Author: Tim Grey

Today’s Question: Given that smartphones are beginning to use some form of image stabilization, do you see any benefit to using a gimbal device for still photography purposes? Since I am leaving more equipment at home these days (especially the tripod), I’m thinking a phone gimbal may be just enough to assist in raw capture.

Tim’s Quick Answer: For still photography in general I don’t consider a gimbal to be necessary for a smartphone. A small tripod (https://bhpho.to/3H5YYuU) can be helpful if you’re capturing long exposures or otherwise want the smartphone in a fixed position.

More Detail: In most situations a gimbal won’t provide a significant advantage for still photography with a smartphone. In most cases shooting handheld is perfectly adequate with a smartphone. In situations where you need more stabilization, such as for long exposures, you can use a small tripod designed for smartphones, such as the Benro Tabletop Tripod (https://bhpho.to/3H5YYuU).

If you capture video with a smartphone, on the other hand, I highly recommend using a gimbal. A good gimbal can provide a dramatic benefit in terms of more stable video.

Unfortunately, I’ve not found a smartphone gimbal that has consistently provided great results without drifting or getting off balance. However, for shooting video I’ve found that the DJI Osmo Pocket (https://bhpho.to/3Hd5xMr) works great either standalone or as a smartphone accessory.

The DJI Osmo Pocket is a stabilized camera employing gimbals, just like the camera mount on drones from DJI. The Osmo Pocket can be used by itself for capturing video (or even still photos). However, it can also be paired with a smartphone so that you use the smartphone’s display to preview your video during capture and configure settings.

I’ve found the DJI Osmo Pocket to be an invaluable video capture device that pairs with my smartphone. I use that for capturing video, and then simply use the smartphone by itself for still photos, adding a small tripod when true stabilization is needed.

Today’s Question: There are two settings which seem to remain in Lightroom Classic that I do not like. The Sharpening and Noise Reduction are always on. I do not like either. Is there a way to make the default for these adjustments to be turned off?

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can change the Lightroom Classic default settings either overall or upon importing photos, but that won’t affect images already in your catalog. For images you’ve already imported you would need to apply a preset in batch to change the adjustment settings.

More Detail: The key to applying different default adjustment settings in Lightroom Classic is to create a preset that includes only the adjustments you want to change from the default values. I recommend starting with a “test” image that you’re not concerned about the adjustments for. Then click the Reset button at the bottom of the right panel in the Develop module so that all adjustments are at their defaults.

You can then adjust the settings for any adjustments you’d like to change the defaults for. In this case, for example, you could set the Amount slider under Sharpening to zero and do the same for the Luminance and Color sliders under Noise Reduction.

When you have applied the desired adjustments, click on the plus (+) button to the right of the Presets heading on the left panel and choose Create Preset from the popup menu. In the New Develop Preset dialog enter a meaningful name in the Preset Name field and choose which group to store the preset in from the Group popup.

Next, turn on the checkboxes only for the adjustments you want included in the preset. In the current example you could click the “Check None” button at the bottom-left of the dialog and then turn on the Detail checkbox, which in turn will turn on the checkboxes for Sharpening, Luminance Noise Reduction, and Color Noise Reduction.

You could then apply this preset to images as they are imported by selecting the preset from the Develop Settings popup in the Apply During Import section of the right panel in the Import dialog. If you want to set the preset as the default for all new images so you don’t have to apply it during import, you can select the preset from the Presets submenu on the Global popup in the Raw Defaults section of the Presets tab in the Preferences dialog.

Both of the above options will only apply the preset you’ve created to new images upon import. If you want to update the settings for existing images you’ll need to apply the preset to those images. You can even apply the preset to all photos in your entire catalog if you want.

To apply the new preset to all existing photos navigate to the “All Photographs” collection in the Catalog section on the left panel in the Library module. In the grid view display make sure the Library Filter bar is set to “None” so all images are displayed. Select all images by choosing Edit > Select All from the menu. Then go to the Quick Develop section on the right panel in the Library module and choose the applicable preset from the Saved Preset popup. That will apply the preset to all selected images, but only applying the adjustments you actually included when you created the preset.

Today’s Question: Which monitor and keyboard would you recommend to work with the new MacBook Pro when at home with your desk setup?

Tim’s Quick Answer: If I were buying a new monitor today it would be the BenQ SW240 (https://bhpho.to/3s9zB79). For a keyboard I prefer the feel of Apple keyboards, and so I use their wireless keyboard that includes the numeric keypad (https://bhpho.to/3BJhOak).

More Detail: As I’ve noted in previous answers, I use a laptop (MacBook Pro, https://bhpho.to/3oJPM91) as my exclusive computer, without using a desktop computer. However, when I’m home I very much prefer to have a configuration that makes my laptop feel like a desktop.

To start with, I prefer to have a larger monitor alongside my laptop. I use the external monitor as my primary display, with my laptop serving as a secondary display to the side. If I were buying a new monitor today it would be the BenQ SW240 (https://bhpho.to/3s9zB79), and I currently use an older model BenQ display. I personally prefer the 24-inch size since I tend to be relatively close to the display. I also favor displays that are as close as possible to covering the full Adobe RGB color space. I prefer a resolution of 1920×1080, but some photographers may prefer a higher-resolution 4K display.

I happen to prefer the feel of Apple’s keyboards, and I prefer a keyboard with a numeric keypad. I therefore use the Apple Magic Keyboard with a numeric keypad (https://bhpho.to/3BJhOak), though there is a smaller model available without the numeric keypad (https://bhpho.to/3Hf4qvw).

I also prefer using a mouse rather than the trackpad build into my laptop, so I use an Apple Magic Mouse 2 (https://bhpho.to/3uydSYn). I supplement the mouse with a Xencelabs Pen Tablet, preferring the medium size with the Quick Keys bundle option (https://bhpho.to/3sbRLW8).

Today’s Question: My laptop is always plugged in to power, but I am wondering if that is causing damage to the battery? I have heard conflicting advice on this – some say it is best to allow the battery to drain down to 20 or 30% then recharge, others say you can leave it plugged in all the time. And is it best to turn the computer off every day – or is it okay to always have it on (but sleeping)?

Tim’s Quick Answer: In general, I recommend allowing a laptop battery to partially discharge once every week or two. I also recommend restarting the computer every couple of weeks, though shutting it down completely is not necessary.

More Detail: Allowing a battery to periodically discharge can help ensure the battery is able to hold a higher level of charge over a longer period of time. I therefore recommend allowing batteries to discharge to a moderately low level at least periodically.

It is understandable that this topic can be a bit confusing. First off, for today’s lithium-based batteries this issue of batteries losing some of their power if they aren’t discharged periodically is not anywhere near as significant an issue as it used to be for older battery technologies such as nickel metal hydride batteries. It is still an issue, however.

Batteries do have a somewhat limited number of charge/discharge cycles before the effectively wear out. However, this is not likely to be a significant issue for most users, as the battery would likely be replaced before this were to become a problem.

The more likely issue is a decrease in total battery capacity if it is not discharged periodically. This is an issue I have faced myself over the years, since I use my laptop primarily as a desktop replacement, and therefore tend to keep it plugged in much more than I should. My wife, on the other hand, almost always works with her laptop not plugged in to power. Over time my laptop battery has the top power level diminished considerably more than my wife’s laptop.

If you make sure to let the laptop battery discharge to a relatively low level (around 20%) every couple of weeks, you’ll help ensure the battery is able to hold a higher level of charge.

Shutting down the computer isn’t necessary, though it can be helpful to restart periodically just to clear out memory that wasn’t released, clear caches, and otherwise give the computer a bit of a reset. I recommend restarting at least every couple of weeks, or more often if the computer doesn’t seem to be performing normally.

Today’s Question: I know you use and recommend Backblaze. The drive that I wish to back is LARGE (8TB). And that is not my only drive. According to their FAQ page, backing up something this size will take MONTHS — perhaps 4-6 months. That is pretty daunting. Is there any alternative? Can you send them a drive, or large portions of the drive rather than uploading via the internet?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The short answer here is “no”, by virtue of the Personal Backup service from Backblaze (https://timgrey.me/cloudbackup) not offering an option other than to back up your data via an internet connection. However, Backblaze does offer their B2 Cloud Storage service at a higher price, and with the option to send your initial data via hard drive.

