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Archive for June, 2018

Behind the scenes of Drew Gardner’s gigapixel shot of British royal family

16 Jun
Drew’s 2.3 gigapixel image is made up of more than 100 50MP files, shot with the Fujifilm GFX 50S. Click the thumbnail to launch the interactive image at www.telegraph.co.uk

Photographer Drew Gardner has been a photographer for more than 30 years, and since 1999 he’s worked mostly in the commercial world. Following a recent move into 360-degree imaging, he accepted a commission from British newspaper The Telegraph to shoot a gigapixel image of the queen’s birthday parade. Earlier this week we spoke to Drew to learn more about how the project came together.

Following a career working in local and national press, I decided to move away from newspapers and into commercial and advertising photography, in 1999. These days I shoot extensively for magazines around the world, so the commission has to be something really special to entice me to work with newspapers again.

When I was asked to shoot a gigapixel photo for the Daily Telegraph, it was a trip down memory lane for me in many ways, but with the latest technology so I leapt at the chance. I was approached about two weeks before the event, and I spent many hours working out the sequence of events and the best position to place the camera.

I work with a wide variety of gear but this occasion seemed a perfect opportunity for a medium format camera, where ultimate resolution would be very useful.

‘The final image doesn’t represent one moment, but rather many different moments’

I like shooting gigapixel photos to record events. The final image doesn’t represent one moment, but rather many different moments. This provides a better overall feel of what it was like to be there. When I say many different moments, the final gigapixel image is made up of more than 110 50 megapixel images, shot on a Fujifilm GFX 50s with a 250mm F4 lens. The result is a 2.3 gigapixel file.

Drew Gardner has been a professional photographer since 1979. Based in the UK, Drew’s work spans local and national press, and commercial photography for clients including Manfrotto and Suzuki Motor Corporation.

Check out more of Drew’s work at his website, drewgardner.com

I love the Fujifilm GFX 50S. It really suits the way I shoot medium format camera, and it weighs less than most DSLRs. Image quality is stunning and it has proven very reliable.

What I really like about the GFX is its high ISO performance. Even though the light was excellent I shot at ISO 1600 to allow me to stop down to F11-16 for better depth-of-field. To move the camera I used a Seitz VR drive motorized head – the same head that I use for all my 360 degree still images, too.

I’m a huge fan of Brian Storm of Mediastorm who is a great advocate of the use of audio and this was the perfect occasion to record ambient audio of the event with a Zoom H2N audio recorder. Audio is all too often overlooked and yet it is a very easy way of adding another valuable dimension to a gigapixel or 360 panorama image.

View the final gigapixel image at www.telegraph.co.uk

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: How to take your photos to the next level with sub-framing

16 Jun

At some point in your photography career, you’ve probably come across the phrase ‘frame within a frame.’ While it might sound like nonsense, what it’s referring to is a composition technique referred to as sub-framing.

In his most recent video, YouTuber George Tomlin breaks down the concept of sub-framing and explains how it can be used to bring an otherwise unlikely scene to life.

As he explains in the seven-minute video, sub-framing is the practice of shooting through objects to frame a subject within the frame of the image—thus the term ‘frame within a frame.’ Rather than simply explaining how it works, Tomlin uses a 3D rendering to show how a particular scene in a made-up cityscape can yield multiple sub-framing opportunities.

In one of the four examples he shares, he shows how shooting through the windows of a vehicle can not only make the image more interesting from a composition standpoint, but also give a bit more context to the scene.

After he gets through the examples of sub-framing opportunities in the 3D scene, he turns to his own work to show off how he’s recently used sub-framing. The examples aren’t shining ones, necessarily, but they do work as solid foundations to build upon in your own work.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi launches affordable Mijia smartphone gimbal

16 Jun

Modern high-end smartphones can shoot impressively smooth and stable video at 4K resolution, thanks to intelligent combinations of electronic (EIS) and optical (OIS) image stabilization. However, for a real steady-cam effect, you’ll need a gimbal.

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has launched an affordable smartphone gimbal option under its Mijia sub-brand which already offers a gimbal designed for action cameras. The new model can accommodate phones with a width of up to 86mm and a weight of up to 200 grams which easily covers even larger devices such as the Huawei P20 Pro or Google Pixel 2 XL.

The Mijia provides 3-axis stabilization and comes with a dedicated app offering 360-degree auto-tracking and a function for creating time-lapses

The gimbal is capable of supplying power to the phone via its built-in 5000 mAh battery, allowing for extended shooting sessions. If not used for charging the phone, the battery should last up to 16 hours. The gimbal itself weighs 476 grams and comes with a standard tripod-mount at the bottom.

The Mijia provides 3-axis stabilization and comes with a dedicated app offering 360-degree auto-tracking and a function for creating time-lapses. The new Mijia gimbal will be available in China from June 16 and set you back CNY 600 (approximately $ 95). There is no word yet on international availability.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Leica introduces limited edition Zagato M10 – and two watches

16 Jun

Leica has announced a 250-piece limited edition M10 kit, designed by custom luxury car manufacturer Zagato. The M10 ‘Edition Zagato’ will come with a special Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 lens that will feature a new integrated lens hood, and the body will feature a new design to incorporate a handgrip on the right side.

Technically the same as the production M10 bodies, the Zagato edition will use aluminum for its top deck, base plate, body shell and the control dials and knobs, as this is the material Zagato uses for its cars. The new body shell will make the camera 70g lighter than a stock M10, according to the company. A series of ribbed grooves will replace the usual leather around the body and the new handgrip will make the body easier to hold.

The Leica M10 ‘Edition Zagato’ will retail for £18,000 from selected Leica stores.

At the same time Leica has introduced a pair of mechanical watches made in a new part of the company’s factory in Wetzlar. The Leica L1 and L2 watches will be manufactured in the Ernst Leitz Werkstätten next to the camera plant, and have been designed with glass that resembles the front of a lens. The watches use a stainless steel case, but in true Leica style a limited edition L2 will be available in rose gold.

No price has been announced yet, but the watches are expected to go on sale this autumn. For more information see the Leica website.

Press releases

The fine arts of German craftsmanship meet Italian Design: Leica Camera AG presents the new, strictly limited Leica M10 ‘Edition Zagato’.

Wetzlar, 15 June 2018. With the Leica M10 ‘Edition Zagato’, Leica Camera AG presents a timelessly beautiful special edition that unites the best of German craftsmanship and Italian design. Comprising a camera and a Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens, the set takes its name from Dr Andrea Zagato, owner of the design house and automotive styling specialists of the same name, who personally designed the limited edition, restricted to 250 pieces worldwide. This collaboration is now the second special edition created between the two long-established companies – 2015 saw the launch of a limited series of binoculars with a strikingly elegant design, the Leica Ultravid 8×32 ‘Edition Zagato’.

Founded a century ago, Zagato has been the creator of the most beautiful coachbuilt bodies in the history of automobile construction. The quintessential Italian brand is particularly well known for its innovative use of aluminium in automobile design and construction. Today, the company continues to create special, and traditionally strictly limited, editions of cars with unique styling in Milan, where the story of success began with the brand’s founder Ugo Zagato in 1919.

Both Leica and Zagato uphold a strong passion for aesthetics and precision in many respects. Both have intrinsic links, as well, to photography: “Photography plays an

essential role in our work. Without the possibilities offered by photography, we would never have had the invaluable pictures to be able to reconstruct vehicle models, and would not be able to present our work from the last decades in such an impressive way” emphasises owner Dr Andrea Zagato, who, together with his wife and Art Director, Marella Rivolta-Zagato, now heads the family company in its third generation.

The ‘Edition Zagato’ is the first special edition of the Leica M10 camera and offers extraordinary visual and tactile highlights. The top deck, the baseplate, the outer casing and the control elements of the camera are all manufactured from aluminium. This makes it 70g lighter than its serial production counterpart. Instead of the usual leather trim, the bodyshell of the camera is finished with fine grooves, which, together with details like the red shutter release button, lend the camera its unique look and feel. The integrated handgrip at the left of the body visually distinguishes the special edition from the serial production model of the M10 and makes it a delight to hold and handle. The M10 ‘Edition Zagato’ is the first Leica camera to have its own special serial number engraved on an aluminium badge on the base of the camera that is revealed only when the baseplate is opened.

The Leica Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH. lens in the special edition set has an integrated lens hood that can be pulled out and locked in place in a single motion – a new feature for a 35mm lens that simplifies its handling. The design of the focusing aid on the lens pays homage to a typical styling signature of Zagato automobile design, the double-bubble roofline of many Zagato models. The unmistakeable ‘Zagato’ logotype on the lens ring also indicates the role of the prominent design partner in this collaboration. In all other aspects, the technical specifications of the camera and lens in the Leica M10 ‘Edition Zagato’ set are identical to those of its serial production counterpart.

In addition to the camera and lens, the set also includes a carrying strap in red full- grain leather embossed with the Zagato logotype. This M-Camera is the first to feature rectangular strap lugs in the same design as those of the Zagato binoculars. The certificate of authenticity graces the packaging of the set in the form of an aluminium plate with an engraved serial number.

The Leica M10 ‘Edition Zagato’ is available from 15th June 2018 in selected Leica Stores at a RRP of $ 21,600 / £18,000 (including UK VAT). Additionally, a few pieces of the Leica Ultravid 8×32 ‘Edition Zagato’ limited edition binoculars are still available. In addition to the binoculars and a case in Zagato design, the set includes a matching carrying strap and a leather wrist strap.

The publication of the second volume of the coffee-table book trilogy, ‘Leica and Zagato – Europe Collectibles’, coincides with the launch of the Leica M10 ‘Edition Zagato’. The fascinating pictures show 33 Zagato models from the entire history of the brand in evocative European settings.

Ernst Leitz Werkstätten: Opening of the manufacture and presentation of the Leica Watch

Wetzlar, 13 June 2018. With the inauguration of the third phase of the Leitz Park – Leica Camera AG’s headquarters complex in Wetzlar, Germany – the “Ernst Leitz Werkstätten” commences operation and establishes a completely new and exclusive product line in the Leica Camera AG portfolio: mechanically highly complex and sophisticated watches made in small series. The Ernst Leitz Werkstätten is housed on the latest phase of Leitz Park and offers a fascinating insight into the elaborate production of ‘Made in Germany’ watches through the manufacture’s viewing windows. The premises include an assembly workshop, a consulting studio and a store.

Two models – the LEICA L1 and the LEICA L2 – will initially be available for the launch of the Leica Watch. Both variants draw their design inspiration from the creativity and precision, the hallmarks, of the world-famous brand from Wetzlar. Both models were designed by Professor Achim Heine who has overseen the design of many Leica Camera products over the years and who has extensive knowledge of the company’s design principles. The Leica signature look can be found in the countless design elements and features of the watches: the elegance of the hands and indexes, the shape of the finely-detailed, stainless-steel case, the special fluting on the crown and the cambered shape of the glass which is reminiscent of a camera lens.

Both models are operated by a mechanical movement with manual winding which has been newly developed and can be viewed through the glass case back made of robust sapphire crystal. For Leica, the ‘Made in Germany’ aspect is particularly important, hence the collaboration with Lehmann Präzision GmbH. The development, design and a large proportion of the components come from the manufacture situated in Germanys’ Black Forest and help the watches to achieve a very distinct vertical range of manufacture.

Design and technology complement each other perfectly in Leica watches: both the front glass and the back case cover are made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, with the front being anti-reflective on both sides, and each model has the patented push-piece crown with a corresponding status display on the dial. The combination with the zero setting of the second hand is another special feature – the crown is therefore not only aesthetically appealing, but also adds a useful function to the watches.

The design, which is reduced to the essentials and coupled with uncompromisingly high quality, make the LEICA L1 and LEICA L2 not only a functional instrument, but also a real statement piece.

Dr Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board and majority shareholder of Leica Camera AG, on the Ernst Leitz Werkstätten: “I am very happy that this long- term project can now be finally presented. I believe that together with our partners we have succeeded in developing a ‘Made in Germany’ watch that is worthy of the name Leica and which represents the values of our premium brand extremely well!”.

Markus Lehmann, Managing Director of Lehmann Präzision GmbH, on the cooperation with Leica Camera: ‘We built precision machines for Leica years ago, independently of this project. It has of course been very interesting to work with

Leica in these two very different areas, although the watch project was and is a project very close to my heart. We knew in the run-up to this project that this cooperation will be fruitful, which helped to intensify our partnership significantly.’

The LEICA L1 and the LEICA L2 will be available in selected Leica Stores including the Leica Store Mayfair as well as at watch dealers worldwide from autumn 2018. The L2 model will also be available in a version with an 18 karat rose gold case. To mark the occasion of the Ernst Leitz Werkstätten commencing operation, limited special models of the two stainless steel versions with a red dial will be released.

About the Ernst Leitz Werkstätten
The Ernst Leitz Werkstätten, which derive their name from the founder of the Leitz Werke that opened in 1869, namely Ernst Leitz I, specialise in the design and manufacture of luxury products and are located in the newest part of the Leitz Park in Wetzlar, State of Hesse, Germany. As an independent division of Leica Camera AG, they were founded by Dr Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board and majority shareholder of Leica Camera AG. Visitors can gain an insight into the work of the Ernst Leitz Werkstätten thanks to their large viewing windows. More information is available at www.ernst-leitz-werkstaetten.com.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photography Challenge – Street Photography

16 Jun

Street photography is a fun and popular genre of photography that anybody can do. But it’s not as easy as it looks to get really good, storytelling images.

street photography challenge - shot on a street in Colombia

I shot this in Retiro, Colombia a little town not far from Medellin. It had a very old-world feel so I processed this image to match that style.

For this week’s photography challenge you’ll need to hit the streets and show us your best. If you need some tips, here are some ideas:

  • The Ultimate Guide to Street Photography
  • Panning and Other Tips for Adding Motion to Your Street Photography
  • 4 Ways To Make Better Street Portraits While Traveling
  • Which Street Photography Lens is Right for You?
  • 7 Tips for Capturing the Decisive Moment in Street Photography
  • 8 Advanced Street Photography Tips to Get You to the Next Level

Weekly Photography Challenge – Street Photography

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Get some people in your street photography.

Try panning for something different.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

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SLC-1L-04: A Hack for Manual Flash at Sunset

16 Jun

Manual flash is great for its consistency and repeatability throughout a shoot. But working in a fluctuating ambient environment, such as against a fast-waning sunset, can get hairy.

Today in the Lighting Cookbook, how to easily control the exposure level of both your subject and background without your eye ever leaving the viewfinder. Read more »
Strobist

 
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Leica launches 15x zoom C-Lux compact with 20MP 1″ sensor

15 Jun

Leica Camera has announced a new compact camera that will feature a 24-360mm f/3.3-6.4 zoom lens and which will be fitted with a 20MP 1” MOS sensor. Essentially a re-badged Panasonic Lumix TZ200, the Leica C-Lux will save raw and JPEG files, will offer 4K video and has a viewfinder with a 2.33-dot resolution.

Video users will be able to extract 8MP JPEGs from the camera’s 4K video feature, which will have a fastest frame rate 30fps and a best bit-rate of 100mbps. Focus and the shutter can be activated via the 3in touch-screen and the camera will have a Wi-Fi function to allow images to be sent to a smartphone or the camera to be controlled remotely.

Using a combination of electronic and mechanical shutter mechanisms a maximum exposure time of 120 seconds can be achieved via the camera’s T setting, and a longest timed shutter opening of 60 seconds will be available via mechanical operation. The electronic shutter will run from 1 second to 1/16,000sec.

The Leica C-Lux will go on sale from mid-July priced £875, and a range of accessories, including straps, jackets and pouches will follow. For more information see the Leica Camera website.

Press release

New: Leica C-Lux

The versatile compact camera with a 15x zoom, a practical touchscreen and exceptional design

Wetzlar, 15 June 2018. With the launch of the Leica C-Lux, Leica Camera AG expands its product portfolio with a versatile compact camera that unites speed, an intuitive handling concept and stylish design. Featuring a Leica DC Vario-Elmar 8.8–132 mm f/3.3–6.4 ASPH. lens and a high-performance, 20-megapixel sensor for continuous shooting at a rate of up to 10 frames per second, the Leica C-Lux adapts quickly and flexibly to every situation and effortlessly delivers high-quality pictures of subjects at any distance. Its 15-fold optical zoom with focal lengths from 24 to 360mm (35mm equivalent) offers enormous creative scope that is further expanded by 4K video recording capability. Thanks to an integrated connectivity concept, still pictures and videos can be quickly and easily shared with family and friends by a simple tap of a finger on the touchscreen display. Available in the two colours, Light Gold and Midnight Blue, the Leica C-Lux impresses not only with its precision, but also with its exceptional design and range of stylish accessories.

From the lens to the 1-inch image sensor, all components of the Leica C-Lux are precisely matched to one another and deliver brilliant pictures in RAW or JPEG format in a quality that remains equally impressive in large-format prints. With an impressive maximum ISO sensitivity of 25600, the C-Lux guarantees pictures with natural colours

and exceptional quality, especially when used for available-light photography. Thanks to its versatile zoom lens, fast autofocus and face detection, the camera also offers enormous flexibility in almost all areas of photography, and especially in spontaneous situations. The C-Lux’s fast autofocus with 49 metering points, ensures that subjects are sharply focused on in an instant, and a continuous shooting rate of 10 frames per second ensures that even the most fleeting moments will never be missed. Intuitively selectable scene modes provide valuable assistance when shooting landscapes, portraits or at night and enable users to concentrate exclusively on their subjects.

Thanks to the viewfinder’s high resolution of 2.33 megapixels, the clarity and contrast of the viewing image is outstanding at all times – even in particularly bright, ambient light. As the viewfinder covers 100% of the image field, framing of subjects is extremely precise and users have complete control of composition. The camera also offers dioptre compensation settings that allow spectacle wearers to use the viewfinder without any problems.

The 3-inch touchscreen display ensures particularly easy handling in all shooting situations. As with a smartphone, many of the camera’s functions can be controlled by simply touching the monitor screen, for instance the transfer of still pictures and videos via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The ‘Leica C-Lux’ app that supports this function can be downloaded free of charge and installed on iOS or Android devices. The display screen features a special repellent coating that prevents annoying marks and protects it against fingerprints.

The high-definition, 4K-resolution, digital video recording function expands the spectrum of features offered by the Leica C-Lux. Thanks to exceptional resolution – four-times higher than full-HD – and up to 30p & 100 Mbit in MP4 format, the C-Lux

delivers all the technical prerequisites for shooting your own, personal short film. What’s more, still pictures can be extracted and saved from video footage at a resolution of up to 8 megapixels.

The compact Leica C-Lux impresses not only with its technical features, but also with elegant design and a portfolio of stylish accessories. An extensive range of accessories in matching and complimentary colours is available for both versions of the camera. These include, for example, carrying straps and wrist straps for the camera in the colours taupe, blue and red. The portfolio also offers an extensive collection of premium quality camera cases, protectors and soft pouches that make the C-Lux an elegant companion for every occasion. Particularly eye-catching are the two vintage models in finely polished brown leather: a cleverly designed wrap- around vintage pouch and a vintage case with a concealed snap fastener. Also available is an outdoor bag in hardwearing, water-repellent fabric. A range of elegant cases in various styles, colours and types of cowhide completes the portfolio. Thanks to a detachable, adjustable carrying strap, two of these models can be used not only as a shoulder bag, but also as a handbag or for stowing things away in a day bag.

The Leica C-Lux will be on sale in the colour options Light Gold and Midnight Blue from mid-July 2018 at RRP £875 including VAT. The range of accessories will also be available when sales of the camera begin.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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3 Misunderstood But Important Buttons on Your Camera Explained

15 Jun

Today’s modern DSLR cameras have so many functions, buttons, and menus that it can be confusing and overwhelming to learn how to use properly. In this article, you’ll learn about three commonly misunderstood, but extremely important buttons on your camera. See what they each do, and when to use them.

#1 – The Depth of Field Preview Button

This is one that is not often used but it really handy once you know what it’s for, the depth of field preview button. Let’s have a look.

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#2 – The Exposure Compensation Button

Next up is the Exposure Compensation button or dial. I use this one a lot with my Fuji X-T1 and X100F cameras when I’m shooting in Aperture Priority mode, which is most of the time. See where to find on your camera and how to apply it here.

#3 – Auto Exposure Lock (AEL)

Finally, the last button you should learn about is the AEL or Auto Exposure Lock button. It’s very handy when you want to lock your exposure, or your focus, or both and take multiple images of the same scene, with different compositions.

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Can you confidently say you are familiar with and comfortable using all these buttons on your camera? If not, make it a habit to learn one new thing about your camera every day. Get to know all the buttons and dials. If you can’t figure it out, consult your camera user manual. Or search for your camera and model number on YouTube to find some good tutorials specific to your setup.

Know your camera inside and out. Then, and only then can you decide if it’s time to upgrade or not. But that’s another topic for another day!

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7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers

15 Jun

Ask any photographer what their favorite accessory is, and most will be quick to reply with “tripod”. It’s with good reason that a tripod is considered such a must-have accessory by photographers. Even if they are inconvenient, heavy to carry, and they tend to draw attention to you as a photographer, it is a price that is worth paying considering the benefits it can bring to your photos. Here are 7 reasons why a tripod is a must for all outdoor photographers.

7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers - sunset shot, camera on a tripod

1. Low Light Saviour

One of the best bits of advice I was ever given when I was starting out was this “The majority of the time, if I want to capture the best possible photo at the best possible time, then a tripod is an absolute must”. This is, of course, referring to the time of the day when the light is softer and there is less of it, in other words, the golden and blue hours.

Low light conditions mean that you have two options for being able to capture a photograph at these times. Set a high ISO on your camera – which comes with the downside of noise in the photo and as a result less sharpness. Or use a tripod. You simply will not be able to handhold a camera steady enough for anything slower than 1/60th of a second where even the slightest movement can mean camera shake.

So if you are planning to photograph in low light conditions and a tripod is allowed, make sure you use one.

evening scene on the camera LCD - 7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers

2. To Show Movement

One of the biggest advantages that a tripod can give you is that it allows you the flexibility to control the amount of movement that you want to show in your photos. That might be moving water like a waterfall, or it might be clouds in the sky. It can even be objects and people.

To be able to show movement in a photo you require some parts of the image to be sharp so that there is a contrast to the moving parts of the image. If the whole image is slightly blurred through camera shake, then the image will fail to show that movement. So, if you want to capture movement in your photos, then make sure that you are using a tripod.

7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers - image of water flowing in a river or stream

3. Put Yourself in the Shot

On some occasions, you will arrive at a scene and after examining and framing your shot, you will quickly come to realize that there is something missing. This usually points towards a point of interest in your composition that will help capture the viewer’s attention.

You might be lucky enough to have other people around that can be your models. But sometimes you are all by yourself and there is no other way than to put yourself in the photo.

This is where the tripod can act as your photographer. Simply set your camera up, frame your shot and set the self-timer for the length of time you need to get into position. Not only does this help you capture photos that can tell a story or show an experience, but it also means you have a photo that is model released.

7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers - self portrait of the photographer and landscape scene

4. Different Angles

Most photographers are guilty of capturing too many photos at the usual eye level view. But let’s be honest, how many people want to be on the ground in the cold and wet? A tripod is a great way to capture photos at slightly different elevations whether that is higher up or even close to the ground.

There are also times when a tripod can be put in places that people can’t go like over a fence, on a precarious ledge on a mountain or even in the water where you wouldn’t want to get your shoes and clothes wet.

For example, for the photo below, I was faced with a high wall with no ledge to allow me to stand on to capture this photo. As this was an old stone wall standing on it wasn’t an option as I would have probably damaged it. But I was able to position my tripod on the wall to capture this shot.

7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers - sunset on the coast

5. Light Stand

Even if you are not going to be using your tripod for your camera, there might be occasions where a tripod becomes a handy light stand where you can mount your flash. This is especially useful when you are outdoors by yourself and need to light something from a different position than where you are standing.

Unless you have someone there to hold the flash, the only way to light the subject the way you want is to use a tripod.

7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers - diagram

I needed to light up this woman’s face so that it wasn’t too dark. I was able to place my tripod behind the pillar on the left to light up her face slightly.

6. Better Composition

Sometimes one of the main benefits of using a tripod is that it makes you slow down and become more analytical in your approach to taking a photo.

By being able to put your camera down and take a step back you sometimes end up slowing down and that usually means an improvement in the photo. Once you have taken a shot you can evaluate and make the necessary adjustments to make any improvements to your composition.

7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers - camera shooting a vertical composition

7. Take the Weight

You’ve just reached your chosen location after several hours of walking. The last thing you want to do now is to have to spend the next few hours also holding up a heavy camera and telephoto lens.

A tripod not only helps you capture great photos, but it can also sometimes give you respite from having to actually hold the camera. It is a welcome relief and will mean you can actually focus on capturing a great photo instead.

7 Reasons Why a Tripod is Must for Outdoor Photographers - full camera bag

Conclusion

A tripod can truly be a photographer’s best friend and will give you so much more flexibility when photographing something. You can control your shutter speed, depth of field, and even the way you frame your shot in a much more considered approach.

Most people forego using a tripod for the simple reason that it is cumbersome to carry around. But ask yourself if that little bit of inconvenience outweighs the improvement you will have in your photos? There will usually only be one answer.

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Neewer launches $120 35mm F1.2 APS-C lens for Fuji X and Sony E mount

15 Jun

Neewer, a photo gear brand out of China, has launched a new budget APS-C lens for Fuji X and Sony E mounts. The Neewer 35mm F1.2 mirrorless lens features a copper core and aluminum body, 6 elements in 5 groups, F1.2 to F16 aperture, 9 diaphragm blades, manual focus, and 150g / 5oz weight.

A multi-layer coating applied to the lens reduces ghosting and flares while increasing light transmission, according to Neewer. The Fuji X mount lens offering has appeared on Amazon as a new release with a $ 119.99 price tag, but is currently listed as unavailable. The Sony E mount variant doesn’t appear to be listed yet.

Via: PhotoRumors

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