Using Smart Collections in Adobe Lightroom
At this time of year many photographers are looking back on the work they did in the previous 12 months. A retrospective view. A year in review. An assessment. Whatever you decide to call it, it can actually be a tedious enough process just finding your best 10 in amongst thousands and thousands of photographs. Don't get me wrong though, this exercise is worth it's weight in gold as you can really gain some perspective on where you were at the start of the year and where you are now, as a photographer. It can often be a real eye opener to see in what ways you've improved and in what ways you've changed your style. After all, we're always evolving and adapting as photographers and therefore the photographs we produce are inevitably going to change as we grow.
Luckily for us though, this deeply rewarding (yet tedious) process can be made much easier now that we're in the digital era. We're fortunate to have software that can stores tags and meta data. It can order and time stamp our photographs, making sorting and filtering through them all and finding the photographs we're most proud of that much easier.
That is...if you know how to use the software you have.
Many people see Adobe Lightroom as a simple piece of software with a couple of sliders. Trust me, it's much more than that. It has brushes, a simple cloning tool, it's amazing at organizing photographs and preparing photographs for printing. It does nearly all a photographer could ask for.
Today, I want to help you to find your top 10 photographs from the previous year. To do this we'll be taking a look at Adobe Lightroom's Smart Collection feature, Target Collections and a few basic rules to set these up.
So, if you've been putting off doing a review of the year that has just passed us by have a watch of this video and the re-assess whether you think you have the time or not.
Grab a coffee, press play on the video below and enjoy!
If you have a Lightroom tip you would like to share, or even a question about Lightroom please do post your comments below, or contact me at michae@rammellphotography.com
Thanks for watching.
Check out Other Lightroom VIdeos here
How to Create a Black & White Smart Collection in Adobe Lightroom - Black and White Challenge
Have you been nominated for the Black and White challenge? You know the one: someone posts a Black & White photograph to a Social Media site and then they nominate you to then post one black and white photograph each day for 5 days? You have? Excellent! Then this may help you out with that challenge.
Did you know you can actually setup a Smart Collection in Lightroom so you can view all of your Black and White photographs in one, neat collection? This will make finding all your best Black and White's far easier and participating in this great little challenge so much more fun.
If you're at home or in a place where you can watch a video, then check this out. If not just continue past the video for the instructions laid out with screen grabs:
(Be sure to share links to your 5 Black & White Photographs below!)
- Open Lightroom and then open the Library module:
- Click the 'Collections' view on the left hand side:
- Click on the small + icon on the left hand side and choose 'Create Smart Collection' from the new menu that appears:
- In the new window that appears give your new smart collection a name, such as 'Black and Whites' or 'Mono Only' etc...
- Optional: If you would like to include this inside a collection set, just check that box and choose your collection set. This is handy if you wanted to have sub-collections, for example Black and White's with a 1 star rating etc...
- Next up set the parameters of the smart collection by clicking on 'Rating', then choosing: 'Develop' > 'Treatment' (as shown below):
- Your Smart Collection then should look something like this:
- Click 'Create' and you should now be looking at all of the Black and White's in your Lightroom Library. Presto:
So there you go - a Smart Collection showing just the mono photos in your library! Have a go.
Why not share a link to some of your very own Black and White photographs below in the comments.
![Q&A With Michael Rammell [As featured on Ready Steady Pro]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a9c726e4b020866945fd95/1390497081493-1Z6IZLT8E1244CUHVYS0/rammellphotography-com-1.jpg)
Q&A With Michael Rammell [As featured on Ready Steady Pro]
This post was intiially featured on Ready Steady Pro as part of the Photographer Q&A Series. I took part to share my thoughts on photography, gear lust, learning and networking:
As part of the Ready Steady Pro Q&A Series we ask photographers from all backgrounds, niches and skill levels to answer 5 questions for the blog. This week, we hear from, well...erm..me! Michael Rammell of Rammell Photography & Rammell Studios.
About Michael:
Compared to many I've not been a photographer long at all. I picked up my first 'proper' DSLR back in 2009 and was quickly bitten by the bug, as so many people are. I'm a married man with two children and live in Berkshire in the South East of England. In terms of my photography I'm probably most known for my wedding work. Like so many that make their way into photography I too found my way into weddings some time ago and again became a little obsessed.
I have / am however intentionally moving into the head shot / portrait space at the moment. I'm keen to get back to working with studio lighting and making use of what I consider to be my best skill (aside from using the camera): interacting with people. With head shots and portraits it's more about the relationship between the photographer and the subject - being able to 'extract' that expression from the person you're photographing. It's that process more than anything that I enjoy the most, so when you mix that with making photographs it's heaven for me.
In addition to making photographs I am of course the host of this very show - The Ready Steady Pro Photography Podcast. I started it all back in September 2013 with a few things in mind; firstly - to actually be a podcast 'made in the UK'. So many of the big podcasts out there at the moment are US or Canadian-based and I'm keen to get some representation for the UK photography community on the iTunes and Podcasting stage. Secondly though, and the actual primary focus / intention of this podcast is to help emerging photographers making their way into the industry. Not only helping them make a success of their photography business, but also to help them do things the right way: not underpricing and damaging the industry for example. With my background in business and having fallen down a few holes myself over the past few years I felt I had a lot to share and I knew that there were a lot of people just like me with lots to share as well.
So, that's how the Podcast and the Community on Facebook began! So that's me: Photographer, Father, Podcaster. Oh, I shoot Nature, Wildlife & Landscapes too, but that's for me ;)
Having asked so many other guests these 5 questions, here are my own responses:
Question 1: What's the one single thing that has had the largest positive impact on your photography so far?
I knew when I was coming up with these questions that I wanted to make them the sort of questions that would challenge the photographer to think. I didn't however consider that I'd be answering my own questions at some point...this is a tough one. There are so many things and combinations of things that have contributed in massively positive ways towards my photography and towards my business. If you were asking me what has improved my actual photography though, as in, making photographs, I'd have to say that the one single thing to have improved me the most has been to just give up the gear obsession. It really is that simple.
By not obsessing with gear you free up your mind to focus on the craft. Rather than searching the internet for new lenses and figuring out what I was going to buy next and watching YouTube Reviews of the latest equipment, I instead found myself reading articles on vision, on business, on light, on technique and so much more. I learnt more about photography the moment I gave up this silly obsession with shiny lenses and the latest camera's. Furthermore it saved me money too!
So many 'photographers' have all the gear, but in truth (and we all know this) the thing that separates us from Uncle Bob or the photographer-next-door is our vision and eye for light. WE are the difference. Not the gear. Sure, gear is important. The right lens for the right job and all that, but really, I think I'd be pretty confident to say that I could shoot a wedding or a portrait with less than full professional gear. The reason I say this is because camera's and lenses are all of such a high quality now that you'd be amazed at what you can do with some of the lesser equipment. For example: remember that photograph of the great Muhammed Ali, knocking down Sonny Liston from back in 1965...what gear do you suppose Neil Leifer (the photographer who made the photograph) used for that photograph? He sure didn't have auto focus, or an LCD screen to check out if it was all in the frame. The gear matters very little, you matter more than anything. That has been the biggest revelation to my photography. If you can give up an obsession with gear you will become a photographer unchained.
Question 2: If you could start over again from scratch, what would be the one thing you would do differently?
Despite saying that giving up an obsession with gear was the one biggest thing that has improved my photography, I wouldn't change that, or try to give up the obsession sooner. Sounds ludicrous I know but if I didn't experience that obsession when I did, then perhaps it may have come round when I make more money and eat into my success then. That is a hurdle I had to jump in my own time. But, if I were starting out and were to do something differently, I'd definitely have joined a community, group or society sooner. I'm not talking any old Facebook group with other photographers - I'm talking about a buddy group of sorts with a good combination of social chatter and business-minded talking.
The reason I say this is because I believe that you cannot learn everything through your own experiences. Meaning that just because you've done something or read something does not mean you've learnt something, or learnt it the right or best way. In short - a community of great photographers, business people and friends is a powerful thing.
You can go into these groups, be confident to ask any question you like without fear of ridicule and have plenty of options put on the table for you. This is something I do regularly even today in both the Guild of Photographers community and the Ready Steady Pro Facebook community. Both of these groups are filled with a variety of people at all different stages of their photographic careers. Some have been around for 20+ years, others for a matter of months. The beauty here is that new people always question why things are done the way they are and the old guard, so to speak, can tell you why they aren't done the way they're not done. In the Ready Steady Pro group for example we've got newborn photographers from the North of England to the South, we've got Wedding Photographers from UK, US, Australia and commercial photographers from Singapore. We've got stock photographers, head shot photographers, portrait photographers and so much more. Not only that, this eclectic mix of creatives are a really friendly bunch too. I'll admit I'm not quite sure how it's happened but we've pulled together an amazing group of photographers from all walks of life. It's a group I can no longer live without!
So, join a group, a community or a club. It'll raise your game, question your thinking and be a hell of useful resource if you have questions. Doing this sooner would have made my life in the early days much, much easier!
Question 3: Who is the most influential photographer to you, and why? (Or, Which photographer do you admire the most, and why?)
Another question where I see guests often replying with more than just one photographer. So, I'll do the same. I also have two huge influences on my photographic work:
Jerry Ghionis - Jerry is a master of light, a master of posing, and an astute businessman. For me Jerry has it all as a photographer. Not only can Jerry make amazing photographs no matter what the situation and lighting, he really knows his stuff when it comes to pricing, business models, sales and marketing and more. I've watched so many of Jerry's video's, read interviews and sat through Web Casts on the ICE Society website - never before have I found a photographer to be so engaging and interesting. I simply love everything that Jerry does. Of Jerry's style, I'd call it 'truly unique' (because lets face it not everyone's work is unique at all nowadays) and beautiful. Just really classy photography. Another thing that appeals to me so much about Jerry is his demeanour. He's a real chameleon in that he can really adjust his approach to any situation and client. He can be the calm guy, the lad, the joker and the ladies man. These are all the things you need to be to successfully negotiate a wedding day. More than anything though Jerry's posing is second to none. Just watch him work with a bride and groom or a model. He has an eye for detail that you rarely see on photographers today.
The second photographer would have to be Martin Bailey. A hugely different photographer to Jerry in that Martin doesn't even photograph people. Martin Bailey is a UK-Born Japanese citizen of over 20 years. Martin Photographs Nature & Wildlife and runs photography tours and workshops all over the world including Hokkaido in Japan, Iceland, Kenya, the Antarctic and more. The reason I follow Martin so closely is not only because he is also an amazing photographer, but also because of Martin's technicality. Martin really know's his stuff and can share and teach in a way that is very digestible. Martin runs a photography Podcast that is over 400 episodes old now and I've been through every single episode. As well as shooting, teaching and Podcasting Martin has also written a number of eBooks for Craft & Vision. One of these books is called 'Making the Print', in this Martin reveals some incredible tips and advice that only improves your photography, it also helps you shoot in a way that will improve the end-product print. Martin Bailey is a photographer I trust and believe in when it comes to technology, technique and nature & wildlife photography.
I also have to give a mention to Cliff Mautner, Susan Stripling and Joe Buissink for their work too. I know all of the names I've listed for wedding photographers are pretty much big names in the industry and you've perhaps heard of them all before, but the reason I believe in these people and find them influental is because they're actually out there doing it, they've made it big, they're a success. They're not just shooting weddings at high prices, they're also touring the world and teaching others all about that too. These guys know what they're talking about, they're great at what they do and that's why they're the so called 'big names'.
Question 4: If you able to give just one piece of advice to someone just starting out in their photographic career, what would it be?
I started this blog and this podcast because I've more than one piece of advise to give, so it's hard to choose just one. But, for the sort of person I imagine to be reading this right now and for the person that Ready Steady Pro is aimed at, my one piece of advice would be: "Don't demonise the day job".
Nearly all of the advice out there, especially from the pro's already in the market and the message being delivered by many videos and products is 'Go Pro!'. Whilst I believe that if anyone has the business skills (firstly) and is a great photographer (secondarily) they can go pro, I would advise people to slow down, calm down and don't just jump! There is a plan B you know!
All too easily people can jack in their day jobs today and make a go of being a full time photographer. It's easy to be lead into thinking this with all of the success stories you're seeing on the internet and media. I'm not saying you should not do this, but what I am saying is that you don't have to. You can keep your day job too for now. Many photographers in the industry also have a second source of income, whether it be teaching, online classes or subscription-type services, product endorsements, or...believe it or not...a day job! That's right. With so many people flooding into the photography industry it has become more and more of a saturated market. You have to do more to stand out now. If you're a working photographer times are harder than they've ever been and you may have to take work you'd otherwise prefer not to take. Well why not keep the day job, or go part time. Transition your way into the industry perhaps.
This may sound like a really contrasting bit of advice compared to what you're hearing from the rest of the internet masses, but working for yourself isn't just about making good photographs, it's about cash flow management, diligence, taxes, paperwork, advertising, marketing, sales and a whole lot more. Not to mention that your credit situation changes once you're self employed. If you're looking at a mortgage your situation can be taken into account. Sporadity of work can really hamper the amount banks will lend you. I'm not trying to scare you here, just giving you some facts.
I'm working my way towards full time too, but I am planning my transition to be long-term. Over the course of 5 years starting in 2015 (after my wife has finished her year off on maternity leave). I'd rather do it right.
So, my one piece of advice: Don't demonise the day job. Bide your time, suck it up, keep going to work, earn that regular wage and then enjoy photography and be selective about the work you take, because you can afford to be selective.
Question 5: Paint a picture: What is the one thing / place / person you would love to photograph and why? It can be a person or a moment from history. As part of this answer also tell us about what gear you'd use, what lighting, what looks, wardrobes, poses and expressions you'd make use.
It'd have to be a day of shooting portraits in the most interesting place in the world: London.
I'd setup a portable studio in South Bank. I'd have a two light setup and photograph strangers as they pass. I'd ask them to step into the booth / portable studio type setup that I've got and I'd work through a series of expressions with them. At first I'd imagine many would be nervous & confused, but after a few minutes I think I'd be able to get a really 'cool' picture of them.
I'd take email addresses and send them a link to the page where I'll post all the portraits. Those willing to pay the printing and shipping costs can have a copy of their portraits.
This would be less about the actual end photograph as such and more about the project and the process of photographing and interacting with all of those people. I'd love to get it to 100 / 150 people in a day and then put together a small book.
Anything to Add
Yes! I just want to finish by saying that in an industry such as photography, where everyone is creative, you cannot just be better. You have to be different. Being better is not good enough. You have to have something unique about you and your work. You have to stand out for something, be associated with something, be 'that guy who does that thing' rather than just another great photographer. In truth, there are more great photographers than the world has room for. I'm sure in your local area there are a handful of great photographers. So, be different. Not just better.
On top of that: Join a community, give up obsessing with gear, go to night school, college, university or some other establishment and learn about business. Find a great accountant that knows about taxes. Listen to Podcasts and shoot every day. Be better and be different. Give back to others by paying it forward, be kind to others and help when people need it. If you're kind on the way up, you'll have friends if you find yourself on the way back down...That's the key to success. It's that simple ;)
If you want to know more about me, see my work, or get in touch I'm on pretty much everything on the web:
Personal Work: www.MichaelRammell.com
Wedding Website: www.RammellPhotography.com
Blog: www.ReadySteadyPro.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mikerammell
Twitter: @RammellPhoto / @ReadySteadyPro
Google+: www.plus.google.com/+MichaelRammell
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rammellphoto/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rammellphoto
Don't forget you can also post in the comments section below, or join the fun over in the Ready Steady Pro Facebook Community
Would you like to take part in photography Q&A? Send us an email with your answers to the 5 questions and it could appear on this blog too! More details can be found on the Q&A Page
Better Late Than Never - Our Labour Story
One of the best things about starting this website is that I can write about more than just weddings here. Over on my wedding photography website I felt very much compelled to only post & blog about wedding-related things rather than this...
Better Late Than Never
My wife and I are currently expecting our second child - a boy! We're over the moon because we've already got Zahra, our 2 year old daughter. Having one of each really is a blessing for us; it's what we have always wanted.
Our son (whose name I'll reveal once he's here with us) was actually due to be born back on December 23rd, 2013...but just like our daughter it seems as though he's going to take us all the way overdue. So tomorrow on January 4th we're booked in for our induction to wake our little man from his slumber so he can greet us and the world.
Our children definitely get their lateness from their mother!
Aishah (my wife) and I were talking about our previous labour with Zahra a few weeks back and it occurred to me that her recollection of the events were 'hazy' to say the least. Aishah wasn't sure how long we were in labour for, couldn't remember when the contractions started or how long they lasted for. When we tell our birth story to our friends it's very much a case of:
Me: "No, that isn't what happened"
Aishah: "Yes it was!"
Me: "No it wasn't, we were sent home first and then went back to hospital that evening"
Aishah: "Oh yeah!"
It can be funny at times to hear Aishah recalling her version, but in truth there was quite a lot about the event that she has forgotten. Perhaps Aishah had tried to put it out of her mind and forget about it, labour was quite stressful for Aishah (and I can see why!). She was utterly amazing the entire time. What Aishah went through to give us our daughter is something I thank her for every day.
I also thank her for the sore knuckle that she gave me when she hit me with the metal gas & air valve! (which she also can't remember doing - coincidentally)
But, this got me thinking - I need to document the labour this time around. I need to have a record of events to show what happened at every step.
Mr Rammell
Mrs Rammell
Live Pictures As It All Happens
I'm a member of a couple of professional photography associations and groups and I'd seen a few other members sharing and mentioning that they'd actually been hired to photograph births! It was something I'd never heard of myself. In fact the idea didn't sit well with me at all at first. However the more I thought about it the more I saw the value in the idea: having one of the most intense, intimate and special moments in your life photographed. Why not?
Why Not Indeed! Well, it is extremely intimate for starters and it is obviously something that you can't have done if you're embarrassed about being seen giving birth, but in our situation it's different because I just so happen to be a photographer. So that solves the problem of having someone else we don't know in the room photographing my wife in extreme pain and high on gas & air
I proposed the idea to Aishah and showed her a few of the more 'tame' photographs that I'd seen from other photographers and Aishah liked the idea. So we're going to do it.
The deal is that I won't photograph anything we don't want other people to see and I'll put the camera down when it all really starts to happen. In between contractions I'll make a photograph or two, but when I'm needed to be sworn at or to have my hand crushed: i'll be right beside her...
So How Will It Work?
When we arrive at hospital on January 4th at 10:00am I'll begin documenting everything both on my DSLR and my iPhone. All the details, the room, the contractions, the monitors: everything that will tell the story of our labour and delivery of our son.
I'll be posting the iPhone photographs to a private & secure gallery right here on the website and sharing the details with anyone who wants to keep up to date with the goings-on. Don't worry, you will not see anything 'full on' as per mine and Aishah's agreement. But you'll get a feel for how far along we are, how long we've been going and what state we're both in. It's a little better than frequent text messages to Mum's and family members!
If you want to follow the progress simply sign up below with your email address and I'll send you both the link and the password to the gallery so you can check back frequently throughout the day: