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Archive for September, 2018

ZTE launches Axon 9 Pro with super-wide-angle dual-cam setup

04 Sep

ZTE is one of the few smartphone manufacturers who have decided to launch their 2018 flagships at IFA in Berlin. The Chinese manufacturer announced the Axon 9 Pro at the show and with its super-wide-angle dual-camera setup the device looks like a viable alternative to LG’s G7 THinQ and V30/V35 – the only current high-end phones with a similar camera concept.

The secondary camera is an ultra-wide-angle with a 130-degree field of view and 20MP resolution

The ZTE’s main module uses a 1/2.55″ Sony IMX363 sensor with 12MP resolution and 1.4 µm pixel size in combination with a F1.75 aperture. Optical image stabilization and dual-pixel AF are featured as well. The secondary camera is an ultra-wide-angle with a 130-degree field of view and 20MP resolution. Its image data is also used to create a background-blurring “fake-bokeh” effect in portrait mode.

Software features include AI-powered intelligent motion and facial recognition functions, as well as smart portrait compositions. At the front the device features a 20MP selfie camera with F2.0 aperture and fixed focus. The front module can be tasked with face recognition duties but there is a fingerprint sensor on the back for added security as well.

All the components are housed in a body with scratch-resistant glass back and IP68 certification for water and dust resistance

Other specs include a Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of built-in storage and a microSD card slot. The large 4,000mAh battery supports fast charging and the 6.21-inch 1080p+ AMOLED display is HDR10-capable and features an RGB sensor for optimized color balance.

Like previous Axos generations, the 9 Pro comes with Dolby Atmos-enabled stereo speakers but with the new model you have to make do without the 3.5mm headphone jack. All the components are housed in a body with scratch-resistant glass back and IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

The ZTE Axon 9 Pro will first be launched in Europe and set you back 650 Euros (approximately $ 755). Availability will expand to other markets in the future but no detailed information has been provided yet.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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First impressions: DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom

04 Sep

The DJI Mavic 2 is a foldable drone that comes in two versions: the Mavic 2 Pro features an integrated Hasselblad camera with a 1” sensor and the Mavic 2 Zoom has a 2x optical (4x digital) zoom lens.

The bodies of the two drones are identical. Both include 10 sensors which combine to detect obstacles in any direction, utilize a 3-axis mechanical gimbals, come with 8GB of internal storage and feature a number of automated flight modes. I had a chance to test both drones in flight before launch and was generally impressed with what I saw.

Like the original Mavic Pro, the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom models are foldable—making them ideal for travel. Unfolding the drones and preparing them for flight is as easy as you would expect it to be. The Mavic 2 has a solid feel and is slightly larger and heavier than the original Mavic Pro. A button on the top of the drone turns it on and within seconds the camera orients itself to give you a straight horizon line once you take flight.

The Mavic 2 Pro (front) and Mavic 2 Zoom (rear) are physically identical except for their cameras, though the Mavic 2 Zoom has a couple of extra tricks up its sleeve that require a zoom lens.

The controller is also foldable. Your smartphone clicks right into place, and it uses the familiar DJI GO app, along with the physical controls, to pilot the drone. The controller is similar in size to the one from the Mavic Air, and I found it comfortable to hold. Like the Air, it also features joysticks that can be unscrewed to make its profile smaller when packed. I found all the controls to have well designed ergonomics, and all were easy to access with your thumb and index finger. The controller for the Mavic 2 also features its own display, making it useful for things such as monitoring battery levels on the drone.

During my flight I found the controller to be quite responsive—a light touch gave me the movements I was looking for, although you’ll surely be able to adjust this within the DJI GO app to match your preferences. Since both models are identical except for the cameras the experience of flying them was the same.

I found the experience of flying the Mavic 2 so intuitive that I was able to focus on getting epic shots, rather than worrying that the drone might drift into something and crash.

The real beauty of the Mavic 2 is that you don’t have to be an expert flier to keep this drone in the sky. The omnidirectional obstacle avoidance sensors, along with a variety of automated flight modes, make the Mavic 2 a drone that you can essentially launch into the sky and with minimal movements on the controller grab beautiful and seamless footage. I found the experience of flying the Mavic 2 so intuitive that I was able to focus on getting epic shots, rather than worrying that the drone might drift into something and crash.

The compact Mavic 2 controller is similar to that seen on other recent DJI models, and includes its own screen to display much of the information you would normally monitor through the DJI GO app. One of the dials on the back of the remote can be used to control zooming on the Mavic 2 Zoom.

Zooming while flying Mavic 2 Zoom is also a breeze; you control the zoom function of the camera using the dial on the back right side of the remote. If you’ve spent limited time with video game controllers or previous drones it’s an intuitive movement.

The Mavic 2 Zoom features two new automated modes: Dolly Zoom and Super Resolution, both of which leverage its 2x zoom lens, and I tried out both during my test flight. Dolly Zoom is an automated video mode where the drone physically moves away from a subject while the camera zooms in—it’s an old cinema effect popularized by folks like Alfred Hitchcock that was once quite tricky to pull off. With the Mavic 2 Zoom it’s all automated and can be found in the quickshot menu in the DJI GO app. It takes just a few steps to activate the feature and in use I found it very smooth.

The Mavic 2 Zoom can create dolly zoom effects by automating the process of synchronizing the drone’s movement with its optical and digital zoom, keeping a subject in place while changing the perspective of the surrounding scene. Video courtesy of DJI

Super Resolution is a photo mode which uses the optical zoom to shoot 9 overlapping images of a scene and then automatically stitches them together to create a 48MP image. I wasn’t able to take the sample images with me after my test flights, so we can’t comment on the level of detail captured, but the process of shooting the images and stitching them together was quick, and from the phone screen appeared to be quite accurate.

The Mavic 2 Zoom can capture 48MP ‘Super Resolution’ images by shooting nine overlapping photos and stitching them together automatically. Image courtesy of DJI

The drone’s updated OcuSync 2.0 gave me nearly instant access to the photos and videos from my flight, including 1080p video and full resolution JPEGs. These can be saved to your phone and immediately shared.

In the air the two new drones are noticeably quieter than the original Mavic Pro as well. There is of course some noise, but the familiar drone hum isn’t found here.

The Mavic 2 is larger than DJI’s Mavic Air (pictured), and is also slightly larger than the original Mavic Pro.

Landing the Mavic 2 is just as easy as getting it into the air. I flew during the middle of the day so I didn’t get to see the auxiliary LED lights in action, but according to DJI these additional lights will help with landing the drone in low light conditions.

I was impressed by the performance of both Mavic 2 models during my brief hands on time with the products. They’re compact, easy to fly and the number of automated flight modes should make the Mavic 2 appealing to enthusiasts and even some pros. We’re planning a full review of both models to see how they stack up against the competition, as well as to see how the different cameras perform.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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10 Lightroom Tricks That Will Make Your Life Easier

04 Sep

When it comes to Lightroom, there is a lot to learn, and we tend to pay the most attention to the big things like understanding how to organize images and which sliders to use to improve our photos. But there are also lots of little Lightroom tricks that will improve your workflow and just make your life easier when it comes to working with your photos.

In this video, I’ll show you 10 of my favorite tricks that will make your life easier in Lightroom. There is also a summary of these items below the video for your reference. Enjoy!

1. Build Previews

Have you ever noticed that when you view images full size in the Library Module and you move from one to the next, sometimes Lightroom shows a message that says “Loading…” and it takes a minute for the photo to display properly? You can get around that by building previews before you start working on a group of images.

To do this, choose Library > Previews > Build Standard-Sized Previews.

I generally build standard-sized previews which are just big enough to fit in the Lightroom window. You can also build the 1:1 Previews which means you can view each image zoomed-in at 100% without having to wait, but that takes longer.

Building the previews first does take a bit of time, but you can do something else while Lightroom is busy with this task. Then when you are ready to work on your images, Lightroom will be really fast.

2. Auto Advance

When selecting your Picks or adding a star rating to images in the Library Module, you can have Lightroom automatically move to the next image, making it very quick to go through a selection of photos. To turn this setting on choose Photo > Auto Advance.

3. Solo Mode

In the Develop Module, there are a number of panels which, when expanded, can make it necessary to do a lot of scrolling to move between them. But with “solo mode”, only one panel can be opened at a time which means no more scrolling.

To turn this on, right-click to the left of one of the develop module panel titles (such as “basic”) and choose Solo Mode.

4. Quickly Reset a Slider

When you make a change to a slider in the Develop Module, and you simply want to reset it back to zero, you don’t have to actually move the slider back. Simply double-click on the name of the slider and it will reset.

5. Letter O Key

Did you know there are quite a few different crop overlays you can use to help you crop your photos just right? Click the crop tool in the Develop Module, and then try repeatedly pressing the letter O on your keyboard to rotate through the various crop overlays.

6. Letter F Key

When you think you are done and you want to view a larger size of your image to make sure everything is just right, press the letter F on your keyboard to view the image full screen. Press F again to go back.

7. Letter L Key

Another way to view your image without distractions is to use the L key on your keyboard. Press it once and all the sidebars and your desktop will turn grey. Press it again and everything goes black except your actual photos (this is called Lights Out). Press it a third time to return to normal.

8. Backslash Key

As a final check when you think you are done with your processing, press the backslash key on your keyboard to see the “before” version of your image before you made any changes in Lightroom. Press it again to see the “after” version.

9. Virtual Copies

If you want to make another version of an image without changing the original, you don’t have to actually make a copy of it on your hard drive. You can simply create a “virtual copy” and apply different settings to it. This virtual copy takes up no space on your hard drive and allows you to play with different looks.

10. Sync Settings

After you have finished processing one photo in a group, you can apply those exact settings to all the other photos in the group. This makes it very fast to process a whole group of images.

Go to the Library Module, select all the photos you want to apply the settings to, including the one you have processed, and click the “Sync Settings” button in the lower right corner of your screen. You can then choose whether to sync all or just some of the settings to the selected photos.

Lightroom can be overwhelming! If you want to learn the essentials of Lightroom so you can get started quickly and easily, check out my video course Launch Into Lightroom. In 22 short videos that total a little over 2 hours, you’ll be off and running.

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Leica M10-P real-world samples gallery updated

04 Sep

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The new Leica M10-P updates the M10 with the addition of a touchscreen, electronic level and a quieter shutter. Image quality from the 24MP full-frame sensor and Maestro II processor is unchanged, but the somewhat more discreet ‘P’ variant could be more interesting to candid and street photographers than the stock M10.

We took the M10-P out for a weekend on the Washington coast, and we’ve just updated our previously-published gallery of sample images with a selection of images converted from Raw using ACR 11.

Learn more about the Leica M10-P

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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4 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Sharp Images

04 Sep

Capturing sharp images is something most photographers aim to do, regardless of what genre you do. While it sounds easy on paper, it’s not quite as easy to come home with sharp images; especially when you are photographing in challenging conditions.

There are several reasons why you’re images aren’t as sharp as you’d like them to be but the good news is that most of them are both quick and easy to fix. In this article, we’ll look at the most common reasons and what you can do to avoid making these mistakes again.

#1 The Shutter Speed is Too Slow

The shutter speed is to blame for a lack of sharp images in 99% of the cases. A shutter speed that is too slow results in the image becoming blurry.

moody mountain scene - 4 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Sharp Images

A shutter speed of 1/320th of a second captured with a 24mm lens was quick enough to get this image sharp.

This is a common mistake and it’s easy to forget to change the shutter speed when you’re in the field. There’s so much to remember, right? The ISO, the aperture, composition, light… and then the shutter speed. Don’t worry though; spending time using and learning the camera will make this much easier within no time at all.

The exact shutter speed you need depends on the situation. However, a rule of thumb is to never use a shutter speed slower than 1 over the focal length for handheld photography. That means that you shouldn’t use a shutter speed slower than 1/70th of a second with a 70mm lens, or slower than 1/16th of a second for a 16mm lens.

This isn’t an exact science though and while the tip above can serve as a guideline, you still should make it a habit to zoom in on the image preview to double check if the image is sharp.

natural scene at sunset - 4 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Sharp Images

I used a tripod to capture this 91-second exposure

If you need to use a slower shutter speed to achieve a certain look or due to the dim conditions, it’s essential that you use a tripod. This makes it possible to increase the exposure time without worrying about the image being blurry.

#2 Your Lens is Not Good Enough

Unfortunately, an unsharp image can’t always be blamed on human error. Sometimes the camera equipment is to blame. While I often preach that camera gear won’t make you a better photographer, it is true that it does make a difference to the image quality.

A budget lens isn’t as sharp as a professional lens and sometimes this becomes quite visible. For this reason, it’s advisable to do some research about the lens before purchasing it and make sure to read what people are saying about the image sharpness.

#3 The Camera is Vibrating

So what about the times when you’re using a slow shutter with the camera placed on a tripod, and you know for a fact that the lens is good enough? The cause might be camera vibration.

road with big trees arching over - 4 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Sharp Images

When capturing the image above I could not for the life of me figure out why almost every image was slightly blurry when I zoomed in on the LCD screen. I used a 70-200mm with a semi-slow shutter speed, the camera was mounted on a solid carbon fiber tripod and I used a remote shutter release.

After several attempts and trying to understand what was happening I realized it was due to me not standing still when taking the image. This caused small vibrations in the unstable ground I was standing on and resulted in the camera vibrating slightly.

Camera vibration becomes more visible and is easier to cause the longer the focal length you are using. Had I used a 14mm I would most likely not have noticed it at all.

There are many reasons why you might be having some camera vibration. The example above is perhaps not the most common. It could be caused by wind, waves, the tripod is placed in a river or on a bridge, or perhaps it is from you pressing the shutter button (so get a remote trigger).

#4 The Weather is to Blame

Other times you can’t blame either yourself or the camera gear. Sometimes the weather is to blame and it makes it impossible to capture a sharp image.

The most common reason is lots of particles in the air and high temperatures. Now, I’m not going to pretend I’m smart enough to explain how this works (I’m sure someone wants to take on this task in the comments) but it’s a common issue when photographing distant subjects.

mountains in the mist - 4 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Sharp Images

Make sure to zoom in 100% when using a telephoto zoom to see if you’re getting sharp images.

A good practice is to use Live View and zoom into 100% magnification to check for sharpness. This should give you a good idea of whether or whether not it’s possible to capture a sharp image.

Conclusion

So I hope these tips have you to get sharp images next time you’re out shooting. Use this as a checklist of things to look out for and go over them one by one to ensure you have everything sharp.

If you have any other tips of reasons why others might be experiencing unsharp images, please share them in the comment area below.

Be sure to read my eBook The Ultimate Guide to Long Exposure Photography if you’re curious about working with slower shutter speeds. 

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Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

03 Sep

One of the problems, when you photograph couples, is that they can be really awkward and uncomfortable in front of the camera. But photographing these couples can be especially fun for them and for you!

In this article, I’ll show you how to understand awkward couples and find out what makes them tick so that you can make the lighthearted, romantic photos you’re both hoping for. As you overcome the challenges, you may find yourself taking some of the most cherished photos of your life or career.

Candid couples photography - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

Sometimes having an audience staring at a couple makes them severely uncomfortable. And sometimes being so uncomfortable leads to playful behavior. Be ready for any real expressions that come out.

1. Camera Settings

First, just a quick word about camera settings. If you’re already perfectly comfortable with camera settings, please skip this part.

You want to use your camera in such a way that allows you to put all your focus on the couple – not your settings. So manual mode may not be the best option for you.

Many photographers, both pro and amateur, prefer aperture priority (A or Av). Setting your ISO and then choosing your aperture based on creative preferences is perfect for photographing couples. You can then use exposure compensation to make quick adjustments as you move through the session.

Don’t let fumbling over settings get in the way of interacting with the couple.

Silhouette photo of a couple. Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

Exposure compensation was used here to get just the right look for this silhouette. It took a little warming up to get this couple to dance and kiss.

2. Ugly Locations

We’re going to dive into the minds of awkward couples, but first, let’s consider ugly locations.

Couples seem to have a knack for choosing ugly locations. Yes, the place is meaningful and beautiful to them, but they’re looking at it through the eyes of love, not the eyes of a photographer!

However, I have come to realize that the entire location you’re photographing does not need to be majestic – you only need to find pockets of beauty. Just little pockets of nice light, and tiny patches of background that look nice.

Candid couples photography - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

Normally, this is a majestic location but it was a tough time of day for light. The exact scenery was irrelevant to this photos since I got in close to capture the expression of the moment. At this point, I wasn’t even telling the couple what to do, there was just a lot of fun at the moment. Often people find it difficult to “smile naturally” for the camera. But not when they forget that the camera is even there.

3. Awkward Couples

Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.  – Brian Tracy

Some people are simply as “cool as a cucumber” and perfectly comfortable in new situations or in front of the camera. But when it comes to the awkward couples, one or both of them tend to be a little neurotic or disagreeable.

You’ll know the signs when they tell you they’re nervous, begin saying self-critical things, or simply refuse to adopt a pose you’re asking them to do. Now, you have no idea what they’ve been through in life and what has led them to be uncomfortable like this. Even though they’re nervous and maybe a little difficult to work with, it’s still your job to take some great photos of them.

I always consider the first couple of scenes to be throw away photos. Everyone needs time to warm up. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself or the couple. Who cares if the first few photos turn out or not?

Romantic black and white photo of a couple - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

This was exactly the photo I had in mind for this couple. It should have been easy too. It normally is. But there was drama leading up to it.

The Director

You need to think of yourself as a director with a couple of stubborn or uncomfortable movies stars. The audience wants to see drama and romance and you’re going to have to get this couple to play along.

So set the scene in a nice pocket of light with a good background and don’t be distracted by camera settings.

Sunburst during golden hour - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

This was the scene I wanted. I got my camera settings dialed in before I told the couple what I wanted them to do. I told them that this was a silhouette photo so that there would be no pressure to have the right expression on their faces.

Set up your couple the best you can and start clicking. Don’t worry that it’s not perfect off the bat. Give them some direction, be kind and playful in the way you speak (keep your humor appropriate). Most importantly, watch for the outtake moments. The magic is always in the laughter and the expressions.

A couple dancing during golden hour. Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

When I told them to dance, they looked at me like I was crazy. She even had some choice words for me. I finally convinced them to twirl and we all loved the photo.

Improvise

If both of them are uncomfortable in front of the camera and disagreeable toward each other, you may witness an awkward dispute or fight between the couple. They may be distracted, unhappy, and even unwilling to follow your directions.

At this point, it will be a little less like directing and more like being in an improv sketch. They’re going to throw surprising lines your way and you’ve got to respond creatively. The scene will change quickly and be full of surprises. But this may lead to the photos you love the most.

You can see why you need to keep your mind off of camera settings and on the couple. Don’t stress about anything, just roll with the scene.

Candid couples photo - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

This was a fun moment as they were trying to understand how I wanted them to pose.

Couples photo - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

But it didn’t take long for the fun to wear off. There may be a lot of moments like this leading up to all those perfect Pinterest photos you see.

The Magic Ingredient

Neurotic and disagreeable behavior leads to drama – and drama is the magic ingredient in your photos.

No matter what happens, your job is to turn this ordinary couple, who feels uncomfortable in front of the camera and disagreeable with each other into a Pinterest dude and a beautiful belle. He may be stiff and expressionless, she may be less than encouraging, but you’ve got to work the scene to bring out the best in them.

Couples photo - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

As we pushed through the scene trying to get the pose correct, I decided to keep taking pictures. I saw something here. Certainly not the moment I was after, but it was the moment I was given. Something deep and human was coming out.

Couples photo smack - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

This is one of the truest and most human photos of a couple I’ve taken. It was the perfect combination of directing and improvisation. He wasn’t living up to the Pinterest standard of a romantic photo, so he got a whack. It was a playful whack but added a level of drama to the photo that I had never achieved before. This is the way it works for couples in real life. Trying something new, struggling through the frustration of trying to get it right, and finally – hopefully – overcoming.

Couples photo walking between blossoming trees - Fun Ways to Photograph Couples That are a Bit Awkward

After the tension is released and the challenge overcome, they will have their “happily ever after.”

The Awkward Photographer

Of course, the awkwardness of the photographer plays a role in this too. Perhaps you know exactly how uncomfortable it is to be in front of the camera. This is good because it means you can empathize with the people you photograph.

Unless they’re trained models (and perhaps even if they are), they don’t know how to be in front of the camera. They feel or look awkward because it is a truly awkward experience. But you can embrace the drama of the moment and lead your couple through both the fun and the difficulty in order to achieve the photos you’re all hoping to make.

Awkward is Real

  • Remember to use your camera in such a way that it does not distract you from the couple.
  • Don’t stress over the location. Simply look for little patches of beauty and put the spotlight on your couple.
  • Be the director that is willing to join the scene, embrace the drama, and capture it for them.
  • Don’t think of awkward as a bad thing, but a fun thing.

I’d love to hear your awkward stories below.

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Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

03 Sep

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

‘Go unannounced’ is the tagline that Leica is using for the new M10-P, which has been introduced alongside the standard M10. The M10-P is built around the same 24MP full-frame CMOS sensor and Maestro II processor, but offers a slightly more discreet, quieter operational experience, with a couple of other neat additions. Let’s take a closer look at exactly what’s new (and what has stayed the same).

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

Probably the most significant new feature is a touch-sensitive rear LCD. This makes it possible to quickly set the magnification point for accurate live view focus, and quickly zoom into (via a double-tap or a pinch motion) and flip through captured images, without using the 4-way controller on the right of the rear of the camera. Leica has also added an digital level gauge to the M10-P in live view mode, for those times when the vertical and horizontal optical framelines aren’t quite enough. The screen itself is the same 1.04 million-dot, 3″ display that we’re familiar with from the M10.

Another change compared to the standard M10 is the rear engraving to the right of the viewfinder, which now reads ‘Made in Germany’ as opposed to the more verbose ‘Leica Camera Wetzlar | Made in Germany’ on the M10.

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

Well for starters, there’s the addition of Leica’s classic top-plate engraving, which is not offered on the M10. Does this make the M10-P more discreet? Well… most people would probably say no. In fact quite the opposite in our opinion, but it certainly looks pretty.

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

Unarguably more discreet (and of some practical use) is the plain screw cover, where the red dot is normally to be found on the M10 and other standard non ‘P’ models. Underneath the slotted cover is a trim pot for the M10-P’s vertical rangefinder adjustment. It’s not uncommon for this to go out of alignment over time (or after a bump or two) and since it’s a relatively easy adjustment, a lot of experts will be pleased to have such easy access.

Will tinkering with the rangefinder alignment void your warrantee? That’s a little unclear. Our understanding from talking to Leica is that assuming the adjustment is done correctly, without any damage being caused to the camera, you should be fine. If in doubt, check.

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

Here’s another view of the M10-P’s fancy top-plate engraving and matching metal hotshoe cover. The rest of the design elements and controls are identical to the standard M10.

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

The M10-P shares a sensor with the standard M10, too. It’s a 24MP full-frame chip, with specially-designed microlenses to help mitigate corner vignetting with wide-angle lenses. On the upper left of the front of the M10-P is its single custom button, which can be set to manually magnify the image in live view mode, to help with accurate focusing. On the right is the frameline selector lever – also the same as the M10.

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

The ‘P’ in ‘M10-P’ supposedly stands for ‘Press’ (although there is some debate about that) but one thing that working photojournalists probably won’t appreciate about Leica’s M-series digital models is the awkward card and battery loading, which still requires….

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

….the complete removal of the baseplate. One small consolation (depending on how you look at it) is that the M10’s tripod socket is built into the camera, not the plate, as on some previous models. This should make it more secure, but the downside of course is that the card and battery compartments are entirely inaccessible when the M10-P is mounted to a tripod.

Hands-on with the new Leica M10-P

Realistically though, the M10-P isn’t really a tripod camera. Rangefinders are arguably at their best shooting handheld street and candid scenes, and this is where the M10-P’s quieter shutter becomes especially useful. The M10’s shutter isn’t exactly loud, but the M10-P definitely shoots with a much quieter, more muffled ‘clump’ sound.

Leica calls the shutter sound a ‘mere whisper’, which is overselling it a bit, but side by side against a 1960s M2, we believe Leica when the company says that the M10-P has the quietest shutter of any M-series camera, film or digital.

The M10-P is available now, at an MSRP of $ 7,995 – that’s $ 700 more than the standard M10.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer’s Eye Through Your Photographs

03 Sep

There are many different elements of photography that can affect how the viewer perceives an image. The more you learn to understand how various elements affect an image, the more you can learn to take control of them. Great photography doesn’t happen by chance, it’s crafted and pieced together. If you follow these composition tips they will have you do just that.

joshua tree at night brightness drawing the eye - Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer's Eye Through Your Photographs

One of the most important elements of photography to understand is how the viewer’s eye is drawn through the image. You may think that when you view a photograph you see the whole picture as one. In one sense this is true, as you can absorb much of an image in a millisecond. At the same time, your eye moves through an image in a way that you’re usually completely unaware of.

The reason why it’s important to understand this concept is that if an image has a natural path for the eye to follow and a strong subject to focus on, it’s far more satisfying. An image that’s too busy and doesn’t have a clear subject isn’t as appealing and the viewer will not linger long.

As the photographer, you can be intentional about how you craft your image so that the viewer’s eye moves through it the way you want.

The Human Eye

Our eyes are bombarded by so many different sights every day that we have to be selective about what we look at and what we ignore. This is usually a subconscious decision that happens as our brains try to filter the information that is passed from our retinas. Much study has been done into what visual elements draw our attention, which is super helpful for those of us that create visual art.

Brightness

Controlling the brightness of various parts of your image is one of the most powerful ways to control the viewer’s eye. You can use this to your advantage in a couple of ways.

Including or adding brightness to areas of an image is a great way to draw the viewer’s eye to that element. The other side of this is to limit brightness or darken areas of an image where you don’t want to draw attention.

sunset over water - Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer's Eye Through Your Photographs

How you add or subtract brightness to an image will depend a lot on your subject. If you have control of the light you can take control with the way you light the image. Even if you don’t have control of the light you may still be able to manipulate it somehow with neutral density filters or by framing the image differently.

Whatever your subject, you can always control brightness in post-production. Learning to dodge and burn is one of the most valuable skills you can have for controlling light in your photography. Even something as simple as a vignette can have a dramatic effect.

brick wall with birds in a window - Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer's Eye Through Your Photographs

Contrast

Areas of high-contrast draw the eye more than anything else.

A dull, flat image with no contrast has very little visual appeal. If you really want to draw the attention of your viewers to a certain element of an image, try to find a way to add contrast to the element, or to the area surrounding it.

contrast lines drawing the eye in sand dunes - Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer's Eye Through Your Photographs

There are many ways to do this. For example, you can overexpose the background to make it contrast with the foreground subject. Alternatively, you can underexpose the foreground to make a silhouette which contrasts with the background.

Again, you can also use post-processing techniques to further control contrast in your image to draw the eye. Adding contrast to areas where you want to draw attention, and removing contrast from areas that you don’t want to distract the viewer can go a long way to drawing the eye.

You can do this using basic tools in Lightroom like the Contrast and Clarity sliders. Control the areas you want to add or subtract contrast from others with the local adjustment tools.

contrast drawing the eye lady on a large sand dune - Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer's Eye Through Your Photographs

Color

You’re probably aware of how powerful color can be in controlling the mood of an image. The feel of an image with bright colors is very different from an image with muted, desaturated colors.

But what you may not know is that the human eye is strongly attracted to bright colors. Have ever seen the old “selective color” images that convert an image to black and white while leaving one element in color? Fortunately, the trend is long-dead, but it shows how powerful color can be at drawing the eye.

color drawing the eye brightly colored parrots - Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer's Eye Through Your Photographs

Adding color to an image isn’t always easy. You may be able to color elements of an image with colored gels if using flash.

Subtracting color from an image is often even more important if it’s distracting to the viewer. This is often the case when photographing people. Colorful clothing draws the eye away from the more subtle skin colors of faces. This is why portrait photographers often tell their subjects to wear plain black or white clothing.

Adding and subtracting color in post-production isn’t difficult, but takes practice and restraint. It’s easy to overdo it. You can do a lot with the local adjustment tools and the Vibrance/Saturation sliders in Lightroom. Remember, when it comes to adjusting the color or saturation of a photo, less is more, especially when skin tones are involved.

Sharpness

Have you ever noticed how a blurry image is very unpleasant to look at? Even if it’s only a little bit out of focus, your eye will detect it.

The human eye’s instinct is to adjust focus until what it’s looking at appears sharp. If it can’t find something sharp to rest on, you won’t like what you’re looking at.

sharpness drawing the eye small girl in colorful dress with blurry background - Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer's Eye Through Your Photographs

You can use this to your advantage in your photography. You probably know that a shallow depth-of-field when photographing portraits creates a very pleasing look. This is because the eye is naturally drawn to the sharp face of the subject while avoiding the other elements that are out of focus. The most obvious way to control focus is using large apertures and a small depth-of-field, but it isn’t the only way.

You could try playing with slower shutter speeds and motion blur. Panning with a moving subject and a slow shutter speed can blur the background while keeping the subject acceptably sharp.

You can also add blur in post-production. Moving the Clarity slider to the left will soften the selected elements that you don’t want to draw attention to. You can also add sharpness to selected areas, but be careful about trying to save an out-of-focus image by increasing sharpness (it doesn’t work!).

sharp rocks in smooth water - Composition Tips for Drawing the Viewer's Eye Through Your Photographs

Take Control

As you learn these composition tips that can guide your viewers, you can start to take control of the process. Adding and subtracting these elements from your images can have a significant effect on how visually pleasing they are. Take some time to think about what you want your viewers to look at and then ask yourself what you can do to make that happen.

Although the way you process your images is very useful, try to think about controlling these elements in-camera first. It isn’t always possible, but taking control over the brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness in-camera will give you better images to work with in post-production. Also, trying to save an image by pushing Lightroom sliders to their extremes usually isn’t a good idea.

As you get more intentional about what you add and subtract from your photography, you’ll start producing more engaging images. Your photography will also become more appealing to the viewer and yourself.

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Review of the Iforway PowerElf Outdoor Mini Power Station

02 Sep

As digital photographers, we all know the importance of being able to charge our gear. This is simple if you primarily work out of your home or a studio, but can get a lot more complex if you’re traveling or you are off the grid. So when Iforway offered to send me their outdoor mini power station, PowerElf, for review I jumped at the chance to test it out over the course of a Montana road trip and several camping excursions.

Review of the Iforway PowerElf Outdoor Mini Power Station

Description from the Manufacturer

Technical Specifications

  • Large Capacity Power Station (173Wh/46800mAh)
  • IP64 Waterproof shell
  • 3 Ways of recharging the station (wall outlet, solar, 12V cigarette plug)
  • Compact Size (2.65 lbs/ 1.2 kg)
  • 45W type-C port
  • 2 USB ports
  • DC Output Port & DC Cigarette Port (up to 10A)
  • 10 Layers of Power Protection
  • LED Flashlight

Review of the Iforway PowerElf Outdoor Mini Power Station - plug options

Power Capacity Illustrations

  • Macbook – 3 charges
  • iPhone 7 – 16 charges
  • DSLR camera – 4+ charges
  • Bluetooth Speaker – 12+ hours
  • DJI Mavic air drone – 4 charges
  • GoPro – 20+ charges
  • iPad – 4 charges
  • Portable Freezer/Cooler Mini Fridge – 3+ hours

My Experience

I think the Iforway PowerElf is a good tool for photographers, but there are a couple of things that I’d like to clarify in regards to its features right off the bat.

First, though the Iforway PowerElf is rechargeable (via a wall outlet, solar power, or a 12V car charger), this item does not ship with the equipment necessary to charge via the latter two methods.

If you wish to recharge the PowerElf via solar power, you’ll need to spend about another $ 150 to purchase a solar charging pad. If you want to recharge the PowerElf via your car’s cigarette lighter, you’ll need to purchase a separate adapter (around $ 10) if you don’t already own one.

Review of the Iforway PowerElf Outdoor Mini Power Station and a blue kayak

In the Field

With that out of the way, I can tell you that I’ve used the heck out of the Iforway PowerElf in the past month.

I’ve used it to charge my iPhone at the lake, and to charge Kindles during a 12 hour road trip. Family members who use CPAP machines and I chatted about how this product could potentially give them more freedom to travel off the grid without compromising their health. I’ve charged camera batteries using the cigarette lighter (I already owned an adapter) while at the beach for a week.

Likewise, I’ve used it to top off a laptop in order to do a quick photo edit on the go. Because it has a weather resistant outer shell, I felt comfortable bringing it along for all the outdoor activities that the Pacific Northwest has to offer without worrying about it damaging my devices.

Review of the Iforway PowerElf Outdoor Mini Power Station charging a Kindle

Though the integrated LED flashlight wasn’t a big selling point for me initially, I was surprised how much we reached for it when we’ve been out and about.

The flashlight has several different modes (solid white light, blinking white light, solid red light, and blinking red light) that make it useful for everything from walking back to a campsite at night to digging through my camera bag while practicing astrophotography.

I think of the red light functions more as safety measures and thankfully haven’t had to use them yet, though it’s comforting to know that they’re there if I need them.

legs in a flashlight beam - Review of the Iforway PowerElf Outdoor Mini Power Station

The Bottom Line

If you’re anything like me, whether or not you ultimately purchase an item you’re interested in often comes down to price. At the Indiegogo launch price of $ 159 (regularly $ 219), the Iforway PowerElf is one of the more expensive power banks on the market.

If you’re primarily looking for a portable way to charge your phone, you’d probably be better served by purchasing a 32800mAh power bank for around $ 50 on Amazon. However, if you’re looking for a power bank that allows you to charge a wide variety of devices, has the potential to be recharged via solar power, and can withstand being out in the elements, the Iforway PowerElf may be a great tool for you to have in your arsenal!

Overall, I’d give it four out of five stars.

Review of the Iforway PowerElf Outdoor Mini Power Station

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Review: Grip Gear Movie Maker 2

02 Sep

Grip Gear Movie Maker 2
gripgear.com | $ 130 | Buy now

In 2018, almost every one of us has a camera that can film HD or even 4K video. Videos can be uploaded to Youtube, Vimeo, Facebook, or Instagram with the click of a few buttons. What once was reserved for filmmakers or TV productions with giant budgets now is available in everything from full-frame DSLRs to GoPros to the smartphone in your pocket.

So how do you make your videos stand out in a sea of cats flushing toilets and grandmas dancing the funky chicken? A whole accessory segment has grown to try and help you do just that. External microphones, add-on wide/tele lenses, and gyroscopic stabilizers can all polish up your footage and give your videos a far more professional feel (even if you’re just filming your kid’s piano recital). But what if you want something that will stand out even more? The Grip Gear Movie Maker might be what you are looking for.

What is it?

The Grip Gear Movie Maker is a compact (claimed to be the world’s smallest) motorized motion control slider/dolly. It’s aimed at smartphone or GoPro photographers, but has a 750g/26oz weight limit high enough for most mirrorless cameras and even a few smaller DSLRs as well.

Having a tool like a slider gives video-makers access to some of the most iconic shots in cinematography

For those not familiar, a motorized camera slider is a set of track, single in this case, frequently double in larger rigs, with a motor mount designed to allow a camera to be attached. The motor allows the camera to move along the track at very precise and consistent speeds. Having a tool like a slider gives video-makers access to some of the most iconic shots in cinematography. Tracking, dolly, and push-in shots are some of the foundations of scene building and emotional communication. Adding them to your videos will make them stand out in a way that an add-on wide angle lens never could.

In use

Setup for the Movie Maker is fairly easy. The slider track itself is a modular design that clamps together with each section of tracking being about 12in/30.5cm long. This both allows easier transport and gives you the option to purchase additional sections. The motor unit slides onto the rails and has a small ballhead with a standard tripod screw, and a spring-loaded smartphone holder is also included.

Power is supplied by an internal rechargeable battery giving a claimed run time of up to two hours. The battery’s micro-USB charging port also allows the use of a USB battery pack for far longer run times. The track has three pairs of adjustable feet that allow basic leveling on uneven ground. They also offer the ability to wrap around something like a pipe or fencepost to allow the camera to move vertically. More importantly, there are 1/4-20 and 5/8 tripod mounts on the bottom of the track.

How does it work?

While the rails and connecting/mount hardware are aluminum there is unsurprisingly a lot of plastic in the Movie Maker’s construction. You definitely don’t feel like you are holding a high end device – but at $ 130, you also aren’t paying for one either. The little ballhead is of middling quality and care needs to be taken when connecting the rails to make sure there is no gap between the sections of plastic teeth. But overall, construction is just fine for the intended purpose and price-point. The Movie Maker also breaks down into a surprisingly small package. While packing for a family vacation, I tossed everything into some extra space in my suitcase and took it along with no trouble.

Mounting is both a simple affair and a bit limiting. While the adjustable feet do allow some tolerance for uneven ground and vertical mounting, they’re also not all that large or strong so you won’t want to rely on them if you are using a camera at the top of the Movie Maker’s weight limit.

The lightest travel tripod I had in my closet held the Movie Maker quite well

Perhaps more importantly, you’ll quickly find that using the feet pretty much locks you into low angle shots. You’ll be forever dragging tables across the room or trying to set the unit up on a car hood in order to get your camera off the ground. The answer to this is going to be the tripod mount. This gives you far more options to find the optimal height and placement for your shot. And given that the whole unit doesn’t weight that much and doesn’t work with heavy DSLRs, you don’t need much of a tripod at all. The lightest travel tripod I had in my closet held the Movie Maker quite well (assuming that you aren’t filming in a windstorm).

That said, the design of the Movie Maker’s tripod mount is somewhat frustrating. In an effort to offer both 1/4 and 3/8 tripod mounting options, the mount is a 3/8 thread with a 1/4 adapter nut screwed into it. This would be fine except that for those of us using standard 1/4 tripod screws (most everyone), this means that there is very little surface area to prevent wobbles or twisting as the camera is on the far ends of the track. I ended up using gaffer tape or zip-ties occasionally to keep everything steady. A better design would have had the 1/4 screw go directly into the Movie Maker and include a 3/8 adapter for those who want one. As is, I would probably rig up a tripod plate with a 3/8 screw if I were going to be using the Movie Maker regularly.

Controls for the Movie Maker are quite simple. In fact, there are only four buttons: two that control starting/stopping/direction and two that increase/decrease the motor speed. There are nine speeds to choose from, the slowest being a VERY slow crawl and the fastest being moderately quick. There is even a handy guide printed on the track that tells you how long the motor will take to cross the whole track at each speed. I would prefer to have seen a few more speeds on the “fast” end and I’m unsure how many people will find the slowest speeds to be useful. Generally though, the speed range works just fine for most purposes.

One thing worth noting is that, unlike with higher-end sliders, there is no option to pan or tilt the camera while it is running on the track – it is locked to whatever angle you set the ballhead at. On a Hollywood production, this would be a significant limitation. But on a slider at this price-point, it can easily be forgiven.

With just a few exceptions, the footage is generally outstanding

With just a few exceptions, the footage is generally outstanding. Using the same camera, I’m not sure that you would be able to tell the difference between a shot on the Movie Maker vs one done on a slider that was three times the price. But about those “exceptions” – the first is that the camera’s microphone can pick up motor hum, especially at the faster speeds. The motor isn’t loud, but it isn’t silent either. The second is something I alluded to earlier: gaps in the plastic teeth. When assembling the rail sections, you need to make sure that there are no gaps where the plastic teeth come together. If there is a gap, you will see a noticeable bump as the motor unit tries to crawl across it.

The final exception isn’t the fault of the Movie Maker at all, but it is something that must be mentioned given that Grip Gear is positioning the Movie Maker as a tool for “mobile filmmakers”. When using a tripod, gimbal, or other external stabilizer, your camera’s internal optical image stabilization system must be turned off. If left on, it can introduce vibrations on its own just due to the way that these systems operate. The late Canon guru Chuck Westfall described the situation like this:

“The IS mechanism operates by correcting shake. When there is no shake, or when the level of shake is below the threshold of the system’s detection capability, use of the IS feature may actually *add* unwanted blur to the photograph, therefore you should shut it off in this situation. Remember that the IS lens group is normally locked into place. When the IS function is active, the IS lens group is unlocked so it can be moved by the electromagnetic coil surrounding the elements. When there’s not enough motion for the IS system to detect, the result can sometimes be a sort of electronic ‘feedback loop,’ somewhat analogous to the ringing noise of an audio feedback loop we’re all familiar with. As a result, the IS lens group might move while the lens is on a tripod, unless the IS function is switched off and the IS lens group is locked into place.”

This is bad enough for still images, but it is even more noticeable when shooting video. Most mirrorless and even many compact and action cameras offer the option to turn their OIS systems off. However, this becomes more tricky for smartphones. Some Android phones and software appear to allow the user to turn off OIS, but you will need to verify this for your own phone.

Far worse is the news for owners of iPhone models 7/8/X. As far as I have been able to tell, there is no way to disable OIS on an iPhone. This makes the Grip Gear Movie Maker somewhat frustrating for millions of phone owners. As I mention above, this isn’t Grip Gear’s fault and iPhones have the same issue with gimbals, tripods and other stabilization devices. But it’s also an important issue that can’t be ignored.

Some Extras

There are a few extras that give the Movie Maker additional functionality. The first is that the motor unit can be removed from the track and with the installation of an included mount, turns into a motorized head for panoramic images or time-lapse video. While fairly basic, this works surprisingly well.

Sadly, due to the use of the motor to drive the camera rotation, it is impossible to use the panoramic functionality and the slider at the same time. While understandable, especially at this price point, it’s kind of a bummer because timelapse slider videos can be really neat.

The second extra is something Grip Gear calls a Micro Dolly. It is essentially a small three-wheeled platform that uses the motor unit from the Movie Maker for power. It is a small unit, and the wheels are made for smooth terrain. But even so, in the right location you can get essentially endless dolly type shots.

Additionally, the two “steering” wheels can rotate allowing the Micro Dolly to run in various size circles. I could see this being useful for portrait, product or even unique timelapse videos.

What’s the bottom line?

All told, this is a clever and inexpensive kit that does what it claims to. You can get some unique video shots that are unlike what you see 500 times a day on your friends’ social media posts.

Are you going to make huge dolly shots with two feet of track or a little rolling cart on a table? No, you aren’t. This isn’t for Hollywood films, it’s for phones and GoPros. It would make a fun birthday/holiday gift for someone you know who enjoys making short videos for YouTube or Instagram. I could also see it being an easy way to add some style to videos for Kickstarter projects or Etsy sellers.

Would I put it on the top of my list of “most useful video accessories”? No, probably not. But is it in the running for “best value in a fun video accessory”? Absolutely.

What we liked:

  • Price
  • Unique shots
  • Creativity

What we didn’t:

  • Subpar tripod mount
  • Weight limits
  • Weak ball mount
  • Interaction with phone OIS systems that can’t be turned off

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