Tag: Life

Kodak Digitizing Box service breathes life into old media with minimal effort

There’s no shortage of ways to digitize your old film photos, videos, taps, and audio recordings on mediums long extinct. But Kodak is hoping you’ll eschew other methods in favor of its new Kodak Digitizing Box.

As the name suggests, the Kodak Digitizing Box is a simple solution to bringing analogue content into the digital world through the careful hands of professionals. In Kodaks own words, “The Kodak Digitizing Box brings a modern version of Kodak’s yellow envelope back to customer door steps and aims to make the daunting task of digitizing aging media easy,”

The boxes, which arrived with a pre-paid shipping label for easy returns, are available in four sizes: 3 piece, 10 piece, 20 piece, and 40 piece, and are priced at $ 59.99, $ 169.99, $ 289.99, and $ 559.99, respectively. One “piece” can consist of an audio tape, video tape, roll of film, or 25 photos. The below image details what type of media is able to be digitized.

After the box is shipped off, you will begin to receive email notifications throughout the digitization process. Kodak says to allow up to five to six weeks for everything to be digitized.

Once the digitization is finished, the resulting content — and the original media sent in — is returned on DVDs, a USB thumb drive, or via digital downloads, depending on your preference.

To find out more, head on over to the Kodak Digitizing Box website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 14, 2018
How to Photograph Your Everyday Family Life
Raising kids is beautiful chaos

From breakfast to bedtime, raising kids is chaos. But there are hundreds of beautiful moments along the way if you train your heart and eyes to see them. Right in the heart of the chaos, you can beautifully capture mundane everyday moments of family life in photographs.

In order to capture your everyday family life in photos, there are four areas you will want to cover:
- Gear to use.
- What to photograph.
- Creative skills.
- Discovering lifelong projects.
1. Gear

“Photographers, like few other kinds of artists I can imagine, have an insanely personal relationship with their gear.” – David DuChemin

I will begin with gear because you will dramatically increase your chances of great photos throughout the day when you are well prepared.

Minimal Gear

I’m a fan of using minimal gear for anything that I’m photographing, including my own family life. You might find that constantly worrying about upgrading your camera or using too many different lenses will actually distract you from the little moments that are happening all around you.

Settle on a camera and then forget about all the new options that come along. Pretty soon you’ll discover which lens is your favorite. Use that lens often, but try a different one every now and then to expand your creative abilities.

iPhone

“The best camera is the one that’s with you.” – Chase Jarvis

Many families invest in a DSLR camera such as the Canon Rebel, but then it’s too difficult for them to use. So they often find themselves using their phone instead.

Don’t feel bad about using your smartphone to take pictures. Though the technology may differ, any camera is better than no camera. The principles of creative photography are the same no matter what camera you’re using.

Because it’s so easy to carry, your phone is normally the camera that you are ready to take a picture with any given moment.

I began capturing family moments with my iPhone 4s as a challenge to take interesting photos no matter what camera I had with me.

Keep your camera close

Whatever camera you’re using, make sure that it’s normally within arms reach. When you see a great moment happening you can reach for your camera and turn it on as you’re lifting it to your eye. I also leave my lens cap off at all times. I’ve never damaged a lens and don’t want to fumble over lens caps while a great moment passes me by.

Keep your battery charged

How many times have you seen a family member miss a great photo because their camera battery died? I see this happen during every single special occasion just as the best moments are happening!

You should always have a spare battery and have it charged and ready. I don’t wait for my first battery to be drained before I charge it. As soon as it begins to drain I switch them.

Don’t leave your camera in manual mode

How many times have you quickly picked up your camera to take a few pictures only to discover that the settings were totally wrong? Perhaps you used your camera in manual mode outdoors in the bright light and then forgot to set it before capturing a quick moment indoors.

The indoor photo will be underexposed or completely dark. To avoid this I always leave my camera set on aperture priority. I do this because I don’t want to forget to adjust the settings if it was left in manual mode.

A clean 50mm lens

I recommend that everyone own a 50mm lens. They are wonderful for achieving bokeh and perform well in low light.

This photo was taken with a 50mm lens at f/2.5. The background is blurred, but you can still tell the context.

But no matter what lens you are using, make sure to keep it clean! The easiest way to improve photo quality is to keep the lens clean from fingerprints and dust.

Messy toddler hands force me to clean my lens several times a day!

2. What to photograph

With minimal gear, charged batteries and a clean lens the question then becomes, “What should I photograph?” The answer is literally, anything.

Capture the obvious moments that are important to you. Maybe first steps, first foods, siblings playing, day trips to the beach. But begin to consider the less obvious moments as well.

“I look around the edges for those little askew moments — kind of like what makes up our lives – those slightly awkward, lovely moments.” – Keith Carter

Breakfast

“If the home is a body, the table is the heart, the beating center, the sustainer of life and health.” – Shauna Niquist

Remember going to restaurants with your parents and the server would bring you a coloring book? Those are the little things to photograph.

Chores

I love it when the kids help with the chores, especially when it adds to my series of window photos.

Playing outside

Especially when photographing outdoor adventures, consider taking enough photos to tell a story.

One year the bay flooded and came right up into our yard. The kids got the idea to drag their swimming pool along and use it as a boat! I wasn’t about to miss out on that photo op!

After launching their boat they discovered that some huge fish had come to live in our flooded yard!

Wanting a different perspective, I decided to wade into the water myself.

To come up with an interesting series of photos, try to capture events from beginning to end. Use a variety of angles and perspectives, and go for the close-up!

Snacks

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

Grown-ups eat without thinking, but snacks really make kids cheer up! She is lit by a window off to the side and warm colored light just above her head.

Playing inside

Is there a child alive who can resist playing the piano? One thing I was careful to do with this photo was to frame it in such a way as to cut out the background clutter. It forced me to get nice and close.

For a totally different perspective try looking through toys to take the picture.

My kids love glow sticks and I love the challenge of low light photography! This is when a 50mm lens with a large aperture of f/1.8 comes in handy! I bumped up the ISO to 5000 and slowed the shutter speed to 1/15th of a second to get this shot.

The texture in this photo is brought out by a window back-lighting the scene.

Day trips

Sometimes play for me is photographing a challenging scene like this.

Museums are a way to work exciting new things into your photos.

My son loved playing with his toy roundhouse and crane. This photo allowed me to capture the real-life versions of the toys my son loved playing with.

Dinner

“The shared meal is no small thing. It is a foundation of family life, the place where our children learn the art of conversation and acquire the habits of civilization: sharing, listening, taking turns, navigating differences, arguing without offending.” – Michael Pollan

Backlight or sidelight helps to capture steam in a photo.

Golden Hour

I love to time our family walks so that I can take some golden hour photos.

I love golden hour so much that I’ll even photograph it indoors.

Sick days

Even when my daughter is sick, she lets her funny personality shine. We kept a bowl by her bed just in case, but it made a good helmet too!

Sunsets

Photographing a sunset outdoors is the obvious choice. But when your living room window offers a good view, don’t miss the chance for a different perspective.

Kids sleeping

This is a perfect example of using an iPhone to take photos of your family life. My DSLR would have made a lot of noise. So I grabbed my iPhone 4s and turned the sound off to take this photo.

A higher ISO and slower shutter speed were used to capture this low light photo.

3. Creative Skills

“The real tools of our craft are not the camera and lens: they are mood and composition and the visual language of the photograph. Spend more time learning those and no matter what camera you use, you’ll make compelling photographs.” – David DuChemin

In order to capture all these moments, you need to master some essential skills. We’ll discuss creativity, basic camera settings, patience, and editing.

Angles

Choosing different camera angles will instantly make your photos more exciting and add variety to the hundreds of moments you’ll be capturing.

Try angles such as bird’s eye view, face to face and low angle.

I used a bird’s eye view to photograph this scene of my kids drawing.

I used a high angle to capture the scene as it began to turn chaotic!

Finally, I came in for a slightly low angle “face-to-face” shot before things spun completely out of control. By using a variety of angles and getting in close, everyday family life can be just as fun for the photographer as the kids!

Background

Backgrounds are good for two things; telling a story or getting in the way.

If the background does not help add anything to your photo then try to make it disappear. In all the photos in this article, I tried to eliminate the background as much as possible, or use it to create a context in the photo. Look back and decide which one you think I chose.

If your background is beautiful or adds to the story of your photo then be careful to make the background a strong part of your photo. Allow me to illustrate with Lego!

This shady Lego character was photographed with a clutter-free neutral background.

This is the same Lego character, but this time there is a Lego train in the background adding some context to the photo.

ISO

When you are in low light situations and you’re using a new camera you should raise your ISO as high as possible (3200 or 6400). A higher ISO will help your camera to absorb more of the dim light and help your photo to be brighter.

True, a higher ISO may introduce some grain or digital noise into your photo, but isn’t a grainy photo better than a blurry photo or no photo at all?

This naptime photo was captured with an ISO of 3200.

Sharp photos

If you’re in low light and using a lens with a large aperture (f/1.8) and a high ISO (3200 or 6400) then the last thing to consider is your shutter speed. If your shutter speed is too slow your photos might become blurry for two reasons. Perhaps your subject moved. This happens all the time with kids! Or perhaps you moved the camera, even slightly, as you took the photo.

You need to steady yourself as much as possible while you take the photo and wait for the moment (however brief it may be) when your subject is still.

You could also embrace the creative side of a slow shutter speed!

This was taken with the iPhone 4s on a cloudy evening. I knew the shutter speed would be slow. I walked backward while my daughter walked toward me. This kept my daughter sharper than the moving background. Motion blur is fun to experiment with, try it!

Inspiration

Look for inspiration among street, food and portrait photographers. Anything you can learn from different photographers will help you to photograph your everyday family life better.

Patience

I cannot over-stress the absolute importance of patience as you photograph your everyday family life (especially with toddlers). So many possible moments and photos will be ruined if you refuse to be patient.

Perhaps you have a photo in mind but the kids aren’t cooperating. Losing your patience will only lead to anger on your part and frustration from the kids. Your kids will learn that picture time is no fun and cringe every time you bring out your camera.

Edit and Print

Finally, you need to prepare your photos for print. Consider adding your favorite photos to a photo book or making larger prints for your home. Do not skip the printing stage, this is what gives your photos a real life of their own rather than just existing on a hard drive.

4. Discovering Lifelong Projects

As you sift through your photos over the years, you may notice that patterns begin to emerge.

Many people start photography projects from scratch, but you can also create photography projects based on photos you have already taken.

I had taken a number of photos of my kids playing near our living room window. When I put them together, I realized I had been working on a series without even realizing it! After that I began to think of that window as a canvas, waiting to see what would happen on it.

This is a small number of my living room window photos. When the collection is complete I’ll figure out how I want to present it. Perhaps a photo book, or a series of large prints in a recreation room. Maybe I could use them to illustrate a collection of essays.

Conclusion

Your life and family are unique. Whatever gets you excited to grab your camera, do it. Whatever will keep you up late at night sorting and editing. What will get you printing your images? Those are the things worth photographing.

Whatever chaos your family produces around you is an opportunity to create beauty with your camera.

I would like to know which tip has been most helpful to you and I’d love to see some of your prized family life photos in the comments below.

The post How to Photograph Your Everyday Family Life appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
September 26, 2018
10 Lightroom Tricks That Will Make Your Life Easier

When it comes to Lightroom, there is a lot to learn, and we tend to pay the most attention to the big things like understanding how to organize images and which sliders to use to improve our photos. But there are also lots of little Lightroom tricks that will improve your workflow and just make your life easier when it comes to working with your photos.

In this video, I’ll show you 10 of my favorite tricks that will make your life easier in Lightroom. There is also a summary of these items below the video for your reference. Enjoy!

1. Build Previews

Have you ever noticed that when you view images full size in the Library Module and you move from one to the next, sometimes Lightroom shows a message that says “Loading…” and it takes a minute for the photo to display properly? You can get around that by building previews before you start working on a group of images.

To do this, choose Library > Previews > Build Standard-Sized Previews.

I generally build standard-sized previews which are just big enough to fit in the Lightroom window. You can also build the 1:1 Previews which means you can view each image zoomed-in at 100% without having to wait, but that takes longer.

Building the previews first does take a bit of time, but you can do something else while Lightroom is busy with this task. Then when you are ready to work on your images, Lightroom will be really fast.

2. Auto Advance

When selecting your Picks or adding a star rating to images in the Library Module, you can have Lightroom automatically move to the next image, making it very quick to go through a selection of photos. To turn this setting on choose Photo > Auto Advance.

3. Solo Mode

In the Develop Module, there are a number of panels which, when expanded, can make it necessary to do a lot of scrolling to move between them. But with “solo mode”, only one panel can be opened at a time which means no more scrolling.

To turn this on, right-click to the left of one of the develop module panel titles (such as “basic”) and choose Solo Mode.

4. Quickly Reset a Slider

When you make a change to a slider in the Develop Module, and you simply want to reset it back to zero, you don’t have to actually move the slider back. Simply double-click on the name of the slider and it will reset.

5. Letter O Key

Did you know there are quite a few different crop overlays you can use to help you crop your photos just right? Click the crop tool in the Develop Module, and then try repeatedly pressing the letter O on your keyboard to rotate through the various crop overlays.

6. Letter F Key

When you think you are done and you want to view a larger size of your image to make sure everything is just right, press the letter F on your keyboard to view the image full screen. Press F again to go back.

7. Letter L Key

Another way to view your image without distractions is to use the L key on your keyboard. Press it once and all the sidebars and your desktop will turn grey. Press it again and everything goes black except your actual photos (this is called Lights Out). Press it a third time to return to normal.

8. Backslash Key

As a final check when you think you are done with your processing, press the backslash key on your keyboard to see the “before” version of your image before you made any changes in Lightroom. Press it again to see the “after” version.

9. Virtual Copies

If you want to make another version of an image without changing the original, you don’t have to actually make a copy of it on your hard drive. You can simply create a “virtual copy” and apply different settings to it. This virtual copy takes up no space on your hard drive and allows you to play with different looks.

10. Sync Settings

After you have finished processing one photo in a group, you can apply those exact settings to all the other photos in the group. This makes it very fast to process a whole group of images.

Go to the Library Module, select all the photos you want to apply the settings to, including the one you have processed, and click the “Sync Settings” button in the lower right corner of your screen. You can then choose whether to sync all or just some of the settings to the selected photos.

Lightroom can be overwhelming! If you want to learn the essentials of Lightroom so you can get started quickly and easily, check out my video course Launch Into Lightroom. In 22 short videos that total a little over 2 hours, you’ll be off and running.

The post 10 Lightroom Tricks That Will Make Your Life Easier appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

September 4, 2018

Nikon D3500 gets smaller and cheaper, battery life gets a boost

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Nikon has replaced its entry-level D3400 DSLR with the aptly named D3500. The main change is that the body is similar to that of the even-smaller D5600, minus the articulating touchscreen display. The D3500 is also cheaper than its predecessor, with a list price of just $ 499 with an AF-P 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 VR lens, compared to $ 649 for a D3400 kit.

Nikon has also managed to increase battery life by 30% to 1550 shots per charge, despite using the same processor and battery as the D3400.

The D3500 has the same 24MP DX-format CMOS sensor, 11-point AF system, easy-to-use Guide Mode, 1080/60p video and Bluetooth-only connectivity as the D3400.

As mentioned above, the D3500 will sell for $ 499 with an 18-55mm kit lens. A two-lens kit which includes the 18-55 as well as a non-VR AF-P 70-300 F4.5-6.3G ED lens will be priced at $ 849. Both kits will ship in September.

Press Release

THE NEW NIKON D3500: CAPTURE AND SHARE YOUR TREASURED MOMENTS WITH THE LIGHTEST, FRIENDLIEST NIKON DSLR YET

The Redesigned Nikon D3500 is the Most Portable Entry-Level Nikon DSLR Ever, and the Easiest Way to Capture the Moments that Matter Most

MELVILLE, NY (AUGUST 30, 2018 at 12:01 A.M. EDT) – Today, Nikon unveiled the new Nikon D3500, a compact, entry-level DSLR that makes capturing the world easier and more convenient than ever. The 24.2-megapixel D3500 features an updated CMOS image sensor and Nikon EXPEED image processor to capture sharp details and vivid colors, and is packed with easy-to-use features that help first-time DSLR users start capturing better photos and video right away.

With its ergonomic and lightweight body, approximately 1,550 shots on a single charge and convenient features like Nikon SnapBridge¹ and helpful Guide Mode, the Nikon D3500 is a great option for parents, travelers and photo enthusiasts who are eager to take their photography to the next level.

“The Nikon D3500 is ideal for consumers who are looking to easily capture the kinds of images that their smartphone simply cannot match, and share them seamlessly with family and friends,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “The D3500 reaffirms our commitment to releasing convenient DX-format DSLR options for those just discovering photography.”

Capture Stunning Images and Video with Ease

The Nikon D3500 is bursting with high-performance features that help first-time DSLR users capture amazing images in a variety of situations. The camera’s broad ISO range of 100-25,600 makes it easy to capture sharp, clear images in low-light shooting situations with very little noise, while the 11-point autofocus (AF) System locks onto subjects, even fast-moving pets or children to help ensure that fleeting moments aren’t missed. The D3500 also features built-in Effect Modes to help entry-level users discover and express their personal creative vision.

Additionally, the Nikon D3500 is capable of continuous shooting up to five frames-per-second (fps), helping to capture candid moments with ease. The Nikon D3500 is also equipped with Full HD 1080/60p video capability. Users can switch from shooting photos to video at the press of a button, allowing them to capture spur-of-the-moment memories that will last a lifetime with stunning sharpness and clarity.

To further expand creativity, the in-camera Guide Mode gives new DSLR users the tools they need to learn about their new camera’s capabilities and become better, more knowledgeable photographers.

All these amazing features have been incorporated into a new ergonomic and lightweight design featuring a more comfortable, deeper grip and the slim monocoque body design similar to the Nikon D5600. The new design also features a more beginner-friendly and intuitive control layout, with a larger playback button and the most frequently-used controls all relocated to the right side of the camera’s LCD where they are easiest to access.

The redesigned Nikon D3500 is ideal for a fast-paced on-the-go lifestyle, making it the perfect companion for any family event or travel adventure.

Always Connected for Easy Sharing

Sharing photos with the ones you love is easier than ever with the Nikon D3500 and Nikon SnapBridge app. The D3500 uses Bluetooth²to create an always-on³ connection between the camera and a compatible smart device, making it possible to seamlessly share 2MP images to social media as they are captured. Additionally, D3500 users will now be able to trigger their camera remotely via Bluetooth using SnapBridge. Nikon SnapBridge users can also access Nikon Image Space⁴, a free online image sharing and storage service that preserves memories in the cloud.

Pricing and Availability

The Nikon D3500 will be available in a two-lens kit option, including the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED, for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $ 849.95* in September 2018. A Nikon D3500 single-lens kit with the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR will also be available for (SRP) of $ 499.95* in September 2018. For more information on the new Nikon D3500, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Nikon D3500 specifications

Price
MSRP	Body w/AF-P 18-55mm VR lens ($ 499), body w/AF-P 18-55mm VR and 70-300 F4.5-6.3 non-VR lenses ($ 849)
Body type
Body type	Compact SLR
Body material	Composite
Sensor
Max resolution	6000 x 4000
Other resolutions	4496 x 3000, 2992 x 2000
Image ratio w:h	3:2
Effective pixels	24 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors	25 megapixels
Sensor size	APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor type	CMOS
Processor	Expeed 4
Color space	sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array	Primary color filter
Image
ISO	Auto, 100-25600
White balance presets	12
Custom white balance	Yes
Image stabilization	No
Uncompressed format	RAW
JPEG quality levels	Fine, Normal, Basic
File format	JPEG (Exif v2.3) NEF (RAW, 12-bit)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi-area Center Selective single-point Tracking Single Continuous Face Detection Live View
Autofocus assist lamp	Yes
Digital zoom	No
Manual focus	Yes
Number of focus points	11
Lens mount	Nikon F
Focal length multiplier	1.5×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Fixed
Screen size	3″
Screen dots	921,000
Touch screen	No
Screen type	TFT LCD
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage	95%
Viewfinder magnification	0.85× (0.57× 35mm equiv.)
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	30 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/4000 sec
Exposure modes	Program Shutter priority Aperture priority Manual
Scene modes	Auto Auto [Flash Off] Child Close-up Landscape Night Portrait Portrait Sports Special effects
Built-in flash	Yes (Pop-up)
Flash range	7.00 m (at ISO 100)
External flash	Yes (via hot shoe or wireless)
Flash modes	Auto, Auto slow sync, Auto slow sync with red-eye reduction, Auto with red-eye reduction, Fill-flash, Off, Rear-curtain sync, Rear-curtain with slow sync, Red-eye reduction, Red-eye reduction with slow sync, Slow sync
Flash X sync speed	1/200 sec
Drive modes	Single-frame Self-timer Quiet shutter-release Quick response remote Delayed remote Continuous
Continuous drive	5.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes (2, 5, 10, 20 secs (1-9 exposures))
Metering modes	Multi Center-weighted Spot AF-area
Exposure compensation	±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
WB Bracketing	No
Videography features
Resolutions	1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps)
Format	MPEG-4, H.264
Modes	1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone	Mono
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	SD/SDHC/SDXC
Connectivity
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
USB charging	No
HDMI	Yes (mini-HDMI)
Microphone port	No
Headphone port	No
Wireless	Built-In
Wireless notes	SnapBridge (Bluetooth only)
Remote control	Yes (via smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed	No
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	EN-EL14a lithium-ion battery and charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	1550
Weight (inc. batteries)	365 g (0.80 lb / 12.87 oz)
Dimensions	124 x 97 x 70 mm (4.88 x 3.82 x 2.76″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
Timelapse recording	No
GPS	None

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

August 30, 2018

The Best Camera Gear for Food and Still Life Photography
I get a lot of questions about the gear I use in my food and still life photography, particularly from those just starting out in these genres. Buying the wrong equipment can be an expensive mistake. This is a list of the best camera gear I have found to work for me and a lot of the still life photographers that I know.

That being said, take the time to research what works for you and your budget. Also, think about your end goal. If you’re a blogger, your needs will be different than those of a photographer shooting product advertising.

Cameras

First, you need to decide if you will use a camera with a cropped sensor or a full-frame camera. This will likely be determined by your budget.

A cropped sensor is cheaper for a camera manufacturer to make, which makes decent digital cameras available to a wide variety of consumers. Keep in mind that the focal length of your lenses will be different on a cropped sensor camera. For example, on a full-frame camera, a 50mm will behave like a 50mm. Put that same lens on a camera with a cropped sensor, it will behave more like an 80mm. Your shots will be nowhere near as wide.

Also, make sure that the camera you choose can shoot RAW images–not just JPEGs. If you intend to shoot professionally, file size matters. If your work is going to be printed, you need at least a 12-megapixel camera.

I shoot with a full frame Canon 5D Mark II.

As a food or still life photographer, you’ll find that you won’t need most of the bells and whistles that the modern digital cameras on the market offer. Look for the detail the camera will provide, especially if you’re shooting professionally. The camera should have several focus points and handle noise relatively well. It should also have a tethering feature. If you can afford a full-frame camera, I would invest in one right off the bat.

Lenses

Every camera manufacturer has a series of lenses for the amateur and another for the pro photographer. However, if you are a pro shooter, this doesn’t mean that you should only stick to a pro series, such as the Canon L-Series, for example. There are some good options without the hefty price tag that a pro series brings. That being said, lenses are where you should spend the majority of your budget and you should look at them as a long-term investment in your craft.

Your most pressing concerns when shopping for a lens is the sharpness, so your focus should be on prime lenses. Prime lenses are sharper than zoom lenses.

An excellent lens to have in your kit is a 100mm macro lens. This lens is not just for macro or close up shots, although obviously, it’s great at this. By pulling further away from your set, you can get very nice portrait-style shots as well. The focal length will give you that lovely blurred background that is so coveted in food photography.

I have the consumer grade 100mm f/2.8 from Canon and it’s razor sharp. If you can only get one lens, this is the one I’d recommend.

I also recommend a zoom lens, such as a 24-70mm f/2.8 or 24-105mm f/4. I have both in Canon’s L-Series and find the 24-70mm much sharper than the 24-105mm. The 24-105mm is the kit lens when you buy a Canon 5D.
Although the 24-70mm is a zoom lens, I find it very sharp.

Lenses I use.

The 50mm can also be a useful lens, especially if you don’t have a zoom. This lens is good for overhead shots and tablescapes. For food and still life photography, 50mm is considered a wide angle lens. If you’re shooting only an item or two straight-on or at 45 degrees, you will likely have too much of the background and surface in your frame.

You will need to have large backgrounds if you use the lens this way. If you get a 24-70mm, then you can shoot your overhead shots by setting it at 50mm.

If you’re not sure which lenses you should get, try renting a couple. Check the sharpness and focal length before spending a large sum of money. Photographers have their own style and thus tend to shoot within a preferred range of focal lengths. For example, I am usually between 60-80mm on my full frame camera.

This food image was shot at 50mm (left) and another shot at 60mm (right). You can see the 50mm leaves too much negative space and the background is not big enough. These were shot with the camera in the exact same position, close to the scene, etc.

Studio Lighting and Modifiers

If you want to shoot food or still life professionally, you’ll need to master studio lighting. You can rent studio lights or buy your own. Even if don’t have your own studio, you will benefit from having your own lights if you can afford them. Many studio rental places don’t open early enough to allow you to transport and set up your camera gear before the arrival time of your client.

If you’re a blogger venturing into the world of artificial lighting, you may want to start with a continuous light, like an LED. I recommend that you do not get a set of those Lowel EGO lights that so many bloggers are crazy about. They are too bright and at the same time, don’t have enough spread.

You need to be able to work with strobes if you want to shoot professionally for clients. These are expensive lights, so try to make a good choice initially with these. Make sure they have at least 400 to 500Ws (stands for Watt-seconds, is a measurement of flash output) power and that you are able to modify the light with grids and softboxes.

An example lighting setup using a large softbox as the light modifier.

Great lights at a medium price are the Hensel Integra Pro plus 500, or my personal favorite, the Elinchrom ELC HD Pro 500w set. The Elinchrom monolights have clean and consistent light from shot to shot, and they fire fast enough to freeze motion or liquid splashes, a feature found in the high-end and pricey lighting systems.

For a cheaper system that is great to start with, check out the Bowens Gemini 500. The big benefit of using Bowens is that its S-mount is a common modifier mount, which allows you to use a variety of inexpensive modifiers with your strobes. In terms of modifiers, get at least one softbox in the largest size you can find and afford. The larger the softbox, the softer the light.

When shooting food and still life, you will also need a large diffuser to soften the light as it hits your subjects. I use a 59×79-inch diffusor placed right up against my set. This creates a large, soft light source and prevents any unwanted light from spilling onto the set.

Get a good reflector as well to bounce more light into shadowy areas when needed.

You can also use plain white boards as reflectors in tight spots. Get some clamps to hold them in place as I have done here.

Shot with a large soft light source.

Tripod

A tripod is necessary when shooting food, product, or still life images because the objective is very sharp photos. This often means shooting at lower shutter speeds, which can introduce camera shake into your images if you are hand-holding and working in natural light.

Shooting in these genres is about creating a scene, which is a process of building and assessing. You’ll find yourself constantly adjusting your set-ups, adding items or taking them away, or otherwise moving them around to get the perfect shot. This type of photography is not about catching a decisive moment, but about deliberately creating a visual story through the placement of objects. You need to compose to the camera.

Working with a tripod is also important if you are doing a series of shots and need consistency in your set-ups, or if you’re focus stacking or using scripts in Photoshop.

A tripod is essential for framing your shots.

Software

You will need a professional grade image editing software program to get the most out of your food or still life pictures. Adobe’s Lightroom can give you most of the tools you need to create awesome images at a relatively low price. It’s a powerful program that is intuitive and user-friendly. Not only does it have great editing capabilities, it also acts as an archive for all the image files you have on your hard disk.

Lightroom functions best as a global editor. It helps you make adjustments globally to the whole image. In contrast, Photoshop is a pixel editor. It helps you work with the actual pixels in a given image. There is a lot you can do in Photoshop that you can’t do in Lightroom, such as compositing (combining multiple images into one).

As a professional photographer, I do most of my editing in Lightroom. Then I take my images over to Photoshop to do what Lightroom cannot, or doesn’t do as well. Photoshop has the powerful tools that I need to give me the refined look I’m seeking.

Read my other article: How to Edit Food Photography Images Using Lightroom

The difference between the before and after images is subtle but processing your food images is important.

If you’re just starting out, Lightroom will deliver everything you need to make great pictures.

If you’re working on professional packaging design, Capture One Pro is mandatory. With this program, you can upload an overlay of the packaging artwork to determine where the elements in the image should sit on the packaging. It will make the shooting process go a lot faster and a creative director will likely expect you to work this way.

Shot and processed to be dark and moody.

Tethering

If you’re serious about food photography, you’ll need to shoot tethered.

Tethering is when you connect your camera to a computer via a USB cable so you’re able to view a larger rendition of your image in software such as Lightroom or Capture One Pro. Being able to see your images on the computer as you shoot them is hugely advantageous.

Photographing food and still lifes is a detail-oriented process. A misplaced sprig of basil can ruin your image or create hours of work for you in Photoshop. Such errors can easily be avoided when you can see your work brought to life on a much larger screen than your camera LCD can provide.

If you’re working with clients, they’ll expect you to be shooting tethered. Shooting food, in particular, is a collaborative process that often involves a creative director and a food stylist, who both play a role in the final composition of an image.

To tether to your computer, I recommend a gold-tipped USB cable called a High-Speed USB cable Type A to Mini B. The gold tips prevent them from corroding. Make sure that the cable is no more than 10-15 feet long. The longer ones tend to have problems transferring data. Always have at least a couple of them in your kit so you don’t get stuck, as things don’t always last as long as you’d hope.

Shooting tethered setup. You get to see the image on the computer screen shortly after you shoot it and it appears automatically when tethering is on.

Other Miscellaneous Items

Besides extra memory cards and batteries, there are a few other items you will need to invest in if you’re serious about food and still life photography. Here are the basics:
- Shutter Release – This is a device that you connect to your camera to depress the shutter. Even if you’re working on a tripod, pressing the shutter can cause a small vibration that can introduce camera shake that will make your images less than sharp.
- Backup Drives – Always back up your work to an external drive. Preferably more than one. Hard drives fail all the time, so you need at least two if not three copies of your files, kept in separate places. You should also be backing up while you work.
- Backgrounds – Food and still life photography require backgrounds and surfaces to enhance the subject. These can be purchased expensively online, or you can make your own. One of my favorite style of backgrounds that I use repeatedly in my work is painted canvas. You can buy a large canvas painters drop cloth at a hardware store and cut it into pieces, which you can then paint to suit your needs. You can buy paint samples at the hardware store too. These painted pieces of canvas make inexpensive backgrounds that can be rolled up and put away without taking up a lot of space.
- A Level – Another purchase from the hardware store is a small level, the kind you use in construction or when hanging pictures. A level placed on your camera once it’s set up will show you if your camera is straight. This is very important when taking overhead shots (like the one below).
In Conclusion

It’s easy to go crazy with equipment. Don’t fall into the trap that you need tons of the best camera gear to shoot properly. At the same time, don’t buy the cheapest version of what you need.

Quality is important and will take you a long way in getting the best shots you can. Start out with the bare necessities and invest as your budget allows.

The post The Best Camera Gear for Food and Still Life Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
July 4, 2018
How to Simplify Your Life as a Photographer
Whether you’re an amateur or a professional photographer, complexity, confusion, and chaos are your enemies. When your life is chaotic and you’re feeling out of sorts, you’ll be unfocused and your photography will suffer. As a creative person, the last thing you want is to neglect your creative pursuits like photography.

“The more simple we are, the more complete we become.” – August Rodin

Here are 5 ways for you to simplify your life so that you can focus clearly on your life and love of photography.

Embrace simplicity in your photos by including as little as possible in the frame. In this photo, I eliminated the foreground as well as boats and other objects that could have been in the frame. All our attention is drawn to the clouds and the lighthouse in the distance.

1. Tidy up a mess

“Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris

One of the simplest ways to bring some order to life around you is to tidy up a mess. Find space that you’ve got control over and clean it up. Start with your desk, or clean up your bedroom. Maybe you’ve got piles of stuff laying around the house. Choose one pile, sort it out, and put it away.

Once your space is clean, make it beautiful. Make a print of your favorite photo and frame it. Place it on your desk or hang it on the wall. Creating a tidy and beautiful space around you will help you simplify the chaos and encourage your creativity.

With nothing else present in this photo our full attention is drawn to the little jellyfish. Sometimes simplicity in photos is hard to achieve because there are so many other distracting elements.

2. Organize your photography gear

“There are two ways to be rich: One is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little.” – Jackie French Koller

Gather up all your photography gear into one place. This is especially helpful if you’ve got equipment stashed all over your house or apartment.

Clean it thoroughly, sort it out, and sell what you don’t need. By simplifying your gear, you’ll have fewer decisions to make and you’ll be freer to take photos when you’re in the moment.

For example, instead of wasting time wondering which of your eight lenses you should use, you’ll have three favorite ones from which to choose.

Silhouettes are an excellent way to simplify and draw attention to your photos. The frosty glass adds an interesting background.

Organizing and simplifying the gear you own is one way to simplify your life. But another way is to simplify your desire for more gear.

Photographers are notorious for suffering from GAS – gear acquisition syndrome. Buying new gear is necessary from time to time, but sometimes buying stuff is an easy way to feel like a photographer rather than actually being one.

Make the most of the gear you’ve alredy got and only purchase what will truly allow you to take more creative photos.

I love taking photos with my Fuji x100s because it has just one prime lens. I don’t have to think about lens choices or focal lengths. Instead, I forget about my camera and just observe what’s around me.

3. Learn one new thing

“Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.” – Martin H. Fischer

You’ve embraced simplicity by cleaning up some small space, you’ve made that space more beautiful by printing and framing one of your photos, and you’ve begun relieving your GAS.

Now, take your favorite camera and lens and go learn something new. But learn just one new thing at a time. As a creative photographer, you’re likely eager to learn many new things and become a better photographer. That is a worthy ambition. But don’t pile on too much learning at once. That will only hold you back.

Choose just one article, book, or course, and master that before moving on. DPS has a lot of tips and articles for you to learn from, but they have also organized and simplified topics with their books and courses.

I decided to spend some time trying to learn food photography. It’s a fun skill to study about. I needed to create some sort of background for this coffee mug and decided to stack up a few other mugs behind it. I like the repetitive pattern, another form of simplicity in photos.

4. Create a photography project

“Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.” – John Maeda

With your new learning, why not tackle a photography project?

Many photographers have thousands of disorganized and disconnected photographs. And they have dozens of ideas in mind for what they will photograph next. Make of list of everything you’re interested in trying as a project and then choose one thing from the list to accomplish.

I have a growing collection of silhouette photos with my living room window. Soon, I’ll gather them all together and choose my favorites for a photo book. The symmetry in this photo is an element of simplicity.

Instead of the chaos of too many options and ideas, choose one thing and bring it to life. Maybe you could take a day trip to a favorite location. Or gather together friends for a portrait project. Maybe you should sort through photos from the past and create a photo book.

In just a few days or weeks you could have a finished project and something new to hang in your tidied up space. Tackling a project will help simplify your life and bring order and accomplishment to your day.

Close-ups simplify portraits by eliminating distracting backgrounds. Toddlers and kids have lots of fun peering into the camera or playing peekaboo.

5. Photography business

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

It is natural for photographers to consider starting a photography business. It’s a natural move since entrepreneurs and creative people are cut from the same cloth. Starting a photography business may seem like the ultimate way to live as a photographer. But even with a business, you must keep it as simple as possible.

I love to show up early before family photo sessions. Arriving at the harbor at 5 am in the morning, I captured this beautiful silhouette of a father and son heading out on one of the Great Lakes to fish.

If you’re already in business consider ways that you can simplify your photography business:
- Keep your business aligned with what you actually love to photograph.
- Offer one type of photography rather than doing everything.
- Choose a simple pricing strategy.
- Create a simple mobile-friendly website.
- Put limits on how long your workday will be.
- Create simple systems to make your workday flow.
- Carve out lots of time for family and friendships.
I played baseball as a kid and feel nostalgic about it in the autumn months. Photographing a single object, such as a baseball, is a way to practice simplicity in your photography.

Start simple and make steady progress

Take the next 90 days (3 months) to simplify your life and your photography. Clean up your spaces, appreciate the gear you’ve got, learn just one new thing, and bring it all together with a photography project. If you have a photography business or are thinking of starting one – keep it simple by keeping all the parts simple.

Let me know in the comments what you plan to simplify first.

The post How to Simplify Your Life as a Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
June 4, 2018
Google ‘LIFE Tags’ uses AI to organize LIFE magazine’s 4 million-photo archive

Earlier today, Google revealed a few new projects that utilize its artificial intelligence technology at the intersection of education and culture, and one of those projects is called Google LIFE Tags. For the LIFE Tags project, Google used a computer vision algorithm to intelligently sort through, analyze, and tag 4,000,000 photos from LIFE Magazine’s publicly available archive.

LIFE Magazine initially ran from its launch in 1936 until 1972; it then resumed distribution in 1978, only to be suspended again in 2000. According to Google, the publication only used 5% of the millions of images that were taken for the magazine during its decades of operation—an archive that spans 1800m / 6000ft of space across three warehouse.

The archive’s enormous size makes it difficult to browse, and that’s where Google LIFE Tags comes in. The project, which is available now for anyone to use, organizes the archive based on objects found within the photos. Each object—such as “1937 Ford,” “Airbus,” “American bulldog,” and thousands more—are presented on the Google LIFE Tags website in the form of an interactive encyclopedia.

Visitors can browse images from LIFE Magazine’s photo archive that contain the particular objects or subjects they’re interested in by clicking the related tags on the project’s website.

Clicking the “camera” tag, for example, prompts the system to present more than 800 images containing cameras. Each category’s page includes a definition pulled from Wikipedia, as well as related tags that the visitor may be interested in, such as (in this case) things like “camera lens,” “filmmaking,” “photographer,” and “film camera.”

“Using thousands of automatically created labels,” Google explained in a blog post, “the tool turns this unparalleled record of recent history and culture into an interactive web of visuals everyone can explore.”

And honestly, we can’t imagine a better way to spend a few hours of time this evening than browsing through this incredible archive of imagery. Enjoy… and our apologies to your productivity.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

March 8, 2018
5 Lessons I Learned by Doing Still Life Photography

Still life is a particular style of photography that slowly lured me into its clutches. The gateway drug was, of course, food photography, and before I knew it, my weekends were spent combing secondhand shops for props and buying up linen in all different shades.

The popularity of Instagram has given rise to images of every different kind of food, drink, dessert, cake, and cocktail. You name it, someone is shooting it, adding a filter and posting online before they even taste it. Except for the one thing it really shows, is how hard it is to compose and take a good still life image, especially with a cell phone. There are a lot of really awful shots out there. Someone even made a hilarious video about the effort needed to get a good shot.

Of all of the techniques I have learned in my photography journey, none has taught me as much as doing still life work.

My first venture into still life – an Easter challenge that needed your hands in the image. This was before I had a wireless remote.

#1 – Slow Down, Breathe and Take Your Time

You need three things for a good still life shot – light, good composition and a subject. Pretty much the same as for any photographic image really. But one of the best things about still life is you can take as much time as you like. Usually shot inside with some control over the conditions and with a static subject, this gives you the freedom to be really present and experiment.

As seen in the video link above, the composition is a key element. Do you shoot the subject isolated? Will props help you tell more of a story? Is there a particular mood you are going for? How can you achieve that?

I bought these gerberas and shot them every day for a week until they were past their best. Each flower had its own distinct shape and character that needed time to bring out its best

What angle is most effective? Close-up or include more environment? Will flat lay (overhead) or side on be best?

Because you have more control over the conditions you can allow a lot of time and shoot the same subject in many different ways in one shoot. You may come out with one great shot or several good ones. It will certainly teach you a lot about how difficult it is to get a good shot.

My studio is my spare bedroom, one window, and a fold away craft table. Of course, a cat getting in the way!

2 – Composition is Key

Being a nature and landscape photographer originally, I am used to shooting things on a big scale. Lots of pretty mountains, lakes or sea, cloud-filled skies, and so on. A handy foreground element like a rock or driftwood or tussock is included for scale and to ground the image.

So when I tried to shoot much smaller things up close it was a bit of a shock to find how difficult it was to compose those images well.

One black background, one silver spoon, and some raspberries.

It is interesting to learn how a subtle difference in angle can affect the outcome of the image. How close or far away your camera is can completely change the balance of the subject within the frame. How scale becomes really important and a tool to be leveraged for the most effective images.

I spent hours taking so many shots, discarding nearly all of them over and over again until I figured out my problem. Complexity. I made the rookie mistake of trying to include too many elements, which threw off the balance of the composition. It was crowded and messy and the subject was overpowered by all the extra stuff I was shoving in the frame.

A black background, a silver spoon, and some raspberries. Taken at a different angle, closer up, more intimate and inviting. Subtle differences.

This is where lesson one really started to make sense. By taking the time to slow down, breathe and see my subject, see the possibilities, feel the story it was trying to tell me, I shot a lot less, but my keeper rate vastly improved.

The trick was keeping it simple and strong.

3 – See the Possibilities

This step naturally emerges after steps one and two. Once you take time to be in the moment with your subject, position it within the lighting you have, turn it this way and that, then it will show you its best side.

If you give yourself and your subject time to get to know each other, then its secrets will be revealed. It might be an onion, or it could even be a portrait, the same rule applies. If you take the time to get to know your subject, you begin to see different possibilities. Perhaps this background over here is less cluttered, maybe this plate enhances the natural color better, that rustic board gives a great farmhouse appeal.

Be the garlic clove! Feel the garlic clove! Hear its story.

I know, it sounds a bit zen and probably a bit corny, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Yes, you can take two seconds to position a shiny red apple and shoot it and have a perfectly acceptable image.

But what else might you end up with if you took 20 minutes, positioning the apple at different angles, on different surfaces? Maybe you cut it open or take a big bite out of it? Pose it with a glass of cider? Maybe you have a handful that looks great arranged in a decorative bowl?

The focus of this shot is the funny squiggle of butter on the bagel, but the story is Sunday Morning Brunch. Yes, it was delicious too!

Unless you give yourself time to relax and let the possibilities make themselves known to you, rather than focussing on one outcome, taking that shot and moving on, you will miss out on lots of opportunities. Plus you limit your chances to learn and grow as well.

I failed consistently when starting out with still life photography and it was really frustrating, but it made me work even harder. Once I did get it, the quality of my work improved faster than expected, which was a nice bonus.

4 – Go Abstract

It is easier to shoot something whole and give it obvious context so that the viewer doesn’t have to think about what they are seeing.

But how much more intriguing would your work become if the viewer did have to take some time to think about what they were seeing? Where it teased at the edge of their consciousness that they should know what the object is but couldn’t quite figure it out? What if your image stuck with them and niggled away in the back of their mind? Where they actually remember it out of the many hundreds of images seen that day scrolling past on their phone?

A metal bench in the city but taken side on and obvious context removed with the focus on the lines and the circles instead.

Don’t be afraid to go abstract. To shoot something in a way that hides its original shape, form, or purpose. Be as obscure as you like so long as it’s interesting and arresting. Obscurity for the sake of it may put people off rather than engaging them.

A piece of glacier iceberg taken up close from a boat to capture the intense blue color and the texture of the bubbles froze within the ice.

Again taking the time to look at your subject, seeing its possibilities and angles, and being creative all apply here. This tip you can easily take out into the world. There are many small intricate elements adorning the world if you take time to see them, interesting shapes revealed when you hide the obvious context. The devil is in the details, have fun finding them.

A wonderful art deco stairwell.

5 – Props

Props are an essential part of still life photography. They set the scene, the color tone, the mood and the feel of the image you are creating. Learning to prop and style a shot well was the hardest thing for me about still life. It’s difficult to do well without enough options to work with.

This doesn’t mean you need hundreds of dishes and bowls and towels and fabric and cutlery (though it’s easy to end up with them). But a few carefully chosen options that give you flexibility are a good choice.

Most of my still life prop collection. Enough variety to be useful and flexible.

This is not the only style of photography that benefits from props: portraits, engagement, wedding, children, pets, and family photography all benefit from the use of props. Anytime you have people in your image, having something for them to interact with can help engage them better.

What about the color and style of clothing they are wearing? Hair color or style? Makeup? Shoes? How much fun can be had just with a brightly colored umbrella?

A model dressed as Red Riding Hood, wearing a bright red velvet hooded cloak and faux medieval outfit. Shot at an old estate using a broken wooden gate as a prop.

These are all elements that can enhance or cause distractions in your image. What is the story you are telling? What mood are you trying to evoke? Therefore what style or color clothing is going to work best? This is something to think about and discuss with any clients in advance.

Conclusion

Before I started shooting still life photography I used to be in too much of a hurry. I would settle for the obvious shot and leave frustrated because it was boring, predictable and not different enough. Now I take time to prepare properly and give myself plenty of time to shoot. Looking for creative options and being prepared to experiment is fun and exciting.

Now I shoot a lot less, but the quality of my work has improved and I know when I have achieved a keeper shot. My ability to compose and style an image has improved. Including other elements to tell a story has added depth and nuance to my images that was previously lacking.

The good thing is that these benefits apply to almost any form of photography, some more than others, obviously. Do you just want a quick snap or do you want to engage your viewer fully? What is the story you are trying to tell? What emotion do you want to share? How can you connect with the viewer and make your image stand out from the Instagram or Facebook crowd? What sets your work apart from the millions of images posted online every day?

It does actually matter how much work and thought you put into crafting your image. Like any new skill, it will take time to learn. I challenge you to give it a go for a few months and then compare your new work to your older stuff and see the difference.

The post 5 Lessons I Learned by Doing Still Life Photography by Stacey Hill appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

December 22, 2017
10 simple DIY gifts for the photography lovers in your life

Christmas is nearly upon us, stores are overcrowded, and inventory is running low. The solution? A DIY gift that is both unique and easy to make! And thanks to the team at Cooperative of Photography (COOPH), you’ve got a ready-made tutorial that will show you how to do just that.

The video highlights 10 simple DIY gifts anyone can make for the photographers and photo lovers in their life. Projects include transforming a Rubik’s cube into a photo cube, a DIY candle holder, unique photo hanger, and lots more. Check out the full video above.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

December 21, 2017
Retrographic: The world’s most iconic black & white images brought to life in color

There’s an incredibly talented online community of colorization enthusiasts and professional retouchers who spend their free time bringing iconic black-and-white photography to life in color. You typically find their work on Facebook, Reddit, or occasionally featured on photo blogs, but we’ve never seen it published in any official printed capacity we’d want to display on a coffee table… until now.

Retrographic: History’s Most Exciting Images Transformed Into Living Color is a photo book released in September that any photo lover would be proud to own and display. A labor of love created alongside the aforementioned colorization enthusiasts and professional retouchers, the book is the brain-child of author, photo-curator, and Royal Photographic Society member Michael D. Carroll.

“Through the careful selection of striking images and dedicated colorization research, Retrographic takes the reader on a visual tour of the distant past,” explains Carroll. “Many of these moments are already burned into our collective memory through the power of photography as shared by people across the 190-year long Age of the Image. And now, these visual time capsules are collected together for the first time and presented in living color.”

The book contains 120 images in all, including some of the most iconic and influential in history—The Burning Monk, V-J Day in Times Square, The Wright Brothers’ First Flight, and many many more. As Carroll explained to us over email, the idea was to present people with a photographic history they could more easily relate to:

There is a tendency for people of the present to look back at history in black and white, which can be highly aesthetic in that black and white makes the subject look pleasing to many people. However, black and white can make the viewer feel detached from the subject. We hope that adding color breathes life into historical images and reconnects people to those who went before and helps us to understand and empathize with them.

And if the colorized photos aren’t enough, the book’s remaining 73 pages are filled will “informational gems” and narrative, including a forward by Royal Photographic Society Ambassador Jeff Vickers.

You can browse through a sampling of the images included in the book below, and if you want to learn more about Retrographic, visit the book’s Facebook page, or pick it up for yourself on Amazon.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 19, 2017