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14 Common Mistakes With Photo Edits To Avoid For Your Website

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We live in a time when business is done at a lightning pace. A large reason behind this is that people can purchase things and services digitally.

Fortunately, the ease of e-commerce has created a business model that just about any brand can emulate and have an opportunity to succeed. However, in such a fast-paced industry, your website and marketing strategy needs to be on-brand and custom tailored to you.

This is where photo edits come in. Every brand can use a unique touch to make its photos stand out.

Are you ready to learn the common mistakes with photo edits you should avoid for your site? Then read on, and we’ll walk you through it!

1. Over-editing Images

Overediting an image involves adjusting brightness, sharpness, and contrast levels beyond what looks natural, making the photos appear overdone and perhaps blurry. It’s also important to ensure an image looks natural when it’s resized.

When an image is scaled down, the details in the photo can become too small to be visible, and the colors can be distorted or look washed out. It’s particularly important to check if the photo resolution is appropriate for the website platform the image will be displayed on.

2. Under-Editing Images

Over-editing can often lead to a lack of realism, but under-editing can be just as damaging. When editing an image, double-check that the colors and shadows are correctly adjusted and that the lighting is even. Make sure the images you produce look professional, polished, and natural.

Try to ensure that the elements on the individual images flow together to create a balanced sense of composition without being over-processed. Additionally, have someone else review your photos to spot mistakes you might have missed. Finally, it is always preferable to use editing software that has presets and tools specifically designed for that type of photo, as this ensures a naturally edited photo when appropriate.

3. Not Using Consistent Filters

Not using consistent filters can make your website look disorganized, sloppy, and unprofessional. If you use too many different filtering and editing styles, your website may look cluttered and can leave visitors feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, not using the same styles between images can make it difficult to maintain a cohesive visual story.

Instead, pick a couple of filters or editing techniques and use them throughout your photos to help create a unified look that tells the story you want your website visitors to see.

4. Not Cropping Images Properly

It is important to ensure that all images are correctly cropped to the right proportions or size. Not cropping images properly often results in important details being cut off or unfocused effects in the image.

Pay attention to the measurements of the image you are cropping. If the size isn’t restrictive, then there should be extra space left on the sides of the subject of the photo to help avoid cutting off any important parts of the image. It is helpful to use guidelines when editing photos to ensure that all images are sized correctly and cropped in a way that displays all of the important details.

5. Using the Wrong File Format

Different file formats are optimized for specific purposes, such as GIFs for web graphics and JPGs for photographs. Choosing the wrong file format can lead to poor-quality images and slow loading speeds. It can also cause photos to look distorted or blurry if they’re too large to fit in the designated space.

The space you’re using for your website also plays a role in which file format to use. For example, if you’re adding an image to an email, an optimized JPG will work great, but if you’re posting something to social media, a PNG might be a better choice.

6. Overusing Text on Images

Many website owners think that putting attractive text or words on a photo would please their viewers and generate interest when in reality, it can really overpower the image and create confusion instead. Having too much text on an image can crowd the image and make any content within it almost impossible to understand – it also distracts the eye from other important information as well.

Try using text sparingly on an image, making sure that any content within it is easily readable and focusing instead on creating an attractive photo composite to generate interest. Too much text or “noise” on an image can turn off potential customers and detract from your image as a whole.

7. Ignoring Image Composition

Good photo composition is fundamental for making an image both eye-catching and effective. Things like the rule of thirds (placing the subject at the intersection of two imaginary lines that divide the image into thirds) or filling the frame (using the photo’s frame to create a border around the subject) are great conventions when creating a photo.

Without paying close attention to composition, it’s unlikely the resulting image will be memorable, no matter how many filters you apply. Take a few moments to consider your subject, experiment with angles, and pay attention to contrasts and other visual elements, and you’ll be sure to foster a compelling image.

8. Not Paying Attention to Color Balance

This will cause the photo to look unnatural and can take away from the appeal of the website. It is important to keep the colors of the image balanced whilst still retaining the original quality of the image. Additionally, a poorly edited photo can also distort elements in the image which can be distracting to viewers.

9. Choosing the Wrong Resolution

If the resolution isn’t right, the size of the image may not be able to achieve the desired outcome. Additionally, selecting an image with a higher resolution than needed can cause file size issues. An image that’s too large might end up slowing down your website’s loading time, hurting the user experience.

When in doubt, err on the side of caution and resize and compress the image file to a lower resolution. If a high-quality resolution is necessary, use the correct resolution and compress the file appropriately.

