RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘iconic’

Leica’s Noctilux-M 50mm F1.2 is an homage to one of its most iconic lenses

29 Jan

The last Leica Noctilux 50mm F1.2 lens was produced 46 years ago. Now, nearly half-a-century later, the iconic lens has been reborn in the form of the Noctilux-M 50mm F1.2 ASPH, a ‘new’ lens from Leica that pays homage to a classic.

An advert for the original Noctilux 50mm F1.2 lens (note it uses the same six-element, four-group optical construction as the new Noctilux-M version).

The original Noctilux 50mm F1.2 lens was the first to feature aspherical elements in its optical design. This, along with its large maximum aperture, made for a unique aesthetic that’s become synonymous with the Noctilux line. Leica says the original lens’ ‘visual signature embodies the original essence of the “Leica look” and has helped shape the landscape of Leica’s iconic reputation for the best lenses.’

So, rather than go back to the drawing board, Leica stood atop its own shoulders and based the new lens so similarly to its predecessor that Leica says the resulting images are ‘nearly identical.’ Despite that, Leica says ‘the purpose of this lens is by no means limited to nostalgia or trips down memory lane,’ going on to say that when ‘stopped down to F2.8 or further, the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH delivers impeccably sharp images that live up to the quality expectations of modern-day digital photography.’

The lens is constructed of six elements in four groups, including two aspherical elements. It features a 16-blade aperture diaphragm, has a 1m (3.3ft) minimum focusing distance and uses a 49mm front filter thread. The lens measures 61mm (2.4″) in diameter, 52mm (2″) long (without lens hood) and weighs 405g (14.3oz).

This lens marks the third in the Leica Classics Range, which has seen reissues of the Summaron-M 28 f/5.6 of 1955 and the Thambar-M 90 f/2.2 of 1935. To further pay homage to Leica’s lens history, the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH will come in both silver and black versions — a nod to Leica’s transition from silver to black anodized lenses over the years.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_9658889199″,”galleryId”:”9658889199″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The silver chrome edition of the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH ‘features a brass lens barrel, a front-ring engraving that reads LEITZ WETZLAR (distinguished from the contemporary LEICA engraving) and along with the clear lens container is packaged in a vintage-inspired box that even further recreates the 1966 original.’ The silver chrome edition is limited to just 100 units worldwide and will retail for $ 16,395.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_9867477090″,”galleryId”:”9867477090″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The black anodized version of the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH will come in packaging ‘inspired by the box of the original [Noctilux].’ Leica doesn’t specify how many of the black anodized versions it will be making, but it doesn’t appear to be a limited edition. Units are available now through Leica Stores and authorized dealers for $ 7,695.

Leica has shared a number of Raw photos captured with the lens that you can download and play around with on its product page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Leica’s Noctilux-M 50mm F1.2 is an homage to one of its most iconic lenses

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Iconic Ansel Adams image sells for nearly $1M at Sotheby’s auction, total sales of $6.4M

18 Dec
Ansel Adams, The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

‘A Grand Vision: The David H. Arrington Collection of Ansel Adams Masterworks’ completed auctioned at Sotheby’s New York on December 14. The collection comprised 123 individual lots, 94% of which were successfully sold to buyers both in person at Sotheby’s New York and online. A mural-sized print, ‘The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming’, sold for a record-high for an Ansel Adams print, closing at $ 988,000 USD.

Ansel Adams photographed the record-setting print in 1942. The image was commissioned by the Department of the Interior. The mural-sized print of Jackson Hole is one of fewer than 10 thought to exist. David H. Arrington acquired it directly from a descendant of Ansel Adams.

Ansel Adams, The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – Lot 53, sold for $ 988,000

David H. Arrington was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and currently serves as President of Arrington Oil & Gas Operating LLC. He became interested in photography as a teenager and began collecting Adams’ work in his twenties. His collection ultimately developed into one of the largest and most comprehensive private collections of Adams’ photography. Pieces from the collection have been part of many exhibits over the years, including in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Hayward Gallery, the Kunstbibliothek in Berlin, and the Museum of Modern Art.

Ansel Adams, Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada, from Lone Pine, California – Lot 107, sold for $ 403,200

Arrington said, ‘I remember the first time I saw an image slowly appear in the developing tray in my darkroom. I was 15 years old, mesmerized and thrilled beyond imagination at the possibilities inherent in photography. Now at 60 years old, I still feel the same.’ Many of his Ansel Adams prints were displayed at his company’s headquarters, making it a museum of sorts. He encouraged employees to select favorite prints to hang in their offices.

When the auction closed, the sold lots totaled $ 6.4 million, the highest total for a sale of photographs at Sotheby’s since 2014. Before the auction, the pre-sale estimate ranged from $ 4.1 to $ 6.1 million. Sotheby’s shared additional interesting figures, including that nearly half of lots sold achieved prices above their high estimates, more than 50% of lots were sold online and 35% of buyers were first-time buyers from Sotheby’s.

Ansel Adams, Half Dome, Merced River, Winter, Yosemite Valley – Lot 38, sold for $ 685,500

Emily Bierman, Head of Sotheby’s Photographs Department in New York, said, ‘The spectacular results from [the sale] not only affirmed Ansel Adams as one of the most important artists of the 20th century, but also that his subject matter is as relevant today as when it was created over half a century ago.’ She commented further that the record-setting print garnered a bidding battle involving at least half a dozen bidders.

Bierman continues, ‘The collection put together by David H. Arrington was unprecedented in its scale, scope, and condition, and now proudly takes its place among the most significant collections of photographs to ever come to auction. Handing this collection has been an enormous privilege for our entire team, and, personally, an opportunity I will cherish in my career.’

Ansel Adams, Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point, Winter, Yosemite National Park – Lot 48, sold for $ 163,800

You can browse all 123 lots by clicking here. From there, you will be able to see the closing price for sold lots and view the pre-sale estimates for each lot. Notably, before the auction, Sotheby’s estimated that Adams’ iconic ‘Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico’ would sell for the highest amount, although it ultimately sold for about $ 300,000 less than Adams’ image of the Grand Tetons. David H. Arrington’s collection included many other iconic Adams images and it’s well worth it for any photographer fan to peruse and enjoy the images.


Image credits: The above Ansel Adams photographs have been shared with us courtesy of Sotheby’s Auction House

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Iconic Ansel Adams image sells for nearly $1M at Sotheby’s auction, total sales of $6.4M

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Video: ‘One Shot’ shows what it takes to capture an iconic image at the Olympic games

25 Nov

A thread on Reddit has brought a neat photography documentary from 2017 to our attention. ‘One Shot: Photographing the Olympic Games’ is a behind the scenes look at how photographers capture the iconic images of the Olympics, including a special focus on photographers setting up to capture the 100m men’s final in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 summer games.

Featured photographers include multi-awarded photographers such as Lucy Nicholson, Dave Burnett, Bob Martin, Tim de Waele, and Tsuyoshi Matsumoto. Nicholson had a very specific image in mind for the 100m men’s final in Rio. As she sets up her gear, nine hours ahead of the starting gun kicking off what is one of the most exciting 10 seconds in sports, Nicholson talks about how she wants a tight shot of the winner with other sprinters on either side of the winner. ‘You only get one chance to take the key shot,’ Nicholson says.

A chart showing Sports Illustrated’s plans for photographing the 100m men’s final in Rio. Click to enlarge.

The documentary, seen below, was awarded the Candido Cannavo Award at the World Final of the Milan Sport Film Festival in 2018. About 150 iconic images from nearly 100 different photographers over the last 50 years of Olympic games are featured. An iconic image tells a story for years to come. Long after the medals have been awarded to the victors, and even long after the photographer has passed, the images and the stories they tell remain. Presenter Jonathan Edwards, Olympic gold medalist triple jumper, says it well, ‘A story that’s taken a lifetime to create, told in one shot. One freeze frame.’

Years of planning are required to create iconic images, and in under a minute, an iconic photo can be sent halfway around the globe. The technology on display in 2016 during the summer games was incredible. Reuters was able to get the first photo of Usain Bolt winning the 100m men’s final out to its customers in 58 seconds. It’s safe to assume that the technology will have advanced even further when photographers head to Tokyo in 2021. And while the equipment and tools photographers use continue to evolve, photography’s importance when telling a story remains unchanged.

‘One Shot’ was directed and written by Peter Davies and presented by Jonathan Edwards. As pointed out by PetaPixel, the documentary can also be viewed on the Olympic Channel. It’s hosted on YouTube by Anthony Edgar, the Head of Media Operations for the International Olympic Committee. Edgar also appears in the video. His channel, linked above, includes a lot of interesting Olympics-related video content.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Video: ‘One Shot’ shows what it takes to capture an iconic image at the Olympic games

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Documenting humanity’s journey into space: Over 2,400 iconic space images are up for auction

13 Nov
Lead image: ‘The ‘Blue Marble’, the first human-taken photograph of the Earth fully illuminated, December 7-19, 1972, Harrison Schmitt [Apollo 17]. Estimate: £15,000-31,500. Offered in Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection, November 6-19, 2020, Online’ Caption and image courtesy of CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2020

Christie’s has placed up for auction a massive collection of images, many of which document the American space program from the 1940s through the 1970s. The collection, ‘Voyage to Another World: The Victor-Martin Malburet Photograph Collection,’ includes 700 lots comprising more than 2,400 separate items.

Bidding began on November 6 and continues until November 19 for lots 1-325 and November 20 for the remaining lots. Christie’s states that the collection traces ‘the artistic heritage of the Apollo Missions and Golden Age of space exploration.’

‘The first photograph of man in space [Large Format], Ed White’s first American EVA over Hawaii, June 3-7, 1965, James McDivitt [Gemini IV]. Estimate: £6,000-8,000. Offered in Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection, November 6-19, 2020, Online’ Caption and image courtesy of CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2020

Martin-Malburet has built this collection over the last 15 years. He has been interested in images captured in space since he accompanied his father to an auction. ‘It was a sale of astronautical artifacts,’ says Martin-Malburet, ‘We bought various things, including an autograph of Yuri Gagarin. But the item that impressed me most was a photograph, the famous shot of Buzz Aldrin on the moon with the lunar module reflected in his visor. It is such a powerful image: one lonely figure in another world. And since Aldrin is anonymous inside his spacesuit, he seems to represent all humanity.’

Victor ultimately studied mathematics and physics at university, and he says he wanted to blur the boundary between art and science. Martin-Malburet says of the moon landing photos in particular, ‘Between 1968 and 1972, 24 privileged humans traveled a quarter of a million miles to a place that was not Earth and a record of it all exists. But the complete story has not been told. At the time, only a tiny fraction of the material was released to the media. The rest remained in Houston, unpublished.’

‘First human-taken photograph from space; orbital sunset, February 20, 1962, John Glenn [Mercury Atlas 6]. Estimate: £3,000-5,000. Offered in Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection, November 6-19, 2020, Online’ Caption and image courtesy of CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2020

Many of the images in the collection have not been seen by people outside of NASA and various research institutions. Many images didn’t include accompanying information, leaving Martin-Malburet to dig through NASA’s transcripts of space missions to determine when each photograph in the collection was captured, such as whether it was on the way into space or on the way back to Earth, information NASA didn’t record. Martin-Malburet also often had to determine who the photographer of each image was, as ‘crediting the author’ is very important to him. By collating the available information and filling in the gaps, we now, for the first time, have a more complete story of many important moments in our history of space exploration.

There are many great images in the collection, including a photograph of Neil Armstrong on the moon, seen below. For decades, even NASA didn’t know this image existed. Martin-Malburet determined that Buzz Aldrin picked up the camera only once and it was to record this photograph of the first man on the moon. Otherwise, Armstrong himself was the photographer for the duration of the mission.

‘The only photograph of Neil Armstrong on the Moon, July 16-24, 1969, Buzz Aldrin [Apollo 11]. Estimate: £30,000-50,000. Offered in Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection, November 6-19, 2020, Online’ Caption and image courtesy of CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2020

Further ‘firsts’ in the collection include the first image of the earth rising over the moon’s horizon. Ed White’s first spacewalk, seen is recorded as well, and is the first full-face portrait of the Earth itself captured during the very last Apollo mission.

Christie’s writes that ‘Anyone looking at such photographs is bound to feel awestruck.’ It continues, ‘So are they genuine art objects?’ To that question, Martin-Malburet answers, ‘They are absolutely works of art. Artists strive for new ways to express themselves, a visual vocabulary. The astronauts had the blank vistas of space as their subject and their canvas. And the fact that you have humans behind the camera is really important. They saw themselves as scientists, but somehow they embraced the sublime. Through them, art broke free of gravity.’

