North Carolina based Carve Gybe Software today introduced SuperPhoto, a new iOS Universal App designed for ease-of-use. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: SuperPhoto for iOS
|
||||||
|
Sony has launched four GPS-enabled 18MP CMOS zoom compacts, ranging from the 16x DSC-HX10V all the way up to the 30x DSC-HX200V. The DSS-HX20V adds a 20x zoom to the 10V’s specs and the HX30V gains WiFi on top of that. All four CMOS cameras offer nine creative processing filters and latest fast AF which the company says will focus in as little as 0.1sec and 0.2sec in low light, they also have high-res 920,000 dot LCDs. There’s also a less-expensive 16MP CCD 16X zoom model, the DSC-H90. All of the cameras feature at least 27mm equivalent wide-angle lenses. . . . → Read More: Sony launches five zoom compacts, including HX30V 20x WiFi compact superzoom Conurus and Metabones have released a so-called Smart Adapter that allows Canon EF mount lenses to be mounted on Sony NEX camera bodies. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: Metabones Smart Adapter Allows Mounting of EF Lenses on NEX Bodies Fujifilm are set to enter the compact system camera market in the Spring of 2012. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: Fujifilm to Launch Mirror-less Camera Nikon are running an online teaser campaign dubbed “I Am Coming” with a countdown of less than 34 hours. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: Nikon – I Am Coming That’s right, Olympus has just introduced not one, but Three new PEN cameras. Two models (the E-P3 and E-PL3 ) are to be expected, as they replace existing models. However, the new E-PM1 (aka PEN Mini) is an all new animal, with the versatility of the Micro Four Thirds system stuffed into the smallest body from Olympus yet. The E-P3 is their new flagship PEN camera, and it’s easy to see why. This model combines the style and sophistication of the E-P1 and E-P2, with some of the popular offerings from models like the E-PL2; like a new Pop-up flash unit. While sporting similar resolution at 12-megapixels, the E-P3 boasts a redesigned Live MOS sensor and Dust reduction system, new TruePic VI dual core processor, a beautiful 3.0-inch OLED touchscreen, full 1080i video capture, and the “World’s Fastest AF Speed” with an all new 35-point FAST AF system. To get more details on the E-P3, and to see some full resolution samples, check Steve’s Olympus E-P3 Hands on First Look . Next up is the E-PL3. This unit offers some notable upgrades over the extremely popular E-PL2, specifically the new TruePic VI dual core processor and 12.3-megapixel LIVE MOS image sensor, a tilting 3.0-inch LCD, and the same FAST AF system found on the E-P3. They’ve also added full 1080i video capture, along with a completely redesigned menu system. See our E-PL3 Preview for more details. Last, but certainly not least, is the all new E-PM1. Olympus is dubbing this unit the PEN Mini; which is very appropriate name for this gem. Incorporating all of the major features found in its “big” brothers (sensor, processor, FAST AF, etc.) the E-PM1 is a super slim EVIL camera that’s main focus is size. While it does lose some of the appreciated controls found on the E-PL3, it still boasts the same functionality and quality. Instead of a mode dial mounted on the top, Olympus has chosen a graphical interface instead. Shoot on over to our E-PM1 Preview for the full scoop. . . . → Read More: Olympus Unveils Three New Digital PEN Cameras: Steve’s Hands on First Look Pentax UK has announced the availability of the Pentax K-r DSLR in five new colours. Read more and comment . . . → Read More: New Colour Options for Pentax K-r Ricoh has announced the PX rugged, waterproof compact. It combines a 16MP stabilized CCD sensor and 2.7″ LCD with conventional camera styling. Despite its appearance, it can withstand a drop from up to 1.5m and being submerged to a depth of 3m for 60 minutes. Along with the camera, Ricoh has launched a range of silicone covers that help make the camera still-more durable. We’ve had access to a pre-production PX and have prepared a brief preview and 20-image samples gallery. . . . → Read More: Ricoh PX rugged compact announced and previewed  Our commercial photographer spotlights continue with travel photographer Julien Capmeil. Julien’s work has appeared in numerous publications including GQ, Mens Journal, Oprah, Japanese Vogue, German Vanity Fair and an impressively long list of Conde Nast Traveler covers and editorials. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Julien now calls New York City home. What was your first camera and what interested you about photography? It was a Pentax K1000, a great startup workhorse. The camera itself was so novel at the time. I mean you had your standard Nikon’s and Canon’s then, but this was totally workable and it ran me through the basics of photography. It’s kind of amazing how far photography has come in such a short amount of time. If someone has a desire to be a photographer they don’t have to sit there and spend $50 making a contact sheet anymore, or film and darkroom costs. A lot of the expenses are removed, so the entry barrier is much lower. And I think that’s a good thing. The fact I couldn’t draw annoyed the hell out of me so photography was the next best thing. I still wish I could draw though! A friend of mine was taking a photo class and he was going into a theatre to take a photo of a show that was going on, and it had a cinematic feel and it was so easy to see it all come together (as supposed to drawing) and it was a way to speak visually, but still in a manner I could do and interpret. With photography you’re given a technique and an ability to communicate with people on different levels and that’s great. How long have you been working as a professional photographer? How did you make the transition to full-time? I would say it has been about 7 years. I was a full time assistant for a great friend and mentor, it was such an amazing job that it was hard to leave. In the end I started door knocking just to test the water and the work trickled in. Eventually I had my foot enough through the door that it was time to leave assisting behind. Thankfully it was a fairly fluid transition considering. The woman I was working for, did a couple stories for Conde Nast Traveler, and she told me to go see them. It was almost like having the door opened for me, I showed my book to a few magazines and the Photo Director at Conde Nast Traveler said she’s like to use me. And it just goes from one job to another and builds like that. It was a slow process, but I don’t think you want it to go fast. You want to absorb everything and make sure you’re doing a good job and learning from each one, getting better. You don’t want to overload right away. Take us through an average day or week. What’s your routine, or non-routine? It really depends on the week, there is no average unfortunately. Seeing as so much of my work is location based I am either away shooting or back in the office editing, billing and catching up on all the loose ends. It makes things quite bi-polar to be honest. It’s usually a little too much of one thing haha. But that’s travel photography. I think it’s different as more of a studio based photographer, but most of my planning is done on the fly. I’ll get a brief outline of the story and what I’m doing and then it’s piecing it together. If it’s a story with luxury you have to figure out how to get all those elements together to work with the journalist. Where do you find inspiration? What’s your creative process? I find NY endlessly inspiring, from riding the subway and looking at the human diversity to the abundance of art, new and old, that is available for public viewing. The city helps recharge your creative batteries in a way. I find a lot of inspiration in landscapes and people. Just seeing how they actually live and get by and really live happily with so little. In comparison with us so many people have nothing, but they welcome you in to their house openly. And just how they present themselves. I went to South Africa and they just have these amazing aesthetics, but really minimal, and it let’s you appreciate what we have. The discrepancies in how people live across the world are huge. For example, in Varanasi, India there is this crush of humanity. Just stuffed to capacity and people are living blissfully. It’s remarkable to see how happy people are in these overcrowded conditions. The spectrum of people is amazing. You travel around the world quite a bit. Do you enjoy jet setting and working in different countries? I really enjoy it! What appeals to me most is the discovery of a new place or culture and interaction with locals. Everyone is willing to open their doors, share their secret spots and introduce you to someone “You just have to meet.” There are always challenges but somehow they make the experience richer and the images more memorable for me. You would never know what went into getting the shot sometimes but that is part of the fun. What are you looking for in travel imagery? What helps tell the story of a location? That really depends on the tone of a story. I think you can interpret a location in so many different ways. Time really only allows me to pick up the main threads that are appropriate to the writing and readership of the magazine, which is a shame because often there are other equally interesting elements that I am not able to cover. For instance I did a story in New Zealand that was a wine story. And all you’re really capturing is that, even though there is so much else in the area, but that’s the job you’re there to shoot and the story you have to tell. Some times you feel there are other stories left untold. You have to interpret what you see and at the same time capture what the journalist is writing and get what the readership is expecting. Do you think the printed magazine will ever disappear? What should photographers look for in the future? That is a tough