Let Lightroom Pick the Lenses for Your Next Trip

Jetty Sunset, Menemsha, Martha's Vineyard



Female Anhinga Costa Rica

 

Before I headed out on our recent trip to Costa Rica, I was faced with the inevitable question, what photography gear to bring, and more specifically, what lenses to carry along. Over the years I have tended to simplify and lighten my kit, but it’s always difficult to decide what to bring and, more painfully, what to reluctantly leave behind. Fortunately, Lightroom provides some much needed guidance.

 







Lightroom Course

Mormon Barn, Tetons Wyoming

I've been struggling to get ready for my Introduction to Lightroom Course which starts in one week (March 10th). It looks like I will have a fun group. I have been using Lightroom as an essential part of my routine work-flow and, I have become comfortable with the features of the program that are most important for my process, but as usual, preparing to teach a class has introduced me to a mass of new tools and tricks. The challenge will be to cover much of this without confusing the hell out of my poor victims.

Parliament Flame, Budapest, Hungary

Given my time restrictions, I suspect that my next few blogs will be short and, like last week, consumed with the wondrous features of Lightroom. Last week I discussed the program’s Panorama Tool, and this week it is about using the program’s metadata features to help decide what lenses to bring on a shoot or more challenging on a trip from home.

Away From Home
 

Sea Lion Yawn, Galapagos Islands

My goal on longer trips, especially those requiring being jammed into an airplane, is to limit the amount of equipment. Specifically, what lenses will I most likely use. On early trips I solved the problem by packing everything. On our trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2009, I carried my; 24-105mm, 100-400mm, and 16-35mm. Thank goodness I didn’t yet own my 100mm Macro. Still with an extra body, a tripod, a pocket camera and all the necessary accessories my kit was massive and barely made it on the flights. 

Bartolome Peak Galapagos Islands

At Anchor, Galapagos Islands

Over the years I have become aware of the fact that there is some gear that I seldom use and could easily, although painfully,  leave behind. This is where Lightroom proves very educational. Lightroom provides easy access to the pile of information with is held within each image file.  It is all in the Metadata,  including the identity of the lens used for the pictures. Here’s how to get at it.


Lens Metadata
 

Galapagos Lenses

From the Grid view in the Library Module, the Library Filter Bar can be opened by pressing “\”.  Under “Metadata” there are a number of columns of searchable information, usually including “Lens”. If this isn’t visible, it can be selected by left clicking on any of the existing column headers, or a new column can be added by clicking on the small box on the right of any header. Just don’t replace the “Camera” column since you may need that later to narrow your search to just one camera. The lens column shows the number of images taken with each lens within the selected directory. For a quick idea of which lenses you use most often you can start by selecting “All Photographs” in the Catalog, but I was interested in my lens statistics from some of my favorite trips.

For this exercise I selected the directories for the Galapagos, Rockies, Danube, Alaska and Costa Rica. I also looked at one trip to Martha’s Vineyard that was by car and therefore didn’t have the restrictions imposed by plane flight. I didn’t carry all my lenses on every trip, but the results were still interesting.

The Numbers Don't Lie 

The Results

Alaska Lenses

  The results, summarized on a Spread Sheet, were not surprising. They showed that, by far, my most used lenses were my 24-105mm and the 100-400mm. Together I depended on this wide range of coverage 98% of the time. Importantly I used my wide angle or macro lens for only about 2-3% of the shots. Of course I didn’t have these lenses on every trip, but taking the trips individually the 24-105 / 100-400 combination was used between 95-100% of the time. 

Grizzly Fishing, Pavlov Island, Alaska

Breach, Alaska

My minimal use of the other lenses could be attributed to my inherent laziness, but more likely it has to do with the broad range covered by my two favorites pieces of glass. I also try to limit sensor contamination by switching lenses only when it is absolutely necessary.

 



Going Light in Costa Rica


Costa Rican Lenses

I was not surprised by the results of this exercise, but it did make me feel more comfortable about my decision to pack only my 24-105, the 100-400 and my 2x tele-extender on our trip to Costa Rica. I never felt short changed on capabilities and I was pleased that I could carry my gear in my light and capable Rotation  Panorama 180 pack. 

East Chop Light Martha's Vineyard




Martha's Vineyard Lenses

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not listing my Macro and 16-35mm lenses on eBay. These are marvelous tools and I enjoy using them in many situations, but it is good to know that, when necessary, I can go light.

You can learn a lot about your photography from data available in Lightroom’ s metadata screens. In addition to your lens preference you can select from a long list of information including, ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Location, and Keywords.   So get out there and go to school on Lightroom.

Jeffrey Newcomer
partridgebrookreflections.com

Time to Pack Again, Have I learned Nothing!

In a couple of days I'll be heading to Costa Rica and will be

Winter Lodge

shooting all over the country for nearly two weeks. This leads to several obvious challenges. First I have to dig out all my lightweight shirts and shorts, and immediately after this chore Susan will begin pointing out that I have pulled out way too much stuff. Winter trips are always stressful as we leave the house exposed to the worst weather of the year. Fortunately we have a very reliable house sitter, along with her vicious attack dogs, and her Navy Seal boyfriend. I will be publishing this article a few days early and may not be able to get next Sunday's blog on-line. Wi-fi permitting I will try to post some early images, but with any luck you will have your own vacation from my incessant babbling.

Finally, and most importantly there is the weighty matter of deciding what my camera kit should include, and weight is a major issue. On every trip I have to balance the stress on my aging back against the desire to bring everything I will need to fully capture the experience. So here is my current list, but I always tend to throw stuff in at the last minute.

Cameras:
Whenever traveling to a special place that I may never see again, a certain amount of camera redundancy seems in order. I will of course bring my Canon 5D Mark II, but since it doesn't add a great deal of weight I will throw my old 5D body into a different bag as a back-up. The camera body doesn't add much weight, but I will also need to add the different battery's and charger.

SX50 HS

I usually bring a smaller "pocket camera" for when I want to go light or when I am in situations where an obviously expensive camera could be too tempting. For this my Canon SX50 HS should work well especially since it's 24-1200mm super zoom will give me all the reach I may need. And of course more batteries and charger.

• Canon 5D Mark II
• Canon 5D
• Canon 5HS

Lens
The choice of lens is always a struggle, but I want to go as light as possible. On previous trips I have thrown almost everything into the bag. My argument was that a heavy pack would be uncomfortable but not as painful as missing a once in a lifetime shot. My attitude on this has evolved in recent years. Perhaps it is because my back and I are growing older or because I have experienced too my occasions when I have lugged more heavy glass than I could ever use. My choice this time is to go with just two lens. My work horse 24-105mm zoom is an obvious no brainer. It will cover most of what I need. The wide end seems adequate most of the time.  In the past when I brought my 15-35mm, it seldom seemed to leave the bag. Costa Rica is famous for its birds and I must suck it up and bring my massive 100-400mm zoom. But that's IT ... Well maybe I'll add my almost weightless 2x tele extender. 

Ok, there are lots of amazing flowers and foliage, so maybe, if there is room in the suitcase, I may throw in my 100mm Macro. Ahh, stop me before I get out of control!

• 24-105mm
• 100-400mm
• 2x Tele-Extender

?? 100mm Macro

Tripod
Easy, my light Gitzo carbon fiber tripod. I have to remove the head to fit it in my suitcase.

Accessories: (Without which nothing works for long)

• Chargers for IPhones, IPads,  Laptop etc
• Card Reader and Cords
• Lens Cloths, brush
• Filters (At least UVs and Polarizers)
• Extra Batteries & Chargers (Three Cameras, All Different)

Laptop
I would love to go only with my iPad, but I need the computer to allow me to backup images both the computer and an external hard drive. Besides it is fun to review each day's images and if possible post some along the way.


Redundant Memory
On the road my back-up strategy includes first my memory cards. With about 130 gigs of storage, on most trips, I don't have to write over my cards. Second I upload my images to my laptop and with a separate catalog in Lightroom. At the same time I store a back-up copy to my compact portable hard drive. I firmly believe that a image doesn't really exist until it is in three places, kept in 3 different locations.




Packs
I have to find a way to carry all this stuff in a way that does not require checking any crucial pieces for flights. Anyone who read my recent blog knows that I already have way too many bags from which to choose. We will be doing a fair amount of hiking and I've decided to try to go light with my Mindshifter Panorama Rotation Bag. This may be a bit small but I can carry my camera and tele and will have easy access along the trail. I will be packing it tight for a carry-on. I have a nice new messenger bag but will be going back to my old beat-up shoulder bag to drag with me through the jungle.





I think that covers things well, but I traditionally forget at one essential item. Hopefully San Jose will have a camera store. Now back to the cloths and the well deserved Wrath of Susan.

On the Road

Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com

Road Tunes for Photography

 
Hitting the Road
I am a great fan of the photographic road trip. Of course, It is interesting to carefully plan a shoot and settle in to the ideal spot awaiting the perfect moment when the light is at its dramatic best. The results can be spectacular, but for pure photographic adventure, I still prefer to hop into the car with no specific itinerary in mind and head off on a scenic exploration to who knows were. It helps that I live in a corner of New England which is rich with visual opportunities stretching to every possible point on the compass. When I feel the urge to escape all I need to do is grab my camera bag, attach my GPS to the windshield, stick Nellie in the passenger seat and pick a direction. I'm ready to go. Well, almost ready, only one decision remains. What music will I que up?


I wasn't sure how to illustrate a blog about road tunes, so what you're getting is, what else, pictures of roads. 

A discussion of road tunes may seem out of place in a photography blog, but I have found that the choice of music for a photo shoot can be as important as any decision regarding equipment, route or lighting. On routine, non-photographic, driving trips I enjoy listening to the spoken word. Whether it is "Books on Tape", podcasts or "All Things Considered", I find that the conversation works wonderfully to make the driving time slip away, but it all changes when I add the demands of a rolling photo shoot. On driving photo tours I am constantly scanning between the road ahead to the landscape flowing by. I'm looking for anything of interest and beauty as well as following foreground and background element as they continually shift in relation to one another. Of course, my primary focus has to be on safety along the road, but It is a complicated visual dance and the added distraction of trying to follow an involved verbal narrative is just too much to manage.I quickly learned that background music was a much better accompaniment, but what kind of music. The choice of road music will be a very individual matter, and it is worth the effort to assemble your own personal playlist. Selections will undoubtedly range across the broad range of musical genre, although I just can't imagine that anyone would pick gangster rap as an accompaniment for a cruise through New England's bucolic landscapes. Personally, I enjoy listening to rock and jazz, but these musical styles don't seem to work when I am scanning for photographic opportunities.  Perhaps they would be better if I was capturing gritty urban landscapes, but, in the country, I find that I do better with music that floats in the background and doesn't demand my active attention. At best the music should feel like a movie sound track written to match the beauty of my surroundings. The right music blends audio and visual perception to create, all around me, a strong sense of the beauty and drama. Remarkably, I have found that the sounds have a profound effect on how I am able to recognize the way aspects of the natural world interact to create special visual moments.


It never ceases to amaze my old brain that I can store most of my musical library on my iPhone, a device smaller than a pack of cards. With thousands of tracks available, the only struggle is to choose the playlist. I have found that what works best for my photography trips falls into two broad categories.


Classical
Not all classical pieces are supportive of a sense of peaceful observation of the passing splendor, but It is easy to find classical tracks that work well. Bombastic selections, such as the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony don't leave much cognitive space for subtle visual input, but the second movement of the fifth has a perfect pastoral feel. Aaron Copland is one of my favorite "road" composers, especially his Appalachian Spring and the Theme and Variations on Simple Gifts. Other favorites include Mozart, Handel, Vivaldi and Corelli. For some reason the simple, but sweatily evocative adagio from Corelli's "Christmas Concerto" is a special love of mine.



Movie Sound TracksPerhaps because they were written specifically to augment visual presentations, I find many film scores to work well as road accompaniment. Again it is the purely instrumental pieces that allow me to concentrate on the landscapes. Of course John Williams is the acclaimed master of this genre, including his scores for Lincoln and Warhorse. Other favorites include Howard Shore's music for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Randy Edelman's heroic score for Gettysburg. There are many others I could mention, but I'm always looking for more scores to add to my list. Whenever I watch a new movie, I try to notice the background music in search for more road music to add.

 



What I DON'T Play
Once again it is all a matter of individual taste but, even though I may love certain music in other situations, my road playlist does not include jazz, rock, country, most folk and of course rap. Rap is almost as bad as new age, seriously? I want to stay awake on the road.




I have included a short slide show with just a few brief snippets of some of my favorite road tunes. The key is to understand how the right music can augment your ability to make the visual connections that will allow you to recognize and appreciate the beauty that is flowing by. So get your playlist together, saddle up and hit the road.


Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com