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Archive for November, 2020

Sony a7S II vs a7S III: What’s new and why it matters

13 Nov

Introduction

The five-year gap between the launch of the a7S II and the announcement of the a7S III had some people wondering whether Sony had given up on the idea of a video-focused a7 model. The enhanced video capability of the core a7 line made that seem plausible (the a7 III does many of the things the a7S II did).

But the Mark III is here and it represents more than just a Mark II brought up to competitive spec. Instead it’s the most serious video camera the Sony Alpha range has ever seen and makes the older camera look rather basic, by comparison.

More frame-rate flexibility

The biggest changes come in terms of video spec, as you might expect. The a7S II could shoot UHD 4K at up to 30p and the highest-quality setting captured 8-bit 4:2:0 footage at up to 100Mbps in the X AVCS format. It’s fair to say the a7S III goes a little beyond this.

In terms of frame rates, the a7S III can shoot 4K at up to 60p using the full width of its sensor or at up to 120p if you accept a very slight crop down to a native 3840 x 2160 region of the sensor. Its thermal management has been significantly re-worked to ensure that these capabilities don’t come at the cost of reliability: Sony says it should be able to shoot over an hour of 10-bit 4K/60 footage.

High bit depth/bitrate video

The a7S III also gains 10-bit, 4:2:2 internal capture for the first time, which means its Log footage is much more flexible in the edit and has better color resolution than the 8-bit 4:2:0 capture of the a7S II.

There are also many additional format options on the newer camera. In addition to XAVC S footage, the a7S III can capture video in the H.265-based XAVC HS format (which uses more efficient compression to offer higher quality at the same bitrates). This pushes the burden of decompression onto your computer, but if this is too demanding on your editing machine, the Mark III can shoot All-I footage in the XAVC S-I format. This is less compressed so means bigger files but less processing work for less powerful computers. It’s possible to capture All-I footage at up to 120p if you use the camera’s slow-mo function to reduce the frame rate to 30p or 24p and, therefore, the write-speed to a more reasonable level.

If you need still-more flexibility in your footage, the a7S III can output a Raw stream to an external recorder, over its full-size HDMI socket. The a7S III allows for full-frame (4264×2408) 16-bit RAW output (up to 60p) with a choice of color space; while also recording supported formats internally.

The Mark III also records the information from its gyro sensors, which can be used for applying more effective shake correction when post-processing.

Autofocus

Another major change in the a7S III is the adoption of on-sensor phase detection autofocus. This is far more useful for video than the contrast detection autofocus used by the Mark II, which inevitably involves racking focus back and forth while recording, which can be visually distracting.

By contrast, the a7S III uses the latest AI-trained phase detection system that can identify and track eyes, faces, heads and bodies of humans, making it generally very reliable when it comes to staying focused on a subject, even if they look away from the camera. There’s also a subject tracking mode if you tap the screen to choose a subject.

That said, we have seen instances of it trying to re-focus mid-clip with static shots featuring subjects who aren’t moving. You can reduce the risk of this by setting the AF Subj Shift Sensitivity, but this makes the camera less likely to refocus if your subject is moving back and forth a little.

So, while lots of a7S users are likely to continue to manually focus their footage, the provision of decent autofocus should extend the types of use the a7S III can be put to.

Card slots

To accommodate the increased video bitrates, and to make the camera more usable, generally, the a7S III has more storage options than before.

The a7S II had a single UHS I card slot: fast enough for its ~100Mbps (12.5MB/s) max output rate, but without any redundancy or overflow capability. The a7S III has twin dual-format card slots, which can use either UHS II SD cards or CFexpress Type A media in each slot (the connection pins are on opposing sides of the slots, so SD cards need to be flipped over). This provides more shooting options and means that capture at up to ~600Mbps (75MB/s) is possible.

Menus and interface

One thing that upgraders will notice is that the a7S III features a completely re-worked menu system. The essential ordering and categorization is similar, so it shouldn’t take too much adapting to, but the arrangement is flipped 90 degrees and there are more obvious visual cues to help understand where you are in the menu structure and where the setting you’re looking to change might be.

The camera’s customizable ‘Fn’ menu remains essentially the same but can now be configured separately for stills and video modes, which wasn’t the case on the a7S II. In fact much of the menu system is now separated for stills and video, meaning that your settings for one style of shooting need not carry-over to the other. This makes switching back and forth much faster.

The Mark III also has a My Menu tab, so you can assign the settings you access most often to that tab for quick access.

Better buttons and dials

Sony’s ergonomic design has come a long way in the five years since the launch of the a7S II. The grips are better proportioned, the dials are better positioned and the buttons are easier to press.

On top of this, the a7S III gains an AF joystick and a much more prominent AF-On button, which can be used to initiate a single AF acquisition when in Manual Focus mode. Collectively, these help add up to a camera that’s quicker and more comfortable to use.

Screens and viewfinders

Sony has made a lot of the new viewfinder in the a7S III. At 9.44M dots, it’s the highest resolution viewfinder we’ve yet seen, and way beyond the 2.36M dot panel in the a7S II. On paper that’s twice the resolution in each dimension, but the camera only really makes full use of this in playback mode.

For most a7S III users, the bigger difference is likely to be the provision of a fully-articulating rear LCD screen, rather than the tilt up/down example on the older model. It’s a layout familiar to, and preferred by, many videographers.

What’s more, the a7S III finally makes comprehensive use of a touchscreen, allowing it to be used to position the AF point, navigate menus and zoom/swipe in playback mode, providing another means of operating the camera.

Battery

Another major improvement for the a7S III is the inclusion of a much larger battery than its predecessor. The a7S II is one of the last of the series to use the rather small NP-FW50 battery, whereas the a7S III uses the NP-Z100. This greatly increases the camera’s recording duration. And, while there are plenty of circumstances in which both cameras will simply be powered over their USB ports, the inclusion of a larger, higher-capacity battery means the a7S III can be used for longer as a standalone unit, making gimbal and drone work simpler, for instance.

For photography

We’ve always considered that the a7S series makes more sense for videographers than stills shooters: the ability to quickly read-out the relatively low pixel count as 4K footage sets the camera apart to a much larger degree than any difference in low light stills performance. It’s no coincidence that this model has the most comprehensive video feature set of any Alpha-series camera, so far.

Stills shooters will certainly benefit from the ergonomic and autofocus improvements of the new camera, along with the revised menus, but we wouldn’t expect the a7S III to offer a significant difference in low light stills performance at anything other than very high ISO settings, thanks to the upgraded Exmor R backside-illuminated sensor and other signal processing improvements.

Conclusion

It should come as no surprise that the a7S III is a much better camera than the preceding version: the general level of technology has moved a fair way forward in the past five years, particularly in terms of video. And Sony’s ergonomics have certainly progressed a long way in that time, too, with the a7S III moving things beyond any of its recent stable-mates.

But this feels like more than just a camera brought up to contemporary standards. The a7S II was a relatively minor update to the original a7S: the addition of in-body stabilization was a big deal, as was the ability to record its sensor’s output as 1:1 4K rather than the superlative 2:1 1080p of its predecessor. But it always felt like a dependable, but unambitious camera, and its core capabilities were added to mainstream a7-series models within a matter of years.

By contrast, it’s hard to imagine 10-bit capture, 4K 120p, 16-bit Raw video output being extended out across the a7 range so readily, simply because non-videographers don’t necessarily need them. Rather than being a basic video tool whose appeal was its large sensor, the a7S III feels like a much more complete compact video production camera, making it a much more credible rival to the likes of Panasonic’s S1H.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: DJI Pocket 2 review

13 Nov

DJI’s second generation Pocket camera includes many useful upgrades and is lots of fun. It may even get used behind the scenes to help produce our DPReview TV videos. Watch our review to learn more about this versatile little camera.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • A wider
  • Low light performance
  • Dynamic range
  • Audio
  • Photography
  • Slow motion
  • Rolling shutter
  • ActiveTrack 3.0
  • Add-ons
  • Who's it for?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Documenting humanity’s journey into space: Over 2,400 iconic space images are up for auction

13 Nov
Lead image: ‘The ‘Blue Marble’, the first human-taken photograph of the Earth fully illuminated, December 7-19, 1972, Harrison Schmitt [Apollo 17]. Estimate: £15,000-31,500. Offered in Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection, November 6-19, 2020, Online’ Caption and image courtesy of CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2020

Christie’s has placed up for auction a massive collection of images, many of which document the American space program from the 1940s through the 1970s. The collection, ‘Voyage to Another World: The Victor-Martin Malburet Photograph Collection,’ includes 700 lots comprising more than 2,400 separate items.

Bidding began on November 6 and continues until November 19 for lots 1-325 and November 20 for the remaining lots. Christie’s states that the collection traces ‘the artistic heritage of the Apollo Missions and Golden Age of space exploration.’

‘The first photograph of man in space [Large Format], Ed White’s first American EVA over Hawaii, June 3-7, 1965, James McDivitt [Gemini IV]. Estimate: £6,000-8,000. Offered in Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection, November 6-19, 2020, Online’ Caption and image courtesy of CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2020

Martin-Malburet has built this collection over the last 15 years. He has been interested in images captured in space since he accompanied his father to an auction. ‘It was a sale of astronautical artifacts,’ says Martin-Malburet, ‘We bought various things, including an autograph of Yuri Gagarin. But the item that impressed me most was a photograph, the famous shot of Buzz Aldrin on the moon with the lunar module reflected in his visor. It is such a powerful image: one lonely figure in another world. And since Aldrin is anonymous inside his spacesuit, he seems to represent all humanity.’

Victor ultimately studied mathematics and physics at university, and he says he wanted to blur the boundary between art and science. Martin-Malburet says of the moon landing photos in particular, ‘Between 1968 and 1972, 24 privileged humans traveled a quarter of a million miles to a place that was not Earth and a record of it all exists. But the complete story has not been told. At the time, only a tiny fraction of the material was released to the media. The rest remained in Houston, unpublished.’

‘First human-taken photograph from space; orbital sunset, February 20, 1962, John Glenn [Mercury Atlas 6]. Estimate: £3,000-5,000. Offered in Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection, November 6-19, 2020, Online’ Caption and image courtesy of CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2020

Many of the images in the collection have not been seen by people outside of NASA and various research institutions. Many images didn’t include accompanying information, leaving Martin-Malburet to dig through NASA’s transcripts of space missions to determine when each photograph in the collection was captured, such as whether it was on the way into space or on the way back to Earth, information NASA didn’t record. Martin-Malburet also often had to determine who the photographer of each image was, as ‘crediting the author’ is very important to him. By collating the available information and filling in the gaps, we now, for the first time, have a more complete story of many important moments in our history of space exploration.

There are many great images in the collection, including a photograph of Neil Armstrong on the moon, seen below. For decades, even NASA didn’t know this image existed. Martin-Malburet determined that Buzz Aldrin picked up the camera only once and it was to record this photograph of the first man on the moon. Otherwise, Armstrong himself was the photographer for the duration of the mission.

‘The only photograph of Neil Armstrong on the Moon, July 16-24, 1969, Buzz Aldrin [Apollo 11]. Estimate: £30,000-50,000. Offered in Voyage to Another World: The Victor Martin-Malburet Photograph Collection, November 6-19, 2020, Online’ Caption and image courtesy of CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2020

Further ‘firsts’ in the collection include the first image of the earth rising over the moon’s horizon. Ed White’s first spacewalk, seen is recorded as well, and is the first full-face portrait of the Earth itself captured during the very last Apollo mission.

Christie’s writes that ‘Anyone looking at such photographs is bound to feel awestruck.’ It continues, ‘So are they genuine art objects?’ To that question, Martin-Malburet answers, ‘They are absolutely works of art. Artists strive for new ways to express themselves, a visual vocabulary. The astronauts had the blank vistas of space as their subject and their canvas. And the fact that you have humans behind the camera is really important. They saw themselves as scientists, but somehow they embraced the sublime. Through them, art broke free of gravity.’

It’s a wonderful collection. To view the entire collection, visit Christie’s. While the images themselves certainly hold a lot of value, Martin-Malburet’s work in contextualizing each photograph and determining the photographer adds a lot. As mentioned earlier, bidding is ongoing and ends on November 19 or 20, depending on the lot in question. Each lot includes an estimated value, and the estimates range from around $ 1,000 USD to over $ 60,000.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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New DJI Mavic Air 2 firmware update includes remote control compatibility with Mini 2

13 Nov

Recently, DJI announced the Mini 2 drone. While it improves greatly upon its predecessor, the Mavic Mini, it won’t exactly replace the Mavic Air 2. To ensure that they can charge roughly $ 300 USD more, DJI has continued to improve upon the drone that falls below its Mavic 2 Pro and is a step above the Mini 2.

With firmware version v01.00.0460, DJI has added support so that the Mavic Air 2’s remote controller can also be used with the Mini 2. It is recommended that DJI’s Fly app v1.2.0, or higher, is installed on your smartphone. Another important update, especially for those flying near buildings or other tall structures, is the default Return to Home (RTH) altitude has increased to 100 meters (400 ft.).

This update also optimizes the downward vision positioning system by increasing the altitude limit to 30 meters (100 ft.). Users can also expect a quieter start-up after powering on their drone.

One question remains: since the Mini 2 also includes OccuSync 2.0 transmission technology, will it eventually be compatible with DJI’s Smart Controller? Time will tell. To get started with this latest firmware update for the Mavic Air 2, check out the tutorial video below. Full firmware release notes follow.

Changelog:

{pressrelease}

Overview:

Date: 2020.11.11
Aircraft Firmware: v01.00.0460
Remote Controller: v02.00.1101
DJI Fly App iOS: v1.2.0
DJI Fly App Android: v1.2.0

What’s New?

– Added support so the remote controller can also be used with DJI Mini 2. It is recommended to use the remote controller with DJI Fly v1.2.0 or above.
– Updated default RTH altitude to 100 m.
– Optimized Downward Vision System by increasing the altitude limit to 30 m when the aircraft is only using Downward Vision System for positioning.
– Optimized logic of rotational speed of fan after powering on in order to reduce noise and power consumption.
– Optimized detection and app alert when propellers are unfolded.

Notes:

If the update fails, restart aircraft, remote controller, and DJI Fly or DJI Assistant 2 for Mavic, and retry.

{/pressrelease}

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon brings its macOS EOS Webcam Utility out of beta and updates Windows version to 1.1

13 Nov

Canon has announced a full production version (1.0) of its EOS Webcam Utility software for macOS and a version 1.1 update for Windows computers.

Less than a week after Nikon announced its webcam utility was out of beta, Canon has done the same. Canon says its beta program has been downloaded more than one million times around the world and with this new update comes new support for a total of 43 compatible EOS interchangeable lens and PowerShot cameras. Below is a complete list of the cameras currently supported:

  • EOS 1DX Mark III
  • EOS 1DX Mark II
  • EOS 1DX
  • EOS 1D C
  • EOS 5DS R
  • EOS 5DS
  • EOS 5D Mark IV
  • EOS 5D Mark III
  • EOS 5D Mark II
  • EOS 6D
  • EOS 7D Mark II
  • EOS 7D
  • EOS 90D
  • EOS 80D
  • EOS 77D
  • EOS 70D
  • EOS 60D
  • EOS Rebel T8i
  • EOS Rebel T7i
  • EOS Rebel T6s
  • EOS Rebel T6i
  • EOS Rebel T5i
  • EOS Rebel T3i
  • EOS Revel SL3
  • EOS Rebel SL2
  • EOS Rebel SL1
  • EOS Rebel T7
  • EOS Rebel T6
  • EOS Rebel T3
  • EOS Rebel T100
  • EOS R5
  • EOS R6
  • EOS R1
  • EOS R
  • EOS RP
  • EOS M6 Mark II
  • EOS M50 Mark II
  • EOS M50
  • EOS M200
  • PowerShot G5X Mark II
  • PowerShot G7X Mark III
  • PowerShot SX70 HS

Canon has also improved compatibility with third-party videoconferencing and streaming programs. Canon says its EOS Webcam Utility has been tested and confirmed to work with the following programs:

  • Apple Facetime
  • Cisco Webex
  • Discord
  • Facebook Live
  • Facebook Messenger
  • Google Hangouts
  • Google Hangouts Meet
  • Microsoft Teams
  • OBS
  • Skype
  • Slack
  • Streamlabs OBS
  • YouTube Live
  • Zoom

Below are two guides from Canon on how to get started with using your Canon camera as a webcam input on macOS and Windows computers:

Canon says it will ‘continue to lean on customers [and] listen to the market’ to improve the utility going forward. You can download EOS Webcam Utility version 1.0 for macOS and version 1.1 for Windows computer on Canon’s website. If you have questions, comments or complaints, Canon has opened up a new forum specifically for discussing its webcam utility.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Dare to be Different With Your Photos

12 Nov

The post Dare to be Different With Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

It’s estimated that over two billion photos are uploaded to the internet every day. We are deluged with images. So if you’re a photographer looking to stand out from the crowd, then going to the same iconic locations, framing up and shooting the same compositions, and looking to emulate the great images you might find from skilled photographers is not what you should do.

You need to dare to be different with your photography – by making the shot in a way people haven’t seen before. If the reaction you want is “Wow!” rather than “Meh,” you need to mix it up.

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone
Not a bad photo of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, but how different is my shot than the tens of thousands of other shots made from the same vantage point?

Where’d you shoot that?

I belong to a camera club, and we routinely show our images for review and critique. Something I hear too often when a great photo is displayed is, “Where’d you shoot that?”

I guess it’s a fair question. But I’m always concerned that the person asking it is thinking: If I go there, get the same light, perhaps use the same camera settings, and shoot from the same spot, I could make a great photo, too!”

But why would you want to be a copycat?

Sure, we all like to go to the iconic spots, but why not try to make a shot that is different and uniquely yours, one that stands out from the crowd?

the statue of Liberty
No doubt millions of photos have been taken of this iconic location, so kudos to friend and fellow photographer Harold Hall, who found a unique perspective for this familiar New York City landmark.

To be seen, don’t be one of the “herd.”

Go where others don’t

I just got back from a trip to Yellowstone National Park. While I was there, I wanted to see the Grand Prismatic Spring, a very iconic spot and a natural wonder well worth seeing.

Upon reaching the overlook, I had to wait to even get to the edge as dozens of tourists took turns at the rail, shooting with their cellphone cameras, posing for selfies, even asking photographers like me, who were carrying obviously more sophisticated camera gear, if we’d snap their group photo with their cellphone.

Grand Prismatic Spring abstract detail
Here’s a different abstract take at the Grand Prismatic Spring, and a shot more likely to be uniquely mine. Dare to be different with your photography.

I get it: They wanted a photographic souvenir of being at the Grand Prismatic Spring, a shot they could post on social media to share with their friends.

That’s fine, but what about you? Are you a serious photographer looking to make artistic photographs? Or are you a tourist looking for a snapshot?

Sure, I wanted to see the Grand Prismatic Spring. And yes, I took my camera and made a shot.

In fact, I’ve photographed next to other photographers at similar iconic locations. How could you not photograph the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park, or the Sydney Opera House in Australia (the list goes on)?

So hit the iconic spots, make the usual shot, and check it off your bucket list.

But then find ways to change things up. Go to the lesser-known spots and make some photographs others won’t have considered – images that are uniquely yours.

But how do you make shots that don’t look like the tens of thousands taken by others?

Let’s explore that.

Dare to be different Oceanside Pier
Lots of photos have been done of the Oceanside Pier in southern California, so I tried to make my shot different by shooting a long, 30-second exposure during the blue hour.
Bass Harbor Lighthouse
I was literally shoulder-to-shoulder with maybe a hundred other photographers while waiting for a sunset that never showed at the Bass Harbor Lighthouse in Acadia National Park in Maine. I tried to be a little different with a six-second exposure to blur the clouds and waves.
Canon 6D | Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM | 6s | f/11 | ISO 200

Seek a new perspective

Amateur photographers almost never use tripods. So they often raise their camera to their eye and shoot from a standing position.

Hence, the great majority of their shots are from a five- to six-foot, eye-level height, even when the subject suggests that something else might be better.

A shot of a small child is typically made looking down on the subject, as is a picture of a flower or some other shorter subject. If shooting with a standard digital camera, the great majority of images will be in landscape mode; if shooting with a phone, most shots will be in portrait mode. Little – if any – thought is given to rotating the camera to best suit the subject. The subject will typically be placed dead-center in the frame, so that if the photo is a portrait, then there is an excessive amount of headroom. This type of photographer has never heard of the rule of thirds.

Dare to be different. Grand Fountain Geyer. Yellowstone National Park.
Another iconic location with a couple dozen other photographers shooting at the Grand Fountain Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Always look for how you can make your image dramatic and different than what the other photographers will make.

We expect student photographers to be a little better, right? They might shoot with a tripod. Yet I have been to plenty of photo workshops where the photographers are lined up like gunners in a firing squad, cameras on tripods but at that same eye-level height, all trained on the same iconic subject. How much different will their shots be? Maybe they ought to just buy a postcard in the gift shop.

“Sometimes, to stand out, you need to sit down.”

Anthony T. Hincks

I’m not sure of the context in which Mr. Hincks was speaking when he authored this quote. But appropriating it so that it applies to photographers, you need to consider various perspectives to better suit your subject and create images that bring new interpretations and compositions. Get up, get down, shoot from a bird’s-eye perspective or a worm’s-eye perspective. Shoot through objects that create natural frames. Try some point-of-view (POV) shots.

There are lots of things to try in order to explore new looks and create interest, excitement, and mood in your photos.

As a photographer, I expect you are more of a visual learner, so here are some shots to help communicate these concepts:

Photos from a worm's-eye perspective.
Get down to the ground and get a “worms-eye view” for a perspective the average photographer shooting from eye-level won’t get. The shot on the left is with an LG V30 cellphone.
Images shot from low down
For the image of the Snow Cone in Craters of the Moon National Park on the left, a cellphone camera was placed on the lava. For the shot on the right, the camera was directly on the stage at “foot level.”
Abstract shots of the ground
Look down. Sometimes the shot is right at your feet.
Photos taken while looking up
Look up. Sometimes the shot is straight overhead.
Compare how high and low angles change the way we view these trains.
A high vantage point allowed me to capture much of the long train in the first shot. The low angle for the Union Pacific 844 steam train (in the second shot) emphasized its immense power.
Hot air balloons lift off from Ann Morrison Park in Boise, Idaho.
To get this unique angle when photographing the hot air balloons ascending from Ann Morrison Park in Boise, Idaho, you had to be in one of them. My photographer son Mark Ohnsman was, and he got this great shot.
Great aerial photos can be made out the window of commercial airliners with your cellphone.
Another way to get high-angle aerial shots is by shooting out the window of a commercial flight. I got these images with my LG V30 cellphone. The shot on the left was made somewhere over the Nevada desert; the shot on the right was made during the final approach to the Boise, Idaho airport.
Seaside cliffs near Cape Arago, Oregon.
Drone photography is yet another way to get a high vantage point. This could have been made with a drone (if I had one), but instead was done off a cliff near Cape Arago State Park in Oregon.
Get down low when photographing flowers and vegetation for a more dramatic impact.
When shooting flowers or low vegetation, sometimes you want to get down in it. Get low with your camera and make shots others won’t get from an eye-level perspective.
Near-far style photography examples.
The “near-far” look is done with a wide-angle lens and a small aperture so that objects from a few feet away to infinity are all in focus. Sometimes, focus stacking might be needed to ensure front-to-back sharpness. The technique produces images with great depth. Photo at left by Rick Ohnsman; photo at right by Dan Mottaz.
Different ways to shoot low-angle photos and still use a tripod.
For getting low while keeping your camera steady, a tripod with no center column, a tripod (left) with a replaceable short center column, or something like the Gorillapod (right) is the ticket.
Find "natural frames" to enhance your photos.
Think about “natural framing,” where you use things in the scene that frame your image as a way to make your shot different than what others might get.
Flower and plant images.
Another way to make unique images others won’t get, and also to explore the wonders of an unseen world, is to try close-up and macro photography.
Two photos of sand on a beach.
Work a scene, shooting wide, medium, and close-up shots. Digital film is cheap, so never take a “one-and-done” approach to your photography. I made the first shot here on Sand Beach in Acadia National Park. A little while later, I noticed and photographed the interesting patterns in the sand.
Dare to be different
Explore various focal lengths and crops when making portraits. From left to right: close-up, medium-wide, medium, and ultra-close-up.
abstract photography examples
A great way to ensure your photos will be uniquely yours is to embrace abstract photography. There is no end to the possible subjects.
Dare to be different. Photos that tell a story.
A picture is worth 1000 words, they say. What does your photo say? Try making photos that tell a story; this will better involve your viewer in the image.
Vertical image of a rock
Remember to turn your camera to a vertical (portrait) position if the subject dictates it. You’d be surprised at the amateurs who never consider this.
Car photos with diagonals
Diagonal lines add drama. When shooting cars, I like to employ a “Dutch tilt.” See if you can discover scenes where tilting the camera will make your images more unique and interesting.
Examples of foggy photos.
When the weather gets bad, the photos get good. There’s nothing like some fog to add mood to a shot. If you want unique and compelling photos that are different from the rest of the crowd, brave the elements and get out when the weather keeps fair-weather photographers inside.
Foggy trees in Yellowstone National Park.
Morning fog and steam from nearby thermal springs made for the perfect moody shot in Yellowstone National Park.
Lupine leaf macro
Dare to be different when editing. This is the same shot of water drops on a lupine leaf, but as a monochrome positive on the left and a negative image on the right.
Focus-stacked forest
You can shoot differently when you know your editing options. Here, multiple images taken of the trees at the Boardman, Oregon tree farm were made at various focus points and then focus-stacked with Helicon Focus. Such depth of field would not have been possible in a single shot.
Examples of standard subjects photographed in different ways
Sometimes, the way to make photos that are uniquely yours is to see common things in different ways. The key, as with all photography, is to look for the light.

Dare to be different with your photos: the next step

People might call me names, but as a photographer, there’s one name I hope never applies: Snapshooter. I consider a snapshooter to be the photographer who sees something that catches their attention, raises the camera to their eye, and takes a snapshot. That is the person who gives no thought to composition, angle, perspective, subject, storytelling, or concept. They don’t understand camera controls, exposure, depth of field, or ways to use the camera as a tool to communicate their vision. They probably don’t even grasp the concept of a vision. They don’t take the time to consider what they might do to make their photographs better or different. Can they even communicate what they are trying to say with their images?

But that’s not you, right? You have come to a place called the Digital Photography School, presumably as a person looking to learn how to make better images.

So I challenge you: Dare to be different with your photos. Make photographs that are intentionally creative, unique, tell a story, and show the viewer something in a way they may not have seen it before. 

“You walk like others? You talk like others? You think like others? Then the world doesn’t need you, because others are already abundant in the world! Be original!”

Mehmet Murat ildan

The post Dare to be Different With Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.


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Leica Q2 Monochrom sample gallery (DPReview TV)

12 Nov

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Take a black and white journey through southern Alberta with the Leica Q2 Monochrom, courtesy of our team at DPReview TV. We knew Canada was cold, but penguins?

View the Leica Q2 Monochrom sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Help wanted: Google Photos wants your assistance in training its machine learning algorithms

12 Nov

Android Police is reporting that Google Photos has been asking its users to help improve its algorithms. While this is not Google’s first foray into crowdsourcing help in improving its recognition software, the latest survey, which is rolling out to users on Android, is asking for volunteers to label their images.

Last year, Google Photos asked users to identify faces in images to help improve its facial recognition technology. More recently, Google added a survey to the app, asking users to confirm the accuracy of search results. The latest addition to Google Photos takes it a step further. As Rita El Khoury at Android Police writes, ‘Basically, you’ll be doing some work for free, if you feel like it, and the end result is everyone gets better image and object recognition.’

Machine learning requires a large, accurate data set to help train algorithms. The more data, the better an algorithm can be tuned and trained. For Google Photos, the algorithm needs as many labeled images of as many subjects as possible. Further, not only do people have many different photos in their Google Photos library already, we all capture images differently. A proper training data set doesn’t just include many images, it includes variety of subjects, light, angle, color and more. Ideally, with the help of users, Google Photos will be able to produce more accurate search results.

Screenshots of the ‘Improve Google Photos’ option in the Google Photos app, used with permission from Dr. Rita El Khoury, Managing Editor at Android Police.

If you’d like to participate and help shape the future of Google Photos, you can find a dialog box at the bottom of the ‘Search’ tab in the Google Photos application. The text reads, ‘Help improve Google Photos’ and when you click on the box, you then ‘Get started’ by answering questions about your photos. Google Photos will present images to you and you type what you consider important in each of the selected images. The first batch includes 10 images, but you can skip images or do more if you’d like.

After the labeling exercise, you can participate in additional training exercises, including one in which you determine if certain photographs are worthy of being printed. This is an interesting task given that Google Photos recently began offering a monthly premium print subscription. This subscription sends users 10 photo prints per month for $ 6.99, shipping included. Another addition to Google Photos includes asking users to identify which photos show a certain holiday or event.

9to5Google links to a Google Photos Help document about the latest addition to the Google Photos app. In its document, Google states that ‘It may take time to see your contributions impact your account, but your input will help improve existing features and build new ones, like improved suggestions on which photos to print or higher quality creations that you would like.’ As of now, this feature is only available on Android devices.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photographer captures the highest resolution snowflake photos in the world

12 Nov
Image credit: ‘Ice Queen’ by Nathan Myhrvold

For many in the northern hemisphere, winter’s cold grip is just around the corner. With the cold comes snow, a beautiful photographic subject. Few photographers capture snow quite like photographer Nathan Myhrvold. His microscopic images of snowflakes showcase extraordinary detail and natural beauty.

Of his snowflake subjects, Myhrvold says, ‘Snowflakes are a great example of hidden beauty. Water, an incredibly familiar thing to all of us, is quite unfamiliar when you see it in this different view. The intricate beauty of snowflakes derives from their crystal structure, which is a direct reflection of the microscopic aspects of the water molecule.’

Myhrvold faced numerous challenges when photographing snowflakes. They are small, fragile objects only a few millimeters across. Further, snowflakes of course melt, but they also sublimate. Both processes break down the structure of snowflakes and reduce their sharp edges and details. Time and temperature both acted against Myhrvold, so he had to come up with solutions.

‘No Two Alike’ by Nathan Myhrvold

Over about 18 months, Myhrvold designed and built a custom snowflake camera. His camera, which he states is the highest-resolution snowflake camera in the world, uses a 100MP medium format Phase One image sensor adapted to a microscope objective. Myhrvold designed an optical path to fill the image area of the large medium format sensor, allowing him to capture large, sharp images.

To slow down the natural melting and vaporization process of snowflakes, the microscope has a cooling stage, allowing Myhrvold to capture enough images to create a focus stacked final photograph. Further, the camera is paired with high-speed LED lights to reduce the heat output of the lights and allow Myhrvold to quickly capture his images. The camera has a minimum shutter speed of 500ms.

Building the equipment is only one part of the challenge, you must also have beautiful snowflakes to work with. Myhrvold shot on location in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. He says that some of the best snowflakes found were between -15° and -20° F (-26 to -29° C). In the images in this article, we see the following types of snow crystals: sector plates, stellar dendrites and fernlike stellar dendrites.

‘Yellowknife Flurry’ by Nathan Myhrvold

To view more of Nathan Myhrvold’s work, which comprises a wide range of subjects from landscapes to food and much more, click here. He also has galleries in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Seattle and San Diego.

Image credit: All photos captured by Nathan Myhrvold and used with permission

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How Joe Biden’s drone light show came together — and what it could mean for the industry

12 Nov
A composite of two of the formations seen in the drone show Saturday, following the announcement that Joe Biden was projected to become the next president of the United States.

This past Saturday, major news outlets announced former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate and senator Kamala Harris as the projected winners of the 2020 presidential election. Biden and Harris addressed the world later that evening with speeches that concluded with a drone and fireworks light show.

The drone show especially excited many in the rapidly-growing industry, after years of negative media coverage and concerns about overregulation. Numerous unconfirmed sightings of drones near airports and aircraft, in addition to rulemaking proposed for Remote ID, reportedly set to be decided by year’s end, are a clear indicator that drones continue to be controversial.

That’s why it’s such a big deal that a formation of drones was used on Saturday night, so close to two people about to become among the most powerful (and most closely-guarded) in the world. After a bit of sleuthing, we were able to confirm that the company responsible for the light show was Verge Aero, based in Pennsylvania.

‘This event is certainly a first on many fronts,’ Nils Thorjussen, Verge Aero’s CEO, tells DPReview. ‘While I’m unable discuss the event in detail, there were many unique challenges we’ve never faced before, as you can imagine.’

Drone light shows have been around for several years, but they don’t come cheap. It takes anywhere from fifty to tens of thousands of drones to form illuminated shapes in the sky, and when the cost of setup, plus travel and accommodation for a staff of trained professionals is factored in, they’re typically very expensive.

Mass light shows with hundreds of drones might be beyond the means of most of us, but, says Thorjussen, ‘we’re developing the tools to make drone light shows more accessible.’

He predicts that ‘soon enough, as with other technologies in the past, they’ll become more affordable and mainstream.’ Good news for an industry that all too often is on the wrong side of the headlines.

To learn more about all the components that go into a drone light show, head over to Verge Aero’s blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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