10. Using Watermarks Incorrectly

Many people make the mistake of covering up too much of the original photo with the watermark, making it difficult to get the intended message across in the image. Some watermarks can also be too low resolution, creating a blurry, distorted image. Additionally, watermarks should always be placed in areas of an image that will not detract from the overall aesthetic.

Overusing watermarks can make an image look cluttered and unprofessional, which can be distracting to viewers. Avoid the mistake of using multiple watermarks on a single photo, and make sure the letters and text used are in alignment with the theme of your website.

11. Using Low-Quality Images

Low-quality images are often provided in low resolution and lack crisp detail, making it difficult to differentiate between the elements included in the photo. Additionally, these images tend to appear blurred or pixelated, which can be unsightly on a website.

Editing these images can often lead to further distortion, such as poor color correction, compression artifacts, or loss of detail. These mistakes can ruin the consistency of a website design and its overall aesthetic appeal.

12. Overusing Stock Images

Although these types of images may make it easy to create a visually pleasing website, too many of the same stock images can create a generic and dull look. To avoid this, try to find unique images with original examples that better represent your business. You can also try customizing stock images with text and other effects.

13. Not Using Transparency

One of the most common mistakes that inexperienced website and graphic designers make with photo editing is not using transparency. Transparency allows for overlays or sections of a photograph to blend into the background, creating a more aesthetic and visually appealing look. Failing to use transparency can lead to an awkward visual layout or presentation.

To avoid this mistake, learn how to make backgrounds transparent. Add a layer over the photo or adjust the alpha (opacity) of a layer in the image. Transparency is also a great way to create a sophisticated look and contrast, like a banner or a logo. Using transparency will ensure that the images on your website look their best and will ensure a clear, professional look with attention to detail.

14. Not Paying Attention to Image Size

If your images are too large or too small, it can cause your website to load slower or even create undesirable visual effects. Smaller images may appear grainy or pixelated, while larger images can distort page formatting and cost more in file size and bandwidth.

To avoid these issues, you should always check the image size before you upload an image to the server. You can use online tools and programs to resize it if it is too small. If the image is too large, simply use the editing functions of your favorite photo software to reduce its file size.

Avoid These Common Mistakes with Photo Edits

Overall, photo edits should be done with great caution, as they can be difficult to undo and can make a photo unappealing. Keeping these common mistakes with photo edits in mind will ensure that the edits you make are minimal and effective, creating a consistent look and feel for your website.
Take the time to ensure the edits you make to photos are right – it’s worth it! For more tips, visit our website now and check out our in-depth guide.

Did you find this article helpful? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our blog posts!

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Perseverance Mars rover snaps amazing shot of dusty Ingenuity helicopter (photo)

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© NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
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NASA’s Perseverance rover just snapped an up-close view of its Mars companion Ingenuity, revealing the robotic helicopter’s dusty blades.

Perseverance recently traveled within only 75 feet (23 meters) of Ingenuity, which flew to the Red Planet with the big rover. This is the first time in nearly two years that Perseverance has gotten this close to the helicopter, NASA officials wrote on Twitter.

Perseverance snapped some photos of Ingenuity during its close approach on Sunday (April 16), and NASA shared them on Twitter on Tuesday (April 18). The images show the helicopter’s rotors coated in Martian dust that was likely kicked up by the helicopter during takeoff, hovering and landing.

Related: 12 amazing photos from the Perseverance rover’s 1st year on Mars

Despite the dusty coating, “Ingenuity looks to be holding up well in the harsh Martian environment,” officials with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which manages the missions of both Ingenuity and Perseverance, wrote in the Tuesday tweet.

Ingenuity is the first machine to achieve powered flight in the skies of an alien world — a lofty accomplishment, given that the thin Mars atmosphere makes it difficult to achieve enough lift. That’s why Ingenuity is equipped with enlarged, specially shaped blades that rotate about 10 times faster than what is needed to fly on Earth.

On April 13, the 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) helicopter completed its 50th flight on Mars, during which it traveled 1,057 feet (322.2 meters) in 145.7 seconds and achieved a new altitude record of 59 feet (18 m) above the Red Planet’s surface.

Wow! Perseverance rover sees Mars helicopter takeoff and mid-air maneuver

UP NEXT

The Mars helicopter’s first flight took place on April 19, 2021, only two months after it landed in Jezero Crater. The helicopter has far exceeded its originally planned technology demonstration mission of up to five flights.

Ingenuity also serves as a scout for Perseverance, which is searching for evidence of past microbial life and collecting samples for future return to Earth. The helicopter’s test of powered flight on another world could aid in future sample return missions and the ongoing search for life on Mars.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, or on Facebook and Instagram.

Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “Why Am I Taller?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a book about space medicine. Follow her on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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Thousands Flock to See a Rare Total Solar Eclipse in Australia

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For the tens of thousands of astrophotographers, eclipse chasers and cosmically minded tourists contemplating the best site from which to view Thursday’s total solar eclipse, the town of Exmouth, perched on a finger of land jutting from Australia’s west coast, was the simplest solution to a problem of extreme scarcity.

The narrow ribbon across the planet from which the eclipse could be seen crossed land in just four places: the remotest reaches of East Timor and Western Papua, in Indonesia; freckle-like Australian islands, one of which is controlled by the oil company Chevron; and Exmouth, a tiny tourist destination and former U.S. naval base 770 miles from the nearest city.

When the moment arrived around midday, the expectant swarm of visitors on the town’s beach watched as bands of palest aquamarine and deep slate gray passed across the sea. Seagulls dispersed. In the shadows of palm fronds, spots of light exploded into crescent moons. Winds changed direction. Stars came twinkling into view, in a strangely foreboding sky. Temperatures plummeted, and people began to hug themselves and one another.

Then, basking in the shrinking sliver of sunlight, Tara D’cruz-Noble, Bob Mackintosh and their children, Eliah and Luella, lay down on the silvery sand and removed their eclipse glasses.

Darkness barreled in, and, for a terrible minute, the moon entirely occluded the light of the sun — except for its dancing orange corona, the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere that is usually hidden by its powerful light.

Then, just as quickly as it had disappeared, the sun re-emerged on the other side of the moon, and a loud cheer perforated the hush: “Welcome back!” Ms. D’cruz-Noble hugged Luella, then ran her hands up and down her arms. “I’ve still got goose bumps,” she said.

It felt as though the world had stopped.

And yet for Exmouth, a town of 3,000 people, the event was the celestial gift that no one asked for.

Every year, Exmouth sees a regular influx of a few thousand vacationers, drawn by its pristine reef and resident whale sharks. But to accommodate a mass of 20,000 or 30,000 visitors required years of planning and millions of dollars in state support that went toward infrastructure updates, hundreds of portable toilets, dozens of additional emergency workers, the clearing of five acres of forestland and a 1.5-million-gallon water tank.

“It sounds pretty daunting, doesn’t it?” said Darlene Allston, a top local official.

In many instances, hotels and other tourism operators first learned of the eclipse from savvy tourists who booked their accommodations four or more years earlier. When someone emailed the town’s visitor center in 2018 seeking a booking, “We thought it was a joke at first,” said Jessica Smith, who worked there.

The town has no recycling system, only recently got its first store from which one might purchase underwear, and has so few places to eat that locals avoid visiting them too often “so we don’t get sick of the options,” as Sonia Beckwith, who owns a tourism business and is originally from Washington State, put it.

The arrival of tens of thousands of visitors, as well as dozens of food trucks and a free three-night music festival, shook the town to its core. “We’re not used to this,” Ms. Beckwith said.

Some enterprising business owners seized on the opportunity to make a quick buck, or even thousands, with rooms priced at many multiples of their usual high-season peak.

“It’s tough when you have a unique solar event as leverage,” said Laurence Randor, who had driven from Perth at the urging of his three teenage children. “Camping is the price to pay.”

For people like Kryss Katsiavriades, a retired data analyst who had traveled from London with his wife, Talaat Qureshi, to witness his 30th eclipse, weather is an all-important consideration. Exmouth, a town of clinging red dust, silken sands and scrubby sun-bleached grasses, offered excellent odds on a clear blue sky, he said.

“You’ve got to see the whole thing,” he said.

Exmouth’s brush with celestial spectacle was a result of sublime serendipity. If not for the 55-mile-long peninsula on which Exmouth sits, hugging the Indian Ocean, the total eclipse would have missed Australia altogether.

As if to compound this stroke of luck, a Category 4 cyclone that delivered record-breaking winds to Western Australia days earlier missed the peninsula altogether, clearing it by hundreds of miles.

Then there is the astronomical oddity that makes eclipses possible. Of the 227 moons that orbit planets in the solar system, only the Earth’s is the right size and distance away to precisely cover the sun in the sky.

That perfect ratio is changing, as the moon drifts further and further away from the Earth, said Robin Cook, a researcher at the University of Western Australia. In millions of years’ time, “we won’t have total solar eclipses ever again,” he said. “We’ll only have these annular ones” — ring-like eclipses that occur when the moon does not cover the sun — “and, eventually, maybe not solar eclipses at all.”

“All these coincidences — it just seems so unimaginable that it can happen,” Dr. Cook said. “And yet, here we are.”