More Detail: One of the key features of an online backup is that it employs an internet connection to transfer your data to servers so that you have a backup copy of your data in a remote location, wherever those servers may happen to be.

Of course, the fact that this type of backup is an “online” backup means that transferring your data requires an internet connection, and that can require a considerable amount of time depending on both your own internet connection speed and the speed at which the online backup will actually receive the data.

My photos currently consume about 8 terabytes of data, for example. Using the connection speed test from Backblaze (https://www.backblaze.com/speedtest#af9pdk) I found that my data could upload at around 6 Mbps (megabits per second). That would require about four months of upload time to back up all of my photos.

That said, once you’ve completed the initial online backup the later backup updates happen quickly. So, if you backup your photos locally in the meantime, it isn’t a terrible idea to let Backblaze work in the background for an extended period of time until the full online backup is completed.

I should add that Backblaze does offer a service that allows you to have a hard drive sent to you that you transfer data to, then ship the drive back so the files are added to your online storage. But this is only part of their “B2 Cloud Storage” backup option. They require a $3,000 deposit for the hard drive and a $75 shipping fee. With this B2 plan you also pay a price per gigabyte per month rather than a lower flat fee.

For the personal backup solution, the only option is to use an Internet connection, which obviously can be slow. However, I think this is still a good option, even though for many photographers just getting started with Backblaze it will be quite some time before their initial backup is actually completed.

Today’s Question: [In response to the answer from February 15th regarding sharing images for high-resolution displays] What about PPI [pixel per inch resolution]? 1000 pixels measures differently at say 72 PPI than 110 PPI, and our re-sizing applications do ask for both resolution and pixel dimensions.

Tim’s Quick Answer: The pixel per inch (PPI) resolution is only truly applicable when printing an image. For digital sharing only the actual pixel dimensions matter, and the PPI resolution can essentially be ignored.

More Detail: When sharing a photo, you want to be sure that the size of the image is large enough to appear with good quality using the intended output method. Ultimately, all that means is that you need to have enough pixels in the image. The pixel-per-inch (PPI) resolution is effectively irrelevant.

The PPI measurement for resolution is really just a shorthand. Instead of saying that an image is “3,000 by 2,400 pixels” you can say the image is “10-inches by 8-inches at 300 pixels per inch”. The latter is just a method of describing the pixel dimensions in a way that is easier to translate to the final output.

However, the PPI resolution for an image really only applies when the image is being printed. If the image is being shared digitally, all that matters are the pixel dimensions, not the metadata setting that defines the PPI resolution.

For example, if a monitor display features a resolution that is 2,000 pixels across and you resize an image to be 1,000 pixels across, the image will by default be displayed at a size that is half the width of the monitor display. The number of pixels in conjunction with the physical pixel dimensions of the monitor display determines how the size at which the image will be presented.

Obviously, the software being used to display the image could alter the presentation of the image, such as by displaying the image larger or smaller than the actual pixel dimensions call for. But when preparing an image for digital sharing you only need to consider the actual pixel dimensions, not the PPI resolution value stored in metadata.

In fact, even when printing an image, the PPI resolution value is really just a number in metadata. The print quality depends upon having enough pixels in the source image to produce the intended output size based on how the output is being rendered by the printer. If you have enough pixels in the source image for the intended print size, a good quality print will be the result regardless of what the PPI resolution in metadata was set to.

Again, the PPI value really just provides a way to talk about the output size in more real-world terms. Producing output of good quality simply requires enough pixels for that output.

Note, by the way, that today’s question was a follow-up to an answer in a previous edition of the Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter, which you can find here:

https://asktimgrey.com/2022/02/15/high-resolution-sharing/

Today’s Question: How do you feel about photographers who use Photoshop filters or textures heavily on their photos?

Tim’s Quick Answer: While I don’t personally tend to apply a lot of filters, textures, or other creative effects that take a photo beyond the typical appearance of a photo, when these effects are done well they can produce very nice artistic images.

More Detail: I think it can be important to distinguish between a somewhat “normal” interpretation of a photograph and an artistic interpretation that happens to have been created in part from a photographic image. Neither of these is inherently better than the other, they are simply different.

Creating a great image is not necessarily easy. In my view it is especially difficult to create a great image when applying strong filters or textures to a photo. It is very common, in my experience, for a photo with these types of effects to quickly take on an appearance of being over-processed that can detract from the aesthetics of the image.

For photographers who are interested in taking their photos beyond the look of a “normal” photograph I think it is important to have a clear vision for what they are trying to produce. I also think it is important to consider that if you’re using Photoshop filters as the foundation of your creative effects, for example, those filters are relatively limited in number and there is a risk that the image will be perceived as having had filters applied to it rather than being appreciated for the aesthetic of the result.

Of course, ultimately it doesn’t matter what I think about specific ways of creatively interpreting a photo. I’ve seen a great many images that started as a photograph (or multiple photographs) and were transformed into incredible pieces of art. I’ve also seen many images that lacked a creative look in part because common Photoshop filters were applied to them. As with any form of artistic impression, it is up to the artist to decide what they like and what they want to produce, and to create the best art they can and then (hopefully) share their vision with others.

By the way, this question was asked in response to my recent webinar presentation on “The Best Photo Tips I Ever Learned”. You can view a recording of the full presentation here:

https://youtu.be/usaQn2GD6ns

Today’s Question: Like you I upgraded to a MacBook Pro with only two USB-C ports, one of which gets used for power. I got a USB hub to expand the number of ports, but hard drives with a USB-C connection don’t work with this hub. Is there a way to get more ports that will work with external hard drives?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The key here is to use a powered USB hub, so that the hub can provide more power than would otherwise be available from the port the hub is connected to.

More Detail: As I’ve noted previously, about the only shortcoming of my MacBook Pro laptop featuring the high-performance Apple M1 processor is that there are only two USB-C data ports on this laptop, and one of them is generally used for power. In other words, I only really have a single data port available much of the time.

A USB hub provides a solution for expanding the number of ports available on a computer, but this isn’t as easy a solution as it might seem if you want to use bus-powered hard drives or other peripherals requiring power in conjunction with a hub that doesn’t have an external power source.

There are a variety of powered USB hubs available, but I was looking for something that would work well with my configuration. Specifically, I wanted the hub to connect to USB-C, and provide power for at least one USB-C port and a couple of USB-A ports.

The USB hub I’ve been using (and happy with) is an Anker model that features power input via a USB-C connector, an additional USB-C data connection, two USB-A data ports, SD card reader, HDMI output for a second monitor display, and more.

You can learn more about the hub I’m using on the GreyLearning blog here:

https://greylearningblog.com/powered-usb-hub-for-more-ports/

Today’s Question: Some time ago I was told to always quit Lightroom Classic before doing a full backup. But I don’t remember where or why. So, is it OK to run a full backup while Lightroom Classic is open, or should it be shut down first?

Tim’s Quick Answer: I consider it perfectly safe to run a backup while using other software, including Lightroom Classic. However, I do recommend minimizing the use of software (including Lightroom Classic) that could be making changes while a backup is running.

More Detail: I’ve never seen any indication that running a backup while other software is making changes to files that are being backed up will create any problems at all. There will likely be some degree of performance degradation, but that isn’t generally a significant concern.

If there are changes being made while the backup is running, there is a chance that the backup won’t be completely up to date when it completes. But simply running the backup job again later will resolve that issue.

In the case of Lightroom Classic in particular there is a risk that the catalog may be updated during a backup, or that images (or XMP sidecar files for raw captures) may be updated in the background during a backup. These don’t present any real concern of corruption of files or of the backup.

So, I prefer to keep my computer idle without any other applications running when performing a backup, but it is not critical to take this approach.

Note, by the way, that there have been numerous times when I have needed to work while backing up a hard drive with GoodSync (http://timgrey.me/greybackup), and I most certainly continue working even while my cloud-based backup is being updated by Backblaze (https://timgrey.me/onlinebackup).