RSS
 

Archive for February, 2019

How to Find Great Photography Opportunities Where You Live

28 Feb

The post How to Find Great Photography Opportunities Where You Live appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Prasad Np.

Are you one of those folks who wait to travel to an exotic destination to make photographs? Is your camera nicely packed or gathering dust until you are traveling or on an assignment because you don’t have enough inspiration or subjects? If you are one such photographer, then you are actually missing countless photography opportunities right in front of you. No matter what level of skill and experience you have, the more you take your camera out and make photos, the better you get.

This image of the Gurgaon Metro was taken in the night on one of the busiest streets of the city and clicked from 20-floors above © Prasad Np

Gone are the days when you made images on film, and there was a cost involved in acquiring and processing rolls of films. Now, thanks to the digital cameras, you can take as many photos you want and keep on learning and improving every day.

So there’s no reason to wait until you are traveling to an exotic location to make images. Look around you, and you will find countless opportunities to make beautiful images, test your technical skills and take your game to the next level.

Whether you live in a developing city like Gurgaon (where I live), or in a picturesque mountain town, there are photographs to be made and shared. So the question is, how do you find great photo opportunities when you think you live in a boring location?

Sunset In Gurgaon © Prasad Np

The first step is to believe there are beautiful photographs around you that you must capture. It doesn’t matter what your preferred genre of photography is. Whether you enjoy wildlife, landscape, people or street photography, there are photographs to be made right near your home, in your own city.

Advantages of photographing your city and its surroundings

The advantages of photographing your city and its surroundings include:

  • You get to practice photography regularly and dissect your photographs technically and artistically to take better photos next time
  • You don’t have to travel a lot. You can always take pictures close to your home
  • Unlike when traveling to an exotic, faraway location where you may get only a short window to get the shot, closer to home you can always revisit the place and get the shots you may have missed the first time
  • If you are not happy with some of the photos, you can always go again and click, and you can also plan the shots in a better way, especially in cases like the city skyline, or sunsets

So here are a few pointers for you to find great photo opportunities right where you live. In this post, I am sharing some images I made in Gurgaon – a city I now call home.

Go for skyline and redefine it

Every city has its own iconic skyline that people can identify it with. However, that should not restrict you from trying to redefine or interpret it in your way. You can always go for a different shot; especially if the city is still developing. Capturing it as it develops creates an everlasting record of the change the city went through as it grew.

Even the most mundane of skylines can give a dramatic effect when you combine it with beautiful clouds or a sunset. Because you know the best vantage points from your previous experiences in your city, you can be well prepared and reach the spot in time to get the shot you have always wanted to take.

A Housing Society In Gurgaon © Prasad Np

Photograph seasonal natural phenomenon like blooming of trees

Many cities in Japan are known for the Sakura or Cherry Blossom festivals. Think about what the equivalent may be in your city. Every change of season brings a visual spectacle that is a hallmark of that season. In Gurgaon and most of North India, April to June are months of Golden Shower. The hotter the weather, the more beautiful flowers of Indian laburnum trees you find. Make a point to find out when the local trees in your area are in bloom, so you are prepared to take their pictures. An advantage of this is you can go over an extended period and click pictures of the same tree in various stages of bloom, including being barren in autumn. If you have these trees growing close to local landmarks, then your pictures may be easily identified with your city.

Laburnum blooms Gurgaon © Prasad Np

Local festivals and fairs

Local festivals & fairs are a great way to photograph your local community and happenings around you. Festivals and fairs are excellent opportunities to document the vibrancy and bonhomie of your city and how people connect – more so when a festival is a community event. “Lohri” is one such festival celebrated on 13th of January every year. Here, they light large communal bonfires in various housing communities, and people walk around the fire singing songs and celebrating. Find out what festivals your city celebrates. It could be as big as Christmas or something that could be very local, like a fair. Be there and make images to your heart’s desire.

Lohri Festival Bonfire Gurgaon © Prasad Np

Night photography in your city

A big city is no place for star trails as light pollution may be too much. However, there are other night photography opportunities in abundance. All you need is a good vantage point, your DSLR and a sturdy tripod. Any high-rise with a safe observation area or a balcony can become your vantage point to capture the light trails of vehicles down below.

Look for exciting locations like a curve in the local metro train tracks and wait for the train to come along. You can also click interesting images while incorporating the moon against your city skyline. The photo below of Super blood moon was deliberately clicked with part of it hiding behind the building to give an idea of the size of the moon compared to a normal one you see in the picture with the power towers.

Super Blood Moon Gurgaon © Prasad Np

Power Towers Gurgaon © Prasad Np

Go abstract

Night photography is also a great time to go abstract with some images of your city. While there are no creative limits to what you can do when trying to create a work of abstract photography, it is always a good idea to never overdo it, especially when you are beginning. A creative idea you can try is to move to manual focus and deliberately click out of focus images that render the distant lights with a bokeh-like effect. Use a tripod or keep your camera on a sturdy surface. Also, use a time release button or remote to click images to keep your images sharp.

Abstract Night Photograph Gurgaon © Prasad Np

Be observant of your surroundings

One of the keys to photography is being observant of your surroundings. Even when you are on your apartment balcony or in your backyard, there are enough photography opportunities available to you. If you live in a highrise, look down. You may get an interesting frame like the photo below of the two kids carrying similar umbrellas on the sidewalk. Or perhaps, the cars passing below under the trees that look like a beast under the canopy of the rainforest.

Kids Walking with Umbrellas © Prasad Np

Car under tree Gurgaon © Prasad NP

Conclusion

As you can see, any place can be a good location for making photographs. Don’t miss any opportunity to take photos as it helps in honing your skills both technically and artistically. Most of all, photographing your own city helps you learn much faster. You have an opportunity to click images in various seasons, in many light situations and go back as you need.

Now it is your turn, do share where you live and your favorite image that you made in your own city.

The post How to Find Great Photography Opportunities Where You Live appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Prasad Np.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on How to Find Great Photography Opportunities Where You Live

Posted in Photography

 

Instagram ‘Public Collections’ feature discovered in Android app code

28 Feb
A view of the ‘Saved’ post section of the iOS Instagram app, also known as ‘Collections.’

Two years ago, Instagram released a feature called Collections that enables users to privately group posts together for organized safekeeping. The company now appears to be testing a new setting that would allow these users to make their Collections public. The discovery was made by software engineer Jane Manchun Wong, who has an excellent history with uncovering unannounced features in mobile apps.

The new public setting for Collections is not available to users, but Wong recently published a screenshot of what the feature currently looks like. Instagram told TechCrunch that it is not testing the feature, which indicates it is still in development. It’s possible the new option may appear for some users in the future when (if) public testing starts.

With the public option, Instagram users would be able to create curated Collections featuring a variety of content from different Instagram users. Based on the above screenshot, it appears Instagram would enable users to add contributors to their public Collections.

Public Collections would help address the issue of unauthorized content sharing via screenshots, as well as offering an alternative to Pinterest ‘boards.’ As with any unannounced feature, it’s possible the final product will differ from the version still in development. Likewise, Instagram may scrap the project and never release the ‘public’ Collections setting.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Instagram ‘Public Collections’ feature discovered in Android app code

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Xiaomi and Light announce partnership to push smartphone photography forward

27 Feb

It looks like Light, the maker of the L16 multi-lens camera, is really putting its money on the mobile sector. A few days ago the company announced it was partnering with Sony to use the Japanese chip maker’s image sensor in its multi-camera modules.

Shortly after, at the Mobile World Congress HMD Global launched its Nokia 9 PureView smartphone which uses Light’s technology in its main camera. Nokia phones won’t be the only smartphones to come with Light-engineered cameras, however. Now Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi and Light have announced that they’ll collaborate in developing smartphone cameras and computational photography technology as well.

The partnership is still brand new, so it will likely take some time before we see the first results in the shape of final products on store shelves. That said, it’s good to see Light is working with multiple manufacturers to market its innovative imaging technologies, which will likely accelerate market penetration and innovation of multi-lens cameras alike.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Xiaomi and Light announce partnership to push smartphone photography forward

Posted in Uncategorized

 

6 Ways to Easily Improve Your Landscape Photography

27 Feb

The post 6 Ways to Easily Improve Your Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Capturing beautiful scenery is one of the most enjoyable aspects of outdoor photography where you can fully immerse yourself in a breathtaking landscape and record the scene unfolding right before your eyes. There is so much available to shoot when out in the field photographing landscapes, from epic vistas of majestic mountains to lush, and green rolling hills. Here are 6 ways to help you improve your landscape photography:

1. Include a point of interest

Lavendar, Provence, France © Jeremy Flint

Usually, when people are first starting in landscape photography, they take pictures of the countryside to show a view of the land and sky but don’t consider other aspects such as adding an interesting feature to their frame.

One way to bring your landscapes to life is to add a point of interest in your photograph.

Some suggestions for points of interest could be an outbuilding, a fence, gate, tree, hedgerows or anything else you can find that would enhance your images. This extra feature could lift your landscape images from ordinary to excellent.

2. See the light

Namibia © Jeremy Flint

Light is one of the great aspects of photography that can help to improve your landscape images. Have you ever been to a location only to find the weather was cloudy and overcast? While this can be great for some types of photography, such as coastal and seascape scenes, having some light shining on a landscape scene can help to improve your image. Landscape scenes without light can often be flat and uninteresting. So be sure to make the most of the light when the sun is out as it can bring your landscapes to life.

I recommend looking out for changing patterns of light and be aware of how the sun affects your shots. For example, during the middle of the day, the sun is much higher in the sky and lights up most of the landscape from above. Whereas, when the sun sits lower in the sky, shadows can form where some parts of your scene become shaded.

© Jeremy Flint

3. Consider where to place the horizon

Depending on what you are photographing and what you are trying to achieve, it would be advantageous to consider the horizon and where you intend to place it in your landscape images.

Whatever you find most appealing, you may want to consider including more sky or foreground in your frame. If you find the sky more interesting, place the horizon on the lower third section of your image. Alternatively, if you think the foreground is more appealing position the horizon towards the upper third of the frame. Also, placing the horizon line in the middle of your pictures could make a landscape more balanced. It is entirely your choice and comes down to how you want your final image to look.

© Jeremy Flint

4. Eliminate distractions

The elimination of distractions may seem like an obvious aspect to consider when photographing landscapes. However, it is amazing how many photos include distracting elements. Remember that sometimes less is more and that by taking certain eyesores out of your frame, such as unsightly telephone wires or lampposts, can improve your landscape photos dramatically.

5. Time of day

© Jeremy Flint

The time of day you decide to capture landscapes can affect how your images look. I appreciate that you may be limited on time or are only able to take photos at certain times of the day due to work, family or other commitments. Therefore, use this to your advantage as landscape photography can look good at any time of day – daytime, sunrise or sunset.

Don’t limit yourself to the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset as you waste far too much of the day. You can take great pictures at any hour! For example, daytime can be just as good as sunset, especially if it is a cloudy day as the clouds complement the scene and can add drama.

Talybony-on-Usk, Brecon Beacons © Jeremy Flint

6. Focus

The last element to consider when looking to improve your landscapes is the focus. Ask yourself are you looking to get the entire landscape sharp or would you prefer a part of the image to be out of focus?

Using a wider depth of field enables your images to have front-to-back sharpness, whereas using a narrower depth of field renders the foreground or background out of focus. Applying the latter technique can be used for creative effect if you are looking to emphasize a particular part of your image, such as a prominent tree or object.

Conclusion

I recommend putting these tips into practice to see how they may help you improve your landscape photos and share the pictures you take with us below. What methods do you find help improve your landscape photography that you would like to share?

The post 6 Ways to Easily Improve Your Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 6 Ways to Easily Improve Your Landscape Photography

Posted in Photography

 

Fujifilm XF10 sample gallery update

27 Feb

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_7628928607″,”galleryId”:”7628928607″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

As we found in our full review, the Fujifilm XF10 is a little on the slow side and we were surprised by autofocus accuracy issues. But when it all comes together, this pocket compact is certainly capable of some really beautiful images. With a 24MP sensor, sharp lens and absolutely excellent JPEG color, the XF10 will reward you with some fantastic photographs if you’ve remembered to pack your patience.

We’ve done a lot of shooting with our XF10 copy and updated our sample gallery to give you a look at what it can do.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Fujifilm XF10 sample gallery update

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Nikon’s Coolpix A1000 and B600 superzooms to hit US shelves in March

27 Feb

Nikon is bringing its previously announced Coolpix A1000 and B600 superzoom cameras to the U.S. next month.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_6263705877″,”galleryId”:”6263705877″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The Coolpix A1000 is the more compact of the two and features a 16MP, 1/2.3″ BSI-CMOS sensor and 35x, 24-840mm equiv. F3.4-6.9 stabilized lens. Its 3″ touchscreen display can tilt downward by 180° for selfies, and a 1166k-dot electronic viewfinder is also available. The A1000 supports Nikon’s NRW Raw format and, on the video side, can capture UHD 4K video at 30p. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The A1000 is priced at $ 479.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_2003050038″,”galleryId”:”2003050038″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The Coolpix B600 is a larger, SLR-style superzoom with a substantially longer lens than the A1000. The F3.3-6.5, 60X lens has an equivalent focal range of 24-1440mm, and its stabilization system can reduce shake by up to 3 stops, according to Nikon. Like the A1000, it has a 16MP, 1/2.3″ BSI-CMOS sensor. Unlike that camera, its LCD is fixed and not touch-sensitive, there’s no EVF and Raw isn’t an option. The B600 can capture 1080/30p video (as well as 60i/50i) and also includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The MSRP of the camera is $ 329.

Press Release

NIKON INC. BOOSTS COOLPIX LINEUP WITH TWO EASY-TO-USE COMPACT CAMERAS THAT DELIVER OUTSTANDING ZOOM CAPABILITIES

The Stylish COOLPIX A1000 and Powerful COOLPIX B600 Boast Exceptional Zoom Lenses and Impressive Features

MELVILLE, NY (February 26, 2019 at 9:00 A.M. EST) — Today, Nikon Inc. announced the U.S. availability of the COOLPIX A1000 and COOLPIX B600, Nikon’s newest high-power point-and-shoot cameras with exceptional zoom capabilities built-in. Designed for the everyday photographer who wants optical capabilities that far exceed a smartphone, the A1000 and B600 feature lenses with 35x and 60x zoom respectively, enabling users to capture high-quality images across a wide range of shooting scenarios.

“Customers looking for a compact camera are seeking features smartphones simply cannot deliver, including amazing zoom and the low-light capabilities to capture the moments that matter most,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “The COOLPIX A1000 and COOLPIX B600 are the ideal tools to deliver just that, by providing the photo, video and optical power that users need to take their photography to the next level.”

The COOLPIX A1000 – Stylish, Portable, Powerful

The stylish COOLPIX A1000 delivers high-powered features packed within a sleek, compact design that fits comfortably in a pocket – ideal for a fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyle. Designed with a 35x optical zoom lens that covers a versatile focal range that begins at the wide-angle 24mm1 equivalent and extends to the super-telephoto 840mm1 equivalent, the camera is versatile enough to handle everything from everyday events to a once-in-lifetime vacation.

Beyond stunning imagery, the COOLPIX A1000 is also designed to capture dazzling 4K UHD videos of life’s treasured moments and epic adventures.

Primary Features of the COOLPIX A1000:

  • Superb 35x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers an expansive 24-840mm1 range to capture anything from vast landscapes to distant subjects
  • With Dynamic Fine Zoom, sharpness is preserved throughout the digital zoom range, which can be expanded up to 70x2, or a focal length equivalent to approximately 1680 mm (in 35mm [135] format)
  • Macro close-up mode that allows users to enjoy macro photography when shooting as close as 1 cm (0.4 in.) to the lens at the maximum wide-angle position
  • 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor with an ISO range of up to 6400 (when using P/S/A/M modes) enables beautiful images even after the sun sets
  • 1166k-dot electronic eye-level viewfinder that aids in the framing process, enabling users to compose their shot even in bright light situations
  • Capture uncompressed RAW (NRW) images for easier editing and post-processing using Capture NX-D, Nikon’s RAW processing software, to create beautiful photographic works without compromising image quality
  • Lens-shift vibration reduction (VR) function to produce sharp images, even without a tripod
  • Record 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) videos with full stereo sound and Hybrid VR functionality for smooth and steady footage
  • Equipped with Nikon’s Active D-Lighting function for enhanced photo quality in high-contrast scenarios, such as shooting backlit portraits. In addition, the Active D-Lighting function, which effectively reduces the loss of details in highlights and shadows in scenes exhibiting great contrast, can also be applied during movie recording3
  • 1036K-dot 3-inch tilting touchscreen display for easier image capture from challenging angles
  • Snap Back Zoom and Side Zoom controls to comfortably adjust camera settings while using the viewfinder
  • Five pre-set Creative Modes and 20 different image effects for photographers who want to enhance their images in-camera
  • Built-in Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®4 connectivity that makes sharing high quality Nikon images easy when using the Nikon SnapBridge5 app and a compatible mobile device

The COOLPIX B600– Impressive Zoom in a Compact, Easy-to-Use Design

The compact COOLPIX B600 is equipped with a 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers an impressive focal length range equivalent to 24-1440mm1, enabling users to easily capture events from wide-angle landscapes to super-telephoto close-ups of their favorite ballplayer sliding into home plate. This big zoom power is packed inside a simple and lightweight form factor, making it a great choice for the everyday photographer looking to document their life from both near and afar.

Primary Features of the COOLPIX B600:

  • 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and advanced EXPEED image-processing engine to capture detailed images in challenging light conditions
  • Nail the shot from a distance with a 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that spans a 24-1440mm1 equivalent focal range, or go even further with 120x2 Dynamic Fine Zoom
  • Equipped with Macro mode, which allows users to enjoy macro photography with shooting as close as 1 cm (0.4 in.) to the lens at the maximum wide-angle position
  • Capture sharp photos and smooth video thanks to the built-in Vibration Reduction (VR) mechanism capable of reducing camera shake to the same degree as a 3.0-stop6 increase in shutter speed with still photography, and 4-axis Hybrid VR that effectively reduces blur with movie recording
  • 19 scene modes automatically optimize camera setting according to the scene a user is trying to capture, such as the Multiple Exposure Lighten mode that captures dramatic nightscapes and light paths – like the flow of car lights
  • Select from 36 different creative effects and filters to easily bring a creative vision to life
  • Intuitive controls like Snap Back Zoom and Side Zoom controls make it possible for photographers of all levels to capture far-away subjects with ease
  • Record high-quality 1080/60i (50i) and 1080/30p Full HD movies with stereo sound
  • Seamless sharing thanks to the camera’s built-in Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®4 connectivity and the Nikon’s SnapBridge5 app, which automatically transfers images to a compatible smart device7 while the user continues shooting
  • Support for the ML-L7 Remote Control, which is capable of a variety of operations over a Bluetooth® connection to the camera
  • Adoption of the EN-EL12 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, which can be charged over USB while inserted in the camera

Price and Availability

The new COOLPIX A1000 (available in Black) and COOLPIX B600 (available in Black) will be available in the U.S. this March 2019 for a suggested retail prices (SRP*) of $ 479.95 and $ 329.95, respectively.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Nikon’s Coolpix A1000 and B600 superzooms to hit US shelves in March

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Sony announces the Remote Commander, a wireless Bluetooth controller for its camera systems

27 Feb

Sony has announced the impending release of a new Wireless Remote Commander that offers wireless control of Sony camera systems using Bluetooth connectivity.

The remote, officially named RMT-P1BT, operates entirely through Bluetooth connectivity and features a fast 0.05 seconds release time, which is more than fast enough for even the most precise of applications.

The Wireless Remote Commander features an external LED for indicating operation status and is also dust and moisture resistant with the ability to operate in extreme temperatures.

As for functionality, the RMT-P1BT offers focus buttons for manual control over focus changes, a customizable C1 button, Start/Stop buttons for movies and control over power-zoom or digital zoom as well. It shouldn’t come as a surprise the RMT-P1BT also includes a dedicated Bulb mode that can be started and stopped with a button press so it doesn’t need to be held down the entire time.

The RMT-P1BT Wireless Remote Comander works with Sony’s a6400, A7III, A7RIII and A9 cameras. It will ship this April for $ 80 USD / $ 110 CAD. It will be available through authorized Sony retailers.

Sony Electronics Inc. Introduces New Remote Commander with Bluetooth Wireless Technology

New RMT-P1BT Provides Reliable and Precise Wireless Shooting

SAN DIEGO — February 26, 2019 — Sony Electronics Inc. has today introduced a new Wireless Remote Commander (model RMT-P1BT) via Bluetooth® wireless technology that provides a reliable, responsive solution for imaging enthusiasts that want to precisely control their camera during landscape shooting, architectural photography, astrophotography, still motion photography, group portraits and more.

The new RMT-P1BT wireless remote commander operates via Bluetooth connectivity, eliminating the need for wires, cables or receivers to connect the remote directly to the camera.The remote features an extremely fast response, within approximately 0.05 seconds release time-lag, that ensures the shutter can be released with precise accuracy.There is also an LED light that indicates operating status to camera by flashing or lighting continuously.Additionally, the remote is designed to resist dust and moisture plus hot and cold temperatures, offering reliable operation in a wide variety of environments and weather conditions.

To maximize control over camera functionality, the new RMT-P1BT wireless remote commander features focus buttons for manual control over subtle focus changes, a remote C1 custom button that can be adjusted based on users preferences.It also includes Start/Stop movie recording and control over power-zoom or digital-zoom functionality, making it the ideal accessory for remote movie shooting.For photographers that prefer to shoot on ‘Bulb’ exposure mode, the remote commander can be set to open and close the shutter with respective clicks of the main button, eliminating the need to press and hold the button throughout exposure time.

Pricing and Availability

The RMT-P1BT Wireless Remote Commander will ship this April for approximately $ 80 US and $ 110 CA. The remote commander will be sold at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.

A variety of exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new remote commander in combination with other Sony’s Alpha™ products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site built to educate and inspire all fans and customers of the Sony’s Alpha brand.

Detailed information on these new products can be found at:

  • RMT-P1BT (US)
  • RMT-P1BT (CA)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Sony announces the Remote Commander, a wireless Bluetooth controller for its camera systems

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM sample gallery

27 Feb

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_3945628308″,”galleryId”:”3945628308″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

Sony’s announced the ninth addition to the G Master lens series in the FE 135mm F1.8 GM. This fast telephoto is well versed for a variety of disciplines, from portraiture to low light sports photography. Prior to launch, we had the chance to take it for a spin at both a Sony shooting event, as well as on our own. Our initial takeaway is the lens is very sharp with high contrast even wide-open, fast-to-focus and capable of pleasing bokeh. Longitudinal chromatic aberration, which shows up purple and green fringing in front of and behind the focus plane, respectively, is largely absent.

That’s some serious optical performance combined with autofocus speeds we’ve never seen from such a fast telephoto prime, which is what allowed us to shoot fast action with a high focus hit-rate. That’s in thanks to not just the four new ‘XD’ (extreme dynamic) linear induction motors driving two separate focus groups, but also the new ‘Real-time tracking’ mode on the new a9 with the new 5.0 firmware. Have a look!

See our Sony 135mm F1.8 GM gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM sample gallery

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Kodak’s photo service KodakIt criticized for stripping photographers of copyrights

27 Feb

Renewed controversy surrounds Eastman Kodak subsidiary KodakIt, a service launched in 2017 as a way to provide businesses with on-demand access to photographers around the globe. The service was criticized in its early days for offering very low payments, but a new report from PDN highlights another problem: it requires photographers to completely surrender their copyrights.

A report from PDN digs into KodakIt’s ‘Photographer Terms and Conditions,’ noting that it requires its photographers to ‘perpetually and irrevocably’ hand over their copyright to the client who purchased the work — in fact, it specifies ‘the entire copyright’ and all rights associated with it.

Photographers are required to get permission from KodakIt and the client before using any images — including outtakes — for personal promotion. As well, the ‘Photographer Terms and Conditions’ requires KodakIt’s photographers to either destroy or surrender to the client any outtakes from the project.

KodakIt’s restrictions continue from there, also including a ‘Moral Rights Waiver’ as part of its terms and conditions. Under this, the service’s photographers are required to waive all ‘moral rights’ to the work, which includes claiming they shot the images and in any way interfering with ‘the modification or destruction of a work.’

A full copy of the Photographer Terms and Conditions, which was valid as of July 1, 2018, can be found here [PDF].

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Kodak’s photo service KodakIt criticized for stripping photographers of copyrights

Posted in Uncategorized

 

MASV 3.0 data transfer service update brings mobile support, new UI and billing tweak

27 Feb

MASV, a cloud data transfer service targeted at media professionals, has been rebuilt from scratch, the company has announced. Its new MASV 3.0 product uses Amazon Web Services as its new cloud provider and now features 160, rather than 10, servers around the world. MASV rebuilt it uploader code and promises average upload speeds faster than Dropbox, Google Drive, and WeTransfer.

In addition to improving its speed and number of servers, MASV 3.0 features a new user interface utilizing Google’s Material Design framework while retaining the features from product version 2.0. MASV 3.0 also adds mobile support for uploading, downloading, and managing content.

The service has retained its pay-as-you-go billing model, though the service now charges based on how much data is downloaded instead of how much is uploaded. Users can upload data for free and will be charged $ 0.25 per gigabyte downloaded by the recipient. MASV also provides its users with ‘portals,’ enabling recipients to pay for the cost of a file they download from someone else.

Users can sign up for MASV 3.0 now. Charges only apply when a recipient downloads content shared by the user.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on MASV 3.0 data transfer service update brings mobile support, new UI and billing tweak

Posted in Uncategorized