This year’s eclipse took place almost exactly a century after the 1922 solar eclipse in Australia that provided scientists the opportunity to confirm the “proof” of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

David Blair, a physicist and professor at the University of Western Australia, called that “the most significant scientific experiment ever done in Australia, in my opinion.” He said that he was thinking of those who had helped with that work, including dozens of Aboriginal people and the wives of scientists, whose efforts had been unsung but who had provided their own “deeply human” accounts of the experience.

On the town beach on Thursday, Ms. D’cruz-Noble, Mr. Mackintosh and their family, who had traveled from the state of New South Wales, looked by turns elated and dazed as light returned to the sky. Despite a shared love of photography, neither had reached for the camera, Ms. D’Cruz-Noble said.

“Mother Nature has a way of saying, ‘You need to take notice, right now,’” she said.

Mr. Mackintosh reached surreptitiously into a cool bag for a bottle of Champagne — which made its presence known as the cork erupted from the bottle and flew onto the sand.

Other viewers, as if called by the waves, plunged into the ocean. (A nine-foot crocodile reported in the area the week before failed to materialize.)

For some, it was a moment months in the making. Wesley Garth, a 16-year-old astrophotography enthusiast from West Gippsland, in the state of Victoria, worked six months of shifts at McDonald’s to fund his journey, which included two flights and a seven-hour bus ride.

It was more than worth the trouble, he said. “Solar prominences, corona, oh my god!” he said. “It was life-changing. I’m still trembling.”

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Crossing the lines: photography without frontiers at Kyotographie 2023 – photo essay | Photography

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Borders is the theme of the 11th annual Kyoto photo festival – Kyotographie – though, as the co-director Lucille Reyboz is keen to emphasise, there are no borders here. The festival brings together the work of artists from as far afield as Ivory Coast and the London borough of Hackney, with projects ranging from the trials of migration to the challenges of living with dementia.

The work displayed in each exhibition is complemented by the choice of venue. The tranquil Ryosokuin Zen temple is the space showing the work of mixed-media artist Joana Choumali.

Ryosokuin Zen Temple in Kyoto, the venue for Joana Choumali’s exhibition ‘Alba’hian’

Her photo-based scenes are embellished with delicate embroidery, a technique Choumali has developed to process trauma in her life; in this case the work helped her deal with her grief over the death of her mother. Threading her emotions through visions of dawn blended with images of people in her community going about their daily business, she says: “It was as if my inner landscape was merging with my outer landscape … it gave me the opportunity to make a journal of what was happening to me. Making the work literally saved my life.”

‘It’s the Deep Breath You Take’ from the series Alba’hian

‘Maybe I Grew Up a Little Too Soon’ from the series Alba’hian

By comparison, photographer Kazuhiko Matsumura invites you into a traditional Kyoto home to experience for yourself the effects of dementia on the elderly couple we imagine may live there.

The traditional family home that hosts the exhibition Heartstrings

From the series Heartstrings – a study of dementia

Looking through these misty images placed in the intimate spaces of domesticity, the atmosphere is one of a whisper of a life barely remembered, the melancholy of losing the sense of space and time and the challenges of living with the condition. Dementia touches the lives of one in five old people in Japan, which has an increasingly ageing population.

The photography has a poetic quality, with much of the project focusing on the love and support of family. Matsumura’s purpose is not only to raise awareness of the illness but also to show the significance of the care given to those who are affected.

Turning into another Kyoto sidestreet, a little boy on a tricycle leads you along an alley, riding right into the rhythmic world of Dennis Morris, the photographer behind iconic images of Bob Marley among other famous musicians. The work shown here, Coloured Black, captures the everyday life of the West Indian community in 60s and 70s London.

Morris was inspired and encouraged to take up photography by the benefactor of the church he attended as a boy growing up in Dalston. He had dreams of being a conflict photographer but instead found his frontline in his own neighbourhood documenting the sound, style and political aspects of his community as they tried to break away from the discrimination holding them back in British society.

At the heart of the exhibition is a recreation of Dennis Morris’s childhood living room

An image from the exhibition Coloured Black

Style and its origins is the focus of Parallel World, an epic retrospective covering 40 years of work by renowned Japanese fashion photographer Yuriko Takagi. The exhibition has been ambitiously curated in one of Kyoto’s most sacred and ancient buildings, the Ninomaru Palace in Nijo-jo Castle.

An image from the exhibtion Parallel World

Throughout her career Takagi has travelled the world documenting traditional textiles, designs and the people wearing them that influence the grand fashion houses of our time. She displays these in tandem with her commissions for the likes of Issey Miyake, Galliano and Dior.

Left, a commission for Dior, right an example of traditional ethnic clothing

An image seen on the reverse side of a shoji, a traditional Japanese screen

Showing the work in such a historic site, where none of the display can leave so much as a fingerprint trace on the fabric of the building, presented the curation team with particular challenges and so in the first space reproductions dramatically tower above you on floating panels made from shojis, traditional translucent Japanese screens, the bonus being that you can see the photograph from both sides. In the other rooms the images are laid out to be viewed only in natural light as is dictated by the sacred traditions of the building’s heritage but this cleverly creates a subtle atmosphere that enhances the ethereal beauty of the photography.

Images suspended on Shoji panels hang in the historic Nijo-jo Castle — Top: a commission for Dior, right an example of traditional ethnic clothing. Middle: An image seen on the reverse side of a *shoji*, a traditional Japanese screen. Above: Installation view of Takagi’s Parallel World.

No conversation on the theme of Borders would be complete without reference to the issues of migration. During the summer of 2016, César Dezfuli photographed the 118 migrants and refugees he met during operations in the Mediterranean to rescue them from a catastrophic journey from north Africa to Italy. This was a time when authorities were focused on the numbers making the journey and there was a distinct lack of empathy and understanding for the migrants, many of whom were as young as 15.

People rescued from a rubber dinghy drifting 20 miles from the coast of Libya in 2016

Dezfuli was so affected by the state of the people rescued, their trauma and lack of sustenance, that he has made it a mission to follow their progress and reclaim their humanity. He began with 23-year-old Amadou Sumaila from Mali who he reconnected with through Facebook.

Amadou Sumaila at the time of his rescue from the Mediterranean in 2016

After spending years in a migration centre Amadou is now living in Spain, a trained plumber and electrician and part-time model. In 2022 he was granted humanitarian protection by the Spanish government which gives him opportunities to work and study. To date, Dezfuli has located 105 of those rescued in that single operation in 2016, and photographed 75 of them again. Some were fleeing political persecution, some from conflict, some from the devastation of Ebola. It’s his hope that telling their stories will build empathy and understanding, an opportunity to be forward thinking and prevent their plight from being forgotten.

On January 2, 2022, Aryane married Binta, his childhood girlfriend, with whom he had maintained a long-distance relationship for over six years of his journey. Their wedding took place in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, with their friends and family. Aryane, who currently lives in Bologna (Italy), has obtained Italian residency, which allows him to travel back to his country. He has begun the legal process so that Binta can be reunited with him in Italy soon.

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DJI tease new product, it has to be the DJI Mavic 4

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At present, we no nothing more than the launch will happen at 2pm on the 25th of April – Excited we are! But let’s speculate that it’s the DJI Mavic 4, why? well there’s quite a hint with that Hasselblad lens in the image..

DJI has released a teaser for its latest drone, and while the company hasn’t revealed many details, the upgraded camera is the highlight of the new release. It’s widely speculated that this could be the DJI Mavic 4, or perhaps even a completely new model.

One of the biggest hints that this could be the DJI Mavic 4 is the camera, which has been developed in partnership with Hasselblad, so this would be consistant with the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Classic. The quality of Hasselblad cameras is widely recognised by professional photographers and videographers, so this partnership has already piqued the interest of the industry.

It’s also rumored that the new drone will have a larger sensor than previous models, which would allow for better low-light performance and greater dynamic range. This could be a significant improvement for those who need to capture high-quality footage in challenging lighting conditions.

But what’s even more exciting is the possibility that the new drone could have an interchangeable lens system. This would give photographers and videographers greater flexibility in the types of shots they can capture, allowing them to choose from a range of lenses to suit their specific needs.

Of course, these are just rumors, and we’ll have to wait for DJI to release more information about the new drone, which possibly, could be the DJI Mavic 4. But one thing is for sure, the company is known for pushing the boundaries of drone technology, and this release is likely to be no different.

If you want to keep up to date with the latest news from DJI, you can check out their teaser video at https://www.dji.com/uk/teaser?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=edm&utm_campaign=teaser-261&sc_src=email_6241731&sc_eh=0cc316f3d5fa44b01&sc_llid=243733&sc_lid=415780402&sc_uid=uLJd0WBua9. We’ll be sure to keep you updated with any new developments as they arise.

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MSUM grounds crew continues to combat Mother Nature to get spring sports on the field – InForum

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We expect this time of year to be filled with sunshine and ball games. But, as we can all see, this weather is holding up all the fun, especially for spring sports teams. After a quarter of a century with MSUM, Kyle Kopacek has never experienced an April quite like this one.

“This is one of the latest springs that we’ve had, and I’ve been here for 25 years,” said Kyle, MSUM’s Buildings and Grounds Maintenance Foreman.

Although the dirt fields are out of commission, the MSUM grounds crew is combating the difficult weather by tending to the turf football field. They’re doing whatever it takes.

“There was three feet of snow on the field when we went out there initially,” Kyle said. “It took us almost a week to get it all plowed off.”

Scheels field, and its pro-turf surface, has become the home for softball, track, football, and soccer in the recent weeks. The crew has portable equipment to create a makeshift diamond for softball games.

“Ever since we built Scheels field, we had a portable fence,” Kyle said. “We ordered that right away, and bases and everything we needed. As soon as we had the turf, we were ready to play softball on it.”

As the soppy season drags on, so do the hours for the grounds crew.

“We don’t have all that many people on our crew, and we also have the rest of the campus to take care of,” Kyle said. “We’re not only the sports crew. We got all the campus. So we’ve been doing a little juggling, but we’ve been making it.”

With the rain turning to snow tonight, games slated in the coming days are still tentatively scheduled.

“This weekend we’re supposed to play so we’ll see,” laughed Kyle. “It’s supposed to be cold, but we’ll see if they play or not.”

MSUM is set to host a pair of doubleheaders this weekend with MSU-Mankato and Concordia-St. Paul.

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How To Measure The Brightness of Your Night Sky

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As an amateur astrophotographer or astronomer, there is a good chance you first started exploring the night sky in your backyard. The backyard is where I spend the most time under the stars, and my first experiences exploring the night sky with a telescope happened there.

Your backyard may not be the ideal place for observing the night sky in terms of sky quality and obstructions, but it is the most accessible and comfortable option on most nights. After all, It’s much easier to set up your telescope a few steps from your back door than it is to load it up into the car.

This is exactly where my love for the hobby started (and my inspiration for the name of this website). I saw the rings of the planet Saturn, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Orion Nebula for the very first time from my backyard. These were unforgettable moments that have shaped my entire life.

The night sky in my backyard glows with artificial light. (Bortle 7)

We know that dark skies are ideal for astrophotography. However, with the excessive use of outdoor light at night, the majority of astrophotographers are having to learn how to deal with heavy amounts of light pollution.

For this reason, you might be interested in learning how dark your backyard is in relation to your surrounding light pollution. There are several ways to measure the sky brightness of your backyard:

Review Image Quality and Detail
Use a Bortle Scale/Light Pollution Map
Participate in the Globe at Night Program
Use a Sky Quality Meter to Measure the Sky Brightness (SQM)

How to Measure Your Sky Quality

Let’s walk through the many ways you can measure the sky quality in your backyard, starting from the most basic.

Image Quality and Detail

It is no secret that images taken under a darker sky will show more detail and contrast. Though it’s not an official measurement, the quality and detail in your images will tell you if you are fighting against light pollution.

If you take photos from a backyard with heavy amounts of light pollution, consider using a light pollution filter. These filters ignore specific wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum associated with artificial light sources, such as a street lamp.

When it comes to collecting great data, there is no substitute for dark skies. However, a light pollution filter may make astrophotography from the city a little more practical and rewarding.

The best way to test if a particular filter is a good fit for your skies is to review examples taken by others from similar conditions. The following photo was taken using the same camera (and filter) from a Bortle 8 and a Bortle 4 sky.

5-minute exposures at ISO 1600 from a bright inner-city sky, and a rural suburban sky.

Photos taken from the city (even with a light pollution filter) usually benefit from shorter exposure lengths than ones you would take from a dark sky site. The image above shows what my single exposures of the California Nebula looked like taken from two different locations.

Bortle Scale/Light Pollution Maps

The Bortle scale is a way of measuring the quality (brightness) of the night sky for a particular location. This is one of the easiest ways to determine the sky quality in your backyard or surrounding area. The scale uses nine levels to rank your night sky brightness, from an excellent dark sky (1) to an inner-city sky (9).

Light pollution map of southern Ontario and bordering states.

A light pollution map will show areas of red, orange, and yellow radiating from the city center and green to blue in rural areas. These colors represent the amount of artificial light in that area, and how bright the night sky will look. I have lived in a Bortle 8, 7, and now 6 which is considered a ‘bright suburban sky’.

To determine your Bortle scale, simply pull up a light pollution map and click on your location. Included in the information provided for that location, will be your Bortle scale number. You can also use an astronomy app that uses your coordinates to display a Bortle class, such as ‘Clear Outside’.

Information displayed for a location on light pollution map, including Bortle scale.

Globe at Night Program

Globe at Night is a citizen science program designed to measure sky brightness to better understand the impacts of sky glow and spread awareness about the impact of light pollution.

The program invites people to measure their night-sky brightness using the constellation stars and the observable details. By submitting your results, you are painting a global picture of the light pollution issue and providing valuable data.

To participate, all you need is an electronic device (i.e. tablet, laptop, smartphone) to submit your observations.

Pegasus Magnitude Chart

How to Participate in Globe at Night:

Select Campaign Date: Globe at Night holds campaigns with pre-selected constellations for you to observe. For example, the January campaign constellations are Canis Major and Orion. Select the constellation that works best for your location given the selected campaign dates. The higher in the sky your constellation appears, the better.
Observe During New Moon: during the new moon phase, go outside an hour (or more) after sunset and let your eyes adjust to the dark for at least 10 minutes before making your first observation.
Find the Constellation: either with a planetarium app on your phone or your know-how, locate your constellation in the night sky.
Fill out Form: using your electronic device, go to the Globe at Night report page. Be sure to utilize the nighttime mode to preserve your night vision.
Choose Your Star Chart: select the star chart that looks most like what you see in your night sky. Pay close attention to the faintest star you can see in the night sky and look for that particular star in the chart provided.
Submit your Data: click on the ‘submit data’ button to complete your observation and submit your information.

Sample Screen for Globe at Night data reporting on iPhone

In order to determine trends and provide an overall representation of the light pollution issue, you are encouraged to submit observations each year. Involve your family and kids in this activity, and use it as an opportunity to educate them about astronomy and the issue of light pollution.

Sky Quality Meter Reader

The most scientific way to measure your backyard darkness is by using a Sky Quality Meter (SQM). These types of devices will produce a reading of the luminance of the night sky in magnitudes per square arcsecond units, squared (MPSAS).

There is a scale used for SQM’s between the numbers of 16.00-22.00. A reading of 16.00 would represent the brightest sky (high amount of luminance) while a reading of 22.00 would represent a dark sky (least amount of luminance). Therefore, the higher the number for the MPSAS reading, the darker the sky.

There are many SQM’s out there, with Unihedron Sky Quality Meter-Lens (SQM-L) being one of the most popular. I used the Pegasus Uranus Meteo Sensor to determine the readings for my backyard, which was 19.10 MPSAS.

This pocket-sized unit is able to measure the brightness of the night sky within seconds, displaying three different scales on the screen (magnitudes per arc second², visual mags, lux). Not only can it measure the quality of your sky, but it can also report the ambient temperature, humidity, pressure, cloud height, cloud coverage, moon phase, astronomical twilight time, and more.

Pegasus Astro Uranus Meteo Sensor can measure sky luminance, humidity, cloud height, and more.

Steps for Measuring Your Sky Quality using the Uranus Meteo Sensor:

Set to Measure: press [>>] (Measure) button for 2 seconds to trigger a Sky Quality measurement.
Point Device: Point the device toward the area of the sky you would like to acquire a light measurement.
Store Reading: Press [<<] (Store) button for 2 seconds to store all retrieved sensor data into the device’s
available memory bank.
Turn Off: Keep pressing [>>] (Measure) button for 5 seconds to turn off the display. The device will enter
sleep mode. Press any button to turn it on again

Please note: if you have not used the GPS device within 3+ days, the GPS receiver might take longer (up to 30 seconds) to locate and track available satellites.

Impacts of Light Pollution on Sky Quality

The quality of your backyard night sky is largely dependent on the amount of immediate light pollution (i.e excessive artificial light at night) and the overall sky glow in your area.

Things like residential and commercial outdoor lighting, streetlights, billboards, and advertisements contribute to light pollution and increase the apparent brightness of the night sky, known as sky glow.

Sky Glow Impacting the Night Sky | Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn

This increase in sky glow alters our view of the sky:

Impacts astronomical research and the hobby of astrophotography
Makes it difficult to see small or faint objects
Reduces the overall contrast between objects and the darkness of the sky
Washes out stars, constellations, galaxies, and nebulae

The Milky Way is no longer visible in the presence of sky glow | Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn

Finding Dark Sky Locations

If you find your backyard is not dark enough for astrophotography, you may want to travel to dark sky locations.

Dark sky locations are often found in rural/remote areas. Some of these areas are even being protected through dark sky preservation efforts. Organizations like the International Dark-Sky Association see the value in protecting these areas for their scientific, natural, educational, and cultural heritage significance, in addition to public enjoyment.

Milky Way under Bortle 1 skies at the Okie-Tex Star Party

To find dark sky locations:

Use a Light Pollution Map: use the light pollution map to look for areas furthest away from city light pollution. Areas within a Bortle scale of 1-5 are best. If you want an overnight stay, you can look at Airbnb locations within these areas to enjoy a few nights under the stars.
Attend a Star Party: these are astronomy events held in dark sky locations (usually Bortle 1-2). They bring astronomy lovers together under the same sky with strict rules about white light at night. Star parties are great opportunities to image the dim, broadband targets that you might not be able to image from home.
Visit a Dark Sky Place: the IDA’s conservation program certifies communities, parks, and protected areas in five different categories. They are listed in order of darkness with Dark Sky Sanctuaries being the darkest. Also listed are several dark sky publicly owned parks, reserves, places, and communities.

Camping at the Cherry Springs State Park (an IDA Dark Sky site)

What does the sky look like without light pollution?

A natural night sky without light pollution is breathtaking. You have the ability to see deep-sky objects, like nebulae and galaxies, with the unaided eye. The core of the Milky Way shows great depth and you stare in awe at the true beauty of space.

Milky Way from a Bortle 1 class at the Okie-Tex Star Party

Experiencing the natural night sky provides perspective and inspiration. It leads us to reflect on our place in the universe. Without it, we could not have explored the globe, walked on the moon, or learned about our solar system and beyond.

According to the IDA, less than 100 years ago, everyone could look up and see a starry night sky. Now, millions of people across the globe will never experience the Milky Way where they live.

Publish Your AI Generated Panoramas on 360Cities – 360Cities Blog

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We’re pleased to confirm that we are accepting AI generated panoramas. In fact, we already have some interesting examples to share with you:

Fantasy Landscape AI by Fabrice Monchâtre

Lavander in the Fields AI by Fabrice Monchâtre

Digital painting of Sunflowers fields in Provence by Alain AUZERAL

Digital painting of Lavander fields in Provence by Alain AUZERAL

Of course, AI generated panoramas need to meet the 360Cities requirements. Once approved, your AI panoramas will be added to our beloved ‘Out Of This World‘ category alongside computer generated panoramic images, drawings and paintings, and other panoramas that depict locations either not on Earth (like Mars, the Moon, and Outer Space in general) or do not realistically represent a geographic location on Earth because they have too many special effects.

Don’t forget to add the keyword ‘ai’ as a tag when submitting your AI generated panoramas so they can be easily found by those looking for AI-based panoramic photography.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can reach us through email or our forum.

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Buy Luminar Neo for a chance to have a photo adventure to Iceland!

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Have you ever wanted to explore Iceland for a photo adventure on an all-expenses paid tour to give you a life-changing experience? – Well that’s just what Skylum is offering when you purchase either the Explore/Pro plans or the lifetime version of the company’s revolutionary AI photo editing software, Luminar Neo.

Skylum’s award-winning photo editing software is offering customers an opportunity to win a photography adventure in Iceland. To be held on August 24-31, this amazing and life-changing Iceland Adventure trip (opens in new tab) will cover all expenses, including accommodation and meals.

How can I win?

Those who purchase the software (Explore/Pro plans, or lifetime version of Luminar Neo), will be entered into a raffle drawing to earn a spot on the trip or a variety of prizes, including presets, subscriptions, courses, and more.

Luminar Neo, which is available on both PC and Mac computers simplifies the photo processing process with AI. Users can easily remove backgrounds, adjust layers and masking, and balance the hue, saturation, highlights, contrast, and details within seconds, all this wrapped up with a potential trip to Iceland sounds like a great deal to me, and if your looking for a powerful photo-editing software (opens in new tab), but don’t want to submit your soul to the Adobe creative cloud, this is a brilliant onetime-pay option.

If this has been helpful you might want to check out the best laptops for photo editing, or the best Mac for photo editing, and if you are in the market for a good video editor to we would highly recommend taking a look at our best video editing software guide and our picks for the best free video editor, or the best online video editor if you want to be software free.

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20 Real-Life Locations From Famous Movies And TV Shows

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Meet Thomas Duke, a talented film student whose passion project has been making waves on Instagram. With a creative eye for blending movies and photography, Duke travels to real-life locations where famous movie scenes were filmed to recreate iconic moments in his own unique way.

Using a captivating picture-in-picture style, Duke manages to blur the boundaries between the cinematic world and reality. His captivating captures highlight the similarities and differences between the two worlds, giving viewers a new perspective on familiar locations. Duke’s work aims to unveil the hidden gems in plain sight, opening our eyes to the overlooked and often forgotten corners of cinema history. Prepare to be amazed and inspired by his remarkable work!