Build « 360Photography

RSS

Posts Tagged ‘Build’

Bitcoin Mining Pc Build Erfarenheter

19 Jul

Att välja Bitcoin Mining Pc Build de bästa kryptosystem som finns på marknaden är en mycket viktig aspekt av handeln. Om du inte är medveten om detta kan det sluta med att du förlorar mycket pengar i det långa loppet. Om du vill göra mest vinst på kortast möjliga tid måste du göra din hemläxa väl. Här är några av de grunder som du bör känna till innan du väljer de bästa mynten att handla på marknaden med.

Bitcoin Mining Pc Build

En av de första sakerna du måste titta efter i de bästa valutorna som finns på marknaden är deras inflationsgrad. För att förstå detta måste du först förstå vad inflation är. Inflation är helt enkelt en ökning av priserna utan att varor och tjänster minskar. Till exempel är en enårig dollar värd mycket mer om några månader, eller hur? Så om du väljer att investera i de bästa råvarorna för det här århundradet vore det klokt att hålla utkik efter de valutor som enligt prognoserna kommer att uppleva den högsta inflationen under de kommande tio åren.

Ett annat grundläggande övervägande när det gäller att investera i de bästa valutorna är deras historik när det gäller handel och gruvdrift. Man kan inte bara välja vilket gammalt system som helst att investera i idag. Det finns hundratusentals valutor som handlas på marknaden och endast ett fåtal utvalda är lönsamma. Därför är det nödvändigt att du forskar väl om de olika systemen som finns tillgängliga för att veta vilket av de tillgängliga kryptosystemen som är det bästa att investera i.

Ett av de enklaste sätten att avgöra vilken av de bästa valutorna att investera i är genom att titta på den underliggande tillgångens egenskaper. Detta kallas tillgångens egenskaper och de är kända som Ripples. Låt oss ta en titt på två exempel på de bästa valutorna att investera i under det kommande decenniet. Den första typen av tillgång är aktier. Ett index som följer värdet av olika typer av företag kallas aktier. Så om vi tittar på de tio främsta valutorna som kommer att styra aktiemarknadens värde i framtiden är det troligt att dollarn kommer att fortsätta sin uppgång eftersom värdet på aktier i USA och Europa förväntas stiga.

Den andra typen av tillgångar är guld. Det finns en stor sannolikhet för att guldpriset kommer att stiga under det kommande decenniet. Om du håller på med handel och inte har teknisk kunskap om vilken av de bästa valutorna du ska investera i bör du prova de bästa kryptovalutorna som sannolikt kommer att öka i värde under detta årtionde. Bland de möjliga valutorna att investera i Bitcoin Mining Pc Build finns euron, den japanska yenen, den australiska dollarn, schweiziska francen, den kanadensiska dollarn och det brittiska pundet. Var och en av dessa valutor har sina egna för- och nackdelar och du bör noggrant studera dem innan du investerar i dem.

Även om det är lätt att bli lockad av de dåliga nyheterna om att investera i kryptovalutor finns det ingen dålig investering när det gäller mynt. Anledningen till detta är att de flesta investerare som är nya i den här branschen slutar med att förlora sina pengar eftersom de inte har rätt kunskap om vilka av de bästa valutorna de ska investera i. Så när du letar efter de bästa valutorna att investera i är det viktigt att du blir bekant med alla dessa. Detta beror på att endast genom att bli en registrerad användare av en onlinehandelsplats kan du få tillgång till alla de bästa kryptovalutorna som finns tillgängliga i världen idag.

Det finns många fördelar som är förknippade med att investera i de bästa kryptokurvorna, bland annat det faktum att de handlas på den globala marknaden. Därför är det lätt att handla med de bästa valutorna och du kan också förvänta dig god avkastning. Att investera i de bästa valutorna kräver dock att du lär dig hur systemet fungerar, grunderna i ekonomi och företagsledning. Om du till exempel är en investerare som är ny på att investera på altcoin-marknaden, är det bättre om du får hjälp av professionella personer som experter och handlare.

Det finns många fördelar som du kan njuta av när du investerar i de bästa valutorna i världen. En av dessa är att när du väljer de bästa kryptosurferna kan du vara säker på att värdet på din investering alltid kommer att vara stabilt. Eftersom värdet på varje mynt varierar beroende på utbud och efterfrågan är det viktigt att du investerar i de bästa valutorna och sedan handlar med dem enligt dina behov. När värdet på en valuta fluktuerar kan du alltså enkelt sälja dina tillgångar och investera i de nya.

Det bästa sättet att investera i de bästa kryptosurfarna är att se till att du är välinformerad om de olika faktorer som påverkar värdet på ett visst mynt och du har också en expert som kan lära dig hur du väljer de bästa valutorna att investera i. När du vill göra vinster från handeln med den bästa kryptosurf bör du alltså se till att du utbildar dig om marknadens ekonomi och affärsmodeller. Här är nästa intressanta blogginlägg: Bit Con Trend.

The post Bitcoin Mining Pc Build Erfarenheter first appeared on Hur man använder kryptovalutor på rätt sätt.

Hur man använder kryptovalutor på rätt sätt

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Google’s ex-lead of computational photography Marc Levoy to build new imaging experiences at Adobe

23 Jul

Marc Levoy¹, Google’s former computational photography lead and arguably one of the founding figures of computational approaches to imaging, has joined Adobe as Vice President and Fellow, reporting directly to Chief Technology Officer Abhay Parasnis. At Adobe, Marc will ‘spearhead company-wide technology initiatives focused on computational photography and emerging products, centered on the concept of a universal camera app.’ He will also work closely with Photoshop Camera, Adobe Research, and the machine-learning focused Sensei and Digital Imaging teams.

