The post Leica S3 Announced, a Medium Format DSLR With 64 MP appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Last week, Leica announced the S3, a medium-format DSLR that packs a whopping 64 megapixels and replaces the Leica S2.
This update is a long-time coming – the Leica S2 debuted way back in 2008 – and the new Leica S3 is looking to be a powerhouse of a camera.
But what does this new high-end DSLR include?
First, you get rugged build-quality and weather sealing, all packed into a DSLR-type form factor. If you’re never used a Leica camera before, you’ll be impressed by how sleek the S3 appears; rather than the usual “brick” you get from Canon and Nikon DSLRs, the S3 is a combination of stylish curves and lines.
You also get a Leica Pro Format sensor, sporting 64 megapixels (up from a 37.5-megapixel sensor in the S2). Of course, 64 megapixels is an exciting specification on its own, offering a resolution beyond anything currently available in the 35mm DSLR world. But when combined with Leica’s 30x45mm Pro Format sensor, the S3 is bound to offer sumptuous image quality, even in low light and at high ISOs.
Another bonus:
Leica offers an excellent lens selection. This includes 16 native Leica lenses, as well as a number of adaptable lenses from the likes of Hasselblad and more.
And let’s not forget about the Cinema 4K at 24 fps, in case you’re looking to bring that incredible image quality over to the video arena.
The main drawbacks to a medium format camera like the S3 are image size and shooting speed. As expected, the Leica S3 struggles in both of these areas; the 64 MP images produced are going to be huge, and will limit burst shooting to just 3 frames per second.
You also have to contend with a ridiculously high price, one that’s far out of the average photographer’s (and the average professional’s) price range. In this case, it’s just under $ 19,000 USD, and that’s for the body only. If you want a compatible lens, you’ll need to shell out another $ 5000+ USD.
For those who can afford it, the Leica S3 will likely come available in late March.
What do you think of the Leica S3? Do you wish you could use it? Or are you content with the 35mm camera market? Let me know in the comments!
The post Leica S3 Announced, a Medium Format DSLR With 64 MP appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
For $ 39,000 USD, you can now purchase a 4.9mm F3.5 Hyper Fisheye lens for Sony’s full-frame E mount. This wild lens offers a 270-degree field of view, meaning that it can photograph the area behind the focal plane. For the curious photographers and videographers without nearly $ 40,000 burning a hole in their pocket, the lens can be rented from Lensrentals for around $ 1,250 a week.
The 4.9mm F3.5 Hyper Fisheye lens has unique origins. Back in 2015, Roger Cicala and the Lensrentals team announced the launch of C-4 Precision Optics as an April Fools’ Day prank of sorts. There were various lenses discussed in the article, including a 66.6mm F0.666 Micro Four Thirds lens, a 150mm F1.0 full-frame prime lens and a full-frame 4.9mm F3.5 270-degree fisheye lens.
The lattermost lens was nicknamed ‘The Light Bender’ by Cicala and the C-4 Precision Optics team. Unlike most April Fools’ Day pranks, however, this one is no longer a laughing matter. Of the lens, Cicala wrote on the Lensrentals blog, “That means this lens not only shows everything from one side to the other (for the mathematically challenged among you, that would be 180 degrees), it actually shows stuff that’s behind you.”
In February 2019, Cicala and the Lensrentals team including Aaron Closz, Brian Caldwell and Wilfried Bittner, assembled a prototype version of the fisheye lens. You can see a video of this process below.
The lens is now out of prototype stage and available for preorder and rental. This specialty manual lens for Sony E mount delivers a 270-degree field of view and weighs a hefty 12.97 kilograms (28.6 pounds). Optically, it includes five extra-low dispersion lens elements. To help put into perspective what a 270-degree field of view looks like, you can see a sample image via Lensrentals below.
Sample image captured using the C-4 Precision Optics 4.9mm F3.5 Hyper Fisheye lens. Image credit: Lensrentals.
Comparing the 4.9mm F3.5 Hyper Fisheye lens to other fisheye lenses, Cicala says it most closely resembles Nikon’s legendary Nikkor 6mm F2.8 fisheye, which is very rare and can sell for upwards of six figures (USD). The Nikon lens captures images with a 220-degree field of view.
Physically, the lens is very different from most other lenses. It includes built-in extendable tripod legs and you mount the camera to the lens inside the tripod array. The lens has been designed with immersive video applications and specialty applications in mind. Accordingly, it cannot be set up and used as simply as other more traditional fisheye lenses.
The C-4 Precision Optics 4.9mm F3.5 Hyper Fisheye lens shown with an attached Sony mirrorless camera. As you can see, the camera mount to the lens inside of the built-in extendable tripod legs. Image credit: LensAuthority.
For those interested in learning more about the lens, we recommend heading to Lensrentals to read a full recap of the prototype assembly process, which includes dozens of detailed images. It’s very neat to see a hand-built lens come to life.
The C-4 Precision Optics 4.9mm F3.5 Hyper Fisheye lens is available for Sony E mount and can be ordered via LensAuthority for $ 39,000 USD. You can also rent the lens from Lensrentals. This will cost $ 1,246 USD for a week.
The post 5 Great Yoga Exercises for Photographers (with Illustrations) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
Sore back and neck, stiff shoulders, probably sore feet too…Unfortunately, the physical nature of photography means that aches and pains can come with the territory. Even a solid editing session at the computer can take a toll. Luckily, there are ways to help ease these troublesome maladies. In this article, I’ve picked out a few yoga exercises for photographers that I use to help combat the strains we accumulate both in the field and during editing sessions.
What is Yoga?
Yoga in the West usually describes a modern form of Hatha yoga (yoga as exercise) which consists of set poses called asanas. By performing these poses, yoga practitioners build flexibility and strength and also learn how to focus through breathing and mindfulness.
Basically, yoga is great for the body and the mind.
All you need is a bit of floor space, comfortable clothing, and a yoga mat if you want one.
To start, take a few deep breaths to get in the zone. If you like, sit cross-legged for a little while (Sukhasana), straightening your spine and rolling your head side to side to relax the neck muscles.
Once you are feeling centered, you’re ready to go!
Cat/Cow (Marjaryasana/Bitilasana)
The yoga poses I’ve selected for this article put particular emphasis on common photography sore spots. In terms of yoga exercises for photographers, you can’t go wrong with Cat and Cow Poses.
When performed together, Cat and Cow Poses lengthen the spine, flexing the back and the neck to relieve tension and stress.
Begin on your hands and knees (Table Top Pose or Bharmanasana). Position your wrists directly under your shoulders. Shift your knees so they are aligned with your hip points. Look down towards the floor, relaxing the neck.
Starting with Cow Pose, inhale and slowly drop your belly towards the floor. Lift your chin and chest, looking toward the ceiling. Draw your shoulders away from your ears and hold the position for 5-10 seconds.
Next is Cat Pose. Begin to exhale and draw your belly up to your spine, rounding your back towards the ceiling. Look down towards the floor, relax your neck and hold the position for 5-10 seconds.
Repeat Cat/Cow as many times as you like, breathing in for Cow Pose and out for Cat Pose.
Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
Upward Facing Dog may look like one of the trickier yoga exercises for photographers, but it’s well worth a go. Stretching the back and neck and opening up the chest and shoulders, Upward Facing Dog is a great way to check-in with your body.
Start by lying face-down on the floor. Rest the tops of your feet on the floor with your legs a few inches apart.
Position your hands on the floor next to your lower ribs. Point your fingers towards your head and pull your elbows in close to your rib cage.
Press your hands into the floor. Straightening your arms, lift your torso and upper thighs off the floor.
Pressing down on the floor with the tops of your feet, tense your leg muscles to keep your upper thighs lifted. Keep your elbows pressed tightly against your body.
Pull your shoulders away from your ears and push your chest up towards the ceiling.
Tilt your head to look at the ceiling and hold the pose for 10-30 seconds. Release gradually.
Ragdoll Pose (Baddha Hasta Uttanasana)
Ragdoll Pose, also known as Dangling Pose is a variation on the Standing Forward Fold Pose (Uttanasana). It’s a perfect yoga exercise for photographers, stretching the back and relaxing the shoulders, arms, and neck.
I find it also helps with headaches too.
Start in a standing position, with your feet aligned with your hips and your toes pointed forward.
Fold forward from the hips so that the belly meets with the tops of the thighs. As you fold, bend the knees generously. Keep your navel drawn up to your spine.
Hold your elbows with your hands and let the weight of your arms and head hang down, lengthening the neck and spine.
From here you can rock side to side, rest your hands on the floor or stay as is. Hold the pose for as long as you’d like, focusing on inhaling and exhaling.
Extended Child’s Pose (Utthitta Balasana)
Extended Child’s Pose is calming and restorative – great for the spine, thighs, hips, shoulders, arms, and neck.
To begin Extended Child’s Pose, kneel on the floor. Keep your weight on the heels of your feet.
Touch your big toes together. Separate the knees so that they are a little more than a hip’s width apart.
Reach your arms ahead of you and let the chest sink towards the floor.
Rest your forehead on the floor, drawing the shoulders away from the ears.
Stay in Extended Child’s Pose for as long as you need, focusing on your breath.
Triangle pose (Trikonasana)
Triangle Pose is a yoga exercise for photographers that opens up the chest and shoulders as well as stretching the groin, hamstrings, and hips. It helps to relieve pain in the lower and upper back and stimulates balance.
Begin in a standing position with your feet together. Step your feet wide and raise your arms parallel to the floor, palms down. Your wrists should be roughly in line with your ankles.
Rotate your palms up to the ceiling and turn your right toes out by 90 degrees. Turn the left foot inward slightly so you are balanced.
Reach the right fingertips forward and bend at the hip crease, sending your buttocks back. Keeping the arms straight, reach your right hand towards the top of your right shin, allowing the left arm to raise toward the ceiling.
Once your right hand is settled on your shin and your left arm is pointed toward the ceiling, rotate the chest out and look towards your left hand.
Hold Triangle Pose for 10-15 seconds and then return to a standing position. Reverse the feet and repeat to the left.
Conclusion
Helping to ease stress as well as aches and pains, yoga exercises for photographers are pretty great. Of course, there are plenty of other yoga asanas out there, but I’ve found these five to be especially effective after long days out in the field.
Do you have a favorite yoga pose that you find beneficial to your photography practice? Let us known in the comments!
Note: Megan is not a qualified Yoga instructor. These exercises are a guide only. As with all exercise, please listen to your body, and only do what feels comfortable for you.
The post 5 Great Yoga Exercises for Photographers (with Illustrations) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
I’ve recently found myself in the following situation: Over the course of just a couple months, the two main digital cameras I shoot with have both been replaced by new models. This includes my everyday, ‘personal’ camera in the Fujifilm X100F and my ‘gig’ camera in the Nikon D750.
With the announcement of the X100V and D780, in the blink of an eye my kit suddenly went from feeling fresh to feeling like last night’s leftovers. But the more I dig into the differences between these modern generations of cameras and the generation which I own, the more I feel relieved. If you’re in a similar situation, let me assure you, it gets easier. Here’s why.
Pixel counts are leveling out
The megapixel wars have largely wound down and most brands aren’t fixating on increasing the number of pixels in a camera with each subsequent generation, as they have in the past. This is a trend we’re starting to see across the board from multiple brands. Case in point: my D750 has the same number of pixels as the D780, and the X100V offers only a modest 2MP gain over my X100F.
This is not to say neither brand has improved the image quality in these updated models. Indeed the D780 has far nicer JPEGs than the D750. That’s an important improvement, but not one that necessarily matters to me as a Raw shooter.
With the Fujifilm, I tend to stick to JPEG shooting and there’s no real difference between the two cameras there. The only real image quality difference comes down to the lenses: the X100V’s updated lens should provide better corner sharpness and close focus. I certainly can appreciate both of those improvements, the latter especially for portraiture. But then again doesn’t that just mean my X100F’s lens has more ‘character’ by comparison? I can live with that.
Double exposure shot in-camera on the Fujifilm X100F and edited in Adobe Photoshop. ISO 2000 |1/125 sec | F2
New features are nice but perhaps not necessary
So if camera companies aren’t making huge strides in image quality with the current generations coming out, where are they concentrating their efforts? The answers lie in usability refinements, autofocus improvements and video/feature additions. These are nice-to-haves, but for me, not need-to-haves.
Both my cameras have signs of a life well-lived. But they’re still as capable as ever – in fact more thanks to firmware updates – even if they’re not as beautiful as they once were. Just like me.
Sure, a tilting touchscreen would be a nice addition to my X100 camera, especially for street candids. But then again, I’ve already trained myself to shoot from the hip, while zone focusing with my X100F, so do I really need a tilting screen? The same goes for touch capability; yes, a touchscreen is handy for quick point placement, but the AF joystick on the X100F is also rather speedy.
Similarly, am I tempted by the D780’s excellent live view mode? Heck yes I am. But is it enough to make me want to replace my D750? No. The same goes for video. As a primarily stills shooter who dabbles, I’d definitely appreciate the D780’s movie-making features. But not enough to trade up.
Shot on the Nikon D750 and edited in Adobe Camera Raw. ISO 12,800 | 1/250 sec | F2.2 | Nikon 20mm F1.8G
Simpler can sometimes be better
I’m not trying to get all philosophical here, but when it comes to getting creative, simplicity can often be refreshing. Because even though my D750 and X100F offer limited usability compared to their updated counterparts, specifically when shooting with the rear LCD, those limiting factors streamline how I use these cameras.
Moreover, other comparative limitations just mean I’ll have to come up with creative workarounds, not unlike learning to shoot from the hip blindly due to the lack of a flip-out LCD. And creative workarounds spawn even more creative thinking – the secret sauce of good photography.
‘Shiny and new’ is overrated
We’ve all brought home a shiny new gadget, whether it be a camera, a smartphone or some other device, and babied it like we’d birthed it ourselves. But shiny new things aren’t meant to stay shiny and new forever – a fact that can take a while to sink in.
On the other hand, there’s something to be said for the comfort of time-tested, worn-out gear. Both my cameras show signs of a life well lived, complete with love and some hard knocks. But they’re still as capable as ever – in fact more so thanks to firmware updates – even if they’re not as beautiful as they once were. Just like me. Which means I don’t hesitate to grab my X100F to tag along for a night on the town, out of fear it may sustain some sort damage. But with a brand new X100V, I might be more cautious.
Shot on the X100F and edited in Adobe Lightroom. ISO 400 | 1/1600 sec | F5.6
Happiness is accepting the inevitable
Aging is inevitable: just as a new car loses its value once driven off the lot and your camera’s shutter starts to wear after the first shot, we too begin to age the moment we are born. That may sound depressing, but it’s not! Here’s a lyric by the folk singer Jeffrey Lewis to explain why…
‘Time is going to take so much away, but there’s a way that you can offer time a trade. Because your looks are gonna leave you. And your city’s gonna change too. And your shoes are gonna wear through. So you gotta do something that you can get smarter at, you gotta do something you might just be a starter at. You better do something that you can get better at, because that’s the thing that time will leave you with.’
So don’t worry about having last generation’s model, instead invest that energy in your own photographic passion and betterment. Because just as your camera will inevitably fall out of vogue, your time behind it too will one day come to an end. Get out there and shoot!
The World Press Photo Foundation has announced it is canceling its awards show and festival, originally planned to take place in Amsterdam from April 16–18, due to COVID-19 (the coronavirus).
The decision comes after following the assessments of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and coming to the conclusion that World Press Photo ‘can not hold events where international guests are invited to join local participants in a mass gathering.’ Due to ‘on-going uncertainty about the scale of the COVID-19 virus,’ World Press Photo has decided to altogether cancel the event rather than postpone it until later in the year.
Despite the two events being cancelled, the show will go on. The winners of the 2020 Photo Contest and the 2020 Digital Storytelling Contest will still be announced on April 16, 2020, and shared online for the world to view. The nominees will also continue to be shown as part of World Press Photo’s worldwide exhibition tour, with the next exhibition set for a showing at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam on April 18, 2020.
To see the nominees for the 2020 World Press Photo awards, visit our previous gallery.
Email:
World Press Photo Foundation cancels the Awards Show and Festival because of COVID-19
We have decided, after intense deliberations, that the global situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, requires us to cancel the World Press Photo Awards Show 2020 and the World Press Photo Festival 2020, due to be held in Amsterdam on 16-18 April.
We are devastated that we will not be holding two of our major events that honor and showcase this year’s contest winners in person. Both events have become pivotal occasions for the visual journalism community to come together and we are all going to miss this moment.
We were well advanced with the planning for these events and to bring that to a stop is not an easy decision. Combined with the on-going uncertainty about the scale of the COVID-19 virus, this means it is not possible for us to postpone the events until later in the year.
However, the safety of our community, staff and society outweighs all other considerations.
We have been following the assessments of trustworthy sources such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and they report that in the coming weeks there is a moderate to high risk of more countries reporting more cases and clusters. ‘Social distancing’ is the way the risk of the COVID-19 virus is being managed, and we have concluded we can not hold events where international guests are invited to join local participants in a mass gathering.
The winners of the 2020 Photo Contest and the 2020 Digital Storytelling Contest – including the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year and the three other major awards – will be announced on the evening of 16 April 2020 (under embargo until 22:00 CET) and presented to our global audience through a wide range of online and media channels.
We will be working hard to give those winners the recognition they deserve. The nominees for those awards can be seen now at worldpressphoto.org, the worldwide exhibition tour continues, and we are also looking forward to finding new ways of fulfilling our mission: connecting the world to the stories that matter.
Important dates
16 April 2020 22:00 CET: 2020 Contests winners announced
18 April 2020: World Press Photo Exhibition 2020 starts its worldwide tour at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. See all confirmed exhibition locations at worldpressphoto.org/calendar. More locations are added regularly.
Editor’s note: We have updated our reviews of both the Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7, including scoring, to reflect both cameras’ performance using the new firmware.
Nikon recently announced firmware update 3.0 for its Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras. Most notably, it includes AF system improvements that designed to replicate Nikon’s class-leading 3D-tracking mode for DSLRs. We put it to the test to see how well it works.
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Nick Shirrell, a motorsport filmmaker known for using old school film cameras to capture auto races, recently received an invitation from Ferrari to travel to Italy and film a race using 50-year-old Super 8 cameras with 8mm film. The result is a 10-minute video featuring a retro production style and classic voiceover narration that recently went viral on the /r/Formula1 subreddit.
DPReview spoke with Shirrell to ask about his experience with Ferrari and the gear he used to capture the race, as well as the events that led up to this moment. The project wouldn’t have been possible without support from Reddit, according to Shirrell, who explained that his first Super 8 race video went viral on the /r/cars subreddit, resulting in articles from publications like Jalopnik and, eventually, a private message from Ferrari.
Following the initial video, Shirrell filmed an IndyCar video at Road America, which likewise was popular on Reddit and with automotive media. He explains:
‘Not long after the IndyCar video went viral, I got DM’d on my Instagram by Ferrari asking if I’d like to talk to them about doing some filming. Little did I know the phone call that would follow would be an invitation to Italy to make the great film released this week! Ferrari was amazing to work with and they made it clear they wanted no hand in the creative process or in the final content, they only wanted to enable me to create something amazing and give me the opportunity to do what I do with these films.’
Shirrell used a variety of gear to capture the race, including three Super8 cameras: a 1966 Canon 814, 1968 Canon 1218 and a 1971 Beaulieu 4008 ZM2 with Kodak Vision3 50D and 200T motion picture film stock. These models were joined by a RadioShack-brand Realistic 14-1029 handheld mini-cassette recorder featuring a Smith-Victor supercardiod condenser shotgun microphone.
Shirrell said his narrator Alan Baxter used a modern microphone to record the voiceover, which was later edited using software. As well, he relied on the natural lighting available at the filming locations. Shirrell explained:
‘For post-processing the voiceover audio, I use EQ and distortion filters within Adobe Premiere Pro to mimic the sound of an older microphone recording onto tape as accurately as I can. For ambient track sounds of V10s, Challenge cars, etc recorded onto mini-cassettes the old fashioned way I didn’t have to add any filtering.’
As for processing the film, he said:
‘I do develop my own 35mm and medium format still photos with C-41, E-6, and black and white chemicals, but for a professional project like for Ferrari I didn’t trust myself to not ruin the film on my first ever attempt at developing 8mm. 8mm is challenging to develop because it’s 50 feet long and very small and fiddly compared to a roll of 35mm or 120 film that is 4-6 feet in length.’
This isn’t the end for Shirrell, who has plans for other projects involving his retro equipment:
‘For what I want to shoot next, I’d love the opportunity to film Formula 1 if the opportunity presents itself, but I also have ideas for shooting drag racing, rally, and other motorsports.’
Shirrell’s work can be found on his YouTube account and on Instagram.
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) President and CEO Gordon Smith has confirmed the NAB Show has been called off, at least for the time being, due to ongoing concerns surrounding COVID-19 (the coronavirus).
In the announcement shared on the NAB Show website, Smith says:
‘In the interest of addressing the health and safety concerns of our stakeholders and in consultation with partners throughout the media and entertainment industry, we have decided not to move forward with NAB Show in April. We are currently considering a number of potential alternatives to create the best possible experience for our community.’
Later on in the post, Smith notes NAB is ‘still weighing the best potential path forward’ and is ‘committed to exploring all possible alternatives.’
The five-day event was set to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada starting April 18, 2020. In addition to CP+ and The Photography Show being canceled or postponed, Adobe, AJA and Nikon all confirmed they wouldn’t be attending the NAB Show, putting a damper on the already doubtful event.
The post 2 Important Skills All Photographers Need appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.
Do you know what are two of the most important skills all photographers need? Since photographers don’t usually apply for jobs with a traditional CV, we’re not really used to thinking about things like soft skills. Yet, we really should.
As a photographer, you are very conscious of technical skills and you ‘sell’ them to the client. But what about soft skills? Usually, everything falls into the creative category, but learning to recognize individual soft skills can help you to improve as a photographer and grow your list of clients.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are a list of personal competencies or attributes that impact the way you do your job. Because they come from a personal level, they are not necessarily job-specific. However, some are more important than others for each professional profile. Two important skills all photographers need are resourcefulness and flexibility.
A streak of bad luck during the shoot, or a slip of memory that made you forget some equipment, can happen to anyone. This is where soft skills kick in – how do you solve the problem? I’ll give you two examples where simple things can go wrong, and why these are important skills all photographers need.
Example 1: a broken tripod
You have a photoshoot where the composition was laid out considering a high point of view looking down on the subject. Unfortunately, the quick-release plate of the tripod brakes, what would you do? Problem-solving may lead you to change the settings to do the photo handheld, but sometimes you can’t.
Let’s explore some other ways to deal with it.
Resourcefulness
It means that you’re able to face a difficult and unexpected situation by using any resource you have at hand. In this case, you’ll need to find a steady support for your camera. Look around and find any stable thing that you can use considering the height you need to reach. You can use your equipment cases, or some boxes for example.
Next, think about the angle you need to give your camera and find something malleable to put on top of the boxes. Most photographers have a sandbag to put weight on the tripod, you can use that. Otherwise, you can find a cushion, a bag of sugar, or anything you can find. This would potentially solve your problem with resourcefulness.
Flexibility
If there weren’t any resources available to solve the problem, or not in an acceptable way, then you need flexibility. This means that you have the ability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances. For example, being open to change the aesthetics of the image by rearranging the composition and reframing it.
1/125 f8 ISO 200
If you’re working with still life, products or food, you can even place the camera on the same surface as the subject. If it’s a portrait or a landscape, try placing your camera on the tripod without having to angle it.
Example 2: no flash trigger
A wireless flash trigger is a device that allows your camera to communicate with your flash so you can fire it in sync. Usually, it’s two pieces of equipment – the transmitter and the receiver. If you forget one of the pieces, run out of batteries, or it breaks, what can you do to trigger the flash?
Resourcefulness
Even if your set-up involves several flashes, you can use most speed lights and strobes in slave mode. This means that you only need to fire one flash and the others will react to it. So, which flash can fore without extra devices or cables? The one from your camera (if your camera has an onboard flash).
Normally, you don’t want to use that flash to illuminate your scene, as it tends to be quite unflattering, but you can use it to trigger your other lights. Using a piece of cardboard, or a small box, block the front (and at least one of the sides) of the flash so that it won’t spill any light into your scene.
Leave open one side so that the light triggers the slave flashes.
Flexibility
Another possible solution is to fire the flash manually. In order to do this, you’ll need a longer shutter speed so you can react and fire it on time.
1,6 sec f8 ISO 200
The last time I faced something like this, I started processing whatever I had shot before the trigger broke, this way the client didn’t feel we were just waiting around doing nothing and I used the time productively. If not, you’ll need to be open to reschedule or run to buy a new trigger (or batteries, depending on what happened). In any case, flexibility is key.
Conclusion
As you can see, soft skills are small things that you probably already have but never considered an extra asset. The important thing about identifying your soft skills is that you can improve on them.
Also, now that you know them, don’t be shy about letting your clients know about it. In the end, they want a photographer that gets the job done, no matter what. This is why resourcefulness and flexibility are important skills all photographers need.
Have you faced any scenarios where you had to think quick on your feet to get the job done? Share with us in the comments!
The post 2 Important Skills All Photographers Need appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.
The post How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.
Capture One Pro is a RAW processor with incredible performance and functionality, but it doesn’t completely replace Photoshop.
In order to get the most out of your RAW file, you might want to do as much of your post-processing as possible in Capture One (COP). However, you’ll still need Photoshop for retouching.
COP offers fantastic color management and adjustment tools, but Photoshop allows you to work on the individual pixels in a file via cleaning techniques, cloning, and layers. Photoshop also allows you to create composites.
The process of using Photoshop and Capture One together has been automated since version 10, just like it is between Lightroom and Photoshop.
Instead of having to manually open an exported file into Photoshop and then reimport it back into the Catalog or Session, your file can quickly and easily make a “round-trip”, starting in Capture One.
How do Capture One Pro and Photoshop differ?
There is a lot of conversation around which program is better – Capture One or Photoshop? But there’s not much point in comparing the two programs in this way because they’re very different. They’re meant to do different things, as Lightroom and Photoshop are also meant to do different things.
Photoshop is the standard for image manipulation across various disciplines, such as graphic design, graphic art, and, of course, photography. It’s a powerful program for retouching, composting, creating website mockups, and adding effects to images.
On the other hand, Capture One is a RAW editor and asset management tool, such as Lightroom and Camera RAW. It is made by Phase One, manufacturers of medium format cameras.
Because Photoshop and Capture One have their strengths in different areas, you’ll get the most functionality out of using them together. Some photographers and retouchers prefer to focus on Photoshop alone, which is certainly a viable choice. However, there are benefits to using Capture One as an additional software program. It has powerful masking, layer, and color tools.
One of these benefits of using Capture One is the advanced tethering capabilities that the software offers.
If you’re a studio photographer, or otherwise find shooting tethered to a computer indispensable to your workflow, you’ll find Capture One outstanding in this regard.
It allows you to use Live View, artwork overlays, and also offers stability and lightning speed. Capture One technology uses direct access to the camera, which enables Live View and advanced controls. Other tethering programs copy files such as camera proprietary programs save the captures to an SD card and call it “tethered capture.” However, it’s actually a “file copy.”
The steps for using Capture One and Photoshop together
Your photo can make a “round trip” in Capture One and Photoshop.
You can open the image in Photoshop via Capture One, retouch it, and then send it back to Capture One. Lightroom and Photoshop work in tandem the same way.
With Capture One, you can finalize your image within the program and send it to an external editor, like Photoshop.
Capture One is an asset manager, so you’ll probably want to put it back alongside your original file in the Catalog or Session where it’s stored.
You can then refine it further, or create Variants (like Virtual Copies) in black & white, color grading, etc. if you choose.
To initiate the round-trip process, follow these steps:
1. Start with the Basic Tab:
Right-click on the image itself or on the thumbnail. This will initiate a dropdown menu. Choose >Edit With. This will bring up a Dialog Box.
Do not choose >Open With. This function is just for opening up the image in another program, while >Edit With will create a new file and place it next to the RAW file.
If you don’t see Photoshop as an option in the dropdown, just click on >Other and navigate to Photoshop in your applications and click on it.
In the Dialog box, choose >PSD and your desired bit depth – 8-bit or 16-bit.
Choose the desired color profile – sRGB for web use only, or Adobe RGB.
Choose 100% for Scale to the image is full-sized.
2. Under the Adjustment Tab:
Choose to ignore crop, if desired.
Add additional sharpening if you want to do so at this stage.
3. Under the Metadata tab:
Check off any metadata parameters you want included in the file.
Click on >Edit Variants. The image will open up in Photoshop.
“Edit Variants” refers to a single file, instead of batch processing.
Once your image is open in Photoshop, do your retouching as you normally would.
When you’re ready to take your image back into Capture One, close the file and hit >Save.
Note that Maximize Compatibility must be checked to work properly.
Now when you go back to Capture One, you’ll see your PSD file in the filmstrip.
From here, you can make new variants, which work similarly to Lightroom Virtual Copies. You can convert your image to black & white or make variations with different color grading, such as warmer or cooler shadows. This can be handy for showing a client some variations on your work to find out what they would prefer.
Conclusion
Users of Lightroom are often hesitant about making the switch to Capture One or other RAW processors outside of the Adobe suite because of the learning curve associated with a new piece of software. They also worry about having to alter a workflow they may have spent years refining.
If this describes you, never fear. As you can see, your images can make the round trip through Capture One and Photoshop just as seamlessly as they do using Lightroom.
And If this is one of the major reasons you’ve been holding off on a change, you may want to download the free 30-day trial to Capture One and test it for yourself. The best RAW processor is the one that is best for your needs.
Have you tried using Photoshop and Capture One together? What are your experiences and thoughts on it? Share them with us in the comments!
The post How to Use Photoshop and Capture One Pro Together appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.
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