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Archive for December, 2018

Irix confirms its lenses are ‘fully compatible’ with Canon’s EOS R camera

31 Dec

Swiss lens manufacturer Irix has announced its lens lineup is completely compatible with Canon EOS R cameras when attached using Canon’s EF to EOS R adapter.

In an announcement post on its website, Irix says ‘it is possible to control the aperture from the camera’ and notes that all metadata is transferred properly from the lens to the camera including focusing distance and other exposure details.

Irix specifically mentions its 11mm F4, 15mm F2.4 and 150mm F2.8 1:1 Macro lenses.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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2019 camera and lens manufacturers’ New Year’s resolutions

31 Dec

New Year’s resolutions

There’s plenty in this world that we’re not sure about (Peas in guacamole? The resurgence of 90’s fashion trends? Pineapple on pizza??) but one thing we’re certain of: a few companies, many of which are headquartered in Japan, will produce new cameras, lenses and photographic accessories in 2019. And just like every year, some will be great, some will be OK, and one or two will be crushingly dull.

Thanks to some early product development announcements we already know a little of what the next year holds in store, but much remains a mystery. We can only guess what the next 12 months will bring – guess, hope, and play backseat camera engineer.

In the spirit of New Years’ resolutions, we got together as a team and talked about what we’d like the major manufacturers to do next year. Things we want to see fixed, directions we’d like to see taken (plus some we’d like to see reversed…) and products we’d like to be released. So without further ado, here are our collected New Years’ resolutions, on behalf of the manufacturers, courtesy of DPReview. Call it wishful thinking.

Feel free to play along at home via the comments.


Canon

Oh, Canon – where should we start? You’re one of the biggest camera manufacturers in the industry, but you’re still among the most conservative. This year you’ve teased us with a range of superb new RF lenses, but we’re really hoping that 2019 brings a slightly higher-end camera to shoot them with. But even as you build out the RF lineup, we hope you don’t neglect EF-M. An M50 successor with un-cropped 4K would be lovely – pretty please?

Canon – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Add IBIS to the RF lineup and update your sensors (or buy Sony’s).
  • Make the RF mount an open standard.
  • Reclaim your ILC video crown – no more cropped 4K!
  • Dump the MFn bar…
  • Make the 5D Mark V a true digital EOS 3.
  • Think different – embrace computational photography.

Fujifilm

Fujifilm, you’re the darling of camera reviewers everywhere. You’re one of the few brands that, from time to time, still makes products which are better than they need to be in order to be competitive. The X-T2 was a great camera, and you didn’t need to replace it, but you went and did it anyway! The X-T3 was one of our favorite cameras of 2018. It almost made up for the ‘4K capable’ X-A5… But we’re still hoping for more in 2019.

Fujifilm – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Make a full-frame X100 / monochrome X100 / 28mm-equiv X100. (We really like the X100).
  • Continue improving your face and eye-detection autofocus. The X-T3 was a great start.
  • Make a proper X70 successor. The XF10 doesn’t count.
  • Refresh your F1.4 primes.
  • Don’t try to palm us off with 15fps ‘4K video’ ever again. For shame.

Leica

Let’s be honest, Leica – this is pointless. It doesn’t matter what we want, or what we say, or what anyone wants or says, you’re Leica! You’ll just continue to do whatever you want, and there’s every chance that in a few weeks’ time we’ll find ourselves reviewing a limited edition ping-pong-bat-rubber-clad Melania Trump signature-edition M10. And that’s why we love you.

Leica – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Stop with the special editions already – this isn’t the 90s.
  • Make a Q2 – maybe even with a 35mm lens…
  • Say goodbye to 1950s technology and make an M-mount camera with an EVF.
  • Give your customers their moneys’ worth and turn camera repairs around in days, not months. It’s not impossible – everyone else can do it.

Nikon

Nikon, you’re getting there. You launched the Z-mount with a bang in 2018, but despite its high-end pricing you must have known that the flagship Z7 wouldn’t be quite enough to tempt professionals and enthusiasts away from their D850 and D5 bodies. Don’t let the haters get you down, though. Keep up the pace and turn the Z mount into the professional system that we know it can be. We’re rooting for you.

Nikon – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Keep developing that Z-series lens roadmap.
  • Bring 3D AF Tracking to the Z-series – in fact, bring all of your industry-leading AF area modes to the Z-series.
  • Make an FTZ adapter with a built-in AF motor. Carey’s got a 105mm F2 DC he really wants to shoot with.
  • Make the Z mount an open standard.

Olympus

Olympus – we feel for you. You were among the first manufacturers to create a modern mirrorless camera, and now, a decade on, you’re the only brand that doesn’t (or isn’t preparing to) offer its customers a full-frame sensor. We know that it’s been a tough few years for you guys over in the camera division but we’ve got a few ideas for how you can disrupt things in 2019 and beyond.

Olympus – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Start making small cameras again. Maybe an updated PEN-F?
  • Update the OM-D E-M5 II.
  • Simplify your cameras’ menu systems, please!
  • Add PDAF to your lower-end PEN and OM-D cameras.
  • Add a large sensor to the TOUGH range. You already make the best rugged cameras, why not go one step further?

Panasonic

As you prepare to enter the full-frame market in a few months, we can only imagine that things are pretty hectic in your Osaka headquarters right now. Hopefully you’re not working the engineers too hard, and they get a little downtime to read DPReview, because we’ve got some suggestions that we think might really help Panasonic out in 2019.

Panasonic – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Ditch field-sequential EVFs, for good.
  • Either fix DFD for video, or use PDAF instead.
  • Now that you’re in the L mount alliance, how about making a full-frame 4K video camera?

Ricoh / Pentax

Pentax, we need to be careful what we say here…

We admire your loyal customer base, and we respect the way that many of them react to anything short of uncritically gushing praise for their favorite camera maker with… let’s say… passion. But we’re also terrified of them. For the record, we like a lot of your products! And we want you to succeed just as much as your customers do. Here are some suggestions.

Ricoh – in 2019 we wish you would

  • Make a true successor to the K-1.
  • Reissue the K-01 – just kidding! Give your fans a proper mirrorless camera – maybe the L-mount alliance has room for another member?
  • Make a full-frame GR to compete with the Leica Q and Sony RX1R II.

Sigma

Sigma, we hardly recognize you. Over the past decade you’ve gone from being a respected but midrange third-party lens maker (and a quietly prolific OEM manufacturer) to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the high-end optics market. You’re making some of the finest lenses available, while still undercutting the ‘big’ brands, often by a considerable margin. How do you do that?

We love what you’ve become, but sometimes love is about being honest. Here are some ideas for 2019 and beyond.

Sigma – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Calm down a bit with the ‘biggest, heaviest and fastest’ primes thing and create a range of compact F2 lenses.
  • Try again with the 24-70mm F2.8 Art.
  • Follow Tamron’s example and develop some native Sony FE lenses.
  • Reverse-engineer the Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts and show them how it’s done.
  • Create a range of full-frame Merrill compacts.

Sony

Oh, Sony, we can’t keep up! At your current rate of product announcements, you’ll have released at least one new RX100-series compact, a GM lens or two and an a7 IV by the time we’ve finished writing this sentence. That’s fine, but in 2019 we’d like to see you taking a bit of a break, making some time to reflect, and maybe reprioritizing a little.

Sony – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Create a Cyber-shot RX1R III (with a real battery, not that joke-shop one from last time).
  • Throw your a6000-series customers a bone and make some new APS-C lenses.
  • Make your video and stills AF experience consistent.
  • Speaking of 35mm, make an FE 35mm F1.8. Your non-pro and pro customers will thank you.
  • Focus on user experience, as well as technology. We get it, you’re smart!

Tamron

Tamron, you dark horse. You’ve been quietly adding some really impressive lenses to your lineup over the past year, including the first ever zoom lens designed natively for a full-frame mirrorless system. Not as prolific as Sigma, or as niche as the likes of Laowa or Zeiss, you’re a good, solid, photographer-friendly company that we think deserves to succeed in 2019. And here’s how we think you should do that.

Tamron – in 2019 we wish you would…

  • Continue developing full-frame E-mount lenses.
  • Reverse-engineer the Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts as soon as possible.
  • Resist the temptation to create large, heavy F1.4 glass – F1.8 is fine!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The dPS Top Travel Photography Tips of 2018

31 Dec

The post The dPS Top Travel Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week on dPS we’re featuring some of the top articles in different categories that were published on the site over 2018.

We’ve already shown you the Top All-Round Photography Tips, the Top Photography Gear Tips, the Top Post-Processing Photography Tips, the Top Landscape Photography Tips, and the Top Portrait Photography Tips of 2018.

This one is all about the best travel photography tips of the year.

Here are the top travel photography tips articles of 2018:

1. How to Put the Fine Art into Travel Photography

How to Put the Fine Art into Travel Photography

2. Avoid These 5 Major Mistakes Made By Travel Photographers

Avoid These 5 Major Mistakes Made By Travel Photographers

3. 4 Ways To Make Better Street Portraits While Traveling

4 Ways To Make Better Street Portraits While Traveling

4. The First 10 Things You Need to Buy After Your Camera for Travel Photography

The First 10 Things You Need to Buy After Your Camera for Travel Photography

5. Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

6. 5 Ways to Ensure That You Stay Ahead of the Travel Photography “Game”

5 Ways to Ensure That You Stay Ahead of the Travel Photography “Game”

7. 5 Ways to Find Great Locations for Travel Photography

5 Ways to Find Great Locations for Travel Photography

8. 7 Travel Photography Hacks to Get You Going Places

7 Travel Photography Hacks to Get You Going Places

9. 5 Ways to Photograph Travel Icons

5 Ways to Photograph Travel Icons

10. Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

6 Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried

11. 7 Tips to Make Travel Photography Interesting Again

7 Tips to Make Travel Photography Interesting Again

12. Why Olympus Mirrorless Cameras are Top Notch for Travel Photography

Why Olympus Mirrorless Cameras are Top Notch for Travel Photography

13. Tips for Selecting What Gear to Take Along for Travel Photography

Tips for Selecting What Gear to Take Along for Travel Photography

14. Six Non-Photography Tips to Super-Charge Your Travel Photography

Six Non-Photography Tips to Super-Charge Your Travel Photography

15. How to Search Potential Cityscape Photography Spots Online Before Traveling

How to Search Potential Cityscape Photography Spots Online Before Traveling

Next up, we’ll show you the dPS Top Street Photography Tips of 2018.

The post The dPS Top Travel Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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Gear of the Year 2018 – Dale’s choice: DJI Ronin-S

30 Dec

When it came time to select my 2018 gear of the year, my first inclination was to think about cameras and lenses. After all, we’ve seen some great ones in 2018, and that would have been an easy path to follow. No doubt, I could have picked something both technically impressive and fun to use.

However, when I really thought about what product had the most impact on the quality of my work this year, both at DPReview as well as for my own projects, it wasn’t a camera at all. Rather, it was the DJI Ronin-S camera gimbal – a tool that allowed me to significantly improve the quality of my video work using the cameras and lenses that I already had.

Anyone who has shot much video knows that camera movement can be as important as composition.

Anyone who has shot much video knows that camera movement can be as important as composition, and while most cameras now include some form of image stabilization, camera-based stabilization systems can only do so much. Gimbals provide more latitude to create movement, but usually add some complexity to your shooting workflow. With the Ronin-S, I feel like I’ve found the Goldilocks combination: a great gimbal that fits so seamlessly into my workflow that I barely notice.

I was impressed with the Ronin-S almost from the moment it arrived in our office. After a few weeks of testing I was confident enough to choose it for a larger project: a documentary film I was shooting in the Peruvian Amazon.

Filming with the DJI Ronin-S in Iquitos, Peru. Photo by Matt Fraser

Like any filmmaker, I wanted to get the best results possible, but I also had some pretty strict requirements. Since I had keep my kit compact and easy to carry, I decided to shoot on a pair of Panasonic GH5s. I needed a gimbal that would work well with these cameras, could be easily reconfigured for different camera setups in the field, and which could quickly adapt to different shooting conditions on the fly.

The subject of my film was The Great Amazon River Raft Race, a 180km race down the Amazon river on rafts made from balsa logs. Over the course of this multi-day event I had to keep cameras rolling in conditions that included crowded street markets, unstable boats, and and all the rain that comes with Amazon thunderstorms.

The wide variety of shooting conditions certainly put the Ronin-S to the test, and it came through with flying colors.

I immediately came to appreciate just how quickly I could set up a camera in the field. With a bit of practice, I could balance a camera and lens combination in about a minute, which the Ronin’s auto-tune feature would then fine tune in just a few seconds.

In this b-roll clip from my film, I was shooting from the back of a 3-wheeled ‘mototaxi’ driving down a fairly rough road. The footage isn’t bounce-free, but it’s much smoother than I could have produced shooting hand-held.

The strong motors in the Ronin-S also made it possible to use zoom lenses without adjusting balance or recalibrating the system. As a result, I was able to use a single zoom lens for most of my primary filming – something particularly helpful in a location where it seems like everything around you is actively trying to contaminate a camera sensor. The ability to quickly switch among different gimbal settings at the touch of a button also saved me on more than a few occasions when the story took unexpected turns.

However, the feature I probably appreciated the most on the Ronin-S was remote camera operation, including remote follow focus with focus peaking.

As an aside, it’s worth noting that the Ronin-S can provide various levels of remote camera control, and the level of functionality differs a lot by camera model and lens. Fortunately, DJI has done an excellent job integrating it with the GH5 I chose for this project.

I’ve been asked a number of times why I didn’t use autofocus. While it’s true that the video AF on many cameras is impressively good today, it still doesn’t provide the level of control or predictability I want when filming. In contrast, I found the remote follow focus on the Ronin-S to be very precise, predictable, and easy to use.

In this b-roll clip, I was shooting from a small, moving boat with three other people in it. The camera movement came out much smoother than my experience in the boat led me to expect.

Ironically, the one thing I was actually worried about turned out to be a non-starter. With limited access to power, I had concerns about how long the Ronin’s battery would last, but it never let me down. After a full day of shooting, my arm was borderline useless while the Ronin-S had hours of power left in reserve. So much for the superiority of man over machine.

The final area where I have to give the Ronin-S high marks is what I’ll call “Dale’s jungle survivability index.” I’ve worked in the Amazon before, and electronic equipment just doesn’t do well there. It’s hot and humid, and can be very wet, dirty and muddy. It’s damn near impossible to properly clean or dry equipment in the field, especially when you’re out for multiple days at a time. I’ve had equipment failures on previous trips, but the Ronin-S took everything I could throw at it and never blinked. It’s a solid piece of equipment.

I’ve had equipment failures on previous trips, but the Ronin-S took everything I could throw at it and never blinked. It’s a solid piece of equipment.

Sure, I have a few minor complaints, such as having to leave the entire system assembled just to charge the battery or the fact that the rubber seal over the battery’s on/off button keeps falling off, but those aren’t showstoppers.

Ultimately, what makes the Ronin-S my 2018 gear of the year isn’t the fact that it’s a camera gimbal – after all, those have been around for years – but the fact that it’s so flexible, configurable, and easy to operate. My footage looks better as a result of using it, and I won’t hesitate to use it again for future projects.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: Full frame mirrorless camera party

30 Dec

It’s time to ring in the New Year, and we invite you to join us at the Full Frame Mirrorless camera party, where we’ll meet old friends and maybe some new ones as well. Happy New Year from DPReview TV!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The dPS Top Portrait Photography Tips of 2018

29 Dec

The post The dPS Top Portrait Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week on dPS we’re featuring some of the top articles in different categories that were published on the site over 2018.

We’ve already shown you the Top All-Round Photography Tips, the Top Photography Gear Tips, the Top Post-Processing Photography Tips, and the Top Landscape Photography Tips of 2018.

This one is all about the best portrait photography tips of the year.

Here are the top portrait photography tips articles of 2018:

1. How to Take Unique Crystal Ball Portraits

How to Take Unique Crystal Ball Portraits

2. Video Tutorials – Portrait Posing Tips

Video Tutorials – Portrait Posing Tips

3. Five Common Portrait Retouching Mistakes to Avoid

Five Common Portrait Retouching Mistakes to Avoid

4. Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography

Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography

5. 4 Ways To Make Better Street Portraits While Traveling

4 Ways To Make Better Street Portraits While Traveling

6. Five Budget Portrait Photography Hacks to Save You Money

Five Budget Portrait Photography Hacks to Save You Money

7. Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits

Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits

8. How to Choose the Best Portrait Lens According to Three Professional Photographers

How to Choose the Best Portrait Lens According to Three Professional Photographers

9. 3 Simple Ways to Use Framing and Layering in Portraits

3 Simple Ways to Use Framing and Layering in Portraits

10. 5 Tips How to Set Up a Home Studio for Dramatic Portraits

5 Tips How to Set Up a Home Studio for Dramatic Portraits

11. Tips for Doing Natural Light Headshots and Portraits

Tips for Doing Natural Light Headshots and Portraits

12. 5 Creative Indoor Portrait Locations for When the Weather is Blustery

5 Creative Indoor Portrait Locations for When the Weather is Blustery

13. Tips for Using Flash for Beach Portraits

Tips for Using Flash for Beach Portraits

14. How to Make a Dramatic Portrait with Light Painting Using Items Found in Your Home

How to Make a Dramatic Portrait with Light Painting Using Items Found in Your Home

15. 5 Quick Portrait Posing Tips to Flatter Your Subject

5 Quick Portrait Posing Tips to Flatter Your Subject

Up next is the dPS Top Travel Photography Tips of 2018.

The post The dPS Top Portrait Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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You can now make your Sony a7 III and a7R III cameras look like they’re covered in LEGO blocks

29 Dec

Taiwanese company LIFE+GUARD has announced a new skin for Sony a7 III and a7R III cameras that makes it look as though the camera body is made of LEGO blocks.

LIFE+GUARD is known for making interesting skins for Sony gear, as seen with this wild rainbow leopard print skin, but the LEGO block skin might take the cake for the most unique.

The LEGO skin certainly isn’t for everyone, but aside from possibility of deterring would-be thrives from stealing an expensive camera, the skin may very well prove useful for children and family photographers, as cleverly noted by SonyAlphaRumors.

For those interested in the skin, LIFE+GUARD is taking orders via email for $ 50 a skin. An online shop is said to be coming in early 2019.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Gear of the Year 2018 – Carey’s choice: Panasonic GX9

29 Dec

The Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 is one of those rare cameras that seems to be more than the sum of its parts. It’s not a market leader in any specific area, it’s not particularly inexpensive, and I’ve used and reviewed cameras that offer objectively better results than the GX9 is capable of. And yet, there’s something about its combination of features, build, form factor, image quality and controls that make it a camera I really enjoy using and want to carry around with me wherever.

Maybe most importantly, I think this is the first Panasonic camera I’ve truly felt this way about.

‘They’ve got a great personality’

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 200 | 1/1250 sec | F2.8 | Lumix G Vario 35-100mm F2.8

That’s a phrase that isn’t exactly positive in the dating world, but bear with me – we’re talking about cameras, after all. There are subtleties and intangibles – ‘personalities’ – cameras have about them that can impact how they make a photographer feel. And while Panasonic has made some mighty fine cameras over the past few years, I’ve never really felt that emotional pull to pick them up and go out shooting just for fun.

Back when the Panasonic GX85 came out, I thought that was the one. That was the Panasonic camera that I’d want to pick up and take with me, even if I’m just going out for a bite to eat. But there were some issues with that camera – one issue specifically – that really turned me off, but Panasonic has addressed them in the GX9, and then some.

Enough already, what’s so good about it?

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 200 | 1/500 sec | F5 | Panasonic Leica 15mm F1.7

First of all, my hat is off to the folks at Panasonic for their work on the JPEG engine. When I started at DPReview, I hadn’t been fond of Panasonic colors, particularly the skin tones, and while the noise reduction did a so-so job of reducing noise, it did a tremendous job at smearing away detail. This was the single biggest issue I had with the GX85, honestly.

I’m happy to say that’s no longer the case. Even just previewing images on the rear of the camera, I can see that the color out of the standard picture profile is rich, warm and doesn’t render my friends as green-skinned zombies. Plus, the shadowy regions of my images no longer look like mush.

This all means I’m likely to transfer images to my phone without needing to process Raws (though the GX9 can do that in-camera), and then post straight away to social media or send them to a friend. And the less processing I need to do, the more images I’m going to take.

Beyond that, I’m really happy to see the return of the addictive tilting viewfinder, though it’s a tad small. The controls aren’t quite as customizable as some competitors’, but the highly customizable touchscreen makes up for this somewhat. And personally, I prefer the tilting screen mechanism on the GX9 to fully articulating screens on other models. And when the screen is tilted out, the eye sensor disables so you don’t accidentally trip it when shooting from the waist. Why this still isn’t standard practice, I have no idea.

But it only got a silver award!

Obligatory angry cat photo. Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 1600 | 1/60 sec | F1.7 | Panasonic Leica 15mm F1.7

I know, I know. I was the lead reviewer for the GX9, and after all this gushing, I still only gave it a silver. But remember at the top, how I said it wasn’t a market leader in any particular way, and wasn’t particularly inexpensive? Then, consider that cheaper competition can often give you better outright image quality.

And even though the awards are weighted more toward subjective rather than objective criteria – that was all just too much for me to ignore. Bam, silver award.

But there are a few other considerations I’d like to see addressed in the GX9’s successor. First of all, enough with the field sequential electronic viewfinder. Second, this camera launched at $ 999 with a kit lens – for that price, I expect a dedicated battery charger in the box, particularly with battery life this limited (though USB charging is handy for topping up on the go).

Lastly, if you’re one of those folks that love Panasonic for their video chops, the GX9 is not the camera for you. It’s not really geared for hardcore videophiles, but even for casual shooters, it’s disappointing to see the newer model step backward in video capability with a 1.2x crop compared to the GX85.

The wrap

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 200 | 1/80 sec | F2.8 | Lumix G 20mm F1.7 II

In the end, the GX9 is very capable camera. It’s not necessarily the sort of camera I’d be eyeing for high-end, paid professional gigs – though I’m sure the GX9 could handle them in a pinch – but it is the sort of camera that I enjoy for personal, casual photography. It’s also something I would absolutely recommend as a second body for more established shooters wanting a smaller package.

More to the point, I also think the GX9 is a good sign for Panasonic going forward. They tried splitting the GX lineup in two with the high-end GX8 and midrange GX85, but then decided that wasn’t working, and quickly iterated to come up with a fantastic middle-ground in the GX9. I personally appreciate that level of responsiveness, and in my opinion, the GX9 really is the best of both worlds for those cameras. Well, almost.

For the last time – let’s ditch the field sequential viewfinder.

Sample gallery

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The dPS Top Landscape Photography Tips of 2018

28 Dec

The post The dPS Top Landscape Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week on dPS we’re featuring some of the top articles in different categories that were published on the site over 2018.

We’ve already shown you the Top All-Round Photography Tips, the Top Photography Gear Tips, and the Top Post-Processing Photography Tips of 2018.

This one is all about the best landscape photography tips of the year.

Here are the top landscape photography tips articles of 2018:

1. How to Choose the Right ISO for Landscape Photography

How to Choose the Right ISO for Landscape Photography

2. Tips for Shooting Landscape Photography Towards the Sun

Tips for Shooting Landscape Photography Towards the Sun

3. 5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

5 Tricks to Make Your Landscape Photos Stand Out

4. 3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape

3 Techniques and Tips for Photographing the Moon in the Landscape

5. 7 Tips to Help You Capture the Perfect Landscape Photo

7 Tips to Help You Capture the Perfect Landscape Photo

6. How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos – 4 Steps

How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos – 4 Steps

7. Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

8. Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

Using Layers and Foreground Interest for Better Landscape Photography

9. Understanding Aperture and Landscape Photography – Why F16 Isn’t the Only Choice

Understanding Aperture and Landscape Photography – Why F16 Isn’t the Only Choice

10. Getting Started with Landscape Photography – 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

Getting Started with Landscape Photography – 4 Easy Tips for Beginners

11. How to Add a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos

How to Add a Sense of Scale to Your Landscape Photos

12. 5 Landscape Photography Mistakes That Keep Your Images From Standing Out

5 Landscape Photography Mistakes That Keep Your Images From Standing Out

13. Beginner’s Guide to Natural Light in Landscape Photography

Beginner’s Guide to Natural Light in Landscape Photography

14. How to Work with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

How to Work with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

15. 7 Landscape Photography Tips You’ll Wish You Knew Earlier

7 Landscape Photography Tips You’ll Wish You Knew Earlier

Next up, we’ll show you the dPS Top Portrait Photography Tips of 2018.

The post The dPS Top Landscape Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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Gear of the Year 2018 – Allison’s choice: Google Photos

28 Dec

At some point in elementary school my sister was required to study San Francisco, which – if you’ve only ever lived in the Midwest – is a far-off, exotic city. She took an interest in the place, and over the dinner table she’d rattle off facts about the city, like how many hills there are (seven) and how many mosquitos there are (none). In contrast to our part of the country, an extremely flat, mosquito-riddled hellscape, San Fransisco seemed like almost a mythical place.

Jumping ahead a few years, my sister was on the verge of turning thirty, and we decided to celebrate with a trip to the destination of her choice. Naturally, San Francisco was at the top of the list. At last, she’d finally get to experience the seven mosquito-free hills for herself.

In four days we covered most of the standard stuff – the bridge, the prison, the endless souvenir gift shop that is the Fisherman’s Wharf. We drank Irish coffees at the cafe that claims to have invented them (but probably didn’t), ate avocado toast at the place that claims to have invented it (and probably did), and took a lot of selfies in front of iconic things.

Our technique on this kind of shot needs work, but you get the idea.

During the course of the trip, we documented our adventure the way most older millennials do: on our phones. When we returned to our respective homes, she requested that I add my photos to a shared Google Photos album so she could show our mother over dinner. I already backup my iPhone photos to the Google Photos app, so that was easy enough to do.

I also wanted to show the Alcatraz photos to my boyfriend (disused prisons are his thing) but flipping through them on my phone clearly wasn’t going to do them justice. Then I remembered the Chromecast plugged into the back of our TV, and within a few minutes I had a good old fashioned “How I Spent my Summer Vacation at a Former Federal Penitentiary” slideshow going.

To commemorate the whole trip, it occurred to me that a photo book might make a nice birthday present for my kid sister. And at this point, the whole thing starts to sound like a commercial for Google Photos: I selected images, added a title and text, paid for and shipped the whole thing from my phone while commuting to work on the bus. I didn’t even need to get out my wallet, because Google remembers my credit card number.

Here’s the thing: having the device I use to capture the images integrated into an ecosystem designed for sharing actually is really useful. My photos from that trip didn’t die on a hard drive – they came to life. And sure, my iPhone SE takes some pretty lousy photos in low light. But you know what? They’re fine. Nobody I showed them to complained about detail retention. And I wasn’t looking to blow them up and put them on my wall, I just wanted to remember a trip that was about hanging out with my sister.

There’s still room for improvement – the Assistant feature continues to be a mixed bag of sometimes nice, sometimes ridiculous AI-generated albums, videos and “stylized” photos. At least it does a good job of auto-suggesting items to archive, like screengrabs and pictures of packaged dinner re-heating instructions. But really, it’s fine because it’s not a core feature – anything useful the Assistant does is basically a bonus.

An automatically generated “stylized” photo courtesy of Google Photos Assistant. Just… no.

I think what impresses me most is that I didn’t at any point decide “Alright, I’m going to go all in on the Google ecosystem.” It just happened organically. I didn’t think I was the kind of person who would want to play a summer vacation slideshow on her TV – until I was. When the technology is seamless and available at your fingertips, it turns out you’re more likely to use it. And if that means more people doing more to share their photos, then that’s enough for me to call Google Photos my gear of the year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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