RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Ready’

Visionox is ready to mass produce under-display front cameras

08 Jun

Chinese smartphone manufacturers Xiaomi and Oppo first showcased new technology that allows for the front camera in smartphones to be installed under, and capture images through the display in the middle of last year. The main benefit of this new technology is the eradication of unsightly large display bezels, notches or punch holes for housing the front camera.

The technology eventually made it into prototype devices but in January 2020 Xiaomi VP Lu Weibing said it should not be expected to arrive in a production device any time soon, as there were still a number of challenges to overcome.

The principal reason given at the time was the high pixel-density of modern smartphone displays which blocked too much of the incoming light. In combination with the small image sensors of most front cameras, this meant severely limited light gathering capabilities and ultimately sub-par image quality, especially in low light conditions. In addition diffraction from the protective glass could lead to color issues.

However, it appears it’s taken less time than expected to solve this issue. According to reports in Chinese media, Visionox, a major OLED manufacturer, is ready to start mass production of displays with under-screen cameras.

Visionox claims it has been able to increase light transmittance and reduce diffraction by using different organic and non-organic film materials that offer higher transparency. On the software side of things, a new algorithm is capable of correcting brightness and color casts as well as viewing angle issues. It also removes the glare that could be seen in sample images from early prototypes.

The pixel density on the portion of the display covering the camera lens has also been modified to allow for better light transmission. On a Full-HD display, the resolution in the specific area where the camera is located could be reduced to HD or even SD levels. We’ll have to wait for the first production devices to see if the change in resolution will be noticeable on the display and if image quality is comparable to more conventional front camera implementations.

Visionox says hundreds of new technologies have been applied in order to get to the mass production stage. Even with the company in a position to manufacture the new type of displays now it’ll still be a while before we can expect devices equipped with the technology. The first models with under-display cameras are expected to see the light of day in Q1 2021.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Visionox is ready to mass produce under-display front cameras

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Xiaomi VP says under-display front camera tech is not ready yet

30 Jan

Over the last year or so we have seen some smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi and Oppo, experimenting with under-display front cameras. The technology could allow for the design of displays without a ‘notch’ or front camera ‘punch hole’ but also means that incoming light has to first travel through the display before it hits the camera lens.

The latter is a major challenges to overcome and a reason why, according to Xiaomi VP Lu Weibing, we should not expect the technology to arrive any time soon in a production device.

Currently the pixel-dense displays of modern smartphones block too much of the incoming light. Combined with the small image sensors deployed in most front cameras this means the imaging module’s light gathering capabilities are much more limited than on a more conventional camera, resulting in sub-par image quality.

Researchers and engineers are looking to develop technologies that allow for a combination of high pixel density and good light transmittance but are not quite there yet. Until the problem is solved there probably aren’t too many consumers willing to sacrifice front camera image quality for a more streamlined device design which is we’ll likely have to wait a little longer for the technology to make it into mass production.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Xiaomi VP says under-display front camera tech is not ready yet

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

27 Oct

The post Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

memorable-getting-ready-photos-at-any-wedding

Even though every wedding is unique, each wedding photographer knows that the timeline of photos is pretty much the same, beginning with the getting ready photos.

Learn how to successfully photograph the bride and groom getting ready, what you’ll need to prep for beforehand, and why it’s important to capture this part of the day during a wedding.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

What are the getting ready photos exactly?

The getting ready portion of a wedding day is when the bride and groom begin to get dressed for their wedding celebration.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

Getting ready photos are to include both the actual getting ready portion and the details of the day like shoes, florals, dress, rings, etc.

It’s usually when the bride is getting her makeup done, getting into her dress, putting on her jewelry, and all of the other final details that go into her complete look. The same goes for the groom; photos of him getting into his tux or suit, putting on his watch, tie, and shoes.

Image: The getting ready portion of the wedding day lets you get photos of the important details of...

The getting ready portion of the wedding day lets you get photos of the important details of the day.

Sometimes, getting ready photos will include more people during the shoot. For example, the bride might want to get ready with all of her bridesmaids and have her maid of honor help with putting on her veil.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

Other times, you might get the bride and groom getting ready together in the same space. Either way, it’s a crucial moment during the day that leads up to all the festivities. It tells more of the story of how the wedding day unfolded.

Prep for the getting ready

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

Inform your clients during a pre-consultation

A pre-consultation is where you meet with your clients and go over the details of the wedding day. It is important to find out if the couple will be getting ready in the same location or different locations.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

If at all possible, advise your clients to get ready in the same location but in separate rooms. That way, you can bounce between both of your clients and capture the getting ready shots.

However, sometimes it isn’t possible. But don’t worry, sometimes you can re-create some of the getting ready moments before the ceremony and still get those beautiful getting ready photos to go with the narrative of the day.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

Advise your clients to tell their key people (those helping with the brides or grooms outfit) to be ready, too, since they will also be photographed during the getting ready stage. This goes for the mother of the bride, father of the bride, bridesmaids, and groomsmen.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

Make sure the key people are dressed and made up for the getting ready photos so everyone looks great in the final images.

Tell your clients to make sure florals are ready during this time so that you can photograph them before the wedding day begins.

Prep your gear bag

There are a few items you should have handy for the getting ready portion of your day. They aren’t required but do make the getting ready photos more streamlined and easier to photograph.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

One handy tool is a Command Hook. This will help you stick the hook where you want, hang the dress or suit, and photograph it virtually anywhere at the location of the getting ready photos. It also helps hang other details that are important to the wedding day.

Bring a small poster board or some fabric to style a flat lay of the details. This could include things like the rings, shoes, garter, bouquet, or special details like vow books. It can give you a cohesive look to the detail photos. That way, you’re also not limited to the surfaces in the getting ready room, if there are any available spots.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

PlayDoh or similar putty can help keep rings styled or from falling over. Roll a tiny ball and place it under the rings, ring boxes, jewelry, and other items to keep them in place. Then simply remove it after you’ve achieved your shot.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

Use a video light or flashlight from your phone to light the details if you need a little boost in light. Some getting ready rooms, like bridal rooms, are tiny and don’t offer much light, so having a video light or using your flashlight from your cell phone, can help give you the light you need. It can also help you to get interesting photos of the details like rings or shoes.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

While these items aren’t a must, they do help with styling the details of the getting ready portion.

What to photograph during the getting ready portion of a wedding day

The getting ready part of a wedding day isn’t just about photographing your clients getting into their dresses or suits – it’s much more than that. It’s about capturing a part of the day that begins all of the events that everyone is excited about!

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

When photographing the getting ready, mix different style shots like full length and close-up shots of the same scene.

When you photograph a getting ready, make sure to get photos either styled or depending on your photography style, the following:

  • Rings, ring boxes, ring pillows or carrying cases
  • Florals: bouquets, boutonnieres, hairpieces, and corsages for others
  • Shoes
  • Accessories like jewelry, watches, gifts of the bride and groom
  • The something blue, something old, something borrowed if they are part of the wardrobe/attire.
  • Getting ready: Makeup and hairstyling, adjusting their dress/suit, putting on the dress/suit
  • Putting on shoes
  • Detail photos of the dress/suit alone and on the bride/groom
  • Invitation set
  • Portrait of your client alone
  • Portrait of the client with their bridal party or others who are in the room with them
  • Anything else that is considered special or important
  • Key people in the background or with your client

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

How to get the most out of getting ready photos

The getting ready photos are somewhat of a photojournalistic approach to the day. Besides the detail shots that you style, most everything else is photographed as it unfolds during this time.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

To get the most out of the getting ready photos, try and get different focal length shots of the events like the makeup and hair. Get a wide shot of the room but also get close-up photos of the makeup as it’s applied. Capture real emotions from the people in the room with your client.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

When your client is ready to get dressed, ask them to clear out the portion of the room that you’d like to use. For height, consider getting on the bed if your client is using a hotel room.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

If you can, choose a location with nice lighting and a calm vibe. It will help set the tone of the getting ready portion of the photos.

Remember, during this time, clients are usually feeling a mixture of emotions. They also have to attend to tasks, questions, and anything that might come up that is related to the planning of the wedding.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

So a calm setting can really set the tone for the rest of the day while you photograph your client as they get dressed.

Also, don’t worry about moving furniture if you need to, or other items to get the best photo possible. Try different areas of the getting ready room to choose the best photos of the details, dress, and your client.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

Photograph a portrait of your client after they are dressed alone

As mentioned above, setting the tone for the rest of the day can make all the difference for your client. This is why, after your client has gotten dressed, that you take them to a calm location and photograph a portrait of them alone.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

During this time, don’t ask anything of them. Don’t mention the wedding, planning, or anything that is related. Just help them to feel calm by using a soft tone, directing them to get the best angle, and show them a photo or two so that they get excited by how great they look!

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

This will also build a nice rapport with how you handle the stress of the day. It will also help your client to feel less saturated or anxious about their wedding day.

How to photograph getting ready photos after the fact

Sometimes you don’t have time to take getting ready photos of both of your clients due to logistics, being the only photographer, or otherwise. Other times, time slips away and cuts time for getting ready photos altogether. Or, your client might have opted to set the hours of coverage to cover more of the reception than the getting ready portion.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

You can take portraits like this later in the day to re-create the getting ready photos.