question, I think print will always retain its allure and magazines pride themselves on their printed issues. That said the digital world opens up so many interesting user experiences that creative publishers and advertisers want to capitalize on. Conde Nast has been very forward thinking in their approach to digital media, developing Apps for many of their magazines, broadening content and allowing readers to optimize their digital devices. So I can see the two co-existing for a while and readers benefiting by being able to flip through their glossy magazines and then delve deeper on their iPads. I imagine that video content will become more important to magazines, the ability to embed it will give stories another layer of interest and photographers another medium to express themselves. How can our readers better their own photography? Without sounding cliché, I would say keep on shooting, experiment and more importantly critique your own photos. Identify the ones that you like and try to understand where their appeal comes from; is it the composition, the subject, the light? By continually examining your work you will nurture a style and improve your eye. I think so often people will take the same photo. It’s the idea of changing your crop or angle, shoot however you want first, look at it, and then just do something different while keeping the subject the same. Change your perspective. Then look again and do that critique. I think people just shoot, shoot, shoot, then pick the best of that one image from the same perspective. I think it’s better to change your perspective and find a really different but unique shot. I haven’t done a lot of workshops personally, but I think that would help people different levels. The main thing is to find something that will pull you up. To shoot something you wouldn’t normally shoot. Any secret principles to success? What does it take to make it as a photographer? I do not think there are any secrets and no set path. You don’t necessarily have to study nor assist, though in my opinion both give you invaluable experience and nurture your creativity. Regardless there are so many factors but determination and tenacity are definitely high on the list. The desire to produce work and the courage to show it to people are what sets photographers apart. So keep on shooting and keep on sharing your work. Where can we hear more from you or see more of your work? Feel free to look at my website www.juliencapmeil.com or pick up a current issue of Conde Nast Traveler, they actually published two of my stories in the same issue which is a first for me. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . Julien Capmeil: Photographer Spotlight . . . → Read More: Julien Capmeil: Photographer Spotlight  Park Bench Here is a simple exercise you can do anywhere that will help develop your photographic eye. Take your camera with just one lens and go for a walk (of course any point and shoot camera will do the trick too). While walking down the street, at the park or even in the wilderness, make a point to stop randomly and find something to photograph within 10 or 15 feet (3 to 5 m) from where you are standing. Better yet, if you are walking with a non photographer, ask him or her to tell you when to stop. Look up and down, look all around you and take your time to find something interesting to photograph. It can be a scene in the street happening just in front of you, an architectural detail, the manhole cover on which you are standing or an insect on a flower. If you are using a DSLR limit yourself to one lens but experiment with a different lens each time to make the exercise more interesting. The point is to learn to make the ordinary look extraordinary. Try different angles, a shallow depth of field, etc. Or try some magic in the digital darkroom later! Another idea is to get children involved in this exercise. A perfect way to get them to walk and introduce them to photography at the same time. Their discoveries might surprise you! This exercise can also be helpful if you are planning to start a 365 day project. Here are a few examples of pictures taken during this simple exercise. I like details, in architecture or in nature and I also like to shoot with a very shallow depth of field. The goal of this exercise is not to produce fine art photographs. Consider it as a photo assignment with no pressure and see what happens. The possibilities are endless, just remember to have fun. Please post some of your results in the comments! Rusty wall Back alley Peeling paint on old park bench Detail of dead tree stump Moss on tree stump Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . A Simple Exercise to Train your Photographic Eye . . . → Read More: A Simple Exercise to Train your Photographic Eye  Since launching our Captivating Color eBook last week I’ve had a few questions from readers on the topic of color, its importance and why we created a whole eBook on a topic like this. I thought there was no better person to