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Archive for February, 2019

Some MacBook Pro owners report speaker damage due to Adobe Premiere Pro audio bug

08 Feb

Some MacBook Pro owners have reported experiencing physical damage to their laptop speakers while using Adobe Premiere Pro. Based on existing reports, the bug appears to impact both Premiere Pro CC 12.0.1 and 12.0.2 users, but the consequences of the problem may ultimately fall on Apple’s side, as software shouldn’t be able to physically damage hardware speakers.

According to online reports, the problem impacts the new MacBook Pro models and arises while users are editing audio settings. One impacted user reported using Adobe Premiere 2019 and, while adjusting settings, being blasted with ‘a loud distorted noise that hurt even my ears.’

The noise allegedly caused the MacBook Pro’s speakers to become ‘unusable.’ Due to the number of components that must be replaced when repairing the damaged speakers, one 2018 MacBook Pro user was quoted a $ 600 repair fee by an Apple Store Genius Bar in Canada.

The Premiere Pro audio bug has been experienced by at least one user while wearing headphones, but they weren’t damaged as a result, according to the user. Adobe allegedly instructed one user to disable the MacBook Pro’s microphone within Premiere Pro under the ‘Preferences > Audio Hardware > Default Input’ menu, but some users report experiencing the audio issue even after troubleshooting.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to Light, Shoot, and Edit for High-Key Photography

08 Feb

The post How to Light, Shoot, and Edit for High-Key Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

High-key lighting originated in the early film and television days. Early cameras and film with limited dynamic range, forced lighting techniques to reduce contrast intentionally. Today, with its use of bright light and an emphasis on whites which give an almost ethereal feel to a photo, the high-key look has become the desired style for some photographers. Let’s explore when you might want to choose the high-key photography style and how you can achieve it both when shooting and in editing.

Emulating the look of early television was the goal for this photo and a high-key monochrome was a great way to do it.

As with all art, individual interpretation plays a big part in what photographers consider a “high-key” image and how the technique should be used.

A few things that typify a high-key photo:

  • Bright lighting that greatly reduces and sometimes eliminates shadows
  • A dynamic range that is predominately toward the right side of a histogram.
  • Images where the “mood” is typically upbeat, light-hearted, ethereal, “airy” or beautiful.
  • Typical uses are in high-fashion, product, or studio-produced images. Lesser so, but not totally non-existent, are high-key outdoor and landscape photographs.
  • Lighting where the ratio between the key and fill light is very close, thus the root of the term “high-key.”
  • Distracting elements in the background get eliminated, and typically high-key images contain only the main subject. High-key images are often Minimalist. Many times, the background is entirely white.
  • Monochrome high-key is more prevalent, and when there is color used, it is typically subdued or used as an accent.

Images of babies and children often benefit from the bright, happy feel of high key.

Two basic approaches to creating high-key images:

1) Light, expose and shoot the photo with high-key in mind from the beginning, or
2) Rework a photograph in editing so that it takes on the attributes of the high-key style.

Often the final image, even if initially shot with high-key in mind, may still require some post-processing to achieve the best result. So let’s first look at how to light and create a high-key image.

Creating the high-key look in the studio

I use the term “studio” here to reference the use of artificial lights in an indoor environment where you can control lighting. This may be but is not restricted to a traditional studio. For smaller still-life subjects, the kitchen counter works just fine. How you light the subject is what creates the high-key look.

The background

The first objective is to light the background in such a way that it is entirely white with no detail. The choice of background material is up to you. If you are shooting a model full-length in a studio, you might traditionally use something like a large piece of seamless paper. A plain white wall can work too. In fact, you can use most light-colored backgrounds if you can put enough light on it to bring the levels up to a “255” totally white level. The lighting diagram below shows how you can set up for a high-key shot in the studio.

Two lights to light the background and two softboxes or other modified lights to light the subject is how high key portrait lighting might be traditionally used in a studio

Once you have your lights set up, make a shot and adjust your exposure so that the background goes as close to all white as you can make it. Sometimes, depending on the lighting equipment you have available, you may not be able to get even lighting across the background. Getting it right in-camera is, of course, optimal; however, you can clean things up in post-processing.

Professionals who make many high-key shots during a studio session may take the time, and have the equipment, to light the background evenly, thus avoiding extensive editing of each shot later. If you are a beginner though, lack of more expensive lighting equipment should not prevent you from giving high-key lighting a try.

Lighting the subject

Lighting the subject is done in the same kind of standard style you might use when doing portrait photography with a key and fill light. You’ll see from the diagram above the key and fill lights have been placed on opposing sides of the subject. For traditional portrait or studio still-life shots, the fill light is typically slightly dimmer than the key light. This allows some shadows to create modeling and depth to the image. (The difference in intensity between lights is called the “lighting ratio.”) In the high-key lighting style, the key and fill lights are usually closer in intensity with the objective being to lessen shadows and give a “flatter” look, minimizing contrast.

In the first diagram above, the background is front-lit with light shining on the background. An alternative is to back-light the background, placing whatever lighting device you’re using, (studio strobe, continuous light, flash or whatever) behind a translucent background so the light shines through and illuminates it. As before, you should light this to be even, and bring its brightness as close to full white as you can get. Take a look at the diagram below to see this alternative lighting method.

Another often used variation of this style is to use a large softbox behind the subject and pointed at the camera.

Here is an alternative that uses just one light. The light source is placed behind the subject and diffused through something translucent. I used a white shower curtain here. Reflectors are used for key and fill.

 

This lighting style brings in another option of how you light your subject. Because the light used to illuminate the background is pointed at the camera, it might be possible to substitute reflectors for the key and fill lights, bouncing that backlight back onto the subject. This technique can work well for smaller subjects where the distances between the background, subject, and reflectors can be smaller and less light is required.

It may be possible to create the entire effect using just one light source. The photo below was done using this technique.

 

Using window light

Understanding the concepts above can help you create high-key images using window light and a reflector or fill-flash. Portrait and wedding photographers often take advantage of this style of creating high-key shots with a minimum of lighting equipment. The same principals apply – overexpose the background and light the subject with fill lighting.

An easy way to make a high-key shot at a wedding is to put your subject in window light, overexpose the light coming in the window and fill the subject with your Speedlight.

This was done using the same technique with the backlit shower curtain, but a Speedlight was used to fill the subject.

High-key in landscape photography

High-key images are relatively easy in an environment where you have full control of the lighting. Being able to make high-key shots outdoors with only the available light is more of a challenge. You have to work with the light that is available, have an eye for subjects that lend themselves to the high-key look, and then use your camera settings to get the best in-camera shot you can. Also know that almost always, you need to do some extra work in editing to achieve a good high-key look with your landscape images.

This bitter cold day in Yellowstone National Park had a high-key look already, and minimal editing was needed. High-key needn’t always be monochrome.

The look that typifies high-key photography

Consider the look that typifies high-key photography and what subjects and conditions in landscapes might lend themselves to that look:

  • Bright, white backgrounds – Snow and bright sand often work well, as do flat cloudy skies
  • Low contrast lighting – Cloudy, foggy, flat-light days are a good time to consider making high-key shots
  • Back-lit subjects where you can overexpose the background and fill in the subject with fill-flash or reflected light
  • Consider spot or center-weighted metering of the subject, allowing good exposure of the subject but a blown-out background.
  • Using the Live-view feature of your DSLR or mirrorless cameras can be your friend as you can see your exposure and lighting effect before you make the shot.

Snowscapes Can take you most of the way to a high key image right out of the camera.

Editing high-key images

While it’s always a goal to get images that are perfect Straight-Out-Of-Camera (SOOC), editing can be used to fine tune an image. Even when you shoot in the high-key style, additional editing can be used to clean up problem areas, lighten up and even out the background, and enhance the look and feel you are striving for. Take a look at the image below.

Straight out of the camera, this shot needed to be white balanced and there were portions not evenly lit.

 

Turning on the Highlight Clipping feature in Lightroom allowed painting in more brightness with the Adjustment Brush and Auto Mask turned on. It was an easy way to get a completely white background when the lighting wasn’t even enough

Sometimes you might have an image that you did not consider making a high-key photo when you shot it. However, while editing, you may decide the mood you are seeking would is best suited to a high-key look. Such was the case with the “Angels Dance” image below.

The music and mood of the dance when I captured the shot of these ballet dancers was free, light, and airy. It created a mental image of angels dancing for me. So later, I used the tools in Lightroom to get the look I was after. Following the method used may give you insight into how you can create high-key images in post-processing.

This shot was going to need some work to give it the high-key mood desired.

Post-production technique

The Raw color image out of the camera was underexposed, and the stage lighting had introduced some unusual color. This did not start out looking like a high-key candidate, but here are the steps taken in Lightroom to produce the final result:

  • There were two dancers in the shot with good form, but two others who needed to be cropped out.
  • I used a basic editing workflow – Exposure brought up to +1.00, Highlights brought down to -100, Shadows opened up to +100, the Whites brought up to +44, the Blacks brought down to -56.
  • To deal with the color problem, and also be more compatible with the high-key look, I converted the image to Black & White. Next, I opened the Black & White Mix dropdown and used the Targeted Adjustment Tool. Here, I sampled different spots in the image and brought up the luminance of those colors. Further manual tweaking of the sliders helped bring up the brightness of each color.
  • Then I readjusted the Exposure to +1.46, the Contrast to +38, brought the White down slightly to +38, the Clarity to -7 and Dehaze down to -9.
  • To make the background full white, and also lose some distracting elements, I used the Adjustment Brush tool. The Exposure was turned all the way up to +4, checked the Automask checkbox, and carefully used the brush to “white out” the background.
  • To further give the “heavenly effect” I used a brush with -50 Dehaze to brush in some light “clouds.”

This high key version much better captures the mood of the dance.

Conclusion

The numbers and precise steps used for this image are a guide rather than an exact “recipe.” They are intended to show you the general idea for creating the high-key photography look with Lightroom and the tweaks and tools to get there. The main point is, even if you have an image that does not immediately look like a candidate for the high-key look, some knowledge of what constitutes that look, and how to use your editing tools to get you there, can create some magic.

It’s okay to have some darker tones in your high key photos.

Good photographs communicate to the viewer, tell a story, convey an emotion, or take the viewer to a time and place. Using the technique of high key is one more way to use your images to speak to your viewer. Learn the techniques both to shoot and edit a high-key shot, and you can not only grow your lighting, camera, and editing skills but add a new means of communicating with your images to your bag of photo tricks.

Please try this technique out and share with us in the comments below.

The post How to Light, Shoot, and Edit for High-Key Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.


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How to Make Amazing Photomontages. Part 1: Taking Your Photos

07 Feb

The post How to Make Amazing Photomontages. Part 1: Taking Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

This is the first article in a series of three on how to make amazing Photomontages.

Most photographs are created in a fraction of a second from one point of view. Imagine an image made from multiple positions and spread out over time. This is the nature of the cubist style Photomontages I make.

Painting How To Make Amazing Photomontages

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

David Hockney, the famous English painter, made many of these in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He called them “photo joiners.” This is where I gained my initial inspiration to experiment with time and space photographically.

What’s involved in making a Photomontage?

Joining together a series of photographs is not a new idea. My great grandfather, Frederick Cooper, was doing it back in 1889. He made this panorama of the Tasman Glacier and Mt. Cook range with five 8X10 inch images. He made them on the first expedition to photograph the mountain.

What’s different about Photomontages is they are not supposed to represent a single perspective in a single instant. By changing your camera position and spreading out the process of making the photos, a cubist style becomes possible.

Here’s a series of steps I take to produce my Photomontages. This has developed over time since I was first introduced to the concept in 1984. There are no rules. If you want to try something new, follow these steps as guidelines to create your own cubist-styled photography.

1. Choose your subject carefully

Have a raw concept in mind. What is your photomontage going to be about? It’s more than just the subject you choose.

When you are starting out, it is easier to use static subjects. Any movement in the scene adds complexity and difficulty.

Can you re-visit and photograph you subject again if you need to? Getting all the photos you need does not always happen in one session. It is convenient if you can return to your subject and fill in any gaps.

Try to find a subject you can move around and photograph from different angles. Nothing too small. Small subjects can be very challenging.

For my Photomontage of the old Iron Bridge in Chiang Mai, I photographed it from the left side, in the middle, and then from the right side.

Iron Bridge Chiang Mai How To Make Amazing Photomontages

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

2. Decide how big you want your Photomontage to be

My example above is made up of only seven individual photos. You can make a montage with just a few photos or with hundreds or thousands. There is no limit.

Looking at your scene, choose a focal length to use. I generally keep to one. Zooming or changing lenses can bring about confusing results.

Avoid using a wide-angle lens. Distortion at the edges of the photos can make it harder to compile them well.

Base your lens choice on the dimensions you want your finished montage to be. This can be tricky when you are first starting out, but it’s helpful to consider at this stage of the process.

Having a baseline of six or seven photos with a height of five photos, you end up with around 40-50 photos in your final montage. Choose a focal length that gives you the number of photos across the horizontal axis that you want.

Having too many or too few photos to work with can be quite complicated. The Iron Bridge montage took me ages to compile to make it look right because I was working with so few images.

Mask How To Make Amazing Photomontages

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

3. Create a base series of photographs

Take more than you think you need. This is most important. Don’t go crazy taking loads of images that are all very similar. Change each composition slightly.

I am always working in manual mode, so my exposure remains constant unless I choose to adjust it.

You can use this first set of photos as the base of your Photomontage. It’s good to have a foundation of images to reference once you start compiling your montage. For these first photos, try to build a selection of images that, when put together, make a fairly normal looking representation of your subject.

Aim to have some overlap in every photo. About 30% is the minimal amount. Being methodical as you make the photos can help to ensure you capture everything you need.

Follow a grid pattern. Start at the bottom left corner and make a series of overlapping images as you move your camera across to where you want the bottom right corner to be. Count the number of photos you are taking.

Point your camera a little higher, including some of the last photos you made. Now work your way back across to the left, taking roughly the same number of photos. Follow this pattern as you continue to cover the whole area you want to include in your Photomontage.

Look for strong lines running through your montage. These help make a more cohesive image when you are putting it all together.

Songtao How To Make Amazing Photomontages

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

4. Begin adding alternative perspectives

Now that you have a fairly standard collection of photos change your perspective. Move to your left or right. Crouch down or get up higher. You may be surprised at how much a slight change in your perspective alters the look of your montage once you start to compile it.

Move a few times, each time photographing the whole scene again or just the most significant parts of it.

When working with movement in your subject, it may be best to stay in one position to make all your photos. You can rely on the changes in your subject for a cubist effect.

Photographing the tricycle taxi rider, I did not move much. As he moved, I photographed him in different positions. I compiled the photos to convey this movement and contrast it with the image of him sitting.

Keep looking for the strong lines as you or your subject moves.

Tricycle Taxi How To Make Amazing Photomontages

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

5. Take more photos

Once you think you have taken enough photos, take some more. There’s nothing more frustrating when you’re compiling your montage than finding gaps you have no photos to fill.

Don’t be in a rush. Take a careful look over the area of your composition and take more photos around the edges and the most important parts of your main subject. These are the two areas you can have the most significant problems with.

When you’re working with subjects you have some control over, think about adding them into your composition more than once. I have done this with some of the people in my tuk-tuk montage.

Tuktuk How To Make Amazing Photomontages

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Conclusion

Taking the photos for a montage is typically the shortest part of the process. Imagining how your compiled montage looks help guide you when taking the photos.

Be careful not to make your first Photomontage too big or too small. If you do discover you have photographed a space too wide or too high, you can alter it when you start positioning the photos in the next step.

Here’s a short video where I share a little more of my montage making experience and an introduction to the videos I make of these Photomontages.

?

I’d love to read your comments and feedback below. Please share your photomontages and your thoughts on making them.

The next article in this series I will explain the steps taken to compile your photos so they won’t end up looking like a dog’s breakfast.

 

The post How to Make Amazing Photomontages. Part 1: Taking Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.


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Atomos Ninja V, Inferno recorders will support 4K 10-bit 422 HDR with Panasonic’s Lumix S1

07 Feb

Atomos has announced its Ninja V and Inferno monitor/recorders will support 4k (3840×2160) 10-bit 422 HDR from the Panasonic Lumix S1 when it starts shipping.

Atomos says recording via HDMI to a Ninja V or Inferno will allow direct recording to Apple ProRes or Avid DNx codecs at up to 4K30 in the HLG HDR format. Using metadata transferred over the HDMI cable, the Atomos recorders can correctly display the HLG signal which provides an instant and accurate HDR image for monitoring purposes.

In Atomos own words, ‘The metadata triggers auto-setup of the Atomos recorders, and the same data is written into the ProRes or DNx file for instant playout to compatible HDR televisions and monitors, or upload to YouTube.‘

Atomos also addresses Panasonic’s upcoming support for 10-bit 422 HDMI output in V-Log gamma in a future paid firmware update saying the Atomos recorders will be able to record this format and that it’s working hand-in-hand with Panasonic to ensure full support and additional features will be supported when the firmware is launched.

The Atomos Ninja V and Inferno are available from authorized retailers for $ 695 and $ 1,295, respectively.

Press release:

Atomos Ninja V offers 4K 10-bit 422 HDR recording with the Panasonic Lumix S1

February 4th, 2019: Atomos is delighted to announce that as soon as it ships, the new Panasonic LUMIX S1 full-frame mirrorless camera will immediately be able to record 4k (3840×2160) 10-bit 422 HDR footage to the Atomos Ninja V and Inferno monitor/recorders. Recording over HDMI to one of these Atomos recorders will allow recording direct to Apple ProRes or Avid DNx codecs at up to 4kp30 in the HLG HDR format. HDR metadata passed over HDMI from the Panasonic LUMIX S1 to the Ninja V or Inferno allows the HLG signal to be correctly displayed, giving the users an instant and accurate HDR image they can expose and trust. The metadata triggers auto-setup of the Atomos recorders, and the same data is written into the ProRes or DNx file for instant playout to compatible HDR televisions and monitors, or upload to YouTube.

Panasonic will also add 10-bit 422 HDMI output in V-Log gamma via a paid firmware update to the camera in the future. This version of the gamma curve will be the full V-Log, rather than the V-Log L variant found on the GH5 and GH5S. Atomos will record this and are working with Panasonic to fully support the additional options that the upcoming firmware will bring.

The Panasonic LUMIX S1 is the latest in a growing number of large sensor mirrorless cameras to support 4k 10-bit 422 recording via HDMI. The increased image quality brings greater flexibility in post-production for better HDR or SDR images. Stepping up to 10-bit offers greater accuracy with billions of color combinations. This is massively beneficial when utilising computer processing for finishing. Typically, users will see smoother color gradients, eliminating the commonly seen banding in areas with gradual tone change such as blue skies. Recording to an Atomos recorder perfectly preserves this information in the ultimate way possible, combining Panasonic and Atomos technology.

The Panasonic LUMIX S1 has an ergonomic body design that is perfectly partnered with the 5″ Atomos Ninja V HDR monitor/recorder. The Ninja V weighs 360g and sits perfectly on top of the camera. When the two are used together they balance well in the hand, forming an easy to operate camera setup that rivals some traditional cinema cameras.

High bright 1000nit or 1500nit monitoring

Seeing the built-in screen of all mirrorless cameras is difficult in bright conditions. The Ninja V screen has 1000nit of brightness when in SDR mode, allowing it to be used effectively, even when outside. The Ninja Inferno and Shogun Inferno each offer an incredible 1500nit brightness and are well suited to productions where a larger 7” screen is required.

Why external recording makes sense

External recording via HDMI from mirrorless cameras is perfect for users wanting to get the best possible image quality from cameras like the Panasonic LUMIX S1. Until this year users needed to invest in a high-end cinema camera costing ten of thousands of dollars to get a larger than Super35 sized sensor that offered 4K 10-bit 422 recording. Now, with the advent of cameras like the LUMIX S1 combined with the Ninja V, users can have access to just that but at amazing price points – in this case less than $ 2500 US MSRP for the LUMIX S1 body and $ 695 MSRP for the Ninja V.

In addition, by moving recording to an external Atomos recorder like the Ninja V, mirrorless cameras are freed of many of their key video limitations. Record time limits are lifted and easy-to-edit Apple ProRes or Avid DNx codecs recorded, instead of harder to edit H.264 or H.265. When recording video with the Panasonic LUMIX S1 and Ninja V you can shoot to the new generation of Atomos AtomX SSDmini drives or Atomos Master Caddy II drives. These are developed with leading brands and offer high speed and high reliability in a compact metal chassis at a highly affordable cost per GB.

The Atomos Ninja V, Ninja Inferno and Shogun Inferno are available now from all Atomos approved resellers. To see a full range of AtomX accessories visit: https://www.atomos.com/accessories

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung patents zoom camera in an S-Pen stylus

07 Feb

Samsung has recently been granted a camera-related patent, but not for technology used in the camera of a smartphone. Instead the patent, which was originally filed back in February of 2017, is for an S-Pen stylus with a built-in zoom camera.

The document is titled ‘Electronic pen device having optical zoom’ and describes an S-Pen that comes with an optical system embedded towards the upper end. Four lens elements are aligned in front of an image sensor. The optical system is connected to a communications module which transmits the captured image data back to the host device. There is also a control key which could adjust the zoom factor or trigger other functions.

Image: Patently Mobile

In the technical drawing above you can see the the four main components of the system: optical system, image sensor, control key, and controller. The image also suggests the camera S-Pen could come with a future Galaxy Note smartphone but the patent text says the pen could also be used with laptops and computer displays.

As usual there is no way of knowing if or when the technology will make it into a production device but the capability to take zoom pictures with your S-Pen while leaving the device in your pocket seems like an interesting idea.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The VEER 18 is a packable bag with inflatable camera protection that’s currently on Kickstarter

07 Feb

Bag makers Wandrd have returned to Kickstarter and this time they’ve launched a campaign for the VEER 18L packable bag with inflatable back panel and camera cube. The idea is simple. Typically packable bags lack protection and structure, making them uncomfortable to carry and not ideal for packing sensitive technology, such as cameras or laptops.

The VEER 18L solves these issues by using an inflatable back panel and camera cube which can, when deflated, be packed down to very small dimensions but turn the bag into a proper camera bag when filled with air.

As the name suggests, the VEER 18L has a volume of 18 litres. The largest camera the camera cube can hold is a Canon 5D type body with a 24-70mm lens attached. You can fit a bigger camera or a camera with battery pack but then the lens has to be stored in a different place. The bag is also large enough for a Mavic Pro sized drone. A water bottle sleeve is on board as well.

The bag is made from weather resistant materials but is not fully waterproof, so it will withstand light rain but not a fall into a river. you are good but don’t dunk it in a river.

The VEER 18L weighs only 383g (12.8oz) and packs down into a very small package, making it ideal for carrying in a bigger bag and use as a day bag.

You can reserve a VEER 18 with inflatable back panel by pledging $ 79 on Kickstarter. The version with camera cube will set you back $ 118. Delivery is scheduled for August 2019.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Chinese satellite captures image showing both Earth and the Moon’s far side

07 Feb

China’s Longjiang-2 satellite has captured an incredible image featuring both the far side of the Moon and Earth in the background. The data was received by the Netherlands’ Dwingeloo Radio Telescope from an amateur radio transceiver built by a team at China’s Harbin University of Technology.

The satellite first provided the team with partial images of the Moon and Earth back in October, but then was inactive to avoid interfering with China’s Chang’e 4 Lunar mission. The satellite resumed activity on January 19 and captured a time-lapse, including one featuring the Moon’s far side and Earth, on February 3.

According to the team’s initial report, the images have been color corrected by radio amateurs. A team shared an uncorrected version of the image on Twitter, seen above.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How Your Childhood Inspired the Future of Your Photography

07 Feb

The post How Your Childhood Inspired the Future of Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

If you’ve had a camera in your hand since you were a child, stop and consider how that camera helped to shape your future. How did it bring you to where you are today?

There are a few ways that your childhood love of photography may have inspired the future of your photography.

My obsession with photography began when I was just ten years old. I was in Niagara Falls the moment I realized I must get a camera!

Exploration

As a child, you were a natural explorer. There is a lot to explore in this world, and there is a good chance that whatever you loved to explore as a child still inspires you today. Some kids grab a camera and sneak a bunch of candid photos. Others go to where the action is or discover the macro world that is usually invisible to the eye.

You explore, then study your photos, then explore some more. A photograph anchors you in the experience you had as a child and keeps calling you back to continue the adventure.

There was a lot to hold us back as kids. But the joy of growing up is the ability to step out the door and explore the world around us.

As a child, it may not have been that you brought your camera on adventures, but that it was your camera bringing you on an adventure!

As a child, I would photograph anything that grabbed my attention and made me look. Dinosaurs were one of those things!

Seeing

Along with exploration is the ability to see. Seeing doesn’t just mean looking. Seeing means piercing deeper than the surface level scene in front of you. It’s noticing patterns and humor and beauty.

With a camera in your hand, you look at the world in a different way. That deeper ability to see shaped you as you grew up. No doubt, your friends and people you work with are fascinated by the unusual things that you notice.

You don’t just see, you imagine. You bring your imagination to life for all to see through the images (photographs) you make.

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange

When I really started to learn about photography I had to be very conscious about getting clean backgrounds. Notice how this dino is framed by the objects around it rather than overlapping with them.

The scariest part of a dinosaur is its teeth. I used a wide angle to bring the viewer right into the jaws!

I share the love of Niagara Falls with my kids. We couldn’t help but imagine the chaos of the dinosaurs coming to life. While riding the Ferris Wheel, I timed this shot to be able to see the T Rex in the background. In black and white who’s to say it isn’t real?

Your own form of magic

Think about this medium that you discovered as a kid. You explore and bring your imagination to life. Through print or a digital medium, you get to show everyone else what you saw. You can make a portrait of your father and pass it on for countless generations. It doesn’t have to be a standard portrait either, but your father as you saw him and knew him.

Through photography, you transfer the image in your mind into the minds of people you may never meet.

When I was a kid, I visited air shows with my dad. The planes always appeared as little specks in my photos. I look back at those photos and remember how inspired I was by those planes. Now that I’m a dad, I share that love with my kids.

I would never have noticed the potential beauty of light and texture as a kid.

Savoring the moment

The heightened attention that you learned as a child makes life meaningful today. Not only did you learn to see but you learned to capture that on film (or pixels). You could sneak into any situation and come away with a little slice of the moment to carry with you.

Even when you don’t have your camera, you can look at a scene and know this is a moment worth capturing. You can stay in the moment, recognizing something special, knowing this is a moment to be savored.

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” Marc Riboud

I loved to take pictures of concerts as a kid. Back then I had no appreciation for angle, backlight or decisive moments. Now, I roam around the audience and time moments for gesture and dramatic backlight.

Recall to adventure

If I could write a letter to my childhood self, I’d thank the little guy for pressing on with photography even when nothing really worked out for him.

Have you lost your sense of exploration and adventure? Is your life consumed with work and monotonous routine? Think back to when you were a kid. What adventure would that camera take you on today? What experience is there around the corner to savor?

Charge your batteries, clean your lenses and fall in love with photography all over again.

Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.” Diane Arbus

The post How Your Childhood Inspired the Future of Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.


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Google removes 29 malicious Android camera apps from Play Store

07 Feb

Google has removed 29 malicious camera apps from the Google Play Store according to security company Trend Micro. Researchers identified 29 Android camera apps, many of them ‘beauty apps,’ that compromised user security, including presenting full-screen malicious advertisements when the user’s phone was unlocked and potentially keeping user images on remote servers.

Of the 29 apps, 11 were downloaded more than 100,000 times, and of those instances, three were downloaded more than 1,000,000 times. The three removed apps with the highest download numbers were Pro Camera Beauty, Cartoon Art Photo, and Emoji Camera. Other removed apps include Art Editor, Super Camera, Art Effects for Photo, Art Effect, Prizma Photo Effect, and Pixture.

According to Trend Micro, some of the apps took steps to conceal their malicious nature, as well as hiding its icon so that users would struggle to uninstall it. “A user downloading one of these apps will not immediately suspect that there is anything amiss, until they decide to delete the app,” the company explained in its report.

Though it can be difficult to determine whether an app is malicious, users are advised to review existing user reviews before downloading for any warnings from others about potential security issues.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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