If this is the case, don’t worry, you can recreate the getting ready photos after the fact! For example, before the ceremony, while your client waits to come out and down the aisle, you can get a few getting ready photos of them in the suite or empty hallway/walkway. Simply ask them to fluff their dress, have their key person adjust their veil, or pretend to tie their dress or suit.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

You can get action shots like having your clients look into the mirror and pretend to put on their jewelry or suit jacket or shoes. While you might not have been there during the actual getting ready, you can always pretend like you were by styling and directing your clients in between other wedding day events.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

Why are getting ready photos important?

Getting ready photos are important to a wedding day because, as the photographer, you’ll have time to get the important details of the day photographed. The rings, vow books, bouquets, and most importantly, the dress or suit that your clients wear.

wedding-day-getting-ready-photos

Each of these items was thought about, and chosen with the utmost care and attention to the details. Anything that your clients poured their hearts into is worthy of photographing. It also makes for a nice retelling of the wedding day in an album or publication after the wedding day has ended.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

Most importantly, photographing getting ready photos allows you to set the tone for the day and reassure your client that you are there for all of it. That you are there for the best moments of the day and to help them feel confident, beautiful, and excited about the rest of the wedding events. It’s like you’re there as their personal cheerleader on what is usually a stressful day.

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

Having this time with your client also helps you to get to know them a bit more. You can try different angles during the individual portraits, and also get to know who the key people are that need photographing during family formals and bridal party photos.

In conclusion

Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

Telling the story of a couple during their wedding day is truly an honor for any photographer. The getting ready portion of the day sets the tone and begins the story of how the day unfolded. These tips will help you successfully capture your clients during the start of their most important day as a couple.

Do you have any additional tips for capturing the getting ready photos of any wedding day? We’d love you to share them with us in the comments!

The post Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Tips to Achieve Memorable Getting Ready Photos at Any Wedding

Posted in Photography

 

Samsung is getting ready to test the Galaxy S11 periscope tele camera

08 Oct

The South Korean tech publication The Elec reports that Samsung will soon receive test sockets for periscope-style tele camera that is expected to make its debut in at least one of the Galaxy S11 models early next year.

The test sockets are used for final hardware-checks before shipping the components and are manufactured by fellow Korean company MecaTech Systems which also produces smartphone camera and time-of-flight (ToF) modules.

Test socket produced by MecaTech Systems, image: The Elec

MecaTech has been in the module-testing industry for the past 15 years and has been gaining recognition as smartphone manufacturers have increased reliability testing of their modules which is particularly key for multi-cam modules with multiple lenses and zoom capability.

According to rumors the upcoming Samsung flagship will feature a 5x optical tele lens, matching the current king of zoom Huawei P30 Pro. The main camera will allegedly come with a 108MP Quad-Bayer sensor, with the module manufactured by Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Samsung is getting ready to test the Galaxy S11 periscope tele camera

Posted in Uncategorized

 

How Do You Know When You’re Ready to Start Charging for Your Photography?

09 May

The post How Do You Know When You’re Ready to Start Charging for Your Photography? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

An image from my first wedding. One of the scariest days of my life.

How do you know when you’re ready to start charging for your photography?

When someone is willing to pay you for them.

There you go. In twenty-two words, I have answered one of the most-asked questions in photography.

In all seriousness though, that is pretty much it.

You only have to look at the story of many photographers and how they started. They simply took an offer to get paid, fearing they were not ready.

Let’s be honest right out of the gate. You will be nervous as hell – probably convinced you are a fraud – and will be fearful of delivering the images to the client. Awaiting their reaction, you may wonder why anyone would pay you to take photos. This is natural and is more commonly known as “imposter syndrome.”

Imposter syndrome

To put it simply, it is the feeling that your work isn’t very good and doesn’t deserve the attention it gets. Albert Einstein also suffered from this, so if this sounds like you, you are in good company.

The truth is, people who are highly skilled or accomplished tend to think others are just as skilled. Because you see what you do as simple, you don’t see the vast amount of skill involved in the work you do. You take it for granted because it comes so easily to you.

It is also human nature to be more critical of your own work than that of others. Put this into a world of social media where everyone is #livingtheirbestlife, and there is what appears to be a never-ending stream of amazing images you see as better than yours. Now you have the perfect storm.

The fact that Einstein suffered from this shows there seems to be no level of accomplishment that makes you able to see worth in what you do. In some cases, higher accolades and awards make things worse.

You just need to remember you are skilled in what you do and your work is good.

Unfortunately, if you suffer from imposter syndrome, you may never be able to rid yourself of it. However, there are things you can do to make it easier. Tactics include talking with others about your issues and taking note of the positive feedback you get. People don’t have to say nice things about your work; they say them because they mean it!

Most importantly, remember that almost everybody suffers from this in one respect or another. I suffer from this badly. Repeatedly, I think my work is awful and wonder why people want to pay me to take their photographs. I convince myself that unless I have taken the best photograph in the history of photography of whatever I am shooting, then it is a failure.

Luckily, I have a great family who support me through the tough times and remind me that people pay for my work because I am a good photographer.

Band portrait again grunge background

I had shot lots of bands, but few band portraits at this point. They were nervous as I had photographed artists they loved. I was nervous because they were paying me for portraits. Imposter syndrome at its finest.

Fake it til you make it – except for weddings! 

There is always a huge element of “fake it til you make it.” You sometimes need to have faith in yourself and go for it. Standing at the edge of the diving board is the worst place to be because you have time to think. Sometimes you need to jump off and try your best. At times it will be graceful, sometimes you may bellyflop. However, in reality, all that is hurt is your pride (and your belly obviously).

Let’s say a friend asks you to photograph their kids because they have seen photos on your Facebook and want some of their kids. They are happy to pay you for the photos too.

My advice is to go for it.

Let’s say the worst happens, and the photos turn out to all be awful (this is more than likely not going to happen. Even if you do not get loads of great shots, you should get a few keepers).  All you do is own up and say you are not happy with the photos and they deserve better. The only thing that is an issue is you have to give up more time to retake the photos.

Photographing a family portrait is the perfect example of when fake it until you make it is okay. Shooting a wedding, however, is not!

The fact that weddings are a one-off event and if you are not 100% certain you can deliver, then you shouldn’t do it.

I have seen (as I am sure many of you have) people on Facebook groups asking questions like “I’m photographing my first wedding next week, I have this lens and that lens. Which will be better? Also, do I need a flash?”

This is irresponsible. You need a certain level of skill and knowledge to photograph a wedding, especially if you are getting paid for it. You cannot gain the knowledge to photograph a wedding by asking questions in a Facebook group a few days before the event. You need to have it before you take on a wedding.

There are always news stories about a wedding photographer getting sued for ruining a couple’s wedding day. Please don’t become one of those. If you aren’t sure if you are ready to photograph a wedding, you probably aren’t.

With that said, your knowledge does not have to be in wedding photography. I know lots of photographers who have never photographed a wedding, but I am sure they would do an awesome job. As a starting point, you need to know how to photograph in a variety of lighting situations. You need to know how to solve exposure issues your camera may throw up, and you need some spare gear in case your main camera dies.

You need a headshot to apply to acting school? Of course, I can (I had no idea).

What equipment do I need if I’m NOT shooting a wedding?

For most photography there are three simple questions:

  • Do you have a camera?
  • Do you have a lens?
  • Do you have a memory card?

If you answered yes to the above three questions, then you have the right equipment to be paid for your photography. Will a variety of lenses and gear make things easier? Yes, but a beginner DSLR with a kit lens is more than capable of producing beautiful images people will be happy to pay you for. 

What equipment do I need if I’m shooting a wedding?

As with the knowledge requirements above, the gear requirements for shooting a wedding are different. A wedding requires a different amount of equipment. The most important is to have two camera bodies. If you have one camera body and something goes wrong, you are in a mess. A spare camera body may not be needed, but it is better not to need something and have it there than to need it desperately and it not be there.

In terms of lenses, most wedding photographers tend to go for two f/2.8 zoom lenses or two to three prime lenses. What is best for you depends on how you like to shoot. Fast lenses are always best for weddings as you can use wider apertures to get more light into the camera in low light scenarios such as dark churches.

For those of you looking for specifics, a zoom lens shooter will use a 24-70 f/2.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8. They may also have a prime lens with an even larger aperture for situations where there is really poor light.

A prime lens shooter mostly works with a 35mm and an 85mm. They may also have a 135mm or a 24mm. These are generally f/1.8 or faster.

Now again these are the basics. I have not included flashes, memory cards, hard drive backups, etc.

I will take this opportunity to remind you again; you really do need a high level of skill and equipment to be able to shoot a wedding. It is hard work if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t, it is like a 12-hour waking nightmare.

camping pods in rural England

Want me to shoot your camping space. Of course, I can. It will be…The first part of the sentence was easy. Asking for the money was always harder. In this case, the client said, “I was expecting to pay more than that.”

What should I charge?

Now for those of you starting to charge, you will always wonder how much should I ask? When you are first starting, you may photograph for an incredibly low rate, and that’s fine.

No matter what some may say, you are not ruining the photography industry by charging $ 100 including all the images when you are starting out. The truth is, people looking for photography at that price point are not going to be purchasing from photographers who charge thousands of dollars for a photo shoot.

There isn’t a right or wrong answer. My first family shoot I charged £50 including the images. My first full wedding I charged £500. Would I charge that now? Of course not. However, at the time, I got some cash, I built my portfolio, and most importantly it built my confidence.

The follow on question is how do you know when you are ready to charge more? Again this is down to you, your ability to deliver beautiful images and your confidence.

The moment I decided to raise my prices was when I was paid £600 to photograph a wedding where the couple had spent over £10,000. They didn’t book me for my price; they loved my work.

After that wedding, I doubled my wedding prices.

This led to more inquiries. Not only that, but I also received inquiries for the type of weddings I wanted to photograph. Was I convinced that raising my prices that much would mean no-one would book me? Of course, but they did, and I eventually raised them again. You just have to be confident, and remember, your prices are something you can easily change.

A photo from one of my first family photoshoots. I got paid the grand total of £50 including all images. Even then, I convinced myself I might be overcharging.

Conclusion

There you have it. You are now ready to start charging. Or, maybe you’re not.

The fact remains that in most situations when people offer to pay you, you are ready. The only thing that might mean you are not is you and your confidence.

You might be the type of person who will happily throw yourself off the 10m diving board and see what happens. Or, you might be the type of person who starts on the side of the pool and works your way up until you are at the 10m mark, confident you won’t bellyflop.

However, at some point, you need to leap. It will be scary, but I promise you, it won’t be as scary as it is in your head.

 

The post How Do You Know When You’re Ready to Start Charging for Your Photography? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on How Do You Know When You’re Ready to Start Charging for Your Photography?

Posted in Photography

 

Here’s why I’m not quite ready to let the Pixel 3 replace a dedicated camera

18 Apr
Modern architecture abounds in Palm Springs, mid-century and otherwise.
Olympus Pen F ISO 200 | 1/1600 sec | F6.3 | Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm F2.0

On the topic of “When will smartphones make most dedicated cameras obsolete?” I tend to be in the “We’re pretty much there already” camp. In my own day-to-day photography, and even for some special occasions where I expect to take more than a few photos, I’ll stick with my smartphone rather than bringing along a dedicated camera.

That wasn’t the case on a recent trip to Palm Springs. I shot with both the Pixel 3 and a Micro Four Thirds camera (the Olympus Pen F, specifically). Here’s where each of them shine, and why I’m glad I had a dedicated camera at my side.

My photographic priority in Palm Springs was the city’s veritable smorgasbord of mid-century modern buildings. Banks, hotels, liquor stores – all housed in stunning modern buildings that are extremely Instagrammable. You know you’ve hit the architectural jackpot when you’re excited to photograph the town BevMo!.

Literally the roof of a BevMo! liquor store.
Olympus Pen F ISO 200 | 1/800 sec | F5.6 | Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm F2.0

There are obvious benefits to any smartphone, including of course the Pixel 3. It’s always with you, even by the pool, photos are automatically backed up to your image library, everything is immediately shareable. But the Pixel 3 presents a few unique advantages: it handles high-contrast scenes particularly well, and the multi-shot Night Sight mode captures a level of detail well beyond what we’re used to seeing from smartphones, even in the daytime.

The Pixel 3 does a fine job balancing scenes like this one, and its IP68 waterproof rating means it’s safe poolside.
Google Pixel 3 XL ISO 59 | 28mm equiv. | F1.8

There are some disadvantages though, which figured into my decision to bring along the Olympus Pen F and 12mm lens. First, the Pixel’s main camera wasn’t quite wide enough for the kind of photography I wanted to do. Photographing mid-century modern buildings from the sidewalk along a busy road doesn’t make it easy to just back up to get the whole thing in the shot.

Using panorama mode for a wider shot isn’t a great option either – image quality is pretty poor. This year’s smartphones are addressing this problem with wide-angle lenses, so if Google ever decides to add another rear camera, who knows what will be possible!

Stuff like this is just lying around everywhere in Palm Springs!
Olympus Pen F ISO 200 | 1/1250 sec | F4.5 | Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm F2.0

Editing Pixel 3 Raws isn’t my favorite experience at the moment, either. Editing Pen F files is familiar and comfortable to me, while handling Pixel Raw files seems to be a quirky process in its current state. When I use Camera Raw I start with a very flat, overexposed image, and when I edit Raw photos in Snapseed I encounter a couple of bugs along the way (and don’t love the small-screen edit experience). It’s more than good enough for something I’ll post on social media, but I wanted a little more control with my Palm Springs photos.

I also found myself taking advantage of a few Pen F features that were handy, if not necessarily must-haves. A viewfinder really came in handy under the bright mid-day sun. I also like a tilting LCD to compose shots from higher and lower angles. Also, the digital level was pretty huge for me, a person with (apparently) a crooked brain who is unable to keep horizons straight.

If every Bank of America looked like this I’d be a member tomorrow.
Olympus Pen F ISO 200 | 1/1250 sec | F4.5 | Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm F2.0

To be sure, there are some third-party workarounds that would have adapted the Pixel 3 to my purposes better. I could have brought a wide-angle attachment lens along and used a camera app with a level. There are trade-offs when using either of these options, though.

I also prefer the anonymity of the Pixel 3. One morning I walked from the center of town a mile and a half to the visitor’s center, a futuristic-looking building that used to be a gas station and is one of the most recognizable structures in town.

Roof of the Tramway Gas Station, currently home of the Palm Springs Visitor’s Center.
Olympus Pen F ISO 200 | 1/1250 sec | F6.3 | Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm F2.0

I was quite conspicuous on this journey for several reasons. For starters, nobody walks a mile to get anywhere in 80°+ heat if they can help it. I’m also incredibly pale and probably a danger to motorists walking under a beaming sun on the side of the road. I also had a Real Camera in my hand, and on top of that, am a lady.

Being a lady alone in public doing something out of the ordinary is, in my experience, an invitation for commentary, usually of the harmless “What are ya doin’ there with that big ol’ camera little missy??” variety. Well-meaning I’m sure, but my male colleagues don’t quite experience the same interruptions.

Palm Springs: they aren’t kidding about those palms.
Olympus Pen F ISO 200 | 1/1000 sec | F4.5 | Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm F2.0

I wish I’d been shooting with the Pixel when I saw the Photo That Got Away. Traffic in the street was stopped at a red light, and I was walking parallel to a pickup truck towing a camper van with a majestic purple mountain on the side. Behind it was a backdrop of actual majestic mountains. It was perfect, except the driver was staring right at me staring at him.

Maybe I would have gotten away with it shooting with the phone. As it happened, it just felt too conspicuous, almost invasive, to pull the camera up to my eye and take a picture. The light turned green and I thought about that photo through the rest of the trip.

In any case, I made it to the visitor’s center, which is a lovely building but I actually ended up taking my favorite picture around the back of it. Funny how that happens.

I walked a mile and a half through the desert to take this photo of a bench, I guess.
Olympus Pen F ISO 200 | 1/1250 sec | F6.3 | Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm F2.0

I liked the experience of carrying the Pen F at my side. It put me in a mindset of taking photos that’s harder to get into when I’m using my phone. But I don’t think we’re far from a future where the Pixel 3 satisfies almost all of the photographic needs I had on a trip like that, and there are real benefits to shooting with the Pixel 3 that traditional cameras don’t provide now. The Pixel automatically backed up all of the trip photos I took with it to my Photos library, where they were instantly shareable, searchable and photo-book-printable. The Pen F sure didn’t do any of that.

When I can get 90% of the image quality from a smartphone that I would from a traditional camera, and the experience of using it as a photographic device – from capture through editing – is 90% as good, I’ll be ready to leave the camera at home when I go on a trip like the one I just took. That day probably isn’t far off at all.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Here’s why I’m not quite ready to let the Pixel 3 replace a dedicated camera

Posted in Uncategorized

 

ZTE appears to be getting ready to launch smartphone with 32MP front camera

01 Feb

Smartphone front cameras used to be overshadowed by their counterparts on the rear of mobile devices, offering low pixel counts, fixed focus lenses and generally simple specs. This is changing quickly, however, with some front cameras on the latest high-end smartphones featuring high-resolution sensors, AF-systems, computational bokeh modes, HDR and other advanced functions.

It looks like ZTE is now about to take things to a new level by launching a smartphone with a 32MP front-facing camera. The new device, which is said to be the ZTE Blade V10, has emerged in a regulatory filing on China’s TENAA website and is thought to use Samsung’s ISOCELL GD1 sensor.

The latter comes with a 0.8 micron pixel pitch and pixel-binning technology, merging four adjacent pixels into one for better dynamic range and lower noise levels. The sensor also comes with real-time video HDR, so the ZTE could be a good option in difficult high-contrast scenes.

Other specs put the new model into the mid-range bracket of the market. There’ll be a 6.3-inch full-HD+ LCD display, an octa-core chipset and a 3,100mAh battery, according to the filings. The main camera comes with a 16MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor, likely for depth sensing.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on ZTE appears to be getting ready to launch smartphone with 32MP front camera

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Opinion: 6 reasons why VR isn’t ready to succeed, and 1 reason why it will

06 Jun

Virtual reality*, or VR, has the potential to break one of the basic tenets of photography: that it’s fundamentally a medium based on looking at an image, rather than being immersed in, or part of, an image. However, despite years of technology development, VR has never quite gained traction beyond tech enthusiasts.

The problem certainly isn’t a lack of innovation or investment. In the consumer market, companies like Samsung, Ricoh, and Nikon have all introduced 360º cameras at reasonable price points, and while they’re fun, none has come up with a product that rocked the world.

At the professional level, companies like Google and Nokia have put a lot of R&D into platforms and products, and while they’ve achieved some level commercial success, VR remains a somewhat niche market. Meanwhile, media organizations such as The New York Times and USA Today have created good content, but the masses aren’t exactly rushing to it.

In late 2015 and 2016, The New York Times sent Google Cardboard to all their subscribers in preparation for watching VR content.

At a personal level, I’m excited about VR technology and its potential change the way we experience imaging. I’m even the guy that came back from NAB2016 so enthusiastic about VR that I wrote an article to tell you why it would succeed. While I still think I’m right – at least in the long run – I’ve now had a couple years to analyze the industry, poke and prod dozens of products, and talk with experts ranging from camera designers to Hollywood studio executives. And here’s what I’ve found:

VR isn’t ready to succeed.

Note that I didn’t say it won’t succeed, but that it’s not ready yet. I’m convinced VR will see its day as a transformational technology, but you’re going to have to wait. With that in mind, here are six reasons why VR isn’t ready to succeed, and one reason why it will, in the end.

Six reasons why VR isn’t ready to succeed:

1. The viewing hardware is too cumbersome

I almost don’t need to point this out because it’s the most obvious factor, but the way we currently view VR content sucks. It generally requires large, bulky headgear that straps to your skull like a helmet, as well as whatever headphones you need for sound. In short order, it becomes uncomfortable enough that your desire to remove the hardware exceeds your desire to see whatever is coming out of it. That’s not a recipe for consumer success.

I loosely equate today’s VR headsets to 1981’s Osborne 1 portable computer. Sure, you could take it with you, but portable computers never achieved any type of critical mass until the advent of what we know today as the laptop. Similarly, VR viewing devices won’t see wide adoption until they are small, comfortable, and unobtrusive. They need to get to the point where it’s like putting on a pair of sunglasses.

The Osborne 1 computer (1981). Image by Wikimedia user Bilby, released under Creative Commons license.

2. The display technology isn’t good enough

Anyone who has tried a VR headset, even one of the better ones, knows how pixelated the image looks. Unfortunately for VR, high resolution displays that appear as sharp as a printed magazine page have become the norm, and have raised the bar of consumer expectations. Until consumers can look into a VR headset and see an image that achieves this level of clarity, or at least something close to it, it’s a no-go. After all, it’s virtual reality. To be convincing it must look real.

3. It doesn’t ‘just work’

Let’s say you can get past the cumbersome headgear that makes you look like a spaceman from a 1978 home movie, and that you don’t mind a screen that looks like it has a chain-linked fence in front of it. You still have to get it to work. Admittedly, there’s been progress in this area, but using VR often requires some level of technical know-how and a willingness to tinker. We often talk about technology that ‘just works,’ but until it’s simple enough that the least tech savvy among us can set it up, VR will remain in the realm of tech enthusiasts.

4. VR capture technology needs to get better

Assuming you can solve the problems mentioned above, you still need to fill a virtual space with a lot of data for it to be convincing. That means you either need cameras with lots of resolution, or simply a lot of cameras (which is the current approach). To keep costs down, most VR camera setups rely on small sensors, which come with their own set of tradeoffs.

Even with professionally-oriented cameras such as the Nokia OZO, most of the content I’ve seen has mediocre dynamic range with crushed blacks and clipped highlights, as well as occasional stitching errors. Consumers have been trained to expect higher quality, and their tastes reflect that. Sure, you could build a cage to hold ten Arri Alexas, but that’s not an accessible option for most content producers.

The Nokia OZO is arguably one of the better VR cameras on the market today, and one that has achieved some level of commercial success. However, the imagery it produces is still below the standards consumers have become accustomed to. You can order it online for $ 40,000.

5. Nobody has agreed on common conventions for VR content

This one’s a bit more nebulous, but it’s actually pretty important. VR is new enough that conventions for things like how to film a scene, how to tell a story, or the best way to present information are still being invented. That’s a huge opportunity for content creators, but it also creates a disconnect with viewers. Until there’s a consistent expectation for what VR is, and how it’s experienced, it will be challenged to reach a broad consumer audience.

6. You’re stuck in place:

Most VR experiences today simply place you at the center of a spherical space. Although you can choose where to look, that’s generally the limit of your engagement with the scene. It’s certainly possible to create compelling VR content within this constraint, and I’ve seen great examples of VR films that do so, but for the average person who’s going to post a VR video on social media, their friends will get tired of it quickly. The really important leap will come when viewers can move around a scene.

