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Archive for February, 2018

2018 Sony World Photography Awards shortlist revealed

28 Feb

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

The World Photo Organization has released the shortlist for this year’s Sony World Photography Awards, the so-called “world’s most diverse photography competition.” The shortlist covers all four competitions—Professional, Open, Youth, and Student Focus—and a total of 20 categories in all.

This year, the Sony World Photography Awards received nearly 320,000 entries from over 200 countries, and the 200 shortlisted images—the top 10 in every category—represent the best of those 320,000. The judges also selected a top 50 per category to create a “commended” list. The overall winners in each category, as well as the coveted Photographer of the Year award, will be revealed on April 19th, and a specially curated exhibition is slated to run from April 20th – May 6th at Somerset House in London.

The 30 images in this slideshow represent “highlights” selected from various categories of the Professional and Open competition shortlists. Scroll through for a little dose of Wednesday inspiration, and let us know what you think in the comments.

To learn more about the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards, or if you would like to see all of the shortlisted images for yourself, visit the World Photography Organization website.

Press Release

Shortlist for 2018 Sony World Photography Awards reveals outstanding quality, variety and record entry figures

Today’s announcement signals an impressive year ahead for the world’s most diverse international photography competition

  • All shortlisted images available at worldphoto.org/press

  • Nearly 320,000 images were submitted from across the world, seeing a 40% increase in entries compared to 2017.

  • Overall winners will be revealed on April 19 2018 (23.00 GMT) and a specially curated exhibition will take place April 20 – May 6 at Somerset House, London.

The shortlisted and commended photographers for the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards, the world’s most diverse photography competition, are announced today.

Photographers from over 200 countries and territories entered nearly 320,000 images across the Awards’ competitions, the highest ever number of entries to date and a 40% increase on 2017. The judges were particularly impressed with the high quality of entries, and the shortlist’s ability to offer insight into the foremost trends and contemporary concerns of photographers working today.

Produced by the World Photography Organisation, the Sony World Photography Awards are now in the 11th year of partnership with their headline sponsor, Sony. The Awards’ shortlist (top 10 per category) and commended list (top 50 per category) comprises some of the world’s finest contemporary photography captured over the past year.

The international range of entries display a huge diversity of imagery in terms of genre, style and subject matter across the Awards’ 4 competitions: Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus. The Professional competition includes 10 categories such as Architecture, Contemporary Issues, Landscape, Natural World & Wildlife, Portraiture and two new categories for this year: Creative and Discovery, while the Open competition offers 10 categories including Culture, Enhanced, Motion, Street Photography and Travel.

This year, the Professional competition, which is judged on a series of works, saw an impressive number of entries across its 10 categories. Judges found submissions to be exceptionally strong, particularly across the competition’s two new categories – Creative and Discovery. The shortlisted series of works include stylish images of humanity’s obsession with wealth to raw images of the Rohingya refugee crisis, through to quirky portraits of dogs and their owners. The photographers will now compete to win their categories, and Photographer of the Year title.

The Open competition, which is judged on a single image, also saw a wide variety of subject matter submitted to its 10 categories, with Street Photography and Landscape and Nature receiving the highest volume of entries. Shortlisted works include beautiful imagery of frozen lakes, sunlit deserts and hidden forests; stunning portraits of faces from around the world, and unique insights in cultures and traditions that might otherwise be unseen. A breadth of Open competition images were awarded ‘Commended’ as some of the top 50 works within their categories, ranging from images of industrial power stations and formations of swans, to an evocative image of para-athletes competing in the rain.

All the shortlisted Professional and Open photographers’ works will go on to compete to become category winners, with the chance of being selected as Photographer of the Year winning $ 25,000 (USD) or Open Photographer of the Year winning $ 5,000 (USD).

The Awards’ Youth competition saw a diverse range of entries from 12-19 year old photographers who submitted one image on the theme of ‘Your environment’, with nearly 8000 more entries submitted compared to the previous year.

Finally, the Student Focus competition saw applications from universities worldwide. Ten shortlisted students from the UK, India, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Canada and China will now go on to produce a further body of work, with the chance of winning €30,000 (Euros) of Sony digital imaging equipment for their university.

The winners of the Awards will be announced at the Awards ceremony in London on April 19. The Photographer of the Year, Open Photographer of the Year, the Professional and Youth competitions’ category winners and the ten shortlisted Student Focus entrants will all be flown to London to attend. Category winners will also receive the latest Sony digital imaging equipment and will be included in the 2018 Awards’ book.

The Sony World Photography Awards are judged anonymously by internationally acclaimed industry professionals. The 2018 Professional competition jury was chaired by Mike Trow (ex Picture Editor, British Vogue) with representatives from international museums, publishing and the media.

Philip Tinari (Judge and Director, Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art, China) commented:

“We were impressed by the depth and diversity of the work that we reviewed, and inspired by the many ways in which photographers around the world are engaging with the issues that face us all.”

Naomi Cass (Judge and Director, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia) remarked:

“The range of work considered was breathtaking, and diversity amongst the judges ensured robust discussions, leading to outstanding winners. I was impressed by the diversity of approaches within each category and the breadth of photographers from across the globe.”

Clare Grafik (Judge and Head of Exhibitions, The Photographers’ Gallery, London, UK) commented:

“From new approaches to portraiture to creative responses to the landscape in which we live, the images illustrated what a broad and innovative field photography has become. As our way of experiencing photographic images becomes all the more multifarious, the Awards offer us the opportunity to focus on new talents and important projects that may otherwise have passed us by.”

Commenting on this year’s awards, Scott Gray (CEO, World Photography Organisation) notes:

“The quality of this year’s submissions has been very impressive, with outstanding works of art entered across the competitions. The Sony World Photography Awards has celebrated photographers and photography throughout its 11-year history, and we continue to work to ensure photography is recognized as a dynamic, exciting, and accessible medium.”

All shortlisted and winning images will be exhibited as part of the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London. This exhibition will include a dedicated section featuring specially selected works by the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize. The exhibition will run from April 20 until May 6. Tickets are available at www.worldphoto.org/2018exhibition

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Nick Dolding, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open, Portraiture (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


The stylish Emile shot for Paypal looking suitably aloof and hoity in a set with just a little nod towards Wes Anderson.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Manuel Armenis, Germany, Shortlist, Open, Street Photography (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Hamburg, Germany. Spring of 2017. The most graceful lady of her neighborhood, despite the burden of old age. Always stylish, colorful, in good spirits, smiling, never complaining, even though the everyday is a struggle and a challenge for her. And never to be seen without her best friend – her little dog.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Xiaoxiao Liu, China, Shortlist, Open, Culture (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


In China, new senior middle school students would have their military training at the beginning of the first year’s school term. We all have memories during everybody’s training time. I helped a school to shoot for the record of their training time in September 2017.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Manish Mamtani, India, Shortlist, Open, Travel (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Aerial view of Glacial river in Iceland. While crossing the bridge, I noticed some pattern in the water and wondered how it would look from the sky. I stopped the car at a turnout after crossing the bridge and flew my drone to capture this image. I included the bridge and the car to give an idea of the scale. This river flows to the ocean and becomes part of the sea.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Sphiwo Hlatshwayo, South Africa, Shortlist, Open, Portraiture (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


A portrait of a woman with freckles taken earlier in 2017. This image was taken in studio using two soft lights (softness altered in post production). This image was taken because I simply found the model to be beautiful. She caught my eye at an event and I had to bring her into the studio so I could capture every single freckle on her face.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Mark Edward Harris, United States of America, Shortlist, Professional, Natural World & Wildlife (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Eyes Are the Window to the Soul

Image Description: A 40 year old orangutan named Azy at the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Some orangutans have lived into their early 60s.

Series Description: Photographic and scientific studies of a group of orangutans at the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center in Indianapolis, Indiana demonstrate the individuality of each primate as well as a clear awareness of self. There is obviously a sentient being looking back through the lens. Orangutans and humans share 97 percent of their DNA sequence.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Rasmus Flindt Pedersen, Denmark, Shortlist, Professional, Current Affairs & News (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Mosul liberated

Image Description: An elderly woman is driven through the city on the back of one of Golden Division’s Humvees. The temperature is nearly 50 degrees celcius, and she’s too weak to get away from the frontline on her own. 11 days later – 10. July 2017 – the Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, declares Mosul liberated, although fighting continues in the city for a couple of weeks.

Series Description: On the 16th of October 2016, a coalition of Iraqi and Kurdish military forces launch operation ‘We are coming, Nineveh’ – the fight to retake the Iraqi city Mosul and the surrounding area from ISIS. Nine months later Mosul is declared liberated. An AP report estimates that upwards of 11,000 civilians have been killed during the war, and according to the International Organisation for Migration more than 800,000 people have fled their home. The series is shot over the course of 16 days during two separate trips to Mosul, Iraq in January/February 2017 and June/July 2017 in order to document the war to liberate Mosul from ISIS.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Asha Miles, Russian Federation, Shortlist, Professional, Current Affairs & News (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Scars

Image Description: I do not remember anything about the ceremony of circumcision, I was not even a year old. About what it did to me, I only found out when I was older. I remember that I was so upset and offended by my mother, when I found out, that I did not talk to her for a very long time. I already knew by then that it was bad. We were told about this in school. I’m glad that today the operation is banned.&nbsp;<br>
I myself could not do without the consequences – my stomach often hurts, and the doctor says that maybe it’s because of circumcision. But I was lucky compared to my younger sister – she was constantly experiencing pain during urination and did not go to school for months. Everything was so bad that Mama herself decided not to do the operation to my other sisters.

Series Description: Female Genital Mutilation, or Female Circumcision, is the partial or complete removal of external female genitalia. “Scars” are personal stories of 12 Gambian women who survived the procedure as children. For several years, Gambia has been actively spreading information about the harm of female circumcision, which was once considered part of a cultural tradition designed to reduce a woman’s sexual desire and keep her clean before the wedding. According to recent statistics, 76% of the country’s women were subjected to the procedure. Officially, the procedure has been banned since 2015, but continues to be carried out secretly to this day. There are very few cases of prosecution, also with the change of power this year, many people think that the old laws are no longer valid. Whether this ritual will become a thing of the past, depends on the consciousness of women and their attitude to this issue.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Edgar Martins, Portugal, Shortlist, Professional, Discovery (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Siloquies and Soliloquies on Death, Life and Other Interludes

Image Description: A woman has sparked a backlash after she took a picture of a dead man in his coffin then posted it on Facebook. The unnamed woman took a sheet off the body of Michael Dene Ray, 21, at a funeral parlour. She then put a friendship bracelet – identi- cal to the one she and another person were wear- ing – on his wrist and took a picture of their arms next to one another. The woman then put the image on Facebook as a ‘tribute’ to him. It has since been taken down after Michael Dene’s family learned that friends were planning to wear a T-shirt featur- ing the offending image at a party to celebrate his birthday. Now the man’s family has reacted with anger and want tighter controls at funeral parlours. Michael Dene died on 21 December last year and a coroner later ruled his death was as a result of suicide. The family has started a petition calling for it to be made illegal to take pictures in funeral homes without the consent of the next of kin.</p>

Adapted from ‘Mourner took picture of dead man in his coffin for Facebook’ by Richard Hartley-Parkinson in www.metro.co.uk, 13 June 2016

Series Description: Siloquies and Soliloquies on Death, Life and Other Interludes which began to take shape during the course of research carried out at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF), in Portugal. Over a period of three years, Edgar Martins took more than a thousand photographs and scanned more than three thousand negatives from the INML’s vast and extraordinary collection. A significant number of these images depict forensic evidence, such as suicide notes, letters and other objects used in suicides and crimes as well as inherent in the work of the pathologist. However, alongside these photographs, Edgar Martins also began to recover images from his own archive and produce new photographs on other subjects, intended as a visual, narrative and conceptual counterpoint. The project sits precisely within this counterpoint between images, imaginations and imagery relating to death and the dead body, as an interstitial realm, an interlude, between art and non-art, between past and present, between reality and fiction. Edgar Martins’ decision to work in the National Institute of Legal Medicine stems from his interest in highlighting the historic and symbolic role of one of the places that, in the context of modernity, institutionalised – through scientific practice and judicial discourse – the representation, analysis and scrutiny of death and the dead body. In this sense, the incursion of a photographic artist into a place so charged with scientific character (medical, judicial, ideological) necessarily calls on epistemological, psychological and semantic questioning: e.g. what distinguishes a documental image of a corpse or a crime scene from an image that reproduces the staged creation of a mental image of a corpse or a crime scene? What effect do these differences have in the viewer’s imagination? How do the retrospective and prospective horizons appear in the face of these different types of image? In this way, by productively linking documental and factual records (pertaining to real cases and meeting the scientific and operational requirements of the INMLCF) with images that seek to explore their speculative and fictional potential, Siloquies and Soliloquies on Death, Life and Other Interludes proposes to scrutinise the tensions and contradictions inherent in the representation and imagination of death, in particular violent death, and, correlatively, the decisive but deeply paradoxical role that photography – with its epistemological, aesthetic and ethical implications – has played in its perception and intelligibility.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Eduardo Castaldo, Italy, Shortlist, Professional, Creative (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Check Point 300; (in)human borders

Series Description: Every day, before sunset, thousands Palestinian workers spend between 2 and 4 hrs clumped together to cross the so-called “CheckPoint 300”, that divides Bethlehem and Jerusalem, in order to go working in Jerusalem and surrounding areas. The images presented are realized with instants taken from more than 30 different pictures realized at CheckPoint 300, and the purpose of the series is to represent the inhuman conditions in which these people are forced daily to get their right for a job. If these images are result of a creative composition, hence not real, what is real is the sense of oppression that they aim to represent.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Varun Thota, India, Shortlist, Professional, Landscape (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: We live in a symmetrical world

Image Description: Taken at the outskirts of Hong Kong, this large residential area is supposed to resemble North American type suburbs, with individual homes and even yellow school buses. However, this large lake in the center of it all may have been designed a particular way, which can only truly be recognized from above.

Series Description: Our world from above, is beautifully symmetrical, whether it be the highways we drive on, the neighborhoods we live in, the high rises we build or the parks we play in. Shot with a drone through my latest travels to Guangzhou, London, Macau and Hong Kong, aerial photography has taken photography to new heights, allowing me to see world through a whole new perspective.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Jack Yong, Malaysia, Shortlist, Professional, Discovery (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: SPACE PROJECT 2088

Image Description: Thermal Vacuum Test Area

Series Description: Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar, the first Malaysian individual who traveled to space made a statement that resonated with me until today was; “I looked out through the tiny window – and there it was, the unmistakable third rock from the Sun we call Earth, floating in the inky darkness of space. It was more beautiful that I could have imagined. My heart felt like it had stopped beating and my eyes didn’t even blink. I just looked in awe, amazed by the beauty of space. The moment was worth dying for.”

That statement did not only triggered my inner childhood dream to go space but refocus my thoughts on what it is to observe space beyond a spatio-temporal dimension of reality. My understanding of the celestial space lies above me, guided by the abundance of photographs captured using sophisticated satellites and astronomical machines.

As my fascination of traveling to space was dismissed by limitations, I’ve engaged a process of alternative vision that progressively shifted my periphery of view to a much familiar landscape and gravity – simultaneously re-channeling my focus to an epistemological foundation. By entering several space facilities in Malaysia, I’ve garnered photographs that remind us not just of the representation of these machines and landscapes as functional objects – but an extensive reinterpretation of “space” on Earth.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Tania Franco Klein, Mexico, Shortlist, Professional, Creative (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Our Life In The Shadows

Image Description: Mexico City, Mexico.

Series Description: Influenced by the pursuit of the American Dream lifestyle in the Western World and contemporary practices such as leisure, consumption, media overstimulation, eternal youth, and the psychological sequels they generate in our everyday private life.

The project seeks to evoke a mood of isolation, desperation, vanishing, and anxiety, through fragmented images, that exist both in a fictional way and a real one. Philosopher Byung-Chul Han says we live in an era of exhaustion and fatigue, caused by an incessant compulsion to perform. We have left behind the immunological era, and now experience the neuronal era characterized by neuropsychiatric diseases such as depression, attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, burnout syndrome and bipolar disorder.

My characters find themselves almost anonymous, melting in places, vanishing into them, constantly looking for any possibility of escape. They find themselves alone, desperate and exhausted. Constantly in an odd line between trying and feeling defeated.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Anush Babajanyan, Armenia, Shortlist, Professional, Portraiture (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: The Twins of Koumassi

Image Description: Rasidatou and Latifatou, 4, pose for a portrait on a street in the Koumassi district of Abidjan, Ivory Coast on July 25, 2017.

It is a belief that is centuries old in Ivory Coast, and in several countries of West Africa, that twins have spiritual and mystical powers. When in need for a problem to be solved or for a positive change to happen, people often come to twins, donate to them and seek for a blessing, with the hope that the power of the twins will help their wishes come true.

Series Description: Mothers dress them in mirroring and often traditional outfits and bring them out and about the streets of central Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It is a belief that is centuries old here, and in several countries of West Africa, that twins have spiritual and mystical powers. When in need for a problem to be solved or for a positive change to happen, people often come to twins, donate to them and seek for a blessing, with the hope that the power of the twins will help their wishes come true.

In the district of Koumassi in Abidjan, the twins and their mothers are concentrated around the area of the Koumassi Grande Mosque, where visitors of this mosque can see them after their prayers. The twins of different ages spend most of their day in this area, with others’ trust in their spiritual powers supporting the children and their families.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Tomasz Pad?o, Poland, Shortlst, Professional, Landscape (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Greetings from Kazakhstan

Series Description: Series Description: Kazakhstan entered to the independence probably with the most damaged natural environment among the former federal states of the USSR. The excessive use of water from Syr Darya for irrigation of farmlands affected to the disappearance of the Aral Sea, plowing millions of hectares of chernozem, triggered wind erosion, which led to unprecedented degradation of soils, while the Semipalatinsk area became famous for nuclear tests and related contamination of the region.

For years, the authorities have been trying to change the negative image of Kazakhstan, promoting, among others things, its natural attractions. It takes a special form in Almaty, the former capital of the country, where many construction areas are decorated with sheets depicting landscapes of Kazakhstan. It creates a kind of dissonance with the perception of the country, as well as with the fact that actually Almaty is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Crumpled, dirty sheets say a little more about the country than the originators could have predicted.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Wiebke Haas, Germany, Shortlist, Professional, Natural World & Wildlife (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Horsestyle

Image Description: Anton was tickled in the ear to shake his head. His thick mane looks like a hairpiece. Most of the time he held his his head close to the ground so it took a lot of time to manage this shot.

Series Description: When people ask me why I’m photographing horses I usually respond: “Because I adore their beauty and magnificent grace!” But there is another reason as well. Horses can be hilarious and darn funny!

It’s my greatest passion to tease out nearly human expressions of my horse models. It was really fun to work with such different horsy characters. The black PRE Allaus learned to shake on hand sign within 5 minutes before the photo session! Arabian stallion Hafid preferred to neigh proudly in studio first before he realized that 3 girls where absolutely euphoric when he shook his head.

The most difficult part was to keep the horses straight to the camera. Most time they wanted to move their head to the side or downward. A good handling and horse goodies were highest priority. I focused on a great face and a harmonic choreography of the hairs.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Luca Locatelli, Italy, Shortlist, Professional, Landscape (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: White Gold

Image Description: A view of Torano’s “marble valley” in the Apuan Alps, one of Italy’s most marble-rich area, where the abundance is surreal. What we admire as pristine white stone was born hundreds of millions of years ago in overwhelming darkness.

Countless generations of tiny creatures lived, died and drifted slowly to the bottom of a primordial sea, where their bodies were slowly compressed by gravity, layer upon layer, until eventually they all congealed and petrified into the interlocking white crystals we know as marble. Some eons later, tectonic jostling raised a great spine of mountains in southern Europe. Up went the ancient sea floor. In some places they rise more than 6,000 feet.

Series Description: Rarely has a material so inclined to stay put been wrenched so insistently out of place and carried so far from its source. In Italy’s most marble-rich area, known as the Apuan Alps, the abundance is surreal. Hundreds of quarries have operated there since the days of ancient Rome and Michelangelo sculptured most of his statues from this stone. Now the trade is booming due to the demand in Saudi Arabia and other gulf states.

The photographs of this area’s majestic quarries reveal their own isolated world: beautiful, bizarre and severe. It is a self-contained universe of white, simultaneously industrial and natural.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Sasha Maslov, Ukraine, Shortlist, Professional, Portraiture (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Faces of World War II

Image Description: The first time I was injured was a year after I went underground. Five bullets in my foot. I was living in the forest with a few others, all young kids. We were busted in the forest by the NKVD, the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs.

There were five of us and they fired at us. I got hit then, in my left foot. I wanted to blow myself up with a grenade so they wouldn’t take me alive, but once I realized I could still walk, I threw the grenade in the direction they were shooting from and ran with the others. They fired more shots, blindly, but didn’t hit anyone else and we were able to escape.

Series Description: Veterans is a series of portraits of people who took part in the Second World War – the one event in human history that could not be compared with any other event on the scale of catastrophe, human tragedy, and the degree of impact on the future of our civilization.

Every single person who participated in the war, whether they were a soldier or a general, prisoner or a guard, medical worker or an engineer, took part in shaping the image of the world as it is seen and perceived today. This project aims to look behind the emotional drape of each individual photographed. After 70 years after the war that took millions of lives, the photographer strives to to analyze and compare the lives of those who survived and are still living.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Lauren Greenfield, United States of America, Shortlist, Professional, Contemporary Issues (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Generation Wealth

Image Description: Ilona at home with her daughter, Michelle, 4, Moscow, 2012. Ilona’s sweater was produced for her in a custom color by her friend Andrey Artyomov, whose Walk of Shame fashion line is popular among the wives of oligarchs.

Series Description: Generation Wealth is my 25-year visual history of our growing obsession with wealth. Weaving 25 years of work into a meta-narrative, I have tried to explore a consumer appetite unprecedented in human history. Keeping up with the Joneses has become Keeping Up with the Kardashians as the “aspirational gap” between what we want and what we can afford has dramatically widened.

My journey starts in Los Angeles and spreads across America and beyond, as I endeavor to document how we export the values of materialism, celebrity culture, and social status to every corner of the globe through photographs and interviews with students, single parents, and families overwhelmed by crushing debt, yet determined to purchase luxury houses, cars, and clothing. We visit homes and observe rituals of the international elite and the A-list celebrities from reality TV and social media, the same influencers who shape our desires and sense of self.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Ana Amado, Spain, Shortlist, Professional, Contemporary Issues (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Down Dance

Series Description: The series was a commission by Down Coruña, an association that works with young people with Down Syndrome. They wanted me to take photos of the boys and girls in relation to the building where they were developing their capacities, an awarded architecture by a Galician architect: the architecture as the witness of their gradual progress. But, besides, they asked me to take pictures that could tell another story about Down Syndrome.

We are used to think about them as limited people, about their discapacities, but we never consider that they can do a lot of things, specially things that everyone likes to do. I asked the people of the Association to tell me something they all love to do, and they said they are always listening to music and dancing. The series shows a group of young people having fun and dancing, like any other teenager.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Chloe Jafe, France, Shortlist, Professional, Contemporary Issues (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: ? ? ? ? ? Inochi Azukemasu

Series Description: This is a project I started 4 years ago about women in the Japanese mafia. I decided to gain access into the Yakuza organisation to try and find out what the women’s role is in this little-known organisation.

I tried to enter this underworld through different doors, from the nightlife in the red light district, to hostess bars. For a short period of time I even became a hostess myself in order to have a better understanding of their way of thinking and to respect their identity. After many months of trying to infiltrate the Yakuza, I had a fortuitous meeting, and was authorised by a boss to photograph the organisations daily life. This project is about my personal journey through this underworld.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Corentin Fohlen, France, Shortlist, Professional, Architecture (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: MORNE A CABRI

Series Description: Lumane Casimir, in Haiti, is, an example of the cacophony and the problems that prevail the reconstruction in the country: lack of housing, corruption, vagueness in administrative management, disengagement from the state, ill-conceived and badly managed humanitarian projects, natural resources destroyed.

On this project of 3,000 houses, only half have been built. Each year I photographed this village to show how it had changed… or not. Story between 2012-2017.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Behnam Sahvi, Iran, Shortlist, Professional, Sport (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Magic of Water

Image Description: Pejman, 11 years old, takes a shower before the Disability Children Swimming Championships at the Disability Swimming pool in Tehran province , Iran.
09-08-2017

Series Description: Child Disability Swimming Championships at the Disability Swimming pool, Tehran Province, Iran

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Norbert Hartyanyi, Hungary, Shortlist, Professional, Sport (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Dancing In The Air

Image Description: Murilo Galves Marques – BRA

Series Description: The most spectacular part of the historical Hungarian sports event, the 17th FINA world championship is the high diving when competitors jump from an extreme hight: women jump from 20 meters, men from 27 meters. In case of the men, it means a 3 second free fall and carries huge risks of possible injuries, therefore competitors have to reach the water feet first, as their speed can reach 90 kms/hr.

Every time jumpers are watched by light divers in the water so that they can provide assistance in case of trouble. This was the first time in the history of world championships when competitors didn’t jump in natural water but in an artificially built pool. The pool at the foot of the 34-meter high, 10-ton tower was built in the Danube’s river bed on a 870 square meter concrete platform whose diameter is 15 meters with a 6 meters depth.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Krister Sørbø, Norway, Shortlist, Professional, Portraiture (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Like owner, like dog

Series Description: How often have you not passed a dog and its owner on the street thinking “wow! No wonder those two found each other!” Well, I have, and wanted to document this phenomenon, and searching dog shows with a makeshift studio, I found the myth to be (partially) true.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Patricia Kühfuss, Germany, Shortlist, Professional, Creative (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: How to get home – South Africa’s 12th language

Image Description: Informal stands with sweets and vegetables can be found all over Soweto at the side of the road. Under Apartheid it was restricted how many and what kind of businesses black people were allowed to have. In the last twenty years more and more malls have been built in Soweto.

Show this sign at the side of the road and a taxi heading to Jabulani Mall/Soweto Theatre will stop.

All pictures have been set up together with hand model Siya Ndzonga.

Picture taken 01.05.2017 in Soweto, South Africa.

Series Description: Over twenty years after Apartheid ended, history still echoes through South Africa and the results filter down to everyday life of people living in the townships.
Today many black people still have to move up to 40 km every day into town to get to work, after their grandparents have been moved out of Johannesburg to the townships like Soweto to make the city center a white area. While the state’s infrastructure like the metrorail break under the amount of people and crime, private minibus taxis have become one of the booming economy branches in the country.

This series of set up photographs explores the unique hand signs used in Johannesburg to stop a taxi going in the right direction, which are also know as “South Africa’s 12th language,” referring to the fact that South Africa boasts 11 official languages. By making them blend into everyday situations of Soweto, they do not only tell the story of how to get home in Johannesburg, but also show what this home looks like.

Hand model: Siya Ndzonga

All directions are referring to travels to/from/in Soweto.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Fredrik Lerneryd, Sweden, Shortlist, Professional, Contemporary Issues (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: Slum ballet

Image Description: The boys and girls is practicing for an upcoming show, following teacher Mikes instruction

Series Description: Every Wednesday at Spurgeons Academy, a school in the middle of the indecipherable maze of Kibera’s narrow streets and alleys, students take the chairs and benches out of a classroom and sweep the floor. The school uniforms are switched to bright-coloured clothes.

When teacher Mike Wamaya enters the classroom, the students get into position and place one hand on the concrete wall as though it were a ballet bar. Classical music plays out of a small portable speaker, and the class begins.

The Ballet class is part of Annos Africa and One Fine Days charity activities in slum areas around Kenya. In Nairobi they work together with two schools in Kibera and one school in Mathare, another slum closer to the city centre. Dance is a way for the children to express themselves and it strengthens their confidence in life, and a belief that they can become something great.

Some of the children are now dancing several days a week in a studio called “Dance center Kenya” in a upper-class area of Nairobi and living in a boarding school, so thanks to their talent they have taken themselves away from the harsh conditions in the slum.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Andrew Quilty, Australia, Shortlist, Professional, Portraiture (Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: High Water

Image Description: Omid, who doesn’t know his age, stands for a portrait with his homemade skis in Aub Bala’s village mosque. Aub Bala, ‘High Water’, is the farthest village up the Fuladi Valley in central Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Province, so named because it is the closest to the source of the valley’s water, which comes off the mountains in snow-melt and rain, deeper in the valley, beyond where the single road reaches.

Series Description: Au Bala (means High Water in Dari language) is located in the Fuladi Valley, near Bamiyan, Afghanistan, March 2017.

I’d seen photos of the boys and their homemade skis; the rough-hewn planks matching the mottled skin on the faces of their makers.&nbsp; They were from Bamiyan in Afghanistan’s central highlands, famous for the giant Buddhas carved into an escarpment 1,500 years ago and destroyed by the Taliban just months before the United States led a military intervention to overthrow their regime in 2001.

The boys seemed only to appear for cameras at least when the “Afghan Ski Challenge”an annual cross-country race that attracts skiers from across the province and overseas, and which ran for the seventh year this Marc was held within skiing distance of their homes.

While many Afghans who’d compete had accumulated mismatched ski pants and jackets, boots and proper skis from donors, these boys wore mostly traditional Afghan clothes with regular shoes or plastic sandals.

I wanted to find the boys and photograph them with their wooden skis.

The first call I made before flying from the Afghan capital, Kabul, to Bamiyan, was to the manager of a hotel in the provincial capital. Abdullah proved not only to be an affable host, but an enthusiastic colleague, as well. Within a couple of hours of my arrival we’d met up with Alishah Farhang, a handsome, fit-looking 27-year-old in mirrored sunglasses on a nearby piste.

Farhang, it turned out, was one of Afghanistan’s top two skiers. He hopes to represent his country in the 2018 winter Olympics in the giant slalom. It would be a first for an Afghan. He suggested we venture west, beyond his village, as far as the road would take us into the remote Fuladi Valley.

Bamiyan is the safest province in Afghanistan, so, unlike most other parts of the country, where road movements—especially for foreigners—are done with caution, planning, often heavily armed escorts, and always white knuckles the drive, through villages of mud houses and silver poplars, was unusually pleasant.

Abdullah urged me to be patient as I eyed each passing village for young skiers. After an hour on the muddy road we finally came to a dead-end and the village of Au Bala, High Water, the farthest up the river that feeds the valleys potato crops.

As Abdullah parked, I spotted a silhouette making its way across a snow-covered paddock, straight-legged, scissoring along just like a cross-country skier. As the silhouette moved out of the direct sun, I made out a young boy, maybe ten, shuffling along on what looked like shortened fence palings.

We were in the right place.

It was 2009 when Au Bala first encountered skiing. A man and woman working for an international development organisation had travelled there in a quest to map the mountains of Bamiyan as part of an effort to attract tourists to the province.

The pair gave a demonstration on skis they’d brought along, and ever since, based on the shared memory of that day, and using lengths of timber with plastic strips nailed to the bottom; with nylon webbing, twine or even protruding nails for bindings, the boys of Au Bala have continued to build their own.

As we walked into the village we quickly collected a trail of young boys who pointed us toward the village’s only mosque, a gathering place even outside prayer times. We explained ourselves to a handful of elders who were soaking up the winter sun outside.

Within minutes Abdullah and I had been ushered inside a small anteroom where worshippers ordinarily leave their shoes during prayer. This, someone had decided, would be our studio.

The room quickly filled with young boys, a couple carrying clunky skis and wooden poles. At the demand of one older boy another dashed outside into a maze of alleyways in search of more skiers. Minutes later, five boys, all fumbling with homemade skis, were lined up along one side of the room.

Rarely does it all come together so easily in Afghanistan.

One by one I had each stand with their backs to the white-washed mud wall across the room from the low doorway. Sunlight poured through and made a trapezoid of light on the floor – it bounced up and lit the shadows beneath the boy’s eyes.

Afghans are wonderful portrait subjects; staring down the lens sternly, expressionlessly, but with pride. I spent less than two minutes with each: Baz Mohammad, Chirgh Ali, Bismillah, Ghodratullah and Omid. None knew exactly how old they were. And there were more, the boys said, but they were at school.

The following day we drove back to Au Bala at the same time. Eight more boys were waiting for us outside the mosque. Their skis were side-by-side, leaning against the wall, and the winter sun was melting the snow they’d collected on their last run.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Kaleb White, United States of America, Shortlist, Professional, Natural World & Wildlife (2018 Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: The Roar

Series Description: The Roar is an intense occurrence of Red deer taken during the annual breeding season on the North island of New Zealand. I was commissioned to record the essence of stag (males) behavior during the peak roar. Stags are most vocal and have a very distinct roar sound when attracting hinds (females). Stags establish dominance during the roar by not only vocalizing their superiority but also displaying forms of mature postures and often fighting with competing stags to mate with hinds.

Being able to safely document large, antlered, wild, and aggressive stags has taken years of practice and patience. Witnessing intense, raw moments, for a brief time, ultimately provides a better understanding of red deer behavior; the essence of The Roar.

Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist

Photo © Neil Aldridge, South Africa, Shortlist, Professional, Natural World & Wildlife (2018 Professional competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards


Series Name: The Return of the Rhino

Image Description: A young white rhino waits in a boma, blindfolded and partially drugged after a long journey from South Africa, before being released into the wild in Botswana as part of efforts to rebuild Botswana’s lost rhino populations. Botswana is saving rhinos from poaching hotspots in neighbouring countries and translocating them to re-establish the populations of rhinos it lost to poaching by 1992.

Series Description: Rhinos are fighting for survival. Poachers are killing more than three every day to feed the demand for rhino horn in the Far East. All the while, the South African government is championing the consumptive use of rhinos and the legalisation of the trade in horn.

But there is hope. This is the story of how Botswana is leading the recovery of rhinos amidst a global poaching crisis by rescuing animals from poaching hotspots in neighbouring countries and translocating them to the Okavango Delta. Botswana is rebuilding the rhino populations it lost to poaching by the early 1990s and is creating an ark-like population capable of restocking parks and reserves that may have lost their rhinos to poaching.

To tell this story, I worked alongside the Rhino Conservation Botswana team, I visited rhino orphanages, I met poaching survivors and tracked with the incredible people working tirelessly to keep rhinos safe.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS M50: What you need to know

28 Feb

Canon ESO M50: What you need to know

The Canon EOS M50 is the brand’s beefier entry-level mirrorless camera, slated above the comparatively compact EOS M100. Both sport APS-C sensors and single control dials, but the M50 provides a 2.36M-dot EVF, hotshoe and more substantial grip (similar to the EOS M5). An articulating touchscreen adorns the back and Canon’s stellar Dual Pixel autofocus is available when shooting stills and video (in most settings… more on that later).

We’ve had time to develop some first impressions of the camera. What follows is a distillation of the keys takeaways – everything you need to know about the Canon EOS M50.

Same 24MP APS-C sensor, new Digic 8 processor

It uses the same 24MP sensor as many of its siblings including fellow M-mount cameras like the M5, M6 and M100 as well as SLRs like the EOS 80D. But it makes use of the new Digic 8 processor, giving it a few advantages over other Canon interchangeable lens cameras.

A faster burst speed is one of them: with autofocus the M50 can shoot at 7.4 fps (10 fps with focus locked). That’s a big jump from the M100’s 4 fps burst with autofocus, and even faster than the 80D’s 7 fps burst rate with AF. The one caveat is that the buffer is limited to about one second.

Another major advantage the new Digic 8 chip provides is the ability to shoot Ultra High Definition Video, making it the first Canon mirrorless camera to do so. But…

It shoots 4K but…

…don’t throw the confetti just yet, because the implementation of 4K leaves much to be desired, due to several limitations.

The most notable limitation is that you can’t use Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel autofocus when shooting 4K, which is a real shame. We love Dual Pixel AF for its ability to stick to a subject without hunting, even if the subject moves. With the M50, there’s still an option to use autofocus in 4K, but it’s Contrast Detect, so will need to ‘hunt’ and is more prone to some wobbles.

The other big limitation is a 1.6x crop when shooting UHD video – that’s on top of the sensor’s 1.6x APS-C crop. Thus, a 22mm F2 becomes the equivalent field of view to a 56mm lens. Hardly ideal.

But it’s not all caveats and bad news on the video front: the EOS M50 can shoot 1080/60p and 720/120p high frame rate capture with Dual Pixel AF. And there’s no pesky additional crop (unless you use digital stabilization).

New CR3 Raw format with a better compression setting

The M50 is the first Canon camera to offer the latest CR3 Raw format, another product of the new Digic 8 processor. Why introduce it in an entry-level camera? Because it includes a new and improved compression option that might appeal to users wishing to dip their toes in shooting Raw, but don’t want the large file sizes that come with it.

With the old CR2 Raw files, if you want to save memory card/hard-drive space, there is an option for downsized ‘small’ and ‘medium’ Raw files that are lower resolution than an ordinary CR2 file. With CR3 there is a new compression option called C Raw: a compressed, full-resolution Raw file that can be as small as half the size of a full CR3 file. And, if Canon has been sensible about it, it should offer effectively the same quality.

Increased Dual Pixel AF point coverage, Eye detect mode

There’s a couple of improvements in the autofocus department of the M50: there are now 99 selectable points to choose from, up from 49 on previous M cameras. Point coverage is still 80% x 80% when using most M-series lenses, users just now have more point precision.

That said, with some lenses – specifically the 18-150mm, 28mm macro and 55-200mm – that coverage jumps to 88% x 100% with 143 points selectable. Canon representatives gave us no concrete reason for why some, but not all, lenses offer expanded coverage. However, we’re hopeful any newly-introduced M-glass will offer the updated spread.

The M50 also introduces a new ‘Eye Detection’ AF option. We’re huge fans of Sony’s Eye AF feature, with its impressive ability to track the eye of a moving subject. Sadly, Canon’s implementation seems less useful as it only works in AF-S – better hope your subject remains still.

Better wireless connectivity

This is not the first Canon ILC to offer Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC, but it is the first to feature a ‘send to smartphone after each shot’ function. We had a little bit of time to play around with this new feature during a demonstration of the camera and found it to work well, once paired. And like other entry-level Canon ILCs, the M50 has a dedicated Wi-Fi button (visible above).

Articulating touchscreen, high-res OLD EVF

A 1.04M-dot touchscreen can be fully articulated for selfies/vlogging and flipped inward against the body to protect it from damage – the back of has a lovely faux leather texture.

There aren’t a whole lot of control points on the camera but the touchscreen somewhat makes up for it: you can use it to change quite a few settings, access the Q menu and move your AF point, all with a tap of the finger. Plus, Canon’s touch implementation is excellent on the whole: the screen is responsive and common gesture controls like swiping between images are recognized.

The 2.36M dot OLED EVF is lovely to look through and on par with the best you can get at this price point.

Mediocre battery life

Battery life isn’t stellar: at 235 shots per charge (CIPA rated), you’d be wise to carry a spare battery (though if you switch it into ‘Eco mode,’ battery life jumps to 370 shots). As always, you’ll often get more shots than the number given in the rating but it does give a good impression of longevity, and 235 shots isn’t great.

The M50 uses the same LP-E12 as the M100: a second one will cost you about $ 50 (on brand). Fortunately if you do pick up a second, the M50 ships with an external charger, so you can top it off while you’re out shooting. There is no in-body charging.

Ports, hotshoe and pop-up flash

In terms of wired connectivity, the M50 offers a 3.5mm microphone socket: a real rarity in entry-level products. There’s also a Micro-HDMI and Micro-USB port, though again, the latter does not support charging.

We like the M100’s pop-up flash because you can use your finger to direct it to bounce off the ceiling – with the M50, you can only fire the flash directly at your subject. However, unlike the M100, the M50 offers a hotshoe for use with an accessory flash.

More buttons than the M100, plus Canon’s Guide Modes and a new silent mode

We already mentioned that the M50 doesn’t have a lot of buttons, but it does have more control points than the smaller, more affordable M100, despite also being fairly point-and-shoot in nature. These additional controls/buttons include: an AE lock button, AF frame selector button, mode dial and custom function button.

And like the Canon SL2 and T7i, the M50 offers Canon’s helpful Guide Modes. These were omitted on the M100 and we’re glad to see them make their way into an entry-level Canon mirrorless product.

The M50 also gains a new silent scene mode, which sounds useful for a variety of scenarios like photographing sleeping babies or a documenting a school play. You won’t be able to control exposure settings when using it – such is the case for all ‘scene modes’ – but it’s a nice beginner-friendly feature.

What do you think?

There you have it, the EOS M50: the first Canon mirrorless camera with 4K and the new auto send-to-smartphone feature. It’s also the first Canon camera to use the new Digic 8 processor which brings about the updated CR3 Raw format. And to top things off, it has expanded Dual Pixel AF coverage (with some lenses). That’s a lot of ‘new’ to pack into an entry-level product.

So what do you think? Is the EOS M50 a sign that Canon is taking mirrorless seriously, or are you upset about the 4K limitations? And for those impressed, would you still buy the M50 despite the limited lens family (7 M-series lenses as of writing), especially when compared to that of Fujifilm X-mount or the Micro Four Thirds system? Let us know all of your thoughts, good bad and weird, in the comments below.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to Create Colorful Artistic Images Using Oil and Water

28 Feb

Colors are the smiles of nature. We see colors all around us and it makes us feel happy and alive. Just imagine a life without color, where everything is simply in black, white and in between, how dull and boring it would be. Luckily, our beautiful world is full of colors.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create some colorful images using just water and oil to make your world even more beautiful.

Oil in Water 17

I am sure you have seen oil and water images on the internet before and may have even tried to photograph it. But this is your lucky day, as you are going to learn a very easy technique where you don’t need any flashes or artificial lights and your pictures will come out beautiful and vivid.

Are you ready for this? Okay, let’s move on.

What you need

Like any other kind of photography, first, you need a camera. You can use any DSLR or compact camera or even your mobile phone. There is no restriction on lens choice as well.

Second, you need a glass dish. Just look in your kitchen and you will find one. If it’s square, that will work great otherwise, a round dish will work too.

I took some photos using a glass bowl but found a little problem. Bowls usually have a smaller bottom compared to the top and this shape affects the picture. Also, bowls may not be 100% transparent, so I went to a local aquarium shop and had them make an 8×12 inch glass tray with one-inch depth. You can also get the same for yourself.

How to Create Colorful Artistic Images Using Oil and Water

Background

Next, you need background images and there is a super simple trick. Go to Google and search for “colorful wallpaper” images. You’ll find lots of wallpapers that you can download and use. Download whichever ones you like, just make sure they have lots of colors and patterns.

Now send these photos to your iPad or tablet (or Google directly on the iPad and save). You will use these pictures as a background instead of a printed one, so you don’t need any lights and the colors will be very bright. If you don’t have a tablet, you may lay your computer monitor or laptop down and use it.

NOTE: If you do this, please do so at your own risk and take all safety precautions.

Other than this, you’ll need water, vegetable oil, dish soap, a plastic sheet to cover your tablet and two boxes about six inches high.

Setup and camera settings

Okay, place the two boxes about 8 inches apart so you can place your tablet between them. Now put your glass tray on top of the boxes. If you are using a glass bowl and it’s small in size, put two metal rulers on the boxes and place the bowl on them.

Now pour some water in the tray and add 4-5 tablespoon vegetable oil to it. When it’s ready, set up your camera. You may fix it on a tripod or you can shoot handheld, but it’s always better to use a tripod and get your hands free to do other tasks.

Set the ISO to 200, aperture to f/5.6, and your shutter speed will be around 1/25th (depending on the brightness of your screen). If you have a wide aperture lens like a 50mm f/1.8, it’s better to use that (you don’t need a lot of depth of field for this type of shot).

Since the water and oil bubbles are on the same focal plane, even if you use an aperture of f/1.8, the entire picture will be in focus. The background will be more blurred which is actually a good thing. So, just go with the widest aperture your lens allows and change the other settings on the camera accordingly.

Now place your tablet below the glass tray. It should be around six inches below the tray. Make sure you wrap it in plastic so if you accidentally drop some water or oil on it, it will be safe.

How to Create Colorful Artistic Images Using Oil and Water

Workflow

Now relax because the hardest part is already done and all you have to do now is change the image on the tablet and take some pictures. When you shoot one image, use a spoon to stir the water gently, let it settle down and take another shot. After four or five shots, change the image on the tablet and repeat the process.

You’ll find that oil drops are very big in size. Don’t worry about it and take some shots. When it’s complete, put a few drops of dish soap or any other liquid soap into the water, mix it well and voila, the oil drops have now become smaller. Don’t try to understand the science behind this, just change pictures on the tablet and shoot three or four pictures, change the photo again, and repeat the process.

Large oil droplets.

Smaller droplets created by adding soap.

Even smaller yet.

Post-processing and finishing up

There is no need for heavy post-processing, just levels, sharpening, and cropping is enough.

Okay, call your friends and tell them that you’ll be busy next Sunday because you’re creating some extraordinary beautiful images. Just do it, share with them and don’t forget to share in the comments below too.

The post How to Create Colorful Artistic Images Using Oil and Water by Ramakant Sharda appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Sigma announces nine full-frame E-mount Art primes

28 Feb

Sigma has announced plans to bring seven of its existing full-frame Art-series primes, plus two newly-announced lenses, to E-mount. Sigma says that the E-mount versions will offer “a newly developed control algorithm that optimizes the autofocus drive and maximizes the data transmission speed.” The lenses will work with Sony’s AF-C mode, and as with existing lenses adapted via MC-11, will work with in-camera stabilization and in-camera lens corrections.