ask than the eBook’s author – Mitchell Kanashkevich. Mitchell, why did you decide to write a whole eBook to color? The main reason is that there’s a real lack of understanding when it comes to color. Generally people just don’t realize how important it is. I find this to be the case with even with some of the more experienced photographers. If they have a great grasp of everything, except for color, their images ultimately still fall apart, they don’t quite have the intended impact or the maximum impact. It can be extremely frustrating when you feel you did everything right, but the image still doesn’t grab you, doesn’t captivate or engage you emotionally. I wrote the eBook in large part to help those who already understand some of the photography basics to get to the next level, but also to make those who are just starting out aware, right from the beginning of how important color is. So why exactly is color important? There are two main reasons. Color can help tell us stories (visually) and it can be used to communicate on an emotional level. The emotion part is what I find really, really important. I would go so far as to say that color is the primary factor responsible for making a photo feel exciting, lively, mysterious or perhaps melancholic or a little sombre. Looking at the image at the top of the page, you can see that something as simple as clothes on a line against a wall can look dramatic and feel exciting, just because of color. It’s true, emotions can be a vital part of photography, please expand a little on this topic. Emotions are vital. Most people would agree that when looking at photographs they’re not particularly concerned if a photo has been composed in a clever way, but everyone responds when the image makes them feel something. That color plays part in evoking emotions is not a new idea, if you look into other fields – interior decorators for example put great emphasis on color, if you watch most high production movies carefully, you’ll notice that a lot of them have stylized scenes, the color in those scenes is of a certain tint that’s very evocative of emotions and moods. If you search the internet, people are even talking about healing with color. So it is ultimately very significant, but as I say, a lot of folks do not understand it and are not aware of it. Could it be because we don’t think that we can control color in any way? For example, we can’t change the colors in a landscape when we are making the shot; can we? We can actually do a number of things to control color. With the landscape example you mention we can control color indirectly, if we understand how it works. You see, the colors in that landscape won’t stay the same, they will change depending on time of day, on the lighting conditions. Light is one factor that changes color tremendously, if we understand how it does that, we essentially gain some control over how the color in our landscape photo will look. Obviously it’s not the same amount of control as we’d have if we were to paint that landscape, but it can still have a huge impact. The strong presence of golden yellow in the image above for example, is only there because I shot this scene at a particular time of day, during the magic/golden hour, when light tends to give colors this magical, golden tint. You could say that I indirectly controlled color by deciding when to shoot, under what light. You mention that there are a number of things we can do to control color. What are some of the others? Composition – we can obviously frame certain colors in and others out, we can find angles from where colors look like patterns. If we have any control over the shoot, we can have models/subjects change costumes or we can re-arrange still life objects. Then of course there’s the post processing stage, where we can really do a lot of color manipulation, down to the most minute detail, depending on what we are trying to achieve. Ok, we can control color, but other than the emotional side of things; why would we want to control it? Well, as I mentioned, emotions do play a huge part in determining whether an image is basically good or not, but it’s also about using color to tell stories. Visual story-telling (which is what we do with photography) is all about drawing attention to what’s important to the story and keeping our gaze there, color helps with that a lot. As you can see in the image above, the bright colored part of the frame is where our gaze goes immediately, it’s like I’m saying “Look, the lamp and the man are where the story is!” The rest of the colors in the image are fairly subdued and much darker, so we don’t really notice those until later and that’s fine, because the main part of the story is not there. On the other hand, if there was a bright color which didn’t have purpose within the story, it would confuse the viewer. There are ultimately quite a few things to keep in mind about color and visual story-telling, there’s a lot that we can do to make our stories more powerful and