The imaging sphere was taken by surprise a few months back when Marc left Google where he helped spearhead a revolution in mobile imaging with the excellent success of Pixel phones and their stills and video capabilities. Marc and his colleagues at Google developed HDR+, which uses burst photography alongside clever exposure and merging techniques to increase dynamic range of capture and reduce noise. His work, in conjunction with Peyman Milanfar, also helped Pixel cameras yield visible photos in the dark using Night Sight, and even capture super-resolution data that captured far more detail in ‘zoomed-in’ shots than competitors, despite limited hardware. Google’s burst mode techniques even allowed its cameras to forego traditional demosaicing processes, yielding more detailed images than even competitive cameras with similar sensor sizes.²

Marc Levoy… [is] arguably one of the founding figures of computational approaches to imaging

Marc also championed the use of machine learning to tackle challenges in image capture and processing, leading to better portrait modes, more accurate colors via learning-based white balance, and synthetic re-lighting of faces. Marc helped push the boundaries of what is possible with limited hardware by focusing heavily on the software.

At its core, Adobe is a software company, and so Marc’s expertise is at once relevant. At Adobe, Marc will continue to explore the application of computational photography to Adobe’s imaging and photography products, with one of his focuses being the development of a ‘universal camera app’ that could function across multiple platforms and devices. This should allow Marc to continue his passion for delivering unique and innovative imaging experiences to the masses.

Marc has a knack for distilling complex concepts into simple terms. You can learn about the algorithms and approaches his teams spearheaded in the Pixel phones in our interview above.

More on Marc Levoy

Marc Levoy has a long history of pioneering computational approaches to images, video and computer vision, spanning both industry and academia. He taught at Stanford University, where he remains Professor, Emeritus, and is often credited as popularizing the term ‘computational photography’ through his courses. Before he joined Google he worked as visiting faculty at Google X on the camera for the Explorer Edition of Google Glass. His work early on at Stanford with Google was the basis for Street View in Google Maps. Marc also helped popularize light field photography with his work at Stanford with Mark Horowitz and Pat Hanrahan, advising students like Ren Ng who went on to found Lytro.

Marc also developed his own smartphone apps early on to utilize the potential of burst photography for enhanced image quality with apps like SynthCam. The essential idea – which underpins all multi-imaging techniques today employed by smartphones – is to capture many images to synthesize together into a final image. This technique overcomes the major shortcomings of smartphone cameras: their sensors have such small surface areas and their lenses have such small apertures that the amount of light captured is relatively low. Given that most of the noise in digital images is due to a lack of captured photons (read our primer on the dominant source of noise: shot noise), modern smartphones employ many clever techniques to capture more total light, and in intelligent ways as well to retain both highlight and shadow information while dealing with subject movement from shot to shot. Much of Marc’s early work, as seen in SynthCam, became the basis for the multi-shot noise averaging and bokeh techniques used in Pixel smartphones.

Marc is also passionate about the potential for collaborative efforts and helped develop the ‘Frankencamera’ as an open source platform for experimenting with computational photography. We look forward to the innovation he’ll bring to Adobe, and hope that much of it will be available across platforms and devices to the benefit of photographers at large.

Footnotes:

¹Apart from being well renowned in the fields of imaging and computer graphics, Marc Levoy is himself a photography enthusiast and expert, and while at Stanford taught a Digital Photography class. The course was an in-depth look at everything from sensors to optics to light, color, and image processing, and is available online. We highly recommend our curious readers watch his lectures in video form and also visit Marc’s course website for lecture slides and tools that help you understand the complex concepts both visually and interactively.

²Our own signal:noise ratio analyses of Raw files from the Pixel 4 and representative APS-C and four-thirds cameras show the Pixel 4, in Night Sight mode, to be competitive against both classes of cameras, even slightly out-performing four-thirds cameras (for static scene elements). See our full signal:noise analysis here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Video: How to build a custom Raspberry Pi ‘Becca Cam’ with zero coding experience

06 Jul

Becca Farsace, Video Director at The Verge, has shared a video detailing how she built her own Raspberry Pi camera with no coding experience.

The nine-minute video is a fun overview of what it took to turn a Raspberry Pi 4 computer into a fully-functioning interchangeable-lens camera with the help of Raspberry Pi’s new HQ Camera add-on, a three-inch touchscreen, a spare lens or two from Becca’s 16mm Bolex camera and a sacrificial Ninoka nk-700 film camera.

Since Becca isn’t too familiar with Python, the coding language needed to build apps for the Raspberry Pi 4 computer, she had more than a few hurdles to clear before she could get shooting. However, with the help of her Instagram followers, the camera’s manual and plenty of perseverance over the course of a few days, she was able to get a program up and running that allowed her to capture images.

The resulting ‘Becca Cam’ is far from intuitive (particularly when the keyboard is required) and quality of images captured with the camera isn’t going to blow anyone away, but for a 1.0 product built with zero coding knowledge, it’s impressive.

Becca shared links to all of the materials and code used to create the camera (aside from the frame, which was hacked together from an old film camera), so if you’re feeling like making your own camera, follow the video link and pick up the required components.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Help build the future of DPReview!

27 Nov

We’re looking for a Front End Engineer, Software Development Engineer and a Senior UX Designer to join our team. These roles will all help build the next generation of mobile and web experiences for DPReview readers and community members, shaping the future of the world’s most popular digital camera website.

See all of the details – and links to apply – below.

Front End Engineer

Software Development Engineer

Senior UX Designer

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

How to Nurture and Build a Child’s Interest in Photography

31 May

The post How to Nurture and Build a Child’s Interest in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

One of the most important things you can do as a photographer is to help guide, nurture, and inspire the next generation of artists. It’s a humbling experience to know that you might be the person who inspires the next Ansel Adams or Annie Leibovitz. It could come from something as simple as sharing some pictures with a young person or helping them figure out how to use their camera. You never know when you might have the opportunity to make an impression on a child, or anyone for that matter.

But if you’re not careful, these moments of creative awakening can quickly die before even given a chance to blossom. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can help and build a child’s interest in photography instead of accidentally snuffing it out.

It’s not about you

Before I get into some specifics, I want to make it clear that the important thing here is to realize that it’s not about you.

When you’re helping kids explore photography (especially this generation of digital natives), there’s going to be many times when you might be inclined to sigh, roll your eyes, or tell them that the latest filter, effect, or trend isn’t real photography. Or it’s not how you do things.

I’ve got kids in elementary school, and I also help out with my church youth group. One of the things I’ve had to come to terms with is that kids today are not learning photography how I did. My first camera was a Kodak that shot 110 film. It cost money to buy and develop each roll.

Today, like it or not, most young people get introduced to photography via mobile phones. They seem to snap away without any care for composition.

They would rather use filters, effects, and apps instead of learning about aperture, shutter, and ISO.

And that’s just wrong! It’s not real photography!

If you’ve ever shown a child how to fix things, you know it’s not about the end result but about passing on something special to the next generation. The same holds true for photography.

Or is it?

Who am I to say that a child using Instagram filters is any less worthy of creating meaningful images than me with my big chunky DSLR?

Just because mobile phones and photo apps aren’t my tools of choice it doesn’t mean other people, especially children, can’t find joy and creative outlets when using them.

There are two choices when faced with the dilemma of what to do when working with kids who are interested in photography.

You can make it about yourself and tell the kids what you think they should be doing. Show them the tools you think they should be using, and explain how to get pictures you think are interesting.

Or you can help young people find what they like. Explore photography in a way that is meaningful to them, and even (gasp!) learn to use apps and filters to create images they think are beautiful.

My wife and I were with a group of kids at the local botanic garden. One of them shot dozens of pictures of this outdoor train set.

The former can easily lead to apathy or resentment, while the latter often gives way to a whole new creative outlet for the child. It’s about them, not you. If that means you have to leave your comfort zone and explore photography in a way that makes you uncomfortable, then do it for the sake of the child and his or her learning and growth. Who knows…you might just learn something new along the way!

Give compliments instead of criticism

When a youngster invites you to look at a stream of pictures from his or her phone, you might have an initial tendency to offer unsolicited advice or, worse yet, outright criticism.

You might find yourself thinking things like:

The lighting in that shot is all wrong.
I don’t get it. What is this picture supposed to be about?
Your picture is way underexposed!
What’s with all the selfies?

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

A lot of people may react similarly, but remember that children’s egos are fragile things. One word from an adult they admire or respect can be all the difference between sparking enthusiasm and causing depression.

Most of the time, when a child wants to show you their photos, what they are seeking isn’t criticism but validation. They want to know that they are doing a good job. That their efforts are worthwhile, and that they are on the right track.

The kid who took this photo thought it would be really cool to have the rope cut across the frame. I thought about telling him to shoot it differently, but instead, I just said “Nice job on those colors!” He was really really happy to hear that.

As an adult, you might think you’re helping if you offer what you think is constructive criticism, but there will be a time for that later. The most helpful thing you can do is offer compliments and words of encouragement. Even if you don’t find their photos entirely compelling, find something nice to say.

Try tactics such as:

That’s a really interesting lighting choice!
I like the colors in this photo.
Can you tell me how you got this shot?
Look at those fun selfie filters you’re using! Can you show me how to do that?

Give children compliments instead of criticism, and ask questions to show them you are interested. It sends a strong message that you care about their creativity and value their work. This could help set them on a lifelong photography journey, and you might be just the person to do it!

Shot by a seven-year-old who thought this dinosaur was really fun to look at. Fun enough to take over two dozen photos of it.

Encourage experimentation

As someone who grew up with analog cameras and physical rolls of film, there’s a lot about modern photography I don’t quite understand. This goes double when it comes to mobile phones. Especially with filters, effects, stickers, and other image-altering features found in a lot of photo apps.

But for kids today, these types of alterations are just enjoyable ways to explore photography. Just because I, and others my age, didn’t grow up with all this technology doesn’t mean we should spoil it for the next generation!

One of my young relatives loves playing with color-inversion filters. I think the results look awful, but he loves this picture that he shot and others like it. And if he likes it, then who am I to tell him otherwise?

Instead of dwelling on what we might not comprehend, try the opposite approach when dealing with budding photographers. Don’t run away from filters if you’re with kids who are excited about them, and instead get them to try even more.

Some might seem silly, and you might never choose to willingly give yourself cat’s ears or apply an over-saturated look to your nature shots, but there’s no harm in trying things like this when you’re with a child who wants to experiment for fun.

My son took this picture of me sharpening a lawnmower blade. He used a night-time mode which, as he discovered, made the shutter stay open longer and capture some spark trails.

You can also encourage kids to try new techniques like time-lapse photography, look at accessories like the OlloClip which lets you take macro shots with a mobile phone, and experiment with basic editing and image processing. Photography today, especially with mobile devices, allows creative possibilities light years beyond what we had when I was a youngster.

Just imagine what kids can create with a few encouraging words from an adult photographer whom they admire and respect!

Another one of my young relatives was really interested in shooting familiar objects from different perspectives. This was the result of one of his recent experiments, and while it won’t win any awards, he was thrilled to try something new. I happily encouraged his experimentation.

Give advice, but only if they ask for it

This is one of the hardest but most important parts of helping a young person nurture their interest in photography. To illustrate it, I’ll share an example from a visit with my out-of-town family.

My 14-year-old niece is constantly snapping pictures with her phone of anything that she thinks is interesting: insects, flowers, fences, cars, and, of course, her friends. During their stay, she bombarded me with requests to look at her pictures. She couldn’t wait to show me the photos she took even just out in the backyard.

While this happened, it was difficult for me to hold my tongue and just let my niece bask in the glow of her newfound love for photography. I wanted to give her advice about lighting, offer tips about composition, show her how to hold her phone at different angles to get better pictures, and so on. However, I held my tongue and just tried to be a voice of encouragement and validation, telling her I liked her pictures and asking if I could see more.

My niece loves taking pictures such as this one using portrait mode on her phone. I wanted to tell her she could get better results with a real camera. But that kind of attitude is toxic and hurtful for a child who just wants to experiment with photography.

What my niece (and most young people) aren’t looking for are instruction and advice. They’re seeking validation, often on a personal level, that their work is good and that they are pursuing worthwhile goals. When you, someone whom they respect and admire, can only tell them why their work isn’t good or instruct them on how to fix what they are doing, it sends the wrong message even if you have good intentions. You could inadvertently stifle the very sense of creativity you are hoping to inspire.

What you should do instead is play the long game. Use opportunities like this to build a sense of trust and goodwill. That way, when young people do want you to help them with their photography, they will ask you.

Later that same weekend, my niece asked if she could use one of my cameras. So I let her use my old Nikon D7100.

We talked about lenses, apertures, and how to control the camera to make the background get all blurry. Then we went out to take pictures of flowers as the sun was setting. She was eager to learn all about how to control the camera settings to get photos she could never pull off with her cell phone and some filters.

When she showed interest in some of my camera gear, I let her try it out and gave her some advice about composition, lighting and controlling the aperture. But only after she asked me for help.

After putting her photos into Lightroom, I showed her how to do some basic cropping and adjustments. She told me repeatedly that these were some of her favorite shots she had ever taken. If I had started the weekend by chastising her for not using a real camera, or told her what I thought she should be doing differently with her photography, she would probably not have wanted to go out and get flower photos later on.

This is the result of her efforts, and she was extremely pleased with the results. Hopefully, this is just the start of a lifelong photographic journey!

Conclusion

Young people are finicky, and their moods and tastes change as quickly as the wind. Today their interest may be in photography, and by next week they have moved on to archery, pottery, or guitar. You never know what’s going to stick with them in the long run.

If you want to nurture an interest in photography and help make sure it’s not just a passing phase, you have to be careful what you say and do. Make it about them and not about you. Hopefully the photography seeds you help plant will take root in good soil to produce a lifelong appreciation for the art.

The post How to Nurture and Build a Child’s Interest in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

How to Build a Bench Prop for Great Portrait Photos

23 May

The post How to Build a Bench Prop for Great Portrait Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

When I got started with family and child photography, I thought I had all my bases covered. Between my cameras, lenses, locations, and shot lists, I figured I was all set to create some amazing portraits that families would treasure for generations. Then I ran head-first into a practical problem for which I didn’t really have a good solution; where do people sit? All the camera gear in the world won’t help on location with no place for parents, kids, or high school seniors to sit and pose for their pictures. I finally made my own solution, which has performed flawlessly, and it’s something you can make in an afternoon with a few tools you might already have in your garage.

Before I built benches like this, I tried to use things I had around, such as bar stools, folding chairs, and even our living room coffee table. None of these really worked well or looked very professional. Once I realized I could construct my own bench props, my portraits improved almost immediately.

This tutorial is going to cover a sturdy single-person bench 16 inches high, 16 inches deep, and 18 inches wide. This design is easy to customize if you want something wider, deeper or shorter, but it’s a great place to start if you’re looking for a simple one-person option.

This boy is on a wider version of the bench you’ll build in this tutorial.

Materials needed

The wood and hardware you need to construct a photo bench are pretty minimal:

Two 2×4’s, 8-feet long
3/4-inch thick wood, 8-feet long and 11-inches wide. I like to use low-grade utility shelving but any similar wood will work just fine.
1.5-inch Deck Screws
A saw to cut the wood

The boards on the right, plus some screws, are all you need to build the bench on the left. It’s an easy afternoon project and your clients will appreciate having this highly practical prop. I spent about $ 40 on the four pieces of wood at a local lumber yard.

The following tools will help you with the construction process, but your own situation might be different. These are what I used, but feel free to adapt as necessary. For instance, you could use a circular saw instead of a miter saw. This is a fun project to do with someone else, so if you don’t have any of these tools, you could ask a friend for help.

Miter saw
Table saw
Drill
Sandpaper or electric sander
Kreg Jig*
Kreg Jig screws 2.5-inches in length with coarse threads*
If you don’t use a Kreg Jig, you will need additional deck screws 2.5-inches in length.
Wood glue (optional)

A table saw is really useful for ripping the utility shelving to a uniform width of 3 inches.

*A Kreg Jig is a staple of a lot of DIY projects, but if you don’t have one already you probably don’t need to buy one just for this photo bench. Traditional wood screws will suffice just fine.

A view of the bench from below. You could probably construct it out of thinner, lighter materials but it would be far less durable.

Phase 1: Cut the wood

For this photo bench you will need to cut the following pieces of wood in the lengths listed below.

A miter saw makes this project a lot easier, but other cutting tools would suffice just fine too.

2×4 boards, 7.5-inches long – 5 pieces
2×4 boards, 15-inches long – 4 pieces
2×4 boards, 15.5-inches long – 4 pieces
3/4-inch thick boards, 3-inches wide and 16-inches long – 8 pieces
3/4-inch thick boards, 3-inches wide and 18-inches long – 12 pieces

It’s a lot easier to cut everything first and then assemble the bench all at once.

