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Do Larger Camera Sensors Create Different Looking Images? [video]

05 Jul

The post Do Larger Camera Sensors Create Different Looking Images? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video from fstoppers, they show you whether large sensors create different-looking images to smaller sensors in cameras.

In the video, Lee Morris photographs his friend Keith Bradshaw with four different cameras each with different sensor sizes.

Lee uses the following cameras and settings:

FujiFilm GFX 50R/ 43.mm x 32.9mm sensor/ 64mm lens f/8

Canon 6D/ 35mm ff sensor/ 50mm f5.6

FujiFilm XT-3/ 23.6mm x 15.6mm sensor/ 35mm f4

Panasonic GH5/ Micro 4/3 sensor/ 25mm f2.8

He shot each image in RAW and only changed the white balance. he also cropped in on all images to hide the 4/3 aspect ratio of the GH5 and GFX.

You may be surprised by the results (or perhaps you already knew this).

Check it out.

You may also find the following helpful:

Full Frame Sensor vs Crop Sensor: Which is Right For You?
Full Frame VS Crop Sensor VS Micro Four Thirds: Camera Sensors Explained
Is it Time to go Full-Frame? Weigh These Pros and Cons Before You Decide
Is Full Frame Still the Best?
Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras

The post Do Larger Camera Sensors Create Different Looking Images? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Modular 5K Octopus Camera supports swapping in different sensor modules

02 Jul

Octopus Cinema has introduced Octopus Camera, an open source, upgradable, programmable and mostly-modular prototype cinema camera powered by Linux. The model features a replaceable image sensor, enabling users to toggle 4K and 5K sensor modules with both color and monochrome options.

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Big hand small cinema camera… . . #smallcamera

A post shared by OCTOPUS CINEMA (@octopuscinema) on Jun 20, 2019 at 9:01am PDT

The Octopus Camera rig features an Intel NUC processing board that can be removed and upgraded by the user when newer hardware becomes available. This modular functionality extends to the camera’s sensor; the model supports multiple imaging modules from XIMEA, including native monochrome, full-frame, 35mm and global shutter.

According to Octopus Cinema, the camera’s out-of-the-box functionality will include 4K lossless compressed 12-bit raw footage in CinemaDNG format, but there will also be a higher bitrate 900Mbit 10-bit HEVC option. Users with other needs will be able to add other recording formats from third-party libraries using an SDK.

The camera measures 110 x 110 x 110mm (4.3 x 4.3 x 4.3in) and weighs 900g (1.98lbs). The model has a CNC milled aluminum chassis and a glass white finish. Imaging and processing specs pertain to the sensor modules and Intel board included in the camera.

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Preview of the prototype touchscreen interface for the OCTOPUSCAMERA . . #userinterface #userinterfacedesign #cameraapp #uidesign

A post shared by OCTOPUS CINEMA (@octopuscinema) on Jun 29, 2019 at 2:36pm PDT

The device is powered by an 8-core Intel i7-8650U CPU and features 16GB of RAM upgradable to 32GB, two HDMI ports, four USB 3.0 ports, SATA III, and it is capable of write speeds up to 350MB/s. When used with a 5K full-frame imaging module, the rig can shoot at up to 5K 48fps 10-bit HEVC or 12-bit lossy raw video.

The company hasn’t provided any information on pricing or availability, stating only that Octopus Camera will arrive in summer 2020.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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5 Different Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers

01 Apr

The post 5 Different Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nils Heininger.

As travel photographers, documentary photographers or photojournalists, we all share the same unique challenge: Building up a relationship with our subjects from scratch. Commercial and wedding photographers also need to create closeness to their subjects, but they usually have a foundation that connects them. Models are usually paid to cooperate. Customers of wedding photographers want good images themselves. This is a foundation on which photographers can build their relationships. Our challenge is different – we enter a new environment and have nothing but our camera and ourselves.

1 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

When we find ourselves in a special environment in a different culture and amongst strangers, we have to find strategies to approach them. A great portrait exists not only through light and composition but also the emotional connection between the photographer and photographed.

If as a photographer you don’t feel comfortable shooting a situation, it influences the quality of your images negatively. Also considering moral aspects, it is always better to connect with people and be sure they appreciate (or at least tolerate) you taking their pictures.

We (almost) all struggle with approaching strangers. Even Steve McCurry admitted he is often shy and feels awkward when he takes pictures. However, the good news is, there are strategies to make the best out of the situation and subsequently create more possibilities for good images. Here, I share my best strategies to get closer to people and come home with more good portraits.

2 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

1. Ask and shoot

The first strategy is quite simple, yet often a challenge – just go and ask. How many times did you not have the courage to approach a stranger and ask for taking an image? And how many times did you regret it? If you are like me, then far too many. The more you approach people, the more you will realize most of them are happy to have their picure taken and might even see it as a compliment.

But, what if they say no? What does it matter if they reject you? So what? There are billions of other people out there. Fear is generally one of the biggest barriers to getting good pictures.

You have to overcome it.

One of the best ways to do so is to go out and practice. You will be surprised how many people pose for you if you approach them the right way.

Stay confident, do your thing and do it well.

