One question I get very regularly is how I take photos on my blog. This post will explain the full process of taking the pictures I use on this blog.
Disclaimer – DO NOT BUY AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA IF WON’T USE IT TO IT’S FULL POTENTIAL (I LEARNT THAT THE HARD WAY)
To start off, I’ll explain how I started. When I was 14, I discovered a hobby called ‘Plane Spotting,’ Which is mainly watching planes take off, land, etc. There are many types of spotter’s, ones that would take photos, collect registrations and some that would just go and see special liveried aircraft. I found it incredibly fascinating and bought a new camera a few weeks after starting in the hobby.
This is when I found out photography can be a VERY expensive hobby.
I first started off with a Canon 7D which is a crop sensor DSLR. I loved it and used it for a majority of the time I was spotting. However, the camera itself was quite old and a few months passed, and a MkII came out, but I didn’t get the MKII I got a 6D. This is when I found out how powerful a camera can be.
I chose the 6D mainly due to the low light capabilities and the sharpness of the picture which proved to be the hardest part of cabin shots.
I also use a GoPro and Sony RX100 for some other shots.
As an example of the low light ability and the sharpness of the 6D, these are 2 of my favorite photo’s I’ve taken.
Top – QF25 Taxiing to departure for Haneda
Bottom – An Emirates A380 departing Dubai for somewhere (they have too many destinations 😉 )
After a few months of spotting, I decided to fly down to Sydney on the weekends and meet new spotters and learn a lot from them. One spotter who is a huge inspiration and help with the photography is my good friend Bernie. Make sure you check out his Instagram and Flickr for some incredible photos.
Anyway…
How do I edit my photos?
I use three programs to edit and enhance my photo’s which are Lightroom, Photoshop and Nik software. You can get both lightroom and photoshop on a plan which cost’s around $10 per month which is well worth it. Nik software is now completely free and is integrated with Lightroom and Photoshop
Lightroom
I use Lightroom for 90% of editing for adjusting white balance, exposure, shadows, and clarity, etc. Lightroom is very easy to use once you get the hang of it. If you would like the preset, I use to edit photo’s very quickly feel free to email me, and I’ll send you the preset.
Photoshop
I don’t use Photoshop much at all. When I do I use it to edit the size of the photo’s and add some sharpening but I leave most of that to Lightroom.
Nik Software
Lastly, I use Nik to do some sharpening, add filters and change different effects if need be. The programs are simple once you get the hang of them.
Bottom Line
Photography can be expensive however very rewarding. The camera doesn’t make the photo, its the person behind the camera.
