Month: October 2017

How to do Abstract Nature Photography

Photography, especially nature photography, is the art of capturing a scene to represent a slice – in space and time – of reality. Right? Well, not exactly, not always. That’s definitely part of it, but from very early on in the history of the art, photographers have experimented with the possibilities and limits of technique and imagination to create abstract art. Art that aims not to be accurate, but to let the imagination run free to create an effect disconnected from the obvious.

So what exactly is abstract photography? And can nature photography be abstracted? Should it be?

What is abstract photography?

The word itself comes from the Latin abstractus, which means drawn away or detached, and is often used in opposition to concrete. In terms of art, the abstract is a space for impression and imagination, for the elusive, for fuzzy borders. That doesn’t mean abstract photography is blurry and dim – it can be bright, clear, and sharp. It just doesn’t aim at the common, concrete representation of the world that we’re used to. That’s why abstract nature photography is so intriguing.

By creating a distance from form, abstract art opens up a space to explore associations, feelings, and reactions. Because it lacks an anchor for your interpretation, there is room for an uninhibited association. Through detachment from the concrete, you’re allowed to create your own way.

Capturing nature with photography

In nature photography, most work tries to clearly capture an object, a scene, or a process – to the point where the photography might cross from artistic into scientific. Abstract nature photography is obviously different in that it doesn’t try to represent physical reality. Its potential is to create something ethereal from the ordinary, to find something unique in the mundane.

To create abstract nature photographs, you need to step beyond the obvious and try to capture a sensation, a mood, a movement – things that might not be part of physical reality, but are just as real to the artist and the viewer. Think of it as music, using very concrete instruments and elements to create a reaction beyond that of the individual notes and sounds.

Getting started

To create something abstract, you need to begin with something concrete. Painters create abstract art using concrete tools: their paints, their substrate, brushes or other painting tools, and their imagination.

Photographers use different tools, but a more significant difference is that the artist is inescapably aware of the reality from which the abstraction in the finished work stems. However, the viewer’s vantage point is the same, whether the piece of art is an abstract painting or an abstract photograph.

The camera and your imagination are the only limitations on how you create abstract art. Below I list some easy ideas to begin experimenting with because by now I hope you’re intrigued enough to try your hand at abstract nature photography. To be clear, all of these tips also work for abstract art that has nothing to do with nature photography, but they focus on abstract art rooted in nature photography.

1. Distance

Getting very close to something or far away from it are great ways to create abstractions. We don’t often get that view in our everyday life, so it’s easy to disconnect what’s captured from what’s immediately familiar.

Here is an example from the realm of macro photography:

And an abstract photograph taking advantage of an unusually distant perspective:

2. Focus

Just because something is abstract doesn’t mean it has to be blurry or unfocused, but playing with focus is certainly one way to make a scene abstract. This requires that you use manual focus.

By either squinting or defocusing your eyes, you can get an idea of what the scene might look like as an out-of-focus image. Use that to find an interesting scene – just because something is out of focus doesn’t mean it’s interesting! Play around, and also try combining it with movement (see next point).

3. Time

Time is always of the essence when it comes to photography, and abstract photography is no exception. By combining a chosen exposure time with some movement you can create some really interesting abstract art. Your exposure time can be anything from a tiny fraction of a second to several minutes (or even longer), and in terms of movement, it can either come from the subject moving (e.g., light painting), or from the camera moving (e.g., intentional camera movement).

A bonus for advanced (and daring) photographers

Early photographic attempts at abstract art were based on the medium itself: the metallic or glass plates or sensitized paper in combination with the necessary chemicals used to create photographs, and light (without a lens). This kind of extreme back-to-basics experimentation also works with a digital camera.

For instance, through something called refractography, where a naked sensor is exposed to light reflected from a refractive object. It’s both beyond the scope of this article and my photographic experience, so I won’t talk more about it, but I thought it was worth mentioning. A quick warning, though: removing your lens from your camera always exposes the sensor to dust, so doing photography without a lens is obviously not healthy for your sensor. You’ve been warned.

Conclusion

For photography newbies, trying your hand at abstract photography is a great way to get to know your camera and try out different photography techniques: using manual focus, light painting, intentional camera movement, and so much more. For more advanced photographers, it’s a fun way to explore and expand your art and to try something new.

What do you think of abstract nature photography? Have you tried it? Please share your photos and thoughts in the comments below.

The post How to do Abstract Nature Photography by Hannele Luhtasela-el Showk appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 16, 2017
KISS & Mark Up: 10 Bizarre KISS Branded Products

[ By Steve in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

KISS and its hustling frontman Gene Simmons continue to raise the rock music merchandising bar, licensing thousands of products ranging from banal to bizarre.

KISS my buns? Only if they’re KISS Super-Spicy Chili Tomato meat buns, because one would naturally expect KISS-branded steamed meat-filled buns to be… Hotter Than Hell! Partnering with Japan’s Circle K Sunkus convenience stores (strange things really are afoot at the Circle K) to promote KISS’s late-2013 Japanese concert tour, these frighteningly lava-like buns cost $ 1 each and were packaged in one of five collectible paper wrappers: one for each band member plus one more featuring the entire band.

The buns are embossed with the well-known KISS logo and their odd grey coloration comes from edible bamboo charcoal. Inside, super-spicy habanero chilies add a fitting dose of demonic heat. Sorry, Red Hot Chili Peppers, looks like Gene Simmons & Co stole your thunder. Kudos to Rocketnews24 for reporting on this weird but tasteful marketing gimmick.

KISS Gene Simmons Inflatable Tongue

What’s cosplay without prosthetics and what’s a Gene Simmons Demon outfit without a KISS Inflatable Tongue? In fact, forget the cosplay and outfit, just go with the tongue – always a winning strategy (unless your name’s Harvey Weinstein).

This official KISS product supposedly inflates to 3 times its original size… think The Grinch but MUCH more disturbing. The package also bears a cautionary “Warning: Choking Hazard” blurb though were not sure if the user or the usee is at risk… maybe both. If you dare, check out this video from Scott Vs Box as our hero, Scott, unboxes the tongue.

KISS Matryoshka Nesting Dolls

Does Putin know about this? Never mind, he’s probably got an autographed set of his own. KISS Rock And Roll Nesting Dolls take the classic Russian Matryoshka concept to a very strange universe indeed. One wonders what goes through the minds of the aging babushkas employed to hand-craft these “stunning glossy” dolls, though it’s probably not the extended version of “Beth”. Offered by The Russianstore, est. 1992 – just after the fall of communism. Thanks, Yeltsin.

KISS Frozen Ice Bars

You’ll have to go all the way back to 1980 (and all the way to Australia, no less) to find KISS Ice Blocks, “a frozen thunderbolt of refreshing flavour”. Manufactured by Peters Ice Cream, the way-cool bars did NOT feature the face of “Cat Man” Peter Criss, who had been fired from the band before KISS left for their hugely successful KISS Monster Tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Instead of Cat-Man Criss, Eric “The Fox” Carr peers out from the 10-pack box. As for the ice bars themselves, they feature bands of frozen cola, raspberry and lemonade. Yum! Check out a make-up-free Paul and Gene plugging the bars in this short (1:22) official video from Peters.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Kiss Mark Up 10 Bizarre Kiss Branded Products

Intriguing Typography: Oded Ezer Remixes Art & Science

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Trumped Up: Stores & Businesses Trading On The Trump Name

An orange by any other name doesn’t taste the same, as the owners of these Trump-named but otherwise unaffiliated stores and business can truly attest.

Take Trump Tobacco, a Huntington …

Souped Up: 12 Larger Than Life Campbell’s Soup Cans

The red & white Campbell’s Soup can has been a huge pop culture (and occasionally pop art) icon for decades. HOW huge, you might ask? THIS huge…

The classic Campbell’s Soup …

[ By Steve in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

October 16, 2017
ICYMI: Canon 28mm F2.8 IS USM sample gallery

ISO 100 | 1/800 sec | F8

Canon’s 28mm F2.8 IS USM may not be the most exciting lens in the company’s lineup, but it’s reasonably affordable, lightweight and solid. As fall weather begins to hit Seattle, we find ourselves visiting the sunny images of this gallery and thinking fondly of summertime past. Take a look to see what this little lens can do.

See our Canon 28mm F2.8 IS USM sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 15, 2017
Five Creative Lenses That Will Make Your Photos Pop
The drive to be creative is what focuses many people in photography. One variable you can alter to help you create photographs that really stand out is the lens. There are several different options for choosing creative lenses, depending on your taste.

In this article, you’ll see five very different kinds of lenses, and what they are capable of bringing to your photography. It’s always a good idea to have a lens that capable of something totally different, which will allow your photos to stand out from the crowd.

The fisheye lens is used in this photo has captured a wide scene. There is some distortion on the edge of the image, but with the lines all leading in, this works well.

1 – The fish-eye lens

This lens is always great fun to work with, it’s a versatile lens that can be used for both portraits and landscapes. A fish-eye lens has several great applications so let’s take a look at those:
- Wide-angle lens – This can act as a super wide-angle lens, and if you decide not to carry a wide angle lens the fish-eye makes a decent alternative. The main constraint is the distortion, this means keeping the horizon line straight.
- The Earth’s not flat! – You can prove the Earth is not flat with a fish-eye lens. Simply position the horizon line near the top or bottom of the frame, and let distortion do the rest.
- Embrace the distortion – Using a fish-eye means working with the way lines get distorted. This has great application for portrait photos, as those lines lead up to your model.
The fish-eye is a great lens to play with, which is why it’s such a popular lens. It’s great for getting a lot of the scene in your frame, but is, therefore, challenging to use. Those who embrace the challenge of this lens will be reward with some amazing results, so go out and try one.

The fish-eye lens can be great for super wide landscape photos.

2 – The Lensbaby for something quirky

Lensbaby is a company that makes a range of lenses that are small, comparatively cheap, and not too heavy. The lenses they make have diversified over the years. The Lensbaby Composer was their original concept. The Composer lens allows the user to change the area in the frame that has the sharpest focus. It does this by allowing you to change the plane of focus using a swivel head.
- Abstract bokeh – Shifting the angle of the composer lens will give you stretch bokeh. The best way to get this effect is to photograph some fairy lights, that are deliberately out of focus.
- Portrait photos – Lensbaby lenses are excellent at drawing your eye to the model, by minimizing the background. Once again with the Composer, you can focus your sweet spot on the persons face, and surround them with bokeh!
- Landscape photos – While not its strength, a Lensbaby can be used for interesting landscape photos. This works best when there is an out of focus area in the frame, which the Lensbaby Composer can further blur out into stretch bokeh. The effect is not dissimilar to a tilt-shift lens, and the subject of the photo should be sharp.
The Lensbaby Composer creates interesting bokeh around the subject.

3 – The 50mm f/1.2 is a creative lens

The nifty fifty is one of the first lenses that many photographers buy, with the less expensive f/1.8 version being a popular choice. There are a plethora of other prime lenses that can be used creatively like the 50mm f/1.2, though f/1.2 is at the extreme end of the large aperture scale. The comparison to make is a fish-eye lens to a wide angle, and here, an f/1.2 to an f/1.8 lens.

The 50mm f/1.2 is an excellent choice for those wanting to explore bokeh in their photographs. The depth of field is incredibly narrow, and getting sharp focus on your subject can be tricky. In the evening, positioning lights behind the subject, in the out of focus area will produce bokeh.

Want to get even more creative? Try creating different shaped bokeh, by placing a circular disk with a cut-out area in front of your lens.

At f/1.2 the bokeh is very smooth in this image, and the plane of focus is very narrow.

4 – Up close it’s a different world! Use a macro lens.

The world can look very different with just a little bit of magnification, and macro lenses are a good place to start. This form of photography is a niche all of its own, and there are many pieces to it. Those who wish to really excel at macro photography will need to invest in the correct lighting gear and a good tripod. There is plenty you can achieve with a macro lens to start you on the path of macro photography.
- Flower photography – A good macro lens is often the starting point for flower photography. Now, of course, you can take photos without doing macro photography, but getting in closer allows for more dramatic results.
- Water droplets – Combined with the correct off-camera flash there is a lot of photography you can do with water droplets.
- Detail photos – Macro lenses are very good for focusing on one area, and bringing out the detail. Close up photos of money is one example of how this can be applied.
Food photography can be a good subject for your macro lens.

5 – Use a tilt-shift lens for more interesting landscapes

The tilt-shift lens has two main purposes, these are to correct the perspective of a photo, and to create a miniature world look. These lenses were originally designed with architectural photographers in mind, so that tall buildings didn’t bow inwards in the frame. The more creative use of these lenses is to create a miniature world. The lens can selectively focus the middle area of the frame, with the top and bottom blurred out. The lens is on the expensive end, and as the effect can be produced by

A tilt-shift lens can selectively focus the middle area of the frame, with the top and bottom blurred out. The lens is on the expensive end, and as the effect can be produced by post-processing you will need to consider whether or not you want to invest in this kind of creative lens.

The tilt-shift effect miniaturizes objects in the frame. This effect can be achieved both in camera and by post-processing.

Which creative lens will you choose?

There are many lenses available, so which of these creative lenses would you choose if you were to buy one? Have you already have a lens like this, how has your experience with it been?

Is there a project you’d like to work on, where you’d need a lens like one of those listed above? Do you use another creative lens, not mentioned here? As always we look forward to your comments and feedback.

The macro lens is great for exploring nature, be it flowers or insects.

The Lensbaby can be used to create abstract bokeh.

The 50mm f/1.2 lens can create shaped bokeh, this is done by covering the lens with a disc, and cutting the shape in the center of that disc.

The post Five Creative Lenses That Will Make Your Photos Pop by Simon Bond appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
October 15, 2017
HDR is enabled by default on the iPhone 8 Plus, and that’s a really good thing

Capturing HDR (high dynamic range) photos using an iPhone or iPad camera isn’t a new feature, but using it in the iPhone 8 Plus is the first time I’ve been wowed by it.

HDR images are balanced and realistic, to the point where you may not even think about whether a photo is HDR or not. In fact, in the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple is so confident in the results that HDR is an automatic setting. When I mentioned to a friend that I was testing the HDR feature, he visibly winced, but there’s no need: Apple’s implementation shows that the term “HDR” doesn’t have to be associated with the garish, hyperreal look of a lot of HDR imagery. They’re often just darn good photos.

HDR Auto by default

On iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and earlier models, even under iOS 11, the HDR mode can be manually turned on, off, or set to Auto in the capture interface. On those devices, Auto means the camera decides whether HDR should kick in to improve a photo when capturing scenes under low light or with a lot of tonal contrast (such as a bright sky and dark foreground). A small yellow “HDR” icon appears at the top of the screen when it’s active.

Capturing the HDR photo saves two images: the original metered image and a single HDR version that is a blend of three exposures (regular, light, and dark, which are recorded and combined in-camera, not saved as individual images). You can opt to hold onto that original by going to Settings > Camera > HDR (High Dynamic Range) and choosing Keep Normal Photo.

For the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (and the forthcoming iPhone X), however, auto HDR is enabled by default. And it’s not exactly the same HDR effect used by previous devices. The 8 and 8 Plus include an image sensor with larger pixels and improved silicon – a new ISP (image signal processor) and more powerful A11 Bionic main processor. Together they add more processing oomph, resulting in more dramatic HDR effects – without taking it too far.

I tested using an iPhone 8 Plus, but the feature applies to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, as well.

HDR in the Real World

Taking the iPhone 8 Plus outside on a sunny day provided dramatic results. In fact, it may subtly alter the way you take photos with the iPhone. Bright areas, such as clouds in the sky, appeared blown out while framing the shot. Typically, the way to compensate for that would be to reduce the exposure before you take the photo (tap the screen to set the focus and exposure, and then drag the brightness indicator down to darken the scene). However, in the captured photo, the HDR feature restored detail in the clouds and often presented blue skies where they weren’t visible in the preview.

Preview image

Final image

If you’re shooting with Live Photos turned on (which records a few seconds of video around the still image), when you review your images in the Photos app, the “before” image briefly appears before cross-dissolving into the final HDR image.

Comparing iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus

Capturing the same scene with an iPhone 8 Plus and an iPhone 7 Plus reveals general improvement in the new model. Although both cameras’ HDR did a good job dealing with overexposed clouds, the iPhone 8 Plus tended to offer more graduated tones. Overall, it also did a better job of filling in shadows; the iPhone 7 Plus pulled more toward reducing exposure throughout to compensate for the brightness.

HDR photo with iPhone 7 Plus

HDR photo with iPhone 8 Plus

That adjustment is welcome when photographing people. Often you don’t want to turn on HDR for portraits, because the effect exaggerates the contrast in facial features. But if Auto HDR is always available, you won’t have that control (unless you turn off Auto HDR in the Camera settings). Since the iPhone 8 Plus is also lifting the shadows, the effect isn’t as pronounced.

iPhone 7 Plus iPhone 8 Plus

Sometimes, Auto HDR didn’t engage under conditions when I expected it would, and still produced good results. When photographing in low-light, the iPhone 8 Plus turns first to increasing ISO and other software processing to create a usable image.

iPhone 8 Plus telephoto lens, no HDR

iPhone 8 Plus wide angle lens, no HDR

Conclusion

Making HDR a transparently automatic feature on the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X is a smart move on Apple’s part. Intelligent HDR application was one of the things that made the Google Pixel’s camera so good, so it seems wise for Apple to follow suit. Although Auto HDR can be turned off in the Camera settings, letting you choose when to activate HDR mode, in my testing I found little reason to do so.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 15, 2017
Tips for Taking Documentary Style Travel Photos

Documentary style photography has long been of great fascination to me. The sheer act of photographing people and places to document spontaneous moments and the imperfections associated with it gives such photography, and the photographer, a sense of being authentic, real, and free to exercise his/her creative freedom.

Officially, documentary style photography has many technical definitions. As per Wikipedia, documentary style of photography is used to chronicle events and environments in a naturally occurring state very much like photojournalism. I like to think of a documentary style of photography as the letting go of my inhibitions and preconceived notions of perfection. That I’m documenting people and places in their natural environment – being or doing what they do on any given day.

This scene literally happened right in front of me in Jaipur, India – the classic story of the billy goats!

I find that by approaching travel photography in a documentary fashion, I am able to have a richer travel experience. Because I can relieve my mind of the pressures of photographing just like everyone else and also walk away with some unique frames that speak to my own experiences.

To that end, here are a few tips to keep in mind for a documentary style approach towards your travel photography.

#1 – Be present in the moment

Being present in every moment of every day is a life lesson we all can benefit from. It doesn’t just apply to travel photography. Great moments happen every day around us that are worth documenting not just for our clients but also for ourselves so that we can live a richer, fuller life.

People watching is a great exercise in training your eye to really catch that which is unusual and unique to a place – these boys in the market in Jaipur were observing me just as much as I was observing them!

By training your mind to really live life in the moment and not worry about all the other distractions will also help you really “see” what is around you. More often than not, you likely travel with a very tight agenda and timeline. No sooner than you get to your destination, you are already mentally prepared to move on to the next stop. Instead, try and plan a single excursion for a day and really focus on learning and experiencing that place or activity before moving on.

#2 – Be observant of your surroundings

Life is happening all around you all the time. People interacting with each other, people interacting with nature, nature putting on a grand show during sunrise, sunset, or even during a thunderstorm. But don’t wait for some preconceived notion of the perfect moment to take your camera out and take a photo.

At the same time, don’t see the world simply through your viewfinder. Observe the scene, anticipate the shot that you really want to get and be ready to take the shot. Don’t just fire away at every situation only to get home to realize that you completed missed the moment and hence missed the shot as well.

I once found myself in the middle of a village festival/ritual when I was traveling in India. I had no idea what was going on but knew I had to document this. Luckily a female photographer was somewhat of a rarity in this village and I was given a special seat in the middle of all the action (without a word spoken amongst me and these women)! It was fascinating to see and experience.

I later found out that these women were taking one of the female members of their family to each house to get blessings as she was supposed to be possessed by a female deity and have god-like powers…certainly an experience I will never forget!

#3 – Be real about your travel photography goals

A very famous travel quote says, “We travel not to escape life, but so that life does not escape us” really hits the nail on the head for me. Be real about why you travel and what you want to gain out of each travel experience. If you are traveling to a marketplace and want to get a true sense of local lifestyles and customs, then look for naturally occurring scenes. Don’t look for people that you can pose or stage to get your shot.

This is by no means a perfect shot but I love the fact that this angle shows just how crazy transportation choices can be in smaller villages and towns in some countries!

#4 – Be aware of your gear choices

Packing for any sort of travel is an art in itself, especially if you are going away for an extended period of time. Documentary style travel photography requires a slightly different mindset in terms of gear than say perhaps wildlife or portrait photography.

I find that for documentary style travel photography a zoom lens like the ultra-wide angle focal length like the Canon 16-35mm f/4 or one like the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 works well for me. While a fast lens is ideal, I don’t usually find myself photographing at an aperture lower than f/4 or f/5.6. More often than not, I have more than one subject in the scene and also want to capture some of the background in order to provide content to the shot.

I was in Rome for three days this past summer but couldn’t get the famous Spanish Steps without people no matter what time of the day I tried. So instead, I chose to embrace the crowds and showcase this famous monument as the tourist attraction it really is!

#5 – Be confident in your skills

Documentary style photography is generally quite fast paced. You are trying to capture a scene as it is playing out in front of you. You don’t really have the time or the opportunity to re-compose the shot and then click the shutter. However, this does not mean

However, this does not mean that you have to just fire away at the maximum fps (frames per second) that your camera can handle, then pick the best of the lot in post-processing. Instead, use your technical as well as artistic skills to read the scene, analyze the light, assess the right camera settings, imagine the outcome, anticipate the shot and then take the picture. Oh, by the way, bear in mind that you will not likely get a redo.

I had almost no time to really plan this shot out…I knew I wanted to try and get all three of the famous peaks of the Pacific Northwest in one frame while at about 35,000 feet in the air.

Conclusion

I hope these tips convey my love for documentary style photography and do not scare you away from it. This style of photography has its own charm. Even though it may appear to be highly unplanned and random, it is also a good mix of carefully anticipated planning and authenticity. Give it a try the next time you travel and let me know how it goes.

The post Tips for Taking Documentary Style Travel Photos by Karthika Gupta appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 14, 2017
A New Spin: 125-Year-Old Windmill Turned into a Towering Guest House

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

From barns and sheds to windmills, rural farm structures have a habit of falling into disrepair when they cease to serve their old functions. In Suffolk, England, one such old structure has found new life as a guest house.

Beech Architects saw the stump of an old windmill on the site as an opportunity to expand the living space of the main farmhouse nearby. At 60 feet tall, the spacious structure now houses two bedrooms, a dining/kitchen area and bathroom.

On the top, where the cap and sails were lost decades ago, a new viewing pod was installed to provide panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Though architects designed the addition, the homeowner acted as the builder and hired subcontractors and suppliers for specific tasks.

“The design objectives were to reinstate the lost cap structure and restore the redundant and crumbling windmill to its former landmark status via contemporary design interventions,” said the architects.

The cap and entry diverge from the historical aesthetic of the main structure, but also serve to illustrate what parts of the building are original and which have been added. The curved form of the cap uses a special timber rib system that also provides strength and stability, helping it resist wind forces at its exposed and elevated location.

Everything about the project was complicated by curves. New cladding had to be custom-fit to the exterior. Inside, the lack of straight lines made structural retrofits challenging, and also resulted in a series of rounded furniture and fixtures. A series of staircases spiral up each floor to the final fourth level with the viewing platform.

The building has won a variety of accolades, including awards from the 2016 National Roofing Awards, Structural Timber Awards and a nomination for an RIBA Regional Awards 2017.

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[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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WebUrbanist

October 14, 2017
Sample gallery update: Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS

The Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS is a powerful piece of kit, despite its less-than-fast aperture. More importantly, it is sharp throughout its versatile zoom range.

We’ve beefed up of our initial sample gallery with some additional photos of bison, bears, prong horned antelope and drift cars. These join our original samples of models, beach scenes and horseback riders. Now how’s that for versatility?

See our Sony 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS sample gallery$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryStripV2({“galleryId”:”4598193995″}) })

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 14, 2017
How to Use Puppet Warp in Photoshop
One of the most powerful distortion tools in Photoshop is the Puppet Warp command. First Introduced in Photoshop CS5, Puppet Warp is a handy command that allows you to easily bend and shape parts of your image as if it were a puppet. You can use this distortion tool on almost any photo, but in this tutorial, I am going to give you a crash-course on how to make the most out of Puppet Warp command when distorting people in your photos.

Puppet Warp provides a visual mesh that lets you drastically distort specific image areas while leaving other areas intact. Applications range from subtle adjustments to severe limb distortions. In most cases, you will keep your distortions subtle to keep them realistic.

However, in this tutorial, we will push the Puppet Warp Tool to the max and make drastic adjustments to completely reposition the arms and legs of the man in this composite.

Isolating Your Subject

The first step to using the Puppet Warp command is to isolate the person (or object) that you would like to distort. This often involves making a selection of the individual and masking-out the background.

In this example, the man jumping was extracted from his background via a Layer Mask and placed into a Smart Object. Smart Objects allow you to apply filters, commands, and distortions nondestructively; which means that you can always come back and adjust any changes that you’ve made.

Puppet Warp works even if you don’t extract the subject from the background, but the tool becomes less efficient and less intuitive.

Apply The Distortion Pins

The Puppet Warp command allows you to distort an image by clicking-and-dragging pins which distort the pixels to which they are attached.

After you isolate the person in your scene, you will need to add the distortion pins so that you can start manipulating the pixel in your image. Start by selecting the layer that contains your foreground element, in this case, the layer of the man jumping, and Go to Edit > Puppet Warp.

By Default, you will see a mesh around your layer. This mesh can be distracting; I encourage you to disable it by unchecking the “Show Mesh” checkbox from the Options Bar.

You can now click anywhere on your subject to create the pins that will allow you to move (or pin down) the pixels in the image. When working with people, create the pins near the joints such as the wrist, shoulders, knees, ankles, and in any other area where the body would normally bend. You can also create pins in areas that you want to keep pinned down.

Adjusting Pins and Distorting the Image

With your pins in place, click on a single pin to activate it, and drag it to a new location. You will see that the image will be distorted as you drag the pin. The distortions will become more extreme the further you drag it from its original location.

Rotating Pins

After making a distortion, you may find that the image does not look realistic because of how the pins bend the surrounding pixels. To help fix this issue, you can use the Rotate control in the Options Bar to rotate a single point and help correct some of the unrealistic distortions.

You can also select a pin and hover over it while holding Option/Alt to reveal a Rotate UI element that you can click-and-drag on to rotate the mesh.

This method is much more intuitive, and it allows you to rotate the pin much easier. But for more subtle and precise rotations, the Rotate control in the Options Bar will be the better option.

Pin Depth

In this example, you’ll notice that the model’s leg has been placed over his right leg. But if you would like for his right leg to be in front, then you can adjust the Pin Depth.

Select the pin that controls his right leg, and in the Options Bar, under Pin Depth, Click the Move Forward icon to push that pin forward.

After changing the Pin Depth, the model’s right leg will appear in front of his left leg.

You can do the same with any of the other pins in your image to change the depth of the corresponding body part.

Options Bar Settings

The Options bar also give you a few extra options that will determine how the mesh will behave and it will, of course, affect how the pixels are distorted.
- The Mode option lets you decide how stretchable the mesh should be.
- Density controls the spacing of the mesh’s points. Adding more points makes your edits a lot more accurate, but the processing time takes longer to complete.
- Expansion allows you to expand or contract the outer edges of the mesh.
Conclusion

If you prefer to watch me do this and follow along by video, see below:

Remember that when using the Puppet Warp command, or any other distortion tool in Photoshop, you should do so with restraint. Small changes can have a significant impact and go unnoticed. However, extreme adjustments could quickly become unrealistic and distracting to the whole image.

The post How to Use Puppet Warp in Photoshop by Jesus Ramirez appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
October 14, 2017
DJI is now a camera company, and we should probably pay attention

When most people think of DJI, they think of drones – Phantoms, Mavics, and Sparks. Some may also know DJI for camera stabilization systems and gimbals, but it’s fair to say that most people probably think of DJI as a drone company.

Starting this week, DJI is also a camera company.

At an event in Hollywood, the company introduced its new Zenmuse X7 cinema camera, which includes some very impressive features including 6K Raw video. (You can find the full rundown of specs in our news story.) It’s a camera aimed primarily at the high-end motion picture market, but it sheds some light on DJI’s approach to the camera industry.

Part of what makes this interesting is the astounding rate at which DJI has been innovating over the past few years. I’m not suggesting that other companies haven’t innovated, but let’s be honest – at times the camera market can feel a little bit predictable.

“Starting this week, DJI is also a camera company.”

What sets DJI apart is that it seems to consistently push boundaries to create inventive products, which sometimes even surprise us a bit, as well as the rate at which they appear to be doing it. In fact, at the launch event for the X7 I felt a genuine sense of excitement about the new camera, not just from DJI employees but from those in attendance.

Although the X7 is undeniably aimed at cinematographers, it presents opportunities for photographers as well. It also illustrates that DJI is prepared to make its own imaging products if the company thinks it can build a better mousetrap than what’s currently out there.

A new system

DJI has built aerial systems with cameras for years, such as the Phantom series, and more recently, the Inspire series. Those models historically relied on either small sensor cameras with fixed gimbals, or adopted standards not originally developed for aerial use, such as Micro Four Thirds. (The original Phantom even used a GoPro camera.)

At the very high end of the market, however, photographers and filmmakers have largely been on their own to figure out how to rig pro-level cameras, such as DSLRs or cinema cams, on much larger drones like the S900 or Matrice 600, something that requires long set up times, provides less stability, and results in short flight times.

The Zenmuse X7 camera was designed specifically for aerial use, with a focus on small size and light weight. The short 16.84mm flange distance of the DL-mount allows lenses to remain small.

The X7 is primarily designed for this latter group, as well as users of the Inspire 2. By building its own camera, DJI had the freedom to engineer both camera and aircraft as a single, integrated system. The result is a very small Super 35 cinema camera that fits easily on an Inspire 2 drone without compromising the flight characteristics, and which can deliver professional cinema quality output. And, at a price point of $ 2699, it almost feels like a bargain.

Further, it’s not just a camera that DJI has introduced, but a full system that includes a new lens mount and lenses. The DL-mount has an extremely short 16.84mm flange distance, allowing for impressively small lenses that keep weight to a minimum. The four lenses available at launch are built from lightweight carbon fiber and have no external moving parts for improved durability. It’s a system that DJI can build on for the future.

In a sense, DJI designed the system because it needed to do so in order to continue innovating in other areas.

“In a sense, DJI designed the system because it needed to do so in order to continue innovating in other areas.”

In my brief hands-on time with the X7 and the new lenses I was impressed with the hardware. It’s remarkably small for what it is. The one thing that caught me off guard was the weight of the lenses; they’re so light that they feel like inexpensive kit lenses. But then you remember that they’re built from carbon fiber in order to be as light as possible and it all makes sense. If the camera and lenses can deliver the level of quality that DJI claims (and indications are that it probably can), the company has a real winner of a product. It’s a strong start for a new system.

The Zenmuse X7 is the first camera in DJI’s new system.

Why should photographers care?

Although the X7 is clearly aimed at the motion picture community, there’s reason for photographers to be excited about DJI’s new camera system as well.

All the press coverage describes the camera as having a Super 35 video sensor, which is a standard in the motion picture industry. That’s true, to a degree. It turns out that the X7’s sensor is actually a full APS-C sensor. When shooting video, the camera uses the full width of the sensor but not the full height, resulting in a cinematic aspect ratio.

When shooting photos, however, the camera uses the full area of its 24MP sensor, supports Raw capture in DNG format, and can even shoot continuously at 20fps. The result is that the X7 may be one of the most compelling options for aerial photographers available today. It’s a bit pricey once you include an Inspire 2 drone and a lens or two, but no more so than a Nikon D5 and a couple good lenses. If you’re serious about aerial work it’s inexpensive compared to helicopter time, and much easier to use than a homebrew system assembled from scratch.

The X7’s Super 35 sensor is really an APS-C sized sensor (23.5mm x 15.7mm). When shooting photos the camera captures the sensor’s full 24MP resolution and supports Raw image capture.

What’s probably more important than the X7 camera, however, is that DJI now has its own camera platform, complete with lens mount, around which it can develop additional imaging products, lenses, and accessories. This could include non-aerial tools, such as gimbal-mounted cameras, and maybe even other products the company has up its sleeve. Additionally, users will be able to buy lenses knowing that they won’t be obsolete when the next camera is introduced, just as with any other system.

“…the X7 may be one of the most compelling options for aerial photographers available today.”

I’m not suggesting that DJI is going to radically shift focus and suddenly start making still cameras, but the company has shown an interest in the photography market, as demonstrated by its stake in Hasselblad. It’s not entirely clear where DJI is headed with this, but I suspect it goes beyond hanging a 100MP Hasselblad H6D off a M600 hexacopter with a Ronin gimbal. However, DJI does have the potential to be a disruptor in the imaging market, and now they have a camera platform with which to do it.

The wrap

It’s not often that we see the introduction of a completely new camera system, so DJI’s announcement this week is notable. What I find particularly exciting is that DJI has a tendency to introduce and iterate products quickly. It’s also in a unique position of not having a legacy system to support. DJI doesn’t have to worry about ‘the way it’s always been done’, or making sure its lenses work with decades-old products. That won’t be true forever, but for now it gives them the freedom to be very creative in their product design.

If you’re going to launch a new cinema camera, you might as well do it in Hollywood. The Inspire 2 and Zenmuse X7 camera.

I don’t imagine DJI is going to shift away from its core strength of aerial imaging, but if the company can keep up its current rate of innovation I believe we’re likely to see some very impressive imaging products coming our way, particularly now that it has committed to a full camera system with room to grow. If DJI can disrupt the market in the process, all the power to them.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 14, 2017