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Archive for April, 2014

What The Duck #1324

19 Apr

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We’ve come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it’s time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson’s comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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18 April, 2014 – Why Photography Projects Are Important

19 Apr

 

 

 

When leading workshops I have a topic I like to cover called “Now That You Got It What Do You Do With It”.  This refers to coming home from a workshops with a lot of good images and not really doing anything in particular with them.  On a workshop recently to Tuscany with Art Wolfe he and I were talking and he said you should have a topic or something you concentrate on while shooting and he referred to it as a project.  On that trip I focused on door knockers and the hanging laundry of Sienna.   Today we have come full circle and Alain Briot as part of his continuing series of essays focuses on the topic of projects. Alain’s Why Photography Projects Are Important is a great read and will be a benefit when going out on your next shoot.  I am now going to go back through some of my past work and look for a theme to develop as a few new projects.


 


The Luminous Landscape – What’s New

 
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Bad Ads? Funeral Services Struggle with Sense of Humor

19 Apr

[ By Steph in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

Funeral Home Ads 1

This billboard, reportedly spotted in a subway station in New York City, may not be the most tactful way to drum up business for a funeral home. But you have to admit, it’s clever. Naturally, the funeral industry doesn’t have too much trouble with supply – everyone dies eventually – but they have to compete with each other just like any other business. Are the ads that manage to stand out in poor taste, or just bringing a much-needed sense of humor to the realities of death?

Funeral Home Ads 2

The Devanny-Condron Funeral Home in Massachusetts raised a few eyebrows with this billboard congratulating a local resident on her 100th birthday. Conflict of interest, anyone? In Florida, the Beckman-Williamson Funeral Home & Crematory used a little dark humor to get attention in the form of ‘Thank You for Smoking’ lighters.

Funeral Home Ad 4

These ads are funny, sure, but probably not helping diffuse the public perception of the funeral industry as a bunch of vultures lurking around waiting to pick at people’s bones. That’s especially true considering the hundreds of suicides and murders that take place on subway tracks, and the millions of smoking-related fatalities. But other ads seen as insensitive – like the one below, touting funeral pre-arrangements as a romantic Valentine’s Day gift – are simply trying to call attention to a basic fact of life that most people ignore until the last possible minute.

Funeral Home Ads 3

Attitudes about death vary wildly between cultures, religions and geographic areas, so it’s no surprise that what one person finds incredibly tacky is greeted with a smile and a shrug by another. The mere existence of cell phone-shaped caskets is enough to testify to that fact.

And while it’s easy to laugh at things like Compton’s drive-thru funeral parlor (complete with bulletproof glass) – which many people see as cheapening the lives of the dead, making the mourning process as casual as grabbing a burger and fries – perhaps there’s more to it than that. After all, your attitude about death would probably be different if you lived in a place where drive-by shootings happen on a near-daily basis, and gang-related cemetery shootouts aren’t uncommon. If you’re interested in the demystification of mortality, check out the Order of the Good Death.

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[ By Steph in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

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Weekly Photography Challenge Waterfalls

19 Apr

Earlier today I shared a collection of waterfall photographs to get your weekend going, and earlier this week we launched our latest dPS eBook  – Loving Landscapes A guide to landscape photography workflow and post-production. So in keep with the theme of landscape and nature photography the weekly photography challenge will be waterfalls.

By paul bica

Even if you live in the city you can probably find some manmade waterfalls or fountains nearby. Think outside the box. Is there a park with a stream? Perhaps a babbling brook? Do some digging and find some running water and go photograph it. It need not be a full on waterfall, use a fountain if you have to. The principals are the same.

The main concern when photographing a waterfall is how to capture the moving water. You basically have two approaches to choose from: freeze it, or blur it. Freezing the water will give a motionless effect, with water droplets suspended in mid air. Blurring it can have a dreamy, foggy look and a totally different feeling. Neither is right or wrong, they just produce different results. So choose one and see what happens, or better yet, do a variety. You may be surprised with the results and which ones you prefer.

Here are a few examples to give you ideas:

By Kerry Sanders

By Joe Parks

By Centurion

By zev

By blmiers2

By Peter Roome

By thomas brown

By Alex Shamis

Share your waterfall images!

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section as pictured below) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer upload them to your favourite photo sharing site and leave the link to them.

Need help? How about some articles on nature and waterfall photography like these:

  • 4 Tips for Shooting Drop Dead Gorgeous Waterfalls
  • 3 Tips for Creating Dramatic Images using Motion
  • Picking A Waterfall Shutter Speed For The Best Look
  • Waterfall Digital Photography

Check ou the newest dPS ebook – Loving Landscapes A guide to landscape photography workflow and post-production – a brand new dPS ebook by the authors of Living Landscapes

The post Weekly Photography Challenge Waterfalls by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM ‘Art’ real-world samples gallery

19 Apr

IMG_5736.JPG

The 50mm F1.4 DG HSM is Sigma’s latest fast normal prime for full-frame cameras, and one of the most hotly-anticipated lenses of the year. But how does it perform in real-world use?  We’ve been using the lens for a couple of days, and put together a gallery of samples. We’ve concentrated on large-aperture shots to show sharpness and bokeh, but have also included several taken at smaller apertures. See photos

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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A Collection of Waterfall Photos to Spruce up your Weekend

19 Apr

A couple weeks ago I shared some stunning landscape photos and you had a weekly challenge of the same theme. Today I’m going to get more specific and focus in on one element of nature that’s super popular with landscape photographers.

Waterfalls!

I think this is one of those things that when you can master taking photos of a waterfall, ones that make you and your friends go “oh wow” then your photography has stepped up a notch to the next level. Come with me on this journey, and if you’re not there yet I’ll leave you with a few articles on waterfall photos you can check out at the end.

Photograph Hump Rock by Miles Morgan on 500px

Hump Rock by Miles Morgan on 500px

Photograph Morning at the Falls II by Derek Kind on 500px

Morning at the Falls II by Derek Kind on 500px

Photograph Triple Twilight by Alex Noriega on 500px

Triple Twilight by Alex Noriega on 500px

Photograph Hafragilsfoss by Max Rive on 500px

Hafragilsfoss by Max Rive on 500px

Photograph Open Canopy by Ryan Dyar on 500px

Open Canopy by Ryan Dyar on 500px

Photograph Spring waterfall by Jaewoon U on 500px

Spring waterfall by Jaewoon U on 500px

Photograph On the Move by Max Rive on 500px

On the Move by Max Rive on 500px

Photograph The Sunlit Kiss by Alister Benn on 500px

The Sunlit Kiss by Alister Benn on 500px

Photograph Seljalandsfoss Sunset by Michael Bonocore on 500px

Seljalandsfoss Sunset by Michael Bonocore on 500px

Photograph The Photographer by Scott  Smorra on 500px

The Photographer by Scott Smorra on 500px

Photograph When Heaven Touches Earth ... by Iurie  Belegurschi on 500px

When Heaven Touches Earth … by Iurie Belegurschi on 500px

Photograph Waterfall by Luka Esenko on 500px

Waterfall by Luka Esenko on 500px

Photograph Nauyaca by Mathieu Dupuis on 500px

Nauyaca by Mathieu Dupuis on 500px

Photograph midnight falls by Kevin Wenzler on 500px

midnight falls by Kevin Wenzler on 500px

Photograph ?  splash  ? by Ayie  Permata Sari on 500px

? splash ? by Ayie Permata Sari on 500px

Photograph Palouse Falls by Jason Hatfield on 500px

Palouse Falls by Jason Hatfield on 500px

Photograph Rockhopper Showering by Will Burrard-Lucas on 500px

Rockhopper Showering by Will Burrard-Lucas on 500px

Photograph Natural Window by Mohan Duwal on 500px

Natural Window by Mohan Duwal on 500px

Photograph Iguazu colours 4.0 sec. by Wave Faber on 500px

Iguazu colours 4.0 sec. by Wave Faber on 500px

Photograph Jaggedly Smooth by Dylan Toh  & Marianne Lim on 500px

Jaggedly Smooth by Dylan Toh & Marianne Lim on 500px

Photograph Well of Souls by Karezoid Michal Karcz  on 500px

Well of Souls by Karezoid Michal Karcz on 500px

Photograph My favorite place by Uwe Müller on 500px

My favorite place by Uwe Müller on 500px

Photograph Seljalandsfoss from Inside by Mike Reyfman on 500px

Seljalandsfoss from Inside by Mike Reyfman on 500px

Photograph Silk waterfall by yoshi ?? on 500px

Silk waterfall by yoshi ?? on 500px

Photograph Canyon Glow by Bill Ratcliffe on 500px

Canyon Glow by Bill Ratcliffe on 500px

Photograph Secret Falls by Jarrod Castaing on 500px

Secret Falls by Jarrod Castaing on 500px

Need some waterfall tips? As promised here’s some tips and articles that might help you out:

  • How to do Dreamy Landscape Photography with a Neutral Density Filter
  • Beginner’s Guide to Waterfall Photography
  • Photographing Waterfalls: 6 Tips To Get You Started
  • Picking A Waterfall Shutter Speed For The Best Look

Check ou the newest dPS ebook – Loving Landscapes A guide to landscape photography workflow and post-production – a brand new dPS ebook by the authors of Living Landscapes

The post A Collection of Waterfall Photos to Spruce up your Weekend by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Google Camera app now on Kitkat and adds Lytro-like effect

18 Apr

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So far Google’s in-house camera app has only been available on Nexus devices but now a new version of the app is available to anyone in the Google Play Store. The app only works on devices running Android Kitkat 4.4 but Google is planning to make it work on older versions too. It comes with a minimalist design and a brand new feature called Lens Blur to simulate shallow depth-of-field. Learn more

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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18. April 2014

18 Apr

Ein Beitrag von: Robert Fritz

Portrait eine Frau mit weißen Haaren. Studio,


kwerfeldein – Fotografie Magazin | Fotocommunity

 
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Helping children one print at a time

18 Apr

National-Geometric-620x350.png

National Geometric is a social enterprise that brings a personal touch to charitable giving. Through the sales of single-edition, 10×15 prints of a person with a specific need, National Geometric helps provide food, water, medical care, tuition for school, and other basic necessities. The cost of each photograph reflects the amount needed to help the person in the photograph. Learn more

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nirav Patel und die stille Fotografie

18 Apr

Nirav Patel lebt heute in San Francisco, Kalifornien und ist eigentlich Hochzeitsfotograf. Seine Eltern stammen aus Indien und als Nirav zwei Jahre alt war, siedelten sie mit ihm in das große und so anders anmutende Land, die USA.

Er wuchs mit der Mentalität auf, dass Kunstmachen nur ein Hobby ist und sich damit kein Geld verdienen lässt. Doch er sollte eines anderen belehrt werden. Nach der Beendigung seines Studiums entdeckte er wie viele andere auch die Liebe zur Fotografie. Doch die Leidenschaft ließ ihn nicht los und so beschloss er, diesen neuen Weg zu gehen und seiner Fotografie Stabilität zu geben.

In seiner Arbeit konzentriert er sich auf die stillen Momente und verleiht seinen Bildern dabei einen filmischen Charakter. Vor allem seine Schwarzweiß-Arbeiten haben es mir angetan und setze ich die Bilder aneinander, glaube ich, eine Geschichte zu entdecken:

© Nirav Patel

© Nirav Patel

© Nirav Patel

© Nirav Patel

Seine Arbeiten sind sehr einfach und der Einsatz von Licht erzeugt bei vielen Bildern ein Gefühl von Geheimnis, Stille und Ruhe. Manchmal auch Einsamkeit.

Die Landschaften, mit oder ohne Menschen, erscheinen dabei majestätisch. Ist ein Mensch Teil des Bildes, rückt er zur Seite und gehört zur Gesamtheit der Komposition, ist aber nicht alleiniger Träger des Augenblicks. Auf seinen Landschaften lässt sich soviel entdecken und fast schon könnte man meinen, selbst das Rauschen des Meeres hinter den Klippen zu hören oder den Nebel zu schmecken.

© Nirav Patel

© Nirav Patel

© Nirav Patel

Aber neben seinen Landschaften konzentriert er sich auch gern auf das Subjekt Mensch. Nimmt er sich diesem an, dann spielt er auch hier mit Licht und Schatten, mit Formen und Linien. Er lässt den Menschen als Teil seiner Komposition wirken oder aber transportiert tiefere Gefühlsschichten an die Oberfläche.

Was mich an den Bildern in der Gänze so fasziniert, ist, dass sie mich immer wieder festhalten, obwohl sie nie laut sind. Sie halten sich zurück und ich kann mir vorstellen, dass nicht jeder so empfindet und sie schnell wieder vergisst. Doch nimmt man sich die Zeit und schaut über seine Arbeiten, so findet man darin eine Ordnung, die beruhigend wirkt.

© Nirav Patel© Nirav Patel
© Nirav Patel© Nirav Patel
© Nirav Patel© Nirav Patel

Und ob Mensch oder Landschaft, ob mit Mensch in einer Landschaft oder mit Landschaft in einem Menschen, so hat sich Nirav Patel – und das sage ich aus tiefster Überzeugung – für das Richtige entschieden. Nämlich darin, seiner Passion Stabilität zu verleihen. Seine Bilder tragen einen stillen Zauber, der nicht immer sofort sichtbar ist.

Sie benötigen etwas, das im Konsum von Bildern nicht mehr gern gegeben wird, nämlich Raum und Zeit. Raum, um das Ausmaß des Sichtbaren zu begreifen und Zeit, um sie wirken zu lassen.

© Nirav Patel

Ich bin jedenfalls froh, seine Bilder im Pool der Möglichkeiten entdeckt zu haben und konnte nicht unkommentiert lassen, was sie in mir auslösen.

Da Du hier nur eine kleine Auswahl an Bildern entdecken konntest, darfst du gern Niravs Webseite besuchen oder auf Facebook und Tumblr seine Arbeiten verfolgen.

Und natürlich kannst Du ihn auch gern auch als Hochzeitsfotograf buchen.


kwerfeldein – Fotografie Magazin | Fotocommunity

 
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