3 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

The challenge with this strategy is to stay calm. When I started out, I found my images composed weakly or a little soft because I tried to get it done as quickly as possible. My hand was perhaps too shaky, and I rushed through the process without considering the right camera settings.

Later, I realized it is not necessary to be in such a hurry. Yes, you should not take too much time from people. However, if you become too nervous and ruin the moment, all the time is spent for nothing.

Be aware of what you do and how you do it. Stay calm and confident then you will succeed more easily. People appreciate it most if they see that you act professional and portray them in a good light.

4 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

2. Be patient and drink tea

As I find myself mostly in South Asia, drinking tea is an activity to socialize and get into contact with people. In other areas, you might replace it with coffee, maté or beer. Be mindful to the fact that taking pictures of people is not just hitting the shutter button. If it were that easy, we would not have all those amazing professionals who still stand out with their images of people. Each of these pictures involved much work behind or beside the camera.

Most of the photographers who accurately capture the culture and atmosphere of a place through a local person have spent a lot of time choosing the person and building a relationship. While you can run through the streets and click away thousands of images of everyone, you may want to spend your time more efficiently. Stay calm and invest some time into building a network. Go to places where the people you want to take portraits of hang out. Socialize and take your camera out when it is time to do so.

5 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

3. Find a fixer

If you have found the right people and still could not get into contact, sometimes it is useful to find a fixer. Fixers are people who arrange access to a story for a photographer, videographer or journalist. Mostly, they belong to the area and act as a mediator between the professional and the people.

Fixers can also help with translating, and they know a lot about the covered issue themselves and have an idea of what you are looking for. While fixers usually get paid in the case of professional journalism, you can also find guides, community members or other locals who can help you out. Sometimes this happens while you are drinking tea, sometimes it is enough to walk aimlessly through a street in a strange neighborhood.

Find the people, who look like they could help you. Often, locals are happy to share their stories. Introduce yourself and show that you don’t mean any harm.

6 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

For example, I wanted to cover the life of a fisherman in Puri, India but I did not know anyone at the place I was visiting. When I arrived, I quickly found a boy who could introduce me to the community while I was wandering around an area where you usually do not find too many tourists. The young man asked me what I was doing, and we talked. I did not even have to find someone who connected me. The person found me within a few minutes!

Even though he was not a fisherman himself, he was very helpful in giving me information about the community and connecting me to others. After a while, people got used to me. Even though the boy himself could not arrange a boat ride for me, I was able to connect to others. One morning, I finally found myself out on the sea with some fishermen.

7 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

4. Visit a festival or event

Special events or festivals are a great opportunity to capture the culture of a place and to get to know people. Festivals offer the opportunity to take pictures of important moments. Often, you will also be asked by people if you could send the images to them. Be helpful and share what you have. My experience is that everything you share will be paid back in multiple amounts. When I photographed the wild dances of the Dervishes at a Sufi Shrine in Pakistan, one of the performers asked me to send the images to him. As I became acquainted with him, I could stand in the first row during the next week’s event. Once connected to the people, they made sure that I could capture some great images.

Often, it might be tempting to push your limits for getting the image. Always be aware of what is allowed and appreciated during certain events. Some people might not want their images captured, or you might disturb a significant moment (DSLR users will know the curse of the loud shutter noise). I have a rule of thumb for these situations – when I have an awkward feeling in my tummy or get more attention than the actual event, I’d prefer to ask someone if I should step back.

8 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

Imagine a photographer placing his camera right in front of your face before the kiss at your wedding. You cannot even see the bride properly. That would totally kill the moment. At unknown events and rituals, you have to be aware of what is going on around you.

As a bad-mannered photographer, you can also ruin the name of a whole community of professionals and hobbyists. Always be kind and considerate. Others might also want to shoot wherever you have participated. If you behaved in a bad way, they may not get permission anymore. In the most extreme cases, you can even put yourself in danger if you unintendedly cross a line. Get your image but try to not focus the attention on yourself. For you, a certain event might be an opportunity for photographs. For others, it might be a very important day in their life.

9 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

5. Make a project and be open about it

Approach a community and openly tell them that you want to photograph their everyday life. On the first day leave your camera at home and introduce yourself to the people.

While this may be frustrating (because you will undoubtedly see opportunities you could capture), remain patient. Drink tea, talk and explain what you want to do and why. In this way, people get to know you and your intentions. You also get a better idea of what to capture and how.

When I took photos in a slum, people were suspicious because NGOs go in and out taking images of poverty. I explained that I want to take images of normal life and portray them as normal human beings, which I knew they were. The results were less staged images of their everyday life, which they appreciated.

10 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

In such a project, you can even give something back to people.

Print some images and hand them over to the community. You may be surprised at just how happy that makes people. Moreover, you may also find that people who did not want their photograph taken before will approach you to take their images too. It’s small gestures like these that keep you welcome in an area.

Long term projects may not cover a large variety of places and people, but they can cover a deeper insight into a community and connect the audience to the subject.

You don’t have to make your project too big. It all depends on your capabilities. There are many small ones which you can pursue within a week or even a day.

