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Video: Photographer Alan Schaller offers seven tips for black and white street photography

12 Feb

Cooperative of Photography (COOPH) has published a new video featuring London-based photographer Alan Schaller, who introduces viewers to seven tips for shooting black and white street photography. The video packs the seven tips into five quick minutes.

Schaller’s tips are relatively straightforward, including the recommendation that photographers should go out and shoot in black and white on purpose, should focus on what makes black and white photography interesting and that they should change their perspective.

As well, Schaller recommends that budding black and white street photographers learn to adjust to the lightning situation, ‘make good use of’ their environment, shoot images with a ‘good range of contrast’ and, finally’ to ‘edit wisely.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Leica’s M10 Monochrom is a discreet black and white rangefinder

17 Jan

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Leica has introduced its latest dedicated black and white rangefinder camera, the M10 Monochrom. It uses a new 40MP sensor that Leica says was ‘designed from the ground up’ to handle black and white photography. The new sensor has lowered the base ISO from 320 to 160, and Leica also claims an improvement in dynamic range.

To go along with its black and white pictures, Leica has removed any hint of color on the camera body. The neutral gray body has no red Leica badge or any scripting on top, giving it a stealthy appearance. The body is just as thin as the other M10 models and has the ISO dial they introduced. It also has the same silent shutter and touchscreen display as the M10-P. Photos can be transmitted via Wi-Fi and Leica’s Fotos app.

The M10 Monochrom is now available for $ 8295.

Official sample photos

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Press Release

Leica Camera Advances its Dedication to the Art of Black & White Photography with the Leica M10 Monochrom

The highly anticipated camera enters a new dimension of innovation in the world of monochrome photography

January 17, 2020 – Leica Camera continues to be a trailblazer in the world of black-and-white photography with the announcement of the new Leica M10 Monochrom. Photographers are now able explore their subjects in vivid tones of monochrome due to the omission of a color filter, resulting in an unparalleled black-and-white photography experience. The newly developed 40-megapixel true black-and-white sensor, new Wi-Fi capabilities and expanded ISO range make room for added creativity with light and contrast, bringing photographers back to the basics with the most up-to-date technology.

Black-and-white photography lends itself to establishing emotional connections between the photographer and subject matter being conveyed. With the absence of color, a photograph conveys intense, vulnerable and timeless messages that speak to the foundation of a scene without the distractions of color.

The ultra-high resolution black-and-white sensor of the M10 Monochrom delivers images with impeccable sharpness and unrivalled resolution of details in all lighting conditions. While reaching these new feats of resolving prowess, the new M10 Monochrom is even more versatile than its black-and-white forebears, with a broadened sensitivity range at both extremes, now achieving ISO 160 to ISO 100,000 – ensuring that its unmatched imaging strengths can be used in new avenues, from the brightest of days to uncovering light in the darkest of nights. Images captured at all ISO settings offer fine-grained rendition of details with a more analog look and feel than a typical color camera set to black-and-white mode. As is the case with all Leica M-Cameras, the new black-and-white sensor pairs perfectly with the full breadth of Leica M-Lenses, showcasing their contrast, resolution and rendition of the finest details. With this combination, photographers can rest assured that the exceptional quality of the monochrome images they capture holds true to the luminance of their subject.

Based on the Leica M10-P, the M10 Monochrom now benefits from a bevy of newfound abilities for the Monochrom line, including a slimmer body, dedicated ISO dial, touchscreen controls, the quietest mechanical shutter of all Leica M rangefinders – analog or digital – and built-in Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity to the Leica FOTOS app on iOS, iPadOS and Android. For the first time in the history of Leica M Monochrom cameras, users can utilize a mobile workflow that gives them direct access to authentic black-and-white images straight from the camera to their favored social media platform – no digital filters required. The FOTOS 2.0 app helps bring Leica users from the decisive moment of taking the picture to the creative moment of processing and sharing the finished photo as seamlessly as possible. This new freedom ensures no boundaries when it comes to capturing and sharing photographs with a Leica camera.

The design of the M10 Monochrom camera body is as loyal to the strict adherence to the black-and-white aesthetic as the image sensor that lives within it. The camera has no Leica red dot logo on the front and all of the usual bold red engravings found on most M cameras have been desaturated to a neutral gray, creating a sleek monochromatic contrast against its bright white engraved numbers. A subtle black-on-black logotype of “Leica M10 Monochrom” on the top plate gives the camera the most minimal branding to avoid distractions. The black-and-white design details combined with the newly blacked-out shutter button and lens release make the M10 Monochrom the stealthiest serial production camera yet from Leica, emphasizing its focus on blending into the heart of the action and capturing the decisive moment.

The M10 Monochrom is built to the highest quality standards expected of a Leica M camera, made almost entirely by hand through the passionate labor of experienced specialists in Wetzlar, Germany with the finest materials, ensuring it can bear even the toughest conditions of use in its stride. The new Leica M10 Monochrom promises to be a long-term companion that delivers an unparalleled experience and impeccable image quality, as timeless as the classical black-and-white photos it creates.

The Leica M10 Monochrom is available beginning today for $ 8,295 at Leica Stores, Boutiques and Dealers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Tips for Processing Black and White Images in Photoshop

15 Jan

The post Tips for Processing Black and White Images in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

If you’re a lover of black and white imagery (like many of us photographers are), then you are probably aware of the many, many options there are for you to convert your images to black in white in Photoshop (and other software packages). Conversion is only the first step in processing black and white images. Once you have gotten rid of the color in your photos, you will still want to control and manage the tones in your images to get the best results possible. This article will introduce you to a few of these Photoshop tools that you can use to create images with impact.

Tools for processing black and white images in Photoshop

Global/Local Adjustments

Before jumping straight into the list of tools, it is important to differentiate between two different types of adjustments you can make to your images.

Global Adjustments – Global adjustments are adjustments that affect the entire image. For example, if you use the contrast slider in Lightroom, it alters the contrast in the entire image.

Global adjustments in processing black and white images.

As a global adjustment, this curves layer that was meant to bring down the highlights has affected the whole image and not in a pleasant way.

Local Adjustments – Local adjustments are made to specific areas of an image that you define. For example, you can adjust the contrast for a portrait subject’s eyes and the contrast for their shirt separately.

Local adjustments in processing black and white images.

Using a layer mask allowed for a local adjustment, meaning the curves layer only affected the mid-tones surrounding the subject’s face.

What this means for your images

These distinctions are important because, in most cases, you will want to avoid profound global adjustments on your images. Most photos are made of scenes of different elements. If you think of this in terms of portraiture, imagine a person standing against a studio backdrop, such as the image below.

Isolating areas of tonality in processing black and white images.

Dividing an image into areas of tonality and then making adjustments to those areas separately, gives you complete control over your images.

Here, you can divide the image up into several parts. You have the subject’s skin, eyes, shirt, hair, and background. Each of these elements reacts differently to various adjustments. By using global adjustments, you will alter the appearance of these elements at the same time.

For example, if you want to increase the contrast of the shirt by a large amount to help bring out the texture, then you will also be increasing the contrast of the subject’s skin. As a general guide, you usually don’t want to increase contrast on skin. More often than not, you will want to reduce it.

How do you go about increasing the contrast of a shirt while reducing contrast on the skin at the same time? Through the use of local adjustments.

Tools for applying local adjustments

There are a lot of ways to apply local adjustments to your images in Photoshop. Here is a primer on a handful of them.

The right tool for the job depends entirely on the job at hand. By learning how to use several of these options, you will arm yourself with a variety of ways to use local adjustments while processing black and white images.

Remember, this is an introduction to the various tools that you can use and not a full tutorial.

Layer masks

Layer masks are probably the easiest and most common way to get started with local adjustments in Photoshop. If you’re not already familiar with how to use this powerful yet intrinsic aspect of Photoshop, I strongly encourage you to spend some time reading up on and practicing using them as soon as possible.

A layer mask effectively blocks an adjustment layer (masks it) from affecting parts of the image that you don’t want it to.

Using layer masks in processing black and white images

Layer masks will help you to isolate specific areas of your image that you want to make adjustments to. Here, the subject’s hat is darkened.

In the example above, I made a Curves adjustment layer and filled the layer mask with black. Using a white brush (B) set to 100% opacity, I painted (with the layer mask clicked) over the subject’s eyes. Now, no matter what I do with the curves layer, it will only affect the area that I painted white in the layer mask.

Using this technique, you can create as many Curves adjustment layers as you want (or any other type of adjustment layer) with each one only affecting specific parts of the image. This way, you are able to treat each element in your image with individual care.

Here, you can see three separate curves layers with their own masks. Each one is doing a different job separately from the other. The first two are darkening areas of the image, while the top on is lightening the background.

Select Color Range

While you are working with your layer masks, it can sometimes feel tricky, or downright difficult, to separate specific areas of an image to work with. One technique that is useful in this situation is the Select Color Range tool (Select->Color Range). This tool works very well when trying to select skin and skies.

Here, you can see what the Select Color Range tool will add to your selection when you click on the brightest part of the image and set the fuzziness slider to max.

Opening this tool will present you with a means to select a specific color range in your images that you can then apply to your layer masks. Because we are talking about processing black and white images, instead of selecting colors, you will be selecting a tonal range.

With the dialogue box open, simply click an area in your image that you want to select to work on. You can now use the slider labeled Fuzziness to adjust how much of the image within that range you wish to select. If you only want the very brightest highlights selected, click on the brightest part of your image and drag the fuzziness slider to the left. With the selection made, you can now create any adjustment layer and Photoshop will turn that selection into a layer mask.

Luminosity masks

For a far more complex option, you can use Luminosity masks.

There are a variety of ways to set these up inside Photoshop and with third-party plug-ins, so do be sure to research the various ways to go about it. Luminosity masks give you a ludicrous amount of fine control for processing your black and white images.

Luminosity masks in processing black and white images.

This is an example of what Luminosity Masks might look like when setting up in your images. I made the selection here with the ‘Light Lights’ mask. With all of these options to easily select specific tonal ranges, you should be able to see how powerful this is.

In brief, Luminosity masks grant you the ability to create layer masks for every tonal range in your image. They allow you independent control over the brightest of highlights, the darkest of shadows and everything in between. With this amount of control, you can fine-tune every part of your image to your heart’s content.

One word of warning though: leaving the Luminosity masks in your files results in very large file sizes. Consider deleting them before you save your images.

Tools for controlling tones

Now that you have a few options for selecting and isolating the various parts and tones of your images, there is a large selection of tools that you can use to manipulate the tonality (and other aspects) of your images.

Selective Color

The Selective Color adjustment layer is, probably, the easiest of these tools to get to grips with. Once you’ve created the layer, all that you have to do is find the drop-down box and choose either: whites, neutrals or blacks. (Because this article is discussing black and white images, you can discard all of the color options for now.)

With the Selective Color tool, you have a fair degree of control over your highlights, mid-tones, and shadows. Just move the Black slider in the relevant box. This doesn’t give the amount of control that other methods do, but it’s quick and intuitive.

With any of those three options selected, find the slider labeled ‘Black’ at the bottom of the dialogue box. Dragging this slider to the right will darken the relevant tones. Dragging it to the left will lighten them. Do this with all three (whites, neutrals, blacks) for every part of your image, and you will have a great deal of control over the tonality of your images with very little effort.

As a bonus, if you’re still getting to grips with Layer Masks, the fact that the Selective Color tool adjust the highlights, mid-tones and Shadows independently within the dialogue box, means that you have a bit of local control over those three tonal ranges without having to use a layer mask at all.

Curves

The powerful Curves adjustment layer is another Photoshop staple that you should learn inside out early on.

By manipulating the curve in the dialogue box, you will gain absolute control over every minute aspect of contrast and tonal range in your image. Combine this tool with Layer Masks, and you have a solution that will get you through most situations.

Curves in processing black and white images.

Here you can see the image before I applied the Curves layer.

After applying the slightest of S curves, you can see just how much a difference was made to the image.

In terms of processing black and white images, the Curves tool will allow you to increase or reduce contrast as you see fit. Because it is a complicated tool with a lot of nuances (it will take a fair amount of time for you to get to grips with it beyond a simple S curve), do spend plenty of time practicing and reading up on how to get the most out of this tool.

Gradient Map

The Gradient Map tool is another complicated, but powerful, option for controlling the tones in your images. You can use the Gradient Map to do the actual conversion of your image to black and white, but that’s only the start. Note, that you can use the Gradient Map after you’ve done a conversion using any other method and that is what is being described here.

In the Gradient Editor (with the black and white gradient selected) you have a few options. Click on the slider at either side (the black or the white) and a mid-tone marker will appear. Dragging this left or right will adjust the position of the gradient and it will have a drastic effect on how the tones in your image appear.

Gradient map in processing black and white images.

With the black and white gradient selected in the Gradient Editor, you can see that there has already been a huge increase in contrast.

If you click anywhere in the middle of the gradient in the gradient editor, it will add another marker that you can use to set the tonal point anywhere in the gradient. This also gives you new midpoint markers between these points. Using these tools, you can control the contrast in the various parts of your images’ tonality in one fell swoop.

Circled in red, you can see the midpoint slider that will allow you to position the position of the gradient in terms of the tones in your image. Underlined, you can move these slider to control where the black and white point of the gradient starts. Move these inwards to increase contrast.

Combine these options with Layer Masks and you have yet another powerful tool that gives you complete control over how your final black and white images turn out.

By adding a third point in the gradient, you can control the exact tone that appears. It also gives you two midpoint sliders to play with.

The end

Tools for processing black and white images in Photoshop

Alongside other retouching tools, using these tools (on their own or in concert with one another) can give you a great deal of fine control over your black and white images.

With these tools, you should see that you have a lot of options when it comes to processing black and white photos after the conversion process. By taking full control of the tonality of your black and white images, you will be able to create images with plenty of impact and fine-tuned contrast. It’s important to note that the concept of local adjustments applies to a lot more than tonality and you can use them for any type of adjustment you can think of in Photoshop. For example, you can sharpen an area of fine detail (like hair) in your image for emphasis without applying that to your subject’s skin.

Do you have any other tips for processing black and white images in Photoshop? If so, please share them with us in the comments. Also, please try these methods out and share your resulting images with us in the comments section.

The post Tips for Processing Black and White Images in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

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The Art of Black and White in Lightroom and Beyond

21 Dec

The post The Art of Black and White in Lightroom and Beyond appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

dPS Deal 10

Day 10 of dPS Holiday Deals brings you the Art of Black and White in Lightroom and Beyond by Andrew Gibson.

Save 50% now

Can you recall some of the images that have affected you and stayed with you over the years?

It’s likely many of them are in black and white.

Monochrome exerts a power over the imagination – highlighting texture, contrast and shadow – which leaves a lasting impact on the viewer.

But there’s more to creating a powerful black and white image than just stripping the colour out of your favourite photos.

A popular writer on dPS for many years, Andrew Gibson will teach you how to create beautiful black and white photos in Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro 2.

The Art of Black and White in Lightroom and Beyond Video Course comprises 25 video lessons, accompanying PDF guide and 7 DNG files so you can follow along and try out the techniques for yourselves.

Art of Black and White

Whether it’s jaw-dropping landscapes, angular architectural photography, dramatic documentary-style shots, memorable travel pictures or personality-rich portraits you’re looking to capture, the art of black and white can elevate all of these.

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We receive an affiliate commission when you purchase from our trusted partners.

The post The Art of Black and White in Lightroom and Beyond appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters

06 Dec

The post How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

When we think about black and white photographs, we generally associate them with an absence of color.

This is certainly not the case.

Like all photographs, black and white images are made from light, and light consists of innumerable wavelengths that produce the colors we see with our eyes. With black and white photography, we might not see the saturation of colors the same way, but the luminance values of these colors remain the same whether we view them in color or black and white.

This is why it’s so important to shoot digital black and white photos in RAW mode so that we can later manipulate these intact luminance values to control the contrasts within our digitally-converted black and white photos.

Black-and-White-digital-filters

All of this is based on the use of physical “color” lens filters, which filter out different wavelengths of light to produce varying contrast effects in black and white photography.

A red filter produces dark, dramatic skies in landscape photos while orange filters can radically reduce the appearance of freckles and other skin blemishes in your portraits.

Of course, this means carrying a set of filters with you constantly and also compensating for the slight reduction in light with adjustments to your exposures.

Black-and-White-digital-filters

But what if I told you that your DSLR or MDC (mirrorless digital camera) most likely has all of the color filters you will need for outstanding black and white work right at your fingertips?

I know, I was initially just as surprised as you are. Read on.

Black and white digital filters

Real black and white color filters work to filter out other wavelengths of light that don’t fall into the color spectrum of the filter. This means red filters allow red wavelengths to pass, blue allows blue, etc.

The cool thing is, many major camera manufacturers have seen fit to include digital amalgamations of these color filters. They could very well be slightly buried in your camera’s settings, but Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Panasonic all offer models which sport built-in black and white color filters.

As always, your camera user manual is your best friend. However, you may often find these filter options (if you have them) in the monochrome settings of your digital camera. In our example, I’ll be using a Canon 5D MKIII.

Black-and-White-digital-filters

I’m about to say something not usually encountered when it comes to digital photography these days – when using these digital black and white filters, it can be best to shoot JPEG…not RAW.

Sure, you’re going to lose some post-processing leverage, but seeing that you can see the effects of your filter choices and you likely intend to end up with a black and white photo anyway, there’s not much reason to save the color information with a RAW file.

The wonderful thing about digital black and white filters is that you can enjoy real-time feedback of the filter effects.

Which filter to use?

We’ve touched on a few of the circumstances where color black and white filters are best suited. In most cases, your digital camera will have a set of digital color filters from which to choose: red, yellow, orange, green and blue. These options, however, will vary. For instance, my 5D MKIII has no blue filter option.

Have a look at some examples and each of these below. I’ve used the same scene to show the varying effects of each filter. I’ve also listed a few quick scenarios that may help you choose a particular filter setting.

Here’s the original color photo for reference:

Color image with no in-camera black and white filters applied.

Red Filter

This filter is a great way to pump in instant drama to most black and white landscape photos.

Notice the immediate darkening of the blue sky with the red filter

The red filter drastically reduces the transmission of blue wavelengths, thus darkening blue skies and making clouds pop. Some scenes can take on an almost infrared appearance.

Orange Filter

Taking it down a notch from the heavily-apparent effects of the red filter, the orange filter produce similar, yet subdued, contrasts to its red cousin.

