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Canon to “Soon” Announce Three New RF Lenses (Including the 14-35mm f/4L)

26 Jun

The post Canon to “Soon” Announce Three New RF Lenses (Including the 14-35mm f/4L) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Over the next handful of months, Canon will release at least three new RF-mount lenses, according to Canon Rumors. They are:

The Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM
The Canon RF 70-400mm IS USM (maximum aperture unknown, but potentially f/5.6-7.1)
The Canon RF 16mm f/2.8

While the new glass is unconfirmed by Canon, Canon Rumors shares a few details (as well as some helpful guesses).

Let’s take a closer look at each item, starting with:

Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM

As explained by Canon Rumors, “expect to see a Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM as a little brother to the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM.”

On the wide end, the lens will offer a breathtaking perspective for landscapes, urban scenics, and architectural photos; on the long end, the lens will feature a conventional 35mm focal length, perfect for tighter landscapes and even the occasional portrait. Plus, you’ll get a respectable f/4 maximum aperture – not enough for easy ultra-shallow depth of field effects or astrophotography, but absolutely usable for standard landscape scenarios assuming you bring your tripod.

Note that the 14-35mm will feature Canon’s “L” lens designation, so you can expect top-notch image quality rivaling some of the best glass on the market. Add in the image stabilization, and you’ve got yourself a relatively versatile wide-angle zoom, perfect for landscape photographers, travel photographers, and more.

Canon RF 70-400mm (maybe f/5.6-7.1) IS USM

The RF 70-400mm will be Canon’s second super-telephoto zoom designed for the RF mount, following in the footsteps of the powerful RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1.

But while the 100-500mm is an L lens – designed for professionals and with a price to match – the 70-400mm will likely be a more casual, portable option. According to Canon Rumors, there’s no “L” label on the 70-400mm, though you can expect image stabilization and a (consistently fast) USM autofocusing motor for wildlife and sports.

While I can only speculate, I suspect the 70-400mm is designed for frequent travelers in need of a portable “do-anything” telephoto, as well as for enthusiast bird and wildlife photographers. Interestingly, Canon offers an EF-mount counterpart, the much-loved 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM. Yet the 100-400mm is an L lens, offers an f/5.6 maximum aperture at 400mm, and is very pricey, none of which is likely for the 70-400mm. It’ll be interesting to see how the two lenses stack up and whether Canon’s new lens will venture into the sub-$ 1000 “budget” superzoom range.

Canon RF 16mm f/2.8

The RF 16mm f/2.8 “is a non-L prime lens,” explains Canon Rumors, and will be especially useful as “a nice and compact 25mm f/2.8…if an APS-C RF-mount camera is coming.”

Still, expect a lens compatible with Canon’s full-frame mirrorless stable. At 16mm, you’ll capture beautiful landscapes and architecture, as well as travel and street photos with an unusually wide perspective. And thanks to the f/2.8 aperture, the RF 16mm should be suitable for serious astrophotography.

At the very least, you can expect a relatively inexpensive, compact lens for Canon’s up-and-coming mirrorless shooters.

Canon to announce three new lenses: final words

Assuming Canon can deliver on expectations discussed above, these three lenses should satisfy plenty of enthusiasts and even the occasional professional.

If you’re a photographer seeking a nice wide-angle perspective for serious landscape work, keep an eye out for the RF 14-35mm, which will cover all but the widest of landscape focal lengths and offer top-notch image quality to boot.

For enthusiasts in need of an all-purpose telephoto zoom, the 70-400mm will be the lens to beat, though I’d recommend you consider image quality reports before buying.

And if you’re in need of a compact, lightweight, ultra-wide prime, the 16mm f/2.8 should be worth a look.

Now over to you:

What do you think of these rumored lenses from Canon? Do any interest you? Do you wish that Canon had prioritized different lenses? Which ones? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Canon to “Soon” Announce Three New RF Lenses (Including the 14-35mm f/4L) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras

02 Apr

The post Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Sony unveils three prime lenses for E-mount cameras

Last week, Sony announced three E-mount lenses:

The FE 24mm f/2.8 G, the FE 40mm f/2.5 G, and the FE 50mm f/2.5 G; all promise to deliver excellent optics in a compact form.

The three lenses will launch this May. Designed as a set, they offer a beautifully wide field of view on the 24mm end for scenic shots and environmental portraits, plus a standard perspective at the 40mm and 50mm focal lengths, perfect for portraits, street photography, and even detail shots.

Sony unveils three prime lenses woman with camera

Sony explains, “The lenses were designed for a wide range of photo and video uses including portraiture, landscape, street photography, and more…With these three dynamic lenses, our customers can capture a wide range of perspectives with the excellent resolution and beautiful bokeh that Sony’s G lenses are known for.”

And while we can’t currently confirm the resolution of these lenses with a hands-on review of our own, sample images look very nice, and Sony’s own tests show tack-sharp results especially when stopped down to f/8. If you’re an APS-C shooter who demands the highest optical quality, or you’re working full frame and want some compact-yet-capable prime lenses, the 24mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2.5, and 50mm f/2.5 will deliver.

Plus, all three lenses offer fast maximum apertures, which translates to lovely bokeh – especially on the 50mm f/2.5, but also on the 40mm f/2.5 and even the 24mm f/2.8 when shooting close-ups.

Of course, f/2.5 and f/2.8 maximum apertures will get you more than just creamy backgrounds. With a wide aperture, you can shoot indoors or at twilight while still maintaining a reasonable ISO, so you can photograph events and night portraits – or record low-light video – and come away with clean results.

Sony also promises “fast, precise AF with excellent tracking performance” and top-notch build quality (all three lenses are dust and moisture resistant).

But while strong build quality, image quality, and focusing do make for a powerful package, even more impressive are the lenses’ compact builds. Travel photographers, street photographers, and videographers will love the pocket-sized design, perfect for on-the-go shooting, long hours behind the camera, and international travel. In fact, all three lenses are identical in size, so you can pack them all without sacrificing weight or space. Check out the lenses next to one another:

And the prices are surprisingly reasonable. You can grab each lens for just $ 600 USD – not bad at all, given the optics, build quality, and AF capabilities.

So if you’re a Sony shooter in need of a new lens (or two, or three) for travel photography, portrait photography, street photography, or handheld videography, I highly recommend you take a closer look at these options. You can currently preorder the 40mm f/2.5 G here, the 50mm f/2.5 G here, and the 24mm f/2.8 G here.

Now over to you:

What do you think of Sony’s new bundle of prime lenses? Are you impressed? Are there any features that you wish Sony would’ve included? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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What Is Abstract Photography? (Plus Three Ideas for Getting Started)

19 Nov

The post What Is Abstract Photography? (Plus Three Ideas for Getting Started) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

What is abstract photography?

The exact definition can be tricky to pin down. It seems that everyone has an opinion, but those opinions can differ wildly depending on who you talk to. Of course, there will always be regional and cultural variants, but let me try and tell you where abstract photography came from.

That way, you can decide what abstract photography means to you.

What is abstract photography?

Abstract photography is no one particular style or technique. It has varied in style and approach for the last century or so.

However, all abstract photographers do have one thing in common: They are always looking to avoid symbolic representation.

What does that mean?

Well, it means that abstract photographers reject the idea that a photograph must always be of something recognizable. Instead, abstract photographers focus on color, shape, and texture.

what is abstract photography — Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM | 100mm | 1/320 sec | f/2.8 | ISO 100

It was in the 1930s that abstract photography really became recognized internationally. Early pioneers include Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Dora Maar. For some photographers, the process of making images was just as important as the result, which meant that new techniques and new ways of taking photographs were discovered during this period.

Much abstract photography today involves unusual framing and viewpoints in order to try and disassociate the object being photographed from the resultant images. Abstract photographers almost try and trick our eyes and minds into not being able to easily understand what they’re looking at. Such abstract images often use high contrast, sharp focus, and an emphasis on geometric structure.

Now that we’ve answered the question of what is abstract photography, it’s time to try and put the theory into practice.

Here are three techniques you can use to try and shoot your own abstract photos:

Make it out of focus

One of the first things we all learn in photography is how to get things in focus. In fact, our cameras will do this automatically for us if we want them to!

Accurate focus and good sharpness are two of the most desirable traits that most photographers look for in a photograph. So what happens when you subvert that traditional approach?

This bright red photograph (below) was created by using extension tubes to get right up close to a flower. I then ensured that the entire image was out of focus. The colors and patterns become the focus of the image instead of the flower itself:

flower abstract photography — Canon EOS 350D | Canon 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 | Extension tubes | 1/1000 sec | ISO 200

You can take this one step further by turning your image black and white to remove all of the color information. This abstracts the subject even more, moving the photograph further away from the original object and reality:

black and white abstract flower — Canon EOS 350D | Canon 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 | Extension tubes | 1/1000 sec | ISO 200

For a photographer who is trying to explore what is abstract photography, this approach of creating out of focus photos can be a great way to start. It forces you to think hard about the composition of your images as you play only with light, color, and shape.

Make it move

There are several ways to “make it move” when you’re doing abstract photography. You can move your subject, or you can move your camera.

Moving the camera can be as simple as panning the camera left to right during long exposures to capture the beautiful tones of a golden beach under blue skies. This will create smooth strips of horizontal color across the photograph.

An exciting way to shoot motion-based abstract photography is to attend sports events. The photograph below was shot at a classic car racing meet, the block colors of the barriers and curb creating stripes of colorful interest in the picture:

what is abstract photography? car in motion — Fujifilm X-T20 | Fuji 50-140mm f/2.8 | 140mm | 1/15 sec | f/22 | ISO 100

For creating abstract images with panning, first set a long exposure. You might need a very low ISO and a narrow aperture in order to get a shutter speed that’s long enough if it’s a sunny day.

Then move your whole body to follow the subject with your camera. It will take lots of practice!

what is abstract photography jar — Fujifilm X-T20 | Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 R | 35mm | 1/170 sec | f/5.6 | ISO 200| Layered images in Adobe Photoshop

Instead of moving your camera, you can also try moving your subject. The deceptively simple image of a glass bottle (above) is not quite as it seems. It was created from a dozen different shots, layered on top of each other using a Pep Ventosa technique. For each shot, the bottle was rotated slightly to catch the imperfections in the glass and the slight movement.

Make it repetitive

Repetition is a technique that can be used to great effect in abstract photography. It makes the viewer focus on the patterns and shapes rather than the subject.

abstract photography building repetition — Fujifilm X-T20 | Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 R | 35mm | 1/340 sec | f/8.0 | ISO 200

Try finding patterns in architecture and then isolating them, rather than photographing the whole building. This kind of approach of looking for details in larger scenes can help you really understand what abstract photography is all about.

If you want to shoot some architectural abstracts, modernist buildings are some of the best subjects. Their clean, smooth lines really lend themselves to abstract photography.

To remove your picture further from reality, you can experiment with color toning the image in Lightroom, or even turn it black and white.

Conclusion: What is abstract photography?

There are many different answers to the question, “What is abstract photography?” And there are many different ways to create abstract images.

What’s important is to try to move away from straight reproductions of scenes and objects that look just like reality.

Try introducing movement, repetition, or even making your images out of focus. Creating abstract photos is a great way to try breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries of what is usually seen as the correct way to do photography!

The post What Is Abstract Photography? (Plus Three Ideas for Getting Started) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

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Ricoh releases Silver Edition version of its Pentax K-1 Mark II DSLR, three D FA* lenses

27 Aug

Ricoh has announced the limited release of a Silver edition of its Pentax K-1 Mark II DSLR as well as, for the first time ever, silver versions of its D FA* lenses.

The limited-edition camera is identical to its black counterpart, complete with a 36MP full-frame CMOS sensor, Safox 12 autofocus system with 33 AF points and a maximum ISO of 819,200. The only difference is the paint scheme, which is silver with contrasting parts, including a black shutter release and hot shoe.

In addition to the camera, Ricoh is also releasing Silver edition versions of three lenses: the HD Pentax-D FA* 70–200mm F2.8, 50mm F1.4 and 85mm F1.4. Like the camera, these lenses are identical to their black counterparts, but unlike the camera, just 600 units for each model will be produced.

This isn’t the first time Ricoh has released Silver editions of their gear. In March 2010, the Pentax K-7 Limited Silver camera was released and, more recently, the Pentax K-1 Limited Silver was released in September 2017.

The Pentax K-1 Mark II Silver Edition camera body will be available in September for $ 2100. The lenses will also be released in September with prices ranging from $ 1200–2100. All Silver Edition cameras and lenses will come with specially designed product boxes.

Press release:

Ricoh announces Silver Edition of PENTAX K-1 Mark II, plus three HD PENTAX-D FA? Silver Edition lenses

PARSIPPANY, NJ, August 26, 2020 – Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced the PENTAX K-1 Mark II Silver Edition, a special silver-colored version of its digital single-lens reflex (SLR) flagship model. Ricoh is also releasing for the first time silver versions of its D FA? series lenses, with high-grade silver coating that is especially well suited to the top-of-the-line PENTAX optics.

The camera will be available in a limited quantity of 1,000 units worldwide, and the three lenses— HD PENTAX-D FA? 70-200mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4—will be available worldwide in limited quantities of 600 units for each model. These lenses join the silver-edition PENTAX full-frame lenses currently available: SMC PENTAX FA 31mm F1.8 LTD, SMC PENTAX FA 43mm F1.9 LTD and SMC PENTAX FA 77mm F1.8 LTD.

The limited-edition silver models of the camera and lenses are coveted by PENTAX photographers worldwide. The PENTAX K-1 Mark II Silver Edition camera sports contrasting black parts–a shutter release button and hot shoe—to provide a handsome complementary color and enable it to be color coordinated whether used with traditional black or the special silver-colored lenses.

Previously issued limited-edition cameras include the PENTAX K-7 Limited Silver (March 2010) and the PENTAX K-1 Limited Silver (September 2017).

Pricing and Availability

The PENTAX K-1 Mark II Silver Edition camera body will be available in September for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $ 2099.95. The HD PENTAX-D FA? Silver Edition lenses will be available in September with prices ranging from $ 1199.95 – $ 2099.95. Both the camera and lenses can be purchased at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com and at select Ricoh Imaging-authorized retail outlets.

Main features of the PENTAX K-1 Mark II Silver Edition

? The camera body and detachable battery grip feature a high-grade, fine-textured silver coating, with an exclusive silver SR badge placed on the front of the body.
? The camera’s shutter release button and hot shoe, as well as the battery grip’s shutter release button, feature black parts, so the camera is coordinated with either black or silver lenses.
? Each camera has been given a unique serial number, from 0000001 to 0001000, to further support its exclusivity.
? Two exclusive batteries are included in a product package to simultaneously power both the camera body and the battery grip.
This special camera and its accessories come in a specially-designed product box.
The camera body comes with the latest firmware version pre-installed.

Main features of the HD PENTAX-D FA? Silver Edition lenses

The lenses’ high-grade silver coating complements their use with silver-edition camera bodies.
Each lens has been given a unique serial number, from 0000001 to 0000600, to further support its exclusivity.
The lenses come in a specially-designed product box.

NOTE: The features and specifications of this camera body and lenses are identical to those of standard models, except for the camera firmware

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Cine versions of Laowa ultra-wide lenses released for three sensor formats

20 Jun

Venus Optics has announced three additions to its cine range of lenses that each gives users an angle of view equivalent to a 15mm lens on a full-frame camera. The lenses released are for MFT, APS-C and full-frame sensor cameras and come with clickless apertures and 0.8 mod pitch gears for focusing and iris control.

The lenses are the Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine for Micro Four Thirds cameras, the Laowa 9mm T2.9 for APS-C and Super35 sensors and the Laowa 15mm T2.1 for Sony full-frame models. The 9mm and 15mm lenses have the company’s Zero-D designation meaning there is minimal barrel distortion, and all have exceptional close focus abilities – 12cm/4.7in from the sensor for the 7.5mm and 9mm, and 15cm/5.8in for the 15mm lens.

Each of the lenses is an adapted version of an existing stills lens but built with a new housing that has no lens hood, a larger filter thread and slightly longer focus rotation for the 15mm – as well as the geared rings, clickless apertures and T-stop markings.

The lenses are on sale now and come with their own mini Pelican hard case. The 9mm is available in mounts for Fujifilm X, Sony E and MFT, while the 7.5mm is MFT-only and the 15mm is Sony E-only, though the company says versions of the 15mm for Nikon Z, Canon R and L mounts will be coming later this year. The 7.5mm T2.1 and 9mm T2.9 cost $ 599 and the 15mm T2.1 is $ 1,199. For more information see the Laowa website.

Press release

Venus Optics unveiled 3 new Ultra Wide cine lenses for Micro Four Thirds, Super 35 and Full frame cinema cameras

Anhui China, Jun 19, 2020 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer specialize in making unique camera lenses, unveiled three new ultra-wide cine lenses for cameras with different sensor sizes. They are the Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine for Micro Four Thirds cameras, Laowa 9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine for Super35 cameras and the Laowa 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine Lens for large format (full frame) cameras. All three lenses feature the same optical system as the their popular photography version and offer premium optical performance. They have also been built with robust cinema lenses housing with design up to the industry standard.

Ultra-wide FoV & fast aperture
All three Laowa cine lenses feature an ultra-wide angle of view and fast aperture. The Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 feature a 110° FoV on MFT while the 9mm T2.9 features a 113° on Super35 sensors. The 15mm T2.1 instead features a 110° FoV on cameras with full frame sensors. The fast maximum t-stop is well suited for filming under low light condition. It also allows filmmakers to have more flexibility in depth of field control.

Close-to-zero distortion
Both the 9mm and 15mm feature the distinguishing Laowa close-to-zero distortion (Zero-D) design where the optical distortion at infinity distance has been compressed to the minimal. This is extremely important for motion picture recording when shooting indoor, architecture or footage with straight lines included. This also saves tremendous amount of time in distortion correction in post processing.

Compact & lightweight
All three wide angle prime lenses are extremely compact and lightweight. Both 7.5mm and 9mm weigh close to 0.5 lbs (226g). The 15mm is a little bit heavier due to the larger coverage but Venus Optics still manage to compress it to around 1.2 lbs (540g). On the contrary to the huge and heavy wide angle lenses in the market, the new Laowa cine lenses are extremely handy for run-and-gun productions, shooting with gimbals, in-car shots, indoor scene, etc.

Close Focusing Distance
All three Laowa cine lenses possess an extremely close focusing distance. This provides a great deal of flexibility for directors to compose shots at any distance. Filmmakers can also take advantage of this close focusing to create some wide angle shots with shallower depth of field. Both the Laowa 7.5mm and 9mm can focus as close as 4.7” (12cm) from sensor to subject while the 15mm can focus up to 5.9” (15cm).

Industry standard cinema lens housing
The major difference between the new cinema version and the still version is the improved housing. The new cinema lens housing have been designed with details to facilitate filmmakers to shoot with ease. Both the aperture and focus rings have been built with industry standard 0.8 mod pitch gears for pairing up with follow-focus motors. The aperture ring is now click-less for smooth iris control. Every one of Laowa cine lenses comes with a filter thread for filmmakers to use screw-in filters and mini matte-boxes. Entire lens body is made by premium grade aluminum and build for usage in extreme environment.

Hassel-free transportation
An authentic hard case made by Pelican will be included with the lens to allow filmmakers to travel around for shooting with ease.

A variety of Current & Future mount options
The Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine is available in Micro Four Thirds mount and it is a perfect companion to cameras like Blackmagic Pocket 4K, Panasonic GH5 and Z-Cam E2

The 9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine is available in Fuji X, Sony E mount and Micro Four Thirds mount. The Micro Four Thirds mount can cover the same cameras as 7.5mm and serve as an not-as-wide alternative to MFT users. The Fuji X mount is extremely popular among XT-4 or XH-1 shooters. The Sony E mount works really well with Sony cameras with Super35 sensors including FS5, FS7, A6500 series, etc.

The 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine is designed for large format sensor with Sony FE mount available. It is best suited with Sony full frame cameras like Sony A7 series and FX9.

New Nikon Z, Canon RF and Leica L mount will be introduced later this year and they will certain be interesting wide angle options for cameras like RED Komodo, Canon R5, Nikon Z6/Z7, Sigma FP, Panasonic S1H and more to come.

Laowa Wide Angle Cine Lenses line-up
Together with the Laowa 12mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine released earlier for EF and PL cinema cameras, Venus Optics currently offer four wide angle cine lenses for cinema cameras with different sensor sizes.

Pricing & Availability
All three cine lenses are currently available to purchase via Venus Optics official website (http://www.venuslens.net/) and authorized resellers. The US price for 7.5mm T2.1 and 9mm T2.9 is $ 599/pc (ex-VAT) and 15mm T2.1 is $ 1,199/pc (ex-VAT). Pricing varies in different countries.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Pixelmator for iOS gets major version 2.5 update with three new browsers

23 Apr

Image editing software company Pixelmator has announced the release of Pixelmator for iOS version 2.5. The company describes this as a major update to its photo editor, one that adds a new file browser, a new document browser based on Apple’s Files app and new image size presets that likewise come with a new browser. According to the company, ‘This update is a really big deal for Pixelmator for iOS.’

Pixelmator for iOS 2.5 brings a total of three big new features; the company notes that while they ‘might not be amazingly flashy,’ they are ‘incredibly important to the future’ of the app.

The new Files-based document browser offers a much better file browsing experience compared to the previous version of the software, offering users access to important features like tagging and search. Pixelmator explains that introducing this new feature is the ‘key first step’ in its plan to refresh the mobile image editor.

Users will note that the new browser makes it easier to open and edit images that are stored in iCloud, as well as ones on external devices, third-party cloud services and ones stored on iPhone or iPad itself. The new photo browser joins this, simplifying the process of finding and opening images from the Photos app.

The third big feature is the new image size presets, which are exactly what they sound like: a way to rapidly create new images that feature commonly used resolutions. These three major additions are joined by a number of smaller updates, including new quick actions for ‘Open Most Recent Photo’ and ‘Take Photo,’ plus Pixelmator for iOS will now preserve the selected Flash mode when the camera has been closed and then reopened.

Other changes to Pixelmator for iOS version 2.5 include an adjustment to the True Tone effect that reduces its strength while editing, as well as multiple bug fixes for problems that included memory management issues, trouble opening and creating files if select third-party apps were installed, a crashing bug that involved the Full Keyboard Access setting and a display issue with the Help feature.

These features build upon the app’s existing tools and other offerings; Pixelmator bills its app as a full-featured image editor, one designed for the iPad and iPhone. The software features expected image editing tools like cloning, blurring, levels, curves, and more, as well as a variety of image templates, effects presets and distortion tools.

The new Pixelmator for iOS 2.5 update can be downloaded now. The app is available on the Apple App Store now for $ 4.99.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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The dPS At-Home 7-Day Photography Challenge – Week Three

03 Apr

The post The dPS At-Home 7-Day Photography Challenge – Week Three appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

As many of us around the world are continuing self-isolation, and social distancing (whoever thought that would be a thing?) due to the C-word, we thought we’d make it a little less boring and stressful and give you (and us) an “At-Home, 7-Day Photography Challenge.”

This is week three of the challenge (see week one here, and week two here. You can still do those challenges, as there are no deadlines on any of these).

These are all things you can try in and around your home.

As always, we would love to see your results in the comments section. That way, we can connect and share, and keep ourselves occupied with something positive and creative!

At-Home, 7-Day Photography Challenge – Week Three

Day 1

Go through some of your photos on your computer or hard drive, and give this post-processing challenge a try: Simulating False-Color Infrared Photography in Photoshop. You can get some fantastic results.

Day 2

This one uses the open-source editing program, GIMP. Download it and give this a try: Creative Uses for the GIMP Jigsaw Pattern.

Day 3

This one requires some close-up filters, but if you don’t have those, try macro lenses or even try putting a magnifying glass in front of your lens! Just experiment. Exploring Your Home with Close-Up Filters

Day 4

This one can be fun too. DIY: How to Create a Coffee-Stained Texture for Aging Images in Photoshop. If you aren’t a coffee drinker, use tea

Day 5

Look for patterns and repetition around your home or garden. Photograph them and then play with them in edit to make them black and white, or bold and bright! How to Use Pattern and Repetition in Photography Effectively

Day 6

Take photos (or use ones you already have), and turn them into monochromatic images in your favorite post-processing application: How to use Monochromatic Color to Convey more Emotion in your Photography

Day 7

This is another color-focussed one. How to Create Abstract Photos with Colored Paper. Find some colored bits of paper (or material) around your home and try this one out.

I can’t wait to see your images!

The post The dPS At-Home 7-Day Photography Challenge – Week Three appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Take Time to Practice These Three Composition Skills Around Your Home

02 Apr

The post Take Time to Practice These Three Composition Skills Around Your Home appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Practice composition skills around your home featured image

Now is a good time to practice composition skills. With many people having to self-isolate, it means you may not be able to enjoy regular life. This will include being able to get out and photograph the subjects you typically take pictures of.

Make good use of the time to practice. This is not something photographers do as much as other artists. You can imagine that to play a song on a guitar or the piano, you must first practice it. It’s easy for a photographer to pick up a camera and get a pretty well-exposed photo without the need to practice. This can make you lazy, and not make time to work on aspects of your photography that need improving.

Take Time to Practice These Three Composition Skills Around Your Home — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 105mm, 1/400 sec., f/10, ISO 400

In this article, I want to encourage you to think outside the subject. Consider taking photos only to work on improving one aspect of your craft – composition.

Find subject material in your environment. Things you would not normally consider taking pictures of. Aim to make interesting and varied compositions by exploring and experimenting.

Practice composition skills

When you practice anything at all, you will get better at it. When was the last time you engaged in improving your composition skills through practice? Have you ever picked up your camera with the sole aim of getting better at using the rule of thirds or any other aspect of composition?

Focus on using negative space for a day, or a week, and you’ll find you incorporate more of it into your photographs.

By repeating what you are doing, you can learn a skill so well that you don’t have to consciously think about it. It will take time and practice to reach this level, but it is quite natural. Whatever you set yourself to practice, in time, you will be able to use that skill without having to think much about it. This is one great way to build your intuition.

Pick two or three composition rules to work on. I’m writing about the rule of thirds, negative space and filling the frame. But you can work on any you like. The key is to not be so concerned about your subject or creating masterpiece photos, it is to practice and learn.

Consider yourself doing this to be like a musician practicing scales. Their aim is not to go out on stage and play scales, but they know that practicing them will help them play better when they do perform.

Yellow mango against blur glass for practice composition skills — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 105mm, 1/320 sec., f/7.1, ISO 800

Practice the Rule of Thirds

Let’s start with the most well-known rule of composition in photography, the rule of thirds. This is one many people know and use. To put into practice composition skills, you need to concentrate on the rule, not the subject so much.

Don’t worry if you are not producing great photos. This exercise is designed to help you better understand when to use the rule of thirds.

You might like to use a single subject or various things around you to practice composition skills. For this exercise, I walked around my garden and in my house to create compositions using the rule of thirds.

Experiment with each subject you photograph. Compose it in different ways, but make sure to have it somewhere on one of the ‘thirds’. Don’t only take the first composition you think of. If you place your subject on the left for your first picture, place it on the right hand third for the second one. Then rotate your camera 90 degrees and place your subject on a lower third intersection.

Push yourself to try out compositions you normally wouldn’t. Don’t think about your results as right or wrong. Or even good or bad. The point of practice is to improve, so if you’re taking photos you don’t particularly like, think about them. Why don’t you like them? What can you do to improve?

Practice using the rule of thirds until you feel you’ve made some good progress with it. Do you have a better understanding of how to use it well?

Rose one a plain background for practice composition skills — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 105mm, 1/400 sec., f/10, ISO 400

Using negative space to practice composition skills

Negative space is not a bad thing – at least not when it’s included in compositions intentionally. Negative space is the area of a photograph that is not the main center of attention.

Often there will be nothing at all in these areas – no shapes, lines, or texture.

At other times there will be some detail, but it will not draw attention away from the main subject at all.

Coffee pot in contrast for practice composition skills. — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 105mm, 1/320 sec., f/7.1, ISO 800

During our photography workshops, one of the most common mistakes I see people make is to leave too much empty space above a person’s head. This is not usually well-composed negative space. It’s there because the photographer was not paying enough attention to what surrounded their subject.

Practice composition skills by creating photos with strong negative space. Use blank areas to help your main subject stand out. Use a blank wall, a shallow depth of field, or a light subject with a dark background.

There are many ways you can include negative space positively in your pictures.

Again, don’t aim to make masterpieces. Making ‘mistakes’ is healthy when you are practicing.

Experiment and try out various compositions, both horizontal and vertical. Leave space on the left, right, below and above the same subject. Study them together on your computer. Which one do you like the most?

Padlock on a grill — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 105mm, 1/200 sec., f/4.5, ISO 800

Aim to fill the frame

Filling the frame is something I aim to do every time I take a photo. Sometimes this can mean much of my frame is filled with negative space. So long as it’s intentional and adds to the photo, that’s fine.

To fill the frame well it’s as much about what you leave out as to what you include. Most important is to be aware of what’s within the four edges of your composition and make sure that it’s relevant to the photo you’re taking.

Sometimes filling the frame can mean coming in ultra-close to your subject so you don’t include all of it. Other times you may choose to move back or zoom out to include some of the surroundings because they are relevant.

Always look around the edges of your frame. What’s in the corners? Are the background elements supporting your main subject? If not, move it, move yourself, or use another technique to eliminate the unwanted element.

Moving even a little can alter the perspective of how elements within your frame relate to each other. As an example of this, I photographed the same objects on my table. The plastic bottle behind my main setting is distracting.

To eliminate it from my composition, I moved lower and to the right a little. In this situation, I could have also moved the bottle.

coffee set up for practicing composition skills — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 105mm, 1/80 sec., f/5, ISO 800

coffee set up — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800, Lens 105mm, 1/80 sec., f/5, ISO 800

Conclusion

Taking time to practice composition skills may sound a bit boring – just as someone learning the piano might get bored practicing scales.

Try it and see. You may find you enjoy it after a while. Like anything, it takes time for the practice to pay off, so don’t give up easily.

Do you have any other tips you’d like to add? Please share them with us in the comments.

The post Take Time to Practice These Three Composition Skills Around Your Home appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Affinity Photo is Available for a Three Month Free Trial

28 Mar

The post Affinity Photo is Available for a Three Month Free Trial appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Affinity Photo is Available for a Three Month Free Trial featured image

As coronavirus continues to take its toll on artists and designers everywhere, Serif has decided to act.

The company announced that their software, including Affinity Photo, will sell with a steep 50% discount, taking the normally inexpensive programs down to bargain-cheap levels:

$ 24.99 USD for Affinity Photo on desktop (either Mac or Windows), and just $ 9.99 USD for Affinity Photo on iPad.

And that’s not all:

Serif has also announced a 90 day free trial on all Affinity software. This means that anyone struggling to afford editing software during the coronavirus pandemic can use Affinity Photo for free. There’s no catch; you can try the software, with all features included, for the next three months.

As the Serif Managing Director explained, “[H]opefully these things will make life a little easier for people who rely on creative software to make a living but may be stuck at home without access to their usual tools, or for students who might suddenly be without access to their Affinity apps on their personal devices.”

For those of you unfamiliar with Affinity Photo, it’s one of the most popular Photoshop alternatives around. It’s known for its full-featured, layer-based software, sleek interface, and excellent price.

In fact, plenty of creatives have abandoned Adobe for Serif, given that the Serif program is comparable in its features and noticeably cheaper.

In some ways, the standard Affinity price (and the current, even lower, price) is unbelievable, because Affinity Photo just offers so much. The software comes with basic adjustment capabilities, but you also get advanced features such as focus stacking and HDR merging, plus a useful in-built RAW editor.

So if you’re someone who’s struggling to pay for your current software, or you’re looking for a way out of Adobe’s subscription model, or you just want to take advantage of a tremendous deal, then I recommend you head over to the Affinity website now.

Chances are that you’ll love Affinity Photo.

Now over to you:

Are there any other Photoshop alternatives that you’d recommend? If you’ve already started using Affinity Photo, what do you think of it?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Affinity Photo is Available for a Three Month Free Trial appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Video: Three types of photographers, illustrated by the ‘The Grand Tour’ trio

28 Feb

During an episode in season three of The Grand Tour, hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take a moment to sit down and discuss the photography equipment they plan to bring to photograph wildlife in Columbia.

The exchange from the trio is right on course with what you’d expect from Jeremy, Richard and James, if you know them from their Top Gear days; the guys poke fun at three different kinds of photographers and the gear they bring along for photoshoots in a way only they can.

Richard opts for the full suite of Canon prime lenses and camera bodies, complete with strobes, filters, a ThinkTank photo belt and BlackRapid camera strap to carry it all. Jeremy, on the other hand, keeps it simple with what appears to be a Canon 5DS R attached to an EF 600mm f/4L IS II. James eschews the weight and debate by further streamlining his gear with a single Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II.

All in all, the two-minute segment makes for a few good laughs.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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