Developing a project does not only open gates for you but also gets you out and enhances your creativity. Shooting with a concept in mind can make you feel less awkward when out on the streets. It may also help you explain to people why you would love to take their image.

11 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

In a nutshell

Invest time in your photography as it is more than just hitting the shutter button.

Commercial and wedding photographers need to invest time to set up a team and develop ideas for clients, and landscape photographers have to hike, look for the weather and the sun. Photographing strangers also takes some preparation, even if it is just mental preparation to get over the fear of approach.

However, be patient and wait for the right moment. Do not get frustrated if you don’t get a five-star image every time. Make connections and enjoy the experience too.

What are your best ways to approach strangers? Do you have similar anxieties of just talking to them? How do you get over this? Sharing troubles and advice can help us support each other. Feel free to share your story in the comments.

12 - Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers - Nils Heininger

The post 5 Different Approaches to Taking Photos of Strangers appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nils Heininger.

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CFexpress 2.0 cards will be offered in three sizes with different maximum speeds

15 Mar

In February, the CompactFlash Association announced the CFexpress 2.0 specification, a follow-up to the CFexpress 1.0 specification first revealed in late 2016. The new 2.0 spec update brings two more form factors to CFexpress, both targeting industrial and professional imaging markets, according to the association. The two new form factors join the original, ushering in Type A, Type B and Type C cards.

CFexpress 2.0 Type A cards are the smallest of the three form factors at 20mm x 28mm x 2.8mm, which is a bit smaller than a standard SD card. The Type A cards feature a Gen3 PCIe interface with 1 lane and a maximum theoretical performance of 1000MB/s.

The Type B card has the same dimensions as XQD cards at 38.5mm x 29.8mm x 3.8mm; this variety has a Gen3, 2 lanes interface and max theoretical performance of 2000MB/s. Finally, the Type C form factor is largest at 54mm x 74mm x 4.8mm with a Gen3, 4 lanes interface and max theoretical performance of 4000MB/s.

The different form factors offer manufacturers flexibility in choosing which card type their devices will utilize, such as the small card with a priority on compact size instead of transfer speeds, or the largest card with a focus on speed at the expense of compactness. Japanese publication DC.Watch shared images of these different card form factors earlier this month.

According to the CF Association, the CFexpress 2.0 specification is designed for a variety of needs, including imaging, which specifically includes DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, drone cameras and video cameras.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

05 Feb

The post 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Many photographers experience anxiety when they think about using flash. It’s a big unknown, difficult to control and to predict what the results might look like.

Knowing when you need to use flash to improve a photograph is just another choice you need to make. A little like deciding what lens to use to take a particular photo. Obtaining the right amount of light from your flash to compliment your picture is key to effective fill flash photography.

Attractive Young Photographer 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

In this article, I share some thoughts on when and why you might choose to add fill flash. I’ll also walk through seven situations where using fill flash helps enhance a picture.

Using fill flash – what, when and why

Fill flash is typically used to balance with the ambient light to provide the main subject with a more pleasing exposure. So you are filling in some additional light to obtain a better or more interesting exposure. Balance is key. When light from a flash overpowers the ambient light, this is not fill flash.

You can make use of fill flash not only at night or in dark locations, but also when there is plenty of light. Fill flash can be used to effectively decrease or eliminate unwanted shadows when the ambient light is very bright.

1. Fill flash and bright sun

mannequin hitch hiker 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

The bright sun casts a hard-edged, dark shadow. When there’s no other light source or reflected light, contrast can cause problems.

Photographing people in bright sunshine they will often have dark shadows under their eyes, nose, and chin. Adding some fill can help to fill in these shadows.

Adding just the right amount of light from your flash is important so it’s balanced with the sunlight. In this photo of a mannequin I saw on the roadside one morning, I have added fill flash. I directed my flash at the smiling figure. I set the output so she was well lit, but her shadow, from the sunlight, is still clear.

2. Electric light source and fill flash

Circuit Board 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

When you have any light source which causes your main subject to be poorly lit, adding fill flash can help.

The large magnifying glass in this photo has a light behind it to illuminate the electronic board. Had I not added any fill flash, the electronic board would be well exposed, but the white surround of the magnifying glass would be underexposed.

Fill flash can even out the light when it’s important to have everything in your photo well exposed.

3. Using ambient light as backlight

Thirsty Traveler 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

Photographing your subject with the main light source behind it is known as backlighting. This situation again can create problems when you want evenly exposed photos.

Adding fill flash to a subject which is backlit, you can bring a balance of light and obtain an even exposure.

In this photo of the young woman drinking, I wanted to include the train in the background. The light behind her was quite strong so I balanced it by adding in a burst of flash from my right.

By controlling the flash power to output slightly less light from the ambient light, I was able to leave a soft shadow on her face. Had I not included the flash, the shadow would be too dark and not help convey that it was a hot day so well.

4. Fill flash with a bright background

Young Woman in the Park 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

Bright backgrounds, even on cloudy days, can sometimes cause you to underexpose your subject if you’re not careful. Adding some flash helps.

The bright background behind my model in this photo was not super bright, as it was an overcast day. I wanted her to be a little brighter than the background, so I placed the flash to my left. I also had a small softbox for the flash so it was diffused to match the feeling of the ambient light.

5. Light your subject at sunset or sunrise

Evening Jetty 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

At either end of a day, when the sun is low in the sky or just below the horizon, fill flash can be helpful. Sunrise and sunset can produce beautifully colored skies, but they are often going to be brighter than your subject.

If you set your exposure for the sky, your subject will be underexposed. If you set your exposure for your subject, your sky overexposes and you lose the effect of the color in your photo.

Adding a little flash to your subject, so it’s balanced with the light in the sky, will light your subject and allow the color in the sky to be captured also.

6. Fill flash and fire

Bronze Crucible 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

This example is a little different but has the same principle. In this case, part of the main subject is the light source.

I photographed this inside. The workshop was fairly dark so the flames were throwing shadows over the dark metal.

Had I not included any flash in this scene, the crucible, tongs, and surrounds would have been too dark. I wanted more detail to be visible in these areas.

7. Slow shutter and fill flash

Buddhist Chedi Luang 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

Any time you have movement in a scene you can use a slow shutter speed to create motion blur in your photos. Using some fill flash can add a whole other dynamic, particularly if you set camera and flash to synchronize well.

Many cameras allow you to set the synchronization to fire the flash just before the second, or rear curtain of the shutter closes. This causes a partial ‘freezing’ of the motion in a more attractive manner.

Again, balancing your flash output is important to achieve the best effect. For this technique, I generally set my flash output to be slightly brighter than the ambient light. If the output is the same or less you will not see the effect much or at all.

How to use your flash well

Woman and Elephants 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

You do not need to have your flash mounted on your camera’s hot shoe pointing directly at your subject.

Diffusing your flash, or bouncing it off a reflector or other surface, will soften the light. Placing your flash off to one side, above or below, will often produce more interesting, pleasing results.

Controlling the output of your flash is always vital. Too much or too little light from your flash causes an imbalance. You need to decide how much light your photo requires and make the correct adjustments to your flash.

Through the lens (TTL) metering is often the easiest setting. You can also use the Auto mode. Sometimes, with either of these settings, you may need to dial in compensation so the light will be a little stronger or weaker.

Using the Manual setting on your flash requires a little more thought and experimentation. It can often produce a more reliable output from the flash when you are taking a series of photos. This is particularly useful when there are variables in light or camera/subject/background distances.

Conclusion

Akha Coffee Harvest 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively

Adding fill flash can make a positive difference to your photos in many situations. When you are not content with the ambient light alone, consider adding a little light from your flash. Even if the only flash you have is the pop up one on your camera.

You may not get the right result the first few times you try this method. Practice. Study your results. Compare photos where you did not use the flash with ones where you did. In time, you will develop a sense for when adding some fill flash will enhance your photographs.

Share some photos in the comments section below and tell us of your experience with using fill flash, whether you were successful or not.

The post 7 Different Situations Where You Can Use Fill Flash Effectively appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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How to Use 5 Different Lighting Scenarios to Create Expert Studio Portraits [video]

12 Jan

The post How to Use 5 Different Lighting Scenarios to Create Expert Studio Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this week’s video from COOPH Master Chrissie White, you’ll learn how to use five lighting scenarios to create expert studio portraits.

Here are the 5 tips:

1. Natural Light and Reflector

Place your model next to window and place reflector on the opposite side of the face to create balanced light. For even light, shoot when the light isn’t coming directly through the window.

2. Side lighting

Side lighting creates a moody atmosphere for your image.

Place one light on to one side of the model and black card on the opposite side. This casts a shadow on one side of your models face so the light is split down the middle. if you don’t want it too moody, place a white card on the opposite side instead. That way the models face won’t be in complete shadow.

3. Butterfly lighting

Butterfly Lighting is commonly used for beauty lighting. It is an even light on the model. Place the light in front of the model and above them. You can also use a reflector underneath their face to even out the light.

4. Split lighting

This lighting is dramatic and flashy. Great for shooting athletes and fashion models. Place 2 lights approx 45 degrees behind the model. To soften and make less dramatic, add a butterfly light to the front of the model.

5. Backlighting

Place your light source behind the model to create a hair or rim light. Place another light in front of model or a white card to add some fill to remove the shadow from the face.

Add colored gels to the light to add color and drama. Use cellophane or gels. Be careful of hot lights though.

TIP: Look in the eyes of models for ‘catch-lights’ to see what type of lighting a photographer used.

You may also find these articles helpful:

One Speedlight Portrait Lighting Tutorial

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Evey Photographer Should Know

10 Ways to take Stunning Portraits

How to Pose and Angle the Body for Better Portraits

Create Beautiful Indoor Portraits Without Flash

How to Create Awesome Portrait Lighting with a Paper Bag an Elastic Band and a Chocolate Donut

The post How to Use 5 Different Lighting Scenarios to Create Expert Studio Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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5 Tips for Capturing Nature Across Different Seasons

23 Nov

Taking photographs of nature can be an incredibly rewarding experience. During the year the change in seasons provides you with wonderful photo opportunities to capture the variety of nature subjects on offer. Here are some tips for capturing nature across the different seasons.

Lavendar, Provence, France

1) Shoot The Same Location in Different Seasons

You may have a favorite location that you like to visit. For example, it could be a local woodland, a landscape or a place of interest you enjoy visiting during a holiday. When visiting there, you may find the scenery looks unique at different times of the year. The changing seasons mean the conditions may vary dramatically from one period to the next. Snowfall in winter makes way for spring flowers and lush green vegetation in the summer, which can have a significant effect on the look and feel of your image.

Frosty sunrise, Kings Sutton, Oxfordshire, England

Frosty sunrise, Kings Sutton, Oxfordshire, England

A blanket of snow or frost transforms the landscape, giving the most mundane subjects, such as your favorite tree, some magical appeal. While winter provides a striking and crisp scene, spring’s greens and blues can give a more vibrant and colorful image. I recommend you return to your favorite place, observe the scene during a few different seasons and capture the seasonal changes.

2) Shoot More Sunrises and Sunsets in Winter

One significant advantage of photographing nature during winter is that sunrise and sunset times are more favorable than in summer. Many people prefer to spend the colder months of the winter season indoors. However, this is a great time to head outdoors while the days are shorter and timings are better than the rest of the year. Later sunrises allow you more sleeping time, and earlier sunsets mean you do not have to wait around for hours to capture it.

3) Capture the Season of Changing Colours

Autumn is a magical season to be out with the camera and is the favored time of year for many landscape photographers. The season brings a fantastic variety of warm and vivid colors. You can capture a variety of subjects during the fall from woodlands to foliage and wildlife.

Consider the light and decide what you want to capture. You could zoom in on the leaves, or find a striking scene that is well lit. You can also shoot into the sun and work with backlight to create a dynamic image.

4) Capture the Changing Light

The Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons

Dramatic lighting and changes in weather occur at any time of the year. Striking storm clouds replace sunny spells in an instant providing fantastic subjects for your nature photography. I find that during the summer months, storms can be very dramatic and give great moments of fleeting light. Passing rains can give way to radiant glows and if you are lucky – beautiful rainbows. I captured this scene in June while out walking. The change in light that occurred as the sun re-emerged after a considerable downpour was wonderfully atmospheric.

I recommend capturing the change in light during autumn and winter seasons too, as the sun stays lower in the sky compared to the summer. Thus, providing longer shadows with which to play. The height of the sun can make an image look very different in the winter compared to the summer. In winter the sun strikes the scene from a lower angle making the overall composition and lighting unique.

5) Capture the Seasons in All Weather

Come rain or shine you should go out with your camera to capture the various seasons during all weather conditions. Don’t be discouraged from venturing out with your camera if it’s raining outside or the skies are grey and leaden. There may be breaks in the weather, and the rain eventually stops. Mist can often form after periods of rain making an attractive scene to photograph.

Misty landscape, Northern Ireland

If the rain is persistent, think of other ways to photograph the adverse weather. Photographing abstract scenes, water droplets, and close-ups of flowers or fresh water on lush landscapes can work. Waterfalls look good with overcast skies, and additional rainfall adds beauty with more water.

Conclusion

In summary, capturing nature in different seasons can be very enjoyable at any time of the year. Photograph your favorite place in changing seasons, take advantage of early winter sunsets and capture the changing light in all weathers.

Whatever Mother Nature serves you next, get out there and capture the fantastic changes in our beautiful world in all its seasons. Once you do, please share your images with us below.

The post 5 Tips for Capturing Nature Across Different Seasons appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Keith Ladzinski talks Nikon mirrorless: ‘It’s a different world now. But it’s so much more fun’

21 Nov

Keith Ladzinski is a wildlife and adventure photographer, filmmaker and Nikon Ambassador based in Colorado. He’s been using Nikon DSLRs since the early 2000s, and his most recent film project was created using the new Z 6. In this interview he explains the background of the project, how the Z 6 allows him to bounce seamlessly between photo and video, and what’s changed since he bought his first digital camera in 2004.

Can you describe the project you’ve been working on?

I’ve been working with athletes, old friends, they’re professional climbers and we’ve been shooting in areas where when I first started working as a professional photographer. So one place for example is where I shot my first cover story, and another was where I did another of my first big stories. So we basically went from Utah all the way back to Colorado. As I started thinking about this project, it became sort of one big nostalgic trip in a lot of ways. It was with people I had history with, and locations I had history with.

The way I wanted to put this thing together was to sort of look back right to 2004 when I was working with my first proper digital camera, which was the Nikon D2X. The only things that have stayed the same over that time are my relationships with people, and with those places. So coming back into Colorado, where I first learned to shoot photos in the Rockies, and building a narrative to go along with that story – it just worked so well.

So you’ve got to see 15 years of digital photography evolution.

Absolutely. I’ve been lucky to get a view of the evolution of digital photography from 2004 to where we’re at now, these tiny mirrorless cameras that give you extraordinary video. When I first started it was all about just photography, but now there’s this stills and video duality which is really interesting.

Nikon Z 6 sample images by Keith Ladzinski

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So I’m looking back, and there’s nothing more nostalgic than a road trip. That’s something we can all identify with. There’s a lot of laughter and memories. So there was a lot of serendipity that came together with these themes and this project. This trip was primarily focused on landscape and nature work, with the main activity being rock climbing.

How does the Z 6 fit into your workflow?

I use it for climbing, actually. Climbing is a pretty slow activity but I shoot bursts a lot because there could be that one moment when someone’s on tiny hand holds and there’s this momentary facial expression that tells the story, so having a high frame rate is really useful in that regard.

I lean on the Z 6 for video. There’s no crop shooting in 4K, so your wide lenses stay wide. And I shot some video at ISO 8000 lit by headlamps, and I was expecting crap image quality, but it was amazing. It blew me away how clean it was. I didn’t know what it was going to look like, and it’s damned good.

Is climbing one of the ways that you got into photography?

Natural history, landscapes, wildlife and – oddly enough – skateboarding were actually my initial avenues into photography. Living in Colorado you’re surrounded by wilderness all the time, but skateboarding kind of ruled my youth. And at the time, skateboarding meant trespassing, getting kicked out by security guards from wherever we were – there weren’t a lot of skate parks at the time, so you just went to the city.

And the wilderness is such a different vibe. From a photography perspective, skateboard photography is all about low light, artificial lighting, which of course was required when I was shooting film, but it was also the style of the magazines I was reading at the time. And of course landscape photography is about being alone, being patient, waiting for the moment to unfold.

Image courtesy of Keith Ladzinski.

As I got older and I started finding my own voice as a photographer, the two activities sort of came together. Along the way I got into rock climbing, and with every activity in my life, photography has a way of taking over whatever it is, and merging into it.

It’s a wonderful thing, because you end up compelled to document what you love. Once that started happening, I didn’t realize it but I’d inadvertently created a style that the climbing world hadn’t seen up until that point, because I was shooting it the way I’d shoot skateboarding. I shot the way I knew, which was a mix of using available light and artificial light. I got some magazine work and developed a career.

The challenge is that when you’re shooting photos often you’ll see video moments, and when you’re rolling video you’ll see still photography opportunities

How do you plan a multi-media trip like this?

There’s more involved, for sure. If I was doing a story on just rock climbing, I’ve covered that a lot for so many years, so like any photographer that’s shot something for long enough, I kind of know what I’m doing. But when you’re putting things into a video timeline you’re quadrupling your shot list, and you’re looking for moments that maybe have more personality and character to them, like soundbites, something funny someone’s doing, or an unexpected moment.

The challenge is that when you’re shooting photos often you’ll see video moments, and when you’re rolling video you’ll see still photography opportunities. That’s the conflict, but on a shoot like this I had help. I had two other people with me, capturing behind the scenes footage but also capturing some A roll and B roll as needed. Video is so much more of a team sport than photography.

Keith Ladzinski on location in Antarctica. Picture by Cristina Mittermeier, used with permission.

How does your kit now compare to your kit back in 2004?

Oh my god, it’s so much lighter now. I used haul a 70-200mm F2.8, 17-35mm F2.8 and a 24-70mm F2.8 up the wall with a D2X, and it was heavy! Lenses have made tremendous progress. The current 70-200mm F2.8 compared to the original, it’s so much lighter. Now you look at mirrorless, and it’s smaller, lighter, faster. Things have become so much better for outdoor photographers.

I love looking through an EVF, too. I much prefer it because focus peaking is really important for me. There are times when I’ll switch to manual focus, even if I’m just shooting still photos, and of course just for blocking out the light. Living on the back of an LCD is just not effective if it’s high noon, for example. Those things mean a lot if you’re in the field.

What are your must-have camera features?

Focus peaking is huge for video, for sure. But I’ve tried the face detection autofocus on the Z 6 and I was very, very impressed. I ended up using it a lot on this shoot. 120fps video is so standard, now too. The camera has to have that now for shooting video, because those moments do present themselves. I don’t like to lean on it too much, but I need it when I need it. So that is really important to me. Being able to shoot in low light, obviously I need that too but I feel like the low light game was changed when the D3 came out [in late 2007] and it’s just been great since then.

You’ve used several generations of digital cameras – what are the biggest changes that you’ve seen?

ISO sensitivity is a big one, it’s incredible really, the kind of light you can work in these days, it’s so great. The introduction of video into DSLRs and mirrorless has been a huge thing, too. When the D90 came out and all of a sudden we had this capability to shoot video and I started to look into that world, first I was doing it out of fear. People were saying ‘you need to be a director, you need to shoot video, you don’t want to be left behind’ so I was reading all this information thinking ‘oh my god I should really figure this out’, and going down that wormhole.

Video was just such a completely different thing. I was told if you want to get serious about it, you’d better know how to edit, you’d better know how audio works.. it was this whole new thing. But the fear turned into love.

It’s a completely different world now. But it’s so much more fun

In photography you’re hunting for a moment, but in videography you’re looking for a sequence, and a scene. And it made me work differently. I started to think in terms of scenes and edits. You learn that when you first attempt to make films, you realize what you don’t know! You quickly realize ‘ok, I need to look at what I’m doing, differently’. That helped me become a better story teller, which helped me later when I started working with National Geographic and magazines like that because they require so much more. They require photographers to look at a subject differently because they’ve seen it all. It’s a high pressure place to work.

Working in video actually really helped me. I started breaking into a dual role, so that technological advancement, seeing that and living through it, I’m very grateful. Coming from film, into digital and now true multimedia where you’re working with stills and audio and video, it’s a completely different world now. But it’s so much more fun.

This is sponsored content, created by Nikon. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Review: the GoPro Fusion is a different kind of action camera

16 Aug

Introduction to the Fusion and OverCapture

The GoPro Fusion ships with an extendable selfie stick that doubles as a small tripod.

GoPro may have jump started the action camera market, but the Fusion is different than all the GoPros that came before it: it’s a true 360 camera. Instead of using a single forward-facing lens, its two ultra-wide angle lenses capture a full 360 spherical image of everything around it.

Unlike most 360 cameras, the Fusion is designed to create both spherical and standard HD videos, potentially offering action camera users more capability than they can get from their current action camera – something that’s become progressively difficult in a highly commoditized market. If action/adventure is your game and your workflow is geared towards mobile and web, the GoPro Fusion may be the camera you’re looking for.

Key features

360 video: 5.2K/30p, 3K/60p
360 photo: 18MP 5K 360 photos (5760 x 2880)
OverCapture for creating HD videos
Image stabilization
Spatial audio (4 microphones)
Waterproof (5m/16ft.)
GPS
Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
Smartphone app + desktop software
Includes two 32GB SD cards (75 minutes record time)
Removable battery (75-80 minutes record time)

A view of the Fusion’s twin offset lenses.

What makes the Fusion most exciting, and what is arguably its main selling point, is ‘OverCapture’, a feature that allows you to pull standard 1080p HD videos from anywhere within the 360 sphere.

This is an entirely different way of producing video content. Since you’re capturing every single direction at once, you can frame your shot after you’ve shot it. For an action camera user, this unshackles you from the confines of recording a single, unchanging perspective and opens the doors to generating complex camera moves for more compelling footage.

OverCapture is an entirely different way of producing video content. You can frame your shot after you’ve shot it.

To be fair, the Fusion isn’t the first consumer camera to provide this functionality. The Rylo Camera offers a similar feature, and as we discussed in our review of the Rylo it works impressively well. (The main difference between the Fusion and the Rylo comes down to how you edit over-captured video: the GoPro lets you pan/tilt your phone to follow the action, whereas the Rylo provides excellent subject tracking to follow the action. Both methods work well.)

Let’s take a look at a real world example. To create the two videos below, I set the camera in the middle of a skate-park and asked Colin Flynn, founder of Fool’s Gold Surf, to skate around it. In the first video, you can drag around to see all the angles or, if you’re watching using a VR headset, you can just look around in any direction.

This is an example of 360 video captured with the GoPro Fusion. You can drag around the image to look in different directions.

The second video was created from the exact same camera footage, but using OverCapture to follow Colin’s movement on the mobile app (literally by moving my phone around as if I was recording in real-time), then exported as a standard HD video.

This video was created from the exact same clip as the one above, except that I used OverCapture to follow the action on my phone after the clip was recorded, then exported it as a standard HD video.

You can do all of this – and share it – from the mobile app. You can do the same with the desktop software, though as we’ll see, there are some glaring differences between the two and OverCapture does have its limitations.

Despite being GoPro’s first foray into the 360 camera space, the Fusion gets a lot of things right and performs well.

In fact, one important consideration when using OverCapture is that while the camera may be high resolution, you’re exporting a 1920×1080 HD video (if shot on 5.2K), or 1280×720 HD video (if shot in 60fps 3K). Furthermore, if you zoom in, you’re losing more resolution relative to how much you’re punching in on that OverCapture frame, so if 4K is essential to your needs, or you’re interested in the Fusion primarily for action footage using OverCapture, those are things you might want to think about.

Despite being GoPro’s first foray into the 360 camera space, the Fusion gets a lot of things right and performs well. The things it doesn’t do well could, for the most part, be remedied by firmware and software updates, and we’ll take a look at some of those things in the following pages.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Working with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

01 Jun

There are three fundamental settings in landscape photography: the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed (known as the Exposure Triangle). While all of these are equally important to understand in order to create technically correct images, there’s one that’s extra important when it comes to an image’s visual impact. Adjusting the shutter speed makes a big difference and is often what can make your image stand out from the crowd.

Choosing the ideal shutter speed is not an easy process though. There rarely is a single correct shutter speed but there certainly are scenarios that benefit from a specific one. In this article, we’ll look at a few different scenes and how the shutter speed affects each of them.

Working with Fast Shutter Speeds

The easiest shutter speed to work with is a fast one. Working with fast shutter speeds doesn’t require a tripod and you can easily photograph subjects that quickly pass by. This is also the most common choice for most beginning photographers as it doesn’t require much effort (and most auto functions choose a relatively fast shutter speed).

Below you have a typical example of when you need to use a fast shutter speed. In order to freeze the motion of the deer, I had to increase the shutter speed to 1/320th of a second. Had the deer been moving at a higher tempo I would have to increase the shutter speed even more to avoid any motion blur.

deer in a field - Working with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

Photographing animals is not the only time where you should use a fast shutter speed though. In the image below, I used a shutter speed of 1/1600th.

Why did I use such a quick shutter speed for that scene? By the looks of it, the water is quite still, there are no moving subjects and there’s still enough light to use a slightly slower shutter speed, right? Yes, however, this shot was taken from a boat and even though the waters were relatively still, I needed a very quick shutter speed in order to freeze the scene without any blur from camera movement.

iceberg and water - Working with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

Use the ideal settings not perfect ones

Had I been standing on land, I could have easily used a slower shutter speed and achieved a similar look. In fact, the overall quality could have been even better as I could have used a lower ISO and an ideal aperture. However, the purpose of photography isn’t to always have the perfect settings; it’s having the ideal settings that allows you to get the shot within the given conditions. The most important is to actually capture the image.

For too long I was too focused on always having the perfect settings. The truth is that this often leads to missing the shot as you focus too much on the technical aspect rather than working with the conditions you’re given.

For example, using a slower shutter speed when standing on a boat (such as in the image above) would have led to the icebergs being blurry due to the motion. What would you prefer? A blurry picture which is “technically” perfect, or a sharp picture that doesn’t have the technically perfect settings?

Before we move on to slower shutter speeds, let’s look at a few more scenarios where a fast shutter speed is recommended:

When photographing handheld.
Photographing quickly moving subjects.
When aiming to freeze motion.
When photographing from a vehicle.

Working with Slow Shutter Speeds

In landscape photography, the difference between slow shutter speeds is much bigger than between fast shutter speeds. While you won’t see a huge difference between 1/320th of a second and 1/640th of a second (in most cases) you may see a big difference between 10 seconds and 60 seconds. Because of this, I’ll split this section in two parts: less than 30 seconds, and more than 30 seconds (Bulb Mode).

dark image with moving water - Working with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

The definition of a long exposure is somewhat vague but in my Ultimate Guide to Long Exposure Photography eBook, I describe is at the shutter speed where you no longer can capture a sharp handheld image. Typically, this is in the range of 1/50th of a second, depending on your camera and focal length (a longer focal length requires a quicker shutter speed to capture a sharp handheld image than a wide-angle).

Shutter speeds up to 30 seconds

While the difference between a 1 second and 30-second shutter speed is big, it’s more natural to put these together in one section to keep this easier to follow. Still, I’ll try to break it up a little to give you an idea of which shutter speeds you should experiment with in different situations. Again, there’s no correct choice and it often comes down to your preference and the tools you’ve got to work with.

When photographing beaches and seascapes where waves are crashing onto the shore or forming around rocks, I often work with a shutter speed of 0.5-1 second. I find that this creates a nice blur in the water while still keeping enough texture. A slower shutter speed such as 8 seconds blurs the water but not enough to give it the “silky” effect you often see with long exposure photography (we’ll come back to that in a bit).

waves crashing on a rocky shore - Working with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

This also applies when photographing waterfalls and rivers. I tend to use a semi-slow shutter speed rather than an ultra-slow shutter speed when working with these scenes, as I prefer to keep some textures in the water.

As you lengthen the shutter speed you’ll see that moving elements become more and more blurry. In the image below, I used a shutter speed of 20 seconds to blur the water and give some motion to the sky. If you look at the clouds, you can see that they have been moving and it’s starting to have the “dragged sky” effect.

seascape scene - Working with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

Keep in mind that the speed of the clouds determine how slow the shutter speed needs to be in order to pick up this motion. When clouds are moving quickly you can pick up their motion even with a shutter speed of 5-10 seconds, but to really get the “dragged sky” effect you often need to use a shutter speed (or exposure time) longer than 30 seconds.

Shutter speeds longer than 30 seconds (Bulb Mode)

In order to achieve a shutter speed longer than 30 seconds you most likely need to activate Bulb Mode.

When I first got into long exposure photography and purchased my first 10-Stop ND filters, I immediately got hooked on these ultra-slow shutter speeds. I’ll admit that I don’t do as much of it anymore (as it rarely fits with the vision I have for most locations) but it’s certainly a lot of fun to play with.

The main reason to use a shutter speed longer than 30 seconds for landscape photography is to achieve the “dragged sky” effect and to completely blur out moving elements such as water. It can also be a good way to remove people from your images (if they walk around during your 2-3 minute exposure they most likely “disappear”).

sunset on a coastal scene - Working with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography

For the image above I used a shutter speed of 180 seconds. As you can see, this has completely blurred the water and the sky is dragged across the frame.

Conclusion

Working with longer exposures can be a lot of fun but it’s not something that’s always beneficial. For example, when photographing a scene that doesn’t have any moving elements (and no clouds), there’s no need to use an ultra slow shutter speed, as it will most likely look exactly the same with a slower one.

So knowing how to select the best or most appropriate shutter speed takes practice, and comes down to what you want to achieve in your image.

For more information about this and other aspects of this type of photography, check out my Ultimate Guide to Long Exposure Photography eBook,

The post Working with Different Shutter Speeds for Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.