How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters

Orange color filters are great “general purpose filters” for adding in contrast to your black and white photos. They darken blue skies and help to bring out the appearance of clouds.

For portraits, they work great for reducing skin blemishes like moles and freckles.

Orange filters are also great for reducing atmospheric haze and fog.

Yellow Filter

A yellow color filter produces effects even less “in your face” than the orange filter. A yellow filter is a good option for bringing out the contrasts of foliage and can also be a good choice for a general black and white photography filter when the orange filter is a bit too harsh.

How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters

The next two filters are less useful for most shooters but still bear mentioning. Well, not less useful, but perhaps not found as commonly in black and white photography as the other color filters I’ve mentioned.

Green Filter

Of course, this filter allows the transmission of green light. This makes it a good choice for flower and foliage photography as it helps to add contrast between the often green-colored stems and leaves of the plants. All while providing separation from the different-colored flowers and blossoms.

How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters

Green filters can also brighten blue skies but not as much as the last filter we’re about to discuss.

Final thoughts on in-camera digital filters…

Digital photography has made many things easier and more accessible for photographers. Even more fortunate, many of the same tried-and-true technical and optical principles still apply to our digital cameras. Built-in digital black and white color filters are just one of the many benefits of our brave new digital age.

Black-and-White-digital-filters

Many popular camera manufacturers have included digital black and white color filters with their digital camera offerings, so check your particular model.

Black and white color filters allow you to add instant strength and contrast to your black and white photos.

Depending on your particular scene or subject, you can produce amazingly powerful black and whites before you ever download them from your camera. Color black and white filters have long been a standby of serious photographers, and it’s great to see them still holding their own, albeit in a more modern, digital incarnation.

So go out and try these black and white digital filters, and share your photos with us in the comments section!

The post How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

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2019 Black Friday and Cyber Monday camera gear deals

29 Nov

Love it or hate it, the deals weekend of the year is here, at least for our American readers. Between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday (yes, that’s a real thing) and Cyber Monday, there are deals aplenty.

We’ve scoured the web for discounts and have rounded up the best cameras, lenses and major accessories deals we could find. We’re going to try our best to update this article throughout the weekend, but if you see a deal that we’ve missed, paste it into a comment. If you’re posting a non-US deal, that’s great! Just flag it clearly.

Please note that the ‘SAVE’ figures below represent discount from original MSRP and we make no guarantees that the discounts listed will be available across the entire holiday weekend. If a deal has expired, let us know in a comment and we’ll remove it from this list.

We’re focusing on deals from three major US online retailers in this article, and if you choose to shop via the Amazon links below, you’ll be supporting DPReview in a small way.

Happy holidays!

Canon

Canon EOS R Camera Body (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 500
$ 1,799, normally $ 2,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Canon EOS Rebel T7i Camera Body (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 150
$ 599, normally $ 749 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Canon EOS Rebel T6 with 18-55mm IS & 75-300mm (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 350
$ 399, normally $ 749 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Canon EOS M100 with 15-45mm and 55-200mm STM (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 400
$ 549, normally $ 949 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 100
$ 599, normally $ 699 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS III USM with Tripod & head SAVE $ 300
$ 1,799, normally $ 2099 (Adorama) B&H also has the lens for $ 1,799, without the tripod.

Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT SAVE $ 100
$ 199, normally $ 299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Fujifilm

Fujifilm X-Pro2 Body SAVE $ 400
$ 1,299, normally $ 1,699 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF 23mm F2, Graphite (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 700
$ 1,599, normally $ 2,299 (Adorama, B&H)

Fujifilm X-T20 with XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 200
$ 799, normally $ 999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Fujifilm X-E3 Body, Black (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 200
$ 499, normally $ 699 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Fujifilm XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 250
$ 949, normally $ 1,199 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f2.8 R LM WR (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 200
$ 1,799, normally $ 1,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Fujifilm XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 200
$ 1,699, normally $ 1,899 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Nikon

Nikon D850 Body SAVE $ 500
$ 2,796.95, normally $ 3,296.95 (Adorama [includes Nikon MB-D18 Battery Grip and FP Zoom Li-on X R2 TTL Flash], B&H [includes free accessory kit])

Nikon D750 Body: SAVE $ 700
$ 996.95, normally $ 1,696.95 (Adorama [includes Slik Pro II 4-section tripod and ball-head], B&H [includes free accessory kit])

Nikon D610 (with 50mm F1.8G AF-S Lens, MB-D14 Battery Power Pack, WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter)
$ 1996.95 (Adorama)

Nikon D3500 Body with NIKKOR 18-55mm and 70-300mm (+ accessory kit): SAVE $ 450
$ 396.95, normally $ 846.95 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Nikon Z50 with 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR & 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR: SAVE $ 150
$ 1,196.95, normally #1,346.95 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Olympus

Olympus OM-D E-M1X Body SAVE $ 400
$ 2,599, normally $ 2,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II SAVE $ 400
$ 1,299, normally $ 1,699 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III SAVE $ 250
$ 399, normally $ 649 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO SAVE $ 200
$ 2,299, normally $ 2,499 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 Body (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 700
$ 1,297.99, normally $ 1,997.99 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85 with 12-60mm OIS & 45-150mm (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 550
$ 697.99, normally $ 1,245.98 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Panasonic Lumix G9 Body (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 500
$ 997.99, normally $ 1499.95 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG 12mm F1.4 ASP (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 300
$ 997.99, normally $ 1,297.99 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 400
$ 1,197.99, normally $ 1,597.99 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Panasonic G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4 (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 200
$ 797.99, normally $ 997.99 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Ricoh

Pentax K-1 Mark II Body (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 300
$ 1,696.95, normally $ 1,996.95 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Pentax KP Body (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 500
$ 696.95, normally $ 1,096.95 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Ricoh WG-60 (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 80
$ 196.95, normally $ 276.95 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Sony

Sony Alpha a7 III (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 200
$ 1798, normally $ 1998 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Sony a7R II with FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS SAVE $ 500
$ 1,498, normally $ 1,998 (Adorama, B&H)

Sony Alpha A6500 (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 200
$ 998, normally $ 1,198 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Sony Alpha A6000 with 16-50mm and 55-210mm OSS (+ accessory kit) SAVE $ 400
$ 598, normally $ 998 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Please note, DPReview is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon. We are editorially-independent of our parent company and this article was put together entirely and exclusively by DPReview’s editorial staff.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday Photography Deals

28 Nov

The post Black Friday and Cyber Monday Photography Deals appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

It’s that time of the year – if you’re looking for a good deal, then you’re sure to be on alert for the next few days! Here at dPS we save our best deals for our dPS Holiday Deals over 12 days in December. But in the meantime, here’s a great saving on one of our most popular collection of eBooks.

Save 70% on our Black Friday Cyber Monday Portrait Photography Bundle

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Photography Deals

Tens of thousands of photographers from all around the world have significantly improved their portrait photography with this series by Gina Milicia. This is your chance to own all 5 eBooks plus some great bonuses:

In this bundle you get Gina’s

5 portrait photography eBooks
14 recipes for amazing portraits
67 printable portrait posing guides
12 bonus Lightroom presets

All up it’s worth $ 123 but today it’s yours for just $ 37!

That’s a SAVING of $ 86 (70% Off).

Check out full details on the books and bonuses now

LEARN MORE

More deals from our partners

And some of our trusted partners have deals of their own too, for which we receive an affiliate commission.

Photzy always have great deals and if you’ve previously missed out on their famous Snap Cards you can get them for 87% off and the newer Action Cards set for 88% off right now on their Black Friday Deals page.

If you recently did our Landscape and Nature Photography course, then definitely check out Johny Spencer’s “Ultimate Lightroom Workflow Bundle”, just $ 37 (save 53%). You’ll get:

80 Lightroom Workflow Presets
10 videos and case studies
Member-only discounts on 3 Colors products
The original RAW files so you can edit along with the videos

Or save 71% on Picture Correct’s Photography Tutorial eBook. An in-depth eBook on how to capture amazing photography anywhere. Over 250 pages of photography tips & tricks from industry insiders.

Looking for Photography Gear Deals?

We took a quick look at what Amazon is offering. We get a commission if you buy anything through our links below, at no extra cost to you.

There is a big sale happening in their Camera, Photo and Video section. Their specials are changing all the time so do check back later to see what else they’ve added. Or take a look at our most popular digital cameras and gear page for some hints as to what others are buying. Many of the cameras listed there are currently on sale at Amazon too.

Also, B&H Photo’s Black Friday Deals can instantly save you $ 600 on a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera Body with Accessory Kit or $ 700 on an Apple 27″ iMac with Retina 5K Display (Mid 2017), plus many more deals!

Happy clicking!

The post Black Friday and Cyber Monday Photography Deals appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White

02 Nov

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s photography challenge topic is BLACK AND WHITE!

Photo by Jim Hamel

Inspired by our Black and White Photography e-book sale, I decided to make this weekly photography challenge Black and White. Black and white offers so much depth and emotion and has a timeless nature to it.

So go out and capture anything in black and white. You can use Monochrome Mode on your camera, or turn them into black and white with your favorite post-processing application.

They can be street photography, landscapes, architecture, patterns and textures, automotive, or use creative techniques such as slow shutter speeds, night photography, or intentional camera movement. Whatever you decide to photograph, just be sure they are black and white!

Check out these inspiring pics by some of the dPS writers, have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Photo by Andrew S. Gibson

Photo by Simon Bond

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting BLACK AND WHITE

A Beginner’s Guide to Doing Black and White Photography

Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes in Black and White Photography

How to Make Brilliant Black and White Photos with Dramatic Composition

How to Use Color Temperature in Black and White Conversions

Mastering Monochrome Mode

Black and White in the Outdoors: Learning to see in Monochrome

The Pros and Cons of Black and White Versus Color for Street and Travel Photography

Experimenting with Low Key Black and White Photography

How to Use a Black and White Filter to Improve Your Photos

How to Create Silky Split Toned Black and White Photos Using Luminosity Masks

How to Enhance your Black and White images with Infrared Photography

Weekly Photography Challenge – BLACK AND WHITE

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

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

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSblackandwhite to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Black and White appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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GoPro Hero8 Black adds improved stabilization, Media Mod, Digital Lenses and more

02 Oct

As promised in its teaser a few weeks back, GoPro has unveiled its latest action camera, the Hero8 Black.

The GoPro Hero8 Black now features Hypersmooth 2.0, GoPro’s second-generation stabilization technology that features a ‘Boost’ mode and an auto horizon leveling mode. TimeWarp (GoPro’s hyperlapse mode) also received a 2.0 update that will automatically adjust the playback of the video to the speed you’re traveling and can slow down to capture prominent moments with a tap of the screen.

Moving onto the hardware side of things, the Hero8 Black features the leaked ‘Media Mod,’ which adds additional ports and makes it possible to add a number of add-on accessories. When secured inside the Media Mod housing, the Hero8 Black gains a shotgun microphone, a 3.5mm microphone port, a Micro HDMI out port, a USB-C Port and two cold-shoe mounts.

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In addition to third-party accessories, GoPro has also released its own line of ‘Mods’ including a 1.9in flip-up LCD ‘Display Mod’ and a waterproof LED ‘Lighting Mod.’

GoPro has also added a new feature called ‘Digital Lenses.’ As its name suggests, this new functionality will effectively crop the image to adjust the framing in four different settings: Narrow, Linear, Wide and SuperView.

Presets have also been added to the Hero8 Black, which makes it easy for users to switch settings on the fly depending on what they anticipate filming. With the ‘Cinematic’ preset the Hero8 Black will shoot 4K/30p video, in ‘Activity’ it will shoot 2.7K/60p video and in ‘Slo-Mo’ it will shoot 1080/240p video. The exact settings can be further adjusted as with past Hero cameras, but these presets should provide a simple starting point for those who don’t care to dive into the settings too much.

GoPro has also updated its SuperPhoto and HDR functionality to deliver more ‘detail you never thought possible.’ Other improvements include the ability to livestream Full HD video, a 2x stronger lens and a dedicated Night Lapse Video mode.

Below is a detailed video of all the new and improved functions of the Hero8 Black:

The GoPro Hero8 Black is available to pre-order starting today for $ 399.99. The first shipments are expected to go out October 15th with in-store availability starting October 20th. The Media Mod and Display Mod will retail for $ 80 and the Light Mod will retail for $ 50 when they become available to pre-order in December.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

15 Sep

The post 7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

How do you achieve stunning black and white photography?

stunning-black-and-white-photography

Black and white photography is one of the most intimidating genres out there, mostly because it’s associated with lots of established names, as well as the “fine art photography” label.

But here’s the thing:

Black and white photography isn’t actually difficult. In fact, it’s just like any other genre of photography: There are a few tips and tricks that, once you apply them to your shooting process, will instantly improve your black and white photos.

And that’s what this article is all about. I’m going to share with you seven tips for stunning black and white photography. And you’ll come away with the ability to take masterful black and white photos wherever you go.

Sound good?

Let’s dive right in:

1. Shoot in high-contrast light for the most impactful photos

Here is the number one thing you need to remember about black and white photography:

It’s all about the contrast.

In fact, if that’s all you take away from this article then you’ll have profited enormously, because contrast is the lifeblood of black and white photography.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Now, there are a number of ways to create contrast in your photos. And I’ll explore these different techniques below.

So let’s start at the very beginning:

With light.

If you can’t make the light work for you, your black and white photos are just going to look like a muddy mess. Instead, you need to recognize the type of light you’re working with, and you need to try to use that light to achieve as much contrast as possible.

The best light for black and white photography is (no surprise!) high-contrast light. More specifically, light on sunny days.

If you’ve explored other genres of photography, you’ll know that light on sunny days is harsh, it’s unpleasant, and it just doesn’t look good.

Unless you’re a black and white photographer.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Because bright, sunny light enhances dark tones and creates intense light tones. This looks amazing in black and white photos, and it’ll really take your black and white images to the next level.

If you want to do some shooting but end up with softer golden tones from later in the afternoon or early in the morning, you can try using heavy backlighting to create additional contrast.

2. Find contrast-heavy tones and put them together

You already know about the importance of contrast in black and white photography. And you know about the importance of using contrast-heavy light.

But even once you’ve got the best light, you still have to make sure that the tones of your photo lend themselves to the overall black and white look.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Now, the best black and white tones are very dark and very light. For instance, a great black and white might include a white sky and a dark house, or a bright character standing in front of a black building.

So when you’re out and about, look for tones that contrast. Try not to think in terms of colors, because the colors will just distract you. Instead, think about the relative brightness of tones.

And look for blacks and whites that go together.

stunning-black-and-white-photography

Once you’ve found them, however, you’re going to need to follow a piece of compositional advice:

3. Simplify your black and white photos as much as possible

All photography, for the most part, benefits from a simple composition.

However, black and white images benefit from a simple composition the most. This is because black and white photography is meant to be simple. It has no complex colors. No chaotic color-contrasts.

Instead, it’s just…black and white.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

So whenever you go to take your black and white shots, stop and think. Consider whether there are ways to simplify the shot.

Could you remove something distracting in the background? Could you use a wide aperture to make the background blur more? Could you change your angle so as to create a more non-distracting option!

Do anything you can to make your shot simple.

Simpler is better, all else being equal.

4. Try to capture raw emotion for compelling black and white photography

Here’s one of the great things about black and white photography:

It’s a genre that loves to capture emotion.

The smile of a person on the street. The laugh of a person crossing the road. The frown of a sad child.

stunning-black-and-white-photography

These are all very photographable moments, moments that you shouldn’t miss out on. And black and white is the perfect way to record it.

In fact, I recommend you try to capture emotion with black and white photography. The somber look of a high-contrast black and white will take emotion and make it even more powerful in a photo. It might even give you a three-dimensional effect.

5. Use minimalism to make your compositions stand out

What is minimalism?

Minimalism is a compositional technique that emphasizes intense simplicity. And not the simplicity as I explained above, but a true, deep simplicity – one that’s built into the composition.

Let me explain:

Minimalism uses lots of white space to draw attention to your main subject. White space is just empty space in a photo. (It doesn’t have to be white – it can just easily be gray or black, as long as there’s nothing going on in that part of the image).

This is a minimalistic photo:

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Minimalistic photography uses the weight of negative space to emphasize your subject. So you don’t have to be afraid of photos that are extremely minimalistic. And they’re pretty easy to pull off.

To create minimalist black and white photos, I recommend you find a background that’s smooth and pure, such as a white sky. Then place your main subject small in the frame, along one of the rule of thirds power points (or even just above or below the power point).

If all goes according to plan, then you should have a beautiful minimalistic photo! Don’t be afraid to play with the placement of your subject.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

6. Shoot against the sky to achieve a silhouetted look

In the previous tip, I mentioned that a white sky makes for a nice minimalistic background.

And it’s true. A bright white sky can be used in a black and white photo to emphasize a darker subject, which is exactly what you want to do! When the sky’s especially bright, you might even produce a partial silhouette, where the main subject has no detail but stands out against a white background.

So here’s how it works:

Find the main subject. It can be any color, but darker tones work best.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Then get down low, so that the main subject is framed by the sky. If you’re shooting on a cloudy day, you’ll have plenty of bright light behind your subject (even if it doesn’t seem like it). If you’re shooting on a sunny day, a bright part of a blue sky should do the trick.

Experiment with different possible angles, while making sure that your main subject doesn’t overlap with anything around it or behind it.

7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)

Then experiment with different exposures. Take a few shots that are drastically underexposed, a few shots that are nicely exposed for the subject, and a few shots that are overexposed.

Eventually, you’ll find a technique you’ll like!

7. Shoot in color, then use post-processing to convert your photos

I’ve been talking all about capturing amazing black and white photos in-camera.

But a big part of the black and white photography process is the post-processing. After all, this is where you should be converting your color images to black and white shots!

When you first open your photos in an editing program, they may look bland. They might even look a little bad.

stunning-black-and-white-photography

But don’t worry. Because here’s what you do:

First, you drop the saturation all the way down, until it’s completely gone. This should give you a photo that’s full of grays.

Then you lift the contrast so that contrast shines through, and makes the photo pop off the page.

I also recommend boosting the Whites and lowering the shadows. This will add further contrast to the photo. It also ensures a greater tonal range overall, which looks quite good!

Conclusion

If you’re looking to create stunning black and white photography, then you’ve come to the right place.

You hopefully now know all about black and white photography.

All that’s left…

…is to get out and start doing some shooting of your own. Amazing photos await!

stunning-black-and-white-photography

The post 7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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