Phase 2: Build the frame

If you have a Kreg Jig, you can use it here to construct the frame of the bench. But if not, you can just use traditional screws. If you want to have an extra-secure hold, you could use wood glue at the joints as well, but it’s not necessary. I would recommend against using nails though, as they’re going to wiggle loose over time and you want this bench to be as sturdy as possible.

A Kreg Jig is really useful but not necessary.

If you’re going with this method you’ll need to use your Kreg Jig to drill two pocket holes in each end of the 15-inch, 2×4 boards.

15-inch boards with two pocket holes in each end.

When you’re done putting pocket holes in the 15-inch boards you’ll repeat the process with the 7-inch boards.

7-inch boards with two pocket holes in each end.

Once your pocket holes are ready you can start assembling the frame of the bench. Secure a 15.5-inch board to each end of one of the 15-inch boards to make a U-shape.

This shape will form one side of the bench.

Repeat the process with the other two 15.5-inch board and another 15-inch board. When you’re done you will have two identical U-shapes.

Both sides of the bench, not yet attached to each other.

If you don’t have a Kreg Jig, or don’t want to go to the trouble of using pocket holes, you can use regular screws to attach the 15.5-inch boards to the 15-inch board. As long as you end up with two U-shaped pieces as shown above, you’ll be just fine.

After you get the U-shapes constructed, attach the other 15-inch board on the open end, but rotate it 90-degrees as shown below.

Attach the second 15-inch board to the open side of each U-shape.

Repeat this step with the other U-shape, which will give you two of these square pieces as you can see in the following image.

These form the sides of the bench, and you’ll need to attach them by first securing all the 7-inch boards to one side.

I find it easiest to attach all five of the 7-inch boards to one side, and then attach that entire assembly to the other side.

Again, I like to use a Kreg Jig and pocket holes, but you can just as easily use regular deck screws to do this. Don’t worry too much about appearances either, as if you use deck screws you won’t really see them in the finished product. They will be covered up with the slats you will attach in Phase 3.

The finished frame, upside down on my table saw which doubles as a small workbench.

If you do end up using pocket holes, you might find yourself working in some really cramped conditions when you insert the screws. A right-angle attachment for your drill can be a huge lifesaver in this step! Once you’re all done, flip the contraption over, and you’re all set for attaching the slats to the sides.

The brace in the middle gives the bench an extra measure of support. Kids can jump on this thing all day long and it won’t be harmed.

It’s important to know that this bench is designed to be sturdy as well as aesthetically pleasing, as you can see in the photo above. You might be able to find something similar at a store but it probably won’t be built this solidly. Also, it won’t stand up to years of use and abuse.

Note also the extra 7-inch board on top, which you can see in the above photo. This helps give even more structural support to the bench so it won’t buckle under the weight of people using it over the years.

Phase 3: Attach the slats

Once you have the basic frame built, you can get a little creative in how you want to finish everything off. I like to attach the boards about 1/2-inch apart, but you can space yours closer or farther. I wouldn’t go too far though, especially on the top where people will be sitting.

Attaching the boards is pretty simple: just place them where you want them to go and attach with deck screws. Other types of screws would work too, but I like deck screws because they are self-tapping and hold very firmly. Nails might work for this step, but I prefer deck screws because of their firmer hold.

I like to use four slats on each side as well as the top and space them about a 1/2-inch apart. But, this is also up to you. You might use fewer boards and make them wider. Or you may use several thin boards, or one giant board covering the entire surface. It’s up to you, and don’t be afraid to get a little creative. In this example, the 18-inch boards get attached to the front, top, and rear while the 16-inch boards go on the sides.

Drilling pilot holes will extend the work time required for this step, but it helps ensure the wood doesn’t crack and split when you insert the screws. When finished, all the basic work is done.

In the background, you can see a bench with some holes I cut out to make it easier to carry.

I recommend sanding the entire bench to smooth out any rough edges. If you have a jig saw you can cut holes for carrying as you can see in the photo above.

Phase 4: Finishing

Now that you’ve constructed the basic bench, the sky is your only limit in terms of how you want the final product to look. I like to use tea-staining, which is inexpensive, non-toxic, and gives a lovely aged look to the wood. The results are inconsistent though, so you might prefer actual wood stain or even paint.

This is your chance to customize the look of your bench, so have fun and get creative!

Your clients will appreciate having a nice place to sit, stand, or otherwise pose when you are taking their pictures. And as a bonus, they’ll be doubly impressed when you tell them you made the bench all by yourself!

We’d love to see some pictures of your bench once you build it. Please share with us in the comments below.

The post How to Build a Bench Prop for Great Portrait Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

So You Want to Build a Website? Part 5: SEO

11 Feb

The post So You Want to Build a Website? Part 5: SEO appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Well, this is it. We have gone all the way from choosing your platform through to generating content (see article links at the bottom of the article). Hopefully, this series of articles has persuaded a few of you to update your website and even more of you to create one.

The final step in the series is to optimize your website for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Doing SEO is the hardest part – it can even give many web professionals nightmares sometimes! Constant Google changes, and advice that seemingly contradicts other advice, can make it a mine field. This article is not the complete solution to your SEO and doing these things does not guarantee to get to page one on Google. It will, however, start you on the right path. These tips are simple, easy to follow tips that to help you optimize your site and aide your user experience. With that said, let’s get started.

1. Register with Google Search Consoles

You want to rank well in Google. The first step is to make sure you get your site registered for Google Search Console. This is an essential set of tools to tell you how your site is performing, how people are searching for you, and any issues that Google detects when going through your site.

Search Console (like SEO in general) can be daunting but bear with it. Do some reading and utilize what you find. Search Console is the number one tool for helping your website rank better. To add Search Console to your website, you need to register your website and then verify it using a code snippet on your site. It is simple to do. WordPress folks, if you have Yoast installed (if you haven’t – stop what you are doing and go and install it), they have tools to help with this.

The first step when registered is to submit your sitemap. This is normally located at www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. When you submit this you are basically showing Google how your site is laid out and showing them how to crawl it.

Once you have Search Console installed, you will be able to see how people are coming to your site, what they are searching for and any issues that may be affecting your ranking in Google.

It is simple to see how your site is performing direct from the source. Google Search Console is the number one must do.

2. Optimize your images

Speed is king. People like fast-loading websites and Google likes websites that load fast too. With photography websites, the best way to help with this is to properly size and compress your images. This is a simple thing to do, but if your site already has hundreds of images, it can take time. You need to check your website for image sizes and then make sure that you export images at that exact size. The reason for this is smaller images equal smaller file size, which equals quicker loading.

Regarding compression when exporting from image software, make sure you reduce it to around 70% or so. You can compress images further using specific software such as JPEG Mini, but this does come with a cost. You can also use a free online tool such as Squoosh or Bulk Image Resize, but this takes a little longer to do. It is amazing how much smaller you can make the size of a webpage by doing this.

If you want further checks on how fast your site is, and what you can do to improve it, Google has a tool called Page Speed Insights. This free tool shows you how your site loads and what you can do to improve it.

Using a free app like Squoosh really can make a difference to your image sizes. Every little bit adds up when it comes to website speed.

3. Build backlinks

To get yourself higher up in the rankings, one of the best resources is backlinks. Getting a link to your website from other sites shows Google that your website has the respect of others. Getting links can be hard, especially those that help to boost your ranking. The links you want to try to get are those that are for popular websites in the specific field. It used to be that you could pay and your website would have links from lots of websites and boost your ranking. However, Google got smart to this very quickly, and this practice now may actually make your site going down in rank, not up.

Genuine, quality backlinks are what you should aim to achieve. The more domain authority a website has (how well Google rates it), the more valuable the link.

As a wedding photographer, I have weddings featured on blogs. The links to my website from these blogs do two things: Firstly, potential customers may read this blog and click. Secondly, Google sees that well-respected wedding sites are linking to my site. So when people search for wedding photography in my area, Google knows that high-quality wedding blogs link to me, so my site must contain quality and relevant content.

How do you get them? You approach people. Flat out asking can lead to refusal, but offering value can work wonders. Asking a blog if you can write a guest post or asking a local business if you can exchange backlinks (so you both benefit) is an excellent way of getting some links (and building relationships).

3. Make it mobile friendly

We live in an age where most web browsing happens on a mobile device. Therefore you need to make sure that your website runs well on mobile devices. For those of you who are creating new websites, this is pretty simple. Pretty much every template is now optimized for mobile browsing. For those of you with older sites, you may want to check. Google ranks mobile first, and therefore you must make your site mobile friendly.

Tools such as such as AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) helps here. Again, setting this up depends on your platform and theme. In Squarespace, it is simple to turn on AMP in settings. In WordPress there are plugins that get AMP up and running on your site.

Website Mobiel view

I’m up to here…

4. Create quality content

Content is also king. Google has advanced and continues to advance. It used to be constantly cramming your keyword into your written content would mean you ranked well, however, that has all changed. As Google makes advances in machine learning, they now read websites more as a human would. Google love content that is helpful for the person searching. So if the user is searching for tips on how to take better photos, Google knows what they are looking for and shows the user sites that answer that question well.

The best way to do this on a continual basis is through a blog. A blog keeps your website fresh, helps Google see your website is updated regularly, and it gives you a place to offer content that is useful for people.

There is so much to blog about in every type of photography, from recent shoots and the latest equipment you have bought, through to how you got a great shot. Having new content gives people a reason to revisit your website and is a way to get new readers to your site. Continual blogging can be tough, but like anything the more you do it, the easier it gets.

5. Turn on SSL

Google likes websites to be secure when using the web. Having a secure website using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is an easy way for you to help protect people who visit your website. Having an SSL on your website is essential in 2019. It is super simple. Check with your host if you are using self-hosted WordPress. On Squarespace, it is as easy as turning it on. This is the simplest tip on this list. Just go and do it.

6. Bonus tip: Keep going – it’s a long game

Ranking well in Google takes time and effort. Don’t expect to see the fruits of your labour after a couple of weeks. To rank well can take months. Just remember the golden rules:

Keep your images correctly formatted.
Work on getting backlinks. Not only does it help your SEO, it helps people see your content.
Start as you mean to go on with things like title tags, etc. Going back when you decide you need to do it is a real pain. Start with good habits.

Well, that’s it. Our website series is finished. I hope you enjoyed it. I’m hoping it got some of you to build your first site. For those with websites, I hope it gave you some ideas to make your sites better or something new you could try. As always, let’s see your sites below.

Other tutorials in this series:

Part 1: Squarespace versus WordPress

Part 2: How to Create a Website

Part 3: Creating Your Portfolio

Part 4: Adding Website Content

The post So You Want to Build a Website? Part 5: SEO appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

So You Want to Build a Website? Part 4: Adding Website Content

21 Jan

The post So You Want to Build a Website? Part 4: Adding Website Content appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Patrick Fore

If you’ve been following along with this series (part one, part two, part three), you should now have a great portfolio to proudly display on your website. Next comes to what many think is the hardest part – writing about yourself and your photography. Whilst it may seem hard, there are some tips and tricks for adding website content.

Write for your audience

I cannot stress this enough. You need to know who you are talking to with your website. Are you talking to newly engaged couples looking for a wedding photographer? Are you talking to art directors who are looking for a photographer to shoot their next advertising campaign? Or, are you talking to family & friends, showing them your photography? You will speak to all of the people in these examples differently, therefore your website text must do the same. When you know who you are talking to, you know how to talk to them. Therefore, make sure you have an audience in mind before you start to write.

The fab five

The main pages on almost all websites are; the Home page, your Portfolio, an About page, a Contact page and a Blog. We’ve already covered the portfolio in a previous post, therefore if you’ve not read that, do it first. The Contact page is super easy, simply let people know how to get in touch with you, that’s all there is to it. However, the Home, About and Blog pages are a little more complicated. Let’s have a look at these in a little more detail.

The home page

A website you all know well. Straight away you see a relevant image and a call to action.

The home page is the introduction to you and your work and it is the first thing people see. For those of you who are art/commercial photographers, it is standard to lead with your portfolio. Therefore, if this is the field you are aiming for, it is best to stick with this format. Also, if your website is currently aimed at showcasing your work to family and friends, a portfolio is also a good option for your home page.

However, if you are setting up a website for selling photography services, things are slightly different. The main aim of your home page is to answer the three basic questions any potential customer will have within five seconds. Who are you? What do you do? Where are you based? If these questions can’t be answered in their first few seconds on a website, people will generally click back and look somewhere else. We live in a world where attention spans are shrinking all the time. You need to make sure that your website is geared toward this.

Your home page still needs to feature images to draw attention, therefore starting with a hero shot is the best idea. This is the main image for the page and can usually take up all/most of the screen when first viewed, therefore it is essential that this image should be your best work and relevant to your audience. This image will make the right people explore your site further and the wrong ones exit. Remember, you are not looking to please everyone. You need to attract your tribe.

Adding a good headline can grab your readers attention and get them to further explore your site. Write it for your audience. Photography is a service industry. People come to you with a problem (they need photos) and you provide the service to help them fix their problem (you take their photos). Explain how can you help them. What can you do to make their life better? Make it short, snappy and always tell them the benefits of using you.

This homepage passes the test. It shows the name, what they do & where they are based quickly. Also note the call to action.

The main text should be light in tone and friendly. It should tell the viewer about you, your site and services. Keep it focussed on your audience and include a Call to Action. A call to action tells visitors what you want them to do (for example, a click to contact button). You should try to have multiple calls to action on your page and preferably one that the user can do without scrolling down the page. Making it easy for the visitor to know what to do next is key.

Lastly, add a couple of testimonials for happy past clients. Not only past clients but awards and competitions you have won. This shows viewers you are able to deliver great photos and can be trusted. Think about it, how many people check a hotel on Trip Advisor before booking? Social proof shows you mean business!

The About Page

This is where you get to show the real you. A list of facts will not interest anyone, neither will a simple list of how wonderful you are. This is the chance to showcase who you really are and what you believe in. This isn’t the place to brag about what cameras you own, this is the place to explain why you love photography.

You can tell the story of your photography journey. How did you get into it? What do you love about your work? Again make it interesting and try to avoid listing facts. Show your passion.

The about page is also a great place to add social proof. List any publications you have featured in, and showcase more reviews from happy customers. Remember, people want to know you can be trusted and social proof is the best way to show this on your site.

You should always write in the same way you speak on your about page. If your website speaks to people in a certain way, but when they meet you there is a disconnect it is never good. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Be you! Now, whether you write in first or third person is down to personal preference, but know your audience (and yourself) and write accordingly.

Lastly, you need a photo of you. A well-shot photo where people can see and connect with you is always worthwhile.

An example of an about page aimed at Art Directors. Short sweet and shows who I have worked with

The blog

I’ve saved the most important (and most daunting) until last. No matter what type of photography you do, your blog will be the reason people come back to your site. Think of your blog as a magazine for your audience. It shows your latest work (and progress) as well as letting you explain your thoughts behind your photography.

I know some of you reading this now will be filled with dread. Not only do I have to write a load of stuff for my website, now you’re asking me to write all the time? However, like taking photos, writing becomes easier over time.

Some examples of good blog posts include “Why I like this image”. Talk about a photo you love and then explain why you love it and possibly the technical stuff behind it. A blog about each photo shoot you do. Again, explain your thought process and how you approached the shoot. Another post idea could be showing your personality. Talk about films or records you love. The choice is endless, but the important thing is to write them. One other thing to remember is to aim for at least 350 words as this works great with SEO (search engine optimization).

There are few better examples of a blog than Digital Photography School. Constant content that keeps us all coming back.

Get feedback

As with creating your portfolio, get others to give their opinion. When you have written your content, it is particularly important to check it thoroughly and get a couple of people to proofread your work before you go live. It is so simple to misread your work (trust me I do it often) and nothing gives off the impression of an amateur like spelling mistakes.

For example, my wonderful wife proofs all my work. Just remember, if you do spot a spelling or grammar mistake in my articles, it is her not me! (dPS editor’s note: or me!)

On that point (and whilst my wife shouts at me for that last comment), it is time for you to take these tips and begin to craft your own website copy. In the final installment of this series, you’ll learn top tips to help your site rank well in Google. Until then, get writing your copy and let’s see the fruits of your labor in the comment section.

The post So You Want to Build a Website? Part 4: Adding Website Content appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Meike launches new 25mm T2.2 cine lens with ‘decent build quality’ for MFT camera systems

24 Aug

Hong Kong-based Meike has added to its collection of lenses with a new 25mm T2.2 cine lens for Micro Four Thirds camera systems.

The lens is entirely manual with a minimum focusing distance of 25cm/9.84in and a 77mm front filter thread. The optical construction includes ten elements in eight groups, which makes for a 49.7 degree angle of view.

The 25mm T2.2 cine lens weighs 560g/1.23lbs and features a pair of geared rings for changing its focus and aperture. Interestingly, even Meike seems hesitant on the quality of construction. In the product description on its Amazon page, Meike says the lens offers ‘decent build quality.’ Humble, sure, but not exactly reassuring.

Alongside the lens, which is currently available on Amazon for $ 340, is a rear lens cap, front lens cap, and a microfiber bag for safe transport.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Why Nikon and Canon should build mirrorless as a second system – but probably won’t

22 May

All rumors suggest that Canon and/or Nikon is going to get into the high-end mirrorless interchangeable lens camera market, in some way.

I don’t have any insider knowledge of this, or I wouldn’t be able to write this, but it looks pretty likely at this point. It also seems pretty likely to me that both brands will do everything to maintain compatibility with their existing lens mounts. Avoiding the need to design a whole new lens range, maximizing the value of the investment in the existing lineup and side-stepping the kind of anger that Canon generated when it abandoned its previous ‘FD’ mount (all the way back in 1987) are all major motivators.

Let’s imagine what would happen if they decided to make a system that sat alongside their existing DSLRs, rather than heralding their obsolescence

Planning for a future, F-mount compatible mirrorless camera might explain why all of Nikon’s recent lenses have finally abandoned mechanical aperture control from the lens mount, since it means they could be fully controlled by an adapter with electronic mounts.

So what’s the alternative? Let’s imagine they didn’t tie themselves to their existing lens mounts. In fact, let’s imagine what would happen if they decided to make a system that sat alongside their existing DSLRs, rather than heralding their eventual obsolescence.

What if they decided to make a system designed to be companion camera? A system that offers something your DSLR doesn’t do, rather than trying to mimic what it already does?

A small camera, designed for enthusiasts and pros to be used alongside a DSLR or in circumstances where you don’t want to lug a DSLR around. A street shooter’s camera, a carry-everywhere photographer’s camera. Let’s think about the potential benefits.

Canon’s EOS M range has drifted towards the kind of camera I’m talking about, but doesn’t have the lens range to match.

It’s not necessarily true that mirrorless promised to be smaller but, not least because it started with Four Thirds and APS-C sensors, that was one of the differentiators when MILCs first appeared. Yet the expectation that a mirrorless camera must replace a DSLR has resulted in an unfortunate convergence.

Demands (including from us) for more battery life, along with the need to handle and act as a like-for-like DSLR replacement has led to mirrorless cameras getting progressively larger. This has helped create a generation of cameras that are nearly as big as their DSLR rivals. And, with the exception of better video implementation and the mixed blessings of electronic viewfinders, little else to set them apart.

So what do you propose?

Essentially, I’m asking for a full frame, interchangeable lens Fujifilm X100. Ok, that might not sound much like an X100, but the common thread is of something relatively small, that by design, doesn’t try to do everything. A camera that will sit happily alongside your existing camera (mirrored or not).

You can cover a lot of styles of photography with a couple of short-ish prime lenses. After all, it works for Leica

As with everything photographic, it quickly comes down to a question of lenses. This is the key element to it not being a DSLR rival: don’t try to build a full lineup of lenses. I’d propose a camera with a limited number of lenses, starting with a 24mm, a 35mm a 50mm and a 90. And nothing longer than that.

This is because the size benefits that come from removing the mirror from between the sensor and the mount can only be realized with short focal lengths. Stick mainly to the shorter focal lengths and you can keep the camera and lenses smaller.

The lineup should be designed with the expectation that most people will only buy the one or two lenses that suit them. You can cover a lot of styles of photography with a couple of short-ish prime lenses. After all, it works for Leica.

Taking the long view

For me, telephoto lenses ruin mirrorless cameras. There, I’ve said it.

Telephoto lenses for mirrorless are just as long as their DSLR counterparts, so there’s no size benefit to throwing away your mirror. Worse still, these long, heavy lenses demand that mirrorless cameras develop the bulky, bulbous grips that SLRs have evolved since the 1990s.

Creating a limited, dedicated set of lenses relieves a lot of pressure. It means you don’t need to build an extensive, open-ended lens range from scratch. No tele zooms, no mid-price 24-70s. Hell, no zooms at all if you don’t want to. This is something every mirrorless maker has struggled to do, both in terms of the time it takes to flesh-out a new lineup but also because mistakes get made in any learning process. Every mirrorless system has at least one lens that either isn’t as optically good as you’d expect or that focuses much more slowly than you’d want.

For me, telephoto lenses ruin mirrorless cameras. There, I’ve said it

However, building a lineup of any size is better than building a camera with a full-depth DSLR lens mount in the name of backwards compatibility, since this condemns its users to carrying an empty mirror box around with them for eternity. And that’s a punishment with a level of pointlessness right out of Greek mythology.

Just produce a handful of great, dedicated primes that take full advantage of the new system without any compromises that come from maintaining compatibility with DSLRs. That way you don’t have to split your R&D resources trying to keep two full lineups up-to-date.

This also has the advantage that you can sell your camera to photographers with commitments to other systems, because you’re not forcing them to choose. But it still gives your existing, faithful users the benefits of full compatibility with your flash systems and other accessories, along with familiarity with your menus.

A small, self-contained system solely aimed at a subset of photographers, rather than trying to be all things to all men. A camera that complements, rather than competing with the existing lineup.

As I say, it’ll never happen. But it’d be nice, wouldn’t it?

As well as the desire to mesh with the existing lens lineups, the other reason we won’t see the camera I describe is because Fujifilm has already effectively invented it

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized