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Posts Tagged ‘International’

This photograph illustrates how quickly the International Space Station orbits Earth

15 Jun

The International Space Station (ISS) moves fast. Very fast. The modular space station has an orbital speed of 7.66 kilometers per second, which is roughly 17,100 mph. It takes the ISS a mere 92.68 minutes to orbit Earth, meaning it goes around Earth nearly 16 times per day. It’s hard to conceptualize that amount of speed, but French astronaut Thomas Pesquet is aboard the ISS now and wanted to help those of us on terra firma understand the speed at which the ISS moves.

Pesquet has been experimenting with different photographic techniques to show the ISS’s speed. He recently shared an image shot with a 30-second exposure that shows ISS stationary in the frame while the Earth’s surface streaks behind in the background.

During the 30 second exposure, the ISS traveled about 235km. Despite the speed of the space station, Pesquet says that the crew doesn’t have the impression of moving that quickly due to the orbital path’s distance from Earth. The ISS perigee altitude is 418km (259.7mi) and its apogee altitude is 422km (262.2mi).

With the ISS orbiting Earth so many times during the day, there are numerous opportunities to spot the station as it orbits Earth. NASA has set up a dedicated alert system (https://spotthestation.nasa.gov) to let you know when the ISS is passing overhead. You can view the ISS with the naked eye, no need for a telescope.

Pesquet is very active aboard the ISS and regularly posts new photos on Twitter. You can also stay to date with all the activities on the ISS on Twitter. NASA regularly posts videos from the ISS on YouTube.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon Dropping International Warranty on Lenses and Accessories

12 Jan

The post Nikon Dropping International Warranty on Lenses and Accessories appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Nikon Dropping International Warranty on Lenses and Accessories

Nikon recently announced its intention to shift away from international product warranties; the company will offer only country or regional warranties for camera equipment, including lenses and speedlights.

Nikon explains, “With the differences in regional laws and safety standards, it has become quite difficult to maintain a single international warranty that is effective around the world…[we] ultimately decided to begin the gradual transition from international warranties to regional warranties for interchangeable lenses and accessories in January of 2021.”

Prior to this move, select Nikon camera gear was guaranteed internationally for a full year after purchase. A travel photographer who purchased their Nikon lens in Britain could get it repaired in the US, and vice versa – but no longer. Once the transition to local warranties is complete, USA-bought equipment will likely only be repairable in the USA, and UK-bought equipment only repairable in the UK.

Nikon clarifies that you can still purchase gear with an existing international warranty, and the company will honor it (so if you were thinking of buying a Nikon lens and are a frequent traveler, then I suggest you move fast!). But regional and country warranties will only be honored within those regions and countries, which makes it much less desirable to purchase Nikon camera equipment abroad, take it back to your home country, and put it through its paces. 

You may be wondering: 

Does this really matter? How often will this affect me?

That depends on you and your photography. Travel photographers and casual photographers may purchase equipment while on vacation overseas – and if that’s you, you may find yourself with a useless warranty when you arrive back home.

Of course, there are also those who purchase photography equipment for lower prices overseas, then bring it back to their home country. If that’s you, then any future warranties will soon be void.

Nikon has not yet released information explaining which areas will be subject to country-wide warranties and which will have regional warranties, so keep an eye out for news from Nikon to see where you stand for future gear.

What do you think about this news? Does it bother you that Nikon is dropping its international warranty? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Nikon Dropping International Warranty on Lenses and Accessories appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Video: Astronaut Doug Hurley on what it’s like to photograph Earth from the International Space Station

13 Jul
Photo via NASA: view of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Japan’s HTV-9 resupply ship

The Twitter account of the International Space Station (ISS) recently shared a short video wherein NASA astronaut Doug Hurley talks about what it’s like to photograph Earth from low Earth orbit.

The video, embedded below, is just 75-seconds long, but in it, Col. Hurley explains how incredible it is to take in the beauty of Earth from a distance and points out a few of the more recognizable landmarks visible from 410 km (254.8 mi) above Earth’s surface.

You can keep up with Col. Hurley on Instagram and Twitter, and follow the ISS Twitter account for future videos and photos.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: International Landscape Photographer of the Year winners and finalists

02 Mar

Slideshow: International Landscape Photographer of the Year winners and finalists

Nearly 1,000 professional and amateur photographers from around the world submitted over 3,400 images to the 6th annual International Landscape Photographer of the Year (ILPOTY) competition. From that pool of entries, 101 were recognized as Top Photographs. Oleg Ershov from Moscow, Russia, is the overall winner.

Ershov started out shooting multi-row, HDR, and vertical panoramas. Inspired by prominent landscape photographers he met, including Joe Cornish, David Ward, Rafael Rojas, and Bruce Percy, he began experimenting more. ‘I didn’t try to copy their styles, rather I took from them what I liked the best and then gradually, I felt that my skills were improving and that my work was becoming more serious.’

He now enjoys vertical landscapes, as evidenced in all of his winning photographs of Iceland and England. Ershov’s series impressed the panel of judges the most. ‘My passion for landscape photography is based on a love of nature, especially in places where human intervention is not yet visible. Just being on location at dawn and watching the start of a new day gives me tremendous vitality,’ says Ershov, an amateur photographer whose work at a food distribution company funds his passion.

Competition organizers chose the overall winner based on at least four strong photographs rather than a single image. This way, they could determine if a photographer’s vision and skills were consistent. ‘Each year, the Awards have two main prizes. The Photograph of the Year is awarded to the best single landscape photograph, while to be named International Landscape Photographer of the Year requires a set of four images. This is our main prize, acknowledging the additional skill and artistry required to produce a portfolio of landscape photographs,’ says Pete Eastway – the Chairman of Judges.

All the details of the Top 101 photographs can be viewed by visiting the ILPOTY website and download the free eBook embedded halfway down the main page.

ILPOTY, 2019 — First Place: ‘Fleswick Bay, England’ by Oleg Ershov (Russian Federation)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Fleswick Bay, England

About starting out: ‘My interest for photography began in 2007 when I bought my first DSLR camera and signed up for a photo tour to the Southwest USA. I was struck by the tremendous variety of landscapes, colors and textures found in nature. Since then, I spend all my free time improving my skills and knowledge in landscape photography. I usually spend six weeks a year on photo trips, sometimes in groups, often on my own.’

About this photo: A lone pebble sits in the sand along the popular ‘smugglers cove’ in Fleswick Bay.

ILPOTY, 2019 — First Place: ‘Bláfellsá, Iceland’ by Oleg Ershov (Russian Federation)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Bláfellsá, Iceland

About the equipment: ‘I have always used full-frame Canon EOS 5D-series cameras. Currently it is the Canon EOS 5DSR because the high number of megapixels is very important for landscape photography and for me personally.

‘Regarding lenses, I started with the holy trinity of Canon zooms (16-35mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm). They were convenient, universal and generally accepted. Then there was a period when I was fascinated with tilt-shift lenses (Canon’s 17mm and 24mm and Schneider- Kreuznach’s 50mm and 90mm), which required much more time to build a frame, but this was compensated by the sharpness and geometry of the image.

‘Today, I use two Canon zooms (24-70mm and 100-400mm) for versatility and three Zeiss Otus prime lenses (28mm, 55mm and 85 mm) due to their unsurpassed quality. Of course, it can be challenging to carry 1.5 kg lenses, but “good glass is heavy glass”.’

About this photo: Ershov captured the textured patterns of a stream in the Southern region of Iceland.

ILPOTY, 2019 — First Place: ‘Kerlingarfjöll, Iceland’ by Oleg Ershov (Russian Federation)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Kerlingarfjöll, Iceland

About his inspiration: Oleg’s favorite destinations for landscape photography are Iceland, Scotland and the USA’s Southwest. ‘I always return to my favorite places because this allows me to get to know the country better and to find new scenes and places to shoot. When I immerse myself in a familiar environment and slow down the pace, my productivity increases many times over. For example, I have been to Iceland 15 times and it took me 10 years to make my first photo book, but the second book only required two visits in 2019 and it turned out even better than the first!’

About this photo: Mist surrounds this tall mountain located in the Highlands of Iceland.

ILPOTY, 2019 — First Place: ‘Háifoss, Iceland’ by Oleg Ershov (Russian Federation)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Háifoss, Iceland

About his workflow: Oleg says that a photo is only good when it’s on a wall and so his workflow is focused on creating large prints. ‘I make the prints myself on an Epson SC-7000, so megapixels and attention to details are important to me.’

About this photo: Háifoss or ‘high waterfall,’ located in Southern Iceland, is the third tallest on the island.

ILPOTY, 2019 — Second Place: ‘Badain Jaran Desert, China’ by Yang Guang (China)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Badain Jaran Desert, China

About this photo: A single white cloud is the focal point of this photo captured in China’s third largest desert. Guang won second place for a set of four landscape photos captured in this region.

ILPOTY, 2019 — Third Place: ‘Grizzly Lake, Yukon, Canada’ by Blake Randall (Canada)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Yukon, Canada

About this photo: Randall calls this ‘Grizzly’s Fang’ about his photo of his stormy hike in the Tombstone range of Northern Canada.

ILPOTY Photograph of the Year, 2019 — First Place: ‘The Harvest of Road Salt’ by Magali Chesnel (France)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Gruissan, France

About this photo: Chesnel, a self-taught photographer and executive assistant, captured this top-down with a DJI Mavic 2 Pro. ‘I thought it would create an amazing abstract aerial photo, with the white of the salt contrasting against the bright pink colors, thanks to the proliferation of a red alga, the Dunaliella salina. From the ground, this scene doesn’t look glamorous at all, but from a bird’s eye view, it becomes unexpected, beautiful and like a painting.’

ILPOTY Photograph of the Year, 2019 — Second Place: ‘Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean’ by Sander Grefte (Netherlands)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Venezuela

About this photo: Says Grefte of his second place winner: ‘One of the eye-catchers on Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean) is the salty lakes and mountains. When the salt concentration is too high for most bacteria, one survives giving the water a pink color. When composed with a dark blue sky and white ‘mountains’ (17 meters high) you get a surreal landscape.’

ILPOTY, 2019 — The Lone Tree Award: ‘Madeira, Portugal’ by Anke Butawitsch (Germany)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Madeira Natural Park, Portugal

About this photo: Butawitsch focused on a single tree in the vast natural reserve known for its endemic flora and fauna.

ILPOTY, 2019 —The Heavenly Cloud Award: ‘SpaceX rocket exhaust plume, Sierra Nevada, California, USA’ by Brandon Yoshizawa (United States)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Sierra Nevada, California

About this photo: Yoshizawa captured a ‘once in a lifetime kind of shot’ of this exhaust plume, from a Space X rocket launch, that was visible over the Sierra Nevada mountains.

ILPOTY, 2019 — Top 101 Photo: ‘Page, Arizona’ by Craig Bill (United States)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Page, Arizona

About this photo: ‘I have seen Antelope Canyon several times in the popular daytime – complete with crowds and noise. In fact, this magical slot canyon is well known for its mid-day shafts of light that creatively penetrate through the curvy sandstone. I had always wondered what this place would be like at night. And when I had a last minute chance to go the first time, I jumped! Although the first night was super clouded and windy, I was allowed to try the next night before my time ran out exploring this desert domain around Page, Arizona. I was lucky, however, to find the next night lacking clouds or wind,’ explains Bill on his website.

‘Finally, there I was, standing in the dark cracks in the earth with the stars peering in from above – no crowds or sounds at all. It was so different at night compared to the day. Here, star and moonlight ricocheted softly around the Navajo sandstone.

In this adventure of a completely dark area of Upper Antelope slot canyon, I softly light painted strategic areas of the canyon with small red LED lights. The red color of the LEDs forced the camera’s color balance to expose the sky with a vivid blue. Along with experimental multi-positioning, long 15 second exposing and light painting, a surreal image of the night sky revealing itself light years above the canyon walls was created.

Even though I was focused on tweaking the camera’s settings and position, I was warned to watch my standing area and the canyon walls for huge Brown Recluse spiders (as one ran under my tripod). Now this sounds like a place in hell for most people, but I couldn’t be more grateful for the night hikes experience into Antelope Canyon.’

ILPOTY, 2019 — Top 101 Photo: ‘North East Greenland National Park, Greenland’ by Craig McGowan (Australia)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: North East Greenland National Park

About this photo: A lone iceberg reflects against the landscape of the world’s largest national park.

ILPOTY, 2019 — Top 101 Photo: ‘Vestrahorn, Iceland’ by Nico Rinaldi (Italy)/International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Location: Vestrahorn, Iceland

About this photo: Northern lights illuminate Vestrahorn mountain and the Stokksnes beach shoreline.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: International Garden Photographer of the Year’s winner and finalists

11 Feb

International Garden Photographer of the Year’s winner and finalists

On February 7th, the winners and finalists for Competition 13 of the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) awards were announced at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Over 20,000 entries were received from amateur and professional photographers all over the world. The winner of £7,500 and the title of Overall Winner is Albert Ceolan of South Tyrol, Italy. “Over the last few years, IGPOTY has been a source of inspiration for me as well as a great pleasure for the eyes and the soul. The thought that one of my images will be shown as overall winner in these mythical gardens fills me with enthusiasm and pride,” said Ceolan when his was given the news.

“Albert has documented a scene which is simultaneously shocking as it is well composed. The photo cleverly shows both the destruction and the remaining trees symbolising hope. IGPOTY introduced the new category ‘Plants & Planet’ for this very reason to stimulate discussion and arouse awareness of changing global weather and our current climate emergency. By running this category – IGPOTY entrants helped to plant 78 new trees via WeForest in the Brazil project, which focuses on reconnecting remaining patches of the Atlantic forest through forest corridors so that wildlife can continue to reproduce and thrive,” said Tyrone McGlinchey, the competitions Head Judge.

This year, IGPOTY introduced a new photo project, ‘Square Crop,’ along with a new main category ‘Plants & Planet.’ Image above is ‘Autumn Fragility’ by Jane Simmonds.

IGPOTY was established in 2007 and is now one of the world’s most renowned photography competitions. Winning entries are exhibited around the United Kingdom, Europe, and the world. As always, it was difficult to choose only 15 photos to display on DPReview. All winners, finalists, and commended entries across the 9 categories and 4 photo projects of this competition can be viewed here.

IGPOTY Overall Winner: ‘The Vaia Storm’ by Albert Ceolan (Italy)

About this photo: This photograph documents the natural destruction of pine forest by storm ‘Vaia’ in late October 2018. Wind speeds peaked at over 120mph, which led to the felling of over 14 million trees and claimed 17 human lives. In the background stands the magnificent Mount Catinaccio, bearing witness to the storm at just under 3,000 metres high.

Location: The Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy

IGPOTY 1st Place, Abstract Views: ‘Fish Pond Fantasy’ by Maggie Lambert (United Kingdom)

About this photo: Scarborough Art Gallery was reflected in the garden’s fish pond, which created an intriguing mix of hard and fluid surfaces and various textures, overlaid by the shapes of pondweed and fishes.

Location: Scarborough Art Gallery, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

IGPOTY 3rd Place, Abstract Views: ‘Tragopogon porrifolius’ by Viktor Sykora (Czech Republic)

About this photo: I used a scanning electron microscope to produce this detailed abstract view of a Tragopogon porrifolius seed. To gain the abstract element I used advanced filters and applied false colours.

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

IGPOTY 1st Place, Beautiful Gardens: ‘Summer Reverie’ by Jacky Parker (United Kingdom)

About this photo: Echinacea ‘Salsa Red’ were the brilliant red stars of this beautiful summer palette of colours taken at the gardens of the New Forest Lavender Farm. I captured a double exposure to soften the grasses and create an evocative botanical daydream.

Location: New Forest Lavender Farm, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom

IGPOTY Commended, Beautiful Gardens: ‘Notes of Tea Garden’ by Ming Li (China)

About this photo: Fujian Province is home to many tea plantations, this one looked even more amazing with its colours and patterns from a bird’s-eye view, which I achieved using my drone.

Location: Fujian Province, China

IGPOTY 1st Place, Breathing Spaces: ‘Larch Basin Dawn’ by Thorsten Scheuermann (United States)

About this photo: The light of dawn on the horizon was enough to make the burnt autumn colour of the Larix (larch) trees in the North Cascades Mountains glow.

Location: North Cascades National Park, Washington, United States

IGPOTY Finalist, Breathing Spaces: ‘Mountain Arrows’ by Mauro Battistelli (Italy)

About this photo: In this vast desert landscape the sharp shards of the mountains contrasted wonderfully with the yellow and green hues of the foliage below.

Location: Salta Province, Argentina

IGPOTY 1st Place, Greening the City: ‘Burst’ by Brandon Yoshizawa (United States)

About this photo: The sunset gave its parting burst over Seattle illuminating the highways and making the intertwined trees and foliage glow across the city.

Location: Seattle, Washington, United States

IGPOTY 2nd Place, Plants & Planet: ‘Grass Tree’ by Anne Neiwand (Australia)

About this photo: This amazing individual specimen of Xanthorrhoea (grass tree) is endemic to the harsh conditions in South Australia. I chose to create a panoramic image to incorporate more of the landscape and emphasise the connection between every plant and our planet.

Location: Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia, Australia

IGPOTY 2nd Place, The Beauty of Plants: ‘Summertime’ by Danièle Dugré (Germany)

About this photo: I captured this photograph last summer at BUGA (Federal German Garden Show) in Heilbronn.
There was almost 40 hectares of wasteland between the old course of the River Neckar and the canal which have been redesigned using every type of gardening skill.

I was very impressed by these beautiful backlit flowerbeds, interplanted with tactile grasses, that poured out the scent of summer.

Location: Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

IGPOTY 1st Place, Trees, Woods & Forests: ‘Swamp Elder’ by Thorsten Scheuermann (United States)

About this photo: A stately Taxodium distichum (swamp cypress) tree stood at home on a calm, autumn afternoon in the wetlands surrounded by a ring of their characteristic roots or as I like to call them – knees above water.

Location: Louisiana, United States

IGPOTY 1st Place, Wildflower Landscapes: ‘The Beauty of Spring’ by Zhigang Li (China)

About this photo: The Napahai Nature Reserve, which at an altitude of around 3,300 metres above sea level, is a winter resting spot for tens of thousands of migratory birds as well as a summer pasture for herdsmen.

It was Spring when I captured this pastoral scene full of colourful wildflowers, shapes and textures.

Location: Mountains in Diqing, Yunnan, China

IGPOTY 1st Place, Wildflower Landscapes: ‘Heaven’s Route’ by Mauro Battistelli (Italy)

About this photo: I captured a long exposure on this picturesque coastline, with wild Echium anchored on the clifftop in the foreground, and the sea beyond was foaming around the unique rock formations.

Location: Playa de la Arnía, Cantabria, Spain

IGPOTY 2nd Place, Wildlife in the Garden: ‘The Meeting’ by Henrik Spranz (Croatia)

About this photo: I captured a chance morning meeting between these two Aporia crataegi (black veined white butterflies) as they perched on a flower head of Dianthus carthusianorum subsp. sanguineus.

Location: Pazin, Istria, Croatia

IGPOTY Highly Commended, Wildlife in the Garden: ‘A Spider’s Path’ by Carlo Cinthi (Italy)

About this photo: For such a tiny spider in the garden, every raindrop became a giant obstacle as it continued its journey along this blade of grass.

Location: Milan, Italy

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

16 Feb

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners
‘Fireworks’ by Jill Welham | IGPOTY

The winning photographs from the International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition 12 have been announced, with the top prize going to photographer Jill Welham of North Yorkshire, England for the above photograph titled ‘Fireworks’ that was submitted under the Abstract category.

Passionate about the cyanotype print process, ‘Fireworks’ showcases the details of three Allium heads created using a wet cyanotype process.

‘This image of three Allium heads was created using a technique known as wet cyanotype. Two chemicals, ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, are mixed together to create a photosensitive solution which is painted onto the surface of watercolour paper and left to dry,’ says Welham in the image’s description. ‘This process needs to be conducted away from UV light, and once dry the paper must be kept in a light-proof bag until it is used.‘

In addition to Welham’s photograph, we’ve rounded up the remaining dozen winners from each of the remaining twelve categories. The winning photographs were narrowed down from more than 19,000 entries from over 50 countries.

The IGPOTY Competition 13 contest is already taking submissions. You can find out more information and submit your work on the IGPOTY website.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Bressingham Gardens in Autumn’ by Richard Bloom | IGPOTY

‘Bressingham Gardens in Autumn’ by Richard Bloom | IGPOTY

1st Place in Beautiful Gardens

Norfolk, England, UK

Glorious early morning sun bathed TheSummer Garden at Bressingham in rich, warming light. Ornamental grasses are featured with swathes of Aster and Rudbeckia.

Gear/Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 16-35mm lens, 1/4sec at f/16, ISO 100. Tripod, cable release, polarising filter, neutral density graduated filter.

Post-capture: basic image management.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Farewell’ by Andrea Pozzi | IGPOTY

‘Farewell’ by Andrea Pozzi | IGPOTY

1st Place in Breathing Spaces

Torres del Paine National Park,Patagonia,Chile

The sun had already risen and the dawn had been incredible. Wandering through the vegetation, however, I realised that the essence of the territory was only revealing itself in that moment. The extraordinary colours of the sunrise had dissolved, leaving behind a unique intimate feeling amongst one of the most beautiful mountain ranges on Earth.

Gear/Settings: Canon EOS 6D, Canon 24-70mm lens, 1.3sec at f/13, ISO 200. Tripod, neutral density graduated filter, polarising filter.

Post-capture: basic image management.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Lost in the Lush Beauty’ by Vincenzo Di Nuzzo | IGPOTY

‘Lost in the Lush Beauty’ by Vincenzo Di Nuzzo | IGPOTY

1st Place in Captured at Kew

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, England, UK

Opening the door of the Palm House at Kew is like entering a hidden paradise. It never fails to amaze me how fascinated and stunned I become in the presence of such natural beauty. I took this photograph whilst my friend was having a similar reaction to the sheer scale and abundance of lush tropical plants.

Gear/Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon 24-105mm lens, 1/60sec at f/8, ISO 400. Post-capture: basic image management

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Cork Oak’ by Scott Simpson | IGPOTY

1st Place in European Garden Photography Award

Gazebo Cádiz, Andalucía, Spain

There cannot be too many gardens in Europe that combinecork oaks (Quercus suber) with manicured gardens. I was commissioned to photograph such a place at a luxury real estate property in Andalucía. The garden had the added bonus of a raised gazebo, which was nestled amongst the mature cork oaks.

Gear/Settings: Canon EOS 7D, Canon 70-200mm lens, 1/30sec at f/13, ISO 100. Tripod.

Post-capture: basic image management.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Greenbelt’ by Halu Chow | IGPOTY

‘Greenbelt’ by Halu Chow | IGPOTY

1st Place in Greening the City

Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

I used infrared to precisely define the exact locations of plant life around the city, highlighting the scale and proximity of their presence. It is easy to forget the intimacy and importance of this relationship.

Gear/Settings: Canon IXUS860 IS, Canon 28-105mmlens, 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 100.Infrared converted camera.

Post-capture: basic image management.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Tropical Wonderland’ by Jocelyn Horsfall | IGPOTY

‘Tropical Wonderland’ by Jocelyn Horsfall | IGPOTY

1st Place: Portfolios, Abstract Views

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, England, UK

The magical, dreamlike effect of infrared was the perfect way to express the mystery and exotic intrigue of the Palm House at Kew Gardens. I captured a selection of different plants and foliage to feature across the portfolio in order to show the subtle variety of textures and forms within this tropical paradise. Together the images vividly demonstrate the sense of lushness and tranquillity that the space provides.

Gear/Settings: Fujifilm X-E1, Fujifilm 14mm lens + Fujifilm 18-55mm lens + Fujifilm 18-135mm lens, 1/750sec to 1/125sec at f/7.1 to f/13, ISO 500 to ISO 800. Infrared converted camera.

Post-capture: colour tones matched across portfolio, Topaz filter, basic image management.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Lotus Tango’ by Kathleen Furey | IGPOTY

‘Lotus Tango’ by Kathleen Furey | IGPOTY

1st Place in The Beauty of Plants

Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Washington D.C., USA

There are many stages of lotus growth on display at theAquatic Gardens, but to come across two twisted dancing stems of Nelumbo nuciferawas unexpected and quite magical.

Gear/Settings: Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, Olympus 14-150mm lens, 1/320sec at f/5.3, ISO 200.

Post-capture: basic image management

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Colourful Fields’ by Suwandi Chandra | IGPOTY

‘Colourful Fields’ by Suwandi Chandra | IGPOTY

1st Place in The Bountiful Earth

Sembalun Lawang, Lombok, Indonesia

I hiked to the top of Pergasingan Hill early in the morning to catch the sunrise. The view was amazing as it overlooked the rolling hills opposite and Sembalun village below. Since most of the people here are farmers, they transform the valley floor into a patchwork of agriculture, growing rice, vegetables and even strawberries.

Gear/Settings: Pentax K-3, Pentax 16-50mm lens, 1/2sec at f/8, ISO 100. Tripod, neutral density graduated filter.

Post-capture: basic image management.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘View Over Trauttmansdorff’ by Harry Tremp | IGPOTY

‘View Over Trauttmansdorff’ by Harry Tremp | IGPOTY

1st Place in The Spirit of Trauttmansdorff, a special award that celebrates the unique character and beauty of The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castlein Merano, South Tyrol, Italy.

The golden hour was just approaching when I captured this view of Trauttmansdorff in October, the green of the deciduous trees just starting to begin their autumn transformation.

Gear/Settings: Sony ?7R Mark III, Sony 24-105mm lens, 1/50sec at f/13, ISO 400.

Post-capture: basic image management

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Misty Bayou’ by Roberto Marchegiani | IGPOTY

‘Misty Bayou’ by Roberto Marchegiani | IGPOTY

1st Place in Trees, Woods & Forests

Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana, USA

The Louisiana wetlands are a giant tangle of canals, swamps and forests of palm and cypress trees that encompass the great Mississippi estuary. Populated by numerous snakes, alligators, birds and venomous spiders, the often-hostile environment is capable of stunning beauty. Every day at dawn and dusk we motored out on a small swamp boat –the only way to get around the bayou –looking for the best light and conditions. A fog finally descended around a singular majestic cypress (Taxodium), framed by the other trees and adorned with Spanish moss.

Gear/Settings: Nikon D850, Nikon 70-200mm lens,1/50sec at f/7.1, ISO 64.

Post-capture: basic image management.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Mount Rainier in the Mist’ by Robert Gibbons | IGPOTY

‘Mount Rainier in the Mist’ by Robert Gibbons | IGPOTY

1st Place in Wildflower Landscapes

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA

I came across a spectacular array of summer alpine flowers on Mazama Ridge, including Castilleja, Lupinusand Anemone occidentalis, all adding character and texture to the scene as if by design.

Gear/Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 24mm tilt-shift lens, 1/13sec at f/20, ISO 200. Tripod.

Post-capture: basic image management

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Starlings’ by Jonathan Need | IGPOTY

‘Starlings’ by Jonathan Need | IGPOTY

1st Place in Wildlife in the Garden

Snowdonia National Park, Wales, UK

A heavy snowfall brought a lot of hungry birds to my garden feeder. This old nearby tap provided a convenient resting place for this trio of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) while they waited for their turn to feed.

Gear/Settings: Nikon D3S, Sigma 500mm lens, 1/500sec at f/5, ISO 800. Tripod.

Post-capture: basic image management.

International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners

‘Ladies of the Meadow’ by Jake Kneale | IGPOTY

‘Ladies of the Meadow’ by Jake Kneale | IGPOTY

1st Place in Young Garden Photographer of the Year

Wiltshire, England, UK

The rising sun backlit this group of lady’s smock (Cardamine pratensis) in a Wiltshire meadow.I used the aperture to turn the water droplets into beautiful bokeh and created a smooth, clean and glistening background.

Gear/Settings: Canon EOS 7D, Canon 70-200mm lens, 1/160sec at f/7.1, ISO 100.

Post-capture: basic image management.

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Rogue drones cause chaos at London’s Gatwick international airport

21 Dec
Aircraft stands at the North Terminal — Martin Roell from Berlin, Germany CC BY-SA 2.0

London’s Gatwick airport has been in a state of perpetual disruption since Wednesday, December 19, after ‘rogue drones’ forced officials to close down the runways. According to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, the drones would reappear each time officials attempted to reopen the runaway, leaving the airport in a state of ‘chaos.’

Grayling explained to the press that officials were dealing with a ‘very serious ongoing incident in which substantial drones have been used to bring about the temporary closure of a major international airport.’

Gatwick was forced to ground flights around 4PM ET / 2100 GMT after two drones were seen flying in the airport’s airfield. More than 20 police units are searching for the individual(s) responsible for the drones, according to Reuters, and The Guardian now reports that Army officials have responded to aid with the situation.

Eurocontrol, the European aviation agency, at this time states that Gatwick will not reopen until 10PM local time at the earliest. Though police sharpshooters are on site, they were not authorized to shoot down the drones due to the risk of a stray bullet causing injury. Tens of thousands of passengers traveling over the holiday season have been impacted by the closure and more than 800 flights have been cancelled.

Gatwick airport chief executive Stewart Wingate has released a statement on the matter, saying in part:

Although not for today, these events obviously highlight a wider strategic challenge for aviation in this country which we need to address together with speed – the aviation industry, Government and all the other relevant authorities. It cannot be right that drones can close a vital part of our national infrastructure in this way. This is obviously a relatively new technology and we need to think through together the right solutions to make sure it cannot happen again.

Nations around the world have scrambled to develop regulations covering consumer drones and the potential risks they pose, including possible damage to commercial aircraft. Many countries have restricted the use of drones in the airspace near and above airports to avoid collisions during takeoff and landing.

Earlier this year, the University of Dayton Research Institute published a controversial video showing the damage a small drone caused to an airplane wing in a simulated environment. Though there haven’t been any substantial incidents resulting from drone-plane collisions, there was a helicopter crash earlier this year that may have resulted from a wayward drone.

A number of methods for deterring and capturing unauthorized drones have been developed, but few are in use. Existing methods include net-based drone take-down launchers and systems that disrupt a drone’s ability to communicate with its operator. No single, universal, rapidly deployable system has been developed, however.

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NASA shares the first 8K footage from space, shot aboard the International Space Station

07 Nov

NASA has published the first 8K footage from space on its YouTube channel.

The three minute video, filmed aboard the International Space Station, details “the in-space experience and see how the international partnership-powered human spaceflight is improving lives on Earth, while enabling humanity to explore the universe.”

Throughout the video, more than a dozen experiments and devices are shown, each of which are listed and timestamped in the video’s description on YouTube. There’s even a glimpse or two of Nikon D5 cameras and Manfrotto mounting equipment.

In order to view the video in full resolution, you’ll need to either stream it on Google’s Chrome browser or download the 3GB MP4 video directly from NASA’s Image and Video Library website.

Of course, in order to watch it in all its glory, you’re going to need a display capable of showing off 8K footage — something you might not have sitting around the house or office — so keep that in mind.

NASA specifically thanks the European Space Agency, the ISS National Lab, and astronauts Alexander Gerst, Serena Auñón-Chancellor, Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel for their efforts in the making of the video.

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Wellcome international photography competition seeks health and medicine images

16 Aug
Main image: Anne-Katrin Purkiss, Wellcome Image Award winner 2009.

Wellcome, a charitable foundation based in the UK, has launched a new international photography competition seeking images related to health, medicine, and science. Called the Wellcome Photography Prize 2019, the competition is open to submissions until December 17, 2018, with winners announced on July 3, 2019.

The photography competition seeks “pictures that show the importance of health in society and the impact health issues have on people and communities worldwide,” according to the contest Web page. A total of four categories are presented:

  • Social perspectives – explore how health and illness affect the way we live
  • Hidden worlds – reveal details hidden to the naked eye
  • Medicine in focus – show health and healthcare up close and personal
  • Outbreaks (2019 theme) – capture the impact of disease as it spreads.

Photographers and other “image makers” may submit an unlimited number of images, but the same image cannot be submitted under multiple categories. In addition to photography, the competition is open to other techniques, including medical imaging from devices like MRIs, microscopy, data visualization, 3D printing, mixed media, and more.

Each category winner will receive a £1,250 prize; the overall competition winner gets £15,000. All prizes are presented in London on July 3, 2019, at an awards ceremony. As well, all shortlisted entries and winners will be showcased at Lethaby Gallery at the University of the Arts London.

The Wellcome Photography Prize 2019 terms and conditions are available here. Entries can be submitted on Wellcome’s website.

Via: The Guardian

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Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

19 Mar

Packing for any trip abroad can be a chore. Then add in the task of making sure you have all of the photography bits and pieces you need, and it’s enough to send your head spinning. Thankfully there is a cure for this craziness: The Travel Photography Packing List.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

The Packing List is my go-to resource for ensuring I have all the gear I need in order to bring back the best photos. No one wants to deal with dead batteries or a lack of memory cards while they are exploring the world at large. That’s why I use the list below to sooth my packing-frazzled mind and to get on with creating amazing photos.

Camera

I know it seems obvious but the camera is the first thing on my packing list. Why? Because I take time to check it and give it a good cleaning, inside and out, before packing it away. I often carry a spare camera these days, which doesn’t get a lot of action until it is desperately needed.

Packing time is a good opportunity to make sure all cameras are in working order. You might also want to adjust the clock (set it to the time zone you’ll be traveling to) on your camera(s) so you can hit the ground running.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - camera in a tripod

Lenses

Lens choice is a dilemma for most of us. Bring them all and suffer the back strain of having to lug them around, or bring just a few and worry about missing the shot? As individual as this choice can be, I suggest thinking about what you will shoot the most if you want to limit the number of lenses you take along. Also, ask other photographers who have traveled where you are going or your tour operator for suggestions.

On my own tours, where our focus is on people, nature, and wildlife photography, I suggest a 24-105mm lens for walking around and city photos. These lenses are great for a variety of situations from close to medium distance.

Then for the landscape shots, a wide-angle or wide zoom, like a 16-35mm lens or 10-22mm on a crop sensor camera, can work wonders.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - guy taking a photo on a safari

All-in-one lenses

My go-to lens for travel is the venerable Canon 28-300mm L-series Lens. It covers a huge range and with some panorama stitching, I can get mildly wide-angle shots without switching lenses. It’s a heavy lens indeed, but I’ve grown used to it. I will then bring a 10-22mm wide-angle for the monumental landscape shots I love to capture.

Optionally, a long lens may be needed in certain situations, but they can be cumbersome. For instance, I would not have gone to Panama and Costa Rica, lands rich in birds and wildlife, without a Sigma 150-600mm Sport lens. Yet, that same lens will not follow me to the Himalayas, where weight is certainly a factor and the chance for birds is lessened.

A Flash or Speedlight

For all my travels in the past decade, I have rarely found myself wanting to have a strobe along for the ride, especially due to the added weight involved. Yet I still tend to bring just one flash and I have been happy every time I did.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - people shooting the Taj Mahal

What I have found valuable when bringing a strobe is to make sure it is one that I can use off-camera. A flash that can be remotely triggered either with a tether or a smaller unit on the camera (either the built-in flash or a unit that attaches to the hotshoe). This has allowed me the greatest flexibility to add well-directed light to my travel photos.

Tripod

A good travel tripod is a thing of beauty. These units, built for packability and lightweight, have been following me on more and more trips abroad.

My main issue with packing a full-size tripod, even if it is carbon fiber, is the need to take larger luggage. The legs of a super sturdy tripod are often longer, even when broken down, than the luggage I wish to take.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - canyon in Utah

It’s a balancing act and it matters what you intend to shoot. If you have space, bring the monster tripod, especially if you are accustomed to hauling it around with you near home. If you have limited space, but still want stability in your landscape or astrophotography shots, consider something along the lines of the MeFOTO Globetrotter. It packs small, can double as a monopod and has a fully functional ball head.

Power Strip

Power strips are great for travel and there are a variety of options. I prefer a brand where the cord is easy to store and the strip comes with two USB ports. The two outlets in the power strip are meant for a variety of international plugs so it’s easy to share when you find the outlet at the airport overloaded. I’ve done this more than once and was able to get a charge when I couldn’t have without a power strip.

Girl in flowers taking a photo - Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

WARNING: See the next section about converters because it’s important to make sure the power strip is set up for universal power. I once had a strip with USB ports go, “Pop!” and puff smoke arose when I didn’t realize it was only set for US power and I was using it in India. Know before you go!

Chargers, Adapters, and Converters

Almost any charger from a major manufacturer these days will work on what’s known as “Universal Power”. They have an input range that straddles 110V-240V and 50Mhz-60Mhz. This fits almost any AC power around the world. If your charger is not set up for Universal Power (check the charger itself for those phrases above printed somewhere on its label), then you need a converter.

A converter will change the power coming out of the wall in your hotel to the power your charger needs. This stops things from literally catching fire.

Photographer and sunset - Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

Different than a converter is an adapter. All it does is makes the plug on your charger fit the wall socket in your hotel. There is a handy guide on the Internet that lists the types of plugs in use around the world, by country, so you can see if your plug will fit.

If not, I’d suggest picking up either a small adapter specific to your host country or a universal adapter that will serve you for almost any country around the world for decades to come.

Memory cards

How many memory cards should you bring? Oh boy, that’s the big question. I’m sure if we ran a poll we’d have a huge range of answers. To help in planning, I take a per diem method and figure out what my average has been on previous trips, per day. I then multiply that by the number of days I’ll be gone to get a total number of photos I estimate that I’ll take over the duration of the trip.

Next, take the total (let’s say 4000 photos) and multiply it by the average size of a photo from your camera. Mine is about 24MB, so for 4000 images, I’d need 96,000MB or roughly 96GB. I then throw in an extra card, just in case. In this example, I will bring four 36GB cards and call it good. Especially if I am going to a country where I know it will be easy to buy more.

If you shoot a lot of videos, you should do the same calculations for video and add the two together.

Snowy mountains - Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

Lens Cleaning Kit

You can’t get a clear shot with a dirty lens and a proper cleaning is vital. We cover the basics of a simple and portable kit in our article, How Should I Clean My DSLR’s Lens?, and I’d also include a sensor brush if you are comfortable with in-field sensor cleaning.

Filters

Most of us own and carry a circular polarizing filter and they certainly have earned a solid reputation. So throw one in your bag if you are familiar with them.

girl taking a photo of a lake - Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

Next, include a graduated neutral density (GND) filter unless you are proficient at bracketing your shots and merging them artfully in your computer later. A GND helps in situations where there is a large difference between the lighting in a scene. They will slightly darken a sky so it won’t blow out when compared to a darker foreground.

Lastly, I’d suggest a quality neutral density filter, maybe a three or 6-stop.

Shot List

We’ve released shots lists on DPS before and they can be helpful to keep you on track when every single thing you see is new and photo-worthy. A shot list is by no means a dogmatic requirement, but I have found it helpful to bring back a nice variety of shots.

Otherwise, we all tend to slide back into what we like (landscape, food, astrophotography, etc.) and miss out on all the other subjects that make our trip so memorable.

Notebook

For me, a notebook is invaluable for remembering the little things that go with those photos. Maybe you have a mind like a steel trap, in which case you’re blessed, but for the rest of us, by the time day-three rolls around, we can’t really remember little things that happened on day one.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - sunset

Sure, your photos will help you remember, but they don’t always capture the emotions and conversations you might have had. They are also great for sharing information with strangers, such as writing down the name of a restaurant or attraction you shouldn’t miss.

I fill a couple of pages before my trip with ideas of what I want to see or shoot. It’s then an easy reference later when I’m feeling rudderless and need some direction.

Your List

I hope this gives you a good start the next time you make a packing list for a trip. It’s not meant to be exhaustive so I would love to hear what else you have on your list. Leave a comment below so others can benefit from your experience with travel photography.

The post Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips by Peter West Carey appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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