RSS
 

Archive for January, 2019

Resources for shooting this weekend’s Super Blood Wolf Moon

19 Jan
Photo captured and provided by NASA

Astrophotography fans will be treated to the sight of a rare ‘super blood wolf Moon’ this weekend, and lots of helpful people are offering advice on how best to photograph it. The event will bring together the drama of the year’s first full moon at the same time as a total lunar eclipse – and the Moon passing very close to the earth. Mix all three factors and we get a very large-looking full Moon that appears a deep copper color in the sky.

Depending on where you live the blood Moon will be visible on the evening of Sunday 20th or the early morning of Monday 21st, but only those in the Americas, northern and western Europe, the eastern Pacific and the north-eastern tip of Russia will be able to see the full eclipse. Some in western Africa may get a partial eclipse.

The event will occur as the Moon passes into the earth’s shadow. As this happens sunlight is refracted by the earth’s atmosphere, bending around the earth to faintly illuminate the Moon in a warm red light – hence the ‘blood Moon’ name. As the moon will appear relatively dim in the sky it’s a great chance to get a manageable exposure to include the Moon and stars in a single shot. ‘Wolf’ in the name is present because it will be the first full moon of the year.

Resources:

  • PhotoPills has produced a video explaining how to use its app to determine where the Moon will appear and its size, so you can plan your foreground and composition.
  • Mr Eclipse is a constant source of information on different ways to capture the spectacle, with tips and techniques for a wide range of shots.
  • Fred Espenak from Mr Eclipse has also written a piece for the Nikon USA website on the subject, and shows some pretty stunning pictures.
  • Newsweek has a piece by physics professor Walter Freeman explaining a little more how and why this phenomenon occurs.
  • The Royal Astronomical Society also has information and advice for observers in the UK, where the full eclipse will occur at 05.12GMT. The official guidelines state that to enjoy the sight ‘all you have to do is dress warmly and go outside.’ Sensible advice.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Resources for shooting this weekend’s Super Blood Wolf Moon

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Nikon quietly announces Coolpix B600, A1000 compact cameras

19 Jan

Nikon has quietly announced the upcoming availability of two new compact cameras, the Coolpix B600 and the Coolpix A1000. The B600 fills a gap between Nikon’s current Coolpix B500 and B700 cameras while the A1000 is a lower-resolution successor to Nikon’s A900.

Nikon Coolpix B600

The Coolpix B600 is a bridge-style camera with a 60x optical zoom lens with an equivalent focal length range between 24-1440mm. The lens features Nikon’s Hybrid Vibration Reduction (VR) technology — rated for three stops of compensation — and offers a dedicated macro mode.

Full specs for the B600 are yet to be released, but from what’s known so far, the B600 houses a 16-megapixel sensor that’s also capable of shooting 1080p30 video. The B600 also features Nikon’s Active D-Lighting, which is designed to reduce the loss of detail in highlights and shadows of high-contrast scenes.

On the rear of the camera is a 3-inch 921k-dot LCD monitor with an anti-reflective coating. Like its P600 counterpart, the B600 includes target-finding AF and multiple creative modes for both photos and videos.

Nikon Coolpix A1000

The Coolpix A1000, an apparent successor to the A900, is a compact camera with a 35x optical zoom lens with an equivalent focal length range between 24-840mm. Like the B600, it too uses Nikon’s Hybrid VR technology and Active D-Lighting.

Inside the A1000 is a 1/2.3-inch 16-megapxiel backside illuminated CMOS sensor — a drop from the 20-megapixel sensor inside the A900 — with a standard sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400. The A1000 has Raw photo capture in Nikon’s NRW format and is capable of recording 4K30 video.

The A1000 features 1166k-dot equivalent electronic viewfinder and a 3-inch tilting 1036k-dot touchscreen LCD display on the rear of the camera. Nikon has also included its SnapBridge technology, meaning the A1000 can be paired via its built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with supported smartphones and tablets to review and transfer photos on the go.

Pricing and availability

The Nikon Coolpix B600 and A1000 are currently available for pre-order at Wex Photo and Video for £329 / €359 and £409 / €449, respectively.

Nikon hasn’t mentioned whether or not the B600 and A1000 will be available in the U.S. market. DPReview has contacted Nikon for details on the exact availability and will update this article accordingly if and when it gets a response.

Press releases:

Nikon releases the high-power zoom COOLPIX B600

A versatile camera that covers wide-angle to super-telephoto shooting for imaging experiences simply not possible with a smartphone

TOKYO – Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the release of the COOLPIX B600, a compact digital camera equipped with a high-performance 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens.

The COOLPIX B600 employs a 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers a range of equivalent focal lengths beginning at wide-angle 24 mm*1 and ending at super-telephoto 1440 mm*1 (Dynamic Fine Zoom further expands the zoom ratio to 120x*2), making it possible for users to enjoy super-telephoto photography without compromising sharp and clear resolution.

The camera has an effective pixel count of 16.0 megapixels and supports a maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400. Its combination of backside illumination CMOS sensor and EXPEED high-performance image-processing engine captures superior still and video quality, even at high sensitivities. The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with a variety of functions that enable a diverse power of expression, including 19 scene modes, as well as a Creative mode that offers a total of 36 different effects.

The camera also features functions that make it easier to use as a high-power zoom model and ensure increased operability, such as a Snap-back zoom button and Side zoom control, as well as a shooting mode dial that enables immediate switching between frequently used shooting modes. It is also SnapBridge compatible, so high-quality images can be automatically downloaded to a smart device*3 for easy sharing.

  • *1 Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format.
  • *2 At the maximum image size. The maximum zoom ratio varies by image size. Dynamic Fine Zoom refers to the area in which the camera can zoom while maintaining resolution from the maximum zoom position, and is the combined ratio of optical zoom from the maximum wide-angle position and digital zoom.
  • *3 iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® and Android™ devices to which the SnapBridge app has been installed can be used. The SnapBridge app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store® and Google Play™. See Nikon’s website for further information.

Primary features

  • 1. A compact body equipped with a 60x optical zoom lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths from wide-angle to super-telephoto

    The COOLPIX B600 employs a high-performance 60x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers the wide-angle 24 mm to super-telephoto 1440 mm*1 range of focal lengths. Sharpness is preserved throughout the digital zoom range, which is expandable to 120x*2, or a focal length equivalent to approximately 2880 mm*1, with Digital Fine Zoom realizing sharp and clear rendering even when shooting in super-telephoto mode. The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with Macro mode, which allows users to enjoy macro photography with shooting as close as 1 cm (0.4 in.) to the lens at the maximum wide-angle position.

    • *1Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format.
    • *2At the maximum image size setting.
  • 2. Superior image quality that enables recording of beautiful stills and movies

    The combination of the backside illumination CMOS sensor and high-performance image processing engine EXPEED makes the most of the superior resolution of the high-performance NIKKOR lens, and enables recording of photos and movies with excellent image and picture quality, even at high sensitivities. The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with a Vibration Reduction (VR) mechanism capable of reducing the effects of camera shake to the same degree as would a 3.0-stop* increase in shutter speed with still-image photography, and 4-axis Hybrid VR that effectively reduces blur with movie recording. This allows users to capture sharp photos and movies with noticeably less blur, even at the maximum telephoto position and in dark or dimly lit surroundings.

    • *Measured in accordance with CIPA Standards; at approx. 350 mm (equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format).
  • 3. Diverse power of expression that is easy to achieve

    The COOLPIX B600 is equipped with a variety of functions that enable diverse power of expression, including 19 scene modes, with which the user simply selects the most appropriate mode for the scene, while the camera automatically applies the appropriate settings, as well as Creative mode with its 36 effects offering the optimal combinations of exposure, contrast, and color reproduction, making it easy for users to express themselves as intended.

  • 4. Superior operability that pursues user friendliness as a high-power zoom model

    The COOLPIX B600 is also equipped with a Snap-back zoom button that temporarily expands the visible area (angle of view) a certain degree while it is held down so that the subject may be reacquired. In addition, the Side zoom control enables smooth zooming even while recording movies.

  • 5. SnapBridge support for automatic transfer of photos captured with the camera to a smart device

    A constant connection between the camera and a smart device is possible using the SnapBridge app, built-in Wi-Fi®, and Bluetooth® technology. Not only can images recorded with the camera be transferred to a smart device automatically*1, they can also be automatically uploaded to Nikon’s photo sharing service, NIKON IMAGE SPACE*2. The SnapBridge app supports a number of other features as well, including the ability to add copyright information and comments, such as exposure information to images, and to automatically synchronize camera date/time and location information with that of the smart device. SnapBridge also makes remote shooting of still images possible with real-time display of the view through the camera’s lens in the smart device screen.

    • *1 Images are resized to 2 megapixels (2 million pixels) with automatic transfer. The transfer of original JPEG images and movies is not supported. Transfer of RAW (NRW) images is not supported.
    • *2 There is no limit on the number or size (volume) of JPEG thumbnail images (2 megapixels) that can be automatically uploaded from the SnapBridge app. Storage for original JPEG images is limited to 20 GB. A Nikon ID must be registered to take advantage of this feature.
  • 6. Additional features
    • A mode dial that allows users to easily apply one of the ten most frequently used shooting modes by simply rotating the dial to the appropriate icon
    • A Pre-focus function that is effective with zooming and shooting in dark or dimly lit surroundings due to the camera always focusing automatically
    • Target finding AF, where the user simply points the camera at the intended subject and the camera automatically predicts and focuses on it
    • Recording of 1080/60i (50i) and 1080/30p Full HD movies with stereo sound
    • Short movie show that allows users to easily create a movie up to 30 seconds in length from multiple movie clips
    • Support for the ML-L7 Remote Control, which is capable of a variety of operations over a Bluetooth® connection to the camera
    • Adoption of the EN-EL12 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, which can be charged while inserted in the camera, over a USB connection

Nikon releases the COOLPIX A1000

A stylish and compact high-power zoom model with a built-in electronic viewfinder providing superior image quality and operability

Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce the release of the COOLPIX A1000, a stylish compact digital camera equipped with an electronic viewfinder that supports 35x optical zoom.

The COOLPIX A1000 boasts a compact size for ease of portability, and comes equipped with a 35x optical zoom lens that covers a range of equivalent focal lengths — from the wide-angle 24 mm*1 to the super-telephoto 840 mm*1 (Dynamic Fine Zoom further expands the zoom ratio to 70x*2). This allows users to easily enjoy super-telephoto photography that delivers images with sharp and clear resolution.

The COOLPIX A1000 supports a maximum sensitivity of ISO 6400. The camera is also equipped with a lens-shift vibration reduction (VR) function for still-image shooting, and hybrid vibration reduction (VR) for movie recording that is effective even when recording 4K UHD movies. The camera’s Active D-Lighting function reduces the loss of details in highlights and shadows in high-contrast situations such as backlit scenes. The function can be applied to both still images and movies. Additionally, photos can be captured in RAW (NRW) format, which allows users to process and edit images according to their own artistic preferences and intent without compromising image quality.

The COOLPIX A1000 is also equipped with a number of features designed to make this high-power zoom model easier to use. These include an approximately 1166k-dot equivalent electronic viewfinder with an eye sensor, a 3-inch, approximately 1036k-dot, tilting TFT LCD monitor with a touch screen, Snap-back zoom button and Side zoom control, as well as four exposure modes (P/S/A/M). The camera is also compatible with SnapBridge, an application that provides support for the automatic download and sharing of high-quality images using smart devices*3.

  • *1 Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format.
  • *2 At the maximum image size. The maximum zoom ratio varies by image size. Dynamic Fine Zoom refers to the area in which the camera can zoom while maintaining resolution from the maximum zoom position, and is the combined ratio of optical zoom from the maximum wide-angle position and digital zoom.
  • *3 iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch®, and Android™ devices to which the SnapBridge app has been installed can be used. The SnapBridge app can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store® and Google Play™. See Nikon’s website for further information.

Primary features

  • 1. A stylish body equipped with a 35x optical zoom lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths – from wide-angle to super-telephoto

    The stylish COOLPIX A1000 is equipped with a high-performance 35x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers the wide-angle 24 mm to super-telephoto 840 mm range of focal lengths (equivalent focal lengths in 35mm [135] format). With Dynamic Fine Zoom, sharpness is preserved throughout the digital zoom range, which can be expanded up to 70x*, or a focal length equivalent to approximately 1680 mm (in 35mm [135] format), ensuring sharp and clear rendering even with super-telephoto shooting. Additionally, the A1000 is equipped with a macro close-up mode that allows users to enjoy macro photography when shooting as close as 1 cm (0.4 in.) to the lens at the maximum wide-angle position.

    • *At the maximum image size setting.
  • 2. Superior image quality that is sharp and clear, even when shooting at high sensitivities, and support for RAW (NRW) recording

    The COOLPIX A1000 has an effective pixel count of 16.0 megapixels. Its backside illumination CMOS sensor is capable of collecting sufficient light, even in dimly lit or dark surroundings, to capture a wide variety of scenes with superior image quality. It supports a higher maximum sensitivity, with a range of standard sensitivities of ISO 100-6400. The camera is also equipped with a lens-shift vibration reduction (VR) function. This ensures that images are sharp and clear, even in dark or dimly lit scenes. Further, support for RAW (NRW) recording has been added, allowing users of the COOLPIX A1000 to use Capture NX-D, Nikon’s RAW processing software, to create beautiful photographic works without compromising image quality.

  • 3. 4K UHD movie recording that supports vibration reduction (VR), and Active D-Lighting which prevents loss of detail in highlights and shadows

    The COOLPIX A1000 captures the finest details with its ability to record high-resolution 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) movies. The camera’s hybrid vibration reduction (VR) system, which combines lens-shift VR with electronic VR, can also be used with 4K UHD recording, enabling smoother and clearer hand-held and telephoto zoom recording. In addition, the Active D-Lighting function, which effectively reduces the loss of details in highlights and shadows in scenes exhibiting great contrast, such as those that are backlit, can also be applied during movie recording*.

    • *Cannot be used with HS 1080/4x (1920 x 1080) recording.
  • 4. Superior operability with enhanced user friendliness as a high-power zoom model

    The COOLPIX A1000 is equipped with an approximately 1166k-dot equivalent electronic viewfinder. The electronic viewfinder has an eye sensor that automatically switches the display between viewfinder and camera monitor as the camera is lowered or raised to the eye. Not only does viewfinder shooting achieve a steadier shooting stance that helps reduce camera shake – by making only the recordable angle of view visible – it also allows the user to concentrate on the intended subject, aiding the process of composing shots.

    The camera is also equipped with a 3-inch tilting monitor for which a touch panel has been newly adopted. The tilting mechanism makes shooting from high and low angles easier, and the approximately 1036k-dot LCD monitor, which supports a high-definition display and intuitive touch operation, enables smooth camera operations from shooting to image playback. In addition, the monitor uses an anti-reflection coating that makes viewing under strong lighting easier, ensuring better visibility even when outdoors in harsh lighting.

    The COOLPIX A1000 is also equipped with a Snap-back zoom button that temporarily shifts zoom position to the wide-angle side to some degree for easy framing when shooting fast-moving subjects or during super-telephoto shooting. Side zoom control that enables smooth zooming even while recording movies has also been added on the side of the lens. Other functions, including aperture, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, or white balance setting can also be assigned to the Side zoom control.

  • 5. SnapBridge support for automatic transfer of photos captured to a smart device

    A constant connection between the camera and a smart device is possible using the SnapBridge app, built-in Wi-Fi®, and Bluetooth® technology. Not only can images captured with the camera be transferred to a smart device automatically*1, they can also be automatically uploaded to Nikon’s photo sharing service, NIKON IMAGE SPACE*2. The SnapBridge app supports a number of other features as well, including the ability to add copyright information and comments to images, and to automatically synchronize camera date/time and location information with that of the smart device. SnapBridge also makes remote shooting of still images possible with real-time display of the view through the camera’s lens on the smart device screen.

    • *1 Images (JPEG) reduced to 2-megapixel equivalent can be transferred automatically. Automatic transfer of original JPEG images and movies is not supported. Transfer of RAW (NRW) images is not supported.
    • *2 There is no limit on the number or size (volume) of JPEG thumbnail images (2 megapixels) that can be automatically uploaded from the SnapBridge app. Storage for original JPEG images is limited to 20 GB. A Nikon ID must be registered to take advantage of this feature.
  • 6. Additional features
    • An MF peaking function that highlights areas in focus to make manual focusing easier (for still-image photography)
    • 20 creative modes support the application of preferred effects to photos (for still-image photography)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Nikon quietly announces Coolpix B600, A1000 compact cameras

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Weekly Photography Challenge – Chaos

19 Jan

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Chaos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s photography challenge topic is CHAOS!

Photo: Kimson Doan

Your photos can include anything that evokes a feeling of chaos. It can be busy, messy, crowded, or without order. Or alternatively, it can look chaotic but still have beauty and order in a weird way. Interiors, exteriors, people, wildlife, objects etc. Have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Some Inst-piration from some Instagrammers:

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by BCPA (@thebcpa) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Marieke (@mriek89) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Maria João Silva (@mjayish) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Christian Schoenig (@bigmetaltrout) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Geanne (@ge_an_ne) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by buildingswow (@buildingswow) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by JT (@thomasjason101) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Truc (@trucle157) on

 

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting CHAOS

Tips for Getting Started in Street Photography

4 Tips to Help People Photographers Shoot Interior Spaces

Tips for Doing City Photography from Above

10 Amazing Photography Tricks You Can do at Home with Everyday Objects

A Guide to Photographing Birds and Wildlife in a Wetland Area

21 Images of Birds of Feather Flocking Together

 

Weekly Photography Challenge – CHAOS

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.

 

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.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSCHAOS to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Chaos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Weekly Photography Challenge – Chaos

Posted in Photography

 

K&F Concept Nikon Z lens adapters start shipping on January 22nd

19 Jan

If you own a Nikon Z camera and still have a bunch of older lenses from other brands sitting around, K&F Concept’s new line of Nikon Z lens adapters, which will start shipping on January 22, could be worth a look. They could give your old lenses a new lease on life.

In total ten different Z-mount adapters will be available:

  • KF-FDZ for Canon FD mount
  • KF-EFZ for Canon EF mount
  • KF-PKZ for Pentax K mount
  • KF-NGZ for Nikon F mount (G-type)
  • KF-NFZ for Nikon F mount
  • KF-CYZ for Yashica-Contax mount
  • KF-OMZ for Olympus OM mount
  • KF-AAZ for Sony/Minolta A mount
  • KF-SRZ for Minolta MD mount
  • KF-42Z for M42 mount
  • KF-LMZ for Leica M

The adapters are made of brass and aluminum and manually operated. They’re also pretty affordable, with prices ranging from $ 30 to just over $ 60. You can find an overview of all adapters with more detail on the K&F website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on K&F Concept Nikon Z lens adapters start shipping on January 22nd

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack [video]

18 Jan

The post Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this handy tutorial by Raj K Photo, you’ll learn to take impressive underwater-style photos without the need to get underwater! And, even better, this DIY hack costs less than 50pounds.

?

What you will need:

  • Clear Acrylic Sheet
  • Wood
  • Woodscrews
  • Duct Tape
  • Multi-Purpose Sealant

You can make it to whatever size you want.

What to do:

  1. Cut wood to size.
  2. Screw in the ends but be sure to drill some holes first to stop the wood splitting.
  3. Draw an outline of the frame onto the acrylic.
  4. Place the acrylic onto the top of the wood frame, lining the outline you just drew up with the frame. It acts as a guide so you know where to put the screws.
  5. Use a drill bit to make pilot holes in the acrylic along each side. Use around 6 screws, evenly placed apart. Screw the screws in but be sure not to screw too quickly or hard so as to not split your acrylic.
  6. Flip the frame over and peel off the protective film.
  7. Take your sealant and seal all the gaps between your wood and the acrylic surface.
  8. Leave to dry for 24hrs.
  9. As a further layer of protection, add duct tape around the sealed areas.
  10. Remove any remaining protective film and clean surface.

Photographing your model using your new underwater hack

  1. Find a place to prop it up so that you can lay it face down with water inside. Ensure that it is secure.
  2. Lay your model underneath.
  3. Set an LED light above so that it is shining through the water onto your model. That way you can get an idea of how the shot will look.
  4. Place the flash units (one with a blue gel to look like water) in position above the model.
  5. use a reflector to bounce some light back to your model.
  6. Wet your model’s hair and have the model keep their head slightly off the background to make it look like it is floating.
  7. Take your photos!

You may also find the following articles useful:

5 Tips for Underwater Photography Without Spending a Fortune

5 Tips for Underwater Photography with a GoPro

Surreal Underwater Shipwreck Photo Shoot

Introduction to Taking Great Underwater Photos

The post Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack [video]

Posted in Photography

 

The Secret to Sharing Photos with Lightroom CC

18 Jan

The post The Secret to Sharing Photos with Lightroom CC appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

After years of resisting the urge to sign up for one of Adobe’s Creative Cloud plans, I finally gave in. I purchased a subscription to the Photography bundle which includes Lightroom and Photoshop. While initially, I didn’t see a whole lot of benefits to this, I continue to discover all sorts of perks included in the Creative Cloud that I didn’t even think about before I jumped on the train.

One of the best, and also one of the least-talked-about, features has been the ability to share photos publicly right from Lightroom. This feature has been a total game-changer for me and it could re-shape the way you go about getting your work seen by others.

Traditional Lightroom sharing

With all previous versions of Lightroom, sharing images involved a few steps and some hoops to jump through. Mostly, this involved exporting images to your computer and then uploading them to social media sites, online photo platforms, or even email them to friends, family, and clients. Unfortunately, this also meant some hassles. Such as having duplicate copies of your shared images (one in your Lightroom catalog and one that you exported for sharing) and having to re-export and share images after you made any changes. The process could also be time-consuming, especially if exporting a large batch of images.

Some social sites like Flickr and Facebook created plugins for Lightroom, but in my experience, those have been somewhat unreliable, and I have used some that were ultimately abandoned by their developers. This meant that relying on these plugins was an exercise in frustration and, more often than not, futility.

Psst…have you heard about Lightroom’s photo-sharing capabilities?

Before I jumped to Creative Cloud, I had several presets that I created to export images for different groups of people. I had a hierarchy of folders in my cloud storage service that I used for sharing, and a headache if I needed to re-share images after further edits. After switching to the Creative Cloud Photography plan, that includes both Lightroom Classic CC and Lightroom CC, I have replaced all of that with a simple click of the mouse or tap of my iPad.

Using the sharing features of Adobe Creative Cloud, you can instantly make individual photos or even entire albums public. Then you get a link to share with anyone you want. You can further customize these features. You can specify whether people with the link can download photos, access picture metadata, and see only pictures that have a particular Flag or Star Rating. The images you share can have comments and likes from viewers, and you can get information on this activity as well.

Sharing doesn’t use your Cloud Storage

My favorite part about this type of sharing is that none of your shared images count against your Creative Cloud storage quota. Even if you have the Photography plan with only 20GB of storage, you can share as many photos to the web as you want without using any of that 20GB allotment. This feature does not use your allocated space because Adobe doesn’t share full resolution images with this feature.

You probably wouldn’t want to do this with clients who need high-resolution downloads for printing, but it’s great for getting your pictures seen by many people without any real effort on your part.

Sharing with Lightroom Classic CC

If your workflow is dependent on the more traditional Lightroom Classic CC as opposed to the cloud-focused Lightroom CC, you still have access to most of the cloud-based sharing features. You will, however, need to launch Lightroom CC at some point if you want to fine-tune your sharing options. The first step in sharing is to enable syncing. You achieve that by clicking on your name in the top-left corner of the application and choose “Start” under the option to Sync with Lightroom CC.

No need to panic at this point – nothing is going to happen to your photos, and no images are going to be suddenly shared to the cloud or anywhere else. All this does is give you the option to sync photo albums with Lightroom CC so you can edit your images using that program on your desktop or mobile device. It’s not even sharing the actual pictures, just low-resolution preview files. After you make any edits, those changes get automatically synced back to Lightroom Classic CC.

This feature also gives you the option of making your images available publicly on the internet for anyone to view. However, first, you must choose individual albums that you want to sync with Lightroom CC. Right-click on a collection in your Library and select Sync with Lightroom CC.

Doing so doesn’t share the photos publicly, but makes them available to Lightroom CC while also giving you the option to share them with others if you wish. (Note that this feature is only available for traditional photo collections in Lightroom and will not work with Smart Collections.)

After you have synced a Collection with Lightroom CC, you will see a small two-way arrow icon next to its name, and you will have access to additional features when you right-click on it with the Lightroom CC Links option. You can now make the album Public. Once you have completed that step, you can view the photos on the web or get a public link to send out to family and friends.

It is as simple as that! With one click you can get a link to an entire photo Collection, and Lightroom does all the heavy lifting of uploading them and putting them in a clean gallery format. For more options, open up Lightroom CC on your desktop or mobile device.

Sharing with Lightroom CC

Because Lightroom CC is built from the ground up to live and breathe in the cloud, it has a more robust suite of tools available for sharing (even though the basics are relatively similar to its desktop counterpart). Whether you have your original images stored in Lightroom CC (or stored in your Adobe Creative Cloud account) or synced from Lightroom Classic CC, the process of sharing them is the same.

To get started, navigate to one of your albums on the left side of the Lightroom CC interface. Right-click on the name of the one you want to share to the internet via a public link. Then choose the option that says Share to Web…

As the saying goes, here’s where the fun begins. After choosing this option, you get presented with a dialog box giving you several options to customize how your photos get shared online. What I like about this is you can specify different parameters for each shared album. See the screenshot below.

In this example, I opted to show only photos with a Pick status that are rated three stars or higher. I’m not allowing any location data to be visible either. The link can be copied and shared with anyone you want, or posted on social media sites. Any changes made to the album are automatically reflected in the shared link as well. So, if you add more images to the album, or change the Flag status or Star Rating, anyone with the link can automatically see the revised images.

If at any point you want to stop sharing the album, you can right-click on the name of the album and choose the Stop Sharing option. If you re-share it in the future, a new link gets generated for you to re-send to friends, family, and clients.

When visitors click on the link to your shared album, they will see a grid with all your images that they can scroll through and click. Icons in the top right corner can be used to play a slideshow or download a ZIP archive of the photos in the gallery if you have that option enabled.

When viewers click on an individual image, they have the option to leave comments or click a Like button. This information automatically syncs with Lightroom Classic CC so you can see it on your desktop.

When you view the link of one of your shared albums, you can also see any user comments and delete ones you don’t want. The one catch with this is that anyone who wants to leave a Like or Comment will need an Adobe ID. It’s a bit of extra effort but helps cut down on spam and other unwanted input from random internet users.

When people leave comments on publicly-shared photos, you can see a yellow icon appear by the Collection name in Lightroom Classic CC. Click the Collection to review the comments.

Finally, you can share any individual picture from an album on the web using its own unique link. Right-click on a single photo to get a unique link for that one image as well as the same sharing options that you have for full albums.

Sharing is a great way to get feedback from clients and see what photos they really like.

User control and privacy

The advantages of Lightroom’s built-in photo sharing system are enormous. Not the least of which has to do with user control and privacy.

When you share pictures on social media sites, your images and personal data get mined and used for advertising. However, no such activity takes place when using Lightroom shared albums. You control exactly what you share, and can remove images at any time. Deleting your images from the internet is as simple as clicking the Stop Sharing button.

Where sharing is beneficial

Here are a few scenarios to help you see where photo sharing may be beneficial:

  • After returning from a trip, create an album with your favorite images and share the link instantly with family and friends.
  • Create an album with pictures of your kids or other loved ones in your life and share the link. As you add more pictures to the album, anyone with the link can automatically see the new images.
  • Share a preview album with clients after a photo session, and ask them to click Like on their favorites. Then you can see the results and know which ones they appreciate. This can help you if you are assembling a physical album for them.

I took a lot of photos at a Petting Zoo birthday party my kids were invited to. Instead of uploading them to social media, I just shared a link to the album with parents and enabled downloads.

The more I use these sharing features, the more I have come to appreciate them. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to my old workflow again. Moreover, I hope this is useful for you and would love to hear any thoughts you may want to share in the comments below.

The post The Secret to Sharing Photos with Lightroom CC appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on The Secret to Sharing Photos with Lightroom CC

Posted in Photography

 

OWC Mercury Helios FX 650 eGPU chassis launches with macOS, Windows support

18 Jan

OWC has launched Mercury Helios FX 650, an external GPU (eGPU) chassis compatible with macOS and Windows computers with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. As with the Blackmagic eGPU and similar models, the new Mercury Helios FX 650 enables professionals to increase the graphics processing power of their desktop or laptop computers.

The Helios FX 650, which is made from recyclable materials, features a large temperature-controlled fan with variable speed support, the promise of quiet operation, an upgraded 650w power supply capable of providing 100w charging power to a connected computer, and support for most Thunderbolt-compatible GPUs.

The new OWC eGPU weighs 3kg / 7lbs and measures 20 x 34 x 18.5cm 7.9 x 13.4 x 7.3in. Unlike select competing models that have built-in GPUs and sealed designs, the Mercury Helios 650 can be upgraded to newer, faster GPUs in the future to meet evolving needs. The eGPU chassis is available now from MacSales for $ 399 USD.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on OWC Mercury Helios FX 650 eGPU chassis launches with macOS, Windows support

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Lens sample gallery: Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD

18 Jan

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_3120571269″,”galleryId”:”3120571269″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD is a compact and light-weight lens for full-frame Canon and Nikon DSLRs. This wide angle zoom features a nearly-silent AF motor and coatings to repel water and grime. We took it on a grand tour of Seattle’s best tourists destinations and found it makes a pleasant, albeit wide, walking around lens.

See our Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD lens gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Lens sample gallery: Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD

Posted in Uncategorized

 

GoPro Fusion beta firmware brings resolution bump and 24fps recording

18 Jan

GoPro has announced a major beta firmware update for its Fusion 360-degree camera. With the new firmware the camera gets a resolution bump from 5.2 to 5.8 video (5.6K when stitched) and the new resolution also supports 24fps frame rates, making it easier to incorporate the Fusion into TV and film production processes.

In addition the gets a new 5.6K/24fps time lapse video mode and RAW photo support for night and time lapse modes with intervals of 5 seconds or longer.

The Fusion Studio and Adobe Premiere and After Effects plug-ins have been revamped as well. Fusion Studio v1.4 gets 5.6K exports for the new higher resolution 24fps mode and a range of updated controls and options. GoPro’s VR plug-ins have been updated for use with Adobe Premiere CC 2019 and Adobe After Effects CC 2019.

A full list of new features can be found on the GoPro website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on GoPro Fusion beta firmware brings resolution bump and 24fps recording

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Lessons from the Masters: Morley Baer

18 Jan

The post Lessons from the Masters: Morley Baer appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

Portrait of Morley Baer

Each time I find myself cruising down Highway 1 in California between Big Sur and San Francisco, the urge to make photographs instantly strikes me. It’s an easy feeling to encounter. The rocky beaches and rolling hills tend to beg for a lens. Accompanying this sense of photographic wanderlust is a recognition of walking in the footsteps of some of the greatest American photographers that the twentieth century ever produced. Names like Weston, Adams, and Cunningham all seem to linger in this area of the country. However, there’s another name connected to the deep photographic past of the west coast that you might not know quite so well but should: Morley Baer. In this installment of “Lessons from the Masters,” we’re going to take a closer look at the prolific work of Morley Baer and learn some valuable lessons about how he went about the business of photography that you can use to improve your images.

Morley Baer

Morley Baer came into this world on April 5th, 1916 in Toledo, Ohio. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a BA in English and an MA in Theatre Arts, he briefly worked in advertising in Chicago until fate pressed him into his life’s work. After seeing an exhibition of Edward Weston’s work, Baer became captivated by the medium of photography. He left his position with the advertising firm he worked to educate himself in the art of photography. After working in commercial photography briefly, he soon made the journey to Carmel, California to track down Edward Weston.

After serving in the Navy as war photographer from 1941 to 1946, Morley and his now wife Frances (also an artist and photographer) embarked on a decades-long exploration into photography in and around the Bay Area of California until finally settling in their home/studio near Garrapata Beach. Baer became one of the most desirable architectural photographers of his time. His landscape and seascape works are also still widely regarded as some of the finest photographic representations of the west coast of California ever to be recorded on film.

Here are some, but certainly not all, of the lessons you can’t learn from Morley Baer.

Total proficiency with the tools you use

For the main body of his landscape and architectural studies, Baer used one camera and one camera only; the Ansco 8x10S view camera. In our modern day photography jungle, we are constantly harangued by the marketing mentality that if our cameras are not the newest, then they are somehow lacking. Of course, that’s just an opinion.

In any case, Morley was an expert operator of his Ansco to the point when it became almost an appendage and an extension of his physicality. Similar in practice to Ed Weston, the fact that Baer became so monogamous with his singular 8×10 view camera speaks volumes to us today.

Portrait of Morley Baer and his Ansco by David Fullagar

Whatever your camera or tools, make yourself so familiar with their functions that you can control them without hesitation. The adage “the best camera is the one you have with you” is not enough. We must strive to become absolute masters of the tools we use to make our photographs. The tool is secondary to the ability of the user. No matter what gear you happen to be using it is essential that you understand how to use it and use it well.

Find what works best for you

Not only was Baer’s proficiency of his 8×10 camera finely tuned in, but he was also quite fixed in the way he presented his photographs. Morley was a darkroom master printer, and he virtually always printed his photographs using the contact method and seldom used an enlarger. This meant the negative was exposed directly in contact with the paper resulting in an image the same size as the negative. Contact printing remains one of the most simple and pure forms of printing even today. Regardless of its merits or limitations, this was the vehicle Baer found worked best for him and his creative expression.

By Morley Baer

While we should all continue to learn and grow with our photography, there must also be a conscious recognition of the methods and techniques that tend to produce the best results time and time again. Hone in on the processes that allow you to reach your fullest potential and pay no mind to whether or not they are popular or follow certain “rules.” When it comes to photography the so-called “rules” are there to guide us, not limit our flight.

Healthy competition can help you grow

Every so often I get an email or a Facebook message from someone asking whether or not they should enter a particular photography contest. I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with the idea of grading one photograph against another. This is because I feel it causes us to miss the purpose of photography altogether. At the same time, a photograph is a visual medium, and as photographers possess an inescapably inherent narcissism; we want our work seen by others.

By Adam Welch

I mentioned earlier that Baer’s wife, Frances, was also a camera jockey. Not only did she make photographs herself, but she was also remarkably accomplished in her own right to the point where Morley and Frances were essentially domestic competitors with their photography. There is a famous tale of them reaching an agreement for rights to photograph scenes when they were on road trips. The agreement they reached thereby declared that everything on the left side of the road belonged to the driver while everything on the right belonged to the passenger.

It’s important for us to reach a certain level of catharsis with our photography so that we produce work that is representative of our vision. At the same time, healthy (and I do stress the “healthy” part) competition with other photographers not only keeps our creative juices flowing but also serves to engage us with our fellow shooters. We learn and better ourselves through interaction with the work we love and respect. With the correct perspective, competition with our peers promotes dynamic artistic growth.

Parting words on Morley Baer

As with all esteemed photographers, seeing the work in person brings about a level of appreciation that cannot be obtained by merely viewing a photograph on a computer screen. I’ve recently been fortunate enough to visit select galleries in and around the areas where Morley Baer lived and operated. As usual, it’s easy to look and see the beauty of Baer’s photographs, but as perpetual students of photography, we should always seek to find what we can learn from those whose work we admire.

The lessons listed here are just a few to glean from Morley. Digest them and put them into practice with your own work. However, don’t stop there. Learn all you can, when you can and where you can. Never stop exploring the incredible world of photography.

 

You may also find the following articles interesting:

Lessons you can learn from master photographers – Minor White, Ansel Adams, and Syl Arena

More Lessons from the Masters of Photography: Edward Weston

Lessons from the Masters: Robert Capa and Jerry Uelsmann

More Lessons from the Photography Masters: David Burnett and Vivian Maier

Cartier-Bresson and Stieglitz – Study the Masters of Photography to Become a Better Photographer

Masters of Photography: Bruce Davidson, Master of the Subway

The post Lessons from the Masters: Morley Baer appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Lessons from the Masters: Morley Baer

Posted in Photography

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »