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Guerrilla Guidance: DIY Street Signs Make Urban Life More Interesting

21 Jan

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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You’re hurrying along the sidewalk on the way to work, running late and not in the greatest mood, when you see a sign in the adjacent field that simply reads “PLEASE WAIT HERE, YOUR FUTURE SELF WILL MEET YOU SHORTLY.” How does that affect your day? Little moments like these can bring some much-needed levity to the world around us, especially in dark times.

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Impeccably produced, often enticing you to push a button or take a card, these guerrilla installations look pretty legit until you stop to read what they say. They’re easy to miss, if you’re hustling too quickly and tuning out your surroundings – but if you take a moment to notice them, they might just make you smile.

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Artist Michael Pederson (aka Miguel Marquez Outside) creates these little interventions and puts them up all over his home city. Sometimes they’re site-specific, referring to things that can be found in the local environment, like a hole in the curb or a sidewalk that ends abruptly.

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The personal space cards would actually be pretty handy, and who wouldn’t be tempted by a time travel pay phone? Check out more of Pederson’s work at his tumblr and Instagram.

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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5 Tips for Capturing Everyday Moments in Your Family’s Life

21 Jan

Lifestyle photography and the art of everyday photography is about documenting your daily life. This could include capturing your baby’s toothless smile, his/her first steps, the way they hold their hair or twirl their dress, first time they start to read or write, or anything that you would normally run to grab your cell phone to capture.

While smartphone cameras have gotten to be more powerful and expensive over the years; nothing beats the quality and the depth of field you can achieve with wide apertures using your DSLR. The ability to capture raw files and process them, lens interchangeability, and being able to obtain superior images under even low light conditions, are just a few of the benefits. To add, over the decade the price for an entry level DSLR has also come down significantly. So if you own a DSLR (or a mirrorless or high-end compact camera) already, why not use it to capture everyday moments in your daily life?

how to capture everyday moments

Here are some tips for you to capture your everyday moments with your camera.

#1 – Capture the details

how to capture everyday moments

Capturing the details is about focusing on what the subject is actually doing versus photographing the entire subject which can take away from the story the image is trying to tell or convey. It could be something as simple as a kid holding a flower, or the way she touches her hair or smiles, or anything for that matter.

how to capture everyday moments details

Another key to creating extraordinary images out of the ordinary is to think about composition while considering the detail you are trying to capture. You may be focused on documenting and creating that memory that you can reflect upon. So compose your image such that the subject, in this case, the boy writing, creates stronger and meaningful image while helping you remember the story that occurred.

Another example is the image below.

how to capture everyday moments

This was a very simple image where he wanted to show a tiny flower he got from the garden. Again, having my camera right next to me, I quickly adjusted the settings to get the shot. I also tweaked the image a bit during post-processing to accentuate the details.

how to capture everyday moments

Children grow up fast and the memories in images and videos of them doing little fun things, their innocence is sometimes all we have to remember and treasure of their childhood.

#2 – Think perspective

how to capture everyday moments perspective

This was an ordinary everyday moment for us. Having breakfast at the table, eating his favorite snack and just enjoying his moment. I happened to think about a different angle and took this image while he stared up at me. Straight on would have been a perfectly fine image as well, but him looking up gives the viewers something different from the usual.

Here is another image where perspective was a little different.

how to capture everyday moments

In this image, I found my little one sitting on the stairs and coloring away. He found that to be his comfortable spot. Using the stair rods as framing I placed my camera in between the pillars and clicked for a unique perspective. This was a very ordinary moment of a 4-year-old coloring. But having my camera on hand and using a different perspective makes this image more unique and extra special.

Perspective can be anything. Utilizing your stairs for shooting through, or having your kid looking up at you while you click to emphasize scale are some commonly used techniques that can give an added boost to your images.

how to capture everyday moments

3 – Open your windows and blinds and use natural light

When that fails, use alternate light sources.

The biggest challenge with indoor photography is the availability of light and being able to use your camera under different lighting conditions. The quantity and quality of light change dramatically with different sky conditions. Regardless of the sky, however, try to shoot in the available natural light while keeping your subject close to the window.

how to capture everyday moments

Also, consider the time of day while photographing your subjects. In the first image above, I had to increase my ISO to 400 while also trying to keep only certain parts of the image in focus. Something to remember is while a high ISO can help you with many scenarios, it can also produce a certain amount of grain in the images which may or may not be desirable, depending on the look you want.

The bigger challenge with natural light is what do you do at night when there is only artificial light available? One solution is to use a flash and bounce it off the ceiling or wall depending on how much you wish to have in your image. Another way is to actually decrease the available light in your image, use interesting available light sources as a backdrop and accentuate your subject under low lighting conditions for some extra creativity.

how to capture everyday moments

In the image above, all the artificial lights in the room were turned off. While he was browsing his iPad, it was the only light source illuminating his face.

In examples below, I used the lighting from the Christmas tree as my light source. I turned all the room lights off and adjusted the exposure a bit during post-processing. Another creative way to use the artificial light is to use backlighting which causes a silhouette.

how to capture everyday moments

In other words, use natural light as much as possible. However, when artificial lighting is all you have, use it in the best possible creative way.

#4 – Make your moments happen, don’t wait for them

how to capture everyday moments

Somedays, you just have to wait for a cute moment to happen. While other days, you have to create a scenario to make those adorable moments with your kids occur. In the images above, he just wanted to hang out in his room. I used that as an opportunity to let him jump on the bed, which he loved a lot, and I clicked away to capture the action and movement shots with a high shutter speed.

In the image below, I really wanted a laughing happy image of my kid without him knowing I was shooting. Hence acting natural, while he really didn’t care to do either while being engrossed with his iPad. I kept repeating certain jokes he likes until I got that laughter out of him.

how to capture everyday moments

In other words, it is nice to have your camera nearby when a certain moment happens for you to be able to capture it right away. However, you sometimes have to create that moment or place your subject in a place or a scene in order to achieve something you want.

#5 – Last, but not the least, carry your camera everywhere

how to capture everyday moments

Carrying your camera everywhere you go will ensure that you do not miss out on documenting key moments in your kids’ lives. Can you imagine carrying only your cell phone to your son’s soccer game and ending up with a blurry image?

Documenting and creating a memory book or printing out a family album with images you created that are clean, crisp and not blurry is a special feeling of its own. Having your DSLR with you while learning the basics will help you to document key events in your own life and ensure they remain for generations to come.

Conclusion

In conclusion, just a few simple techniques in understanding composition, lighting, while also applying the above tips will help you create stronger images. Lifestyle photography and the art of capturing the everyday moments using your DSLR instead of your cell phone gives you an extra layer of that creative edge while still documenting moments that you usually would either way.

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The post 5 Tips for Capturing Everyday Moments in Your Family’s Life by Jyotsna Bhamidipati appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Here’s the first known photo of a US Presidential Inauguration

20 Jan

When James Buchanan was sworn into office on March 4, 1857, John Wood made history by making the first known photograph of a US Presidential inauguration.

Wood was hired by Montgomery C. Meigs, an engineer managing the expansion of the US Capitol which added wings for the Senate and House. According to Robert O’Harrow’s The Quartermaster, Meigs was an early days photography enthusiast. As prints became easier and more affordable to produce, he saw the value in using photography to make copies of architectural plans and hired Wood.

For the inaugural photo, Meigs constructed a small stage so that Wood could capture the scene. The crowd of more than 20,000 mostly stood on a platform Meigs had built to hide construction debris. His journal mentions that Wood was able to make the inauguration exposure in 4 seconds, as he had been experimenting with a ‘photography process of great speed,’ referring to the wet collodion process that was being widely adopted at the time. The image that resulted is an albumen print, resulting from a method of making prints that used a substance found in egg whites and table salt to bind photographic chemicals to paper.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Dear Nikon: Please let us keep the 20mm F1.8G, Love, Dan

20 Jan

An open letter to Nikon

Dear Nikon,

Dan Bracaglia here from DPReview.com. It’s been brought to my attention (mostly due to the nagging of coworkers) that the Nikkor 20mm F1.8G lens you’ve loaned us needs to be returned to Nikon ASAP. I guess this makes sense, seeing as we’ve had it for about 20 months now. But perhaps I can convince you, beyond a reason of a doubt to allow us just a little more time with it. I ask because I truly love this lens. And here’s why:

There’s no such thing as a perfect lens, but a lens can certainly be the right tool for a specific job, and to that extent, it’s perfect. Your 20mm F1.8G is just that for me.

I first moved to Seattle about five months before you shipped DPReview the lens. I’d previously been living in New York City and photographing live music. Back then I largely shot with a 17-35mm F2.8 (the lens motor has since died) and an on-camera flash. It was the perfect setup for the rowdy punk rock shows I frequented.

ISO 12,800, 1/160 sec at F2. Edited to taste in Lightroom.

But, after moving I realized I was going to have to switch up my music rig. I became aware that shows in small and mid-size venues in Seattle were well-documented, but shows happening in less traditional spaces, like friends’ basements, living rooms or art/community centers were often not photographed (despite being well-attended). So I launched a photoblog with the goal of documenting my local music community.

Out of respect for these intimate environments, I vowed to leave my flash at home and shoot available light only. And what could be better for documenting in the dark than fast primes?

When shooting shows with available light, three things matter most to me in a lens: its size/weight (too large = too intrusive), it’s brightest aperture and its focus speed. Your 20mm, Nikon, is a perfect balance of all these things. A look at the Sigma 20mm F1.4 to gives an idea of how big and cumbersome a brighter 20mm lens could be.

And when paired with my D750, the combination is fast-to-focus (using the center area) even in conditions that are often too dark for me to physically see. This is incredibly impressive and useful. Even if I can’t tell whether or not my subject is in focus, I need to be able trust that my camera and lens can. Simply put, when used together the D750 and 20mm F1.8G sing.

ISO 12,800, 1/160 sec at F1.8. Edited to taste in Lightroom.

I’ve been mostly shooting it alongside your marvelously cheap 50mm F1.8D, which was actually my favorite Nikon lens (shocking!) before I got my paws on the 20mm 1.8G. I use the 50mm for detail shots and the 20mm to capture the tone of the room. Both are coat-pocketable and don’t add much bulk to the D750. Moreover both are sharp enough for me by F2.2 and fast-to-focus. The only thing I don’t like about the 20mm against the 50mm is the price, which is much more than the quintessential fast 50.

That’s where the loan comes in. I know, I know, I’m lucky to be able to have access to loaner gear (we do ALSO use the lens for camera testing and sample image shooting), it’s just hard to justify spending $ 800 on a lens that will likely be soaked in beer within two weeks of my purchase (not that it’s ever happened to your 20mm…). I suppose I should be grateful for having had the chance to use a piece of gear and fall in love with it before buying it. After all, the inherent danger of using loaner gear from any brand, is getting attached.

At the the end of the day, maybe I should look at the $ 800 price tag as less about the cost of the lens and more about the price of being able to continue to document something I love, without drawing much attention. And to that regard, I owe it to myself, my community and you, to pony up and buy one.

I’ll do that, but maybe after just one more loan extension?

Sincerely,

Dan Bracaglia

P.S. Anyone at Nikon want to purchase a slightly busted 17-35mm F2.8 for $ 800?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Review of the New Flagship DX Camera – The Nikon D500

20 Jan

Everyone thinks they need a full frame camera but are they really that much better? Most people feel the only reason they have cropped sensor cameras is because they can’t afford a full frame one. Then you have to wonder why Nikon have produced one that is not full frame and comes with an expensive price tag. So who would be interested in the new Nikon D500? There are a lot of people who would love this camera and what it has a lot to offer.

Earlier this year Nikon released the new flagship D500 camera as part of their DX range or cropped sensor line-up. It is fast and designed with a specific user in mind. It is also one of the first cameras Nikon has produced that is using Snapbridge, the new phone app that allows you to take photos and upload them to your phone for sharing on social media straight away.

The Nikon D500 – image courtesy of Nikon.

Price out the Nikon D500 on Amazon or B&H Photo’s site.

First impressions

Unlike many of the other DX cameras, it is quite large. People tend to think that cameras with cropped sensors are smaller, but the D500 is in the Pro range and you can see that just by looking at it. It looks like a camera that a professional photographer would use, and many indeed do.

One of the first things I noticed was how similar many of the controls and the layout is to the D800. In many ways, it seems like a cropped sensor version of that camera. This also means that most of the buttons are around the camera body, so you don’t have to keep going back to the menu to change settings. There are everywhere, but it doesn’t make it confusing. You can make changes without really having to stop and look at what you are doing.

Sunset image shot with the Nikon D500.

If want to do long exposure photography there is a small blind in the viewfinder that will close to stop light leaking into your image. It means you never have to worry about whether or not you have the cover for it. You just need to remember to use it when doing long exposures. Very handy.

ISO and noise

The D500 is Nikon’s replacement for the popular D300 range that they stopping making a few years ago. The D300 was fast and great for many types of photography, however, the ISO range was not good. As soon as you increased the ISO the images became very noisy.

It also didn’t go very high, with ISO 3200 being the maximum. The D500 ISO goes up to 512,000, so it will get you images no matter the shooting conditions. The level of noise in the images is also significantly better and not as noticeable.

Review of the New Flagship DX Camera - The Nikon D500

Image shot using a tripod with the Nikon D500 at ISO 200.

Image shot with the Nikon D500 hand held at ISO 6400.

Megapixels and image size

The camera is 20 megapixels, which is enough for most people. A RAW image is around 25 MB. Not as large as some cameras, but still large enough that you have to consider how you will store them. Jpegs are a lot smaller, but you don’t get as much information to work with as shooting RAW.

Battery

The battery is very similar to the battery for the D800 but it is a new version, so should only be used in the D500. If you have similar batteries for other cameras it is a good idea to mark them in some ways so they don’t get mixed up. You don’t want to be putting the wrong battery in the camera. While the battery is different the charger is the same.

The battery lasts a long time and you can safely go out for a day of shooting and not use much. Like most Nikon cameras you can go out and shoot for a few days without having to recharge it. Though that is dependent on how many photos you take. Of course, if you do a lot of chimping (image review on the camera) or use LiveView frequently the battery will run out faster. Likewise, if you’re shooting in the cold.

The batteries do typically last a long time as well. You can use a battery for quite a few years before you start noticing that it doesn’t last as long.

Remote shutter release

Using some ND filters and the MC-36 remote shutter release on the Nikon D500 for some long exposures.

When you are looking at a new camera you need to be aware of all the accessories and whether or not you will have to buy a lot of new ones. The remote shutter release that I purchased for the D300s, the MC-36, was fine for the D800, and it is also good to use on the D500. That makes it a good match for the gear I already have. It is something you need to consider anytime you are buying a camera, it isn’t just the expense of the camera, but what other equipment you may need as well.

A long exposure of some recently painted silos using the D500.

Focusing area

The focusing area takes up larger space in the Nikon D500 than it does in other bodies. It has the same focusing center as the Nikon D5, their top pro model, but on the cropped sensor of the D500. In practice, that means you can focus on subjects almost up to the very edges of the viewfinder. You can focus on a much larger area than other DX cameras.

If you want to use spot focusing, but have found it hard in the past because you couldn’t focus on subjects at the side, it is now possible to do that. Any camera that makes focusing easier for you has to be good.

Memory card

The D500 has two slots for memory cards. You can put an SD card in one, and the other is for XQD cards, which are reasonably new but only needed for a few Nikon cameras. It is mainly used in the higher end bodies that are fast and shoot a lot of frames per second, which is why the card is used. Normal cards would find it hard keeping up with the speed and writing the images. If you are taking photos at 10 frames a second it is important.

Apparently, you can buy the cards at all good camera stores. Though, you would also need a memory card reader for it as well.

Touchscreen

The screen at the back is a touchscreen which makes it easy to scroll through your images. It works a lot like your smartphone. You can make the images bigger or smaller and flip through them with your fingers.

The back screen of the D500 can be moved for better viewing and is also a touchscreen.

Crop factor

The Nikon D500 has the 1.5x crop factor. Basically, that means that if you have a full frame lens, like the 70-200mm, when you use it on the D500 the lens becomes essentially like a 105-300mm. It is the advantage of using a DX camera body with high-quality lenses.

It is all set up to take some sunset photos of the city of Melbourne.

Who is the Nikon D500 for?

The most likely person to buy this camera is someone who is interested in the 1.5x crop factor. Photographers who can’t afford those great big long lenses, but want to be able to get as close as they can to the action. Having the ability to make a 300mm lens go to 450mm is fantastic. The longer the telephoto lens, the more expensive it is, so the cropped sensor is great for that reason.

The sunset shot with the Nikon D500. The DX camera allowed me to get a lot closer with the 80-200mm, this was at 277mm.

Sports photographers would also be interested where speed and getting closer to the action is very important. Full frame is great, but to get a camera that is fast enough to shoot lots of frames per second you would need to spend around $ 6500 on a Nikon D5 or similar. If you don’t have that kind of money, $ 2000 USD will get you the Nikon D500 which will do many of the things that the others can, but you also get the cropped sensor.

There are many other kinds of photographers who would benefit from the D500 as well. Bird and wildlife photographers would love being able to get more length with their lenses. The 10 frames per second capability of this camera would also be an advantage for capturing birds and animals on the move.

Macro photographers will get a lot closer to their subjects with their lenses, and when you put on extension tubes, a whole new world will be seen.

Taken using the D500 and the Nikon 105mm macro lens, with the cropped sensor you can get in a lot closer than you can with a full frame.

Snapbridge app

This is a new app that Nikon has developed that makes it possible to connect your smartphone with the camera. It is unlike others that use Wi-Fi to do it, Snapbridge stays connected to your phone all the time. You can upload photos, use it to take your photos, and it also keeps your camera’s firmware up to date.

It is available for Apple iPhones and Android, though it is a little harder to use with an Android.

Using the camera

I found the camera easy to handle and work my way around. Then again, I’ve been using Nikon cameras for many years, and as previously stated I found a lot of similarities with the D800. I found the weight fine, but others who picked it up thought it was heavy. Then again, you would expect a camera of this quality to be that heavy. Good quality cameras of this caliber are always a bit hefty.

The fast frame rate blew me away and as someone who always likes to bracket photos to get more options, I really enjoyed it. With the D800 I would never do more than three shot hand holding, but with the D500 I felt there was enough speed to let me do five. I also really enjoyed just listening to how fast it was.

Using the D500 for night photography in Melbourne.

If I had one criticism, it would be that there is an overall blue cast and how, in some cases, it made the blues far bluer than they really were. I’m not a fan of blue in images, so I didn’t like it, but I know a lot of other photographers would.

Overall

The Nikon D500 is a great camera and anyone who purchases it will really enjoy using it. Full frame is great, but if you are a photographer who likes to zoom in, then the DX may suit you more. If you shoot sports, birds, wildlife or macro, look at this camera, it could be just what you need.

Price out the Nikon D500 on Amazon or B&H Photo’s site.

The sun as it sets and the camera taking photos.

The post Review of the New Flagship DX Camera – The Nikon D500 by Leanne Cole appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Feisty upstart: Hands-on with the Fujifilm X-T20

20 Jan

A great looking camera

Our first impression of the X-T20: ‘that’s going to generate a lot of comments.’ And there’s one simple reason for that: the X-T20 is an awful lot of X-T2 for a lot less money.

This probably shouldn’t be a surprise: the X-T20 has the same relationship to the X-T2 as the X-T10 did to the X-T1. The only difference is how quickly the smaller camera has followed on its big brother’s heels.

The sixteen month gap between the launch of the X-T1 and X-T10 softened the blow of Fujifilm offering much of the T1’s spec at a lower price. But X-T2 owners are likely to flinch slightly at the sight of a camera with such similar spec announced only four months after the T2 hit the shelves, and the knowledge that it’ll be another month before anyone can get hold of one is unlikely to ameliorate the sting.

What don’t you get?

There certainly are differences between the T2 and T20. Just like their respective predecessors, the more expensive model features a larger viewfinder. The X-T2 uses a larger OLED panel with better magnification (0.77x vs 0.62x, which is more than 50% larger) and a more distant eye-point, meaning you can see the whole panel from further away. The smaller camera doesn’t have any weather sealing, either.

There’s no battery grip option for the X-T20, so you can’t get the reassurance of the 1000 shot-per-charge CIPA rating that the X-T2 has with access to three batteries. Similarly this means there’s no way to extend the T20’s video longevity, nor to add a headphone socket. Video makers will also note the lack of Log output from the new camera.

Other differences

The X-T20 doesn’t offer dual card slots or support for UHS-II cards, which is likely to mean it can only capture sugnificantly shorter bursts of images, making it a considerably less attractive camera to anyone whose interests extend to sports shooting.

The X-T20’s 4K video is taken from the full width of the sensor, unlike the X-T2, meaning more lenses will be able to offer a wide-angle view while video shooting. However, this is achieved by line skipping, rather than capturing, demosaicing and then downsampling, so the resolution capture won’t match the X-T2.

The X-T20 also lacks the clever dual tilting screen that we liked so much about the T2. The X-T20’s rear LCD tilts up and down, meaning you can still shoot stills or video from waist level, but it doesn’t adapt itself as well to portrait-orientation shooting.

So what’s the fuss?

That’s settled, then, they’re totally different cameras, right?

Well, no, not really. The most significant similarity is the move to a 24MP sensor (an X-Trans CMOS III, to use Fujifilm’s terminology). This was always likely to be part of the X-T20’s spec but that doesn’t mean we should overlook just how much of an improvement this will offer, compared with the existing 16MP chip.

It’s not clear whether it’s purely the higher resolution or more sophisticated processing, but the 24MP chip is much less prone to the paintbrush-esque artefacts or ‘waxy’ skin texture that could occur with the earlier X-Trans cameras. Either way, just the inclusion of the 24MP sensor should have existing X-mount owners studying their bank balances.

Performance/processor

The X-T20 also gains the same processor as the X-T2 so just about every aspect of the T20’s performance should be similarly snappy.

The autofocus speeds, shutter lag time, shot-to-shot time and startup delay are all comparably rapid, meaning the X-T20 should be a pleasantly responsive camera. The only detail that’s unclear is whether the X-T20 will share the X-T2’s ‘Boost’ mode that increases EVF refresh rates from 60 to 100Hz.

The use of the same NP-W126S battery as the X-T2 means the X-T20 can offer a CIPA rating of 350 shots per charge; a 10% improvement on the camera’s predecessor. As with all CIPA numbers, real-world usage is likely to last much longer than this, but the figure should be comparable between cameras. The X-T20 will charge over its USB 2.0 socket.

AF system (inc customization)

The X-T20 gains its autofocus system wholesale from the X-T2, not only providing direct access to up to 325 selectable AF points (up from the X-T10’s 49), but also gaining the sophisticated continuous AF fine-tuning. The development of this system for the X-T2 helped that camera offer hugely improved C-AF and tracking results when paired with fast-focusing lenses.

The X-T20 doesn’t offer a customizable C-AF preset (option 6 in X-T2’s menu, shown above), to allow fine-tuning of the system’s behavior, so you need to choose between the 5 available presets.

Touchscreen

The X-T20 doesn’t have the X-T2’s AF point joystick but it does, instead, have a touch-sensitive rear LCD. We’ve not had a chance to try the production-ready X-T20 touchscreen experience, so can’t be sure exactly how well it will work (and we’ll be updating this story very soon, once we have).

The camera lets you set the focus point, set focus point and initiate focus, or set focus point, initiate focus and fire the shutter. The ability to move the focus point during movie shooting is also promised, which is a huge bonus. The touchscreen isn’t active when you’re shooting with your eye to the viewfinder.

The touchscreen also has a role to play in playback mode, allowing swiping between images, pinching to zoom in and out, and double-tapping to jump to a magnified view of the focus point used. Our initial experiences with a pre-production model suggest it isn’t the most responsive touchscreen system, but we’ll have to wait for the final samples to be sure.

Ergonomics

Comparing side-by-side, the X-T20’s ergonomics are very similar to those of the T2. Like the X-T2, the T20 has a dedicated movie-shooting mode, freeing up a button on the top plate for customization and meaning you can preview the video angle-of-view prior to shooting. However, the camera loses the Fn button that the X-T10 had it its rear panel, so you don’t end up any better off, overall.

The handling isn’t quite the same, of course: the smaller camera doesn’t have a front-plate Fn button, its shutter button is rather smaller and the top-plate Fn button isn’t quite as conveniently located. The X-T20 also misses out on an ISO dial, but the ability to cycle between three Auto ISO presets probably makes up for that (and is more effective than the pretty-but-unusable combined shutter speed/ISO dial used on the X-Pro2 and X100F).

On the camera’s right shoulder is an exposure comp dial that extends from +3 to -3EV and also features a ‘C’ position that hands-off control to the camera’s command dial, extending the available range of compensation out to +/-5EV. There’s also a lever to engage full auto mode if you need to hand the camera to your grandma.

The X-T20 also gains the improved menus offered on the X-T2, including a custom ‘My Menu’ tab.

Kit and caboodle

Best of all, Fujifilm offers the X-T20 in a series of kits. For existing X-mount users there’s a body-only option ($ 899). For budget buyers who need a lens, there’s a kit with the XC (no aperture ring) 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OIS ($ 999): a perfectly standard kit zoom. But the combination that stands out to us the the kit with the 18-55mm F2.8-4 OIS ($ 1199): one of the best kit lenses on the market and a great way to minimize the need to upgrade.

This much camera and lens for the list price of an X-T2? Even if it does upset some people, the X-T20 looks likely to make a lot of photographers very happy.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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F is for ‘4th’: Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

20 Jan

Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

Fujifilm has announced the fourth in its series of X100 rangefinder-style cameras: the X100F. The X100F features an updated sensor, revamped autofocus system, larger battery and tweaked ergonomics. We met with Fujifilm recently and got our hands on a pre-production sample. Click through for a quick product tour.

Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

Superficially very similar to its predecessor, the X100F is a clear evolution of the X100-series lineup in terms of design. The most obvious difference between the two cameras from the front is the X100F’s new front control dial, which brings the total dial-count to three.

Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

Here’s a closer look at that dial, and next to it the viewfinder mode selector lever, which toggles the hybrid finder between optical and electronic viewing modes. The 23mm (35mm equivalent) F2 prime lens is the same design as the X100T (and X100S and X100) and can accept the same telephoto and wide-angle adapters.

However, new ‘Mark II’ versions of these adapters have been released alongside the X100F. We understand that the Mark II versions are optically identical but feature electronic contacts which match contacts on the X100F camera body, meaning that the camera can recognize when an adapter has been fitted and respond accordingly.

Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

The X100F’s rear control layout has been simplified compared to the X100T, and the controls have been slightly rearranged. The LCD screen is the same, but controls are now arranged on the right of the display, with an AF selection joystick added at upper-right. Essentially the same control that we’ve seen added in the X-Pro2 and X-T2, this should make changing AF points much easier than it was been in previous X-series models.

The AF system has been revamped, too. The X100F now features 91 user-positionable AF points (which can be more finely divided into 325, if you prefer), with 40% of the imaging area covered by a hybrid phase-detection autofocus array, and focus should be responsive down to -3EV.

Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

Another change, but arguably a less impactful one is the addition of an integrated ISO dial to the shutter speed dial on the X100F’s top-plate. This matches the same dial on the X-Pro2. It looks nice, but we suspect that for many users it will stay locked on the ‘A’ position most of the time.

This view also shows off the expanded exposure compensation range of +/-3EV on the dedicated exposure compensation dial (upper right). The ‘C’ position allows exposure compensation of up to +/-5EV, using the camera’s control dials.

Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

The X100F gains a new battery – the same NP-W126S that’s used in the X-Pro2, X-T2 and X-T20. Battery life is rated at between 270 and 390 shots (CIPA) depending on whether you mostly use the electronic or optical finder. As always, these figures only give a value that can be compared between cameras; in real-world usage you’ll probably get more than this.

The bigger battery means a slightly deeper camera, and this increased size makes the X100F feel a little more solid and businesslike compared to the previous models.

Hands-on with Fujifilm X100F

The X100F will be available in silver or black, shipping next month for $ 1299.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Nokia Lumia 1020 used as microscope in low-cost DNA sequencer

20 Jan

The Nokia Lumia 1020 was launched back in 2013, but with its large 41MP sensor and innovative down-scaling algorithms is by many still regarded as one of the best smartphone cameras today.

Now, a team of researchers from the University of California, Sweden’s Stockholm University and Uppsala University has used exactly that camera to design a smartphone-based low-cost DNA sequencer and molecular analyzer. A $ 500 3D-printed attachment turns the Lumia camera into a microscope that can then be used by health workers in developing nations and remote locations to find genetic mutations that cause diseases without analyzing samples in a lab. Usually, the equipment needed for this task costs tens of thousands of dollars.

When testing, tissue samples are placed in a small container. The Lumia and optical attachment are then used to record multi-color fluorescence and bright-field images. The captured image data is fed into an algorithm for analysis in order to find any possible mutations. The teams says the design can detect even a small amount of cancer cells or other genetic mutations within a large amount of normal cells.

Given the Lumia 1020 has been out of production for quite some time it’s good news that the optical attachment can be adapted to work with more recent smartphone models.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop

20 Jan

Lighting is a huge integral part of a movie’s success. The same applies to photography. It’s all about the light or lack of it to create the drama in an image. Rim lighting, as the term suggests, is also called edge or back lighting. In this article I will show you how to create this dramatic style of lighting.

how to create a rim light effect in Photoshop

A rim light effect created in-camera and an Inner Glow effect added in Photoshop.

Rim lighting adds drama

There’s a particular scene in the movie Alien (1979) in which the character played by Harry Dean Stanton goes to find Jones the cat. That scene had me glued to my chair with both hands up to my mouth and fingers lodged between my teeth. You just knew something bad was going to happen but it was drawn out with unbelievable tension.

How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop Alien

Alien Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

The lighting throughout the movie was low key to give that moody atmospheric feel.

A good example of rim lighting is using two side lights or one light from behind the subject, as in the image below.

How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop

In this photo the light is behind the subject creating an edge or rim light around the subject’s head. This is also called a hair light.

Before I demonstrate how to create a rim light effect in Photoshop. I want to show you just how easy it is to get a rim light effect in-camera, so you can try it out in the comfort of your own home.

Create a rim light effect in-camera at home

I used the following setup to create my rim light:

One bottle of water
One glossy black tile
Two lights
A camera mounted on a tripod

I picked up a sample black glossy tile from a local tile shop, where I was able to purchase just the one. As for the lighting, strip softboxes are ideal for this type of rim lighting. You place a strip softbox on each side, and slightly behind (closer to the background), the subject.

Unlike standard softboxes, strip softboxes are narrow and rectangular in shape. But, for the purpose of this article so that you can easily do a similar setup in your own home, use whatever light sources that you already have at your disposal.

Using my iPad placed vertically to one side of the bottle, I opened the Soft Box app which is free to download and set it to white. I placed an LED light on the other side of the bottle. My kitchen table was used for the setup.

As you can see in the photo below, I was able to angle the lights so that I could control the rim light hitting the bottle. My camera settings were: ISO 2000, 1/60th of a second, at an aperture of f/5.6.

A simple setup that you can do at home to create a rim light effect in-camera using a black glossy tile, a prop, and two lights.

NOTE:

If you don’t want to use two lights and you have a regular softbox, try placing it directly behind the object and cover the center of the softbox with a strip of black card (that will become your background). You will need to experiment to get the rim lighting around the object.

This is the bottle of Water straight out of the camera.

Let’s dive into Photoshop.

Creating a rim light effect in Photoshop

The key to adding the rim light effect in Photoshop is Layer Styles and having the subject isolated from the background. Before any layer style can be applied, it is necessary that the image that you are applying the style to has been carefully cut out. Use whatever selection tool you want but I would recommend using the pen tool.

Layer style

Let’s take a look at Layer Styles. With Photoshop open, go over to the Layers Panel. Scroll down to the bottom and you will see a group of icons. You will see this icon, fx second to the right. Click on that and a pop-up dialog box will appear with different preset style options.

The Layer Styles presets are accessed by clicking on the fx icon located at the bottom of the Layers Panel.

The Inner Glow preset

Alternatively, you can access the Layer Styles by going back to the top right corner of the Layers Panel and clicking on the downward arrow icon with horizontal lines beside it. Scroll down to where it says Blending Options. The same Layer Style option box appears and just click on Inner Glow.

How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop

When you click on any of the Layer Style options, the settings are all preset options, but they can be easily edited. In this example, leave some of the settings as they are and only adjust the following three:

Choke – similar to feathering
Size
Opacity

Experiment until you get the desired effect, then click the OK button.

The Layer Style pop-up dialog box with the default settings.

A rim light effect is added in Photoshop using Inner Glow from the presets in the Layer Styles.

Using Color Dodge Blend Mode instead of Screen

My preference when using this Layer Style technique is to change the Blend Mode from Screen to Color Dodge. I used this on the bottle of water in the title shot. To illustrate the subtle differences between the two Blend Modes, see the two photos below. The first image is the Inner Glow with Screen as the

The first image is the Inner Glow with Screen as the default setting. For the second image, I changed the Blend Mode to Color Dodge.

Changing the Blend Mode to Color Dodge

How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop inner glow

Rim light effect created in Photoshop using Inner Glow from the presets in Layer Styles.

This rim light effect is created using Inner Glow from the Layer Style presets but I changed the Blend Mode to Color Dodge.

Creating a rim light from scratch using Photoshop

However, this technique really does shine when you have to create the rim light effect totally in Photoshop. For example, take this Owl Butterfly image that I got from www.pixabay.com. It has no rim light effect on it at all.

How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop owl

Owl Butterfly from Pixabay 1668956 – dowload the image if you want to follow along.

I isolated the Owl Butterfly from the background using the Pen Tool and placed it against a different background shot to which I added a Gaussian Blur.

Wheat from Pixabay 8244_1920

As I had the Butterfly on its own separate layer, I added an Inner Glow from the Layer Styles and changed the Blend Mode to Color Dodge and chose a darkish yellow. I wanted a backlight to appear on the wings of the Butterfly caused by the setting sun in the background.

How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop owl before

The Owl Butterfly was cut out using the Pen Tool in Photoshop and placed it against another background image. I blurred the background using Gaussian Blur.

I put this Layer Style effect on its own separate layer. Then I applied a layer mask and brushed in the yellow glow on the wings to give it a more realistic look. I did a bit more retouching by adding a gradient Overlay and then applied the Filter>Blur>Average to blend the colors from the two images.

How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop layer style

By placing the Layer Style effect on its own separate layer. I was able to apply a layer mask and brush the Glow effect onto to the wings of the Butterfly.

How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop owl after

An Inner Glow was added using the blend Mode set to Color Dodge. I then added a Gradient Overlay to darken the bottom part of the Butterfly and I applied an Average Blur to blend the color of the two images.

Your turn

I hope I have been able to show you how effective creating a rim light in Photoshop can enhance your images. Do you use this effect on your images? Feel free to give it a try and post your results below, I will try to answer any questions and would love to see your images.

The post How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop by Sarah Hipwell appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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GIMP seeks funding for future advanced features

20 Jan

Open source image editing application GIMP has always been free, but the work required to continue building and improving the software doesn’t come without cost. In a recent post, the team asks GIMP’s users to lend financial support to Øyvind Kolås, the man behind the Generic Graphics Library (GEGL) and 42% of its commits.

Kolås is responsible for numerous improvements to the graphics engine GEGL, as well as the pixel data conversion library babl. Thanks to this work, in part, GIMP 2.10 will offer numerous notable features including the previously announced 16-bit and 32-bit color channel processing. However, some requested features are still missing, including CMYK and spot colors support, additional filters, better GPU usage and more.

To help get the ball rolling on those features and others like them, GIMP is pointing users toward a Patreon page for Kolås, where he explains, “GIMP does not redistribute donations to developers/contributors — and I am currently living off savings…” Thus far 186 patrons have lended a total of $ 793/month support for Kolås. Support options for prospective patrons starts at $ 2/month, and ranges up to $ 128/month or higher for institutions.

Via: GIMP

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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