder the ATN file was saved to. In the software, find the Actions panel. If it is not immediately visible in your workplace, go to the top Window tab and you will find it in the drop-down list. Alternatively, press the Alt+F9 key combination. 

In the upper right corner of the separate Actions window that just appeared, find the tiny button marked with an inverted triangle next to three horizontal lines. The drop-down menu is where you can load new actions. Recollect where that ATN file is stored and open it to start the upload. 

Step 2. Add Patterns in Photoshop

Add patterns to Photoshop if needed. To do this, select Edit – Presets – Preset Manager. In the last section, select Preset Type – Patterns and click the Load button.

Step 3. Import Brushes

To add new brushes, first select this tool as a working tool. After that click on the triangle near to the active brush image. After that, you need to select the import brushes item and specify the path to the files.

Step 4. Apply Actions to the Photo

Proceed with opening an image you were planning to alter and applying the newly added action to it. The latter action will be performed after you click on the special button at the bottom of the same window that’s shaped like a triangle on aside. 

Step 5. Adjust the Received Effect

The intensity of the effect is standardized but you can make alterations. Those can either be applied to the entire group of layers compiling that action or to the specific ones within it. If you want to work with the group, activate it by clicking the folder button it’s marked with. After that action, you can work on the proper levels of effect intensity and overall layer opacity.

Turn Photo into Sketch in Photoshop – Next Method

The next method will take more time. However, you will have absolute control over each step with the ability to adjust the necessary parameters as you’re setting them. This method allows you to have the fine pencil strokes defining the shapes as well as some smoother shading that is characteristic of a pencil drawing. In case you do not have Photoshop on your PC, we advise you to use the free online sketching photo editor which supports all the following steps of the tutorial. 

Step 1. Open a Photo and Create a Duplicate

Launch the program and open the necessary image in the workplace. You will find the “Open…”  command in the “File” tab. Start with creating a duplicate layer using the Ctrl/Cmd+J key combination.

Step 2. Create a Black & White Layer

That new layer should now be turned monochrome. To do this, use the Ctl/Cmd+Shift+U command. After that repeat the duplicating step from above for this new layer.

Step 3. Apply Inverting

For the top B&W layer, you should apply inversion by calling this action in the Adjustments section of the Image tab. It can be activated faster with the Ctrl/Cmd+I keyboard shortcut.

Step 4. Change the Blending Mode

We advise Color Dodge which is hidden under the default Normal mode, still in the window for layers. The list can be expanded by simply clicking on that name. This will turn everything white but that is the correct part of the process.

Step 5. Use Blur

Going back to the top tabs, select the Blur line of the Filter tab and click on the Gaussian mode there. Wiggle the slider around to find where you start getting those nice thin outlines. That is the main part done.

Step 6. Add Pencil Strokes

After providing you with an outline, many tutorials explaining the ways to convert photo to sketch in Photoshop stop. However, if you want to have that shading which is particular of pencil drawing techniques, group those monochrome layers by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+G while they are all selected. After that, duplicate the resulting group using the command you already know.

Step 7. Apply Blurring

Apply the Gaussian Blur to the primary layer in our freshly made group similar to the way you did it earlier. The shading can be softened or made more intense.

Step 8. Blend Layers in the Group

Working with the whole group, pick the Darken mode to blend the layers. After that, move the opacity slider to get a good effect and make one more duplicate of the group.  Now, activate the top layer in our copy, and cast Gaussian Blur over it again. Keep pulling the slider until the final shading becomes satisfactory.

Step 9. Masking the Effect

Add a black mask by holding the Alt/Option key while you’re clicking on the dedicated mask layer button. 

Now get a brush by pressing the B key, make its edges soft and make sure to paint with pure white but only at 30% of the opacity. Now you can indulge in a fun process of personally adding the shading where the program didn’t. 

Step 10. Sharpen the Pencil Strokes

This step requires a composite layer that can be generated by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Windows) Cmd+Option+Shift+E (Mac) while the top layer selected. 

You should blend it with the rest using the Overlay mode. 

Go to the Filter tab and within the Other sub-item find High Pass. Don’t hesitate to tweak it to obtain the most appealing effect. 

The post How To Turn Photo into Sketch in Photoshop appeared first on DesignWebKit.

But before you decide to take that trip down memory lane, take a quick look at these common photography trends and techniques “Then and Now” to decide if you are really ready to give up that DSLR.

