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Posts Tagged ‘Going’

PhotoPlus announces it’s going digital as it cancels its in-person expo this year

24 Aug

PhotoPlus announced this morning it is canceling its in-person event, opting instead to host its annual photo conference online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PhotoPlus 2020 was originally set to take place at the Javits Center in New York City from October 22–24. Despite numerous other photo conferences being canceled, PhotoPlus insisted the in-person event was still taking place, until today. In a press release, event director Joseph Kowalsky said:

‘The difficult decision was made after consulting our community partners and supporters and closely monitoring the ongoing progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.’

To replace the in-person event, PhotoPlus announced PhotoPlus+, which will be an ‘online experience and community bringing together visual storytellers with the tools and services they need to create.’ The event is designed to be a broader event, with product showcases, live demos, gear launches, networking events and more taking place starting November 1, 2020.

You can find out more information and register for the online PhotoPlus+ event on the PhotoPlus website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CES is going all-digital for 2021 due to COVID-19 health concerns

29 Jul

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizer behind the annual Consumer Entertainment Show (CES), has announced its 2021 show is going all-digital, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CES usually takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States every January. But ‘with the growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it is not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people,’ says CTA in its announcement post (embedded below). In place of the in-person event, which typically hosts over 180,000 attendees, CES 2021 will offer a ‘unique’ online experience.

Specifically, the CTA says there will be media events where ‘the world’s leading brands [will host] exclusive digital press events,’ product showcases where live demos and product showcases will show off new tech, as well as livestreamed keynotes and conferences for the latest announcements from technology companies from around the world.

While CES 2021 isn’t the first trade show affected by the COVID-19, it is one of the largest and longest-running, and is the first trade show, to our knowledge, of 2021 that’s been altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to photography accessories, camera makers have been known to show off prototypes and offer hands-on at CES events in the past. Time will tell what photo companies have a presence at the all-digital event in 2021.

Announcement:

CES 2021 is All-Digital

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® is reimagining how to connect exhibitors, customers, thought leaders and media from around the world while prioritizing health and safety. We are excited to share that CES® 2021 will be an all-digital experience.

For more than 50 years, CES has been the global stage for innovation. And CES 2021 will continue to be a platform to launch products, engage with global brands and define the future of the tech industry.

With the growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it is not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person.

An all-digital CES 2021 will allow the entire tech community to safely share ideas and introduce the products that will shape our future. You’ll be able to participate in all the awe-inspiring moments of CES wherever you are in the world. We are designing a unique experience for the tech industry.

CES 2021 will offer a highly personalized experience:

  • Keynotes and conferences. Now you’ll have a front-row seat for groundbreaking announcements and insights from the world’s tech leaders completely online.

  • Product showcase. With this digital evolution of the CES show floor, you’ll be able to explore products and services, based on your interests and business, through dynamic product showcases or live demos.

  • Meetings and networking. You’ll be able to engage with the brands, thought leaders and business connections you care about with live interactions, meetups or roundtable discussions.

Technology has helped us all work, learn and connect during the coronavirus pandemic, and it has presented real solutions to help solve complex global challenges. We recognize that, particularly in these uncertain times, it is the partnerships of some of the most creative minds that bring the best solutions to life.

We’re looking forward to welcoming the global tech industry, from international brands to budding startups, to kick off the year with the world’s most influential digital technology event.

Mark your calendars for the first week in January and be on the lookout for more exciting news about CES 2021. We plan to return to Las Vegas for CES 2022, combining the best elements of a physical and digital show.

Thank you for your continued support. Please stay healthy and safe.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Let it roll: why camera makers are going to keep adding video

07 Jun
A lot of the pre-launch hype around Canon’s EOS R5 has focused on its video prowess, but why do features like 8K keep getting added to stills cameras?

Some of the most dramatic improvements in recent cameras have been in the realm of video, leaving many stills photographers unimpressed. But there are some good reasons why cameras keep getting better video, some equally good reasons we’re unlikely to see many ‘pure photography’ cameras in future, and even if we did, there’s very little reason to think such a camera would be any cheaper.

Why the focus on video?

One of the main reasons it seems all the camera makers are focused video is because it’s an area where there’s clear room for improvement. Image sensors are now very, very good: efficiency is very high and read noise is very low, meaning we’re unlikely to see the big steps forward in generational image quality that we saw in the earlier days of digital photography.

Instead, most of the progress being made is in terms of readout speed and processing power. We’re seeing these manifest as better autofocus performance, multi-shot camera modes and improved video. This is also why we spend more time discussing AF and video in our reviews: because they’re areas of significant progress and difference between models.

Understandably, we see a lot of stills photographers saying they don’t want to have to pay for features they don’t need. But it’s not that simple:

You’re already paying for the hardware

Pitched as ‘The Ultimate Photo Shooting Camera’ at launch, the Panasonic G9 gained a major mid-life video upgrade, to broaden its appeal.

The faster readout and processing that help provide higher-res and better bitrate video are the same technologies that underpin the faster, more subject-aware autofocus improvements we’ve seen in the past few years. The same is broadly true of the multi-shot high res, focus stacking and re-focus modes that have been added: so you won’t lower the hardware costs by leaving video out.

You may not be paying for the development

On top of this, the very reason manufacturers are committing development resources to video is because they hope it will broaden a product’s appeal beyond the (declining) market for traditional stills cameras. YouTube and social media have made video sharable, which makes video capability more desirable. If adding video features means more cameras get sold, then each buyer shoulders a little less of the development cost.

Also, some realms of professional photography now demand high-end video capabilities, so much of the development work is being conducted for that audience, and is then trickling down.

A separate, still-only variant would cost more, not less

Don’t fall into the trap of assuming you could make a cheaper model with these extra features missed off. Designing and developing two versions of a product would cost more, even if they only differed in terms of firmware, since you’d have to conduct the testing and quality assurance on two versions of the firmware, then continue to develop them in parallel in the event of updates.

A camera with fewer features wouldn’t be cheaper. Even post-purchase firmware would add to costs: would you be willing to pay to have video removed?

Each additional camera model then incurs marketing expenses, to tell the world that it exists and to communicate the differences. It then adds to production planning and supply chain complexity: you need to balance production capacity between the two models, then make sure that the right number of stills-only and hybrid models end up going to each region and each retailer.

We’ll still see stills-only models

Not every new camera will have video, but those that don’t will be in the minority: Leica has some high-end video capability in models where it makes sense.

Despite all these factors, we’ll still see some stills-only cameras. For instance, Leica is likely to continue to offer stills-only rangefinder cameras (even though some models have featured video), and adding high quality video isn’t likely to be a priority for Phase One’s medium format backs.

There’s a mixture of factors at play. Adding video might reduce, rather than broaden, appeal for a product where focus – whether it’s photographic tradition or ultimate stills quality – is a selling point. And this goes beyond the question of whether a video-enabled version would be a satisfying (or even satisfactory) video camera.

Let it roll

But outside these rarefied niches, video is here to stay. Hence Leica’s SL cameras tout pretty impressive video specs and Panasonic’s more stills-focused G9 received a major boost to its video spec, mid-life, to expand its appeal.

If well implemented, video features need not get in your way, allowing a more streamlined stills experience than in recent generations of camera.

At which point, rather than rail against the (almost) inevitable, you may find it more productive to argue for better video implementation, so that the video features don’t get in your way. Or perhaps, you could give video a try. Who knows? You might enjoy it.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Photography Show is going virtual (and free) for 2020, after initially being pushed back

04 Jun

Earlier this year, the organizers of The Photography Show and The Video Show 2020 announced the exhibition would be pushed back to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it’s been announced The Photography Show and The Video Show 2020 will be going entirely virtual for 2020, with the organizers citing ‘the continued uncertainty around hosting large events.’

According to the above announcement on The Photography Show website, the virtual photography and video festival will be entirely free and take place on September 20 and 21 this year. ‘While we believe that there’s nothing quite comparable to the benefits of the live show,’ says the organizers in the announcement, ‘we know that this decision is the best solution for our community during these unprecedented times.’

The entire show will be free to ‘attend’ and all pre-booked entry tickets and passes purchased for the 2020 event will be valid for next year’s event. The Photography Show 2021 is set to take place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

Registration for the online event will be ‘available shortly.’ You can keep up to date with the latest news on The Photography Show website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Astropad 3.2 update shows it isn’t going away anytime soon—and teases a Windows version

08 Jun

Astropad may have been ‘Sherlocked’ with Apple’s announcement that the ability to use an iPad as a secondary display will be baked into macOS 10.15 Catalina as a feature called Sidecar, but that hasn’t stopped Astropad from updating its third-party solution.

Yesterday, Astropad 3.2 was released with a few new updates and a note from its founders saying they have no plans to stop Astropad development, even amidst Apple’s Sidecar announcement.

Astropad 3.2 brings along your normal bug fixes and under-the-hood fixes as well as a fix to minimize pixelation. According to the update notes, the development team re-engineered the data flow from Mac devices to iPads ‘in order to push data more efficiently between devices.’ This fix should mean pixelation is ‘significantly reduced’ when your iPad is connected to a Mac device over strong Wi-Fi networks or USB. Astropad notes the changes should especially be noticeable when scrolling through text documents and websites.

On iOS, Astropad Studio 3.2, Astropad Standard 3.2 and Astropad Mini 3.2 should all be available to update in the iOS App Store if you currently have the apps on your device. The macOS app should automatically update to the latest version, but if not, Astropad has a dedicated download page where you can manually download the updated version.

As for future plans, Astropad’s founders have written up a blog post explaining that Astropad isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Under the headline ‘We’re not going anywhere,’ the note reads:

We’ve spent the last five years building innovative products like Astropad and Luna Display that cater to true creative professionals. Our team has always doubled-down on delivering rich features, deep customization, and low-latency input. Why? Because that’s user-driven and that’s what we do.

So while Apple’s Sidecar merely scratches the surface of a Mac-iPad workspace, we went all in on the bells and whistles. What does this mean for you? If you have basic needs, Apple’s Sidecar may do the trick. But if you’re a pro, we’ve built Astropad to cater to your creative workflow.

Oh, and one more thing: the message from the founders also hints that a Windows version of Astropad is in the future. ‘We see a bright future in that exciting new space and we hope you’ll join us along for the ride,’ reads the message. ‘So while we may be the underdogs, we’re ready to charge head-on because we’re just as committed to creative pros as we’ve always been — whether that’s via Mac, PC, or beyond.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Going Back to Basics – My Week With a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens

12 Dec

The post Going Back to Basics – My Week With a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

The demise of my first Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens was an unfortunate one.

First, I dropped it – which is OK.

It happens. Still recoverable, I know.

Until, clumsily, I stood on it too.

And, just to be sure it was finished, what was left of the lens then rolled down a small hill. When I caught up, I scooped it up in my hands, all scratches and broken glass. It was my first, and I was gutted.

Nevertheless, after what seemed like an appropriate period of mourning, I did what any photographer would. I bought something newer, and shinier.

I decided to graduate to a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. From there it was all systems go, zooming in and out of those hard to reach spots and enjoying the freedom that a versatile medium-range workhorse affords. And despite the occasional bashing here and there, its been my go-to lens ever since.

Recently, however, I acquired another Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. Just like my old one, but much less crunched. So I decided to see what going back to a prime lens would be like. Especially after relying so heavily on the reach of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. Here’s a quick rundown on my week with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II and why a break from your old favorite can be surprisingly beneficial.

Suddenly lighter

The first difference I noticed after clicking the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II into place was the weight, or should I say, the lack thereof? The bulk of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM was enormous compared to the little ‘plastic fantastic’ (as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II has come to be known). Photographing with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, I had a lot less neck pain, which meant I could stay out shooting for longer without needing some painkillers.

Ditching the weight of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM had another benefit too. Without swinging around a heavy lens, I was able to move a lot more freely. I could crouch, jump up and down, do some parkour…

Okay, I’m not that athletic.

However, being able to move allowed me to line up shots with more ease.

A lighter lens meant I could easily sneak my camera under this umbrella for a photograph

Slowing it down

The technical differences between Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II took some getting used to – zoom being one of the most pronounced. Instead of getting closer to a subject in-camera, I needed to reassess what I wanted to achieve. This meant strategically positioning my body to get the shot. Sure, I walk around seeking out subjects to photograph all the time. But, with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, I needed to be just a little more active to get the image I was after.

Sticking with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II got me thinking about the physical and mental elements that come together to create a successful shot. It made me slow down and appreciate the machinations of photography and the tactility of the image-making process.

Lots of light

One of the biggest differences between the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is written in the name of the lenses themselves. It’s aperture. While the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM can manage a valiant F/4, it doesn’t quite cut the mustard compared to the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, opening up to an aperture of f/1.8.

