Three Getty Images photographers, contributors and freelancers have picked up prestigious awards at the 2011 Picture Editors’ Guild Awards, held last night in London. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2011 Winners Announced
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‘The Dawn of the Color Photograph: Albert Kahn’s Archives of the Planet’ by David Okeofuna presents the early color photographs collected from all over the world by French banker Albert Kahn. The book was published in conjunction with the BBC television series The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn and brings together over 300 of these early ‘autochromes.’ . . . → Read More: Just posted: Book review – The dawn of the color photograph Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is now available as adownload from the Mac App Store. Nikon has already announced that it is testing a number of its own applications for compatibility with the new operating system. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: Nikon Issues Service Notice regarding Software Compatibility with MacOS X Lion HandlePod is a hand-supported camera stabiliser featuring a 3-axis rotating camera mount attached to a comfortable handle backed by 4 rubber-tipped feet. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: HandlePod The Rollei Designline 4083 is an 8-inch digital photo frame featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio and a resolution of 800×600 pixels. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: Rollei Designline 4083  A Guest post by Saul Molloy from Shotslot . Image by Romain Ballez All the whistles and bells of the modern camera should, at least in theory, make crafting great images an easier and more straightforward process than it used to be – with all these exposure modes, focussing tools, picture styles and the like, camera manufacturers would like you to believe that it’s just a matter of squeezing the shutter and hey presto you’re Bailey. Certainly getting the tricky business of exposure right has become more straightforward for the technologically challenged – you really don’t need to know much to get some passable snapshots but what about if you want to take your photography further? Photography is so very different an activity from that of even ten years ago. Good modern photographers need to be able to do so much more than compose and frame a shot, and whilst the traditional skills required for messing around with chemicals in a darkroom are waning, a whole set of new techniques are needed if you want to develop your photography to a really high standard. Here’s what I think are five key ways to make your photography shine: 1. Know Your Software Hone your ‘developing’ skills to where you can take an image and get the very best out of it in your digital darkroom. This is a vital capability whether you want to be primarily a ‘photographer’ or an ‘image-maker’ and allows you to take greater control over your work so it’s the very best that it can be. This means choosing a solid piece of editing software and learning how to use it to its full potential. It doesn’t mean buy the most expensive thing and learn that – you have to choose something that best suits your interests and needs. Be prepared to change your mind. 2. Get the Basics Right You need to know composition, exposure and how to utilise your camera to get the most out of it. It doesn’t matter much what camera you’re using, if you don’t really know how to point it then you’re going to struggle to get anything good out of it. Know your manual and what your camera can (and can’t) do. Study and understand phenomena like depth of field, focal planes and shutter speeds. This stuff can get geeky and bit dull at times but it will help you to understand how to produce a particular effect or look when you start to frame in your mind what you want an image to look like in its final form. 3. Be Flexible It’s easy to get stuck in a rut taking the same kind of shots and processing them in the same way over and over again. Or just adopting one set of tools and failing to implement new ones as and when they become available. Developing your work means that you do need to develop the way you work. This means being conscious of issues such as workflow and how they impact on your ability to produce good images. Just like the dodo, if you fail to evolve you fail to survive in that will you fail to keep your interest in photography in general but you also need to be able to innovate and change if you’re really going to produce some impressive images. 4. Study Others’ Work Art rarely develops in isolation, the work of other people can be key in helping you to develop your style, hone your skills and increase your knowledge. Spend time every day looking at the work of others, thinking about how they created a specific look or effect and work out how you could replicate it. An important tool for the modern photographer is networking with other photographers on-line or in real life. On-line communities such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr are a great way to get your work ‘out there’ but are an even better resource for inspiration and discussion. They even allow you to engage in collaborative projects which will boost your skills and experience substantially. In real life, you should check out your local camera club or photo-walk group. Interacting with other photographers in the flesh is a great way to learn new things and increase your engagement with photography overall, it might give you access to new shooting opportunities and equipment and will certainly challenge the way you see your own photography. 5. Practice You can read all the books, internet sites or magazine articles you like but there’s no substitute for actually picking up your camera and using it. Passion for photography comes from the feeling of having created something unique and interesting with your camera – be that a single image, a small portfolio or an entire body of work. There is just no substitute for picking your camera up and pointing it at things in earnest and ideally, you should be using your camera as a portal to show others something you yourself passionate about. Having the ability to show something you love in a new and visually exciting way onlycomes with practice and thus practice is the thing that more that anything else will make your photographs stand out from the crowd. Go do that now! See more of Saul Molloy’s work at Shotslot . Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . 5 Key Skills for the Modern Photographer . . . → Read More: 5 Key Skills for the Modern Photographer  Weekly Assignment Last week you showed us The Marketplace and the places that you shop, whether they are Wal-Marts, tiny corer stores or open air markets. One of the important things with these assignments is that the challenge is to take your shots beyond snapshots and to show your subject in an interesting way. There were a few people who really did that this week, starting with our winner, lisapenzone Coffee at Whole Foods. The repetition of the coffee barrels catches the eye, and it makes it clear that it’s part of a market of some sort. Then we had a tie for second and third place, so in no particular order, let’s start with lowanglealta . This was a very nice composition that made good use of how the two fruits were set up next to each other. It might not be as clear that it’s a market, but the shot still catches your eye, and the sheer number of lemons and limes indicate that it’s likely to be a store rather than someone’s home. And last, but not least, Draycat ’s Tokyo Marketplace. This shot really does capture the hustle and bustle of an open marketplace. It also tells a bit of a story because we weren’t quite sure if he was tossing someone something or telling someone a price. Overall, this shot worked well because it was clear exactly who was the subject of the photo. Well done everyone! If you didn’t see your photo up here, keep trying, there’s always next week! We saw the places that you shop last week, this week we want to see the places you work with our latest assignment, The Workplace . Do you spend your days at a desk or outdoors? Do you work from home or are you at an office or somewhere else? How do you get there? Give us a peek into your life and let us see what you do. As always, a quick reminder of the rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 23 March – 6 April 2011. Second, your post in the assignment thread must include the words “The Workplace” and the date the photo was taken. If either of these is missing your photo won’t be included in the mini-contest judging. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and it’s useful if you can include some of the main points such as camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. Our next assignment focuses on home with Homelife: Chores . Sometimes our work is never done, so we move from our workplace to our home and the household chores we all have to do. They may be messy, boring, or even enjoyable, but they need to be done, so why not photograph the mundane parts of life? You can start shooting now, but check the forums next week in order to post in the assignment. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (27 Mar – 2 Apr ‘11) . . . → Read More: This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (27 Mar – 2 Apr ‘11)  This week your photographic challenge is to do some ‘Street Photography’. Image by ‘an Untrained Eye’/Tom I know some of you just went into a cold sweat thinking about the idea of going out in public to photograph strangers – but let me say up front you can interpret this any way that you like and need not make it Street Photography with a people focus at all. There are many other alternatives. For example you might like to head out on the street you live to photograph an urban landscape, or you might want to photograph some of the houses and buildings you find, or you might photograph a quirky sign or bill board…. really anything can go. Just take a walk like we talked about earlier today and see what you can find . Better still – take a friend and do the challenge together. A few tutorials that may come in handy: 20 Quick Street Photography Tips 10 Tips for the Aspiring Street Photographer Photographing Urban Landscapes Once you’ve taken your ‘Street Photography’ Photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so . If you tag your photos on Flickr, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSSTREET to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun. Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Contrasting Colors challenge – there were some great shots submitted. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . Street Photography: Weekly Photography Challenge . . . → Read More: Street Photography: Weekly Photography Challenge  Weekly Assignment Our Geometric Shapes assignment finished up this week and we had some fantastic shots. But our winner this week was very clear. Congrats to a_brewley and the shot of squares and circles that really stood out to all of the judges. The use of several shapes rather than just a repetition of one and excellent use of high-contrast lighting really make this shot stand out in our minds. Our first runner up was lotteotte ’s “On the Brooklyn Bridge”. I have to admit when I first saw it, I thought it was the sky reflecting off of a glass building, but it’s lines from a bridge! The softness of the clouds works with the regular pattern and the composition, and the light really blends the two together. And last, but not least was jojonac ’s Triangles. The strong lines work well, but what really catches your eye is the odd piece out. It helps break up the repetition and shows the depth. Well done everyone! We also started our Marketplace assignment this week. Whether you shop at Wal-mart, a tiny corner store, or an open air market, we want to see some interesting images of a marketplace. You can show it as a wide angle or a more intimate view, but we want to get the feeling of the place you are photographing. As always, a quick reminder of the rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 16 – 30 March 2011. Second, your post must include the words “The Marketplace” and the date that the photo was taken to show that it is eligible for the mini-contest. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and it’s helpful if you can include some of the main points such as camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. Next week we our assignment The Workplace will be posted, but you can start photographing now. Good luck everyone! Hot Threads Should I love My Camera’s Auto Settings or Go Manual Only? : On the forums it’s been referred to as the Cult of M, and it seems like more often than not any mode other than manual mode gets a bad rap. But does that mean that we should ignore the other modes? Come share your opinions over on the forum. Photography With A Compact Camera – Introduction : You might also feel like if you don’t have a dSLR you can’t take creative shots, but RichardTaylor has put together a post to help show you how to get the most out of even the most basic camera. Picture Titles : When you post a photo online you might consider giving it a title. Or maybe not. Does a title add to the image? Can it ruin it? Share your thoughts over in the forums. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (20-26 Mar ‘11) . . . → Read More: This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (20-26 Mar ‘11) Image by Pedro Szekely Last week, in the lead up to the release of our Captivating Color eBook, we issued the challenge to take and share photos that were VIBRANT in color. Today we’re still thinking about color – but are thinking about ‘contrasting’ colors (suggested by a number of people in our facebook community ). The subject matter can be anything you like – portraits, landscapes, cityscapes, abstract… anything you like – just make contrasting colors a part of your image. Once you’ve taken your ‘Vibrant Color’ Photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so . If you tag your photos on Flickr, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSCONTRAST to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun. Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Vibrant challenge – there were some great shots submitted. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . Contrasting Colors: Weekly Photography Challenge . . . → Read More: Contrasting Colors: Weekly Photography Challenge  Weekly Assignment We finished up our Delicate assignment this week, and there were a lot of different ways that people interpreted the theme. Here are our winners for this week. Our winner this week is a_brewley ’s delicate little girl. With delicate lashes, soft, shallow dof, even a delicate flower in her hair, this one really stood out. Our first runner up was NovtemberMommy ’s boy with a bubble. A child blowing bubbles wasn’t a unique idea but we loved the processing and also the framing of this one. With so much negative space we thought this one met the title very well. And last, but not least was duna ’s “waiting”. The mother presents a very strong figure in contrast to what is often portrayed of pregnancy but one, you would want to tread gently around. It was a nice twist on the idea of delicate. Our newest assignment is Geometric Shapes . Try looking for geometric shapes in the world around you; don’t construct your own. You can find them in the natural world with plants as well as man made architectural shapes or objects you find around your home. Concentrate on training your eye to find them wherever you are. Try different angles or lighting to emphasise the shape you want to highlight. Shadows can add to the geometric feeling. But before you get started, first a quick reminder of the rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 9-23 March 2011. Second, your post must include the words “Geometric Shapes” and the date that the photo was taken. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and it’s useful if you can include some of the main points, such as camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. Next week’s assignment will be The Marketplace Whether you shop at Wal-mart, a tiny corner store, or an open air market, I’d like to see some interesting images of a marketplace. You can show it as a wide angle or a more intimate view, but I’d like to get the feeling of the place you are photographing. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (13-19 Mar ‘11) . . . → Read More: This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (13-19 Mar ‘11) Next week here at dPS we will be releasing an eBook that I’ve been looking forward to making available for a while – it’s called Captivating Color (pictured right) and has been written by Mitchell Kanashkevich (who authored our Travel Photography eBook ). The eBook is all about using color to take images with drama, intrigue and which engage those who view them on a deeper level. It’s packed with beautiful images which will inspire you. In anticipation of the eBook I thought we should do a ‘color’ theme in this week’s challenge. Instead of picking a single color I thought we’d do one that focuses upon ‘Vibrant’ colors. You can use them in any style of photography you want – landscapes, portraits, sporting, abstract, macro – whatever you like – just make sure the colors have PUNCH!< ?p> Once you’ve taken your ‘Vibrant Color’ Photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so . If you tag your photos on Flickr, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSVIBRANT to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun. Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Emotion challenge – there were some great shots submitted. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . VIBRANT Color: Weekly Photography Challenge . . . → Read More: VIBRANT Color: Weekly Photography Challenge Image by Amanda Tipton This week your photography challenge is to shoot and share an image on the theme of ‘emotion’. The suggestion was made by a number of our readers on our facebook page – thanks everyone! Feel free to interpret the theme in any way that you like. You might like to shoot a portrait that shows someone experiencing an emotion (happiness, sadness, anger etc) or you might choose to shoot something that makes those who view it feel some kind of emotion…. or you might have another idea – anything goes. Once you’ve taken your ‘Emotion’ Photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so . If you tag your photos on Flickr, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSEMOTION to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun. Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Emotion challenge – there were some great shots submitted. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . Emotion: Weekly Photography Challenge . . . → Read More: Emotion: Weekly Photography Challenge  A Guest post by Jim Harmer of ImprovePhotography.com Athletes would never consider showing up to a game without having practiced, so why is it that most photographers shoot for the “wall-hanger” photo every time they go out without ever practicing new techniques? Consider applying these new workouts in your photography routine and you will improve your skills and creativity. The EXIF Drilldown In my photography workshops, I often show my portfolio to introduce myself before the class begins. After showing a few pictures, someone will inevitably raise their hand and ask, “How did you shoot that one?” I tell them the answer, but then I show them how to practice guessing camera settings so they will know what to use in any situation. The very best way to shoot like a pro is to analyse the work of the pros, and Flickr is just the place to look. Most photographers probably know that cameras save information about what camera settings were used to take a photo, and the information is saved in the jpeg image file. Some websites, such as Flickr, make this information easily viewable so photographers can see how other photographers created a photo. To view this information on Flickr, find a photo and click the small text link on the top right of the screen that reads the name of the camera that shot the picture. Clicking this link will bring up a new page showing all of the camera settings the photographer used. This photography workout simply requires going to Flickr or any other photo sharing website, finding good photos, and then carefully reviewing the EXIF data from the pictures. Ask intrinsically why the photographer chose those settings and what camera settings could change in order to improve the photograph. When this photography exercise is implemented, the question, “How did he take that picture?” is asked much less often. With practice, knowing the correct camera settings is easy. One Shot Most photographers take tens of thousands of pictures over the course of a year, but only a handful of those photos really stand out enough to make their way to your portfolio of best images. Many good images may be captured during each time shooting, but rarely is an image captured that is truly stunning. While all photographers understand this fact, their photography techniques rarely reflect it. Most photographers shoot hundreds of images and hope that some of them reach the level of quality necessary to make it into the portfolio. Though this method of never missing the moment has some merit, it also teaches photographers that if the first or second photo of a scene does not turn out, it is acceptable to simply forgive and forget the mistakes and move on to something else. Therefore, this straight-forward exercise is designed to work that bad habit out of photographers: Go out and shoot, but do not return home with more than one photo. Click the shutter more times, yes, but delete each photo if it is not perfect. Implementing this photography workout will teach photographers not to give up on a shot until it is perfect. Ten Shots, One Subject This workout works almost the opposite of the second exercise, but it has a similar purpose—keep shooting to capture the perfect shot. To practice this technique, find one subject and work to capture ten photos of that same subject before leaving. I recognized the need for this exercise while teaching my photography students landscape photography in Naples, Florida. We went to shoot the famous Naples Fishing Pier, but, not to my surprise, all of the students set up their tripods at the exact same spot immediately upon arriving at the beach. Their photo included all of the pier and the sunset behind it. This was a perfectly reasonable composition, but the students had a difficult time thinking of new ways to photograph the pier in an interesting way. I asked the students to all take 10 different shots of the pier. They struggled at first, but eventually ended up with beautiful photos. They photographed tiny details on the pier, captured photos of the water splashing up against the pier pilings, and shot the pier as a silhouette against the sunset. Soon the students discovered their initial photo of the subject was not quite as strong as the photos they took as they forced themselves to try new things. When something captures your eye, don’t leave until you have shot that same subject in ten different ways. As you practice your photography skills rather than simply shooting and hoping to improve, you will feel more confident in your ability to come out of any shoot with creative and technically-correct photos. Jim Harmer is the author of five photography instructional books and writes the ImprovePhotography.com photography blog. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . 3 Workouts to Improve your Photography . . . → Read More: 3 Workouts to Improve your Photography  A Guest Post by Ryan Pendleton I think this is a valuable piece of information to pass along to both newcomers to photography and the more experienced crowd… Perhaps the best piece of advice I can provide which will immediately improve one’s photography and cause it to stand out from the countless other photos on the web, is to act unusual while taking the photos. If you’re standing upright, pointing your camera at obvious subjects, from obvious perspectives, at obvious times the day, the resulting photographs will be nothing more than…obvious. Your photos will not differentiate themselves, as is the intentions of so many photographers. Everyone wants ‘different’ images that catch the public’s eye. But many do not take this into consideration while out with their camera. Many more do take it into consideration, but let the perception of passers-by impact their willingness to get into a unique position from which to gain an interesting perspective, to implement that prop that’ll make the photo fun and unique, or to point the lens toward subjects most people walk by without notice. Many of my best photos were taken with at least one (and sometimes several) person staring at me as if I were a closed-head injury patient who happened to find a DSLR lying on the side of the road. These stares are usually led by my wife… If I’m receiving unusual looks due to my lying on the ground, using an unusual prop in public view, or pointing my camera at a seemingly boring object because I see photographic potential, I can usually rest assured that I’m on the right track. Unless an unusual opportunity presents itself, you can assume that a photograph which is easy to obtain has already been taken by numerous other photographers. But, if you have to get down on the ground to find a unique view of the subject, or if you are sticking your lens out of the window of a cab who’s driver is eying you down in the rear-view mirror, chances are you’ll come away with something unique. Aside from potentially gaining an advantage over the army of other photographers ‘on the street,’ you’ll also fundamentally alter the way you view the world. After paying attention to different scenes, lighting, perspectives, textures, etc. through years of trying to view things from a unique viewpoint, I’ve realized that this strategy has trained me to see the world through my own internal lens. Overall, I think this allows me to come back from visiting various parts of the world having truly experienced the uniqueness of each place. The next time you’re out with your camera, try the following: 1. First, take the shot you would normally take. Then, force yourself to take it from a drastically different perspective. This could be lying on the ground, climbing a nearby hill, or circling the subject for another alternative view. 2. Don’t be afraid to set up shop (tripod, camera, other gear) in busy places with lots of people watching you, wondering what you’re doing. Obviously, make sure you’re not breaking any rules or laws related to the location. But definitely don’t let odd looks from passers-by cause you to skip the shot. Just do it. When you get home and pull up the image on the computer, you’ll be happy you did. 3. Don’t quickly bounce from tourist-attraction to tourist-attraction while in a new location, as you’ll undoubtedly miss valuable shots in between. Pay attention to the doorways, the fence posts, the people, and everything in between. You might later realize your best photo of Paris isn’t of the Eiffel Tower, but is instead of the elderly man sipping espresso who you noticed on the way back to the hotel… 4. Be willing to act as your own subject, should the right situation arise. If you come across a picturesque situation which would be enhanced with a person in-frame, don’t hesitate to set up the tripod and become the actor in your own production. I assure you, you’ll find that you’re easier to direct than most potential subjects… 5. Finally, have fun. When you put down your guard and concentrate on having fun, instead of on acting normally in public, your shots will be impacted by that shift in thinking. Normal is boring. Unusual, is interesting… Check out more of Ryan Pendleton’s images on his Flickr account where he goes by the name of Pichead . Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . How to Take Photos that Stand Out from the Crowd . . . → Read More: How to Take Photos that Stand Out from the Crowd Almost every day you can find news about the Fuji X100. The camera worldwide shipment started yesterday in Japan (see Amazon Japan ). It should be in Stock soon at Amazon (Click here) , BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here) and in April in Europe (See Amazon UK ). This is the latest news summary: Leica M3 versus Finepix X100 (Source: Nokton on Flickr ). Download the Fuji X100 manual in english (.pdf): https://files.me.com/kylebarrow/dxsgl2 First image samples on Flickr . First Impressions of the Finepix X100 from a rangefinder shooter by Pieter Franken ( SteveHuffPhoto.com ). Those are the first unboxing pictures coming from Japan (More at dmaniax.com ). Shots with the x100 from the same person: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotois/sets/72157626059913905 The dpreview forum user “ Ncruces ” posted the patched source code to open the Quesabesdes RAW files with DCraw. Download from here: http://db.tt/jSGfK7R. The dpreview forum user “ ebrandon ” posted two links to download the “before” (unprocessed TIFF) http://db.tt/uM3tnCm and the “after” (post-processed TIFF) http://db.tt/dvXlxHS. P.S.: I am still hoping Fuji will join m43!!! . . . → Read More: The most popular camera starts worldside shipment: The Fuji X100. Weekly Assignment We finished off our Details Assignment this week. This was your chance to look at some smaller part of the whole. There were a lot of macro shots this week, but our favourite ones were the ones that focused on one part of the overall object, whether it was close up or not. Our winner this week was Corey Thompson ’s “Zoomier”. Corey focused on one of the details that many of us see each day, and that’s the RPM dial on the car. We especially liked the use of the slow shutter speed on this one because it really gives that sense of speed and movement even though you can’t see the rest of the car. Our first runner up was CountryKim ’s Crayons. This one got close enough that the detail on the individual crayons was shown, and yet stayed far enough away to give us a real sense of what we were looking at. After all, how often do we focus on the backs of crayons? And last, but not least was bflynn ’s almost abstract Salmon shot. You wouldn’t necessarily guess that it’s salmon though because of that abstract quality. This is a case where showing the details really creates a lot of interest because of how it changes your perception of the subject. Well done everyone! We also started our newest assignment this week, which is Shoes . We all wear them at some time or another. Sometimes they’re fancy, sometimes they’re utilitarian, sometimes they’re comfortable, other times they aren’t. They say that shoes tell us a lot about the person wearing them, so it’s only natural that shoes would tell a story in pictures too. So this week, your challenge is to take an interesting photo of shoes. As always, a quick reminder of the rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 23 Feb – 9 March 2011. Second, your post must include the word “Shoes” and the date that the photo was taken. If either of these is not included it will not be included in the mini-contest judging. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and it’s useful if you can include the main points such as camera, lens, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, etc. Next week’s assignment is Delicate . While the interpretation of this is up to you, try to think outside of the box and come up with something new and interesting if possible. Hot Threads Portrait or Candid? : Say you take a photo of a person. Is it a portrait? Is it a candid? Is it an environmental portrait? Can a candid ever be a portrait? Or does a portrait require some sort of setup. Come join in on the interesting discussion of what makes a portrait and what makes a candid over in the forums. Kickstarter Projects : Have you ever had a brilliant idea for a photography project, only to realise that you just don’t have the money to actually complete it? One of our forum members pointed us to a website that helps you raise money to complete an art project (not limited to photography). Check out the thread to see what others are doing and if you’re interested, apply for your own. If You Could Only Buy 1 Walk Around Canon L Lens : What would you buy? For all you Canon users out there, what’s your favourite walk around lens? Come share over in the forums. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (27 Feb – 5 Mar ‘11) . . . → Read More: This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (27 Feb – 5 Mar ‘11) “ I was inspired when I saw the $195 Kipon EOS-m4/3 adapter so I decided to build my own. I salvage old parts from my father’s spoiled Hi8 video camera and fixed onto a standard EOS-m4/3 adapter. ” The Fuji X100 will be in Stock at Amazon UK on April 11 (Click here) . In US Adorama should start shipment in March (Click here) . A few X100 image samples can be found on Flick here . A few body pictures on Flickr . HDMI Capture Problem SOLVED ( DVXuser forum ). Panasonic GF2 ISO charts at tech.sina . Olympus E-5 charts at tech.sina . Dutch Panasonic GF2 hands-on at bright.nl . M.Zuiko 40-150 Tested against the Panasonic 45-200 ( Dpreview forum ). Day 3 of the Olympus EPL-2 Field Review ( ThePhoBlographer ). AG-AF105 preview at pronews.jp (japanese!) Using protective filters on lenses ( m43blogspot ). Olympus SP-800UZ review at CNET . Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Review at Steve Digicams . Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20 Review at Photographyblog . Noctilux-M 50 mm f/0.95 ASPH Leica on a GH2 ( Image samples at 3Dkraft ). . . . → Read More: a little bit of everything…(Fuji X100 in Europe in April only) Image by Christophe Verdier This week’s photography challenge is for those of us with a Sweet Tooth – your challenge is to photograph and share a photo with the theme of ‘Dessert’. I’m expecting lots of cakes, ice-cream, chocolate moose, cupcakes….. and bonus points if there’s a cherry on top! Of course the best part about this challenge is that once you’ve finished taking your shots you then get to partake! If you’re looking for a little instruction on the topic of food photography – here are some tutorials from our archives: Food Photography – an Introduction Getting Started in Food Photography 10 Tips for Mouth Watering Food Photography A Basic Food Photography Kit Once you’ve taken your ‘Dessert’ Photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so . If you tag your photos on Flickr, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSDESSERT to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun. Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks Outdoor Portraits challenge – there were some great shots submitted. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . Dessert: Weekly Photography Challenge . . . → Read More: Dessert: Weekly Photography Challenge  Weekly Assignment We finished one of our most challenging weekly assignments this week, our Recreate the Masters Assignment. For this assignment the goal was to recreate a work of art in your own photograph, which required not only close attention to composition, but also lighting, and even props in some cases. There were some really stand out entries this week, but we could only pick three. So I highly recommend checking out the whole thread. We had a tie for first place this week. First up is lisapenzone ’s recreation of Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” ( see the original ). This one just grabbed everyone’s attention right away. The lighting, composition, and texture matched up well with the original, yet you could also see a bit of modernness in the shot with the outfit as well. The whole thing was really well done. Next up is diedravitale ’s recreation of Norman Rockwell’s “Girl at Mirror ( see the original ). This one really had the Rockwell feel to it. The entire shot seems to ask so many questions. What is she seeing? What is she thinking? Who is she? Who does she want to be? And that’s one of the things that drew us in. Now, unlike the first one, this one isn’t quite the same as the original in terms of posing, however, it has the same feel to it, which is even more important since recreating the masters does not mean that you have to do it exactly. And last, but not least we have crockny ’s recreation of M.C. Escher’s “Hand with Reflecting Sphere” ( see original here ). This one also recreated the original shot quite well. Although you can see that the reflection is quite different, it still captures that same feeling. The crisp reflection and the overall look of the photo was really reminiscent of the original. Well done everyone! Our latest assignment is Detail . Here, your goal is to show a small section of an overall subject, and make it interesting. This doesn’t mean that it has to be a macro. After all, your subject could be huge, so a section of detail may still be large. But the trick is to make it interesting, and that can be quite tricky. Try thinking about things more abstractly and maybe it will help. As always, a quick reminder of the rules. First, your photo must have been taken between 16 February – 2 March 2011. Second, your post must include the word “Detail” and the date that the photo was taken. If either of these is missing it will not be included in the judging process at the end of the week. Finally, your EXIF should be intact, and it’s useful if you can include some of the main points, such as camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. Next week’s assignment will be Shoes . Keep in mind, the shoes don’t have to be by themselves in this upcoming assignment, but they do need to be the main subject of your image. Hot Threads What Do You Wish Your Camera Could Do : One of our popular threads this week has been one that’s just a bit of fun. What kind of things would you want your camera to do if there were no limits? Grow more megapixels? Reply to blog comments? Do your taxes? If you need a little break from reality, why not add your own “wishes”? Post-Processing, How Much? : This isn’t a repeat of the threads we see arguing whether or not you should do post-processing, but rather it’s an honest question from someone just starting out about how much post-processing typically goes into the process to get the end result. Their request? Post a photo in the thread over in the forums and share how you got to the end result. Come add to the examples. High Contrast / Saturated : This is another thread about post-processing, but this one is focused on landscapes. Sometimes you see these gorgeous landscapes with bright colours and lots of contrast, but how do you actually achieve that? Come check out the tips over on the thread and add your own. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . This Week in the Digital Photography Forums (20-26 Feb ‘11) . . . → Read More: This Week in the Digital Photography Forums (20-26 Feb ‘11) |
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