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Archive for February, 2018

Behind the scenes: The story behind this volcanic eruption wedding photo

02 Feb
Photograph by Jack Kurtz/ZUMA Press

Photojournalist Jack Kurtz was in the Philippines covering the eruption of the Mayon volcano for ZUMA Press this past month, but the photo that’s gotten him the most attention wasn’t one of his press shots. Instead, it’s this serendipitous wedding photo that has spread across the Web like wildfire—a once- or twice-in-a-lifetime kind of photograph that captures the power of nature as a backdrop to the human experience.

The story behind this shot is simply about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude.

Kurtz tells DPReview he arrived in the Philippines on Saturday, January 20th and proceeded to spend most of the week capturing photos for his agency—mostly “photographing people in evacuation centers and the volcano when it was erupting.” But after five intense days of photography, he needed a break, so he took Thursday as a “personal day.”

“I needed to run some errands and since the volcano was quiet it seemed a good day to do that,” says Kurtz. “I finished my errands about 4:30 in the afternoon and decided to go to a church a few kilometers away to try to make a sunset photo of the volcano erupting.”

The volcano had been quiet all day that Thursday, so it was a risk, but as Kurtz told us: “nothing ventured nothing gained, and off to the church I went.”

When he got to the church, there was no sign of an eruption and clouds were obscuring the cone, but he decided to wait and was rewarded for his patience. In his own words:

As it got later, the clouds drifted off and smoke started to puff its way out of the cone, signaling a likely eruption. All good signs. I set up my small table top tripod on a flat rock, made a couple of test pictures with my Pen F and iPhone controlling the camera with the Olympus OI Share app. Everything was working so I sat down and waited.

While I was sitting there, a couple who had just been married in the church came out to a restaurant next to the parking lot to make their wedding photos. Just as they got to the overlook, the volcano started its eruption. I grabbed my gear and ran over to the restaurant to photograph them.

Before I started photographing, I introduced myself to their wedding photographer and asked if I could make some pictures (I think it would have been rude of me to butt in on his job) and he said okay. I started photographing the couple. During a break, I talked to the couple. I told them who I was and asked if I could put the photos on the wire. They said it was fine. Then I went back to photographing.

A few minutes later, they finished up, everybody thanked everyone else, and Kurtz went back to his spot in the parking lot to set up the exposure that would yield the photograph below.

Photo by Jack Kurtz/ZUMA Press

Speaking with DPReview about the technical details behind the photographs, he says the wedding photo was made with his Olympus Pen F and 17mm F1.8 lens at ISO 400, F4, and 1/30. Color balance was set to daylight, and the photo was later edited in Lightroom 6 to straighten the horizon and adjust the color balance (“Because of the time of day and light, the skintones were a little warm, so I knocked the color temp down a little.”)

The eruption photo above was also shot on the Pen F, this time with a 25mm F1.8 lens at ISO 200, F4.5, and 85 seconds. The camera was set on a small tabletop tripod and controlled by the OI Share app on Kurtz’ iPhone. It, too, was edited in Lightroom 6.

A big thank you to Mr. Kurtz for sharing his photographs and the story/technical details behind them with us at DPReview. To see more of his work, be sure to visit his website or give him a follow on Instagram.

Photography by Jack Kurtz/ZUMA Press, used with permission.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to Use Layers and Masks in Photoshop to Add Text to Your Photos

02 Feb

Do you want to make a photo-card for your loved one? Or maybe a flyer for your business? Or add some personalized notes to your photos that turn your album into a scrapbook? If you ever tried to add text on your photos and ended up just covering up the image, this article is for you.

How to Use Layers and Masks to Add Text to Your Photos

Although Photoshop is not a software specially-made for design, it does have some design functions, one of which is the text tool. You don’t need to learn any extra software to integrate text into your photos, you’ll learn how to use layers and masks in Photoshop to overlap the text and the image so that they interact which results in integrated and elegant images.

Since Valentine’s Day is so close, I’ll give you some easy-to-do examples to make a card for your loved one. However, you can apply the same steps to any image to add text for any other purpose.