Below are the lenses Sigma plans to offer in E-mount:

  • 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
  • 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
  • 24mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
  • 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
  • 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
  • 70mm F2.8 DG Macro | Art
  • Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
  • Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
  • Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art

Sigma says that launch dates for all models are yet to be determined.

SIGMA launches seven interchangeable Art prime lenses for Sony E-mount cameras with full-frame sensors

SIGMA Corporation is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of interchangeable lenses for the Sony E-mount digital camera series with full-frame image sensors. SIGMA will gradually introduce the lenses as members of the Art line, which offers photographers the highest level of optical performance.

While offering the same high-performance optical design as other lenses in the Art line, the new Sony E-mount models will feature a newly developed control algorithm that optimizes the autofocus drive and maximizes the data transmission speed. In addition, these lenses will be compatible with Sony’s Continuous AF (AF-C) and high-speed autofocus, which are not addressed by SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11. Like the converter MC-11, the lenses will be compatible with in-camera image stabilization and in-camera lens aberration correction, which includes corrections for peripheral illumination, chromatic aberrations, and distortion.

The lineup will include the Art line set of seven prime lenses covering 14mm to 135mm. It will also include two models that SIGMA will be exhibiting at CP+ 2018: 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO | Art and 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art (launch date TBD). Further, SIGMA plans to introduce additional Sony E-mount models in the Art line going forward.

Note: This product is developed, manufactured and sold based on the specifications of E-mount which was disclosed by Sony Corporation under the license agreement with Sony Corporation.

Key features

1. Autofocus tuned for each lens
Thanks to an autofocus drive control program tuned for each lens and high-speed data transmission, the lenses will offer high-speed autofocus at the same performance level as that of a lens designed exclusively for mirrorless cameras. In particular, in E-mount cameras offering Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF, AF-C mode will deliver exceptional subject following performance. Moreover, autofocus will remain extremely precise even in those E-mount cameras offering only contrast AF.

2. Compatible with in-camera image stabilization
The lenses will be compatible with in-camera image stabilization. The Sony E-mount camera senses the focal length of the lens and automatically optimizes image stabilization performance.

3. Data loaded for compatibility with in-camera aberration correction The lenses will be fully compatible with in-camera aberration correction, which includes corrections for peripheral illumination, chromatic aberrations, and distortion. By matching corrections to the optical characteristics of the lens, this function takes image quality to an even higher level.

4. Native mount for a more rigid and stable feel Making the mount native to the lens makes possible a more rigid and stable feel to the lens. Featuring a special surface treatment to enhance strength, the brass bayonet mount offers a high-precision fit and exceptional durability. The mount connection area incorporates rubber sealing for dust- and splash-proof construction.

5. Available Mount Conversion Service This service converts the mount of SIGMA lenses to that of a different camera body, allowing photographers to continue using their favorite lenses over the long term regardless of camera system.

Note 1: The Mount Conversion Service is different from a normal repair. In order to apply for the service, please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary or distributor. http://www.sigma-global.com/en/about/world-network/

Note 2: This service is performed exclusively by SIGMA.

Product lineup

SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
Launch date: TBD. Includes case

SIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
Launch date: TBD. Includes case

SIGMA 24mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
Launch date: TBD. Includes case and hood

SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
Launch date: TBD. Includes case and hood

SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
Launch date: TBD. Includes case and hood

SIGMA 70mm F2.8DG MACRO | Art (CP+ 2018 exhibit)
Launch date: TBD. Includes case and hood

SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
Launch date: TBD. Includes case and hood

SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art (CP+ 2018 exhibit)
Launch date: TBD. Include case, hood, and tripod socket

SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
Launch date: TBD. Includes case and hood

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Olympus offers major firmware update for OM-D E-M1 II, E-M5 II and Pen-F

28 Feb

Olympus has announced updates for its OM-D E-M1 Mark II, OM-D E-M5 Mark II and Pen-F cameras in the lead up to CP+ 2018. All three cameras get a new Bleach Bypass Art Filter and added support for the Panasonic Leica 200mm F2.8 Power OIS lens, but the improvements go beyond that for the individual camera models.

The E-M1 II’s list of updates is the longest. Firmware 3.0 brings improvements to Pro Capture Mode, increasing the pre-shutter buffer depth from 14 to 35 frames. Pro Capture Mode H can also now be used with any Four Thirds or Micro Four Thirds lens. Focus Stacking mode now works with the 12-100mm F4 Pro, and the camera will now provide in-body distortion correction for the 8mm F1.8 Fisheye Pro.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 II firmware 4.0 adds the focus stacking feature found on the
TG-5 and E-M1 II

Other E-M1 II improvements include the ability to set smaller AF target points in S-AF and C-AF, a 100% magnification option in image playback and a Flicker Scan feature to help choose a shutter speed that avoids flickering from problematic light sources. Olympus also says that C-AF performance has been improved overall, as has stabilization in video shooting, among other minor feature updates.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 II firmware 4.0 adds the focus stacking feature found on the TG-5 and E-M1 II. In this mode, eight images are captured as focus is shifted to create a composite final image with greater depth of field.

Firmware 3.0 for the Pen-F adds the ability to save Monochrome and Color Profile Control settings to the camera by way of a computer. Shading effects are also added to Color Profile Control and Color Creator.

For the full list of improvements, see the press release below or head to Olympus’ website.

YOUR UPGRADE AWAITS: OLYMPUS UNLEASHES POWERFUL NEW FIRMWARE FOR ITS OM-D AND PEN CAMERAS

New Functions and Improved Performance Are Delivered Through Firmware Version 2.0 for OM-D E-M1® Mark II, Version 3.0 for PEN-F®, and Version 4.0 for OM-D E-M5 Mark II

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., February 28, 2018—Today Olympus announces a series of new firmware updates that are available immediately for several of its latest interchangeable lens cameras. The firmware upgrades include Version 2.0 for the flagship Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Version 3.0 for the Olympus PEN-F, and Version 4.0 for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II.

Olympus is dedicated to providing ongoing product functionality and performance improvements to deliver cameras that users can depend on long after their initial purchase. The latest firmware updates are designed to bolster Olympus’s interchangeable lens cameras with the latest functionality, improved performance, and expanded creative options. Many of the firmware updates were implemented in response to users’ requests.

For example, Firmware Version 3.0 for the PEN-F adds the ability to save the settings of the Monochrome and Color Profile Control from the user’s computer onto the camera. Firmware Version 4.0 for the OM-D E-M5 Mark II adds the Focus Stacking function available on the OM-D E-M1 and E-M1 Mark II. In addition to these upgrades, videographers will now have access to the Look Up Table (LUT) file for the OM-D E-M1 Mark II and the OM-D E-M5 Mark II, allowing for advanced control and optimal color grading using DaVinci Resolve®.

Other new features include improved Pro Capture Mode functionality in the OM-D E-M1 Mark II’s Firmware Version 2.0, while the PEN-F’s Firmware Version 3.0 includes shading effects that were previously only available in Monochrome Profile Control and are now available in Color Profile Control and Color Creator.

Main Features

OM-D E-M1 Mark II Firmware Version 2.0 Details

1. Improved Pro Capture Mode functionality
Pro Capture Mode provides lag-free shooting so users can capture high-quality, full-resolution images at precise moments without compromise. Pro Capture buffers a running series of JPEG and RAW images when users press the shutter release halfway. With Firmware Version 2.0, the maximum number of pre-shutter frames that can be recorded once the shutter button is fully pressed has increased from 14 to 35.

Additionally, a new display icon shows users that they have initiated Pro Capture Mode and the camera is currently buffering frames.

All attachable lenses are now compatible with Pro Capture H (focus locks after first image is buffered).

Lens Pro Capture L Pro Capture H
Olympus Micro Four Thirds System standard lenses Yes Yes
Other Micro Four Thirds System standard lenses No Yes
Four Thirds System standard lenses No Yes
Lenses without electrical contacts (MF only) Yes Yes

2. Focus Stacking now supports the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12–100mm F4.0 IS PRO
Firmware Version 2.0 now allows the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12–100mm F4.0 IS PRO to support in-camera focus stacking. Additionally, seven other lenses support focus stacking, including the M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO, ED 30mm F3.5 Macro, ED 60mm F2.8 Macro, ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO, ED 7–14mm F2.8 PRO, ED 12–40mm F2.8 PRO, and ED 40–150mm F2.8 PRO.

3. Small AF Target setting added to S-AF and C-AF
In response to feedback from Olympus users looking for a greater level of precision when choosing a specific AF target, Small AF Targets have been added to the single target (1-point) AF area.

4. In-body Fisheye Correction when using M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO
Fisheye Distortion Correction is now available in-camera so that the M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO can be used as a wide-angle lens without the fisheye effect. Fisheye Correction effects can be viewed by the user in real time on the rear monitor or EVF before shooting.

5. The magnify setting now offers a 100-percent enlargement ratio for use during image playback
Due to Olympus user feedback, pixel size display has been added to the magnification ratio options, making it possible to review images at a 1:1 pixel ratio.

6. New Flicker Scan function removes flickering when using the electronic shutter
The Flicker Scan function allows users to preview the scene and choose the proper shutter speed to avoid flickering, a phenomenon that is common when using the camera’s electronic shutter under fluorescent or LED light sources.

Other Improvements

  • Continuous AF (C-AF) performance has been improved.
  • AF response has been improved when using back-button focus AF settings with the AEL/AFL button.
  • IS performance has been improved when shooting video, enabling more natural camera work (IS-equipped lenses require simultaneously released firmware update).
  • Tethered shooting responsiveness and stability using Olympus Capture has been improved, providing an easier shooting workflow.
  • The remaining battery level icon has been fine-tuned.

PEN-F Firmware Version 3.0 Details

1. Monochrome and Color Profile Control settings can be saved onto camera via computer
It is now possible to save Monochrome and Color Profile Control settings in images recorded on the PEN-F to the camera via a computer. Using the latest Olympus Digital Camera Updater (Ver. 2.1), simply select the image with the profile you want to use and save the settings to the camera.

2. Shading effects in Monochrome Profile Control are available in Color Profile Control and Color Creator
Due to popular demand, shading effects have been added to Color Profile Control and Color Creator for a wider range of photographic expression.

OM-D E-M5 Mark II Firmware Version 4.0 Details

1. In-Camera Focus Stacking function
The Focus Stacking function available on the Tough TG-5 and OM-D E-M1 Mark II is now available on the OM-D E-M5 Mark II. The focus is shifted in half-pixel increments while capturing eight images, which are then composited to form a single image that is in focus from the foreground to the background. A total of eight lenses are supported (the same lenses supported by OM-D E-M1 Mark II Firmware Version 2.0).

Common Features for OM-D E-M1 Mark II, PEN-F, and OM-D E-M5 Mark II

1. New Bleach Bypass Art Filter option
The Bleach Bypass Art Filter included in the OM-D E-M10 Mark III (released in September 2017) is now available with these firmware updates. This option replicates the bleach bypass effect used to develop film creating images with a beautiful metallic sheen.

2. Support for Panasonic LEICA® DG ELMARIT 200mm/F2.8/POWER O.I.S. interchangeable lens
This firmware update improves the compatibility with the Panasonic LEICA DG ELMARIT 200mm/F2.8/POWER O.I.S. (H-ES200) interchangeable lens.

Please visit the following URL for more details on the firmware updates: getolympus.com/firmware

Movie-exclusive picture mode: “Flat” LUT file release
An LUT file is released for movies recorded in the movie-exclusive picture mode “Flat” with the OM-D E-M1 Mark II and E-M5 Mark II. This file converts recorded videos to BT.709 in DaVinci Resolve from Blackmagic Design Pty. Ltd. for color grading.

Please visit the following URL for more details: getolympus.com/firmware

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Asus unveils ZenFone 5Z with wide-angle dual-cam and AI camera

28 Feb

Asus has been one of the last manufacturers to unveil their new devices at this year’s Mobile World Congress, but looking at the newly announced Zenfone 5Z, it seems the wait has been worthwhile.

The Taiwanese manufacturer’s new flagship model comes with premium specs all around, including Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chipset Snapdragon 845 and an iPhone X-style almost bezel-less 6.2″ display with “camera notch” and FHD+ resolution. 8GB RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, and a 3,300 mAh battery complete an impressive spec sheet.

But the ZenFone 5Z is not only about processing power and big screens, it’s also got a lot to offer in the camera department. The main camera features a 12MP 1/2.55″ Sony IMX363 Sensor and a lens with 25mm equivalent focal length and fast F1.8 aperture.

3-axis optical image stabilization and Dual-Pixel AF are on board as well. In video mode, the Zenfone 5Z can record 4K footage at 30 frames per second, and the secondary camera comes with a 120-degree super-wide-angle lens and 8MP pixel count—similar to what we’ve seen on recent LG models such as the G6 or V30.

On the software side of things, the 5Z camera offers an HDR night mode and an AI-powered automatic scene mode selector that is capable of learning user preferences.

All of the aforementioned components are wrapped up in a sleek-looking glass-covered body, and if the ZenFone 5Z performs as well as it looks, it could be one of the most compelling smartphone options in 2018.

That’s especially true when considering its price point. In Europe, the Asus ZenFone 5Z will retail at 600 Euros (approximately $ 735 USD) which is a good chunk less expensive than similarly specced models from the more established competition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Cactus announces palm-sized RQ250 wireless monolight

28 Feb

Cactus has just announced the RQ250: a ‘palm-sized’ bare-bulb flash head that will feature wireless control and three times the power of a typical GN60m hotshoe unit. The battery-powered RQ250 is designed to offer 250Ws of power to photographers who want to work on-location/in-the-field without carrying around bulky lighting equipment or sacrificing power by shooting with speedlights.

In fact, the RQ250 is so powerful for its form-factor that the company couldn’t find a bulb that suited what it wanted to achieve … so it designed one itself.

The head comes with a reflector dish fitted with frosted glass that Cactus claims produces hotspot-free illumination when combined with the TubeOne flash bulb. With the reflector removed, the flash tube extends into softboxes and umbrellas to produce even distribution of light.

The head will have its own mount, but will also accept Bowens-S mount modifiers via an adapter. Cactus will also offer a snoot kit that includes colored gels that attaches to the reflector, and an umbrella holder that will also mount the head onto a light stand.

The RQ250 has a built-in fan to ensure the head keeps firing even in hot conditions, and an on-axis LED provides a modeling light and can operate as an AF-assist lamp as well. The head will be able to perform high speed sync for use with short shutter speeds, and wireless TTL control will be possible with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sigma, and Sony cameras.

The unit is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery that Cactus says will be good for over 400 full-power bursts per charge. Designed to be portable, the RQ250 will measure 194x80x80mm.

Price has yet to be released, but Cactus promises to deliver the RQ250 sometime this summer. For more information, visit the Cactus website.

Press Release

Cactus RQ250 Wireless Monolight

Cactus announces the RQ250, a palm-sized, bare-bulb wireless monolight that supports wireless TTL/HSS and gives you the best possible light in a compact body.

Photographers always want a high output portable flash with consistent light quality for location shooting. Cactus set out to create one of its own carrying the motto – if we do it, we will have to do it right. It has to be compact in size, outputs high quality of light, and versatile.

Today Cactus announces the RQ250 Wireless Monolight, a lithium-ion battery-powered wireless monolight with 250 Ws of power, which will be available THIS SUMMER.

Cactus TubeOneTM

“We could not find any off-the-shelf flash tube that meets our requirements for power output and uniform distribution of light in a built-in light modifier, so we designed one from the ground up for the RQ250,” said Henry Chan, head of Research and Development at Cactus.

What makes the RQ250 unique is its special flash head design. When paired with the optical optimized reflector, the TubeOneTM flash tube is able to deliver power with maximum efficiency. Hot spots are kept to a minimum, producing a pleasing and very usable, consistent light straight out of the included reflector.

Engineered for location shooting

When engineering the RQ250, Cactus always had location shooting in mind. Versatility is the key.

The detachable built-in reflector produces the best light possible with minimum hot spots even without an external light modifier. With the frosted glass lens, the RQ250 produces a beautiful and evenly spread of light. Remove the reflector and you will have a bare-bulb flash that excels in even light distribution when paired with soft boxes and studio umbrellas.

Despite its compact size, the RQ250 is fan-cooled which means it can be pushed without being stressed even on a hot, sunny day.

The perfect balance between size and power

Designed from the ground up, Cactus completed various design iterations and many rounds of testing to create the perfect balance between size and power.

Housed in its palm-sized body, the RQ250 is lithium-ion battery-powered, 250 Ws, and can fire 400 full-power flashes on a single charge. The extremely compact design comes with an on-axis LED modelling light, which also functions as an AF- assist.

Builds on cross-brand platform

Like Cactus’s triggering system, RQ250 also builds on a cross-brand platform that works with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sigma, and Sony cameras.

Wireless TTL and HSS are all supported.

Product highlights

  • 250 Ws produces more than 3 times the power of a typical GN60 portable flash
  • Special designed reflector with frosted lens produces a powerful yet consistent and beautiful spread of light
  • Bare-bulb ensures the best possible distribution of light in large modifiers
  • Uni-body design with detachable reflector means compact and easy storage
    Lithium-ion battery powered
    400 full-power flashes on a single battery charge
  • Modelling light and AF-assist powered by on-axis LED modules
  • Fan-cooled protects flash in harsh shooting environments
  • Wireless TTL, HSS and manual power control supported on Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sigma and Sony camera systems*
  • Built-in wireless receiver works seamlessly with Cactus V6 II and V6 IIs for Sony

Price and Availability

Cactus RQ250 is currently scheduled to be available in SUMMER 2018 and price is to be advised.


* Wireless TTL support for Canon and Nikon will be available Q2 2018. Information is subject to change without notice.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Sony a7 III overview

28 Feb

The a7 III may be the “basic” model in Sony’s full-frame mirrorless lineup, but it borrows many of its capabilities from the high-end a9. With a 24MP BSI-CMOS sensor, oversampled 4K video, silent shooting at 10 fps and a highly capable Eye AF mode all for $ 2000, “basic” starts to sound anything but. Take a look at the video above for a quick rundown of what’s included.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Announcing the Three Tamron Contest Winners

28 Feb

The Winners of the Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD Ultra-Telephoto Zoom, Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD, and Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD lenses are…

A HUGE thank you to everyone who entered the recent contest from our friends at Tamron. Again, this was not actually a photography competition, but so many of you shared your beautiful photographs, we encourage you all to go back and scroll the comments section for some wonderful photos, and links to reader pages and sites.

Yet again, the response was absolutely AMAZING with over 480 entries! But now…onto the winners! Drumroll please, and the winners are:

Grand Prize Tamron 100-400mm

Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD

The grand prize winner is: Lorrie L.

100-400mm Di VC USD Ultra-Telephoto Zoom – Value $ 799. Winner’s choice of Canon, Nikon or Sony-A mount. No Substitutions. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Second Prize Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8

Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD

The second prize winner is: Esther V.

Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD – Value $ 599. Winner’s choice of Canon, Nikon or Sony-A mount. No substitutions. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Third Prize Tamron SP 70-300mm

Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD

The third prize Wwinner is: Debra S.

Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD – Value $ 449. Winner’s choice of Canon, Nikon or Sony-A mount. No substitutions. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Thanks for entering

We were all thrilled with the entries, you tugged at our heartstrings, made us laugh, made us smile, but most importantly, you made us keep wanting to do more of what we are doing; providing you quality information and guidance to become a better photographer. We were so pleased to see that you came from every part of the world, young adults to grandparents, and everyone in between. Thank you all for your entries!

The winning entries

Here is a snippet of each of the entries from the winners of the Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD, Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD and Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD, respectively. If you want to read the full entries head to the contest page here.

Lorrie – Grand Prize Winner

As with all bird photographers, I am really wanting a longer lens to “Get That Shot”. I am a regular reader of Digital Photography School. Today I was on your page looking for an article on aperture. I was hoping to understand aperture the best I can to make certain I am getting it correct for absolute sharpness. I was also wanting to understand how I should adjust aperture for the distance of subjects. I strive for sharp images with great focus. Suddenly I ran across this contest and I was like “Oh my Gosh!!” I have to enter!!

I love Tamron lenses. I am familiar with the Tamron web page. I visited today for the most up to date information on the Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD. I am certain it will improve my photography in so many ways. I know it is far more than just a birding lens. I know Tamron lenses produces high-quality, sharp images with excellent color. I have extreme confidence in the lenses knowing I can take them out and use them in less than perfect weather conditions and they will not be frail. I have also watched several videos on YouTube by different reviewers stating the Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD is a value and is far superior to any other lens in this category! The lens is certainly on my wishlist! Thank you!! Best Always!!

Esther – Second Prize Winner

The more I researched the three lenses, the harder it became to decide which one would be my top pick!

Thank you for doing this contest, it has helped me learn more about these lenses, and even if I don’t win any of the lenses I have been helped by this. I think that my top pick would be the Tamron SP 35mm f1.8. It is a very versatile lens that would be helpful for me in shooting portraits and getting clear shots of everyday life. I love that it is f/1.8, it will create stunning pictures with subjects that have that “pop.” It is also wide-angle which would be very nice to have! I am an 18-year-old amateur photographer and I look forward to using every piece of gear for capturing neat images of people and other wonderful things that God created.

Debra – Third Prize Winner

I live on 40 acres in southern California. On December 4th, everything burned in the Thomas Fire. I was able to get out with my camera bag but not my lens bag. I am living in a trailer on my property waiting to rebuild my house. At first, there was no life, not even a fly. The first life I saw was a stray hornet. Then the birds came back. Green is starting to sprout from the burned flora that I thought was dead and gone. I would have loved to record the return of wildlife but all I had in my camera bag was my Canon 5D Mark III, a nifty 50 and a kit lens. I feel like I am on a photo challenge.

I would love the Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD to give me more range to document the changing details of my new landscape. The 70- 300mm range would be perfect for capturing returning insects, rabbits looking for fresh greens and the coyotes that hunt them. I am drawn to the ultrasonic silent drive to prevent startling my subjects and capture sharp images faster. Most of the wildlife ventures out at dusk so the vibration compensation would help with longer shutter speeds.

Honorable mentions

We had so many wonderful entries, we have chosen 10 people to receive an “Honorable Mention” prize of the Living Landscapes eBook, by dPS. The 10 winners are listed below:

  1. Christian
  2. Eddie
  3. Debra Lee
  4. BJ
  5. Ronaldo
  6. Abhiman
  7. Anthony
  8. Martin
  9. Luis
  10. Gajendra

Special offer for dPS readers

Now, for those of you that didn’t win, Tamron has invited ALL dPS readers to download their eBooks. You can find them here.

The winners will be emailed with the details of how to collect their prizes. Please make sure to look for our email. Thank you again for all the wonderful submissions and to Tamron for sponsoring this competition.

Tamron Rebates

For all of you residing in the USA, when you do purchase your next Tamron Lens, make sure to take advantage of the rebates* up to $ 200 off through March 3, 2018. Find additional information HERE!

*Current rebate offers end March 3, 2018. US RESIDENTS ONLY.

About Tamron

Disclaimer: Tamron is a paid partner of dPS.

The post Announcing the Three Tamron Contest Winners by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Wacom releases 24-inch 4K Cintiq Pro pen display, 32-inch coming ‘later this year’

28 Feb

Wacom has officially released the Cintiq Pro 24—a 4K 24-inch version of its popular Cintiq Pro Creative Pen Display for use with both Windows and Mac computers. The 32-inch version remains in-development, with an official release “slated for later this year.”

Wacom first announced its Cintiq Pro 24- and 32-inch tablets back in July of last year, but that announcement was more of a teaser than anything else. At the time, Wacom only shared that the pen displays would have “4K edge-to-edge displays” and “maximum color accuracy.” Now, with the official release of the Cintiq Pro 24, we have a lot more details to share.

The Cintiq Pro 24—which will be available in both Pen and Pen & Touch models—boasts an IPS UHD display with 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution, 98% Adobe RGB color accuracy (the store page claims 99%), and “a billion colors” (translation: 10-bit color). The tablet also features an etched glass surface to reduce glare and provide a “natural, pen on paper feel,” parallax reduction through “optical bonding,” close to zero latency, and support for the Pro Pen 2, which features 8,192 levels of sensitivity.

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Finally, for those who want to take their Cintiq Pro 24 to the next level, Wacom also introduced the Cintiq Pro Engine. This plug-and-play PC module—which we covered in detail here—turns the Cintiq Pro 24 into a full-blown Windows 10 workstation with Intel processor, up to 32GB of RAM, NVIDIA graphics, and an SSD.

The Cintiq Pro Engine costs at least as much as the Cintiq Pro 24 itself, but the SSD and RAM inside are both upgradable, and its plug-and-play nature means you can swap your entire workstation from display to display as needed. If you’re looking for a single, portable solution… it’s an intriguing option to be sure

The Cintiq Pro 24 will be available in two variations: the $ 2,000 Pen Display version will start shipping in March, but if you want the $ 2,500 Pen & Touch version, you’ll have to wait until May. The Cintiq Pro Engine PC module also ships in May.

For more information about the Cintiq Pro 24 or if you want to order one right away, visit the Wacom website or head over to the Wacom Store.

Press Release

Wacom introduces the Cintiq Pro 24-inch pen display

Wacom extends the Cintiq Pro line-up with a new high performance mid-sized display built for cutting-edge creative and design applications including augmented and virtual reality. The Cintiq Pro family now features a range of sizes to meet the unique workflow and configuration needs of creative professionals.

Tokyo, Japan – February 27, 2018 – Today Wacom announced the availability of the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 pen display, expanding the Cintiq Pro high-definition range, which is designed for creative professionals seeking a larger digital canvas and the power to tackle an increasing onslaught of creative applications and programs. The new 24-inch Cintiq Pro pen display joins the previously introduced 13 and 16-inch models to form a comprehensive range of sizes for every need and workspace. The pen and touch display version will be available in May, the earlier announced 32-inch model is slated for later this year.

Performance you can see and feel

The brilliant 4k display, 98% Adobe RGB color accuracy and a billion colors deliver a true-to-life visual experience. The pen on screen experience was also improved. The combination of the new Pro Pen 2 technology (improved pressure sensitivity featuring 8,192 levels), the etched glass surface, the reduction in parallax through optical bonding and the close to zero latency, provide artists with precise control and a more natural feeling pen on screen experience.

“We know that professional artists and designers are facing an increasingly vast array of computing and display demands as they embrace emerging technologies like augmented and virtual reality, and 3D, where one size doesn’t fit all,” says Faik Karaoglu, Executive Vice President for the Creative Business Unit at Wacom. “Everyone has their own way of working, and we are excited to offer larger sized digital canvases with flexibility that provides more pen space for those who need it to create.”

Transforming the workflow

With the Wacom Cintiq Engine Pro – also announced today – a Windows 10 computing module, featuring the new NVIDIA ® Quadro ® P3200 high performance graphic card, slides into the back of the Cintiq Pro 24 display. Thus creative professionals can easily transform their Cintiq Pro 24 into a high performance creative work station fully supporting state of the art applications and workflows, including 3D, animation and augmented and virtual reality.

Availability

The Cintiq Pro 24 pen display models are available in the U.S., Japan and selected European countries as of March; for further details visit our e-store at Wacom.com. Prices ranging from $ 1,999 to $ 2,499. The Pen & Touch version of Cintiq Pro 24 will be available in May 2018.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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