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Edelkrone now offers a 3D-printed DIY solution for its FlexTILT tripod head

17 Jun

Meet FlexTILT Head 3D, a version of Edelkrone’s popular tripod head that can be 3D-printed and pieced together as a DIY project for a fraction of the cost of Edelkrone’s FlexTILT Head 2.

As we noted in our review, the Edelkrone FlexTILT Head 2 is a wonderful little tool for both videos and stills. The articulating head allows for unique possibilities, especially when paired with dollies and other motion units—but it doesn’t come cheap.

The areas in red are the components that are 3D printed, while the dark grey components and silver screws are those Edelkrone ships to you for $ 29.

Edelkrone’s solution to this is a new line of products called ORTAK. The ORTAK lineup is a co-manufacturing collection that will allow you to 3D print the basic components of Edelkrone products and buy the more integral pieces from Edelkrone at a much lower cost than the fully-produced version.

For the FlexTILT Head 3D, Edelkrone will handle manufacturing the metal components required, including the hex screws, washers, brackets and mounting points, which will sell for $ 29. The body of the FlexTILT Head 3D is up to you to print using the files provided, for free, by Edelkrone on its ORTAK webpage. In addition to a document detailing the building process, Edelkrone has also created a detailed video:

Edelkrone specifically mentions the ORTAK FlexTILT Head 3D has been tested on the Ultimaker S5, Ultimaker 3 and Zaxe 3D printers. However, the STL file Edelkrone provides is more than capable of being printed with other units. Even if you don’t own a 3D printer yourself—or know someone who does—there are other options, including online platforms like Shapeways—not to mention many libraries now offer access to 3D printers at low or no cost if you’re a member.

Regardless of how you get the components printed, it’s safe to say the end result should come out for a good bit less than the $ 149 Edelkrone’s FlexTILT Head 2 retails for.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Nikon D3500 vs. Canon T7: Which is better?

16 Jun

Nikon D3500 vs. Canon T7: Which one should you buy?

You don’t need to know much about photography to know that Canon and Nikon are two of the major brands in the business of selling photographic equipment. And there’s a good reason why those names have so many fans: they make really good cameras and lenses, and have done so for generations.

It makes sense that many beginning photographers would turn to those same companies when looking for an inexpensive DSLR for the first time. The Canon EOS Rebel T7 / 2000D and Nikon D3500 are certainly two of the least expensive interchangeable lens cameras (meaning the lens comes off as opposed to being fixed to the body) you’ll find on the market now: at the time of writing, they’re each selling for about $ 400 with an 18-55mm kit lens.

So which one is better for a beginning photographer? We think that the Nikon D3500 will be the better choice for most people. The bundled 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G VR kit lens is superior to Canon’s, battery life is more robust and users who plan to do significant post-processing will find Raw files more malleable. But as usual, there’s more to the story than just that.

Read on for a detailed feature-by-feature comparison and find out how we came to our conclusion.

Photo quality vs. a smartphone

If you’re considering either of these cameras, there’s likely one question at front of mind: How much better will it be than my smartphone? The answer is a bit complicated.

Both the D3500 and T7 use 24 megapixel APS-C sensors, which are many times larger than anything found in a modern smartphone. Bigger sensors come with benefits: more flexibility processing image files, and all things being equal, better low light performance.

But things aren’t exactly ‘equal’ anymore. Smartphones are now using computational techniques to reach beyond the limitations of a smaller sensor: Night Sight in the Google Pixel is an example of this. In short, the advantages of a big sensor are somewhat diminished, especially if your photos will only ever be viewed on a computer screen or a mobile device.

However, 24MP of resolution comes in handy if you’d like to make large prints, or if you plan on making substantial post-processing edits. And there’s the potential for zoom: the bundled kit lens provides a bit more reach than the telephoto lens on most smartphones, and there’s always the option to buy additional, longer zoom lenses.

The advantages of a big sensor are somewhat diminished, especially if your photos will only ever be viewed on a computer screen or a mobile device

And then there’s bokeh: the lovely blurry background effect imitated by portrait mode. Without getting too in-depth, smartphones with portrait mode will generally produce synthetic bokeh that looks close enough to the real deal to satisfy most users, and in many cases will produce a stronger blurred effect than either camera’s kit lens is capable of.

If highly convincing bokeh is a priority though, you can add an inexpensive 50mm F1.8 lens to either camera and the results will (for now, at least) outperform a smartphone. And if you don’t have a recent smartphone with a good portrait mode, a camera with additional lens will cost quite a bit less than a $ 1000 flagship smartphone.

This is a long way of saying that yes, the 24MP sensor in either the D3500 or T7 is better than what’s in your smartphone, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the image quality advantage that you might expect.

Photo quality vs. each other

Comparing the two cameras, you won’t see any dramatic differences in image quality. The Nikon offers a higher ISO sensitivity, which will allow for shooting in very dark conditions without a flash (and quite a bit of unpleasant splotchy noise as a result). Some people prefer Canon’s out-of-camera color rendition and tendency toward deeper reds, but the differences are subjective and subtle.

The Nikon does offer more malleable Raw files if you intend to push shadows in post-processing, but it’s not something we find a lot of beginning photographers wanting to do.

Each camera sells with an 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 lens, which will be wide enough for landscapes and long enough to frame a head-and-shoulders portrait. While they both offer stabilization and cover roughly the same focal range, the lenses are quite different in age: Nikon’s 18-55mm is about three years old, surprisingly sharp and collapsable when it’s not in use. Canon’s lens dates back to 2011 and isn’t as sharp.

Viewfinder and Live View

Both the T7 and D3500 offer 3″ 921k-dot non-touchscreens primarily for image review and navigating menus. It’s possible to use the screens for still image composition and shooting, but live view (as it’s called) on both cameras uses a much slower autofocus system. Shooting with your eye to the optical viewfinder means you don’t get a live preview of your exposure, but you do get a faster autofocus system.

The viewfinders on these cameras are comparatively small, and less comfortable to use than that of a bigger, more expensive DSLR. There’s plenty to be said for having an optical viewfinder at all: they’re much easier to use in bright light than a rear screen, and provide a sense of ‘being there’ that many photographers prefer.

There’s no clear winner in this category: neither provides a great viewfinder, and for live image composition on an LCD (perhaps even with tap-to-focus!), you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Video

There’s not much to separate the T7 and the D3500 in terms of video recording capabilities. Both offer 1080p recording; the T7 provides up to 30 fps, the D3500 records up to 60 fps, which will represent fast motion better. However, you’ll be using live view to record video on these cameras and as we’ve already established, autofocus while shooting via the rear screen is not very good.

Both will record decent video clips, but if you own a smartphone that was launched in the last couple of years, chances are your phone will do just as well (or in some respects, even better).

Wireless image sharing

As is required of a digital camera in 2019, both the T7 and D3500 provide the means to beam images wirelessly from your camera to your phone. They go about this in slightly different ways. Canon has built Wi-Fi into the T7 which will connect with the company’s app. If you have an Android phone with NFC, the connection process is made even simpler.

Nikon takes a different approach, including only Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi. This allows the camera to maintain the wireless connection and transfer 2MP images as you’re shooting, something not possible with Wi-Fi. The downside is that 2MP is your only image size option: which to be fair, is big enough for social media and 4×6″ prints.

For most users, the benefits of the constant connection will probably outweigh the need for high-resolution images, and we’d recommend the Nikon if easy image transfer and sharing is a priority.

Battery

At last! A category in which either of these cameras will run circles around a smartphone. If you rely mostly on the optical viewfinder for shooting, the T7 or the D3500 will get you through days of shooting without ever flashing the dreaded low-battery signal. The T7 is officially rated to 500 shots per charge (which tends to be lower than most people’s real-life results) which is quite good, so the D3500’s 1550 shots per charge rating is insanely good.

Relying heavily on live view or recording a lot of video footage will drain the battery faster, but as we’ve established, these aren’t strong suits for either camera so that’s kind of a moot point.

The D3500 comes out on top but both cameras are really winners here.

Conclusion

If you tally up the ‘points’ for the D3500 and you’ll see how we drew our conclusion that it’s the better pick between the two. However, the two cameras are incredibly similar in most ways, so it’s really only details like a nicer 18-55mm kit lens and incredibly robust battery life that tip the scale.

It’s pretty remarkable what both of these cameras offer for their price, but it’s also worth noting what you aren’t getting, like a touchscreen, faster autofocus in live view, robust continuous autofocus, subject tracking for sports and action photography, 4K video… you get the idea.

It’s pretty remarkable what both of these cameras offer for their price, but it’s also worth noting what you aren’t getting

If any of those features strike you as important, and you aren’t too attached to having an optical viewfinder, then it would be in your interest to consider options like the Canon EOS M100: we think it’s actually your best bet for under $ 500.

But there is something quite appealing about an optical viewfinder, the ergonomics of a DSLR and the way a traditional camera engages you in the process of taking pictures that smartphones can’t touch. If it’s these qualities you’re after, then we think the D3500 is well worth your time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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6 Ways to Save Money on Camera Gear

16 Jun

The post 6 Ways to Save Money on Camera Gear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

It’s no secret that camera gear is expensive, but there are several very easy ways to save money on gear. So before you buy your next camera body or lens, read up on these money-saving tips.

save money camera gear

1. Look for discounts or deals

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but always be on the lookout for sales or discounts. Follow photography blogs or websites such as Canon Rumors or Nikon Rumors (or whichever Rumors sites corresponds to your camera brand of choice). They will often alert you of upcoming deals on camera gear and accessories. Another tip is to wait for holidays such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Day. These are holidays that almost always result in massive gear discounts.

2. Study camera product cycles and buy just before or after a new release.

Most camera manufacturers have a fairly regular product release cycle. For example, the Fujifilm X-T series releases every 2 years, the Canon 5D series every 4 years, and GoPro Hero every year. Purchasing a camera right after release to the public won’t save you money. However, you could look at buying the previous model since there are likely to be many camera owners selling theirs, or camera stores looking to empty their stock.

Depending on how well a new camera sells, you could wait six months to a year after its release and start to see deals come up. Not only will the camera price likely drop, but camera stores are also likely to add product bundles that throw in extra goodies such as Adobe Photoshop subscriptions, memory cards, camera bags, and more.

save money camera gear

3. Consider third-party options

This tip applies mostly to camera lenses and accessories since there aren’t many “third-party” camera body brands out there. For a long time, third-party lens options were looked down upon as inferior products. However, companies such as Sigma and Tamron have really upped their game and are producing high-quality lenses that are starting to rival the price and quality of those made by original camera companies. So the next time you’re looking for a new piece of glass for your camera, definitely consider any third-party options out there to save some money.

4. Buy used or refurbished

Cameras and lenses are made to last. As long as they have been cared for, they hold their value and can sell easily.

If you’re on the market for camera gear, definitely consider buying a used or refurbished product. This process can seem intimidating, and there are several ways to go about it with varying degrees of risk.

One option is to buy locally via an online marketplace such as Facebook or Craigslist. This is the riskiest option since you will have to evaluate the product in person and there’s often little chance of a refund if the product is defective. However, this method also gives you the most wiggle room for negotiating a lower price.

save money camera gear

Another way to buy used or refurbished is to do so via an official online store. Nearly all major online camera stores such as B&H Photo, Adorama, and Amazon have a Used section with discounted gear. There are also websites such as Keh.com that specialize in only buying and selling used gear.

The benefit of using a site like this is security. In most cases, your purchase is covered by the store, and you have some reassurance in terms of returning the item in case of a defect. However, there’s no room for negotiation, so the price you see is what you’ll have to pay.

5. Rent gear

Before you buy your next piece of camera gear, ask yourself, “do I really need to own that?”

If the answer is no, it could be more worth your while to rent the gear temporarily.

This is especially true for specialty lenses such as super telephoto zooms that retail for upwards of $ 10,000 to own.

Look around for your local camera store and see if they offer gear rental services. Or there is also Borrow Lenses, a website that specializes in renting out camera gear in addition to selling used gear.

save money camera gear

6. Use credit card rewards

If you’re diligent about paying off your credit card each month, consider getting a credit card with a good rewards system. There are camera-specific credit cards such as B&H’s Payboo that reimburses you for sales tax. Or there are more general credit cards that allow you to get points or money back on a wider variety of purchases.

Personally, I’m a fan of the Amazon Prime Store card that gives you 5% back on all purchases, plus the option to finance big purchases (ie. cameras!).

Either way, do your research to find a card that suits you and be sure to pay it off, otherwise, it’s no longer a money-saver.

Over to You

There you have it! Six ways to save some money on camera gear and accessories. Do you have any tips to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.

The post 6 Ways to Save Money on Camera Gear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

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Texas court says state institutions can use copyrighted material for free

16 Jun

A Texas appeals court has ruled that the University of Houston does not have to pay the photographer of a picture it has been using in online and print promotional materials. Houston photographer Jim Olive says the university removed copyright markings from an image downloaded from his stock library, failed to credit him when it was used and wouldn’t pay when he sent a bill, but the university claims it has sovereign immunity and that it can’t be sued.

The case surrounds an aerial image Olive shot from a helicopter hired specifically for making pictures for his library. In an online image search, he found the university was using it on its website and then in printed materials. When it failed to pay an invoice he sent for the usage Olive tried to sue the university, but it claimed that under the Eleventh Amendment it couldn’t be sued as it is a state institution.

In an attempt to get around this Olive tried to sue the University of Houston for taking his property – in which case even government agencies would have to compensate the owner. The Court of Appeals though has said that the university’s actions didn’t comprise ‘taking’ and that Olive will have to pay the university’s legal costs.

The Court of Appeals though has said that the university’s actions didn’t comprise ‘taking’ and that Olive will have to pay the university’s legal costs.

According to a report in the Houston Chronicle, which described the success of the university as ‘a big win’, Olive said ‘It just doesn’t seem fair to me.’

If this ruling is allowed to stand it would seem that any state institution can use images and other intellectual property without having to pay the originators, a precedent that would be damaging to photographers across the country, because if that’s the case in Texas, it may well be true in all other states covered by the Eleventh Amendment.

The detailed ruling concerning the appeal heard in the Court of Appeals for The First District of Texas by Justice Richard Hightower can be read on CaseText, and the applications from the start of the case can be seen on the Copyright Alliance website. Ironically, the university has a page on its site to allow users to report copyright infringements – and to request permission to use UH intellectual Property.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Researchers develop new anti-face-distortion method for wide-angle lenses

16 Jun

Ultra-wide-angle lenses are becoming increasingly popular on smartphones in both rear and front cameras. Especially the latter are frequently used for portraiture in the shape of selfie images of both single subjects and groups.

Unfortunately when capturing people pictures with a wide-angle lens a problem becomes apparent: faces that are located close to the edges of the frame are distorted, showing signs of unnatural stretching, squishing, and/or skewing, an effect that is also known as anamorphosis.

A group of researchers at Google and MIT led by YiChang Shih has now found an efficient way of dealing with the issue. In their paper titled “Distortion-Free Wide-Angle Portraits on Camera Phones,” they describe an algorithm that is capable of correcting the effect, making for more natural selfies and wide-angle portraits.

Previous solutions were capable of correcting distortion on faces but in turn introduced other artifacts to the background and other elements of the image. The new method works around this by creating a content-aware warping mesh and applying corrections only to the part of the frame where faces are detected and maintaining smooth transitions between faces and the rest of the image.

The researchers say good results were achieved on photos with a wide field-of-view ranging from 70° to 120° and the algorithm is fast enough to work “at an interactive rate”. More information is available on the project website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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What to Do When Your Images Get Stolen

16 Jun

The post What to Do When Your Images Get Stolen appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

If any of your images live online in any shape or form, it is inevitable that they will get stolen.

With the Internet, copyright infringement has become rampant and is a worldwide phenomenon.

Some individuals don’t understand copyright and think that because an image appears online that it’s theirs for the taking.

However, there are a lot of companies that steal images and use them for commercial purposes – to sell their own products!

How do you know if your image has been stolen?

You can do random image searches on your images in Google. This is a cool feature, but rather tedious and incredibly time-consuming. If you have an extensive library of images, this could take more time than you’d want to spend.

A better alternative is sites like Copytrack, Pixray or Pixsy, which are image tracking services that not only find your stolen images but also will file a copyright infringement claim and sue for damages on your behalf.

This is a great way to seek restitution for stolen photos without the hassle of having to do everything yourself. Not to mention, there is no way you could scan millions of images on the Internet, looking for your work. The technology these services offer does it all for you.

Utilizing an image tracking service is something every photographer should consider. It’s a sad reality that so many photographers today are struggling, while thieves are profiting from our hard work.

An image tracking service can save you a ton of legwork. Most of the time, it’s as simple as uploading your photos. If you get notified that some of your photographs are appearing without permission or licensing, you can file a DMCA takedown notice or a legal claim through the service.

The image search function is free – to a point. It depends on how many images you upload. If you file a legal claim, the service will take a commission.

One caveat to using an image tracking site is that if you do stock photography, it can be hard to ascertain where your image has legitimately appeared.

Stock agencies don’t usually disclose to you who licensed your image. Also, many have partnered up with other stock agencies to sell your work, making your images even more difficult to track.

How an image tracking service works

According to the image tracking site Copytrack, 3 billion images are shared online every day. 85% of them get stolen.
Licensing images is about more than just tracking down infringements. Once you discover an infringement, you need to make a decision as to what you’ll do about it.

Both Copytrack and Pixsy can handle the legal side in the fight for fair payment for your work.

You simply upload your images while their Reverse Image Search functions in the background. They will notify you of your matches by email.

Once you confirm the stolen images, they take steps to enforce your copyright.

You don’t need to do anything.

What are scraper sites?

One of the worst types of offenders in the realm of stolen images and copyright infringement online are scraper sites.
Scraper sites steal your content for their own sites or blogs. Some will just scrape content, but most use automated software that takes your images and posts content on their own site.

These sites take images from Pinterest, Google, and your own website and host them illegally.

Not only does your website host the images for them but also they take up your bandwidth!

If you write a blog in addition to post photos, you may find your content appearing on these sites.

What are your options if your image gets stolen?

If your image gets stolen, your first option is to do nothing, which is exactly what many photographers do. The hassle can make it seem not worth it sometimes.

However, if the company that has stolen your image is a large one, you can hire a copyright attorney to take them to court, as this type of claim may be worth thousands of dollars to you.

In most cases, the best option is to use a company like Pixsy and either have them file a DMC Takedown Notice, or file a claim on your behalf.

A DMC Takedown Notice is a request to remove content from a website at the request of the owner of the copyright of the content.

How to file a DMC takedown

DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act. To get your stolen content removed from a website you need to file a DMCA takedown notice.

To file a DMC takedown, you can either hire a service or do it yourself.

You need to find out who owns the website. You can use a Who Is lookup tool.

The problem is that it can be difficult to find out who the website owner is in order to send them the notice, as a lot of these sites hide this info. For example, they use Cloudflare to hide their real IP address.

Luckily, there are DMC takedown services that can help you with this. DMCA charges $ 10 USD a month for their protection services and charges $ 199 USD for a full takedown.

How to register your copyright

As a photographer, you automatically own the copyright as soon as you create the image. This means that you do not necessarily have to file copyright for all your photos.

In most countries, you do not need to file copyright papers to prove you own the content or copyright. Government Registered Copyright is NOT necessary in order to get your content removed, however, suing for damages IS easier if you have registered your copyright.

To register your copyright, search online with keywords such as “register copyright Canada/US/Australia” etc., to find the Intellectual Property Office in your country.

In Conclusion

If you have had your images stolen, it’s up to you to decide if you want to pursue restitution.

Small transgressions may not seem worth the time and energy, however, if someone is making money off your work, you may want to consider seeking compensation. Not only for the money but also the principle.

Have you had any of your images stolen? Share with us in the comments below.

The post What to Do When Your Images Get Stolen appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

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How to Make an Animated GIF in Photoshop

15 Jun

The post How to Make an Animated GIF in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Don’t you love GIFs? I do. They are fun, creative, and a great way to grab attention. In a world full of images (animated and otherwise), you need to create original quality work to stand out. Stop following trends and make your own using Photoshop in just a few simple steps.

A GIF is a file format that supports animated images in the smallest size, which makes it very appealing for any online platform. The famous acronym stands for Graphic Interchange Format, and it became trendy for Internet humor, but now it’s a powerful tool.

Five reasons to do your own GIF

Showcase your product/brand in action or being used.
Do a call to action on your website.
Show a step by step example of any instruction.
Enhance your visibility.
Grow your social media audience.

What you need

You can make GIFs from words, video snippets, or a sequence of photographs. This last one is the technique I’ll show you. While technically you could use any series of images, a coherent set of photographs result in a more engaging GIF.

To achieve this, plan your photo shoot to maintain either the same light or the same framing, and use it to tell a story. If you need some inspiration, check out “8 tips – How to do storytelling with your images.”

If you are doing any post processing on your images like changing the size or format, you can save a lot of time by doing it in a batch. You can learn how to do this in the article How to Batch Resize Your Images Quickly Using Photoshop (https://digital-photography-school.com/batch-resize-images-using-photoshop/). If instead, you are making more complex adjustments I recommend you create an action and then apply it to all of them. If you don’t know how to do this read How to play Photoshop Actions on Multiple Images with Batch Editing.

Now that you have all your images ready to go, open Photoshop and go to Menu -> File -> Scripts -> Load Files Into Stack. On the pop-up window, choose the files you want to import and click OK. This opens all your images as layers within the same file.

Once the images are open, you need to animate them. If you usually work with still images, you may need to go to Menu -> Window -> Timeline to make the Timeline panel visible. It will appear at the bottom of your screen, and it will show a thumbnail of the top layer.

Open the drop-down Menu from the right of the panel and click on Make Frames from Layers. Now you should see the thumbnail of all the files you imported as layers.

If you need to change the order, drag and drop them to correct. Once everything is as you want it, it’s time to determine the animation settings.

First set the time each one will show before changing into the next one. You’ll see a number on the bottom of each frame and an arrow next to it. If you click on the arrow, you’ll open the drop-down Menu to set the time. Do this for each one, as they can be different from each other. You can see a preview by clicking on the play button.

As the last step, you can choose how many times the animation repeats. Under the frames, you can find a menu where you can set this. GIFs usually run on a loop so I will put ‘Forever.’ But you can decide to do it differently.

As I mentioned at the beginning, GIF is a file format; therefore it is something you determine at the moment of saving. When saving a photograph, you would normally choose .jpg or .tiff. However, this time you need to choose .gif. You can find this option under Save for Web. Here, you can choose the amount of color, whether you want it dithered, and if you want a lossy compression. All of these choices determine the file size. You can move them around to choose the best combination of size and quality.

If you now open your saved file in Photoshop, it will be a layered image that you can continue to work on. If you want to see it animated just click and drag it into your browser.

I hope you enjoyed the article.

Please share your GIFs with me in the comment section.

If you are feeling inspired and want to keep exploring animated images, you can experiment with time-lapse and stop motion. Check these articles to get you started:

Time-lapse Photography Tutorial: An Overview of Shooting, Processing and Rendering Time-lapse Movies
Time-Lapse Photography – Beyond the Basics
5 Tips for Making a Stop Motion Video

The post How to Make an Animated GIF in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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DPReview TV: Photo lingo 101 – a guide to common photographic terms

15 Jun

It’s back to basics in this week’s episode as Chris and Jordan break down some common photographic terms that might not be familiar to newer photographers. Learn all about IBIS, BSI and CIPA, as well as a, shall we say, ‘creative’ origin story for the word ‘bokeh.’

Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

Introduction
Eye Relief/Eye Point
EVF vs. OVF
CIPA Rating
Shutter life
BSI
IBIS vs. OIS
Bokeh
Diffraction
Sunstars
Dynamic range
Wrap-up

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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National Geographic announces winners of its 2019 Travel Photographer of the Year contest

15 Jun

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Cities 1st place – and Grand Prize winner
Photo and Caption by Weimin Chu / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | GREENLANDIC WINTER

National Geographic has revealed the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Travel Photographer of the Year contest. Photographer Weimin Chu has taken home the Grand Prize award—as well as 1st place in the Cities category—with a moody image from a small fishing village in West Greenland. The caption of the winning photo reads:

Upernavik is a fishing village on a tiny island in west Greenland. Historically, Greenlandic buildings were painted different colors to indicate different functions, from red storefronts to blue fishermen’s homes—a useful distinction when the landscape is blanketed in snow.

In addition to Chu’s winning photograph, National Geographic has announced the winners, runner-ups and honorable mentions in three other categories: Cities, Nature and People.

The above gallery takes a look at the final photographs from each of the categories alongside the photographer, title and caption of each image. In addition to a full gallery of images on its own site—which allow you to download the winning photographs as wallpapers—National Geographic has a feature on the winning image and the photographer behind the camera.

Photo credit: images used with permission from National Geographic

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Cities 2nd Place
Photo and Caption by Jassen Todorov / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | IN THE AGE OF AVIATION

There are four runways at San Francisco’s International Airport (SFO). This is a rare look at the approach end of runways 28 left and right. I had dreams of documenting the motion at SFO and [arranged] permission to fly directly overhead. What a windy day it was. Winds atSFO were 35-45 miles per hour, which meant a bumpy flight, and itwas much harder to control the plane while photographing. The flight was challenging, but it was also so thrilling that I couldn’t sleep for several days afterward.

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Cities 3rd Place
Photo and Caption by Sandipani Chattopadhyay / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | STREETS OF DHAKA

People pray on the street in Dhaka, Bangladesh during Ijtema. Bishwa Ijtemais one of the major Islamic religious gatherings which is [observed] annually in Dhaka and millions of Muslims visit [during this time]. Dedicated prayer grounds are not [large] enough to handle this huge number of people, so large numbers of people come to [Tongi], the main street of Dhaka. All the ground transportation and [pedestrian crossings] are suspended during that time.

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Nature 1st Place
Photo and Caption by Tamara Blazquez Haik / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | TENDER EYES

A gorgeous griffon vulture is seen soaring the skies in Monfragüe National Park in Spain. How can anyone say vultures bring bad omens when looking at such tenderness in this griffon vulture’s eyes? Vultures are important members of the environment, as they take care of recycling dead matter. Vultures are noble and majestic animals—kings of the skies. When looking at them flying, we should feel humbled and admire them.

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Nature 2nd Place
Photo and Caption by Danny Sepkowski / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | Geometry of the Sun

What happens before a wave breaks? That question has been my assignment this past year. On this particular day, I decided to shoot the sunset on the east side of Oahu, Hawaii. About 100 photographers were out in the morning, but I had the evening to myself. The textures from the trade winds [created] subtle colors from the west and blended well using my 100mm lens. I had to look into my viewfinder while this wave was breaking. Not an easy task when a wave is about to crush you.

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Nature 3rd Place
Photo and Caption by Scott Portelli / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | DUSKY

Dusky dolphins often travel together in great numbers in the deep canyons of the Kaikoura, New Zealand in search of food. They glide through the ocean effortlessly, coming up only to breathe. Dusky dolphins are fast and will often keep pace with a speeding boat. I waited on the bow of the boat as the Dusky dolphin almost broke [through the surface]. Their elegance and streamlined bodies are built for speed and maneuverability—accentuated by the smooth, clear water of the New Zealand coastline.

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Nature Honorable Mention
Photo and Caption by Jonas Schafer / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | KING OF THE ALPS

A herd of ibexes in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland cross a ridge above Lake Brienz. Their powerful and impressive horns show who the king of the Alps are. Ibexes are ideally adapted to live at dizzying heights. The continuing ridge path and the rising fog show the natural habitat of these animals. After a few hours of observing the animals, I spotted the ibex herd on one side of the ridge. Several ibexes stopped at the transition [to view the world around them].

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

People 1st Place
Photo and Caption by Huaifeng Li / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | SHOWTIME

Actors prepare for an evening opera performance in Licheng County, China. I spent the whole day with these actors from makeup to [stage]. I’m a freelance photographer, and the series “Cave Life” is a long-term project of mine. In China’s Loess Plateau, local residents dig holes in the loess layer [to create cave living spaces, known as yaodongs] and use the heat preservation properties to survive cold winters. This series mainly records the life, entertainment, belief, labor, and other [daily] scenes of the people living in the caves.

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

People 2nd Place
Photo and Caption by Yoshiki Fujiwara / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | DAILY ROUTINE

This photo was taken at a public park at Choi Hung House in Hong Kong. When I visited during the afternoon, it was very crowded with many young people taking pictures and playing basketball. But when I visited at sunrise, it was quiet and a different place. [The area] is [designated] for neighborhood residents in the early morning, and there was a sacred atmosphere. I felt divinity when I saw an old man doing tai chi in the sun.

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

People 3rd Place
Photo and Caption by José Antonio Zamora / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | HORSES

Every year on the feast of Saint Anthony the ceremony of the purification of animals, called Las Luminarias, is celebrated in Spain. In the province of Avila, horses and horsemen jump over bonfires in the ritual that has been maintained since the 18th century. The animals [are not hurt], and it is a ritual that is repeated every year. To make the photo, I moved from Seville to San Bartolomé de Pinares because I am very interested in photographing ancestral rites.

2019 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

People Honorable Mention
Photo and Caption by Navin Vatsa / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | MOOD

I captured this layered moment during sunrise along the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, India. This boy was thinking silently, and visitors were enjoying the loud musical chirping of thousands of seagulls. The early morning golden light from the east mixed with the western blue light, creating a [ethereal atmosphere]. I am a regular visitor [here] and have photographed this place for the past three years. Now, many national and international photographers have begun visiting [too].

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony investor calls for complete spin-off of sensor division

15 Jun

Sony’s semiconductor division (which makes its image sensors) has for years been one of the most successful business units within the Japanese company, generating 16 percent of Sony’s total operating profit in the fiscal year ended in March. It was spun off as a separate company in 2015 but remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony that’s under its full control and direction.

Now several business publications report that American activist investor Daniel Loeb who runs a fund that owns a $ 1.5 billion stake in Sony is calling on the company to separate its sensor business completely ‘to unlock the Japanese group’s true worth as a global entertainment powerhouse.’

The investor wants the business unit to become a completely independent public company with its own stock listed in the Japanese stock exchange.

The investor wants the business unit to become a completely independent public company with its own stock listed in the Japanese stock exchange. This would allow Sony to focus on its entertainment businesses, including gaming, music, movies, and television while the image sensor business could thrive on its own.

‘When you think of Sony, you think of the Walkman, you think of the consumer electronics business, you know they own a movie studio and some music, but you don’t think of them as a Japanese national champion in technology, with a $ 20 billion going to $ 35 billion valuation business in sensors,’ Loeb told the Financial Times. He later says:

‘As a standalone public company listed in Japan, Sony Technologies would be a showcase for Japan’s technology capabilities. Rather than just an uncut rough stone buried inside Sony’s portfolio, Sony Technologies would be visible as a Japanese crown jewel and technology champion.’

However, a Reuters report lists a few reasons why a total separation could not be such a great idea. 90 percent of Sony’s chips revenue comes from smartphones which makes the unit particularly vulnerable to the business dispute that is currently being fought out between Washington and Beijing. Chinese smartphone maker Huawei, which has been banned from working with US technology firms is a major Sony customer, which is why recently analysts at Jefferies have decreased the Sony chip business’ operating profit forecast by 45%.

On the other hand, smartphones use more and more cameras per device and the demand for cameras and image sensors is increasing in other sectors as well, for example automotive.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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