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Lightroom Classic 7.2: Major performance boost, new features, and more

14 Feb

Lightroom Classic 7.2—the performance boosted version of Lightroom DPReview got to test for ourselves at the end of January—has finally arrived! And with it come numerous performance improvements, better support for Intel hardware, a fix for speed issues experienced by some users, and some new features to boot.

Additionally, Adobe has also updated the new cloud-based Lightroom CC ecosystem for both desktop and mobile operating systems. Let’s take them one at a time.

Lightroom Classic Performance Boost

The company explains that it has worked with Intel to improve performance scaling on computers that have multiple cores and at least 12GB of RAM, and as we showed in January, the result is much faster importing and preview generation, and improved speed for things like adjustments rendering in Develop, HDR/Panos rendering, and more.

“One key attribute of the enhancements is that they scale appropriately with a customer’s investment in hardware,” says Adobe. Users who invest in newer, more powerful hardware will see more performance improvements, particularly if the system has at least 12GB of memory. This time around, Adobe says it focused on batch processing improvements (how efficiently system resources are used and batch tasks are completed), but the company will also focus on Interactive (interface response speed) needs in the near future.

Some users had experienced problems with Lightroom Classic slowing down over time, an issue Adobe says it has fixed “in most cases,” though it is possible some users will still experience this issue.

Lightroom Classic Feature Enhancements

Performance improvements and fixes aside, Lightroom Classic 7.2 comes with multiple new features, including a text search for finding a specific folder (“Folder Search”), the ability to filter favorites within folders, an option for creating collection sets from folders for use with Lightroom mobile, as well as a feature for creating collections from Map Module pins.

This version of Lightroom Classic also adds a library filter for unedited and edited images and enables users to create smart collections with unedited or edited images.

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Finally, Adobe says it has enabled Photoshop Continuously Scalable User Interface in the Adobe Camera Raw plugin, with the scaling limited to 100% or 200%. Support for per-monitor scaling in Windows has also been added. In explaining the plugin update, Adobe said, “This is primarily a Windows change to sync up Photoshop, and Windows users will now be able to scale the ACR plugin from 100% to 500%, in increments of 100%.”

The full Lightroom Classic 7.2 update changelog is available here, new camera support can be found here, and new lens profile support can be found here.

Updates to Lightroom CC and Lightroom Mobile

In addition to the Lightroom Classic CC updates, the whole Lightroom CC ecosystem—including the Lightroom Mobile apps on iOS and Android—have been updated as well with “optimized performance, added support for new cameras and lenses, and some great new features for desktop and Android.”

Adobe says it put a lot of effort into “tuning and improving stability” with this update. Lightroom CC on Mac and Windows will see performance improve when moving between photos, grid scrolling, and exporting, while all the apps across mobile and desktop should be “a lot more stable.”

As for new features, Lightroom CC for desktop gets the ability to add copyright to imported images; meanwhile, Lightroom Mobile on Android gets a geometry tab for correcting perspective distortion, the ability to add a watermark upon export, the ability to search your Lightroom library with Google Assistant, and a new “Add to Lr” option that will allow you to add photos from third party apps directly into your Lightroom library.

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All of these updates are available now, so if you have a Creative Cloud subscription, update to the latest versions and give them a go. And if you want to dive deeper into all of these new features, head over to the Adobe blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photos

07 Feb

Do you find it difficult to make photographs which stand out and truly resonate with the people who view them? Let me share with you three key ways you can practice that will change your photographic experience and will assist you in making more dynamic photos.

Two Kayan long neck women laughing - 3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

Two Kayan friends share a joke in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Asia.

1. Know your subject – don’t just know about them

Research, understand and relate to your subject. Communicate with your subject – whether that be a person, pet or place, (or anything else,) you need to relate to and have rapport your subject.

The more knowledge and understanding you have of your subject the easier it will be for you to make compelling photographs of it or them. Sometimes, as is common with travel photography, having a fresh perspective on a subject will allow you to capture it in a way an expert may not see. But generally having some education about your subject will aid you in producing better, more dynamic photos.

Kayan girl having fun playing with soap bubbles.

Develop an intuitive sense

Knowing your subject well will give you more opportunity to get an intuitive sense of when it’s the right time to make a picture. Knowing and being passionate about your subject will help you develop your intuition.

Being comfortable with your subject, even if you do not know it so well, will also help you to create more interesting and unique photographs of that subject. Having the ability to really focus in on your subject, observing them carefully, the surroundings, the lighting and any activity associated with them, will help you to develop a meaningful connection.

This is something that can sometimes happen quite quickly and at other times will need to be developed over a longer duration.

Kayan girl with a front tooth missing.

2. Don’t Focus on your equipment

“The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don’t know what to do with it.” – Edward Weston

There’s a lot to be said for knowing your camera equipment well and being confident using it like you’ve mastered it. Being in control of your gear and being competent using it so that your focus can be immersed on your subject allows you to connect in a more meaningful way because you are not distracted. Achieving this ability takes nothing more than a little study and a whole lot of practice.

Porter at a fresh market in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Use camera settings you’re comfortable with

Using camera settings you are comfortable with releases you to give more attention to your subject. When you work with camera equipment you are not familiar with or maybe when you first start trying to understand and use manual mode, your focus will be on your camera, not on your subject.

Becoming familiar with a camera and how to work with it confidently takes concentrated practice. Just as a musician will not take the stage and play a brand new song they’ve written without practicing it well first. Neither should you expect stunning results from a camera or technique you are not familiar with and well practiced at doing. Sure, sometimes you can get lucky, but to be consistently good you need to practice a lot.

Buddhist nun standing at the temple window.

Balance the technical and creative aspects

Balancing the technical and creative aspects of photography is challenging for most people. You are generally either more technically oriented and love learning how to use your new equipment or you are more creatively oriented without much interest in learning to understand all the bells and whistles on your camera.

Be mindful that photography is a creative process which requires a complicated tool. Even if you are using the most basic of cameras you must command a certain amount of technical skill to produce pleasing results regularly. To grow as a photographer and develop your own style, you will need to find a happy balance of the technical and creative aspects of this art form.

close up of a man riding a tricycle taxi with a strong shadow in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

Tricycle taxi abstract

Aim to capture mood and feeling

Aim to capture mood and feeling in your photographs by giving as much of your attention to the technical settings as to the feeling you have and how you want to portray your subject. If you set your camera so your exposure is good and you have as much depth of field as you want, you will be free to connect with your subject. This will give you more freedom to get a real feeling for what you are doing which will resonate in your photographs.

Reaching beyond the technical and concentrating your creative energy on the subject you will produce photographs which draw in your audience. They will be able to experience and feel the relationship you have with your subject.

portrait of a red head teenage boy - 3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

3. Follow your passion

“Your connection with the world is unique” – Martin Parr

This is why people who photograph subjects they are passionate about will typically produce more creative, interesting pictures than someone who photographs a subject they have no real interest in or connection with.

My wife takes far better photos of flowers than I do. She is passionate about flowers, she loves growing them. She has a lot of knowledge about flowers and flowering trees. Taking care of them and making sure they have the best conditions in which to flourish is important to her. She consistently makes far more beautiful and creative photographs of flowers than I do because she is passionate about them. They may not always be technically correct, but they are made with feeling and convey that feeling.

pink orchid flowers - 3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

Photo by: Pansa Landwer-Johan

Have a deeper, more soulful relationship

When you have a deeper, more soulful relationship with your subject, you will naturally make more interesting, creative photographs as well. Your connection with the world is unique. No one else sees things and experiences life as you do. By applying your unique perspective and conveying this through your photographs they will resonate more strongly with people who view them.

You may even find you pay less attention to technical aspects as you genuinely begin to follow your feelings and become immersed in photographing your chosen subject. Enjoying photography in this manner can be deeply therapeutic. As you begin to concentrate totally and follow the flow of your feelings toward your subject everything else will become secondary, nothing else will matter.

At times like this, you must take extra care to be aware of your own safety. Many times I have stepped back onto a road, come close to stepping backward off a jetty and had wet shoes because I stepped in a puddle. I was so focused on what I was photographing and not paying much attention to anything else. So please take care!

Woman in the mist with a red scarf over her head an shoulders - 3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

A practical example

When I visited the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey, I went looking for a quarter I’d read about where craftspeople still produce copper wares using traditional methods. I love photographing people engaged in creative activities and I had never photographed people making copper goods.

I eventually discovered the right location and found three men in a small workshop. Two of them were putting finishing touches to some beautifully crafted artworks.

3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

I politely approached and using gestures and showing them my camera, as we had no common language, I was welcomed in and made to feel comfortable. I showed an interest in what these men were doing and they were comfortable with my presence. The older man even gave me a glass of Turkish tea. I quickly became engrossed making photographs of the creative process I was witnessing.

3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

Despite having no prior experience with this subject I was still able to connect with the men and easily relate to what they were doing. Eventually, a fourth man entered the workshop and he spoke some English so I was able to ask how many generations this family had been working with copper. After a considerable amount of discussion all three men, who were cousins and father/uncle, looked at me and shrugged their shoulders. Their tradition had been in their family longer than they could tell me.

3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

Sadly, the fourth man who had joined us was a buyer. He told me he wanted to push the price the craftsmen were asking for their artworks down and was threatening to steal their designs and mass produce them in his factory (which now mass produces lamps, coffee pots, urns and other goods which were traditionally made in small, family-owned workshops.) As he told me this story I continued to photograph with the aim of capturing the mood of the conversation.

3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

In conclusion

Connecting with your subject in a meaningful manner will support and enhance your creative process. Knowing your subject in advance, or adapting quickly to relate to it in a short time, gives you a depth of connection that is not likely if you are distant and non-communicative.

Being technically competent enough to not spend most (or even some) of your attention on your equipment will release you to develop your connection with your subject.

portrait of a young Kayan girl in Chiang Mai, Thailand. - 3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photographs

Young Kayan girl without her neck rings on.

Being passionate about your chosen subject will favor you to go that much deeper and further without distractions to create more interesting and more creative photographs.

The most effective way to learn these things is to choose a subject that you can photograph many times, preferably one that you enjoy. If your chosen subject is a person, one who enjoys being photographed. Make time to photograph your subject as often as you find enjoyment in the creative process and develop a feeling for the technical settings of your camera. Doing this will help you to learn more about your subject and hopefully, you’ll become more passionate in the process as well.

Watch the video below to see this in action.

The post 3 Key Tips for Making More Dynamic Photos by Kevin Landwer-Johan appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Photoshop CC update adds AI-powered subject selection tool and more

24 Jan

The AI-powered Select Subject feature that Adobe demoed back in November has finally arrived in Photoshop CC! The feature was officially released just minutes ago in Photoshop CC version 19.1, which also includes the addition of a Decontamination slider to the Select and Mask workspace and some significant compatibility updates for Windows users.

The major update is, obviously, the arrival of Select Subject to Photoshop CC. When it was first demoed in November, the Photoshop team touted the tool—which is powered by Adobe Sensei AI technology—as a way to “select prominent subjects in an image with one click.” That’s what they hope to deliver today.

A single click of the Select Subject button in the Quick Select tool should easily isolate your subject in images like the one below:

Of course, more difficult scenarios where the subject isn’t so obviously delineated against the background will give Select Subject more trouble—the original demo video, embedded below, showed that—but it promises to “let you get started with your selections faster than ever before.”

In addition to Select Subject, Adobe also added a Decontamination slider to the Select and Mask workspace that allows you to select the amount of color decontamination applied to an image:

For Windows users, version 19.1 brings much-requested support for Windows High Density Monitors—allowing you to switch between displays of varying resolutions and sizes seamlessly. Jerry Harris, principal scientist on the Photoshop team and himself a Windows user, explains what this means in the Adobe blog post:

With this release, Photoshop on Windows 10 Creator’s Edition now offers a full range of choices for UI scale factors from 100% through 400%, in 25% increments. This means that the Photoshop user interface will look crisp, beautiful, and the right size no matter the density of your monitor. Photoshop will now automatically adjust itself based on your Windows settings, making it simple to set up.

[…]

In addition, we worked very closely with Microsoft to provide per-monitor scaling across monitors with different scale factors. This means that a high resolution (HiDPI) laptop now works seamlessly alongside a lower resolution desktop monitor (or vice versa). One monitor can have a scale factor of 175% and another a scale factor of 400%.

And finally, Windows users also get advanced support for the Windows dial, which can now adjust brush settings while you paint. Before this, you could only adjust settings between brush strokes, but you can now adjust brush size, opacity, and other settings as you draw:

As of publication, this update should be live and ready to download if you’re already a Creative Cloud subscriber. If you want to learn more about any of the features above, or dive into bug fixes and other minutia, head over to the Adobe blog. Otherwise, just update your copy through the Creative Cloud app and you’re ready to go.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone

17 Jan

What are the next great apps you need for your Android and your iPhone?

There are many apps out there that are fun to use. In part two we bring you 10 more great apps for your smartphone (read part one here). Some of the ones listed below are for shooting, some are for creativity, and others are great tools for the landscape photographer. Most are available for both Android and iOS, some just available for iOS.

Shooting apps

#1 – ProCamera 10 – iOS – $ 4.99

ProCamera gives you a lot of control over your settings while shooting with your iPhone. It is easy to use and offers advanced features such as RAW capture, a live histogram, and an anti-shake feature. In the new iPhones with multiple camera lenses, it has the ability to access either lens.

The images come out sharp with accurate exposures. The reason is that
you can separate the focus and exposure points to really create a sharp balanced composition.

You can also shoot in either Manual, Semi-Automatic or Automatic mode with on-screen display modes of standard, medium or light to hide non-critical display elements. It also has a low light mode called Low Light Plus which captures up to 64 photos and combines them into one photo with reduced noise.

9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone - ProCamera

ProCamera 10 screenshots.

#2 – VSCO Cam – for iOS and Android – Free with in-app purchases

VSCO Cam is one of my favorite apps. This free app has a powerful built-in camera with very clear image resolution and the ability to separate exposure and focus points which is vital in creating optimal imagery with a smartphone. This app also has built-in presets as well as ones you can purchase. It has a very active community that shares photo “recipes” to gain inspiration and create similar photographic styles in post-processing.

When taking photos in VSCO, you can have manual control of focus, exposure, white balance, and even ISO and shutter speed. Depending on the model of your phone, you can even shoot in RAW mode.

A big part of this app is the VSCO community and the navigation can be a bit confusing, but the results are consistently great.

Light Effects Apps

#3 – Lens Distortions – iOS only – Free

Lens Distortions is a unique app that will change the way you see iPhone photo filters. The app’s editing platform allows you to combine subtle blur effects, light leaks, textures, sun flares, and sunbursts to help you enhance your images with light.

Lens Distortions is a great app for any iPhone photographer who is looking for unique filter effects that are easy to control and can be used to highlight a specific subject rather than apply it to the entire image. When used properly, the effect can look like it was taken on a much more advanced camera. Since smartphones don’t have an aperture which allows you to create a sunburst or sun flare effect like you can on a DSLR, this app will let you apply a sunburst, and give a realistic effect of the sun’s rays.

9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone

#4 – Rays App – iOS only – $ 0.99

The Rays app is great for creating realistic light ray effects quickly and easily. The rays are only added to the bright highlight areas and have the effect of passing through objects while adding a three-dimensional quality to your image. You can add shafts of light streaming through trees, rays filtering through clouds, beams of light coming through the fog, or even rays coming out of some text. You can customize the color of the rays using a color picker and specify where the rays will be visible.

9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone - Rays

Blend Mode Apps

Creating Your Own Textures

Before introducing some blending mode apps, I want to introduce you to creating your own textures. You can create your own palettes by taking pictures of interesting tree bark, floors, walls, or anything that catches your eye and combine it in a blending program.

Here are a few textures that I’ve used to create an interesting appearance in the background of an image.

9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone

There are several apps available that give you stock textures to add to your compositions, but why not create your own? It’s just another way to see creatively and use your smartphone to make something unusual.

#6 – Superimpose – iOS / Android

($ 1.99 for IOS, $ 0.99 for Android)

If you want a powerful app to combine images and textures, look at Superimpose. You can create professional level layered images on your Smartphone and easily blend one photo on top of another with this app.

You can also use this tool to blend textures, overlay borders, or create double exposures while adjusting transparency with 18 different blend modes.

To use this app, first load a background image. Then load a foreground image, masking out any unwanted elements in the foreground image. You can then move, scale, resize or flip the foreground and adjust colors and exposure. Then you can save the blended image to the photo library at full resolution.

Use the textures you created in the exercise above to give your images a unique and creative twist.

9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone - superimpose

The rich brown hues of the copper background layer and the blend modes give a warmth to this image that it didn’t have before. You can move your background layer around to work with the foreground. Notice you don’t see the copper texture in the sky in this sample image. That was because it was rotated to work in that space with minimum texture.

#7 – Mextures – iOS / $ 1.99

Mextures app lets you create grunge patterns, textures, and light leaks quickly and easily. With Mextures, you bring in an image from your camera roll and decide what texture from their menu you would like to use as a background layer. Once you apply that texture to the first layer, you can add another layer of texture, pattern, or light.

Layers are used in more advanced photography programs like Photoshop and are useful for making color and texture adjustments that won’t affect the whole picture. In this app, you can add texture in layer one, and then add gradient color in layer two. If you decide that you don’t like the gradient color, you can just delete that layer and redo it without affecting the texture layer.

Layers in both Photoshop and apps like this work the same way. Imagine having a stack of tissue paper, and each tissue has an element that you can add to your image. One tissue layer could have color, one could have texture, and one could have light leaks. It’s easy to take them in and out or change them without affecting the layers above or below.

This app gives you formulas that are saved presets which may be a combination of textures, colors, and gradients. You can even scroll through “Guest” formulas, and use them for your own images.

9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone - mextures app

Plumeria Flower created with Mextures App

For Landscape Photographers

#7 – My Aurora Forecast and Alerts – For Android / iOS – Free

Many photographers have shooting the Northern lights on their bucket list. This app will help you track the sometimes elusive Aurora Borealis and give you a forecast based on the Aurora activity. You can track the Aurora from your present location or at another location in the world. It will also give you alerts as to when the Aurora is active and in what location.

An interesting way to use this app is to follow Aurora cams around the world and then set your alerts as to when these areas are active. Then you can tune in and watch the show!

Get the app for Android here – and iOS here.

#8 – Geotag Photos Pro – For Android / iOS – Free

Geotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to your photographs or videos. This data usually consists of filename, folder location, city, GPS coordinates, date, and time captured.

The Geotag Photos Pro app is meant to be used while you are shooting with your DSLR. It will record your position while you are taking photos and create a GPX file that you can export to your desktop app or to other apps and services like Lightroom, Flickr, and Apple Photos.

This is a particularly good tool for landscape photographers or anyone who wants to know exactly their route or the specific location they shot a group of images. The images below show how you can set your interval time for the track log as well as watch the track log as it is being created.

9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone

Don’t worry, we weren’t walking in the ocean! The app did not recognize the pier in the route.

It is a quick, easy, and cheap way to keep track of your locations and log a shoot. There is no need for any expensive bulky additions to the hot shoe of your camera. It’s all tracked by synchronizing the clock on the app with the clock on your camera. It will create a track log with custom interval settings that you set up.

The best part is you can bring it into the Lightroom mapping module or connect with the Geotag Photo Pros online site and it will create a map of your shoot with thumbnail images along the route.

Mapped route after it was imported into Lightroom.

#9 – Sun Seeker – iOS / Android

$ 9.99 for IOS – $ 7.49 for Android

Sun Seeker is a great app for landscape photographers as it shows the angle of the sun and where it will be setting and rising in several different views. It provides a flat compass view as well as a real time image with an overlay of the sun’s projected solar path. You can choose any date and location in the world to plan for optimal light conditions. It helps you to find the right time and location to set up for your landscape photography.

Views showing the projected trajectory of the sun in the Sun Seeker App.

Conclusion

Whether or not you are using your smartphone as your primary camera, or you’re using it as a tool to help you get the shot with your DSLR, these apps can add fun and functionality to any shoot. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

If there are others that we’ve missed (check part one also) please give us the info in the comments below. What apps are your favorite?

The post 9 More Great Apps You Need for Your Smartphone by Holly Higbee-Jansen appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Sony a9 firmware 2.00 brings improvements to continuous AF and more

12 Jan

Sony has released firmware version 2.00 for its flagship a9 mirrorless camera. The most notable improvements are to continuous AF, with the company claiming enhanced performance while tracking as well as more stability when zooming.

Speaking of stability, the firmware should bring general bug fixes and reliability enhancements, and the overheating warning function is more accurate, according to Sony.

There are also a number of improvements related to metadata which you can find in the press release below. The firmware update is now available for download.

Press Release

Firmware version 2.00 provides the following benefits:

Continuous AF Enhancements:

Enhanced performance of continuous auto focus on moving subjects
Enhanced stability of the AF-C when zooming

Added Functions:

Adds the function to assign Protecting images to custom Key
Adds the function to transfer (FTP) protected files at once
Note: Only for images protected using version 2.00 or higher.
Displays wired LAN MAC address
Inputs IPTC metadata to files
Note: IPTC information must be created beforehand using the IPTC Metadata Preset software.
Inputs camera serial number to metadata

Other Improvements:

Improves operational stability
Improves accuracy of the overheating warning function

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Panasonic announces Lumix DC-GH5S, an even more video-focused GH5

09 Jan

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Panasonic has unveiled the Lumix DC-GH5S, an even more video-centric variant of the company’s GH5 hybrid stills/video camera. Aside from some minor cosmetic differences the two cameras are identical, however the GH5S has been designed to maximize low-light sensitivity and provides a deep feature set tailored to video shooters’ needs.

The GH5S uses a slightly larger, but lower resolution 12.5MP sensor whose ‘multi-aspect’ design offers a series of ~10.2MP crops with the same angle of view. It gains the ability to shoot the wider-angle DCI 4K format at up to 60p, whereas the GH5 tops out at 24p. Both cameras can shoot UHD 4K at up to 60p.

The sensor features a “dual gain” design that Panasonic calls “Dual Native ISO.” This uses two separate sensor read-out circuits – one that maximizes dynamic range at lower sensitivities, and one that prioritizes noise reduction at a dynamic range cost. Unusually, Panasonic lets you limit its camera to one of these modes.

Despite the outward similarities, the GH5S’ list of changes compared to the GH5 is a long one. Image stabilization has been removed to avoid unwanted interactions between a floating sensor and the dollies and gimbals pro shooters tend to favor. VLog-L, offered as an paid upgrade on the GH5, is included as standard. Autofocus is rated down to –5 EV compared to –4EV in the GH5.

The list of differences also includes up to 240fps framerate in 1080p “Variable Frame Rate” mode, a 120fps refresh rate in the electronic viewfinder, 14-bit Raw stills shooting, time code in/out functionality, and LUT-corrected display in playback as well as capture. For a detailed look at the GH5S’ additional capabilities, head to our first impressions review.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S will be available February 2nd for $ 2499 body-only.

Panasonic Announces the Ultimate Hybrid DSLM with a newly developed 10.2MP High Sensitivity MOS sensor

Introducing the LUMIX GH5S: Exceptional Mirrorless Videography and Photography, designed and developed for professional filmmakers

Introducing a newly developed 10.2MP High Sensitivity MOS sensor for enhanced image quality in low light: Allowing up to 51,200 ISO recording without extended ISO.
Time Code IN/OUT for easy synchronization of multiple cameras and Dual Native ISO, providing low range (400) and high range (2,500) ISO environments.
True “Multi-Aspect Ratio” Function in Both Photo and Video

Las Vegas, NV (January 8, 2018) – Panasonic is proud to introduce the new hybrid Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera LUMIX GH5S with expanded video recording capability and enhanced image quality. Designed and developed for professional filmmakers, the LUMIX GH5S achieves highest-ever image sensitivity and video image quality in the history of LUMIX cameras, especially in low-light situations.

Packed with big features to satisfy demanding photographers and videographers alike
The new 10.2-megapixel Digital MOS Sensor with Dual Native ISO Technology and Venus Engine 10 faithfully reproduce even dark parts of the image, allowing high ISO capture when the use of supplemental lighting may not be possible. This sensor is a multi-aspect type with a sufficient margin for realizing the same angle of view in 4:3,17:9,16:9 and 3:2 aspect ratios. The sensor also enables photo shooting in 14-bit RAW format, providing higher flexibility for professional RAW stills development workflows. When shooting in dark environments, videographers can now focus on filming that perfect shot as they no longer need to worry about noise which often results from having to use higher ISOs. The Dual Native ISO Technology suppresses noise to produce cleaner footage when taken in all light. Both videographers and photographers can now enjoy the same diagonal field of view across all aspect ratios with the True “Multi-Aspect Ratio” Function. This feature means you can easily swap between difference aspect ratios giving you the accuracy you want from your lenses, and making the process easier while producing and editing in post-production. The LUMIX GH5S is compatible with Time Code IN and OUT, like the professional camcorders, which is easy to set using the flash sync terminal and bundled conversion cable for a standard BNC terminal. This is especially important for “lip synchronization” when using multiple cameras. The LUMIX GH5S can be used as Time Code generator for other GH5S cameras and professional camcorders. The Time Code IN/OUT functionality makes a production teams job pain-free as it provides synchronization for both video and audio devices used on multi-cam productions.

The LUMIX GH5 achieved 4KUHD 60p video recording for the first time as a digital mirrorless camera in 2017.2 The new LUMIX GH5S establishes a new milestone by realizing the world’s first 4K 60p video recording in Cinema 4K (4096×2160), 3 capable of internal 4:2:2 10-bit video recording up to Cinema 4K30p and internal 4:2:0 8-bit Cinema 4K60p. subsampling commonly used for film production, for even more faithful color reproduction.4 The LUMIX GH5S also records 4:2:2 10-bit 400-Mbps All-Intra in 4K 30p/25p/24p and 200- Mbps All-Intra in Full-HD.

Continuing the LUMIX GH tradition, there is no time limit for both Full-HD and 4K video recording. The LUMIX GH5S complies with 4K HDR video with Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) mode in Photo Style. A low-bit-rate recording mode, 4K HEVC for HLG, is available. This enables playback on AV equipment compatible with the HLG Display format, such as Panasonic 4K HDR TVs.

The VFR (Variable Frame Rate) function lets users record overcranked (time-lapse) and undercranked (slo-mo) video in C4K/4K (60 fps, maximum 2.5x slower) and FHD (240 fps, maximum 10x slower). A V-LogL and Rec.709 LUT (Look Up Table) are pre-installed in the camera, so users can play videos recorded in V-LogL without having to separately purchase a Software Upgrade Key. Four additional LUTs can be installed using the Panasonic Varicam (.VLT) file format.

DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology and ultra-high-speed digital signal processing achieve fast auto focusing of approximately 0.07 sec 6 with 12 fps (AFS) / 8 fps (AFC) in 12- bit RAW and 10 (AFS) / 7 (AFC) fps in 14-bit RAW high-speed burst shooting. In addition to a total of 225 focus areas, The options for Face/Eye Recognition, Tracking AF, 1-area AF and Pinpoint AF are available for precise focusing. The 4K PHOTO enables 60 fps high-speed capture in approximately 8-megapixel equivalent resolution.

Achieve outstanding footage in any environment, especially in low light
As a camera that excels in shooting in low light, the LUMIX GH5S boasts -5EV luminance detection performance with Low Light AF thanks to the higher sensitivity and optimized tuning of the sensor. Live Boost is another practical feature that makes it possible to check the composition even in total darkness, by boosting the sensitivity just for Live View. The magnification ratio in MF assist is increased from conventional 10x to 20x, which is convenient especially for astronomical photography. An AF Point Scope function, first introduced in the Lumix G9 and Night mode are also integrated.

In order to make the GH5S tough enough to withstand even heavy field use, it is composed of a magnesium alloy full die-cast front, rear and top frame that is not only splashproof7 and dustproof but also freezeproof down to -10 degrees Celsius. The GH5S is equipped with a double SD Memory Card slot, compatible with the high-speed, high-capacity UHS-II and Video Speed Class 90. Users can flexibly choose the recording method from Relay Recording, Backup Recording or Allocation Recording. The HDMI Type A terminal is provided, along with the USB-C Gen1 interface.

Exceptional image capture without concern
The GH5S has a large LVF (Live View Finder) with a stunningly high magnification ratio of approximately 1.52x/0.76x (35mm camera equivalent) providing smooth display at 120 fps. A high-precision, high-speed OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display features 3,680K-dot resolution and 100% field of view. In addition to dual dials, an omni-directional joystick enables more intuitive and flexible operation.

The GH5S includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi® connectivity to offer a more flexible shooting experience and instant image sharing with easy operation. Compatibility with Bluetooth 4.2 (called BLE: Bluetooth Low Energy) enables constant connection with a smartphone/tablet with minimum power consumption. For Wi-Fi, 5 GHz (IEEE802.11ac)8 can be selected in addition to the conventional 2.4 GHz (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) for an even more secure and stable connection.

For extended battery life and a more stable hold, the new Battery Grip DMW-BGGH5 (sold separately) is available. The XLR Microphone Adaptor DMW-XLR1 (sold separately) allows high-res sound recording with an external XLR microphone.9

The Panasonic LUMIX GH5s will be available from end of February 2 and will retail for $ 2499 (body only).

*1 RAW files are in 14-bit even when 12-bit is selected.
*2 4K 60p/50p(for a Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera), 4:2:2 10-bit (for a digital interchangeable lens camera) as of 4 January, 2017
*3 As of January 8, 2018 as a Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera that complies with 4K (4096×2160) resolution defined by Digital Cinema Initiatives(DCI). According to a Panasonic study.
*4 4:2:0 8-bit in C4K 60p and 4K 60p recording on an SD Memory Card.
*5 Contrast AF with DFD Technology works only with Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lenses. *6 In AFS, at wide-end with H-ES12060 (CIPA) when LVF display speed is set to 120fps.
*7 Splash Proof is a term used to describe an extra level of protection this camera offers against exposure to a minimal amount of moisture, water or dust. Splash Proof does not guarantee that damage will not occur if this camera is subjected to direct contact with water.
*8 5GHz Wi-Fi is not available in some countries.
*9 In MOV only

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S specifications

Price
MSRP	$ 2499
Body type
Body type	SLR-style mirrorless
Body material	Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution	3680 x 2760
Other resolutions	3:2 (3840 x 2560), 16:9 (4016 x 2256), 1:1 (2752 x 2752)
Image ratio w:h	1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels	10 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors	12 megapixels
Sensor size	Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm)
Sensor type	CMOS
Processor	Venus Engine 10
Color space	sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array	Primary color filter
Image
ISO	Auto, 160-51200 (expands to 80-204800)
Boosted ISO (minimum)	80
Boosted ISO (maximum)	204800
White balance presets	5
Custom white balance	Yes (4 slots)
Image stabilization	No
Uncompressed format	RAW
JPEG quality levels	Fine, standard
File format	JPEG (Exif v2.31) Raw (Panasonic ARW, 12/14-bit)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor) Multi-area Center Selective single-point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection Live View
Autofocus assist lamp	Yes
Digital zoom	Yes (2x-4x)
Manual focus	Yes
Number of focus points	225
Lens mount	Micro Four Thirds
Focal length multiplier	2×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Fully articulated
Screen size	3.2″
Screen dots	1,620,000
Touch screen	Yes
Screen type	TFT LCD
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	Electronic
Viewfinder coverage	100%
Viewfinder magnification	1.52× (0.76× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder resolution	3,680,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	60 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/8000 sec
Maximum shutter speed (electronic)	1/16000 sec
Exposure modes	Program Aperture priority Shutter priority Manual
Built-in flash	No
External flash	Yes (via hot shoe or flash sync port)
Flash modes	Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off
Flash X sync speed	1/250 sec
Drive modes	Single Continuous 4K Photo Focus Stacking Self-timer
Continuous drive	12.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes (2 or 10 secs, 10 secs w/3 images)
Metering modes	Multi Center-weighted Spot
Exposure compensation	±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
AE Bracketing	±3 (3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)
WB Bracketing	Yes
Videography features
Format	MPEG-4, H.264, H.265
Modes	4096 x 2060 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 50p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 30p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 25p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 24p / 400 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 24p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 23.98p / 400 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 23.98p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 400 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 400 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 50p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 30p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 25p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 24p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 24p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 23.98p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 23.98p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2060 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 72 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 72 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 72 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 28 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 20 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 20 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 24 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 24 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital 1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital 1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 17 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 28 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital 1920 x 1080 @ 50i / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital 1920 x 1080 @ 50i / 17 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
Microphone	Stereo
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC cards (UHS-II V60 cards supported)
Connectivity
USB	USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec)
USB charging	No
HDMI	Yes (Up to 4:2:2 10-bit output)
Microphone port	Yes
Headphone port	Yes
Wireless	Built-In
Wireless notes	802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.2 LE
Remote control	Yes (wired or smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	DMW-BLF19 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	440
Weight (inc. batteries)	660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz)
Dimensions	139 x 98 x 87 mm (5.47 x 3.86 x 3.43″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
Timelapse recording	No
GPS	None

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Report: GoPro has laid off 200-300 more staff from its drone division

06 Jan

Californian action camera manufacturer GoPro has laid off between 200 and 300 staff, according to a report by TechCrunch. The report claims the redundancies have been made in the division of the company that builds it aerial offering—the Karma drone—and that GoPro cited a need to “better align our resources with business requirements” as the reason for the layoffs.

GoPro has suffered in recent times, with its share price taking a hammering and profits showing in negative figures. One of the main reasons for this was the much-anticipated Karma drone, which had to be recalled after it was discovered the battery could shake itself loose, causing the device to lose power mid-flight and plummet back to Earth.

The company claims that, since returning to stores, Karma has been the number 2 best-selling drone priced above $ 1,000 in the US for a period of six months up to September 2017. Even so, it would have faced (and still does) stiff competition from former partner DJI.

GoPro’s November report to shareholders announced increased revenue of $ 300 million, up 37% on the same quarter last year, and a gross margin of 40%. The company was in profit too, making $ 15 million against a loss of $ 104 million in the third quarter of 2016. However, the share price has remained low, with current trading at $ 7.51 against a high of $ 90 in October 2014.

After 370 job cuts in 2016 and early 2017 the company stated that it employed 1,327 people, but that number is now set to drop to close to 1,000, according to the TechCrunch report.

GoPro, which has been operating under the name since 2004, hasn’t commented on the claims, but the job losses have come between the end of the financial year (December 31st) and the company’s annual report, which would seem the logical time to do it.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Tamron sets up ‘VIP Club’ for users with four or more registered lenses

28 Dec

Loyal Tamron users who own four or more lenses made by the third party lens maker might qualify to be a part of the company’s new VIP Club in 2018. Announced yesterday, the program creates three “membership” tiers that offer a variety of perks like free T-shirts, lens rebates, non-warranty repair discounts, an invitation to participate in a VIP-exclusive contest, and much more.

Anybody who has purchased and registered four or more Tamron lenses between May of 2011 and January 18th of 2018 is eligible for one of the tiers. Four lenses purchased and registered between those days will earn you a Silver membership, five earns you a Gold membership, and six or more earns you a Platinum membership.

You can read all about the perks available to the various tiers below, but remember: you must register your lens purchases to qualify. So if you’ve bought four more more lenses in the past 6 years but never registered them, you’ll want to get on that at the Tamron website.

Membership Perks

If you’ve purchased and registered four lenses between May 2011 and January 15th, 2018, you’re a Silver member, which entitles you to:

Welcome gift
Tamron magazine mailed three times per year
$ 50 bonus rebate towards any Tamron lens
50% off of one Tamron event ticket (excludes summit)
10% discount on non-warranty repair
Invitation to participate in VIP Member contest
Membership Card with lanyard

If you’ve purchased and registered five lenses between May 2011 and January 15th, 2018, you’re a Gold member, which entitles you to:

Welcome gift
Tamron t-shirt
Tamron magazine mailed three times per year
$ 75 bonus rebate towards any Tamron lens
50% off of two Tamron event tickets (excludes summit)
Free pass to one Tamron event (excludes summit)
15% discount on non-warranty repair
Invitation to participate in VIP Member contest
Membership Card with lanyard

And, finally, if you’ve purchased and registered six or more lenses between May 2011 and January 15th, 2018, you’re a Platinum member, which entitles you to:

Welcome gift
Tamron t-shirt
Tamron LL Bean vest
Tamron magazine mailed three times per year
$ 100 bonus rebate towards any Tamron lens
50% off of three Tamron event tickets (excludes summit)
Free passes to two Tamron events (excludes summit)
20% discount on non-warranty repair
Lifetime Limited Warranty on any new lens purchase from year of Club induction
Free shipping on repairs (Tamron USA will send a pre-paid shipping label to receive your lens)
Free 2-week lens loaners (if available, with signed loaner agreement)
Exclusive Tamron Photo Tips Hotline for questions about photo techniques and tips on how to use your lens and camera
Invitation to a Tamron Workshop Summit
Invitation for chance to be profiled on website
Invitation to participate in VIP Member contest
Membership Card with lanyard

For more details, check out the full press release below or head over to the Tamron VIP Club website by clicking here.

Press Release

Tamron USA Announces the Launch in 2018 of New VIP Club for Owners of Multiple Registered Tamron Lenses

December 26, 2017, Commack, New York – Tamron USA announced the development of a new VIP Club for registered owners of multiple Tamron lenses. To be launched in 2018, the VIP Club will include select users who have registered their Tamron lenses through the company’s online warranty registration system since May 2011 through January 15, 2018 (certain exclusions apply, see website for rules and details). There are three VIP Club levels: Silver for those having registered four purchased lenses; Gold for those having registered five purchased lenses; and Platinum for those having registered six or more purchased lenses. Club membership will be evaluated each year to include new members who qualify and to increase the level of existing members if applicable. The VIP Club will be in effect February 15, 2018 and 2018 members will be notified by email. Complete rules and details of the program are available at www.tamron-usa.com/vipclub.

2018 Silver Level Benefits (Four Registered Lenses)

Tamron owners who have purchased and registered four lenses during the time-frame of May 2011 and January 15, 2018 are eligible for these 2018 membership perks: Welcome gift; $ 50 bonus rebate each year of Silver status towards any Tamron lens; 50% off one Tamron event ticket each year of Silver status; 10% discount on non-warranty repairs; invitation to participate in the Tamron VIP Member contest; and three issues of the new Tamron magazine mailed to the member’s home.

2018 Gold Level Benefits (Five Registered Lenses)

Tamron owners who have purchased and registered five lenses during the time-frame are eligible for these 2018 membership perks: Welcome gift; T-shirt; $ 75 bonus rebate each year of Gold status towards any Tamron lens; 50% off two Tamron event tickets each year of Gold status; free pass to one event per year of Gold status; 15% discount on non-warranty repairs; invitation to participate in Tamron’s VIP Member contest; and three issues of the new Tamron magazine mailed to the member’s home.

2018 Platinum Level Benefits (Six or More Registered Lenses)

Tamron owners who have purchased and registered six or more lenses during the time-frame are eligible for these 2018 membership perks: Welcome gift; T-shirt; Tamron apparel; $ 100 bonus rebate each year of Platinum status towards any Tamron lens; 50% off three Tamron event tickets each year of Platinum status; two free passes to any Tamron event per year if available (excludes Summit); 20% discount on non-warranty repairs; lifetime limited warranty on any new Tamron lens purchased and registered within two years of Club induction at Platinum level; free shipping on any lens sent in for repair; exclusive Tamron Photo Tips Hotline; free 2-week lens loaners, if available; invitation to a 4-day workshop (The Workshop Summit, details below) if qualified; invitation to participate in the Tamron VIP Member contest; invitation for chance to be profiled on the Tamron website; and three issues of the new Tamron magazine mailed to the member’s home.

The Workshop Summit

Members of the Tamron VIP Club Platinum level whose latest lens purchase and lens registration was within the past two years as of January 15, 2018, will be invited to a 4-day/3-night Workshop Summit scheduled for Fall 2018. The Workshop Summit is limited to 25 participants, first-come/first-serve. Invitations will be sent to qualifying Platinum Level members in Spring 2018 by priority mail. The Workshop Summit includes three nights hotel, meals, transportation to/from hotel/airport in destination city, workshop transportation, workshop and loaner lenses. Airfare, home airport transportation, and other incidentals are not included. The Workshop Summit will be offered each year, and Platinum level members may participate in one Workshop Summit during the life of the program.

Tamron VIP Program Rules and Details

Complete rules and details are at www.tamron-usa.com/vipclub.

Registering Tamron Lenses

Tamron lens owners are encouraged to register their new purchase at www.tamron-usa.com (click link to go to registration page). Registration is quick and easy and owners enjoy these benefits: Instant serial number verification to ensure that a Tamron USA imported lens with 6-Year Limited USA Warranty and eligible for any qualifying rebate has been purchased; access to product information in the event of loss or theft; custom support if service is ever required; priority contact in the rare event we discover an issue with the registered product; and if subscribe is selected, invitations to local workshops, seminars and sales events, subscription to the Tamron e-newsletter and exclusive promotional offers. And now, registration has the benefit of becoming a Tamron VIP Club Member when membership level requirements are met.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

14 Dec

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

I am an unashamed lover of color. I say this because when I first started out as a photographer, color photography was considered inferior to black and white. This attitude was especially prevalent in the photo-art world.

I found that confusing because to me, color can bring so much expression, feeling, excitement and vitality to an image. Don’t we want that? As my very favorite photographer, Ernst Haas said:

“Color is joy. One does not think joy. One is carried by it.”

I totally agree!

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

In this article, I’d like to talk to you about how to use color to create more feeling, more depth, and more energy in your images.

After all, if your images are not provoking an impact, a feeling for your viewer, then they will be easy to forget. And don’t we all wish to create memorable and unique images?

“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” – Don McCullin

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

Colour is a form of expression

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” – Georgia O’Keeffe

I agree with her! As a really visual person, I find it hard to express the feelings I have about the world with words. I’ve learned how, but it comes much more naturally to me to express my curiosity about the world through taking photographs.

Color evokes a spectrum of feeling, and it that is what we really want to capture in our photography.

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

Think about how you feel when you see the intense red of a flower, the soft azure blue of the sea, the warm yellows of morning sun in summer, the dark muddy browns of the earth in fall.

That is what I want you to think about today. Not only the photographing of color itself, as an element almost, but how you can use color to bring intense feeling into your photograph. Show the viewer more about how it felt to stand in the place where you were. To infuse your photographs with a feeling of atmosphere.

In this article, I will give you three techniques for using color in your images. They go from simple to pretty hard – but I hope you will try all three.

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images - flowers

1. Using color as an element

The simplest way to start working with color in your photography is to use it as a key element within your image. Color can be used to provide contrast, shape, form, and texture.

The simple shape and form of color can be the subject of your photo. It can help you build elements within the photo.

I love to get inspiration for my photography from all kinds of sources. It’s important to me that I am not just stuck in the world of photography and image-making – because there is a stunning and unbelievable world out there for us to draw interesting and exciting ideas from. From philosophers to writers, musicians to scientists – I get ideas for photos from all kinds of places.

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

I love very simple, bold background for portraits. I’m always keeping my eye out for backgrounds like these.

I love how so many painters use color in big, bold ways to create powerful elements in their work. Painters such as Henri Matisse with his simple shapes and beautiful colors, Mark Rothko with his thick banks of color that seem to suck you into his paintings and Van Gogh with his heavy brush strokes of rich color.

Here is another quote from the painter Georgia O’Keeffe that explains a lot of what I am doing with my photography: drawing attention to things that most people miss

“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.” – Georgia O’Keeffe

In this photo, I used the contrasting colors to make a simple and interesting composition with some abandoned chairs. For me turning simple things I find on the street, peeling off walls, at my feet, into something interesting is a favorite thing for me to do in my photography.

2. Using color to evoke a feeling

A more interesting way to use color – and one that takes more practice – is to use it purposely to create a feeling in your image. Color evokes all kinds of different feelings for people.

Painter Wassily Kandinsky developed many theories about art, one being that color created different feelings and states within the viewer.

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

“The deeper the blue becomes, the more strongly it calls man towards the infinite, awakening in him a desire for the pure and, finally, for the supernatural… The brighter it becomes, the more it loses its sound, until it turns into silent stillness and becomes white.” – Wassily Kandinsky

Kandinsky felt that colors evoked these feelings and states:

Yellow – warm, exciting, happy
Blue – deep, peaceful, supernatural
Green – peace, stillness, nature
White – harmony, silence, cleanliness
Black – grief, dark, unknown
Red – glowing, confidence, alive
Orange – radiant, healthy, serious

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

To use color to evoke feeling is a more sophisticated way to incorporate it into your images.

Now, where is a good place to start with this process?

Look at how the color you are seeing affects how you feel. Explore and examine color – almost in that state that toddlers do – with a sense of wonder and freshness. Then you can bring that into your images.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be big bold colors, it can be about the subtle, the evocative colors. I love playing with greys, browns, and blacks – and drawing out the subtlety in their range.

How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

3. Capturing the inherent qualities of your subject using color

This has to be the hardest, most sophisticated technique of the three presented here – but it’s so worth trying it as you will create images with more complexity.

What I mean by capturing the inherent qualities of your subject using color, is to reveal the qualities of your subject using color. Pablo Picasso explained it even better than me when he is said:

“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.”

So you are using the color to tell the viewer something of what that subject is. What it feels or looks like, what it is or how it is.

I love this photo below because to me it captures perfectly the browns, yellows, and oranges of autumn. I can feel autumn in this photo.

autumn image - How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images

The colors I am capturing here are not a compositional tool, but about revealing more about the subject itself.

I hope those were some interesting ideas to you. I love to know how you use color in your photography – and if you found some useful tips here that you can apply to your images.

Please let me know by commenting below.

The post How to Capture the Feeling of Color and Create More Compelling Images by Anthony Epes appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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5 Ways to Take More Meaningful Photos This Christmas

13 Dec

Christmas goes by in the blink of an eye. But taking photos helps us to savour the moments long after the tree is gone and the kids are grown up. When you follow these 5 tips, you’ll have better and more meaningful photos this year.

First - 5 Ways to Take More Meaningful Photos This Christmas

1. Don’t Get Caught Off Guard

The first step to photographing an upcoming event like Christmas is to do a little planning. Start by considering the traditions and moments that you want to look back on in photos. Write an actual list so that you don’t forget what’s on it.

When you’re finished writing out your list, do this exercise to help you figure out what is truly meaningful about those moments. When you do this exercise, you’ll be able to capture deeper themes in your photos.

Take each moment and ask yourself, “What about this moment is important to me?”

For example, you might put “opening presents on Christmas morning” on your list. That’s an obvious one. But ask yourself, “What about the kids opening presents is important to me?” Perhaps the answer is something like, “seeing the look of delight on their faces.”

But don’t stop there; you’ve only gone a little bit below the surface. Now ask yourself, “What about seeing the look of delight on their face is important to me?” Maybe the answer is, “I remember what it was like as a kid and I want to pass that magic and excitement on to my kids.”

Sleep - 5 Ways to Take More Meaningful Photos This Christmas

Do you remember when you were a kid how hard it was to fall asleep on Christmas Eve? After putting the presents under the tree, I snuck in to take this photo of my son as he lay sleeping. This is the book we were reading for his bedtime story.

Now you’re getting somewhere! But you can still keep asking that question until you get right to the bottom. What about “passing on magic and excitement” to your kids is important to you? “Well, this is such a short time in their life. Soon they’ll be grown up and stressed out like me. I just want to slow that down and make their childhood good.”

You’re finally getting deep, so ask the question one more time. “What about slowing down and making their childhood a good one is important to me?” Maybe the answer is that “these are the most formative years of their life. If their childhood goes well, they’ll likely grow up and become good and strong adults themselves.”

By asking the question, “what about this moment is important to me,” you will discover the deeper themes in your photos. Now you can look for those themes in other moments too. Where else do you find the magic and excitement of growing up?
Get in touch with the things that will shape your children as they grow and the things you care most about.

Instead of a few random snapshots of Christmas morning chaos, you can photograph all sorts of meaningful moments to look back on.

This is one of the most meaningful photos I have of Christmas time. Not only do I love the quiet moment and beautiful candlelight, but the photo was taken at my grandma’s church on Christmas Eve. It was my son’s first Christmas Eve church service and it was our first Christmas without my Grandma. The photo reminds me of the traditions and hope that is passed down the generations in our family.

Sick - 5 Ways to Take More Meaningful Photos This Christmas

A tender moment between mom and daughter. Our daughter came down with a fever this Christmas. Giving our kids gifts is an exciting part of parenting, but so is comforting them when they are sick. I knew this was a moment worth capturing.

2. Prepare for the Light

You’ve got your list of moments to photograph and you’ve checked it twice! Now you need to consider the type of light in which you will be photographing. When you’re able to handle the light, your photos will look better.

Go ahead and use the flash on your camera (or phone) if you have to. It’s better to have a photo lit with flash than a dark and blurry photo that isn’t worth looking at.

This was our first Christmas together as a family. I had read that you shouldn’t use the flash on your camera, so I didn’t. Unfortunately, the photo is so dark you can’t see us. I wish I had used the flash!

I used the popup flash on my camera for this photo. It doesn’t always work out this nice though. If you’re going to use the little built-in flash on your camera, then get as close as you can to your subject. The flash will light them up, but not affect things in the background so much.

If you have a DSLR camera and you’re going to use flash, consider using an external flash called a speedlight. When you use an external flash you can bounce the light and your photos will look far better than the little pop-up flash on your camera.

An on-camera speedlight was used to light this photo. It was pointed up toward the ceiling so that the light would become softer as it bounced back down toward my son. The Christmas lights in the background are far enough away that they weren’t affected by the flash.

But whenever possible, use natural light. When you’re taking indoor photos, one of the best sources of natural light during the day is a large window. Many of your holiday events will happen in the living room, and most living rooms have a large window which lets in lots of light.

Place your Christmas tree beside the window instead of in front of it and allow the window to become a large, soft light source, making your photos look beautiful.

Here the kids are at Grandma’s house. There is a large window to the right which is lighting them up. The Christmas tree is tucked into a corner away from the window.

Again, there is a large window providing light for this photo. The tree is tucked away from the window allowing the lights to keep their glow.

When the sun goes down, and you don’t want to use flash, try using lots of lamplight in your photos. The lower placement of lamps simulates the position that the sun is in during golden hour or sunset. The lampshade diffuses the light making soft sidelight for your photos.

This photo was lit with two lamps. The warm, soft light provides ambiance for the moment.

3. How to Make Your Photos Look More Exciting

There is a secret that will instantly make your photos look more exciting. Use a low angle! It sounds simple and it is. Just crouch down a little bit and look up at the person you’re photographing. If it’s an exciting moment then use a low angle to make it look exciting in the photo.

You should take note that low angles are not generally good for formal portraits. A low angle exaggerates a person’s size and adults don’t usually like that. But, if it’s a portrait of an athlete or rock star then a low camera angle is a must.

We all remember how fun it was to play with the empty wrapping paper rolls as kids. I wanted to make this moment look epic so I crouched down for a low angle.

When my son unwrapped his emergency set he wanted to play with it immediately. I went for a low angle because in real life we always look up to see a helicopter flying. It’s just a photo of a boy with his toy helicopter, but I wanted a more dramatic effect. Notice the burst of backlight coming from the big window in the background.

This low angle gives us the fun perspective of the toys looking up at everyone.

4. Tell a Story With Your Photos

As you’re photographing your most important moments, in beautiful light, from interesting angles, be mindful of the fact that you’re photographing a story. Your story is filled with characters (your friends and family), with an emotional plot that takes place in many settings (around the dinner table, the Christmas tree, at church, in front of the fireplace).

Photograph the unique personality of each character. Take more than one photo of each moment and link them together to show the plot-line. Make sure to include the background as part of the setting for your character’s story.

The photos below illustrate a story being told over time.

This was the year that my son first learned to print letters and read simple words. Here, he’s writing the tags for Grandma’s presents.

The following Christmas he had begun to spell out words on his own.

After our family Christmas trip to Grandma’s house was over, both of the kids were really sad. So as they went to bed that night, they drew pictures to mail to Grandma. But my son wrote her a whole letter. He had never done anything like that before.

It’s exciting when we bring our kids into our traditions. Something as simple as filling out a gift tag is a huge step in their growth and part of a bigger story.

5. Practice Before Christmas Day

Christmas isn’t just about what happens on December 25th. For most families, Christmas has a month-long lead up. So work on your list of things to photograph, but remember to start photographing Christmas before it even gets here.

Practice looking for deeper moments in beautiful natural light (or using your external flash). You’ll be far more confident when the big day arrives and you don’t have time to over think the photos you’re taking.

This was my first Christmas using a speedlight with my camera. As soon as our tree was up I began experimenting so that when Christmas arrived I would know how to use it. This shows a pretty good balance of ambient light from the tree mixed with the light from my flash.

Listen to Your Heart

When your heart tells you to pick up your camera and snap a photo, do it. Don’t hesitate, just take the photo. It may not turn out to be the perfect moment or the best angle. But at least you’ve got a photo.

This is one of the most precious photos I have.

The photo above is my daughter and my grandma. It was just a fun little moment that they were having together. My camera is never out of arm’s reach at Christmas time. I saw this moment and clicked a few photos. I didn’t know then that these would be the last photos I would take of my grandma. My little girl won’t remember this moment, but she will always be able to look back and see the love that her great-grandma had for her.

Your Checklist for Deeper Christmas Photos Than You’ve Ever Taken Before

Make your list of important moments
Look for beautiful light and have your external flash ready
Use low angles to make exciting events actually look exciting in your photos
Tell a story with your photos
Practice before Christmas day

The post 5 Ways to Take More Meaningful Photos This Christmas by Mat Coker appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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