clear and that’s what I discuss at length in the eBook. What would you say is the number one mistake that people make, when it comes to color? Thinking that more is better or not realizing that too many colors, especially colors that don’t follow any order (e.g. not in a pattern) make for pretty disengaging, confusing, even visually unpleasant imagery. When we see something in real life, we are able to process, subtract and to filter out everything outside of what we are focusing on, including color, this way we can make sense of the world around us. With an image, the photographer is essentially the “filter” that gets rid of everything that isn’t important to the story or the emotions that the photo aims to convey. If that “filter” isn’t working effectively, if there’s a whole bunch of colors in the image, which don’t play a specific role, we end up with chaos and whatever message the photographer intended to convey is lost. Do you have anything else to say about the eBook? Who is it for? What is its ultimate aim? This eBook is a down to earth, practical, understandable look at color, without confusing technical jargon or excessive philosophy, it’s easily accessible. It covers the essentials, from the time of the shoot to adjusting color in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. There are exercises that encourage you to learn and see results by doing and there are resources to explore the topic in more depth. The eBook is for absolutely anyone and everyone who shoots color photographs and the ultimate aim of it is to help people understand why color is important and how they can use it to better convey the stories they want to tell and the feelings they had at the time of taking the photo to those who view the image. After all, isn’t that the purpose of almost any photograph, to share a story, a moment and to tell others how exciting, interesting or magical something was? See more of Mitchell’s work on his website and facebook page . Do you have your copy of Captivating Color yet? Grab your copy today along with the 25% discount and bonus eBook here . You’ll also go in the running to win an iPad 2 if you purchase before next Tuesday (5th April). Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . The Importance of Color in Photography: An Interview with Mitchell Kanashkevich . . . → Read More: The Importance of Color in Photography: An Interview with Mitchell Kanashkevich Another day, another firmware update, and this time around it would be the Coolpix P100 from Nikon which will see its firmware hit a more mature version 1.2. Of course, if you go to your camera and check the firmware version, with 1.2 popping up, you need not perform an … . . . → Read More: Nikon Coolpix P100 gets firmware update Another day, another firmware update, and it is Ricoh this time around that has a firmware update for its GXR range of compact digital cameras. This range was first released in December 2009, being the third function-enhancing firmware update for its GXR range of compact digital cameras which were initially … . . . → Read More: Ricoh rolls out firmware update for its GXR digital camera range  This camera has come quite a way since its predecessor, the GH1, appeared over a year ago and the breed is fast becoming a thoroughbred. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Features The compact camera body has the same width as the GH1 but is overall 1.5x larger and a few grams heavier. To my mind, the camera is still enjoyably compact and, even the with 10x lens attached, little larger than some upper level, fixed lens compacts … but this ‘un is just like a DSLR but with a turret LCD finder instead of an optical pentaprism viewfinder. With this camera I again appreciated the excellent f4-5/14-140mm zoom that was used in my time with the GH1. Besides this, there is a total range of 11 lenses for this camera, including an aspheric 14mm pancake lens and a 3D optic to capture stereo pictures viewable on Panasonic Viera TVs. The GH2 depends on image stabilisation built into its OIS lenses: you can turn off the stabilizing function (button on the lens) or choose any of three modes in the viewfinder menu. Exposure options include intelligent auto, Program AE, aperture and shutter priority and manual; added to this are three custom setting, selectable via the mode dial; then there’s a bunch of scene modes (night portrait, sunset, sports, etc). The swinging LCD screen has been widened so that shooting 16:9 stills and movies is given a considerable boost … but of no help with 4:3 shooting! And it’s touch sensitive. This time around we have a Live MOS sensor capable of capturing 16.05 megapixels and shoot a maximum picture size of 4608 . . . → Read More: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Review  Preparation Image by Sean Molin One of the most important steps a wedding photographer can do before a wedding is prepare themselves for all eventualities. Firstly this means meeting with the bride and groom and setting in