Overlapping

In this first technique, you won’t apply any effects to the text itself, therefore the result is a clean and simple design.

First open an image of your choosing in Photoshop, one that goes well with the message you want to convey. You can later move the text to make some final arrangements, however, you do need to start with an idea for the text placement. This is because you need to select the part of the subject that you want to overlap with the text. I used the Quick Selection tool, but you can use whichever is best for you.

Selection - How to Use Layers and Masks to Add Text to Your Photos

Then duplicate the layer by dragging it to the new layer icon at the bottom, or by going to Menu > Layer > Duplicate Layer (you can also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+J). Then you will need to add a mask to the new layer by clicking on the layer mask button from the bottom of the Layers palette.

Whatever was selected is now the only thing visible from that layer. You can also refine the edges of this selection if you right-click the layer and select Refine Edge.

Layer mask - How to Use Layers and Masks to Add Text to Your Photos

Add your text

Then, select the Text Tool and write your message. You can choose the font, size and color from the menu as you would in any word processor like Microsoft Word. Now your text is blocking your image but all you need to do to create the overlapping is to drag the text layer in between the background and the selected layers.

Text tool - How to Use Layers and Masks to Add Text to Your Photos

You can move or transform the text to make it fit better as well. Finally, if you want to have a part of the text appear to be behind the image and part in front, to make it more integrated, you can paint on the layer mask with a black brush (black conceals – white reveals) to hide the parts “behind”.

I love you - How to Use Layers and Masks to Add Text to Your Photos

Picture in Picture

Another way to integrate text and image is to use the same background photo as a pattern for the letters and just change the blend to give it a personalized effect.

Open an image of your choosing in Photoshop. Then using the Text tool, write your message in a font that is wide enough to show the image inside, in this case, I used Braggadocio.

Text Love - How to Use Layers and Masks in Photoshop to Add Text to Your Photos

Add the photo

Now go to Menu > File > Place and choose the same photo that you are using in the background. Adjust its size to fit the text.

Place - How to Use Layers and Masks in Photoshop to Add Text to Your Photos

Go back to the Layers palette and right-click the text layer. In the drop-down menu choose “Make a work path”. Then from the Path palette, right-click the work path and click on “make selection”. This will create a selection around the letters, but it will keep the path to make the selection later in other layers where you are going to need it.

Path Selection - How to Use Layers and Masks in Photoshop to Add Text to Your Photos

Then go back to the Layers palette and select the layer with the second image (the one you placed and added a layer mask to); this will have the shape of the letters.

If you want to rearrange the image inside the letters you can make the original text invisible by clicking on the eye icon on the left side of the layer name, and then unlink the mask by clicking the chain in between the thumbnails. That way you can just drag the photo until you are satisfied with how it looks (see below).

Unlink - How to Use Layers and Masks in Photoshop to Add Text to Your Photos

Once the image is placed the way you want it, you can apply any effect that you like. In this case, I added an adjustment layer with a Gradient map, this can be done by going to Menu > Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map; or by clicking the shortcut button at the bottom of the palette. From there I chose a greyscale gradient.

Finishing up

Finally, I changed the blending mode of the layer to Multiply. You can do this or choose any other blending mode from the drop-down menu on the top part of the layer palette. Then I activated the original text layer (which was white if you remember) and I moved it a little bit so that it would show underneath and it gave it a border to separate it.

Love - How to Use Layers and Masks in Photoshop to Add Text to Your Photos

The post How to Use Layers and Masks in Photoshop to Add Text to Your Photos by Ana Mireles appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Tutorial: Master the Photoshop Pen Tool in under 8 minutes

02 Feb

Ahh, the Pen Tool! When it comes to making complex selections and cutting objects out of an image, there is no better tool for the job. And while the Lasso Tool or Magic Wand Tool might make selections faster and easier (and are still quite useful depending on the situation), the Pen Tool reigns supreme when it comes to accuracy and precision.

So, what’s the drawback? Well, it’s pretty tricky to get the hang of it. Even with all of the helpful videos and guides out there (including a handful of our own), we still get questions all the time on how to master this extremely versatile tool within Photoshop. In our most recent tutorial on the Pen tool, we focused on the absolute need-to-know fundamentals so that you can follow along and start practicing immediately.

Not only does the Pen Tool provide unparalleled accuracy and control, but it’s extremely flexible as well. Photoshop will store any Paths you create under the Paths tab. If you ever need to adjust a selection as you work, you can simply select the Path you wish to edit, make the changes that you need, and then convert that Path into a new selection.

Before editing a Path, be sure to check Auto Add/Delete in the Pen Tool options bar. This will tell Photoshop to automatically swap to the Add Anchor Point Tool (when you’re hovering over a line segment) or the Delete Anchor Point Tool (when you’re hovering over an Anchor Point). This setting makes the process of making changes to a Path much easier.

Avoid using the Delete or Backspace keys to remove Anchor Points! These shortcuts will delete the selected point as well as the line segments that connect to it!

Another key to mastering the Pen Tool is making sure that your precision selections look realistic within the context of an image. I know that we use the Pen Tool for its clean lines and curves, but rarely in the real world will you find a completely hard edge. To maintain realism in your selections, be sure to add a bit of feathering to account for the naturally occurring softness in photographs. It’s a subtle change that will help avoid that “Photoshopped” look.

And if you ever feel lost, just remember your “home base” keyboard shortcuts:

  • Use CTRL or CMD to toggle the Direct Selection Tool which will allow to move a Point or a Curve at any time.
  • Use ALT or OPTN to convert a Point into a Curve or vice versa.

For an even smoother workflow, toggle the Hand Tool by using the Spacebar. The Hand Tool allows you to navigate around your image by clicking and dragging, eliminating any need for you to have to zoom out, scroll, and zoom back in to continue a Path.

And most the most important tip of all: practice, practice, practice! The Pen Tool completely changed how I work within Photoshop and if you put in the time, I’m confident that you’ll see a considerable improvement in your own work as well.

About the Author: For over seven years, Aaron Nace has been teaching photography and photo manipulation on PHLEARN.com to millions of users across the world at every skill level. You can subscribe for his professional videos or view the free tutorials as well.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style

02 Feb

Finding your photography style can be a somewhat daunting task especially when you are just starting out. But let me assure you that this also is a problem some of the veterans face from time to time. Do you know why? Because we are human and our likes, dislike, and attitudes do change over time. This is only natural.

While you may think that if you have a good thing going in terms of an established style, why rock the boat? But sometimes not listening to that inner voice can have negative effects in terms of creating work that you are really proud of!

5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style

This bridal shoot reflects my style, my branding and the visual aesthetics of my business.

So regardless of where you are in your photographic journey, there are a few things you can do to find your style and creative voice – be it in terms of photographing or editing your photos.

One thing to keep in mind as you are going through this process is that less is often more than enough. So don’t feel like you need hundreds of images to create a successful collection of photographs! Here are 5 tips to get you started on finding or defining your photography style.

#1 – Determine your goals (this is your why)

The first thing to understand in defining your style is to ask yourself what are you looking to accomplish with your photography. Are you looking to photograph for leisure or pleasure? Do you want to sell your work in terms of print or stock? Do you want to use your images for your portfolio to attract a certain type of clients?

There are many different genres of photography and there are many different types of clients for each genre. It’s typically best to start the process of defining your style by focusing on one collection of work at a time, so set your goals on what you want to accomplish for each individual series of work.

5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style

I want to create images that really reflect the personality of my clients – the people they are and not the people I want them to be! My client, the couple in this wedding, is really a fun loving bunch with a great set of friends they share lots of laughs and joy with on a daily basis! So this goofy photo was one of their favorites.

#2 – Seek inspiration

Research, research, research. In other words, look around you to see what everyone else is doing and creating. It is very important to be aware of what other photographers are creating in your industry. I am not telling you this with the intention of you copying or following what everyone else is doing. But with the intention of educating yourself on what all is out there in the market space.

When you are defining a unique style for yourself, you can certainly use their work for inspiration, but do make your images different so they speak to you and your own aesthetic sensibilities. Your photographs are a visual representation of your brand, so try to think of ways to be true to yourself while still adding a unique edge to your work.

You can use visual tools like Pinterest and fill it with images that represent the look and feel you are trying to achieve – not just with the photographic style but also the editing style.

5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style

This is one of my favorite go-to poses. It was an inspiration from a magazine – it has been used many times over but is still a favorite for both my clients and myself.

#3 – Be your own critic

This may be the most difficult thing to wrap your head and mindset around, but it will definitely help you in the long run. Take a step back and really analyze your work. Pick 10-20 of your favorite images that speak to what you want to focus on (your goals) and really ask yourself what is it about them that you like or dislike. Analyze the images in terms of emotions they convey, tone and mood they set, and even how they look from a distance as well as from up close.

The idea is that you want to bring yourself to a point where you feel you can recognize your style from wherever you look. Look for similarities in subject matter, composition, depth of field, lenses used, tones, colors, and any unique patterns your eye may catch. No matter which genre of photography you are pursuing, you are still the artist behind the camera and you are creating these images.

5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style

I love photographing on clear bright sunny days as it really helps me photograph with intention and keep my style in mind.

#4 – Define your rules of engagement

This process is important because it will really help you set guidelines for yourself so you can start to be consciously consistent. Note what makes all of the images unique to your brand and your style of photography, and how you are going to make them better. Maybe even print out your favorite images so you can compare and contrast any new work you produce to fit within the framework of your style.

For example, my work is very light, bright and airy because that is how I like my images. I constantly compare new work to see if it fits within that style. In order for me to photograph in that style, I need a few things to be aligned – bright sun, elements that are pastel toned, and scenes that are less busy. This is not to say that I will not photograph dramatic skies or colorful market scenes – it is just not what my eyes naturally gravitate towards. This is just one of the rules I have given myself permission to maintain in order to stay true to my style.

5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style

I love using Instagram as a visual media to showcase my style and my brand. It is a very curated look at how I photograph, what colors I gravitate towards, and how my images look and feel. Instagram is also a way to attract potential customers so I view this platform as an extension of my portfolio.

#5 – Make mistakes intentionally

After all the hard work you have put into defining your style, I am going to do a complete 360 turn and tell you to go ahead and break some of the rules and make mistakes. Why? Because that is the best way to learn what to do and what not to do.

By experimenting and trying out new things, you might find inspiration for a new genre of work. Like I said earlier in the article, your photographic style does not have to stay consistent for the rest of your life. If something else really motivates you and gets your creative juices flowing in spite of having a set style of photography, go ahead and experiment and see where that leads you, based on your why and your goals.

One accidental shutter click or new editing technique can often spark something new that’ll make your work better, or lead you into an entirely new collection of work.

5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style

Every once in awhile I find myself walking over to the dark side and I quite like that creative freedom. A photo shoot where the light and shadows were so extreme it opened my eyes to the possibilities of dark and moody images. I love giving myself the freedom to experiment with this style.

Over to you

I hope these simple yet powerful steps help direct you towards finding and experimenting with your own photography style until you find something that is a reflection of you, your mindset, and your brand.

The post 5 Ways to Develop Your Photography Style by Karthika Gupta appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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The 4MP Phantom v2640 can shoot 6,600fps at full resolution, 11,750fps at 1920×1080

02 Feb

If you thought you had a pretty good high-speed photography set-up, the new Phantom v2640 from Vision Research might make you think again. Using a 4-million-pixel sensor and a shortest ‘shutter speed’ of 142 nanoseconds, this new model from the scientific and industrial manufacturer can reach speeds of up to 6,600fps at full resolution, and can go even faster when the pixel-count is reduced.

The latest in a line of high-speed cameras aimed at researchers and engineers, the v2640 comes in color and monochrome versions, and with internal memory of up to 288GB to store the data collected. Vision Research claims the camera has a dynamic range of 64dB (over 10 stops) and that the monochrome model has ISO settings of 16,000, so it can work in very low light.

The black and white model can be switched to 1-million-pixel mode and will then record at up to 25,030fps, while the color model can ‘only’ manage a best of 11,750fps when dropped to 1920×1080 2MP quality. We’ve reached out to the company for a price, and are waiting for a reply, but don’t expect this puppy to come cheap.

In the meantime, if you fancy one yourself you’ll find more information and instructions for ordering on the Vision Research website.

Press Release

New Phantom v2640 Ultrahigh-Speed Camera Achieves Unmatched 4-Mpx Resolution

Vision Research, a leading manufacturer of digital high-speed imaging systems, has introduced the Phantom® v2640, the fastest 4-Megapixel (MPx) camera available. It features a new proprietary 4-Megapixel (Mpx) CMOS image sensor (2048 x 1952) that delivers unprecedented image quality at up to 26 Gpx/sec, while reaching 6,600 frames per second (fps) at full 2048 x 1952 resolution, and 11,750 fps at 1920 x 1080.

The v2640 features very high dynamic range (64 dB) and the lowest noise floor of any Phantom camera (7.2 e-)—making it an excellent tool for researchers, scientists and engineers who need to capture clean, high-resolution images at ultra-high speeds. The high dynamic range shows significant detail, especially in high-contrast environments, while the low noise is particularly beneficial when analyzing the dark regions of an image. It also has exceptional light sensitivity, with an ISO measurement of 16,000D for monochrome cameras and 3,200D for color cameras.

“We’re excited to bring this extremely high image quality to the high-speed camera market,” says Jay Stepleton, Vice President and General Manager of Vision Research. “In designing this new, cutting-edge sensor, we focused on capturing the best image in addition to meeting the speed and sensitivity requirements of the market. The 4-Mpx design significantly increases the information contained in an image allowing researchers to better understand and quantify the phenomena they are observing.”

The v2640 has multiple operating modes for increased flexibility. Standard mode uses correlated double sampling for the clearest image, while high-speed (HS) mode provides 34% higher throughput to achieve 6,600 fps. Monochrome cameras can incorporate “binning,” which converts the v2640 into a 1-Mpx camera that can reach 25,030 fps at full resolution, with very high sensitivity. “The various operating modes also allow users to have just one camera to cover multiple applications,” adds Doreen Clark, Product Manager for the Phantom Ultrahigh-Speed family.

To help users manage the amount of data inherent in high-speed imaging, the v2640 is available with up to 288GB of memory, and is compatible with Phantom 1TB and 2TB CineMags® for fast data saves. Alternatively, 10Gb Ethernet is standard, saving significant download time.

Key Specifications of the Phantom v2640

  • 4-Mpx sensor (2048 x 1952), 26Gpx/sec throughput
  • Dynamic range: 64 dB
  • Noise level: 7.2 e-
  • ISO measurement: 16,000D (Mono), 3,200D (Color)
  • 1 µs minimum exposure standard, 499ns / 142ns minimum exposure with export-controlled FAST option
  • 4 available modes: Standard, HS and Binning (in Standard and HS)
  • Standard modes feature Correlated Double Sampling (CDS) performed directly on the sensor to provide the lowest noise possible
  • Up to 288 GB of memory
  • 10-Gb Ethernet standard
  • Compatible with CineMag® IV (up to 2 TB)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Shutterfly reveals plans to buy Lifetouch for $825 million

01 Feb

Shutterfly—the massive online retailer of personalized photo-based products such as calendars and photo books—has announced plans to acquire Lifetouch, a professional photography company. The acquisition, which isn’t yet finalized, will cost Shutterfly $ 825 million according to Star Tribune, who broke the news.

Speaking about the business deal to Star Tribune, Lifetouch CEO Michael Meek revealed that the company’s growth hasn’t been sufficient enough to generate the cash needed for new tech investments, among other things. Shutterfly presents the solution, with its CEO Chris North explaining that the company will bring its products and cloud-based management system to Lifetouch.

“We’re focused on growing both these businesses,” North explained. “We’re just now bringing the two teams together.”

Of course, this isn’t a one-way deal—Lifetouch has a lot to offer Shutterfly, mainly the prospective business of its 10 million-or-so customers, many of whom may turn to Shutterfly post-acquisition for their photo product needs. “Lifetouch is [an] expert at photography and we provide online tools,” says North. “Each company will operate separately to serve their customers, but each company has things the other can use.”

Assuming everything goes according to plan, the companies anticipate the acquisition to close in the second quarter of this year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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GoPro’s updated Plus subscription will now replace two broken cameras per year

01 Feb

GoPro has announced an expansion to its Plus subscription service, now offering subscribers “no questions asked” camera replacements in the event their own camera breaks. The new benefit started on January 31st, and is available to both existing and new Plus customers. The camera replacement offer is in addition to Plus’s other various perks, including mobile backups and priority customer support.

For now, GoPro’s $ 5/month “enhanced” Plus plan is only available to US customers, though expansions into other markets are expected to start later on in 2018. The camera replacement perk is available for customers who have a Hero5 or newer, though it is not a free replacement. GoPro charges the following “exchange fees” for the four replaceable GoPro camera products:

  • HERO5 Session: $ 39
  • HERO5 Black: $ 59
  • HERO6 Black: $ 79
  • Fusion: $ 139

Per GoPro’s FAQ, Plus customers must return their old camera to get the replacement—which is done using a return shipping label the company provides—so the replacement program doesn’t cover cameras that are lost. Additionally, subscribers are limited to two camera replacements per 12 billing cycles, though the exchanges can happen any time during those 12 months.

In addition to device replacement, Plus subscribers will soon also have access to mobile cloud backups for photos and videos—unlimited image backup and up to 35 hours of video backup. Apple customers get the backup feature first via its February 20th iOS availability, while Android users will get the same backup benefit on an unspecified date this Spring.

Finally, GoPro Plus includes front-of-the-line customer support priority status and a 20% discount on accessories on the GoPro.com website.

A free 30-day trial is available now for new customers. To learn more, visit the GoPro website.

Press Release

GoPro Rolls Out Enhanced Subscription Service: Plus

New Benefits. No Additional Cost. Damage Replacement, Mobile Cloud Backup and Unlimited Photo Storage Added to $ 4.99 Monthly Service

SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ – GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) is building on the success of its Plus subscription service with the introduction of new benefits that deliver significant value to GoPro customers at no additional cost.

Today, the company announced details of the expanded Plus monthly service:

  • Camera replacement – If you break your GoPro we’ll replace it, no questions asked
  • Mobile cloud backup – The GoPro App now automatically backs up your photos and videos, eliminating the need to connect to a computer or buy new SD cards
  • Unlimited photo storage
  • 35 hours of video storage
  • 20% off accessories at gopro.com
  • Front-of-the-line priority phone and chat support

Mobile cloud backup will be available on iOS February 20 and on Android in the spring.

“Plus streamlines the GoPro experience and delivers outsized value for our customers,” said GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. “Our subscription business, Plus, has proven popular with consumers and the roll out of our enhanced service marks the first of several subscription initiatives we will introduce this year.”

The new GoPro Plus is now available in the US for $ 4.99 a month with a 30-day free trial and will expand to global markets later this year. Visit The Inside Line for more details on all the benefits of becoming a subscriber and the GoPro Plus page to sign up.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Biospheres with a spherical camera: the Theta V at Amazon HQ

01 Feb

Introduction

Note – click and drag the 360 images in this article to explore. Enter full-screen by using the button on the bottom right of each image.

It’s not every day that you get to take 360-degree spherical images inside of a collection of enormous spheres. But it wasn’t just any day; it was the start of opening day for the Amazon Spheres, and our former writer and current Amazon Visual Storyteller Jordan Stead invited me along for the ride.

And so, I armed myself with Ricoh’s Theta V, Jordan armed himself with a Canon 5D Mark IV, and we set off into the warm, humid expanse to capture all the images we could. We were allowed in just one hour before the Spheres were to be overrun with events staff, tours and employees looking for an artisanal caffeinated beverage to sip while being gently misted in the face by the building’s environmental control system.*

Full disclosure: DPReview is a wholly-owned but editorially-independent subsidiary of Amazon. We weren’t asked to visit the Spheres, or to write this article, we just thought it would be fun.

Inside the Spheres

This space is primarily geared towards large presentations, and is where the grand opening festivities chiefly took place.

Walking through the entrance to Amazon’s Spheres begins with a blast of humidity followed with a spike in temperature, concluding in several seconds of adjustment to the blindingly bright lights from every direction. It feels like an exercise in teleportation or extraterrestrial abduction (in a good way).

Here, the Theta V makes perfect sense

And the Spheres also lend themselves really well to 360-degree imaging, mainly because of how architecturally distinct they are. I’ve struggled with really understanding the broad appeal of 360 imaging in the past, but here, the Theta V makes perfect sense. Given that it’s such an extraordinary environment, 360 photos and video provide a unique and valuable view of what it’s like to be there.

Despite the Spheres’ immense size, part of what helps in this case is that they’re enclosed; the geometric skeleton gives you a consistent frame of reference and provides visual interest whichever direction you look. I also enjoy how the hard corners and edges of the metal skeleton contrast with the gentler curves of so many leaves and plant stems throughout the space.

The Theta V: What worked

One of the reasons we chose the Theta V for this shoot was its compact size and ease of use. We could mount it on a long monopod to convey a sense that the viewer is ‘floating’ within the surrounding area, and once it was paired to my Android smartphone, remote triggering of the shutter proved reliable.

The Theta V automatically downloaded images to my phone immediately after capture

Through the app, we could also experiment with other exposure modes for a given shot location, including DR Compensation and HDR capture; sometimes these improved things, sometimes they didn’t. But it also helped that we could preview our perspective in real time, to make sure we could be as efficient with our limited time as possible. That the Theta V automatically downloaded images to my phone immediately after capture was icing on the cake.

Lots of power in an impressively small package.

And though functionally and physically the Theta V is very similar to the older Theta S, Ricoh’s shoehorned an all-new processor into the V. Not only does this allow the V to capture good quality spherical 4K video (the S could only do 1080p), but still images are improved as well, despite the fact that the actual sensors and lenses are unchanged.

Robust battery life was a plus, as well. We had the Theta V Wi-Fi connected to my smartphone for most of an hour, captured a couple of dozen stills as well as almost ten minutes of 4K video, and still the app showed full bars for the battery. Not bad.

What needs work

I really like this vantage point, but unfortunately, it required me holding the camera horizontally over the rail, and the Theta V’s auto horizon correction only works in video mode, not stills. Neither our embed code, nor Ricoh’s Theta app for Mac will allow me to adjust it at this time.

For the average user, the Theta V could really benefit from software tweaks more than anything else.

The main reason that we left the Theta connected to my smartphone for most of an hour was because early on, we had difficulty with reconnecting after a disconnect. The app would crash one or two times in a row for no real reason, and then it would work successfully on the third try. Usually. It wasn’t confidence inspiring.

An option for batch conversion would be appreciated

The next issue arose when I downloaded the spherical video files onto my iMac. Ricoh’s Movie Converter App refused to recognize any video files; luckily, the ‘Basic App’ converted the files just fine, albeit one at a time. An option for batch conversion would be appreciated.

Lastly, the Theta falls behind on the video front compared to the likes of the Rylo 360 camera. This isn’t necessarily due solely to image quality (and our informal tests show the Theta produces more pleasing still images), but more due to the impressive software-based stabilization and subject tracking that the Rylo offers. The Theta V does at least offer intelligent horizon correction from its built-in gyros, but shaky footage remains shaky.

What I learned

Quibbles aside, I really enjoyed using the Theta V in the Amazon Spheres. Not only did I come away with some really neat 360 images, but I also learned just how little I know about ‘proper’ 360 video capture.

When I sat down to edit the video, first of all, I was impressed that Adobe Premiere Pro handled the files just fine, and has an option to view the videos in their ‘VR’ form as I’m editing them. But I noticed that, too often, I just didn’t record clips that were long enough. The viewer really needs time to be able to click-and-drag around to explore before you move onto the next clip. Also, I was walking way too fast while recording.

I also find myself wondering, for the first time, what other events and venues would lend themselves well to 360 stills or video capture – maybe all it takes is a little thinking outside the box.

* There are a lot of misters throughout the Spheres to regulate humidity, but in the event that you don’t want to be misted in the face while sipping an artisanal caffeinated beverage, they’re easy to avoid.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Steven Soderbergh shot his latest movie entirely on the iPhone, calls it a ‘gamechanger’

01 Feb

We’ve seen plenty of film makers shooting movies on an Apple iPhone in the past. However, director Steven Soderbergh—whose filmography includes movies such as Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and Ocean’s Eleven—is arguably the highest-profile iPhone movie makers yet.

His latest project, the psychological horror-thriller Unsane, was shot entirely on the iPhone, and Soderbergh wasn’t afraid to admit (and embrace) that fact when speaking to IndieWire.

“I think this is the future,” Soderbergh said. “Anybody going to see this movie who has no idea of the backstory to the production will have no idea this was shot on the phone. That’s not part of the conceit.”

In fact, the director was so impressed by the iPhone’s movie capabilities and the recorded levels of detail, that he is likely to also use the Apple smartphone for future projects. “People forget, this is a 4k capture. I’ve seen it 40 feet tall. It looks like velvet,” he told IndieWire. “This is a gamechanger to me.”

We don’t know which exact iPhone model(s) Soderbergh used in the production of the movie, but it’s fair to speculate that the latest iPhone X/iPhone 8 generation was deployed in combination with all sorts of professional lighting, audio and stabilization equipment.

By the way, in case you’re curious, the movie’s synopsis is the following:

A young woman is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she is confronted by her greatest fear – but is it real or is it a product of her delusion?

You can find more information about the movie on its website and view the trailer at the top of this page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Zion National Park clarifies controversial tripod restrictions

01 Feb
Photo by Jeremy Bishop

A few weeks ago, Zion National Park published its 2018 Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) for photography workshops, and found in its “Unauthorized Use” section on public use obstruction was a troubling note: The use of tripods on trails is prohibited by permittees or clients (monopods are authorized).

Restricting such a vital piece of gear would be fatal to most photography workshops operating in the park, and operators were quick to criticize the decision.

Speaking anonymously to DPReview, one photography workshop operator and permit holder explained how such a restriction would impact their workshop, saying, “I will be forced to cease all commercial workshops in Zion National Park … [by] enforcing this rule, they are essentially saying that they don’t want commercial photography workshops in their park.”

In light of the criticism, Zion National Park officials reassessed the tripod restriction and have since issued a clarification to workshop operators via an email sent Monday. In the email, officials said that “misleading information” had been spread earlier this month on social media about the matter, and that commercial photography workshops aren’t entirely banned from using tripods.

Rather, according to a copy of the email published by Fstoppers, commercial photography workshop participants are allowed to use tripods on road-side pullouts and in other designated park areas. Tripod usage is restricted on park trails, however, due to the size of these groups and the potential safety issues, trail congestion, and environmental effects they pose.

The email states, in part:

Large groups concentrated in one place can result in trampling of vegetation, soil erosion, widening of formal trails, and impact other visitors’ experience of the natural views and soundscapes along these trails.

In order to reduce roadway safety concerns for all photographers on the Canyon Junction Road Bridge, the use of tripods on the Pa’rus Trail will soon be added to the 2018 conditions of use for Commercial Photography Workshops. Otherwise, the conditions of use for commercial photography workshops are unchanged from 2017.

Per the 2018 Zion National Park CUA, photography workshops may have up to 12 participants, plus up to two instructors, allowing for up to 14 individuals total per group.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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