What does this all mean? Basically, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II can allow a lot more light to pass through to the camera’s sensor. That’s a big deal in low lighting conditions. For example, shooting at night with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM may require a much slower shutter speed or higher ISO value to achieve the same exposure the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II can at a faster shutter speed and a lower ISO. This means that the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II can produce much better image quality in low light.

Photographing in darker environments can be challenging. But the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II allowed me to experiment at different times of the day without having to worry about available light. Of course, its a consideration when calculating exposure, but I was a lot less concerned about clogging up my images with insane amounts of noise than I would be with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM in the same conditions.

The f/1.8 aperture of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II allowed me to take this shot with a lot less noise and a faster shutter speed

Extension tubes

Another benefit of the ample aperture of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is its versatility when coupled with a set of extension tubes. Extension tubes physically move your lens away from the focal plane. This makes the minimum focusing distance (the shortest distance at which a lens can focus) smaller, meaning you can get closer to your subject while still maintaining focus. It’s a way to shoot macro photography without an expensive dedicated lens.

However, extension tubes do have their drawbacks. One of them being diminishing the available light in a scene. With the addition of each extension tube, less light is able to reach the camera sensor. This drop in light can be difficult to contend with if you don’t have a tripod and a perfectly still subject. A fast lens like the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is ideal in this situation. Even on a terribly overcast day, I was able to get some nice, sharp shots at a decent shutter speed. It meant that I could hand-hold my camera to take macro shots that may have required a tripod with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM.

Bokeh

One aspect of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens that I was eager to experiment with was its capacity for bokeh. A Japanese word meaning ‘blur’or ‘blurry’, bokeh refers to the quality of the out of focus parts of an image. The term is often used to describe how unfocused bright points in a scene are rendered as disks of light in a photograph.

While all lenses are capable of bokeh effects, zoom lenses tend to smooth a background over rather than shape it. Prime lenses, on the other hand, deliver a more defined disk-like bokeh result. In addition, bokeh requires the lowest possible aperture value to take full effect. This makes the maximum f/1.8 aperture of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II ideal for some sweet bokeh magic.

Seeking out opportunities for bokeh made me re-evaluate my surroundings. I had to quickly develop an eye for points of light that I could use to disperse into globes of color. But with the ease that a small camera lens affords, the little ‘nifty fifty’ produced some really fascinating results with little effort on my part.

Testing bokeh out on a rainy night in the city

Conclusion

There are plenty of other comparisons to explore between the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II and the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. I know, a week isn’t a very long time to truly get accustomed to a new piece of equipment, but challenging myself to a week of prime-lens-only photography was a lot less difficult than I thought it would be.

In fact, it was pretty fun!

Up until now, I’ve been a one-camera-one-lens kinda gal.

But playing around with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II made me think twice about my equipment repertoire. And with the weight and maneuverability of a small mammal, captivating bokeh and such a tight performance in low light conditions, I think I might just add it to the camera bag too. Just in case.

Without stepping on it this time.

 

Do you use the nifty fifty? What are your thoughts?

The post Going Back to Basics – My Week With a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.


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Mirrorless Cameras are Going to Change Photography Forever

24 Aug

According to Jared Polin from Fro Knows Photo, the photography world is about to “explode.” With mirrorless technology making its way to the forefront of the industry, albeit slowly, it seems that things are about to get very interesting. Is it time to drop your DSLR camera for a new mirrorless body?

In the next two months, Nikon and Canon are both about to release “at least one mirrorless camera.” In Polin’s opinion, the two DSLR giants are looking to compete specifically with the Sony A7R III. That means we can expect cameras around the $ 2,000 price region, piled up to the brim with exciting new features.

?

Nikon and Canon have been around for a long time, and experience is on their side when it comes to producing cameras. As Polin points out, they have “millions and millions” of lenses out in the wild already, meaning there are a huge number of options to pair with a new mirrorless camera from either of these two manufacturers.

Polin believes that the upcoming Nikon mirrorless camera is going to need an impressive autofocus system to work well with video, alongside 4K video resolution and faster frame-rates for stills.

“The whole world is going to change,” says Polin. “You’re going to see high megapixel versions, and maybe a sports version from both.”

Check out the full video above to see all of Polin’s thoughts on this exciting change coming to the photography industry. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Have you gone mirrorless already? Read: DSLR or Mirrorless Cameras Which is Right for You?

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7 Travel Photography Hacks to Get You Going Places

17 May

One of the joys of travel is capturing all the new and exciting destination sites from your own perspective. Sometimes you make conscious decisions of what to leave behind and other times you realize you forgot to bring something, only after you got there. Whatever the case, a few travel photography hacks can help you save the day!

view from a cave of the ocean - travel photography hacks

1. Pack Light

Many times, the biggest challenge in travel photography is whether or not you will be able to capture the essence of the place with the gear you packed. If you are going on vacation, you certainly do not want to take every lens you own. Other than adding weight, there is a chance that much of it will not be used.

 travel photography hacks - lagoon with trees and a boat

This is a good reason to research your destination is to help determine what images you want to capture. Are you going to shoot more landscape scenery or trying to capture the people living there? Your decision will affect what gear you take with you.

blue sky and beach -  travel photography hacks

Additionally, a great way to determine what to take is by reviewing your last trip. Look at what you captured then and decide if it is similar to what you hope to capture now. Many times you will find that most of your photos were taken with the same lens. You can use Lightroom’s filtering system to gather that intel.

For example, if you took both a wide and long zoom lens, but took most shots with the wide lens, then you can safely leave your long zoom behind.

2. Pack Smart

When you decide which lenses you need for your trip, pack well to protect them. It helps to remember that lenses are made mostly of glass, even when built with highly durable exterior bodies. An easy packing hack to avoid damaging your lenses is putting them inside thick socks. This cushions your lens during travel, whether inside your luggage (carry-on only, never check your valuable camera gear) or camera bag.

photo from an airplane window -  travel photography hacks

Optional: further secure your lenses by putting them (sock-wrapped) into shoes/boots.

3. Make a Shot List

You do not have to be a professional photographer to make a shot list. As you research your destination, there are no doubt certain things that you want to see and experience there. As you plan your itinerary, you can make a note of what you want to capture in that location.

b/w architecture image -  travel photography hacks

Take a note of your different points of interest and how you plan to shoot them. Sometimes this simple action can keep you from being overwhelmed when you get there. This will also help you determine what gear to pack (mentioned above).

4. No Neutral Density Filter, No Problem

If you did not pack neutral density filters for your trip, there is no need to kick yourself if an opportunity for a long exposure presents itself. It does take a little familiarity and processing in Photoshop, though. Compose your image and take between 15-20 shots with that composition.

beach shot -  travel photography hacks

15 shots taken of the same scene in short intervals.

You need to shoot in burst mode or ensure that the intervals between your shots are as small as possible. Download your images and load them into Photoshop as layers.

Photoshop layers -  travel photography hacks

15 shots loaded into Photoshop Layers.

Select Auto-Align Layers from the Edit Menu and Auto. Click OK when done. Next, convert your layers into Smart Objects. You do this by selecting the Layer menu, Smart Object and Convert to Smart Object. This step may take a few minutes to process.

When that is finished, go back to your Layer menu and Smart Objects. In Stack Mode, choose Mean (or Median also works well). This process also takes a few minutes to run.

15 images stacked in Photoshop - travel photography hacks

The result, silky smooth water as if it had been shot with a neutral density filter and really long exposure.

Bonus Tip: This method can also help you remove people from your photos.

5. Tripod or Not?

A tripod is that piece of gear that you benefit tremendously from, but when traveling you may be willing to concede. Again it comes down to when and what you are shooting. If you plan on capturing nightscapes or moving subjects, a tripod is a necessity. A good compromise is a tripod that converts to a monopod.

shot of leading lines of a theatre seating area -  travel photography hacks
Conversely you can leave the tripod at home. Depending on where you are going, a tripod can become a nuisance to lug around or may not even be allowed. This is when you have to get creative and make a supporting object your tripod. Tables, walls, rocks or anything stationary which supports your camera will stand-in for a tripod.

b/w statue -  travel photography hacks

6. Batch It!

Chances are that you will shoot a number of images in one location with the same lighting and conditions. A quick way to edit a large number of photos with your style is to batch process them. Batch processing is applying the same edit across multiple images. In addition to Photoshop and Lightroom, there is other photo editing software available that can help you achieve this.

7. Let’s Reflect

There is no need to walk with a bulky or expensive reflector on your trip. Buy a piece of foam board to bounce light into your shadows. This cheap trick can save you from packing more and you only need apply it to some situations.

city at night - travel photography hacks

Conclusion

With travel photography, most times you want to walk around with less gear (for both your comfort and safety). Once you have done your research and know what you want to achieve, there is no need to go with equipment that you will not use. Sometimes a few travel photography hacks can save you in a pinch.

Please share some of your favorites with us in the comments area below.

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6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

21 Mar

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in street photography is inhibition. Taking candid photos of strangers is not for everyone. Your demeanor should be cool, calm, and confident, even if that’s not how you feel inside.

Looking sheepish or, worse, creepy, is the last thing you want. The way you dress might have an effect. Rightly or wrongly, people will assess you based on their first impression. Think about ways you can blend in.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

If confidence eludes you when photographing strangers, there are other ways of approaching street photography—ways that are passive and non-confrontational.

#1 Pick a background

Before discussing the main topic, let’s look at backgrounds. One way of taking street photos is to find interesting backgrounds and wait for suitable subjects to move into view. This works especially well if you can establish a link between the person entering the shot and your chosen backdrop.

Perhaps you want someone dressed in a particular way or with a specific pattern or color of clothing. Often, style or elegance is enough. When you arrive at the scene before your subject, the feeling of invading his or her space reduces.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

The problem you’re most likely to face with this method is people stopping to let you take the photo, not realizing that they are the vital element. It helps if you’re ready to take the shot in advance rather than lifting the camera abruptly as someone draws near.

Working distance also plays a part: the closer you are the more noticeable you become. Master the art of loitering, and look relaxed while you’re doing it.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

#2 Aim low

Pointing your camera downwards is an easy way to take street photos. As in other areas of life, your presence will be better tolerated if you’re not in anyone’s face. People with a keen sense of personal space are less likely to care about a lens aimed at their feet.

Even if you’re a confident street photographer and have no qualms about taking photos of strangers, some great photos exist at ground level. This is not purely a technique for the shy or meek.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

One famous exponent of low-level pictures is Elliott Erwitt, who is especially known for photos of dogs and their owners’ ankles. You can emphasize the character of a pet by getting down to its level when taking a photo. In effect, Erwitt was humanizing the animal and making the human subordinate.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

#3 Pick a background and aim low at the same time

By combining both the techniques we’ve discussed, the process of taking street photos becomes simpler still. That’s not to say that good results are any easier, but you might feel more comfortable with what you’re doing. The only trait you’ll need is patience.

Choose an interesting low-level background and imagine the type of subject you want to walk across it. Then, wait.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

In a city, you’ll become almost invisible by standing casually around and pretending to fiddle with your camera settings. In fact, the more baffled you look by your own camera, the more innocent you seem.

This is the opposite of the “confident photographer act”. When you look distracted, nobody cares what you’re doing and they’re unlikely to realize that they’re the prop you’ve been waiting for.

#4 Cameras and Camera Settings

You can use any camera for street photography, but some degree of discretion is an advantage. A bulky DSLR with a big lens is likely to get you seen. A smaller rangefinder or compact camera is ideal.

The extra depth of field you’ll get from a compact camera is also useful for this subject matter. You can also configure an SLR to be more of a point-and-shoot camera (high ISO, small aperture).

Taking good street photos is so hard that you need to sort out the technical settings beforehand. There’s usually little time for fine-tuning once you’ve seen the picture.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

#5 Capturing movement

To capture movement in your subject, a camera or lens with image stabilization (IS) is useful. It will help keep the background sharp while enabling movement in your subject.

For this, you could shoot in twilight hours or even after dark. Or else, you’ll need to manually set a slow shutter speed of about 1/8th to 1/30th second and let the image stabilization take care of the background. Compact cameras typically allow low handheld speeds with good results, especially with a wide-angle focal length.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

#6 Background ideas

Photographing people’s lower extremities is easier if you’re on a slightly different level. To that end, slopes, steps, and escalators are ideal. If you don’t want your motives and character being questioned, be wary of your camera position in relation to the subject and don’t take photos that look remotely voyeuristic.

Ground-level backgrounds might include cobbles, grating, wooden boards, road markings, or street art. Above the ground, you could be looking for anything to complement the subject. It might be a wall, shop window, or an advertising hoarding.

The background is as important as the subject – you’re trying to find an interesting juxtaposition.

6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography

Generally speaking, a “fussy” background (one with lots of small detail) is likely to clash with a fussy main subject. The main elements of the picture should not rival each other.

Finally

Aiming low with your photography doesn’t sound like encouragement, but good pictures await you at ground level. Perhaps above all else: learn how to loiter. Stay relaxed, move slowly, lean on stuff, and wait.

Until the moment you release the shutter, you’re only an observer. Try to anticipate, so you don’t have to lift your camera at the final moment. Keep an eye on who’s coming your way. Casually point your camera down and wait for the actor to enter the stage.

The post 6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography by Glenn Harper appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Sony interview: ‘If cameras are going to develop, manufacturers have to develop mirrorless technologies’

16 Mar
Kenji Tanaka, Senior General Manager of Sony’s Digital Imaging Business Group, pictured in Yokohama for the 2018 CP+ show.

At the recent CP+ show in Yokohama, we sat down with executives from several major camera and lens manufacturers. Among them was Kenji Tanaka, of Sony. In our interview we discussed the new a7 III, as well as Sony’s plans to attract more professional users, without ignoring entry-level and APS-C customers.

The following interview has been edited slightly for clarity and flow.


What is your target customer for the new Alpha a7 III?

We describe it as a basic model but maybe our definition is different [to other manufacturers]. What we mean is that any customer can use this model. Many professionals could use the a7 III, I think. I hope that many kinds of customer will be happy with this model, so we’re not strictly defining a target customer for the a7R III.

The new Sony Alpha a7 III is ostensibly an entry-level model in Sony’s a7-series lineup but despite its relative affordability, it’s packed with features.

Sony had a very busy year last year – what are your priorities going into 2018 and beyond?

We’re displaying the 400mm F2.8 [at CP+] – of course many articles are written about the a7 III, but as well as the camera bodies, the lenses are very important. Especially lenses like the 400mmm F2.8 – sports photographers are a new category for us.

One of the most important lenses for sports photographers is the 400mm F2.8

Last year we launched the a9 and some sports photographers are already using the a9, for example at the Olympics, but one of the most important lenses for sports photographers is the 400mm F2.8. The weight is very light. Usually sports photographers use monopods because the lenses are very heavy, but the weight of our 400mm F2.8 is very light, and you can use it handheld, which makes it easy to create different kinds of photographs. We already announced the development of this lens, and the launch is scheduled for this summer.

How important is feedback from sports photographers?

It’s very important. Not only when it comes to quality, but also durability. The winter Olympics for example, with the low temperatures, whether a product works in those tough conditions is very important. Whether or not we will launch a new product, the proof of concept is very important.

For a product aimed at a hobbyist, maybe it’s less important but for the 400mm F2.8 we’re really dedicated to create a ‘monster’ lens.

Sony was showing a prototype of its forthcoming 400mm F2.8 at CP+, which Mr. Tanaka sees as an essential weapon in Sony’s arsenal of lenses if the company is going to attract professional sports photographers to the brand.

There have been questions about the weather sealing of a7-series and a9 cameras. Is this something you want to address?

In really bad conditions, in really heavy rain, will photographers keep on taking pictures [for long periods of time?] I don’t think so. In those conditions, most photographers will use some kind of rain cover. But of course durability is very important. Photographers should be able to shoot [in poor weather]. We have an internal ‘weather test’ and for each kind of customer we will aim to produce products with adequate durability.

For a professional camera, the requirement for durability is higher

Is that something that your professional users are asking for?

Yes. But we need a balance between durability, and size and weight. For a professional camera, the requirement for durability is higher, but for hobbyist kinds of camera, the priority is smaller size and lower weight.

Tamron and Sigma are now creating lenses for Sony FE – is this a good thing for Sony?

Yes, it’s a good thing. The E-mount is an open standard – anyone can create a lens for the E-mount system. Of course there are criteria for compatibility, but because we think that the E-mount is a good technology, we think that the open format is good for the market and good for customers.

Tamron’s first lens for full-frame Sony mirrorless cameras will be the upcoming 28-75mm F2.8 zoom. Sigma is planning its own range of native E-Mount primes and zooms, too.

How long will it be before Canon and Nikon join Sony and mirrorless full-frame becomes the norm?

This is just my personal opinion, but I think that maybe by next year’s CP+ you’ll see full-frame mirrorless cameras from Canon and Nikon. I think [by then] they will be participating in this market.

If cameras are going to develop, manufacturers have to develop mirrorless technologies

Just look at our technologies, like eye focus. All of those are made possible because of data from image sensors. In DSLRs, the data comes from separate sensors. The main imaging sensor is blacked out, 90% of the time by the mirror. The sensor is turned off. But the imaging sensor is very important. So if cameras are going to develop, and be able to capture the moment [more effectively], manufacturers have to develop mirrorless technologies. So within one year, I think.

Do you think we’ll see mostly mirrorless cameras at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo?

Yes.

How many of those cameras do you want to be made by Sony?

Many! But the professional market is very conservative, so we’re taking it step by step. We saw some photographers using the Alpha 9 at this year’s winter Olympics but of course the majority was Canon and Nikon. But the number of Sony photographers is increasing.

The Sony Alpha a9’s innovative wide-coverage autofocus system makes it a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced sports photographer.

A lot of our readers want more Sony APS-C lenses…

We know that some people think we’ve neglected the APS-C market, but it’s just an issue of prioritization. A couple of years ago we introduced the a6500. Then the next year we introduced the a9, and the a7R III. But we think that the APS-C market, and APS-C customers are both very important, because the majority of the market is APS-C, and we’re developing many kinds of APS-C products, so please be patient – we will never ignore APS-C.

Some of your competitors keep flagship products up to date over time with firmware updates. This seems like the opposite strategy to Sony. Is this something that might change?

We’re still in the early stages of challenging the market with our products, and the new model cycle is relatively rapid, compared to our competitors. But the next step is to increase our market share. And if we want to reach new customers, we need [to make] new types of cameras.

We’re still in the early stages of challenging the market with our products, and the new model cycle is relatively rapid

Sony makes a lot of key devices, for example image sensors and processors. I’m originally an engineer. Engineers always want to provide the latest sensor, the latest processor, and so on. Maybe this is one of the reasons our product release cycle is faster than some of our competitors. [But] user-upgradable software is very important. Our new model cycle is speedy, however I think that firmware updates are something we should offer.


Editor’s note:

Our conversation with Mr. Tanaka was candid and interesting, coming in the middle of a very busy period for Sony. The company has released a lot of high-end products over the past 18 months, and shows no signs of slowing down. We don’t know how far out the new 400mm F2.8 sports lens is, but given recent sightings of at least one working prototype ‘in the wild’ at the winter Olympics, it could be pretty imminent.

Mr. Tanaka knows that Sony won’t have the full-frame mirrorless field to itself for much longer, and welcomes the competition

Mostly I came away from this interview with the strong sense that Sony isn’t planning on resting on its laurels. Mr. Tanaka knows that his company won’t have the full-frame mirrorless field to itself for much longer, and welcomes the inevitable competition from established DSLR manufacturers like Canon and Nikon, as well as third-party lens manufacturers like Sigma and Tamron. As he correctly points out, some of the most useful features to emerge in the photography market in recent years could only have been possible thanks to mirrorless technologies, and Sony deserves enormous credit for developing and perfecting many of these technologies faster than any other manufacturer.

Sony will not ignore either APS-C users, or entry-level full-frame customers

It was very reassuring to hear Mr. Tanaka stress the importance of durability, as well as technology in Sony’s high-end cameras. Concerns have been raised about the ability of some of its products to withstand use in wet conditions, but clearly this is something that the company is mindful of – especially in cameras and lenses designed for professional use.

That’s not to say that Sony is focused entirely on breaking into the professional market. Mr. Tanaka was at pains to reassure us that Sony will not ignore either APS-C users, or entry-level full-frame customers. The new a7 III is proof of the latter point – a ‘basic’ model in Sony’s terminology, but one that I suspect will satisfy the needs of many enthusiasts and even professionals.


Previous Sony interviews:

CP+ 2017 – Sony interview: ‘We need to offer new imaging experiences’

‘We want to make lenses that can be used forever’: Sony engineer discusses G Master lenses

Interview: Kimio Maki of Sony – ‘the customer’s voice is the most important data for me’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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