concrete what it is the couple want and don’t want so there can be no confusion down the line; this will also be the time to establish a fee and contract with the clients. Next you should visit the ceremonial venue and reception venue a week or two ahead of time to mentally place where the romantic portraits and group shots can be taken. Take into consideration where the light will be coming from at the time of day you’ll be shooting (hence why you don’t want to do a reconnaissance mission too far ahead of time) and also have a contingency plan if the area doesn’t work for whatever reason, as well as having an indoor backup if it rains. The day before the wedding, mentally run through everything the couple wants as well as any ideas you envisaged during your pre-shoot scout. Fully charge the camera and flash gun batteries and format memory cards. Insert these into your equipment the night before and take a few test shots to ensure everything is working as it should be. Prime your camera with the settings you expect to use at your first shoot – which will most likely be the bridal preparation. Kit considerations Although you’ll want to take a range of accessories for every eventuality it is a good idea to travel light. The minimum a photographer should pack in a medium size camera backpack is: a favourite DSLR and back up DSLR, a flash gun with diffuser, a reflector, several memory cards each holding a capacity of around 2-8GB, lens cloth, raincover or carry bag to protect your camera in the rain and a lightweight tripod. If you have the room, strength and skills you may also want to take a selection of lighting equipment, filters, a laptop, pocket wizards, remote controls and props. Lens choices In terms of lenses there are three types that we would suggest are essential for a wedding, but if you are doing this as a favour for a friend or for your own portfolio then you’ll be able to get by using one or two zooms that cover a wide focal range – for example 18-200mm would be ideal. However if you are looking to exert a more professional edge you should probably invest in a wide-angle lens for the group and location shots – ideally something like a 16-80mm zoom lens will be perfect and covers a range of bases. It’s a good idea to invest in a prime lens for portraits and images of all the smaller yet hugely significant items such as: the rings, party favours, flowers, bridal accessories etc – so a 35mm, 50mm or 80mm would be ideal. Finally a healthy telephoto zoom lens will allow you to capture those spontaneous ‘moments’ that people treasure because they show the subject as being ‘real’ . Using a telephoto such as 55-200mm will allow the photographer to ‘snipe’ shots from a distance without being detected, thus the subjects are totally relaxed and the result will be completely natural. Camera Settings There are no hard and fast rules to adopt in terms of learning what aperture/shutter speed combination to use for which occasion, as it will largely depend on what quality and quantity of light is available at that time, as well as focusing more on the ‘moment’ rather than getting the right technique. However as a guide, many photographers generally prefer to use some of the following apertures as a rule of thumb, but you shouldn’t be afraid to try something different if it suits the style and purpose of what you want to achieve. Church and indoor ceremonial establishments can tend to lack enough natural light and as most venues won’t permit flash push the ISO as much as possible before it starts to degrade image quality and if appropriate consider using a tripod (just remember to turn the VR off if you do). Opt for a fast lens and don’t be afraid to use a wide aperture even as low as 1.4 or 2.8 to make the most of what light is there. Use the same aperture for the small yet significant items such as the rings and bridal accessories, thus softening the background but generating enough depth of field to render the subjects nice and sharp. F5.6 for candid shooting and the romantic portraits will again keep the subject in focus yet blur distracting background detail. However there are occasions when you might prefer to slip into shutter priority, for example to capture the bride throwing the bouquet or children chasing each other around the venue - for these occasions (depending on the light) a speed of 1/250 will lend itself for creating some charming results. Depending on the number of guests that the couple want to appear in the formal group shots, you’ll be best using an aperture of between f8 and f11 to keep everybody pin sharp – depending on the quality of your lens this may mean pushing the ISO or incorporating a tripod. For pulled back compositions of the couple within the venue grounds and location shots in general you’ll need an aperture of between f9 and f11 to keep everything in sight in focus. Finally for those end of the night dance images either use a long shutter (with some form of stability) to generate movement within the photo and for capturing waves of light from the DJ’s lighting rig, or employ a flash to freeze the action using an aperture of your choosing to compliment the effect you wish to achieve. Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . Wedding Photography 101 (Part 1) . . . → Read More: Wedding Photography 101 (Part 1) We close out a week of camcorders by checking out a Samsung, this time, the Samsung SMX-C20. And though it’s a multicolored variant model, and it does have some problems, it’s got a lot going for it that you’ll no doubt want to hear about. The Samsung SMX-C20 offers a 10x … . . . → Read More: Samsung SMX-C20 Camcorder Review–Multicolored But Well Worthwhile A Guest Post by Kat Landreth from Pare and Focus I love the idea of photography gear that will do the job without breaking the bank. Unfortunately sometimes the equipment I try ends up wasting my money instead of saving it. Do you hate spending your hard earned cash on gear that doesn’t work? These are the five biggest photo equipment mistakes I’ve made and the gear I now use instead. 1. Lens Blower/Brush Seems like a cleaver little tool right? It’s not. It actually makes my lens even dirtier. The blower doesn’t have enough force to really blow anything and the brush is worse because it sheds bristles everywhere. I shouldn’t have to clean up after the cleaning tool. Now I use a Rocket Blower to blast dust and grit with air and a Lenspen to whisk away the rest. If you’re curious about cleaning technique check out this article on how to clean a DSLR lens . 2. Cheap UV Filters Some people suggest using a UV filter to protect your lens while you shoot. They’re not supposed to effect your pictures so you should be able to leave them on your lens all the time. Just my luck, the cheap filters I bought made all of my pictures soft . So how should you protect your lens instead? If you’re not willing to give up on UV filters, image quality is better when you pay up for top of the line versions. A lens hood can put some distance between the glass and anything that can scratch it. And of course there’s my personal favorite- the lens cap. 3. Dedicated Bean Bag Before I went on safari everyone said I should buy a beanbag to prop up my camera when I couldn’t use a tripod. So I bought one and by the end of the trip I hadn’t used it once . There were definitely times when the beanbag could have been useful but it was always more handy to fold up a jacket or sweater to put under my camera. 4. Cheap Tripod I thought it would be OK to spend less on my first tripod. Then I realized there are good reasons people buy more expensive tripods. They’re often lighter, sturdier, and easier to use. My first cheap tripod (and it wasn’t truly cheap at $80 US) started to break down after two months of use. It was too big and too heavy to carry around my neighborhood let alone bring with me on trips. Buying $80 tripods once a year seemed like an expensive habit so I made an investment in a tripod I won’t have to replace for a long time. Added Bonus- I actually like to use the new tripod. 5. The First Camera Bag You See The day bought my camera I also got a camera bag to protect and carry it. I hardly use it. It just doesn’t feel right. It’s really no wonder I don’t like that bag. I didn’t know what style would work for me or the kinds of gear I would need to put in it. It can take time to figure these things out but you have to use something until you find the right bag. I bought a Lenscoat DSLR cover and a padded lens bag . The Lenscoat goes on the camera body, and the lens bag fits over any lens I own even when it’s attached to the camera. This modular system keeps my gear safe enough to carry in regular backpacks and purses. I’d still like to find the best camera bag for me but this system is perfect until then. Help Me Out I know I’m not the only one who’s ever wasted money while trying to save it. And I know some of you might love the gear I loathe. So let me hear it . What’s your least favorite photo gear? If you disagree with this list tell me about that too. Maybe you’ll convince me to look at my unused gear in a new light. Kat Landreth writes PareandFocus.com – budget friendly photography tips, tricks, and tutorials . Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . 5 Kinds of Photography Equipment That Waste Your Money . . . → Read More: 5 Kinds of Photography Equipment That Waste Your Money  Brothers Will & Matt Burrard-Lucas are Wildlife Photographers from the UK. They aim to use teamwork and ingenuity to take striking and original images of wild animals in their natural environments. As wildlife photographers, finding new ways to portray well-covered natural phenomena is often one of the biggest challenges we face. We recently visited the Serengeti in Tanzania for the annual wildebeest migration and coming up with a new way to portray this incredible event was our primary objective. The ‘Great Migration’ as it is known, is the largest mass-movement of land mammals anywhere on Earth – around 1.5 million wildebeest and up to half a million other grazers, undertake an annual 3,000km round trip as they follow the rains and fresh pasture. As the animals travel between the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya, they are forced to cross the Mara River. The sight of thousands of animals battling against this mighty river is one of the Natural World’s most dramatic spectacles. When the wildebeest reach the banks of the Mara River, they congregate in massive herds, sometimes containing tens of thousands of individuals. The animals can dither on the banks of the river for many hours until one brave individual finally ventures into the river and the others then rush to follow it across. Sometimes ten thousand can cross in just half an hour. It was difficult to convey the scale and the drama of the river crossings through still photographs alone so we decided to film some time-lapse sequences. Our clips show the wildebeest entering the river in waves and being dragged downstream by the current. We have never before seen wildebeest river-crossings recorded using time-lapse: this may in fact be the first time it has been done. We also filmed some telephoto video clips using a Canon 1D Mark IV and a 600mm lens to show the mayhem and chaos as the wildebeest tried to drag themselves out of the water and up the steep riverbanks. We spliced together our time-lapse clips with this normal footage to create the following short film: We recorded the time-lapses using a DSLR camera on a tripod, which was snapping around three shots per second. We ensured the camera was set to manual exposure and manual white balance so there was no flicker between consecutive frames. We then used Quicktime Pro to generate the time-lapses. For some of the clips we removed alternate frames to speed up the motion even more. The pan and zoom effect was added later by cropping in on parts of the time-lapse clips. Finally, we licensed the music from a royalty-free music library and compiled the film in iMovie. Another technique we used to exhibit the scale of one wildebeest herds was to create a massive stitched panorama from over 30 overlapping images. This created the equivalent of a 300 megapixel photograph. If you click on the preview below you can explore a high-resolution version of this panorama (it has been shrunk to around 50% of the original size but is still over 16 thousand pixels wide!). When creating this panorama, we again set the camera to manual so that each frame had the same brightness. We were careful not to change the focus or the zoom with each shot. A focal length of 80mm was used so there was very little distortion in each frame. This made it easy to stitch it together using the ‘Photomerge†function in Photoshop. We hope our work conveys something of the drama and the magnitude of this incredible migration. You can see many more pictures from our trip on our Wildebeest Migration page. You may also be interested to read about the rare pink hippo that we photographed during the same trip! Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips . Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips , Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras . Photographing a Wildebeest Migration . . . → Read More: Photographing a Wildebeest Migration According to last minute rumors we got from our trusted sources the new Panasonic G3 will be announced in late April. Earlier rumors “speculated” with a release in late March/early April. For some reasons (earthquake?) the announcement has been delayed for a few weeks. We have been told the G3 will be in Stock in May. Take that rumor with a grain of salt even if it is coming from our very good sources. The recent earthquake disaster could change everything again and of course this doesn’t matter right now. It’s by far more important that Panasonic and Olympus employees can have the time to overcome the shock. And It’s so good to know that no Panasonic/Olympus employee has been hurt! P.S.: The 25mm f/1.4 should be announced along the G3 but unlike the Four Thirds version the lens will not be Leica branded and cost a little bit less ($700 instead of $850). Reminder: Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds): FT1 =1-20% chance the rumor is correct FT2 =21-40% chance the rumor is correct FT3 =41-60% chance the rumor is correct FT4 =61-80% chance the rumor is correct FT5 =81-99% chance the rumor is correct . . . → Read More: (FT4) Panasonic G3 and new lens release in late April I always like taking my dog to the park to throw it a stick. There’s something that is genuinely entertaining about hurling it into a lake, and watching her swim after it. It certainly is entertaining to see it from a dog’s point-of-view, and someone took the time … . . . → Read More: Check out this dog on the hunt |
||||||
|
Copyright © 2012 Photoded - All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress & the Atahualpa Theme by BytesForAll. Discuss on our WP Forum |
||||||
Popular Posts