It’s a wonderful collection. To view the entire collection, visit Christie’s. While the images themselves certainly hold a lot of value, Martin-Malburet’s work in contextualizing each photograph and determining the photographer adds a lot. As mentioned earlier, bidding is ongoing and ends on November 19 or 20, depending on the lot in question. Each lot includes an estimated value, and the estimates range from around $ 1,000 USD to over $ 60,000.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Documenting humanity’s journey into space: Over 2,400 iconic space images are up for auction

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Video: Meet Calypso, the predecessor to Nikon’s iconic underwater Nikonos cameras

03 Nov

A customer at Camera West in California recently traded in an interesting piece of photographic history, the Calypso underwater camera. The 35mm film camera was the first of its kind that didn’t need housing to be used underwater.

The Calypso was the brainchild of legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau and Belgian engineer Jean de Wouters. The Calypso was released in 1961 as the first 35mm underwater camera which could be used without housing. Cousteau wanted a small, simple camera you could use on land and underwater without any fuss.

When the Calypso launched, there were a trio of available lenses. Two of the lenses were manufactured by SOM Berthiot, 28mm and 35mm prime lenses. A third lens, a 45mm prime, was manufactured by Angenieux. In the video below, the Calypso is shown with the SOM Berthiot 35mm F3.5 lens. The knob on the left side of the lens barrel is used for focusing and the knob on the right controls the aperture.

The camera includes a distinct shutter design. When firing the shutter, the camera simultaneously winds the film. Since the camera is always ready to fire, there’s a shutter release lock on the top of the camera. The original camera strap is included and as you can see above, there is a built-in mechanism in the links to open the camera for loading film.

The camera’s construction is quite simple. Camera components are in the top portion of the body and the lower area is primarily a shell. The camera is constructed from an alloy and is coated in black enamel. Each component includes water sealing and the grip is faux sealskin. The camera’s top shutter speed is 1/1000s and it does include a port for using a flash.

To construct the camera, you put the two camera body components together and then mount the lens. Each lens includes a notch, allowing you to tell when the lens is fully mounted and sealed against water. At the time of its launch, the Calypso was rated to for use up to 200′ (60m) underwater.

The Calypso camera, as seen in Camera West’s video above. Click to enlarge.

In 1962, Nikon took over the production of the Calypso camera, rebranding it as the iconic Nikonos underwater 35mm camera. This was not Nikon’s first foray with underwater photography, as the Japanese company had already developed an underwater housing for the Nikon S2 camera in 1956. After teaming up with the Calypso’s original manufacturer, La Spirotechnique, the redeveloped Nikonos was released. Interestingly, in Nikon’s history of the Nikonos, Nikon says the camera was water pressure-resistant down to 50m rather than 60m, and the shutter speed topped out at 1/500s.

Ultimately, Nikon released three Nikonos cameras built upon the legacy of the Calypso, with the Nikonos III releasing in 1975. Nikon then went back to the drawing board and designed a full original Nikonos IV-A. This camera was released in 1980 and included new features such as a TTL exposure meter, aperture-priority AE control, an electronically controlled shutter, hinged open-and-close camera back and improved usability. The Nikonos V came next and was sold for 17 years before its discontinuation in October 2001. Nikon also released an autofocus underwater camera, the Nikonos RS AF, which could be used at depths of up to 100m. You can learn more about all the Nikonos cameras by clicking here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Video: Meet Calypso, the predecessor to Nikon’s iconic underwater Nikonos cameras

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Iconic scenes in The Mandalorian were filmed using a Canon 5D Mark III and Nikon lens

31 Oct

The second season of the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian premiered today and there is fascinating photography associated with the production of the Star Wars spinoff show. For starters, some scenes in the show were shot using the Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR camera.

As Digital Camera World points out, not only were scenes shot using the Canon 5D Mark III, but an adapted Nikon 28mm lens was used and the camera operator was John Knoll, co-creator of Photoshop and current effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM).