Color Correction and Effects

Concept photo of Adobe Photoshop workspace

Photoshop, or other post-processing software, make a color correction or adding color effects to images as easy as moving sliders in dedicated windows. Adjusting color in film processing is a complex set of steps that include using filters over-developed images to determine the exact color and strength of the cast to adjust (or add), and then adding the correct amount of chemicals in the color filtration enlarger to achieve the desired results. Usually through lots of trial and error.

In both cases, filters can be added to the front of the lens BEFORE the shot is taken to achieve the desired cast. Which means, of course, that you must own and carry the said filters at all times just in case you need them.

Dodge and Burn

Historical photographic enlarger and vintage camera, darkroom equipment, sepia tone

The process of dodging (lightening areas of a photo) or burning (darkening areas of the photo) is again easily achieved using tools from the toolbar in your favorite post-processing software.

In the film, this is done in the darkroom by covering (dodging) or exposing (burning) the area of the image to be affected for longer periods during the print paper exposure. This also means processing the image, identifying the area to adjust, and then creating the exact template to place over the print while exposing the new image.

Exposure in Photography

Speaking of exposure, this is an area today that we often find ourselves using those handy sliders in post-processing (seeing a trend here?). That is, of course, if you didn’t use the histogram display on your DSLR to correct the exposure settings in real-time.

Film cameras don’t come with a histogram. Film shooting means taking readings with a light meter and using the results to manually set shutter speed and aperture. And if you don’t get it correct in-camera, there is always the old doge and burn method described above.

Composites in Photography

Compositing elements in post-processing can be an outlet of creative thinking for so many. And while this takes more advanced post-processing skills, there really is nothing you can’t isolate, copy, overlay, duplicate, remove, or double expose in the finished image if you so choose.

In the film, you have two choices. You can double expose a frame in-camera – with little control over the resulting image, or you can learn to work in the darkroom with tiny cutouts. Basically, it is a matter of cutting out the area of an image you want in the final result, overlaying that template on the print area exposed to the area of the image to expose, and repeating with each element you want in the image – making sure that you correctly control the layering, exposure, and opacity of each object. And if you make a mistake, you start all over again.

Removing Elements

Who hasn’t learned to love Content-Aware Fill in Photoshop? Simply lasso the area to be removed, and then tweak the tool to control how to magically remove it from the image. In the film, the process of composting is done in reverse. A template of the area to remove must be produced and used to hide the element in the final print and then the inverse used to include what you want to be in its place.

White Balance in Photography

Detailed close-up of an old film strip

The correct way to control white balance today is to choose the right setting in the camera, but we don’t always remember to do that. That’s when those white balance adjustment sliders, or even that handy eyedropper control, makes adjusting white balance snap-in post-processing.

In the film, white balance is controlled by the film you use. Film rolls come in daylight balanced or tungsten balance. Using the wrong one will result in the color cast issue mentioned above. You can “trick” daylight film into looking correct by using a daylight-balanced flash for the image, or you can get really familiar with the chemical compounds used in darkroom developing.

Number of Images

Today memory cards are larger and cheaper than ever before. I carry 64GB, 128GB and even 256GB cards on every shoot. Being able to quickly switch cards when traveling, even backing up to portable hard drives and reusing cards, means never running out of capacity for capturing images.

The film comes in 24-36 shots. That’s what a roll of the film gives you. Need more than that, then carry lots, and lots, and lots of rolls of film at all times. Especially if you are taking pictures on an extended trip.

Traveling Photography

Speaking of traveling, a digital camera owner will never think about an x-ray machine. They just do not affect memory cards. Film camera owners must think about x-ray machines. X-ray machines can damage sensitive film by causing all your beautiful images to develop a fog. The airport authority will tell you that anything up to ISO 800 film should be safe going through the machine. But do you want to take the chance? The best bet is to pack (all) your rolls of film in lead-lined film bags just to be safe.

That’s not to say that going old fashioned is always a bad thing, and photography trends are out of the question. Making ourselves slow down, think about all the aspects that go into a shot, and knowing we only have a limited number of attempts to get it right can help to challenge our creativity. And quite possibly make us better photographers – no matter what type of camera we use.

Images copyright Dreamtime Stock Photos.

The post Now vs. Then – A Look at Photography Before the Digital Age appeared first on DesignWebKit.

With competition this steep, there’s really only one way to stand out. You need to be very good at playing this game. You can always decide to simply hire the best possible product photographers for you. They will take a picture of your goods and trust that they’ll do them justice. However, for many industries, that’s all old news. There are countless tutorials available online to get you started. Here are five advantages 3D modelling has over traditional photography.

#5 Representing Something that Doesn’t Exist

The current market is so advanced that we often sell products that don’t even physically exist yet. This is particularly relevant in the tech industry. With so much money being put into designing, the clients need to be sold on it long before it is ready to be distributed. And, so CG is for creating commercials and product images as the products are still being developed. So that people can get a glimpse of what’s to come and decide that they want it right then and there.

The same goes for the construction industry. After all, a new house can’t be sold after it’s built. But clients don’t want to buy blind, and there’s only so much 2D building plans will tell them. To add to that, 3D modelling can actually be used to present something that doesn’t exist anymore. For example, through representing ancient artifacts. In that respect, 3D modelling is incredibly useful. 

#4 It Will Save You Time and Money

You might tend to think that the more modern, more technologically top solution will also be the costlier one. After all, new tech is costlier to make, and the people using it need to have a training to use it.

However, the truth is just the opposite. True, 3D modelling may not be very cheap. But neither is product photography, especially if you want your images to be good in quality. Additionally, with photography, you need to schedule an entire photoshoot, take care of all costs related to lighting, and of reshoots, if anything goes wrong, etc. This all not only takes away time. It also loses you money, as you need to invest much more of it in the process. 3D modelling is by far the more cost-effective option.

#3 The Perfect Conditions

On a related note, photography can be quite fickle. A lot of the end result depends on external factors, such as lighting, weather, etc. A single cloud can completely ruin a photo. And with no way to reliably fix that later on, you pretty much either have to bow your head before the whims of fate, or schedule reshoots. It, as we’ve previously established, will cost you more money.

With 3D modelling, the lighting is exactly what you want it to be. The backdrop perfectly compliments your project, and in general, you decide every little aspect of your product’s presentation. With most modern 3D models looking so photorealistic they’re indistinguishable from the real deal. It’s the ideal way to present a product.

#2 Freedom of Modification

Another big advantage 3D models have over traditional photography is that they’re a bit more interactive. With a photo, once it’s taken, it’s done. Of course, there’s post-production. You can change filters and modify various aspects of the photo. But in general, you have a photograph that’s a direct representation of the photographed object.

At the same time, with 3D models, you can change pretty much everything. This is great for when you have one product with several color variants. For example, as you can easily modify the 3D model with different textures, which the client can later pick from a box. That’s one step forward in making the entire shopping process much more hands-on. One step forward and we’re in the realm of VR – though perhaps online shopping isn’t quite there yet.

#1 More Interactivity

The interactivity doesn’t stop there. Since you’re working with a full 3D model instead of a flat image, you can make it so that the client can zoom in on it, rotate it, etc. This is a similar effect to what can be achieved through 360 photography. But 3D models are just as good, cost less, and have even fewer limitations than that.

Additionally, if you offer the option for your clients to design the look of their product, they can see the changes happen in real-time and see every minute change from every angle. And none of this comes at the cost of ease of use.

Before You Make the Jump

We’ve hyped up 3D modelling. However, that’s not to say there is no merit to traditional photography in this day and age. Yes, most major companies, such as IKEA, have allegedly moved on entirely to 3D models. But if you work in the fashion industry, photography is still the absolute champion of capturing the fine details of fabrics.

With 3D models still needing work in that regard. Not to mention if you want to present your works on a model. 3D models won’t do you much good because it is still incredibly difficult to convincingly render a human body. If you want to use landscapes in your advertising, it’s the same.

Still, when it comes to individual objects and interiors, you can’t go wrong with 3D modelling. It’s the forward-thinking solution we need in this day and age to give your clients exactly what they need.

The post The 5 Biggest Advantages of 3D Modelling appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Facebook is not the best solution to store your images; that’s why numerous useful websites can help you to store, organize, share, and edit photos. The sites we collected here will make your life much easier by automatically photo upload, cloud storage, group photo sharing, and other amazing features. Just scroll down and choose what website suits your needs the most. Besides these, you should also look into service scheduling software to help you book clients easier.

1. Photo Sharing Websites – 500PX

Since 2009 this website encourages users to upload their best photography works. 500PX is a great place to find inspiration, gain exposure for your photographs, and connect with other photographers. This website works in the following way: when you upload a photo, it gets 24 hours to gain popularity.

Other website members like and comment on the photo. The more ‘likes’ you get, obviously, the more popularity your image gain. If your photo does not gain enough ‘likes’, it will be buried under thousands of other images. Moreover, you can get your pictures in front of a million buyers on 500PX and earn money.

2. Photo Sharing Websites – Flickr

Flickr is one of the most popular and old photo-sharing websites out there. A photographer can benefit from uploading photos on Flickr because they have an active community of photographers from all over the globe. Once you upload a photo on your profile, you can share it with different groups, such as macro photography, street photography, portraits, and so on.

They have photographers of all levels of expertise which makes it easier for newbie photographers to stand out. If you are just learning to master the exposure and move past the auto mode, Flick can be a high starting point for you. For $50 per year, you can upload an unlimited number of photos on Flick and use many other features.

3. Photo Sharing Websites – Dropbox

You might have heard about Dropbox already, cloud storage from Google. You can store all sorts of files there, including images. It has a convenient feature that allows you to share any file or folder with a link.

Besides, there is a powerful mobile application that can be used to share, upload, and organize your files from your smartphone. You can make any data available for offline use when you have no internet access.

4. WeTransfer

Wetransfer is an instant photo-sharing website that allows you to send photos or other files up to 2GB for free. It’s the fastest way to share files with people around the world.

Wetransfer works pretty simply: you upload the file you want to send, enter your email address and email address of the receiver. After you send files, a receiver gets an email with an upload link. The files are stored on Wetransfer for a week, and then the link expired. For $12 per month, you can send up to 20GB of data.

5. Photo Sharing Websites – Unsplash

Unsplash is a free stock photo website with beautiful images donated by professional photographers. It deserves a spot in this collection because you can download, distribute, and use for commercial purposes these photos without attribution required.

Photographers hope to get noticed or hired through Unsplash. If you open any photo here, you see thousands of downloads. Over 35 million people visit this website every month. Unsplash is one of the best photo-sharing websites because they feature only beautiful, creative, high-quality images. Besides, big fish such as Apple use Unsplash pictures on their campaigns.

6. Photo Sharing Websites – Imgur

Imgur is the best solution if you want to upload photos or animated GIFs without losing quality. It’s favorite free image hosting site for Reddit users.

There is no need to sign up for an account; you can still upload photos there in no time. You can upload an image there and share anywhere on the web using just a link. And, Imgur has a handy mobile app.

7. Photo Sharing Websites – Instagram

Instagram is a well-known, mobile photo-sharing app. Due to statistics, 1 billion users use Instagram every month, and over 100 million posts are shared there per day. It is a massive platform for photographers who want to promote themselves. There are some cool filters that allow you to edit a photo before publication instantly.

You can also use Instagram Stories to share everyday life moments that will disappear in 24 hours. Instagram is a perfect place to share and view photos of other people around the world.

8. Google Photos

Google Photos is one of the best photo storage websites that will automatically back up every photo you take. If you already have a Google account, you can set up Google Photos profile in seconds. It provides you unlimited storage for smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras. Access it on the web or download their handy mobile app.

You can also use Google Photos to edit and organize them by people/places/things. It learns about your photo habits and can do some manual work for you with time.

9. Free Image Hosting

Free Image Hosting is another great site for photo sharing. This website is very similar to Imgur but without a modern layout and hyperlink shortener. At the same time, you can upload any photo on Free Image Hosting and get a short HTML code so that you can share your photo online.

For example, you can use it on blogs. You don’t need to create an account to upload a photo, but the most significant disadvantage is huge ads all over the site.

10. Photo Sharing Websites – 1x.com

After uploading your photo on this photo-sharing website 1x.com, it will be approved or disapproved by a group of professional photographers. Their standards are so high that about 95% of all images are rejected. However, if your photo was published on 1x.com it is great for your portfolio and self-promotion.

Many photographers do not like this website because their images were rejected there numerous times. You can also sell your photos on 1x.com as prints, and you’ll get 50% of the price, and the other half will go to the website.

11. Photo Sharing Websites – Exposure

Create amazing stories and albums with your photos using Exposure. It shows images in an interactive showcase that makes it interesting to see and show to your clients or friends. With different features, you can add text, maps, photos, and even embed videos from Youtube.

Exposure features a clean, minimalist interface design. Use Exposure for business to create a logo, choose a color palette, and see third-party analytics. They also offer Exposure to Sports that allows you to create beautiful, inspiring sports stories for your team and fans.

12. Zenfolio

Zenfolio is an e-commerce platform that allows photographers to organize, share, and sell their images. You can use their templates to create a portfolio in a matter of a click, and then upload your own photography to it.

Create a mobile-friendly, SEO-optimized website and upload as many images to it as you want. Besides, you can also create a blog with your pictures and add text there.

13. Photo Sharing Websites – Behance

Behance is a social media website for creatives from all industries, from photographers to designers and artists. It could be a perfect place to promote your work and allow other users to discover you.

Go to the Photography category on Behance and share your creative work. You can also browse photos of others using the following sections: photojournalism, retouching, and photography. Use Behance to get inspired, share your work, get feedback, and collaborate on projects with other creatives.

14. Photo Sharing Websites – Cluster

Cluster is an excellent solution if you need to share photos with a group of people. For example, you can use Cluster to share images from a party with friends or deliver pictures to your clients. Members can download photos in original file size on a computer or mobile.

As an owner of an album, you can adjust the permissions of every member of the group. Moreover, privacy is one of the best features of the Cluster. You share an album with a person via email and only someone with a link can access this folder.

15. ImageShack

ImageShack is an ideal solution for those of you who are looking for unlimited storage for your photography. It gives you 10GB of space per month free. Don’t hesitate to organize your images and create albums. Share these albums with your clients when you need to deliver photos after a photo shoot.

ImageShack has a minimalist, user-friendly interface similar to Pinterest. You can upgrade your account to Basic for $3.99 per month and get unlimited storage space. Besides, with a paid plan, you can link directly to a photo.

The post 15 Photo Sharing Websites to Store and Promote Your Images Online appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Stock Photography Trends: Hard Lighting

The idea of matching solid-coloured backgrounds with bright hard lighting is an upcoming stock photography trend that is hard to ignore. This trend is bound to increase in popularity as it highlights the simplicity, authenticity, and positivity of the subject in focus. A cursory look at clothing posters and catalogs in department stores reveals that hard lighting will continue to be universally accepted into the future. Stock photos with these features will continue to be in demand. It is due to the clean and solid backgrounds which allow the customized use of things like logos and content.

Stock Photography Trends: The Need for Creativity will Rival Authenticity

Although the need for authentic photos will probably remain unaffected, there is a notable increasing trend in stock photography. Fresh and creative ideas are certainly becoming indispensable. An increasing number of photographers already understand this. Moreover, they are using natural settings and incorporate real people and real emotions. Additionally, more photographers will continue to use apps to edit photos and retouch images to achieve more creativity. Click more info to learn more about being more creative with photo editing applications.

Stock Photography Trends: Images that Arouse a Sense of Strength and Freedom will be in Greater Demand

Let’s go ahead into the future. Images that hold an air of magical realism with the intrinsic beauty of ambience and models will gain precedence. Photos with dreamy backlight and warm undertone will become more popular with business owners and photographers.

Latest Photography Trends: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality will Radically Transform Image Post-production

In the age of AR and VR, the technology still lacks the ability to copy how photographers compose pictures. The fact that individual personalities are different means that each photographer bears the responsibility of using their intuition when taking shots. Major changes in technology influence how we work and live. Unravelling the secrets behind stock photography trends is a daunting challenge in stock photography. From model, background, and lighting, virtually all aspects of a picture can be changed. And they can be changed to desired specifications or needs using virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. In the future, AR and VR will radically transform the post-production aspects of image production.

Current Trends In Photography: Drone-Enabled Aerial Photos

Drone imagery is increasingly becoming the order of the day. There is a growing demand for stunning aerial clips and photography. To capture aerial clips and sell them certain local commercial licensing requirements might be applicable. So it is always advisable to confirm any restrictions before proceeding. Nevertheless, all the leading stock photo agencies will continue to demand great aerial stock photos.

New Photography Trends: Lifestyle

Lifestyle and travel photography have long been dominant in the stock photos arena. Demand has radically increased in the internet and digital eras. In the not so distant past, there was a need for picture-perfect models dressed in high-end designer outfits in the backdrop of office environments. Nonetheless, there has been a notable shift towards more realistic lifestyle shots. Busy messy offices, workers in some dirty dungarees, and normal individuals rather than fancy supermodels. Additionally, there is a growing demand for models from the LGBT community. What is more, there is a greater representation of ethnic or racial minorities. Generally, lifestyle has always been in demand. Now it will continue to be in demand going forward, but there will be certain stock photography trends within the genre.

Stock Photography Trends: Time-Lapse

The demand for time-lapse images has been growing steadily for some time now. This goes hand in hand with the increasing quantity of video content. An ideal time-lapse photo will condense 30 to 60 minutes of coverage into a 10 to 20 seconds video clip that expresses a sense of motion. Producing a time-lapse is often time-consuming. Nevertheless, since they are usually sold as a video they tend to command higher commissions.

Besides time-lapse, hyper-lapse is another form whereby the camera moves through a setting as the shots are taken. Hyper-lapse is more difficult to achieve because any significant inconsistency from the fixed path will be unsteady in the clip. Nonetheless, hyper-lapse can also command an attractive commission.

New Photography Trends: 360-Degree Images

This is a notable trend on the verge of becoming really massive. A couple of stock agencies have realized the appeal and potential of this trend. They have started tapping into this upcoming demand. Many others have yet to go with the flow. The technology is currently in its early stages in terms of cameras and virtual reality headsets. However, the second generation is not that far away and the cost of 360 –degree cameras is set to come down significantly. In fact, this will probably be the next big thing when it comes to stock photography.

Latest Photography Trends: Cosmic Universe

The modern space development technologies, pop culture as well as TV and film are creating visual trends based on outer space environments. In particular, ultraviolet colors are increasingly becoming popular. In fact, this tendency we strongly associate with the concept, which usually presents powerful oranges and deep purple tones in fantastic, futuristic imagery. This suggests that the latest developments in technology, especially in virtual reality and augmented reality, will keep influencing stock photography trends.

Stock Photography Trends: Natural Luxury

When it comes to patterns, most stock photography pros will acknowledge that more people become interested in elegant designs with luxury natural elements. This may not be a new trend. It is a minor upgrade from recent stock photography trends that revolved around the natural design. For instance, although marble was a popular pattern in the recent past, it normally includes more earthy and noble elements now, like tree rings. Consequently, the need for natural patterns has been increasing for some time now. It is therefore important to note that marble-inspired visuals are going to be trendy for quite some time.

Current Trends In Photography: New Minimalism

The neat aesthetics of minimalism will continue to change as we move into the future. In particular, they will reinvent minimalism with an array of exciting, vibrant colors. There will also be simple but powerful patterns like neon circles and continuous lines. Not so long ago, minimalism was highly popular, but at that time it concerned white textures with patterns ranging from complex 3D designs to nature-inspired designs. Nonetheless, all the rage about minimalism predominantly was concerning light or white toned. Choosing neon colors might be a matter of choice. Although it is clear that minimalism will be more accepted if the minimalist-styled image can work better with a specific target audience.

Stock Photography Trends: Conceptual Homes Designed for Efficiency, Ecological Sustainability and Health

While this trend has been here for some time now, its popularity is set to increase. More people become concerned about sustainability issues. Some of the top-selling images for interior spaces have had natural materials and tones, along with luxurious architecture and fixtures. Stock photography industry experts predict that the highest demand for images of homes will be for high-end, luxurious home exteriors and interiors. There will be a growing demand for images of conceptual homes with efficiency, ecological sustainability, and health.

Current Trends In Photography: Global Social Movements

This photography trend is normally in the form of a visual representation of the prevailing social or political affairs. They connect people across the globe in activism for common causes. Images that convey messages of highly social topics that cover a variety of sensitive issues will continue to be trendy. The world becomes increasingly interconnected through technology and media.

However, how long the trend will last will depend on the amount of airtime that the media will give to certain social or political issues. Judging from the current situation, socially aware photos or images will be trendy for substantially longer. The topics are likely to change and evolve with time. Any serious stock photographer will want to ensure that they maintain a sensitive eye when making use of such types of images. Additionally, a serious photographer will ensure that they fully understand the position of the target audience.

Final Words

In a nutshell, this compilation is just a shortcut to gaining deeper insights into the stock photography market. For businesses, these are some of the things you should be looking out for when seeking the perfect stock photos for your website, blog, print media, or social media pages.

The post Top Stock Photography Trends to Look out for in the Future appeared first on DesignWebKit.

• • Reasons to opt for the masonry portfolio;
  • Instruments to create the masonry web design (aka a Pinterest grid);
  • Spectacular masonry examples.

How to Create the Masonry Portfolio

The first step in creating the masonry portfolio is to assess your expertise in web design as objectively as possible. Having done that, choose between the following methods:

• Use the drag-and-drop Website builder with the in-built masonry gallery.
• Take advantage of CSS column properties, i.e. column-count and column-gap. Remember that this method will not work for a couple of old browsers. That is why do not forget to apply the jQuery plugins to guarantee better cross-browser compatibility.
• Apply plugins or extensions specifically designed for the masonry portfolio effect. There are quite a few instruments to help you with masonry online, e.g. mp-mansory.js, the jQuery Masonry Image Gallery for WordPress, moesia-masonry-portfolio.php, etc.

Truth be told, only the first method mentioned above will work for both professional web developers and newbies. As a web developer, you can make use of the drag-and-drop website builder with the in-built masonry gallery to optimize your workflow. As a newbie in the web development universe, you will definitely appreciate the chance to drag and drop the masonry grid gallery wherever it seems suitable for you (s. image below). Believe it or not – the website builder from MotoCMS is the safest way to create a masonry gallery without spending a couple of months learning what abbreviations HTML, CSS, JS, etc. stand for.

Reasons to Choose the Masonry Portfolio

The reasons for the popularity of masonry image galleries are numerous. For starters, the masonry web design looks clean and straightforward when it comes to presenting artworks online. As the masonry web design is a direct offspring of the Pinterest esthetics, its main goal is to communicate the idea of visual hierarchy.

Also, the masonry gallery allows you to get a bit more creative with your website design in contrast to standard grids or fixed aspect ratio grids, for that matter. Thanks to the masonry web design, you do not need to align the pictures to the top or crop your imagery into a square, which often compromises the quality of your imagery. Thus, with the masonry grid, your website layout looks more natural and visually attractive.

In addition, the masonry web design will help you demonstrate your achievements in the best light regardless of what field you work in. Photographers, web designers, artists, exterior designers, and even manicurists all get to enjoy the beauty of the masonry image galleries, specifically developed to suit the needs of creative professionals.

Masonry Examples

Now that you know why it makes sense to create the masonry grid and how to create it, let’s have a look at masonry examples.

Oristi – Photographer Portfolio Website Template

The masonry gallery is the first thing your online visitors will notice when coming across your website. Feel free to experiment with the imagery of different styles and color schemes to impress your target audience. To do so, register a free 14-day trial and let Oristi make your artworks recognizable across the globe.

Patheon – Photography WordPress Theme

The potential of the masonry portfolio is obvious in this WordPress theme. As a photographer, you will be able to create the proper visual hierarchy on your Portfolio page within minutes. Customize your masonry gallery easily by picking the type (wide or boxed) and the number of columns (three or four) to demonstrate the real beauty of your projects.

Carnival – Responsive Single Portfolio Template

Carnival is the perfect portfolio for busy creative professionals who are searching for reliable portfolio templates. The dark background and the bright pink buttons make this masonry gallery look both memorable and ambitious. As you can see in the live demo, the color palette of Carnival is developed for photographers who prefer working with achromatic imagery. However, color pictures will also look gorgeous in this portfolio template if arranged properly.

Ultimate – One Page HTML5 Portfolio Template

This template should be your #1 choice if you are not afraid to experiment with different types of masonry grid styles. The traditional three-column masonry will be an excellent idea for websites where you need to add descriptions to your images. Masonry Mixed is what you need if you want to demonstrate the diversity of your projects to the fullest. Finally, Masonry Mixed Full Width is the key to grabbing your online visitors’ attention with one dominant image and a couple of extra pictures.

Optics

Optics is a WordPress theme available in two versions, i.e. free and professional. Both of these versions are equipped with a powerful masonry gallery (as well as a tiled mosaic gallery and a slideshow). However, only the professional version of Optics allows you to modify the fonts and the color scheme of your future website. So, when choosing this WordPress theme for portfolio websites, decide what version of Optics will cater to your needs better.

Centilium Masonry WordPress Theme

Being a child theme of the Centilium theme, this masonry portfolio is a nice example of how you can combine verbal messages and masonry web design. Ideal for fashion bloggers, this template is free. So, you can start experimenting with your layouts the second you download this theme.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, the masonry portfolio is an elegant solution for ambitious website owners. Applicable to various market niches and website types, the masonry gallery looks minimalistic and yet very informative in all sorts of backgrounds and color schemes. So, have a closer look at masonry examples and create your own masonry web design easily!

The post Masonry Portfolio Inspiration – Create Pinterest Grid Style Website appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Free Lightroom Presets for Newborns

Children’s photos need a careful and gentle image post processing, but usually light color correction cannot cope with this, and you have to make adjustments in Photoshop. Thanks to these Lightroom presets for newborn photography, the editing process has become easier. Since they are designed specifically for kids photography. The LR settings will change the photo and improve its quality, for this you need only one click.

Free Film Lightroom Presets

You don’t have to surf the Internet, and pay the film effects for your photos, since all the most popular ones are collected in this bundle. In the set you will find 10 different stylistic top Lightroom presets that will perform all basic image post processing. Lovers of matte photos with a vintage effect will appreciate these automatic effects. They can give make toning, add granularity and contrast.

Free Matte Lightroom Presets

Glossy photos we leave for magazines, because today the trend is a matte effect. It can be achieved in a variety of ways, manually, using various applications or adding the matte effect during photo retouching. To give a special chic, stylish and muted colors these matte presets can. With these matte free Lightroom presets for photography you create a feeling of roughness of the photo and the effect of being printed on the matte paper, which gives some depth and texture to the colors on the picture.

This effect is so common and interesting at the same time that it will suit all styles of photos – weddings, portrait, boudoir, children or event photo sessions.

The post 3 Bundles of Free Lightroom Presets for Photography appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Learning about effective website images will take time and does require some experience. Meanwhile these four tips should help you to jumpstart your efforts and put you on the right track:

Define the purpose of every photo

When you’re snapping a photo for a website, you should have a clear idea of its purpose, i.e. what you intend to use it for. Is it going to be the background, used as part of a specific piece of content, or something else entirely? As you can probably imagine photos will have different requirements for different purposes. TThat is why it is important for you to define it right from the get go. For example, if you are writing about historical topics or are trying to discuss something that happened in the past, it will make sense that you use a service like Evepresent to digitize your photos and then use them for different parts of the website.

Careful the photo’s composition isn’t too ‘busy’

Generally the most effective website photos tend to be those that are relatively clean. These highlight the subject without having too many other elements that distract from it. That is especially the case as photos with a ‘busy’ composition can draw attention away from other important elements on the website, or make it look cluttered.

Use leading lines to direct attention to other elements

In photography leading lines are often used to direct the viewers’ gaze to the subject. That holds true in website images as well, but it can also be applied to direct attention to other elements – possibly even outside the photo itself. For example the leading lines could point to a link or button. If the photo is being used as a background, it could even point towards the navigation or the area where the content titles are located.

Balance resolution with file size

As much as you may want to include tons of high-resolution photos that look amazing on your website, you should keep in mind that the higher the resolution the larger the file size – and the longer it will take your website to load. To add to that there is no point in loading a high-resolution photo. It is going to be displayed in a smaller resolution, as that will waste a lot of space. When deciding on the resolution of your photos it is important to keep this in mind, and balance the resolution with the file size. In such a way it won’t adversely affect your website’s speed.

As much as improving your photography technique can help you to snap better photos for your website, you should also learn how to edit it too. That may be a concern if you have little or no experience, which is why it would be a good idea to give Movavi Photo Editor a try.

Once you download photo editor and launch it you’ll be able to see for yourself how intuitive it is. All it will require is a bit of experimentation on your part. You’ll be able to use Movavi Photo Editor to improve the quality of your photos, remove unwanted objects. Also you will be able to replace the background, apply artistic filters, and much more.

Simply put Movavi Photo Editor will give you full control over how your photos look – which is critical when you intend to use them on a website. It won’t take you longer to familiarize yourself with its features. Once you do you can ensure you end up with the ‘right’ kind of photos for your website.

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