Nikon USA has released a statement regarding the sudden disappearance of its D750 DSLR from US retailers. Just last week the company offered to repair D750’s that have flare issues caused by the position of their AF sensors. The statement reads ‘Nikon is working with retailers to replenish stock with cameras to which measures to address this issue have been applied. In late January, Nikon will announce details to service cameras from users, free of charge’.
Category: Uncategorized
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Budget X: Hands-on with Fujifilm’s new X-A2
Fujifilm has announced the X-A2, a new version of its X-A1 budget X-series mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, which incorporates mostly minor changes compared to its predecessor. Like the X-A1, the X-A2 uses a conventional Bayer-pattern CMOS sensor and offers virtually identical ergonomics but now comes with an LCD screen which tilts upwards to 175-degrees for selfies. Other improvements include the addition of Fujifilm’s new ‘Classic Chrome’ film simulation mode. Click through for some images
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Beginnings Of A Model With Sarah DeAnna
Hi FashionPhotograhyBlog.com readers,
Today, we have top fashion model, speaker & author of the book “Supermodel YOU“, Sarah DeAnna, joining us on FPBlog. Sarah shares her story of how she first started out in the modeling industry and the reasons why she is glad that she started her career late after finishing school. Let’s get started shall we? Here is our interview with Sarah DeAnna…
FPBlog: Hi, I’m here with top fashion model, Sarah DeAnna and we’re going to talk about modeling and working with photographers. Sarah is somebody that has worked in the industry for a while, has risen to the top but started out testing. How old were you when you started modeling?
Sarah DeAnna: I didn’t start until I was 19 actually, I went to school. I started later, but I’m so grateful that I did… I don’t know what would have happened if I was younger and more susceptible to those opinions on me. I mean I still was, of course, but it helped being more mature I guess. Having more experience and an education helped me a lot with being healthy and with not taking things to heart.
FPBlog: With a stronger self esteem and not being part of the bigger scandals?
Sarah DeAnna: Yeah, (all of that), so it’s great that Vogue did an issue of mine where they won’t use younger models or unhealthy models. I definitely think that’s why I’ve been successful… I think it’s because of starting later.
FPBlog: And did you start in LA? Or did you start in the small market?
Sarah DeAnna: I started in LA, I went there to go to UCLA. I was going to get my business degree actually and I was so glad that I started modeling because I love it. Modeling is not my passion but I do love modeling but I would have never went to business school nowadays, so I’m really glad. If I would go back I probably would have studied something like bio-chemistry or something nerdy, something tech.
FPBlog: Right. So how was it when you started? You didn’t have any pictures and you started testing?
Sarah DeAnna: Actually, I was found by a photographer at Starbucks. I was approached before but I never really trusted anyone. And there was a photographer at Starbucks, and I was with a guy (at the time), a guy friend of mine, and he (the photographer) keep looking at me and stopping me, and then he came and talked to the guy (my friend). He was like “I have to shoot her” and “I just love her face”.
He was talking to the guy (friend) to make me feel comfortable. He wasn’t trying to hit on me, or something like that, he was totally legit. He sent me right away to a commercial agent; I wasn’t even doing anything in that industry at all. The first agent was like, “oh my God, we’d love to rep you”, and then the next day we ended up shooting. He did everything; he styled the whole thing, did my makeup, he shot it.
He paid for everything, I didn’t have to pay for anything. Then he tricked me, he said “let’s go”, he wanted to show me the proofs because he loved it (the shoot). He was showing me what I looked like and I didn’t know anything, like there were all these (contact) sheets with all these pictures and then he’s like, “oh let’s go pick up the negatives” and he tricked me. We went into an agency, Photogenics, my mother agent, and they signed me right away. The first official shoot that I did, after that, was for Photogenics, for the agency and that became a Cover Girl magazine.
It was just a promo for the agency and that became a cover of this magazine called Picture Magazine, and then, it ran in Zink Magazine as well, then I went to New York, and then to Milan and Paris, but yeah, I didn’t know anything (at the start). I was so insecure still so I just learned.
FPBlog: How do you think you learned? Just by experience and being in front of the camera a lot?
Sarah DeAnna: Definitely experience, but I’m telling you that this first photographer, he was so good. That was my first time and he told me like how to be with your eyes and gave me this thing in my head to think about. So I always channeled that because that was all I knew (at the time). He liked it strong and fierce and so I think that’s why I’m known to be the strong and edgy girl as opposed to the happy, smiley, beachy girl – I’m working on that one.
FPBlog: It’s funny because in person you have that California girl, beachy appearance, but whenever I thought about you, it’s always edgy and crazy hair and fierce looks.
Did you find this interview with Sarah DeAnna interesting? Leave your comments below in the comment section. We would like to know what you thought about the post. If you enjoyed this post, stay tuned as Sarah DeAnna has more insights to share on FashionPhotograhyBlog.com – If you are interested in grabbing a copy of Sarah’s book, “Supermodel YOU” you can find it here.
IMAGE SOURCE:
Feature image & image 1: courtesy of Melissa Rodwell
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Fujifilm unveils Fujinon XC16-50mm II and XC50-230mm II kit lenses for X-A2
Fujifilm has announced two zoom lenses which will be bundled with the new X-A2. The Fujinon XC16-50mm II F3.5-5.6 offers a 24-76mm equivalent range and has a closer minimum focus distance than its predecessor. The XC50-230mm II F4.5-6.7 OIS provides a 76-350mm equivalent range on APS-C and appears to be otherwise identical to the Mark I model. Read more.
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Fujifilm announces X-A2 with selfie-friendly LCD
Fujifilm has announced the X-A2, a mostly minor update to the X-A1. The X-A2 offers a 175-degree tilting LCD that flips upward for easier self-portrait capture. Like its predecessor the X-A2 provides a 16MP APS-C CMOS Bayer-pattern sensor, unlike its unconventional X-Trans siblings. Read more
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Gary Fong launches virtual camera tutorial service
Gary Fong has launched a new online instructional service, giving photographers a way to become proficient with select camera models in a unique way. Rather than providing a rote list of video tutorials, users are presented with a virtual version of a camera model that is fully interactive: buttons can be pressed, switches can be toggled, and menus can be explored. Read more
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Nikon announces L- and S-series Coolpix compacts outside North America
Nikon has announced new Coolpix compacts outside North America. The beginner-friendly models include the Coolpix S3700, Coolpix S2900, Coolpix L31 and Coolpix L32. The S3700 provides Wi-Fi and NFC, while the L32 and L31 use AA batteries. Read more
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Venus Optics 60mm macro 2x lens promises high magnification on a budget
Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited, a new Chinese lens manufacturer, has introduced a 60mm lens under the Venus Optics brand name that it says can deliver 2x magnification macro photography. The f/2.8 manual focus lens is designed to cover both full frame and APS-C sensors for macro work, but will introduce vignetting when used at normal focus distances with the larger format. Read more
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Fashion Photography Lighting Is Overrated
Fashion Photography Lighting
Hi FashionPhotograhyBlog.com readers,
We have a contributed post by fashion photographer, Per Zennstrom on FPBlog today. Based in Berlin Per had worked for recognizable brands such as Absolut Vodka, Bentley, Bon Magazine, Dior, Elle, Guy Laroche, H&M, Marie Claire, Porsche, Rolling Stone, Schwarzkopf and Toni & Guy. Per shares his thoughts about lighting and how dramatic affects can be created through simple techniques and by understanding the basics of lighting. Let’s not keep you waiting! Here’s Per…
Fashion Photography Lighting – I’m going to stick my neck out a bit here – Drum roll… Fashion Photography Lighting is overrated!
This might sound like blasphemy, especially since this article is a basic introduction to fashion photography studio lighting, but bear with me just for a moment. In photography, circles we’re inundated with statements and ideas such as “a photographer is a painter using only light” or blatantly cheap flattery such as “your light is beautiful” (If you really want to get on a photographers good side just tell him/her that his/her light is beautiful).
I actually don’t buy any of this and I say it again, I believe lighting is overrated (especially if you come at it from a fashion photography perspective) and in this article I will tell you why.
If you’re a fashion photographer I believe speed and flexibility are much more important than lighting. What really matter is not the lighting but what is in front of the camera. Well, after this preamble let me jump straight into the basics of studio lighting because even after having said all that I believe you need to know the basics of lighting. Learn it and then unlearn it. Make lighting become part of your photographic reflexes.
There are only 3 things you need to understand to really get lighting. If you master this you can reverse engineer any images to understand how they were lit. Any changes to these three things will change the character of your lighting, so pay attention please:
– Relative size of Light source
– Ambient Light
– Color of Light source
And even if you do become a master of lighting there is something very important that I’d like to underline – If it looks good, just shoot!
That sounds pretty simple but you would not imagine how many photographers that drag on the session, endlessly making minuscule adjustments to the lighting that don’t actually make a difference and, in the process, losing what’s in front of the camera; the model. So again, if it looks good, just shoot it!
Relative Size Of Light Source
The relative size of the light source is the most important aspect of the character of the light. By character, I mean that we say “that’s a really hard light” or “that is very soft and flattering light” and “the relative size of the light source determines how the edge of the shadow will look”.
It is the relative size of the light source that will decide this. Look at the edge of the shadow; if the edge is sharp and hard we have what we call a hard light if the edge of the shadow is soft we have a soft light. It is the relative size of the light source that gives us a either hard or soft light. A big light source gives a soft light. A small relative light source gives a hard/sharp light.
Character of Light – Hard Light
A good example to use is the sun on a cloudless day. The size of the sun is enormous but because of the distance the sun appears very small in the sky, ergo a hard light!
Character of Light – Soft Light
Now think of the same scenario, but this time on an overcast day with clouds filling the entire sky. In this case, the relative size of the light source is very big; the overcast sky (which takes up 50% of your total field of vision). The light on a day like this is very soft and the edges of the shadows are super soft – in fact, there are no real shadows actually. An even softer light would be inside a white room with all white walls, ceilings and floor.
Ambient Light
Ambient light is any light that you don’t actually control. You can also think of it as “junk light” – the unintended light which is left over or just bouncing around in the studio. Examples of ambient light are reflections off studio walls or floor or ceiling, or stray light creeping out from umbrellas or soft boxes. Ambient light is very important because it fills in the shadows and decreases the contrast of the image; it makes the shadows brighter.
Learn to control the ambient light. In a studio situation, this is typically done by using black & white polystyrene flats “killing” off reflections from walls and ceilings; usually with the intention to darken and deepen the shadows. “The ambient light determines the “fill” in the shadows… If the ambient light is strong enough = no shadows”.
Color of Light
This is easy, no need to really talk about it actually…
I also would like to give you a tip on an interesting studio lighting simulation software – set.a.light 3d by Elexxier. I used this software to build the 3D models to illustrate this video and article. If you’re interested in taking it for a test spin it’s free to use for 15 days – pretty good!
Thank you very much,
Per
Did you find this lighting post by Per Zennstrom useful? Leave your comments below in the comment section. We would like to know what you thought about the post.
MEDIA SOURCE:
Feature image, video & image 1: contributed by Per Zennstrom. To view more of his work visit his website.
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Photography Will Sell Anything Except For Photography
Photography Network Economy
Hi FashionPhotograhyBlog.com readers,
Today, we have a contributed post by, Berlin-based fashion photographer, Per Zennstrom on FPBlog. Per had worked on campaigns for recognized brands like Absolut Vodka, Bentley, Bon Magazine, Dior, Elle, Guy Laroche, H&M, Marie Claire, Porsche, Rolling Stone, Schwarzkopf and Toni & Guy. In this post, Per shares his thoughts about the photography network economy and surviving the changes in the digital age. Let’s get started! Here is Per…
IMGembed recently launched a project on Kickstarter attempting is to end the “war” between image owners and image users.
“Image owners are having their online content infringed without attribution, permission or payment 85% of the time. Content users are liable for up to $ 30,000 per infringed use, according to US Copyright Law. IMGembed can solve that! With our proprietary technology, IMGembed helps owners control where/how their images are being used and lets content users embed images for free, or at affordable impression based rates, with peace of mind!”
This is a really interesting project and an even more interesting problem. How are we to approach IP rights in the Digital Network Economy? We all are on both sides of this (who hasn’t had their images used online without permission?) and at the same time I’m very sure that most of us has engaged in unauthorized use of copyrighted material right?
We are at a crossroads here. Should we embrace the older pay-for usage-model or should we go for a use-your-content-to-sell-other-things model?
Using images (or other content) as a platform to sell other products
Here is an excerpt from a great article by Kwindla Hultman Kramer on what on the surface seems to be about Apple acquiring Beats by Dre, but in reality it’s really about content in the cloud and how artists (and consumers) can finally get to some sort of agreement on how to use and pay for digital content.
Just replace the word “music” with “images”:
“I’m old, so I still think about music as something I want to buy and own. For a century, we’ve lived in a technological and economic “moment” where it made sense for us to own copies of recorded music for personal use. Before about 1890, this was impossible. After about 2010, it was no longer necessary. People younger than I am expect to be able to access any music, instantly, from anywhere, and listen to it however they want. They don’t expect to pay for it, generally speaking. They don’t care about “owning” a copy of it, generally speaking. The ramifications of these changes in technology and in peoples’ expectations are enormous. So how, in this new world, do artists get paid for making music? How do people find music they want to listen to? How do artists get exposure to people who might like what they’re doing?”
And as I proofread this I wonder maybe this question is too narrow? Shouldn’t the question rather be “how do we adapt to a situation where everything is upside down and no one knows what really works”
It’s in this context You have to consider the news of how fashion photography duo Ineez & Vinoodh just launched a jeans capsule collection in collaboration with Frame Denim.
Photography will sell anything!
OK, Ineez & Vinoodh are extremely successful as photographers but don’t you agree that this is an interesting thought experiment? Looking at your images as a platform to launch other-than-photography-businesses. This could be information products, webinars, marketing courses, Photoshop tutorials – the list goes on and on.
IMGembed is trying to “fix” the problem by improving on the older model slightly, by harnessing the power of big data but I’m not sure that this is the solution. Why not just go ahead and accept the inevitable; stuff that has been let loose out there will get copied and used by people and we photographers have to roll with the punches and become smarter, more lean and switch from looking at this as a problem to looking for opportunities!
Thank you very much,
Per
Did you find this article by Per Zennstrom interesting? Leave your comments below in the comment section. We would like to know what you thought about the post.
MEDIA SOURCE:
Feature image, image 1 & 2: contributed by Per Zennstrom. To view more of his work visit his website.