Sony announced the Xperia Z5 Premium today, boasting a 5.5″ 4K display. It was unveiled alongside the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact, and each offers a new 23MP 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS BSI CMOS sensor with an F2.0 lens. A new hybrid AF system claims to acquire focus in 0.03, which would make it the fastest AF system on any current smartphone camera. Read more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]
Shifting from paper to digital media hasn’t diminished the role of libraries in our communities, with many modern designs expanding to serve as cultural hubs with cafes, soundproof video rooms and even lookout points with panoramic views of the surrounding city. These 14 designs combine older traditions with new materials, programs and functions, juxtaposing thousands of years of collected knowledge with dazzling structures made of steel, timber and glass.
The crumbling medieval Torre del Borgo in northern Italy gets a new life thanks to a stabilizing renovation that added a stacked timber volume for addition space and outfitted the inside with a ribbon-like black staircase. Architect Gianluca Gemini strengthened the existing walls, added more windows and created a means of getting to each of the four levels that also functions as a sculptural centerpiece.
A sleek perforated aluminum tower contrasts with the traditional architecture of a former chapel in Lonate Ceppino, Italy, transforming it into the ‘Elsa Morante’ public library. DAP studio contrasts old and new, airy and solid, connecting the modern volume to the pre-existing structure with glazed passageways.
Built-in wooden bookshelves curve up and connect to form a cocoon-like architectural feature at the Monterrey library by Mexico City-based studio Anagrama. Set within a staircase, this unusual space doubles as a reading room, with padded bench seats on either side of the steps.
Formerly a farm building, the squat brick section of the original Danville Library gets a beautiful and functional barn-like addition to bring it into the modern era, with timber slats adding architectural interest and screening the interior from direct sunlight. The new gabled areas by BplusB architects give the interior a cathedral-like feel.
The first new library for Baghdad since the 1970s, this unusual structure by AMBS architects takes its shape from the arabic Kufic word for ‘read.’ Stretching out into a lake, the building will feature the world’s largest reading room as well as a massive double-curved glass roof to flood the interiors with natural light.
A beautiful old chapel in the Italian town of Lonate Ceppino has been transformed into a modern library with a perforated aluminum tower that adds to the …
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A new public library in the Netherlands by MVRDV flouts the conventional wisdom of keeping books in the dark, placing them under a glass pyramid-shaped …
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More than just buildings filled with books, these 14 beautiful modern libraries are cultural landmarks and places to explore new media of all kinds.
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[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]
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As part of Landscape Photography Week here on dPS, we’re offering TWO for the price of ONE on our best-selling Living & Loving Landscape Photography ebooks!
Click here to take advantage of this offer.
When I think of landscape photography, my mind conjures up a towering mountain vista with a glowing tarn sprawled out in the foreground, or a tumbling torrent flanked by evergreens.
It’s hard to not be drawn in by a great landscape image. After all, most of us yearn for wilderness or a connection to nature, especially in our electronics-dominated lifestyles. Of course the landscape that unfolds in front of us isn’t always the wilderness, on the contrary, sometimes it’s a concrete jungle.
Urban landscapes focus on the human element as the subject.
What does it mean to have a human element in a landscape image? By definition landscape photography should be purely natural, but as is often the case with art, it is subjective and the lines delineating the rules are blurred.
I find that sometimes adding a human element – whether it is a person or something that hints at the presence of people – can help humanize the image and bridge our connection to the story within. Every photo can tell a story if you open your mind and look into it deep enough. Even pictures of nature tell the tale of an eternity of geologic processes at work or the incredible diversity of life that has blossomed out of seemingly nothing.
One thing about photographing the world, that I’ve learned over the years, is that many images offer more intrigue, or become more powerful by including a person. A landscape image can certainly evoke a host of emotions, but seeing another human being in the photo seems to help nudge us in a certain direction.
A tiny person among a huge landscape can give you perspective and scale, while an expression or form can suggest a feeling of awe, contemplation, or any number of emotions.
They shouldn’t be the main subject of the image, but including people in a landscape photo can help provide a sense of scale.
This photo below of Vernal Falls in Yosemite Valley could have easily excluded people as well as the stairs – also a human element. This waterfall is visited by hundreds of people per day and has been photographed from a million angles. After reviewing my photos from this little excursion, I realized that I liked this one the best. I like seeing the steps which were obviously very difficult to construct. I picture workers toiling for weeks or months to build them decades ago. They also reveal the steep incline you must climb to get a good view. The girl’s posture and expression shows her relaxing after the climb and obviously happy with the reward.
Photographic genre lines are often blurred, like this image which lies in the realm between a landscape image and an environmental portrait.
Although this next photo doesn’t show people, it provides evidence that the mountains aren’t just empty wilderness. With just a small plume of smoke sneaking into the frame, you now have more than a dramatic vista of the late day sun trickling over these mountains in northern Thailand. Even though you don’t have all the details, you know there’s a story. Are there people camping in that spot? Is there a village? A wildfire just beginning?
Sometimes simply hinting at the presence of people can add intrigue.
The wisps of smoke also give another point of focus. Without it, whatever this photo has to offer is quickly recognizable with just a quick glance – a pretty pic of some rolling hills. In this case the human element adds intrigue and a bit of mystery.
In the summer of 2012 Colorado was hot, dry, and on fire. Several fires torched mountainsides, as well as the houses perched on their slopes. There was a lot of smoke, and even some ash floating around. Later in the day, the low angle sun would illuminate the smoke and make it glow all sorts of colors, which simultaneously looked both beautiful and apocalyptic.
I wandered out with camera in hand and found this lake, which I thought would be a nice elemental balance of water in the foreground with dry, burning hills behind, and that brilliant glowing reflection. It was a private lake with a barbed wire fence around it, which I included in some of the frames I shot.
The human element can be used to add symbolism.
I found that the barbed wire helped accentuate that apocalyptic feeling while insinuating symbolism at the same time. That symbolism could be interpreted many ways. To me, I have studied some fire ecology and learned of the dangerous conditions we have created by suppressing wildfires for decades, and the barbed wire symbolized that maybe we should keep out of nature’s business.
What do landscape photos mean to you? Do you prefer them devoid of any hint of human presence?
Here on dPS this is landscape week – the first of several articles and tips was posted earlier today. You can see it here: 6 Tips for Better Low-Light Landscape Photography. Watch for a new article (or two) on landscape photography daily for the next week.
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The post Landscape Photography and the Human Element by Jeremie Schatz appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Sony has launched an online content hub and community called αUniverse to showcase its alpha brand. The website is a portal for videography, photography, news content, and instructional content aimed at the imaging community, and will also be used as the primary outlet for news directly from Sony Imaging. Read more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
A Raw file is a Raw file, right? Well, not exactly. Lately, there’s been a lot of talk and a lot of anger about the compression Sony uses in its Raw files. Compressed Raw files aren’t uncommon, but they’re usually compressed in a way that retains all the original ‘raw’ data from the sensor. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Sony’s latest cameras. Read more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
A Raw file is a Raw file, right? Well, not exactly. Lately, there’s been a lot of talk and a lot of anger about the compression Sony uses in its Raw files. Compressed Raw files aren’t uncommon, but they’re usually compressed in a way that retains all the original ‘raw’ data from the sensor. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Sony’s latest cameras. Read more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
As part of Landscape Photography Week here on dPS, we’re offering TWO for the price of ONE on our best-selling Living & Loving Landscape Photography ebooks!
Click here to take advantage of this offer.
A glorious sunset will always attract a crowd of photographers. Yet the moment the sun dips behind the horizon, it seems everyone departs in a hurry. What they don’t realize is how exceptional the scene can become at dusk and into the early evening. The hours following sunset are actually ideal for landscape photos. Of course, working in low light isn’t without its fair share of challenges.
With these six tips though, it’s possible to extend the magic hour and continue creating stunning images long into the night.
It’s easy to be mesmerized by the bold colors of dusk. Yet, the photographer who works to add more visual interest will ultimately create a better image. About a half hour before the sun sets, I start the search for a foreground element that will anchor my composition. This can be a field of flowers, a boulder, a tree, or even a man-made object. The idea is to add visual interest all the way through the frame. As you explore various options, be sure to try different perspectives including the view from the ground. By having this location worked out in advance, you’ll be ready to capture the peak moment of brilliance.
When autofocus struggles, Live View becomes an extremely helpful focusing aid. By switching to manual focus and magnifying the scene on the LCD, you have the ability to carefully micro-focus on whatever is important in your scene. At 5x and 10x magnification, you don’t have to solely rely on your eyesight, making focus easy to achieve. Remember, the enlarged view on your LCD is not representative of the actual focal length, or view the camera sees. Upon pressing the shutter, the entire scene will be captured in sharp detail. With this level of precision, I find this feature ideal for low-light photography.
It’s true, a tripod is a landscape photographer’s best friend, especially in near darkness. Yet, there are definitely occasions where carrying one is just not possible. With a bit of ingenuity, you can still create a sharp photographs. The key is to set your camera to the two second timer. Compose your shot with the camera resting on a rock or bag and press the shutter release. The timer will count down for two seconds. This is enough time to eliminate any camera shake before firing. Using this technique, you can still use very long shutter speeds even without a tripod.
In extremely low-light, small camera buttons and dials become difficult to see. A small flashlight, or even your smartphone can provide the proper amount of illumination. This also comes in handy for navigating dark trails and rocks. To keep it from getting lost, I prefer the key ring type that can be attached to a camera bag. While this seems like a common sense item, don’t underestimate its usefulness. Hiking back to your car after dusk can be dangerous without artificial light to lead the way.
During the day, I often enjoy the warmer White Balance presets like Cloudy or Shade. Similar to a painter adding more yellow to their brush, these settings introduce a golden quality of light to a landscape. At dusk however, this can look artificial and overprocessed. To better match the cooler color temperature of low light situations, Auto White Balance is actually quite accurate. While I do work in RAW, I enjoy shooting in a white balance that best represents the scene. This provides a more complete understanding of how the image will look and allows me to make adjustments accordingly.
Night photography can offer some spectacular opportunities, especially when the moon is full. You can check this beforehand using apps like the Photographer’s Ephemeris. In these low-light conditions, you will need to take some special steps to get the shot. First, a solid tripod is essential to prevent camera shake. In the mountains, winds can be strong, so opt for a sturdy set of legs. Even with the light of the moon, it was necessary to use a 15″ (fifteen second) exposure. Camera settings: ISO 400, F/4, 15 seconds at 17mm. This same location midday, was a completely different scene with idling buses, flocks of tourists, and harsh contrasty light.
So how can you use these tips in your photography? Do you have any others to add? Please do so in the comments below.
Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of articles we’re featuring here in a deep dive on landscape photography, this week on dPS. Watch for another later today and more daily.
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The post 6 Tips for Better Low-Light Landscape Photography by Chris Corradino appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Japanese lens manufacturer Tamron has announced it has revamped its SP lens range, starting with the SP 35mm F1.8 Di VC USD and the SP 45mm F1.8 Di VC USD. As a company that usually produces zoom lenses it’s surprising to see the first two SP models are fixed focal lengths primes, boasting new design values inside and out according to Tamron. Read more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Schaue ich mir Ignat Orazovs Fotografien an, wird mir kalt. Es ist nicht nur die Tristesse seiner Motive oder die alte und raue Architektur der Stadt, es ist nicht nur die Distanziertheit seiner Schwarzweißfotos – es ist dieser kalte Wind, den man durch die Bilder des russischen Fotografen regelrecht rauschen sieht.
kwerfeldein – Fotografie Magazin | Fotocommunity
Feature Shoot is accepting submissions for its latest group show, and winners will have their work displayed at PIX 2015 – our interactive photo expo. The show centers on themes of ‘vertical living,’ and will be curated by Feature Shoot Editor-in-Chief Alison Zavos. Read more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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