If you watched the first season of The Mandalorian and felt like scenes were reminiscent in overall appearance to the original trilogy of Star Wars movies, there’s a good reason for that. While modern technology and computer-generated imagery plays a large role in the production of The Mandalorian, showrunner and series creator Jon Favreau wanted to retain the look and feel of classic Star Wars films. As fans of the franchise are likely aware, the original Star Wars trilogy relied heavily upon physical models to film many of its iconic scenes.

Here you can see the Canon 5D Mark III camera mounted on a rail toward the right edge of the frame. The model of the Razor Crest ship is surrounded by foam board and desert imagery is being projected onto the board.

To recapture the spirit of the older Star Wars movies with The Mandalorian, Industrial Light and Magic created the titular character’s spacecraft, the Razor Crest, in its studio. John Goodson, a longtime ILM model maker created the ship using a 3D printer and tinfoil and Knoll built a 50-foot motion control rig.

In the video above, you can follow along with the team at ILM as they created the Razor Crest ship. This includes its beginnings as concept art to it being physically built and filmed as a practical miniature. We also see Knoll at work filming the first motion control shots at ILM in 15 years. It’s a fascinating look at how iconic objects, such as a protagonist’s ship in a Star Wars series, are created and brought to life.

Of creating the Razor Crest model for filming as a practical miniature, Knoll says that it’s important to strike a balance with the size of the model. You want it large enough that its details hold up when close to the camera, but not so large that it’s difficult to create a dynamic motion shot when running it along a rigged track. Ultimately, the team settled on a model around 24″ long.

The team used a Nikon 28mm lens on the Canon camera. And the man behind the controls? The creator of Photoshop. The production is a blend of photographic history.

Goodson remarked that one of the biggest differences between scenes shot using computer generated graphics versus a scene shot using miniatures is that when using a physical model, you are limited by the availability of mounting points for objects. There are certain angles and shots you simply can’t achieve when using models. However, that look and certain types of motion are also ingrained in people’s memories of older Star Wars movies. The team at ILM worked very hard to make sure that shots of the Razor Crest model evoked that same look as old shots. From the perspective of this Star Wars fan, they nailed it.

(Via Digital Camera World)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Iconic scenes in The Mandalorian were filmed using a Canon 5D Mark III and Nikon lens

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Video: The history of cameras in space and how iconic space photos were captured

10 Oct

Astronauts have been taking cameras into space Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov orbited the Earth aboard the Vostok 2 in 1961. Since then, astronauts have used cameras to capture some of the most iconic photos of space exploration and created important memories for countless people back on terra firma.

As Scott Manley points out in his new video, How Astronauts Captured Iconic Space Photos – A History of Cameras in Space, although cameras are often modified for space flight, not every camera has been special. In fact, John Glenn bought a standard Ansco Autoset camera on his own, likely to avoid delays if he had gone through the standard government acquisitions process. NASA engineers modified the camera to make it easier to use while in space, including the addition of a pistol grip and an additional viewfinder that could be used with the suit helmet closed. You can learn more about Glenn’s Ansco Autoset in this article from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. A second camera on board Glenn’s first orbital flight was a special Leica camera which had been modified to capture wide-spectrum images of stars.

Walter Schirra, pictured above second from the left, took a Hasselblad 500C camera aboard the Mercury Sigma-7 spacecraft. Schirra was a photography enthusiast himself and had asked professional photographers who had been following the space program for advice. On their advice, Schirra purchased the medium format Hasselblad and after it was modified for improved usability and performance, he used it to capture images during six orbits of Earth. The resulting images were very detailed and as Manley says in the video below, established a new standard for images captured in space.

Schirra’s Hasselblad camera was later used in the final Mercury mission by Gordon Cooper and was eventually sold at auction for $ 275,000 USD. If you would like to own a working replica of this same Hasselblad, Cole Rise makes replicas of space cameras, including the Hasselblad 500C. You can learn more about Rise’s cameras at Space Camera Co.

Thanks in large part to Schirra’s photography in space, Hasselblad cameras became important cargo aboard subsequent space exploration missions as part of the Gemini and Apollo missions. Hasselblad cameras were used outside of spacecraft as well, capturing many iconic images. One of these iconic images was of Edward White during his spacewalk in 1965. By this point, Hasselblad had begun working directly with NASA to develop cameras for space and had outfitted NASA with a custom-built Hasselblad 500EL data camera, complete with a silver finish for thermal control, special low-distortion lens and Reseau plate.

This custom-build Hasselblad data camera was used on Apollo 8, 9, 10 and 11 missions. Image credit: Hasselblad

Hasselblad has an informative website dedicated to its history in space, it is well worth checking out.

Near the end of the Apollo program, Nikon began working work NASA to outfit astronauts with customized 35mm SLR cameras. Nikon cameras are still used in space to this day. Some of the modifications made to make Nikon cameras suitable for space include different soldering standards, vacuum-safe lubricants and a more robust metal construction. You can learn more about Nikon’s history, including the use of its cameras in space, by clicking here. Manley also references Timm Chapman, a photographer who owns many Nikon space cameras. Chapman has written extensively about Nikon’s space cameras, including fascinating details on how they were modified.

Screenshot from Nikon’s dedicated history website. Click to enlarge.

To learn more about a history of cameras in space, including the beginning of the digital age in space, watch Scott Manley’s full video above. To see additional videos from Manley, head to his YouTube channel.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Video: The history of cameras in space and how iconic space photos were captured

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Weekly Photography Challenge – Iconic

10 Oct

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Iconic appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.

This week we want to see something iconic, that can be a landmark or place or just something that you think people will immediately recognise, like… A certain brand of toothpaste, for example, photographed in an interesting way (Bonus points if you try that!) or the London Eye! (This was a photo I made of the Eye in 2007… on a 6mp camera… those days were fun!) It just has to be instantly recognisable to the viewer. Do your best and have fun! #dPSIconic – Think outside the box!

Weekly Photography Challenge – Iconic
London Eye by night | Canon 30D f/4.5 for 4 seconds at 17mm

If you don’t have an iconic building handy, think smaller like ‘Lego’ for example, most people know what Lego is! (Or have stepped on it in the dead of night while checking on the sleeping kids!) The goal is to photograph something instantly recognisable and try to do it in an interesting way!

Weekly Photography Challenge – Iconic

Great! Where do I upload my photos?

Simply upload your shot into the comments field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see. Or, if you’d prefer, upload them to your favourite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them.

Weekly Photography Challenge – Looking Up

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on FlickrInstagramTwitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSIconic 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.

Follow us on Instagram?

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Iconic appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sime.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Weekly Photography Challenge – Iconic

Posted in Photography

 

LEGO Ideas design recreates the iconic Nikon F3 out of plastic bricks

29 Dec

Photographer and LEGO designer Ethan ‘LegoDog0126’ Brossard has recreated the iconic Nikon F3 film camera as a LEGO kit featuring 549 pieces. The design has been submitted to the LEGO Ideas website where it was selected as a Staff Pick on November 25. At this point in time, the submission has nearly 1,400 supporters and 190 days remaining for others to support it.

Brossard detailed his project in a recent post on Emulsive, where he explained that his LEGO recreation of the Nikon F3 is only a bit larger than the actual camera. The render features an impressive degree of detail for something made from small plastic bricks and other components, including almost all of the levers found on the F3, the main dials and a plastic representation of the SLR’s mirror.

Though the renders include a blocky roll of film, Brossard notes that it can’t actually fit in the camera due to the thickness of the LEGO bricks. As well, the recreation features an approximation of the Nikon AI-S prime lens. The shiny chrome featured in the renders isn’t actually a color produced by LEGO, meaning anyone who attempts to build the model will need to use gray or some other color.

Brossard has shared a Google Drive folder containing the Studio and Ldraw model files for anyone to download. As well, the model can be found on Rebrickable. The submission will need to achieve 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas in order for its to undergo a LEGO Review, at which point the company will evaluate the design for its potential as an official LEGO kit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on LEGO Ideas design recreates the iconic Nikon F3 out of plastic bricks

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Iconic photographer Terry O’Neill passes away at 81

19 Nov
Photo credit: Misan Harriman/Iconic Images, used with permission

Only two months back, Peter Lindberg, Charlie Cole, Fred Herzog, and Robert Frank passed away within days of each other. Now the photography world has lost another icon. Terry O’Neill, best known for capturing the essence of the ‘Swinging Sixties’ with his photographs of legendary performers from the era including The Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John, Barbara Streisand, and Clint Eastwood, succumbed to a long battle with prostate cancer on Saturday night at the age of 81.

O’Neill was known for capturing his subjects authentically and in an unconventional manner. As Elton John reflects, ‘looking at Terry’s photographs is like gazing through a window at the most extraordinary and exciting moments of my life.’ Born on July, 30 1938 in Heston, West London, O’Neill was on track to become a priest but found his true calling in music. ‘I was told I had too many questions to be a priest,’ he remarked.

Photography would find O’Neill by accident. An aspiring jazz drummer, he sought out employment at British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), now British Airways, in hopes that as a steward he could travel to New York City’s jazz clubs in between work breaks. There weren’t any steward positions open at the time. Reluctantly, he took a job in the airline’s photography department.

Working with Peter Campion in BOAC’s photography department is what changed the course of O’Neill’s career. Campion immediately knew he had an eye and would give O’Neill photography books to peruse for inspiration. A chance encounter with then Home Secretary Rab Butler, asleep on a bench in a BOAC terminal, would yield a photo that was published in the Daily Sketch. O’Neill was immediately offered a job on the Fleet Street beat and worked at the paper for a few years before striking out on his own.

One of his earliest assignments happened to be of a musical group that would define a generation. ‘I was asked to go down to Abbey Road Studios and take a few portraits of this new band. I didn’t know how to work with a group — but because I was a musician myself and the youngest on-staff by a decade — I was always the one they’d ask. I took the four young lads outside for better light. That portrait ran in the papers the next day and the paper sold out. That band became the biggest band in the world; The Beatles,’ recalls O’Neill in a quote published by his agency, Iconic Images.

He would go on to photograph The Rolling Stones during their formative years. Their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, credited O’Neill’s images as being fundamental to the band’s success. ‘Terry O’Neill captured us on the street, and that made all the difference. Terry captured the time.’ He continued on his path, photographing more famous faces that defined the 60s including Michael Caine, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Terence Stamp, Jean Shrimpton, and Frank Sinatra. Notably, he was one of the first photographers to work with Sean Connery as he portrayed James Bond. O’Neill worked as a photographer on all the Bond films in the coming decades.

Although most of O’Neill’s work focused on the glitz and glamour of celebrity life during his six decades as a photographer, he also captured prominent athletes and politicians. He photographed the Queen of England twice and also caught Winston Churchill leaving the hospital in 1962. ‘Terry was a ‘historian’ whose camera captured the resurgence and energy of this revolution,’ says Michael Caine. ‘I can think of no other photographer who has contributed so much to our heritage.’

O’Neill went on to capture classic images into the 70s including David Bowie’s ‘Jumping Dog,’ which premiered at the V&A Museum in London, along with riveting moments from Elton John’s ‘Rocketman’ tour – many that were used as reference material for the recent film. It was his portrait of actress Faye Dunaway, ‘Faye at the pool,’ that would establish him as an icon. Dunaway brought her Oscar statue, an award for her role in the 1976 film ‘Network,’ to the Beverly Hills Hotel pool the morning after she won. This atypical ‘day after’ take is recognized as one of Hollywood’s most iconic images to this day. O’Neill and Dunaway would go on to marry in 1983 before splitting in 1987.

At the start of the 21st century, O’Neill started focusing more of his efforts on exhibiting, publishing, and discussing his work. In 2011, he was awarded the Royal Photographic Society Centenary Medal in recognition of his significant contribution to the art of photography plus an Honorary Fellowship of The Society. Earlier this year, he was awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Photography in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Robin Morgan, the former editor of The Sunday Times Magazine and CEO of Iconic Images, the agency that represents O’Neill’s work, sums up his career with the following statement; ‘No other photographer worked the frontline of fame for so long and with such panache. Terry chronicled the cultural landscape for six decades from HM Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill to Nelson Mandela, The Beatles to Amy Winehouse, Muhammad Ali to the biggest stars of film and stage. They all dropped their guard to his mischief, charm and wit.’

Adds Morgan, ‘By the end of his life his work was hanging in more than 40 galleries and museums around the world.’ To this day, O’Neill is one of the world’s most collected photographers. He is survived by his son, actor Liam Dunaway O’Neill and current wife Laraine Ashton.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Iconic photographer Terry O’Neill passes away at 81

Posted in Uncategorized