I never thought I’d say this, but Facebook to the rescue! The video below shows off some technology that begins to address this problem. (In fairness, other companies are working on this type of technology as well, but Facebook wins because the video was easy to find…)

The one reason why VR will succeed:

VR content can be very compelling

Despite all these challenges, VR will eventually succeed for the simple reason that VR content can be extremely compelling. Even within the limitations of current technology, I’ve seen VR films, experiences, and news stories that were far more powerful and engaging than they would have been on a flat screen. In my post-NAB2016 article I called out two examples, Notes on Blindness: Into Darkness and Witness 360: 7/7, neither of which could have delivered the same impact without an immersive medium.

VR will need to overcome the limitations I’ve outlined above to expand beyond early adopters and enthusiasts, but once it does it has the potential to change the way we interact with digital imagery in very fundamental ways. Imagine being in the middle of a documentary film instead of watching it from across the room. Or, for still photo enthusiasts, imagine visiting someone’s online photo gallery and moving through 360º images with all the resolution and color fidelity one might expect from a Nikon D810. I don’t know how long it will take, but technology has a remarkable way of working these things out given enough time.

I’ll end by posing two questions, and I’m genuinely curious what the DPReview audience thinks about them. 1) Have I missed anything important in my list above?, and 2) Assuming we can get past the technology challenges and VR becomes insanely good, and unobtrusive to use, would you use it? Let me know what you think.

* For the purpose of this article, I’m focused on VR as a technology for digital imaging, and excluding applications like computer gaming (which has a very different target audience and requirements)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Opinion: 6 reasons why VR isn’t ready to succeed, and 1 reason why it will

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Canon wants to get you ready for this year’s total solar eclipse

19 Apr

Photographers throughout the U.S. will get a rare treat this upcoming August 21: a total solar eclipse visible throughout a significant part of the country, the first of its kind to affect the nation from coast-to-coast since 1918. Ahead of the celestial event comes a new blog from Canon titled ‘A Total Guide to Totality.’ In it, photographers will find a library of articles detailing how to prepare for and photograph the solar eclipse.

As explained by Space.com recently, the upcoming solar eclipse will be visible to the general American public across a region spanning from the coast of Oregon to the coast of South Carolina. Canon details this and more in one of its new educational articles, as well as providing info on choosing the right lenses and the right cameras to photograph the event. 

Overall, the blog is no doubt slanted toward Canon’s own array of products, but the information is applicable to all photographers regardless of which brand they use. The articles on the blog are co-authored by photographer Dave Henry and Canon Explorer of Light Ken Sklute. In addition to the blog, Canon is planning to offer eclipse photography workshops in July, though full details aren’t available at this time.

Via: Canon

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Canon wants to get you ready for this year’s total solar eclipse

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Study finds consumers are ready to embrace selfies as a tool

27 Jan

For some, selfies are a form of self-expression. Others find them annoying. But one thing is certain: they won’t go away anytime soon. A Sony-commissioned study has found that the top ten future uses for smartphone cameras will include banking, shopping, healthcare and dating. The study finds that over a third of consumers would feel more secure if banks used selfies as passwords and a quarter would prefer to see their general practitioner via a selfie or video call than in-person.

The study was undertaken by futurologist organization Futurizon with the market research company OnePoll who conducted data research and surveyed 6500 people across the UK, Germany, France and Spain.

The report identified the top ten ways consumers believe selfies could be used in the next five years:

  1. Dating: Taking a selfie with your date to find out what they really think
  2. Medical: Over a quarter of people would prefer to see their GP via a selfie or video call, in the first instance
  3. Banking for the selfie generation: Nearly half of 25-34 year olds would feel more secure if accessing their bank through a ‘selfie password’
  4. In leisure: Around half of thrill-seekers would like to try a ‘selfiecoaster’ – a rollercoaster that puts you in control of capturing your experience on the ride
  5. In a gym / fitness: selfies that work with AI (Artificial Intelligence) to capture body monitoring e.g. testing heart rates and even suggesting how to improve on technique and how accurately a move is being performed
  6. Made to measure clothes: taking a 3D body image for made-to-measure clothes
  7. In retail: using your smartphone camera to try on different outfits suited to your body shape, at the touch of a button
  8. Social currency: paying for entry to the cinema or a tourist attraction through a selfie
  9. Robots: Using your smartphone to control drones or robots to take selfies from other or extreme locations
  10. Home: Using selfies to secure and access our homes and cars

Dr Ian Pearson, Futurologist and creator of the Future of Selfies report said, “The results clearly show that selfies are well on their way to transitioning from frivolous fad to technological phenomenon, and provide food for thought to a number of industries. The potential is huge, and it will be exciting to watch this unfold over the coming years.”

Most of the selfie applications described above seem technologically possible today. So, if there’s a market for them, we’ll probably be able to use them at some point in the short to medium term.

Would you be interested in using selfies in any of the ways listed above? Let us know in the comments. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Study finds consumers are ready to embrace selfies as a tool

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries