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Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone’s first staff photographer, dies at 83

08 Nov

Image credit: Wikipedia media, used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone’s first staff photographer, passed away at age 83 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His longtime representative, Dianne Duenzl, confirmed the news to Rolling Stone this past Monday night. ‘Baron’s pictures gave us a rare, comprehensive, and accurate reflection of that time executed by a gifted artist whose visual intelligence is unsurpassed,’ Duenzl stated.

Wolman was born on June 25, 1937, in Columbus, Ohio, and studied philosophy at Chicago’s Northwestern University. He learned to speak German at the Defense Language School in Monterey, California, before touring with the Army military intelligence in West Berlin. This is where he began his career in photography. He sold his first photo essay, documenting life behind the newly-constructed Berlin Wall, to a print publication.

He returned to Monterey shortly after to pursue a career as a photojournalist. In the mid-1960s, he lived in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district and worked as a freelance photographer. One of his clients, Oakland’s Mills College, invited him to cover their weekend seminar on the pop music industry. Also in attendance: Jann S. Wenner and Ralph Gleason.

Photographer Baron Wolman, who took some of the earliest and most iconic images of rock & rollers during his stint as Rolling Stone’s first staff photographer, died at age 83.#RIPBaronWolman
?by Baron Wolman. pic.twitter.com/x0zN4VNcMS

— Rock N Roll Pictures (@RockNRollPics) November 3, 2020

Wenner and Gleason were working on plans for a new music publication. They initially asked Wolman if he had $ 10,000 to invest in Rolling Stone. He didn’t. Instead, he offered to work for free if the magazine would cover the costs of film and the development of his photos. In a smart business move, Wolman also requested he retain the rights to all of his images.

Wolman went on to shoot the the premiere issue’s cover, featuring the Grateful Dead. Later on, he captured a rare image of their eccentric lead singer, Jerry Garcia, when he raised his hand and revealed a partially missing middle finger. Artists trusted Wolman and opened up to him in an era before handlers carefully constructed their public personas.

Artists trusted Wolman and opened up to him in an era before handlers carefully constructed their public personas.

He not only captured artists performing live, and their fans in the moment at events such as Woodstock, Wolman was also granted backstage access. His most memorable images contain intimate moments with some of rock’s more interesting personalities including Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, and Frank Zappa.

Wolman left Rolling Stone in 1970 and went on to capture images for advertising companies, the NFL, government agencies, universities, and more. His work appeared in leading print publications including Esquire, Vogue, Playboy, and Newsweek. Besides the Berlin Wall, he also documented Israel in flux. Many of these events are documented in his numerous books.

Baron is survived by his sister, Susan, and his brother, Richard. His longtime motto? ‘Mixing business with pleasure since 1965.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fujifilm donates Instax cameras, film to hospitals in Europe to help staff connect with patients amid COVID-19

05 Jun

Fujifilm UK has announced it’s donated Instax instant cameras to 31 National Health Service (NHS) hospitals across the United Kingdom and 19 other hospitals across seven other countries to help hospital staff ‘share a smile’ with patients while still wearing their personal protective equipment (PPE).

With doctors, nurses and other hospital staff having to wear an extraordinary amount of PPE due to the COVID-19 pandemic, patients within the hospital are unable to have the more face-to-face interaction they’re more familiar with in less-chaotic times.

Left to right: [1-2] Healthcare workers at Florence Nightingale Group Hospitals, Turkey and [3] Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) di Vimercate, Monza, Italy

‘Those working on the frontline in hospitals must put on gloves, gown, face mask, visor or air hoods before entering a hospital unit or caring for a patient – creating a full suit covering almost every feature,’ says Fujifilm in its press release announcing the initiative. It goes on to say:

‘This can make it difficult to reassure a patient, who cannot see a smile or a friendly face. PPE removes an important element of the personal connection that is usually so important between a clinician and patient. It can also heighten an already worrying and intimidating situation and make patients in ICU wards feel even more isolated.’

So, in its search to figure out how it can help NHS staff and patients alike throughout the COVId-19 pandemic, Fujifilm found a clever way to keep interactions a little more personal and friendly than otherwise possible while wrapped up in PPE. Through its donated Instax cameras, the staff is able to snap a photo of themselves and attach it to their gowns.

Fujifilm says roughly 120 Instax cameras and 7,500 Instax prints have been sent to hospitals in the U.K., Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Russia, France and Denmark, with more expected to be shipped out to interested parties.

In addition to helping patients feel more connected with their caretakers, Fujifilm says it also has the added benefit of making inter-team communication easier and boosting morale, as it can be difficult to see who’s underneath all the PPE, especially considering hospitals have staff moving more frequently between floors and departments.

Fujifilm encourages any health teams interested in receiving a special Instax kit to contact them via email at comms_uk@fujifilm.com.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Report: B&H furloughs 20% of its staff amidst COVID-19 pandemic

05 May

According to a report from the New York Post, B&H Photo furloughed ‘about 400’ of its 2,000 employees last Wednesday, more than a month after the iconic photo and electronics superstore was forced to shut its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New York Post cites ‘sources close to the company’ and managed to obtain a memo sent out to employees by B&H human resources director Izzy Friedman. The New York Post writes:

In a memo to affected employees, human resources director Izzy Friedman said B&H “waited as long as possible” before making the cuts, and noted the company had been paying and providing benefits for affected workers “through the Passover holiday break, and beyond to make this easier.”

B&H was likewise waiting to “evaluate the various stimulus benefits available,” but was forced in the end to furlough workers because the “crisis has continued with no clear end in sight,” Friedman added.

The New York Post also spoke with a B&H employee, who said the company’s call center is ‘busy as hell [filling orders for] computers, movie cameras and accessories for setting up a home office’ amidst the global stay-at-home directives in place around the globe. As it stands, customers can still place orders online and pick up orders pick up products curbside, but the inside remains closed at this time.

We have contacted a B&H spokesperson for confirmation of this news and other details. We will update this story with additional details if we receive a response.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Report: GoPro has laid off 200-300 more staff from its drone division

06 Jan

Californian action camera manufacturer GoPro has laid off between 200 and 300 staff, according to a report by TechCrunch. The report claims the redundancies have been made in the division of the company that builds it aerial offering—the Karma drone—and that GoPro cited a need to “better align our resources with business requirements” as the reason for the layoffs.

GoPro has suffered in recent times, with its share price taking a hammering and profits showing in negative figures. One of the main reasons for this was the much-anticipated Karma drone, which had to be recalled after it was discovered the battery could shake itself loose, causing the device to lose power mid-flight and plummet back to Earth.

The company claims that, since returning to stores, Karma has been the number 2 best-selling drone priced above $ 1,000 in the US for a period of six months up to September 2017. Even so, it would have faced (and still does) stiff competition from former partner DJI.

GoPro’s November report to shareholders announced increased revenue of $ 300 million, up 37% on the same quarter last year, and a gross margin of 40%. The company was in profit too, making $ 15 million against a loss of $ 104 million in the third quarter of 2016. However, the share price has remained low, with current trading at $ 7.51 against a high of $ 90 in October 2014.

After 370 job cuts in 2016 and early 2017 the company stated that it employed 1,327 people, but that number is now set to drop to close to 1,000, according to the TechCrunch report.

GoPro, which has been operating under the name since 2004, hasn’t commented on the claims, but the job losses have come between the end of the financial year (December 31st) and the company’s annual report, which would seem the logical time to do it.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Happy World Photo Day: Photos from the staff of DPReview

20 Aug

Happy World Photo Day

World Photo Day is here and to celebrate we’ve decided to share a staff gallery of some of our favorite images shot over the past year (Note: we did not shot the above image, you can thank the crew of Apollo 17 for that).

The DPReview team is made up of more than just our editorial side – like any web-based publication we also have developers and a business-oriented team. But regardless of each staff members’ role, we all share a common passion for photography. And this gallery is a small representation of that passion.

To accompany each image, the photographer has written a few paragraphs describing the scenario in which it was shot as well as the gear used. Enjoy!

Wenmei Hill

I’m at heart a portrait photographer: my favorite subject is people, my favorite challenge is to capture a bit of their story. This is one of my favorite photos of the year because it shows her in the midst of childhood – she’d just turned seven years old – and her eyes carry the frank directness of a child tinged with a hint of the adult she will become.

I took this photo with the Petzval 58mm on the Nikon D750. The Petzval 58 is a manual focus lens with drop in aperture plates, so she had to wait patiently for me to pick my aperture and find my focus. The depth of the shadows and color also add a quality of stillness that I like, as stillness and patience are not easy to catch in a newly-minted seven year old. Every time I pass this photo in my collection, I stop and take a longer look, remembering and savoring this rare quiet moment.

Vladimir Bobov

This is one of those photos where a fleeting moment was captured by dumb luck. I like getting lucky with a photo because I like knowing that aside from having the right gear and dialing in the right settings, there is also an aspect of randomness to our art, and I enjoy seeing it manifested.

I took this photo at a friend’s lake house, while watching their neighbors set off Independence Day fireworks. I was concentrating on photographing the fireworks, which were coming from different directions, so I was switching around between very different exposure settings. I had taken a couple of pictures of my friends sitting on the dock, but they were sitting apart, and the photos weren’t that strong compositionally.

When a few minutes later, I saw them lean in to each other for just a few seconds, I quickly shot with whatever settings I had dialed for the fireworks, and got this photo. When I saw it on the LCD, I knew that it was going to be a keeper for me, even if it was blurry or out of focus, and I continued shooting the fireworks worry-free, knowing that I already had my shot.

Gear: Canon 5D Mark IV, EF 16-35 f/2.8L II USM at 16mm 0.5sec at f/4 ISO 800

Jeff Keller

I was lucky enough to visit the rugged but beautiful country of Iceland last October during a press event for Olympus. We hit most of the usual tourist spots: Reykjavik, Gullfoss, Skógafoss, Almannagjá and, of course, the Blue Lagoon (we need one of those here in Seattle). Being a press event, it shouldn’t be surprising that I was using an Olympus camera, which in this case was an E-M1 Mark II.

On one of the days we headed to the south coast to the famous black sand beach in Vik. On the drive there we encountered sun, rain and hail in a five minute period, which I was told wasn’t unusual for Iceland. Prior to our arrival, our guide told us to never turn our back to the dangerous ocean (always sage advice) since many have died at the beach. That was reinforced by a warning sign on the walk down and the presence of a security guard keeping people away from the water.

The scene on the beach was incredibly monochromatic. It was overcast with unbelievably rough seas, whose spray eliminated any color above the ocean. The basalt columns that shoot out of the earth give this spot an almost otherworldly feel (no pun intended). Not long after our arrival it started to hail again. The hail added some much-needed contrast to the scene and it was at the point where I took the photo above. That is indeed a color photo, but the scene on the beach was so grim and gloomy that it ended up looking black & white.

Dan Bracaglia

I shot this image in Tokyo earlier in spring on the Fujifilm GFX 50S and GF 63mm F2.8 R. I’ve always dreamed of wandering the streets of Tokyo, camera in hand but never expected the camera to be a digital medium-format. Truth is I intended on shooting the streets with my Leica M6 but a stroke of good fortune at the CP+ trade show days prior resulted in DPReview getting our hands on one of the very first GFX 50S’ available to the media. And so naturally I put my M6 on the backburner/back in my suitcase and used the Fujifilm for the duration of my trip.

Large and sluggish to focus with the 63mm, it was hardly the ideal kit for walking multiple miles a day, trying to be discreet or attempting to catch decisive moments. But having yearned to visit Tokyo much of my life, I wasn’t about to let those factors hold me back on my first visit. Plus, I’ve always enjoyed shooting with Fujifilm cameras and was pretty excited by this new one.

In the end I worked around the sluggish AF and clunky size and made a ton of images while exploring there, many of which I was pleased with, but none more than the one above. It just goes to show, the photographic tool is much less important than the will of the photographer. Also thanks to the high-res chip, I was able to crop to taste in post without any worry.

Rishi Sanyal

I showed up to this shoot with a Sony a7R II and a set of primes. I brought a Nikon D5 and 70-200 F2.8E FL ED VR. Just in case.

I chose Volunteer Park in Seattle as the backdrop, because of the lush greenery everywhere. Close to sunset, the sun shines through numerous trees, affording ample opportunity for backlit scenarios and light shining through trees. I started off shooting with the a7R II. Looking through the EVF, I was able to carefully tune my exposure on-the-fly – a huge advantage of mirrorless.

But something was missing. I didn’t like what I was seeing through the EVF. I saw a flat, dull representation of the love story in front of me. Why? Because Sony’s JPEG engine rendered lackluster colors and a flat preview that tries to pack in a bunch of scene dynamic range into the EVF preview so you can see the wide range of tones in your scene. That’s actually a good thing, in most cases. But the resulting images on the LCD were, well, meh.

Somewhat uninspired, I whipped out the D5. It hurt. Like I think a couple of bones cracked and a nerve rubbed me the wrong way. But then I took a shot. I looked at it on the back of the LCD and I was like ‘whoa’. The retina-esque resolution of the D5 LCD combined with Nikon’s improved JPEG color rendition that gets it at least part of the way to Canon (whose colors – along with Fujifilm – we unanimously love in the office) left me inspired. But not just that – seeing a scene through the optical viewfinder and concentrating on it, and only after taking the shot realizing I’d created something quite pleasing was satisfying. Satisfying like those days when I picked up my Velvia slides after a weekend getaway.

I packed away the a7R II for the rest of the shoot. Boy was I glad I brought that D5 just in case. Good thing I didn’t need to shoot any video.

Carey Rose

As has already been well-documented, I brought only a 50mm-equivalent lens on a trip to Thailand as a personal challenge. I’m used to wider focal lengths, and after a couple of days, I had accepted that most of my photos from this trip would probably suck.

But I kept on shooting anyway. I was in Thailand, after all. I gradually became somewhat more comfortable with the focal length, and didn’t constantly feel like I needed to take five steps back whenever I raised the camera to my eye.

We visited the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand in the final days of our trip, and I like to think of this photo as a sort of happy accident that stemmed from my personal challenge. If I had a 28mm lens, this would probably be one of those ‘here is an elephant in a field’ sorts of pictures. But because of the tighter field of view, I was able to more clearly see and frame the curves of the elephant’s back against an almost mirror-image of them in the landscape, and captured what I found to be a much more compelling image.

So despite my initial reservations, I like this image not only because, well, I like it, but also because it serves as a reminder to keep on challenging myself to ‘see’ a little differently.

Dale Baskin

The Aurora Borealis is one of Earth’s truly magical natural phenomena, and under the right conditions it can turn a nighttime landscape into an otherworldly place. A few months back I was in Canada’s Northwest Territories to photograph the aurora and caught this image almost by accident.

I had a couple other cameras shooting time-lapse sequences in a clearing when something drew me into the woods nearby. It wasn’t until I looked up through the trees of the taiga forest that I realized why. I was surrounded on all sides by aurora that dipped almost to the horizon, creating stark silhouettes of the trees. A window of stars opened straight above. I quickly mounted my camera on a tripod, pointed upward, and took a series of shots. A few minutes later the aurora had moved and the scene was gone forever.

This picture is one of my favorites from the past year because it captures the essence of what it’s like to stand alone in a remote northern forest, spellbound, as the northern lights dance around you. It’s a supernatural, spiritual experience that’s good for your soul.

Photographed with a Nikon D750 and Rokinon 14mm F2.8 lens. ISO 5000, 10 sec, F2.8.

Richard Butler

One of my favorite photos from this year is actually a composite of two images. The fourth of May this year saw a storm approach from the west. A bright afternoon became darker and darker as threatening clouds rolled in and the forecast of lightning (uncharacteristic for Seattle) began to look more likely. I grabbed the highest-res camera I could and a Tamron lens we needed to shoot samples on, and raced to the most Southerly end of the building, hoping to capture the mood without also including one of city’s many construction cranes.

The clouds looked ever more moody, and it was visibly apparent where they were raining: the mountains to the North West were still lit by sunshine, but there was no visibility at all as you turned to the South. I started snapping, immediately struck by the Tamron’s ability to stabilize 1/80^th of a second and 130mm while carefully aimed between the tilted-open window and its outer frame. I kept shooting as the lightning started.

The flashes seem so long-lived, illuminating the banks and fold of cloud for an appreciable time after the initial burst of light. I wondered whether I could roughly anticipate the next flash, with a long enough shutter speed. No. Then I thought I’d see if my reaction times, combined with the lingering glow in the clouds would be enough. Sure enough, on the third bolt of lightning, I managed to catch the tail-end of the strike. It wasn’t the most dramatic lightning shot I’ve ever seen, but it felt pretty satisfying, given my complete lack of preparation.

I quickly chimped: more than acceptably sharp, considering I was trying to hand-hold a 50MP camera. Then I zoomed out and realized that, while trying to focus on getting the timing right, I’d let the camera slip slightly and inadvertently cropped the top off the Space Needle. So the end result is a composite: a fractionally sharper shot taken a few moments earlier, with the darker clouds and lightning merged in from the better-timed image. I’d like to think I’ve created a 50MP image which looks eye-catching even as a thumbnail but also allows you to zoom in on the Washington State Ferries, apparently sheltering in the harbor on Bainbridge Island. And, since it’s not photojournalism or a competition entry, why not?

Allison Johnson

This is a photo I shot almost exactly a year ago, but just under, so I think it still counts. It’s shot with the Canon M10 and EF-M 22mm, which is a nice combination, and nobody checking your bag bats an eye at it.

Mason, Ohio is a suburb north of Cincinnati best known for its amusement park and annual pro tennis tournament. This is sunset on Grandstand Court, which is the second-largest court and has a more intimate feel than the neighboring Center Court. I saw Roger Federer play here once. He hasn’t played on the second-largest court in a long, long time since then.

There are things I don’t love about this photo but so much that I do when I come back to it. It takes me back to warm August nights, the hush over the crowd, the hum from the nearby interstate during quiet moments as points are played. I like focusing on the crowd here rather than the players. We had a day of intense rainstorms and the sunset was spectacular that night. It’s kind of a Field of Dreams moment – this incredible tournament with the world’s best players pretty much in the middle of a field, in what used to be rural Ohio.

I feel like this moment captures what that week in August is like, at least to me, and that kind of thing makes me really excited about taking pictures. It’s both meaningful to me personally, and a lovely, fleeting moment captured and made still. Now that I’m on a photo book-making kick, I feel like this might end up in a tennis photo album soon.

Eugene Hsu

This is a photo of a mother bear and two cubs sharing a salmon at the Katmai National Park and Preserve at Brooks Camp in late 2016. At this remote national park, there are only a small number of people and a huge number of bears. Safety is your number one priority as you always give bears the right of way, which results in a unique wildlife experience. Viewing platforms at various points in the Brooks Falls area give photographers some great angles whether they are hauling around tens-of-thousands of dollars in lenses – or the compact super-zoom Sony RX10 III that I used in this shot.

Staff

We love ducks. They’re a staff favorite. Mainly because there are lots of them at the nearby park and they’re always around when we don’t have any other models. At some point we should probably get them to sign model releases.

We have so many photos of ducks that we couldn’t pick a single favorite, so this was a random selection to represent the multitude of duck portraits we captured last year. Quack on.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Ask the staff: wedding season weirdness

02 Jul

Weddings: They’re a cornucopia of creative possibilities, I find them incredibly rewarding and I’ve never had a ‘bad’ wedding as a photographer. That doesn’t mean everything always goes according to plan, though.

It was June of 2012, and I had been blackmailed into photographing my first wedding.

‘If you don’t want to take photos,’ I was told, ‘then we just won’t have any photos.’

One of my best friends from high school was getting married in his backyard with around a dozen of their closest family members, and they were adamant about having a photographer they knew personally, rather than a stranger. So it was really quite a friendly blackmailing.

What the heck, I thought. I quoted them the princely sum of $ 250, and everything was set. Then, just a day or two before the wedding, my car sprung a substantial coolant leak. No worries, my 30-year-old motorcycle would get me there. Probably.

Thankfully, the universe had decided enough was enough, and the day proceeded without incident after I toweled off a bit.

And then it rained on the big day, and though my Yamaha got me there just fine, I arrived slightly behind schedule and absolutely soaking wet. Thankfully, the universe had decided enough was enough, and the day proceeded without incident after I toweled off a bit.

I don’t shoot weddings full time, but I do at least a few every year. I find them creatively challenging as well as rewarding, and so far, there’s not been a ‘bad’ wedding for me as a photographer. That doesn’t mean there aren’t always a few hiccups along the way.

And so, now that wedding season is upon us, we polled ourselves as a staff to find out what sorts of ‘challenges’ we’ve all faced over our years of photographing weddings, and some themes began to emerge.

‘Uncle Bob’

A common tool of choice for an Uncle Bob – an older, preferably double-grip DSLR.

Without fail, most photographers that have shot even a handful of weddings have a story of the affable yet oblivious Uncle Bob. You will know him from the prominence of the large camera dangling from his neck, possibly with his own speedlight attached.

Uncle Bob will good-naturedly ask you what camera you’re shooting with (‘and why is it covered in black tape?’), what aperture you’re using, pronounce ISO like ‘eye-soh,’ and occasionally suggest that you are just doing it wrong.

But while some of us have encountered Uncle Bobs that are more tenacious or hover-y than others, many are friendly, genuinely curious, and if you gently suggest that you need to concentrate and will catch up with them later, you should find yourself in the clear.

Unfortunate urgings of the bridal party, audacious acts of the guests

Many couples will have some idea of the sorts of photos and moments they would like the photographer to capture throughout the day. One of our staff, however, was instructed by the bride to ‘not take any photos showing the front of my face.’ Challenge accepted.

The majority of weddings these days seem to involve a good deal of drinking, and indeed, some guests will refuse to attend without an open bar. An open bar is just common decency (in the U.S., anyway). This is not something that is generally taken advantage of by the photographer for obvious reasons, unless of course the bride and groom confront you and insist that you ‘get wasted.’ One of our staff encountered this from a very stubborn couple, and we surmise that the inevitable crooked horizons were corrected in post.

I was instructed by the bride to “not take any photos showing the front of [her] face.”

A common complaint: friends and family holding up phones, tablets and phablets at just the right spot to ruin a photo. The most egregious example of this was a guest getting up and blocking the aisle just after the bride passed him. The photographer missed the father giving his daughter away, but that’s alright, average attendee, you have it in Apple Photos forever.

And finally, there’s the group shots, where inevitably a family member will stand behind the hired photographer with a phone or compact camera, and snap away. This ordinarily wouldn’t be too much of an issue, except it’s the cause of many an eye-or-face swap in Photoshop, just to make sure everyone’s looking into the right lens.

How does this get worse? Occasionally, that family member’s camera will be in Auto mode and fire the flash with every shot, which will trigger any pre-set optically slaved flashes the photographer has set up. This will ruin the hovering family member’s image, drains flash batteries unnecessarily, and confuses the family being photographed; an upgrade to radio triggers helps prevent these sorts of situations, but flashes from a competing photographer are still awfully distracting.

The unpredictable, or just plain weird

This is a pig at a wedding I attended as a guest, photographed (poorly) with my phone. Any guest was welcome to go and say hello, the pig was very friendly.

And sometimes, there’s just the crazy, random happenstances that don’t really fit into any sort of reliable pattern or theme. As above, sometimes the wedding venue is adjacent to a restaurant that grows its own food, and there is a pig. This obviously isn’t a grievance per se, that pig was adorable in his own way.

Thankfully, gear failures weren’t all that common for us, but one of our staff had an autofocus motor die just as the bride and groom began their walk back down the aisle.

Another time, a group of groomsmen grew demonstrably angry when the photographer would not sit with them at the reception and drink heavily instead of taking photographs.

A guest videographer at one destination wedding set up an enormous ladder to film video from at the back of the group, which would have been less of a problem were he not wearing a kilt. Underwear status remained carefully unconfirmed.

Everyone’s got stories

In a follow-up post, we’ll be polling some full-time freelance and wedding photogs on some of their more…interesting experiences, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, do you shoot weddings full-time or on the side, or have attended a wedding and borne witness to an unusual event? Let us know in the comments, and maybe we’ll feature your story in a follow up as well!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Ask the staff: How are you shooting the cherry blossoms?

16 Apr

Mention ‘the Cherry Blossoms’ to a Seattleite and they’ll know exactly what you mean: the week or so in early spring when the University of Washington’s cherry blossom trees are in full bloom on ‘the Quad.’ It’s a thing.

It’s also beautiful, if you can work around the mobs of people who flock there each year. The unpredictable, often dismal weather and the crowds make for interesting challenges to overcome, but DPR staff are always up for a challenge. So we gathered at the Quad recently, each equipped with a camera and lens of our choosing, and challenged ourselves to take our best cherry blossom shot. Take a look at the video above to see how we fared.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Ask the staff: Pick one focal length or lens to rule them all

27 Mar

Can you guess the focal length? Photo by Wenmei Hill

We handle a lot of glass in the DPReview office, but there always seems to be a handful of lenses or fixed lens cameras that everyone is extra eager to lay some paws on. Which got us thinking of a fun hypothetical: If we could only choose one lens to use for the rest of time, what would it be?

To keep things interesting, and to vary the answers, we opened the question up to include one lens in particular or one focal length. The photograph that accompanies each answer was shot with that staff member’s chosen lens or focal length. We purposely didn’t list the gear used. See if you can guess!

Carey Rose

Any guesses what focal length Carey gravitates toward?

Before I worked at DPReview, I would have immediately chosen the 35mm focal length. Now that I’ve worked at DPReview for some time, I have to say… I haven’t really changed my mind.

Splurging on a battered old D700 after college left me without enough money to pick up anything approaching a fast zoom, so I started building up a collection of affordable Nikon AF-D primes: a 50mm F1.8, a 35mm F2, an 85mm F1.8. I quickly realized that I just wasn’t a zoom guy, and the 35mm F2 was glued to my camera most of the time. A used X100 was a natural next step for a more portable setup when I scored a good deal on one.

Even today, after using lens after lens and camera after camera for review after review, the 35mm focal length remains my go-to. It doesn’t matter whether I’m headed to shoot an event, a wedding, an environmental portrait, or just strolling around when some nice light hits, it’s more likely I’ll have a 35mm lens with me than any other.

Wenmei Hill

Wenmei likes versatility. Did she choose a zoom or a prime?

I’m going to take the easy way out and pick a zoom lens rather than a single focal length. My choice is the Nikon AF-S 24-120mm F4G ED VR, and my excuse is that the majority of shooting I do (documentary lifestyle and candid portraiture) requires a flexibility that is difficult to get with a single focal length.

I’m choosing the 24-120mm even though it’s not one of my ‘favorite’ lenses because it is relatively small, lightweight and versatile enough to get the variety of shots I look for when photographing. I am able to immerse myself in a scene at 24mm but also step back for a portrait at 120mm, using the longer focal length to get pleasing bokeh and separation from the background.

Shooting it on a DX-format body gives me even more reach at the long end (180mm equivalent) for portraits. I already use this lens as my everyday lens when I don’t have a particular creative plan and want to be prepared for anything, so it’s the one I’d choose if I had to pick just one.

Dale Baskin

Dale chose a specific focal length that he didn’t always love. Can you guess what it is?

This will probably seem like I’m going for the low hanging fruit, but I would choose 35mm. I used to be a solid 50mm guy, and if I wanted to go a bit wider I switched to 28mm, skipping 35mm entirely. My shift to 35mm began in earnest when I started shooting Fujifilm’s X100 series of cameras, which have a 35mm equivalent lens.

Now, one could argue that I’m choosing 35mm because I really enjoy the camera to which it’s attached, but that’s not the case. In fact, when I first started shooting the X100 I enjoyed it despite the focal length. It was actually the one thing I didn’t care for about the camera. However, as I continued to use it, I learned to adjust my style to take advantage of the 35mm field of view. After a few months, I found myself really enjoying it, so I decided to do a little experiment: I was about to embark on a trip to Brazil and decided to shoot my entire adventure at 35mm. The idea was both exciting and scary; I knew from experience that I would be giving up some shots by not having the right lens. However, I like to travel light, and I hate carrying camera gear, so I threw down the gauntlet and accepted my own challenge.

The upshot? I had a great trip and captured a lot of memorable images. Did I miss a few shots along the way? Sure, I did. But on the flip side, I got some great photos I would have otherwise missed because I forced myself to visualize every scene at 35mm instead of mentally switching to a different focal length. Now, no matter what camera I happen to be testing, one of the first lenses I always put on the front is a 35mm (or equivalent).

Sam Spencer

Sam chose a specialty lens. This image was shot using a similar lens, albeit with a different focal length. Do you know what it is?

Forever? Forever ever? I’m sure I could do the practical thing and say ’24-70’, or be a motorsports spectator the rest of my life and say ’70-200’, but I’m weirder than that. If it was a lens for me to shoot what makes me happy for the rest of my days, it’d be the Nikon PC-E 85mm F2.8 for product, portrait, and automotive photography. The maximum magnification of 1:2 means I can get close for product, and use the tilt to either get more of the product in focus, or isolate the focal point. I like medium telephoto lenses for the narrower field of view that makes selecting a background out of a busy environment much easier, and even F2.8 can be bright enough to blur the background at 85mm. I’m a control freak, not a speed demon, so I’ll be watching eBay for a copy…

Dan Bracaglia

Dan’s image was shot with the equivalent of his favorite focal length. The image was cropped in slightly, still any ideas what he chose?

The first and only lens I’d owned for many years was a 50mm. But as my interest in photography (and other activities) grew I found myself yearning for other lenses. If you’d asked me this question when I was 16 years old and shooting a lot of skateboarding, I probably would have said a fisheye is my favorite lens. If you’d asked me again when I was 18 or 19 years old and starting to get into photojournalism, I’d probably have said 24mm. If you’d ask me when I was 24-28 years-old, and reviewing cameras for a living, all why exploring the streets of NYC/Seattle, I most likely would have said 35mm. But these days, I’ve come full circle and 50mm is my focal length of choice if I could only shoot one lens for the rest of my life.

Sometimes overlooked or seen as pedestrian, there are plenty of reasons why a normal 50mm lens is number one in my heart and bag: For starters the nifty fifty is as practical as they come. Most manufacturers make a reasonably fast, yet inexpensive 50mm equiv. Moreover, I’d argue its the most versatile focal length of them all: in a pinch it can be used for portraiture or detail shots, in the same way a tele can. And it can also be used in some capacity as a wide-angle, if you have the room to move (I’ve shot many concerts with just a 50mm, without feeling a need for something wider). And if you get a reversal ring, you can mount a nifty fifty backward and use it for macro shooting!

For years I’ve carried a Nikon 50mm F1.8 in my bag as the ultimate backup for just about anything I’m shooting: weddings, concerts, portrait sessions, travel. It’s light cheap and versatile. But these days, the lens spends as much time mounted on my camera as glass I own costing 6x as much.

Jeff Keller

Jeff chose a workhorse zoom. Can you guess which one?

Since I’m always shooting with something work-related, I don’t get to use my EOS 5D III very often. But when I do, my daily driver is the Canon EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM. Not the most exciting choice of lens, I admit, but for land- and cityscapes that I enjoy taking, it definitely fits the bill. The image stabilization works well, it focuses silently and the weatherproofing is helpful when you’re out at Snoqualmie Falls and it’s throwing mist. Naturally, not long after I bought the 24-105, the Mark II arrived, with new optics, better autofocus and new coatings to reduce lens flare and ghosting. The lens is larger and heavier than my Mark I model, which I consider a good size for its focal length and aperture.

It’s nice to see that Canon isn’t the only one offering a lens with this focal range. Sigma’s 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Art lens is even bigger and heavier than Canon’s Mark II version, but the build quality is excellent. And, according to DxO, it’s also a sharper lens. And did I mention that it’s a bit cheaper?

Thus, if I was stranded in a world with wonderful landscapes and cool architecture, the Sigma 24-105mm F4 Art would be permanently mounted on my 5D III.

Vladimir Bobov

Vladimir is our newest DPR team member. He makes sure the site works properly. Any guesses what focal length he chose?

I wasn’t sure whether to bother praising the 50mm focal length. I figured that it’s so common, that talking about it would be either redundant at best or boring at worst. However, sorting my photo collection by focal length showed that I took more photos with a 50mm (on a 35mm full frame camera) than with any other lens, including the more versatile zooms.

So why pick the “normal” prime for the rest of my life? Versatility and portability. It’s the perfect lens for candid portraits in a casual setting – fast enough to use in low light, and small enough to not intimidate the subject. Wide enough for full-body and group portraits, and good enough for head-and-shoulders (especially when paired with an APS-C camera). I’ve also been able to use it effectively for landscapes, close-ups, product, and food photography. So although I’d certainly miss the other focal lengths, with enough creativity and trickery, the 50 and I could live happily ever after.

Richard Butler

Richard chose a favorite lens that doesn’t yet exist. This image falls toward the tele-end of his made-up range. Can you guess what it is?

If I have to live within the constraints of reality, then I’d be tempted to say a 35mm just for its Goldilocks-like flexibility. But, it seems only fair that if I agree to be bound by an arbitrary restriction, I’m should get to relax the need to limit myself to lenses that actually exist. The problem is that I really like 35-40mm equivalent lenses but also love something around 90mm equiv. for portraiture and a lifetime seems like a long time to have to go without.

Equally, if I have a 24 or 28mm equivalent lens, I get back into the habit of ‘seeing’ wide-angle scenes and I’m sure there’s some aphorism about making one’s life spicy. This is why I’m pushing back against reality: the need for a 90mm equiv, rules out the use of a 24-70mm equiv and, over time, the limiting equivalent aperture of an 18-55mm F2.8 on APS-C would leave me frustrated. Sigma’s 18-35mm F1.8 is a work of genius that I wish were available on mirrorless systems, so I’m going to put my faith in the men and women of Aizu and trust that they’ll make me a 16-60mm F2 for APS-C mirrorless. I mean, how hard could it be?

Allison Johnson

Allison chose a specific zoom lens, can you guess which one?

Maybe a truly bold person picks a prime to shoot with for the rest of their life, but I’m going to play it safe and pick a zoom, whatever that says about me. The Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 is not the very best lens I’ve ever shot with, but it’s fairly versatile, sturdy and relatively small. It’s the right size (along with the OM-D cameras I’ve used it with) so that it’s doable to carry around all day in my purse, and I like having a fairly wide 24mm equiv. out to 80mm for a little more reach when I want it.

Really, it’s not special in any way except that it’s a solid standard zoom for a system I like. I’ve had many happy days shooting with it, including one wonderful afternoon at a defunct nuclear power plant (seriously, it was awesome). If picking a zoom makes me basic, then so be it.

Barney Britton

Any guesses what lens Barney chose?

If I was trying to impress you, and if I wasn’t such a died-in-the-wool contrarian, my choice for ‘go-to’ camera and lens would be a Nikon D810 and a 35mm lens – something good, like the Nikon 35mm F1.4 or Sigma Art 35mm F1.4, or perhaps an old ’sleeper’ favorite, like the Nikon AF-D 35mm F2, for the hipsters. If you were to ask me what focal length I use most, I’d say that probably around 90% of my photography could be achieved with a 35mm lens. If you were to ask some of my comment-thread critics on the other hand, they’d tell you that 90% of my photography could be achieved with an iPhone, or their 5-year old daughter, or their blind grandmother, or their blind grandmother’s 5 year-old iPhone, but that’s beside the point.

But I’m not trying to impress you. Which is why I’m going to cheat a little, and make a case for a zoom lens, and one that doesn’t get a lot of love in these parts – the Nikon AF-S 24-120mm F4. The current version of Nikon’s ‘street-sweeper’ do-everything zoom, it’s true that the 24-120mm isn’t the sharpest lens in Nikon’s stable, or the best-controlled when it comes to distortion, or the toughest, and all the rest. It’s a kit zoom. A pretty good kit zoom, in my opinion, but still. So why – if I had to choose only one lens – would I pick the 24-120mm? Because it just works. I know that if I go out shooting with the D810 and 24-120mm, come rain or shine (or snow, or hail, or desert dust, or any of the other nasties I’ve thrown at it) I can capture pretty much anything I might want or need to. It’s almost boring. I wish I had more of an excuse to attach other lenses, but to be honest, most of the time I just don’t. I actually sold a bunch of my Nikon glass recently, because it wasn’t getting used.

The image above was taken just after a torrential downpour last December which turned into a hail storm. The camera and lens were – like me – soaked. Could I have taken it on something better? Maybe, but I wouldn’t have wanted to risk damaging a more expensive lens in those conditions. And would it be a better picture had I done so? Or a happier memory? No.

What would you choose?

If you could only shoot with one lens, or one focal length for the rest of your life, what would you choose? Feel free to share your answer in the comments!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Ask the staff: electronic or optical viewfinder?

12 Mar

Fujifilm’s X100 series, together with its X-Pro series, are the only models on the market to offer both an electronic and optical hybrid viewfinder. Is it the best of both worlds, or would you just rather have one over the other?

Believe it or not, as a team, we don’t all agree on everything. So at any given time, each of us thinks the rest of us are wrong about something subjective that you can’t really be wrong about (we’re all human). That takes us to the task at hand: all the great recent electronic viewfinders (Leica SL, Panasonic GH5, Fujifilm GFX 50S…well, some of us think that one’s just okay) got us on the topic of which type of viewfinder we prefer.

Optical or electronic? There’s no wrong answer. (Or is there?)

Richard Butler

For me, I’m less concerned about the technology behind a viewfinder than the quality of it. A good optical viewfinder can be a lovely thing: giving you a sense of being ‘in the scene’ that even the best EVF can’t match. A good optical viewfinder can also be excellent when shooting in very low light: its responsiveness and resolution don’t suddenly drop, for instance. However, on most cameras, you don’t get a good optical viewfinder. APS-C sensors tend to mean small, pokey little viewfinders and most focus screens for modern cameras aren’t very good for manual focus. So, if an EVF means I can have a smaller camera with a larger viewfinder, the ability to preview the effect of my settings and the ability to shoot video, then that makes up for many of the shortcomings. It’s impossible to separate the viewfinder type from the style of camera it allows and, with the quality of the latest EVFs, the style of camera I like most usually means it comes with an EVF.

Dan Bracaglia

Photo courtesy Stan Horaczek

Depending on the situation, I could go either way on the OVF versus EVF question. If forced to pick one, I’d choose OVF because I find shooting through an optical finder offers a more pleasant and rewarding experience than using an EVF. I also personally find it easier to compose images through an optical finder.

That said, EVFs make properly exposing images much easier, and in a commercial application in which getting the shot is mission critical, I could make an argument that EVFs are superior. That said, it would be cool if more cameras offered both, like on the Fujifilm X100 series.

Dale Baskin

I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I now lean toward using EVFs. I wouldn’t have said that a couple years ago because, until recently, EVFs on still cameras basically sucked. Today’s best EVFs still won’t fool my brain into believing that I’m looking at an OVF, but in many respects they better reflect the way I tend to shoot with digital. I love the ability to overlay real-time information such as histograms, focus peaking, and zebras, as well as being able to preview exposure adjustments as they’re made. (I may be showing some of my video bias here as well.)

Are EVFs good for everything? No. I still wouldn’t choose them for photographing sports or in situations that require rapid-fire burst shooting, but I suspect EVFs will get there at some point. Of course, the best of both worlds is a hybrid OVF along the lines of those on the Fujifilm X100 series. I love having a perfect optical image overlaid with the useful tools an EVF provides. It’s kind of like the peanut butter cup of the camera world – the two just go well together!

Sam Spencer

Optical. Optical optical optical.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been some nice EVFs. The GX8, particularly, holds a soft spot in my heart.

At the end of the day, however, I prefer an optical viewfinder over any EVF. With an EVF, no matter how fast the camera is, the light has to enter the lens, hit the sensor, get processed, reduced, rendered, and THEN makes it to the eye. There has been a lot of work to make this ‘lag’ imperceptible, but it will never be completely eliminated. I find when I’m using an EVF I struggle timing candid shots properly, usually resulting in half closed eyes or an awkward expression. Also, with motorsports there is a lot of panning, which can be difficult through an EVF.

Ideally, I’d own a D750 and X100F to get the best of both worlds, especially because AF-C through the X100F’s OVF works way better than it has before…

Carey Rose

I’ve grown to love electronic viewfinders, but if I had to choose, I’d pick an optical viewfinder any day. It’s the combination of low blackout on higher-end cameras, how I’m easily able to follow subjects during bursts, and just the immediacy of seeing things as they happen that chiefly appeals to me. Whether I’m shooting sports, an event, a wedding or even just a dog playing fetch, the experience of using an optical viewfinder is just easier for me, and being able to clearly see a scene in really low light is invaluable. There’s a lot to be said for being able to preview your results with an electronic unit, but I still enjoy that brief ‘moment of discovery’ when I see an image on the back of the camera. Plus, a good optical viewfinder almost by definition goes along with a good phase-detect-only autofocus system, which I still prefer, despite the camera used in the above photo.

Wenmei Hill

I am strongly, adamantly in favor of…both. I shoot differently depending on whether I’m using an electronic or optical viewfinder. With an EVF, I let the camera control more – I’m comfortable shooting in aperture or shutter priority and using exposure comp to adjust what I see in the viewfinder. I experiment more with presets and creative modes because I can see the effects immediately, and I like an EVF with focus peaking if I’m focusing manually. With an optical viewfinder, however, I’m more hands-on with the controls. I pay attention to what I’m doing with the camera and feel connected to the scene in a way I don’t with an EVF. If I had to choose one, I’d choose an optical viewfinder because it feels more natural and immediate to me.

Allison Johnson

Electronic. I like the ‘being there’ feeling of an optical viewfinder, but almost any camera with an EVF also allows for a easily legible level gauge, which is a must for me (plus any camera that lets you put a level gauge in the EVF will also let you put a ton of other information in there as well). I have a problem where I’m drawn to shots where a level horizon is critical, but I’m also useless at nailing a level shot without that gauge. So even though I like the experience of an OVF better, I tend to get more keepers with an EVF.

What about you?

So, dear readers, what do you prefer and why? Let us know in the comments, and happy shooting.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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GoPro’s poor holiday sales lead to staff layoff

17 Jan

In its preliminary Q4 financial report this week, GoPro revealed it expects the last quarter’s revenue to be about $ 435 million, a figure significantly lower than the $ 512 million analysts had estimated. Due to poor sales over the holidays, GoPro states it will layoff 7% of its workforce as part of a restructuring effort.

The company announced its fourth quarter financial estimates on Wednesday, saying the quarter’s ‘revenue reflects lower than anticipated sales… due to slower than expected sell through at retailers.’ The company’s workforce had increased more than 50% annually over the last two years, eventually growing to 1500+ workers. With revenue down, GoPro will restructure its workforce to focus on ‘key growth initiatives,’ letting about 105 workers go in the process.

The company’s final Q4 financial numbers will be reported on February 3.

GoPro Announces Q4 and Calendar Year 2015 Preliminary Results

16% Annual Revenue Growth to $ 1.6 Billion for 2015

SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) today reported certain preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2015.

GoPro expects revenue to be approximately $ 435 million for the fourth quarter of 2015 and $ 1.6 billion for the calendar year. Fourth quarter revenue reflects lower than anticipated sales of its capture devices due to slower than expected sell through at retailers, particularly in the first half of the quarter. Fourth quarter revenue includes a $ 21 million reduction for price protection related charges resulting from the HERO4 Session repricing in December. Non-GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2015, excluding the impact of price protection and a charge of between $ 30 million and $ 35 million to cost of revenue for excess purchase order commitments, excess inventory, and obsolete tooling is anticipated to be between 44.5% and 45.5%. Non-GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2015 is anticipated to be between 34.5% and 35.5%. Non-GAAP operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2015 are estimated to be between $ 150.0 million and $ 152.5 million. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at December 31, 2015 totaled approximately $ 475 million.

These preliminary, unaudited results are based on management’s initial review of operations for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2015 and remain subject to the completion of the Company’s customary annual closing and review procedures. Final adjustments and other material developments may arise between the date of this press release and the dates GoPro announces fourth quarter 2015 results and the filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC.

Zander Lurie Appointed to GoPro Board
Zander has resigned from his role as Senior Vice President of GoPro Entertainment and has been appointed to serve on GoPro’s board of directors. Mr. Lurie has deep experience working with Internet-based business models across digital and traditional media. At GoPro Entertainment, he built a team dedicated to pursuing new formats and revenue streams from user-generated content and the Company’s large cache of digital entertainment. Prior to GoPro, he served as an executive at CBS Corp. which he joined with the acquisition of CNET Networks where he served as CFO and head of Corporate Development. Mr. Lurie began his career in the technology investment banking group at J. P. Morgan where he led equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions in the Internet sector.

Reallocation of Resources
Over the past two years, GoPro’s headcount has grown by more than 50% annually, to more than 1,500 employees at the end of 2015. To better align resources to key growth initiatives, GoPro has implemented a reduction in its workforce of approximately 7 percent. The Company estimates it will incur approximately $ 5 million to $ 10 million of restructuring expenses in the first quarter of 2016, substantially all of which will be severance costs.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Earnings Conference Call
GoPro will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2015 after the market closes on February 3, 2016.

GoPro management will host a conference call and live webcast for analysts and investors on February 3, 2016 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the Company’s financial results.

To listen to the live conference call, please dial toll free (888) 806-6221 or (913) 981-5588, access code 4243159, approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live webcast of the conference call will be accessible on the “Events & Presentations” section of the Company’s website at http://investor.gopro.com. To access the live webcast, please log in 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to download and install any necessary audio software. The webcast will be recorded and the recording will be available on GoPro’s website, http://investor.gopro.com, approximately two hours after the call and for six months thereafter.

GoPro reports gross margin and operating expenses, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and on a non-GAAP basis. Non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP operating expenses exclude, where applicable, the effects of stock-based compensation and acquisition-related costs. A reconciliation to the comparable GAAP guidance has not been provided because certain factors that are materially significant to the Company’s ability to estimate the excluded items are not accessible or practically estimable at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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