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The 5 Most Overused Photography Techniques [video]

04 Aug

The post The 5 Most Overused Photography Techniques appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video, James Popsys discusses what he believes are the 5 most overused photography techniques. Take a look and see if you agree with any or all of these.

1. Water photos using Long Exposures

James points out that photographers who always use long exposures whenever there is water around could be missing out on telling the true story of the scene. They could be missing out on the ripples, textures, etc. that are available in the true scene.

He also states how he likes to imagine himself within a scene, and finds that some of these long exposures all feel too unreal. He knows he could never experience that in real life.

What are your thoughts on that?

2. Panoramas

James loves panoramas and has done many of them himself. The problem he has with them is that he thinks some people who shoot them can’t decide on what their focus point should be so they just try and capture it all.

Do you agree with that?

He believes good photos are all about subtraction and taking things out of the shot to make the message stronger. So to shoot a good panorama, everything you are capturing needs to be of interest. Or else, you need to change perspective and your composition to get a better photo.

Also, they aren’t great for viewing on digital media.

3. Adding foreground interest

James states that always trying to have a point of interest in the foreground isn’t necessary and that sometimes it can dilute what is already an interesting photograph.

4. Golden hour

Jaymes isn’t a fan of shooting during Golden Hour as he believes the color overpowers the subject matter. The light becomes the story rather than the place. The light steals the show. Photos can also become quite similar because it becomes about light and not composition or story.

Shooting at other times of the day improves your composition skills.

5. Sky replacements

Jaymes isn’t a fan of sky replacements. They are becoming too obvious, and they look fake. He thinks it is outdated and disingenuous.

What do you think? Are there other techniques you think are overused in photography? Share with us in the comments below.

The post The 5 Most Overused Photography Techniques appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Make the Most of High Contrast Lighting for Dramatic Street Photos

02 Aug

The post Make the Most of High Contrast Lighting for Dramatic Street Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Street photographers often love the type of light many others seek to avoid. High contrast lighting is favored by many because of the drama it adds to the action, or lack of it, in the streets.

Making the most of high contrast lighting is a matter of being able to see it more as your camera does. It also helps to have a good knowledge of how you can manipulate your photos during post-processing.

Make the Most of High Contrast Lighting for Dramatic Street Photos Young Market Vendor

Seeing like your camera

Your eyes can see a wider range of tone than your camera can. This is changing as camera technology advances. Soon cameras will be able to record more details in the highlights and shadows over a broader range. For now, your eyes are more capable.

What you see on your camera’s monitor when you review a photo is different than what you’ll see on your computer. On your camera, you will not see so much depth or detail. Learning to discern what your photos will look like after some post-processing will help you take better photos.

Taking photos knowing how you will process them later helps you make better decisions while you’re taking photos. The choices you make about exposure and composition can depend on what treatment you will give a RAW image on your computer.

When you look at a high contrast scene, your eyes will see more detail than your camera is able to record. Because the difference between the light value of the highlights and shadows is so vast, your camera cannot record it all. But your eyes will still be able to see it.

Understanding this when you are in high contrast light will help you make better photos.

high-contrast-lighting-for-dramatic-street-photos- Cycle Shadows

Expose with intent

Photographing in hard light means you must make careful exposure choices. Do you want to see details in the highlights? Do you want to see details in the shadow areas? You must choose if you want to make the most of the dramatic lighting.

Exposing for the highlights and letting the shadows fall into black is one of the most popular methods. This adds drama and mystery to your street photos.

I prefer to set my exposure manually. This way I know it will not alter until I change the settings myself. I will choose a light area to make a meter reading from. Then I will underexpose it a little to make the effect a little more dramatic.

This will make the shadow areas appear even darker. It also means I am less likely to have bright areas with no detail.

Setting my exposure in this way, I know I’ll be able to push the contrast effect even further during post-production.

If you set your camera to expose for the shadows, the highlight areas will be even brighter. You will lose detail in the lightest parts of your composition. Sometimes you will want this and to keep the details in the shadows. You must make a conscious choice when you are setting your exposure. If you get this wrong, you will find you cannot manipulate your photos so much during post-processing. This is more so if you are taking .jpegs rather than RAWs.

high-contrast-lighting-for-dramatic-street-photos Happy Man with contrast

Make use of the shadows

You can hide things in the shadows. You can conceal people or unwanted distracting elements in the darkness of a shadow.

Careful use of shadows can isolate your main subject and draw the viewer’s eye to it.

Use graphic lines of shadows created by architecture, trees or other strong forms. The shadows themselves become graphic elements in your photographs. You can combine them with the solid forms in your composition to create tension or harmony.

Look for how static and moving shadows appear in your compositions. What do the shadows of people look like on the pavements or walls as they walk by? Are there shadows created by trucks, buses or cars passing by? Can you see light reflected off windows back into the shadows?

While you’re out with your camera, think about how the shadows might look when you add more contrast during post-processing.

high-contrast-lighting-for-dramatic-street-photos

Find a location and choose your time

Observe how the daylight looks at the places you like to photograph. It will be different at various times of the day and during different seasons.

Look at how the shadows fall on the ground and surrounding buildings. Are people walking in the sunshine or in the shade? At which points to they emerge from the shadows? Is the light in front of them or behind?

Pick a good place to work from and stay awhile. If you can visit the same location on many different occasions, you’ll build up a more diverse set of photographs. Doing this, you’ll be able to compare the photos you take. This can help you learn your favorite time to photograph at that place. Then plan to do it again and take even better photos.

Find a place where the light is how you like it and the background is interesting. Make sure the background will support the style of photograph you are wanting to take. Is the background in full sun or in the shadows? Is the light falling on it pleasing to you?

Move around and look at the space from different angles. Where you photograph from will look different depending on where the sun is. You might prefer the sun behind you or to one side. Some scenes may look better when your subjects are backlit. These should be carefully made and not left to chance.

If you are including people or traffic in your photos, be observant of how it is moving. Anticipate where it looks best. How does the light look on a person as they walk through your composition? Does the traffic moving in one direction look more interesting than traffic moving the other way?

Once you have decided on a place to work from, stay there. Being patient is one of the most important things to do as a photographer. Wait and watch. Look for patterns of movement and also when these patterns are interrupted or broken. These can be some of the most interesting times to take street photographs.

Conclusion

Look at the sunlight and think about how you can post-process to enhance the look you want.

With street photography, you are reliant on the available light. You must look at it and figure out the best place to stand. Then you must make the right choice of exposure settings to take advantage of the high contrast.

Once you have found a good location and made a few exposures hang around. Give yourself time and space to really work a scene. Try going back to the same location at different times of the day and in different seasons. You may be surprised at how different your photographs will look.

We’d love it if you would go out and try some of these techniques and share your photos with us in the comments below.

The post Make the Most of High Contrast Lighting for Dramatic Street Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Adobe Creative Cloud no longer offers most older Lightroom and Photoshop versions

11 May

Adobe Creative Cloud no longer offers customers access to most older versions of Lightroom and Photoshop. The company announced its decision to limit Creative Cloud download availability via its Adobe Blog this week, stating that subscribers can now only download the two most recent major versions of both Lightroom and Photoshop.

The direct download access is provided through the Adobe.com website and Creative Cloud desktop app. According to the company, the ‘vast majority’ of Adobe CC customers are already using the two most recent major release versions of both applications.

By forcing the remaining users to make this transition, Adobe says it can ‘ensure peak performance and benefits across Windows and Mac operating systems.’ This change means Adobe CC subscribers can only download Photoshop versions that start with ’19.x.x’ and ’20.x.x,’ and Lightroom versions that start with ‘7.x.x’ and ‘8.x.x.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Field Test: Could the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 be the Most Versatile Wildlife Lens?

06 May

The post Field Test: Could the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 be the Most Versatile Wildlife Lens? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Shreyas Yadav.

Wildlife photography is exciting as well as challenging. Imagine you are photographing a Tiger at a distance and suddenly the Tiger attacks a deer! Alternatively, imagine you are in an African savanna where you are photographing a grazing herd of Elephants at a distance, and right after that, you see a beautiful Eagle on the nearby tree. To photograph these type of objects, you need to have a wide range of zoom lenses. You may have experienced this while on a Jungle Safari. Changing a lens while in the field can be difficult.

Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens mounted on a camera, zoomed to 500mm

It looks like Nikon has considered the needs of Wildlife photographers and produced a versatile, fixed-aperture telephoto lens at a quite reasonable price; the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6.

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens, priced at around US$ 1400, weighs about 2300g (81.02oz). The best part is the lens has a fixed maximum aperture of f/5.6. In addition to a fixed aperture, there are three extra-low dispersion glass elements (ED), powerful vibration reduction (VR) – making this lens optically superb – and it also comes with a tripod collar. The lens is stable when mounted on a tripod, and it comes with HB-71 lens hood. The lens also works great with both full-frame (FX) and crop-sensor (DX) Nikon cameras. The telephoto zoom range and beautiful optics make this lens perfect for birds, nature and wildlife photography.

This field review of the Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens, looks at how the lens performs from the perspective of a nature and wildlife photographer. It examines how this lens performs in the wild, as well as looking at the lens controls and ergonomics. This is important, especially if the lens has to be used from dawn to dusk in the wilderness.

This lens is versatile for photographing wildlife, mainly because of it’s:

Capability to photograph small and large objects
Convenience to capture both nearest and farthest objects, thanks to the zoom range!
Excellent compatibility with full-frame (FX) and crop-sensor (D) cameras, which means you can use the same lens on either of your camera bodies
Compatibility with the latest Mirrorless cameras (requires an FTZ lens adapter)
Travel-friendly size
Excellent vibration reduction
Convenient grip when you hold the lens collar

Specifications

Focal Length

The focal length of the lens is from 200mm to 500mm. Being FX lens, effective focal length on FX bodies is 200mm to 500mm. On DX Nikon bodies, the effective focal length is approximately 300mm to 750mm.

The lens is capable of photographing small objects such as this Ground orchid (at focal length of 310mm)

Image of large-sized Elephant approaching from a distance of around 300ft (110 yards) at a focal length of 200mm.

Image of large Elephant approached closer at a focal length of 500mm.

Small sized Oriental white-eye bird photographed at a close distance of 8ft at a focal length of 500mm.

Aperture

The maximum aperture is f/5.6, and the minimum aperture is f/32. The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 is an E-type lens (Electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism). It provides better control on the aperture blade as compared to mechanical linkages. This feature is compatible with newer cameras; however, with older DSLR cameras, an aperture is fixed to f/5.6.

Extra-low dispersion glass elements

The lens has 3 ED glass elements. ED glass element helps in reducing chromatic aberrations and offers overall better image quality.

Minimum focusing distance

This is the minimum distance between the lens and an object at which the lens focuses. The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 has a minimum focusing distance of 2.2m (7.2ft). For wildlife and bird photography, this is a perfect minimum distance. With a minimum focusing distance of 7.2ft, the lens acquires perfect focus in most cases.

Autofocus

Thanks to Silent Wave Motors (SWM), the lens focuses quietly and with accuracy. The lens indicates this feature as AF-S. While you autofocus, you can instantly override autofocus by manual focus and vice versa (M/A). The lens can be focussed manually (M) as well.

Teleconverter support

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 is compatible with TC-14E III (1.4X) series teleconverters when used with DSLR cameras which can autofocus up to f/8. During low-light conditions, autofocus performance of the lens along with TC-14E III is satisfactory and usable. With the TC-17E (1.7X) and TC-20E (2X), aperture goes beyond f/8, hence autofocus is not possible. For this reason, it is not recommended you use the Nikon 200-500 lens with TC-17E and TC-20E teleconverters.

Camera compatibility

Full-frame (FX) cameras, crop-sensor ( DX ) DSLR cameras and Nikon mirrorless cameras (Optional FTZ mount adapter required) are compatible with the lens. This E-type lens (Electronic diaphragm) will work with the following cameras (you can change the lens aperture on these camera bodies): D5,D500, D4,D4S, D3, D3s , Df, D850, D810, D810A, D800, D750, D700, D610, D600, D300, D7500, D7200, D7100, D7000, D5600, D5500, D5300, D5200, D5100, D5000, D3400, D3300, D3200, D3100.

On older versions of cameras, such as Nikon D200, you cannot change the aperture. The aperture will be fixed to f/5.6.

Filters (Optional)

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 accepts 95mm screw-on filters. When carrying this lens into the wilderness, I recommend you have a filter. It protects the front glass element from dust, mild drizzle and minor scratches. I use the filter while photographing and do not see any significant loss in image quality. However, make sure you use a high-quality lens filter to ensure minimal loss in quality.

Vibration reduction

This lens has excellent vibration reduction performance. I have achieved sharp images at 1/30th during low light conditions. Nikon claims to have the benefit of 4½ stops. I always keep the VR “ON.”

There are two VR Modes – Normal and Sports. Normal mode works fine for me while hand-holding the lens on the ground, and also in the safari vehicle. I tend to keep it set to Normal mode.

Image of Warbler bird with Vibration Reduction OFF. Feathers are not clearly visible Exif: 500mm f/5.6 1/400s ISO 2000, VR OFF

Image as it is from a camera with Vibration Reduction ON. Feathers are sharp. The lens is a handheld. Exif: 500mm f/5.6 1/400th ISO 2000, VR ON

Weight

Weighing in at approximately 2300g (81.2 oz), the lens initially feels somewhat heavy. However, as you start hand-holding this lens regularly, you get used to the weight. I am now able to handhold this lens for two to three hours without any issue.

Lens Hood (included)

The HB-71 Lens hood is a plastic hood. It is a decent hood but slightly big to fit in the bag. However, I do use a hood on the lens mainly to protect the front glass element of the lens from minor bumps, tree twigs, and rain.

Lens Size

The lens Diameter is 4.2inches (108 mm), and the length is 10.5 inches (267.5 mm) at 200 mm zoom. The lens fits perfectly in mid-sized camera bags such as Lowepro Flipside 400 with the body attached. You can invert and fit the lens hood as well.

Controls and ergonomics

Controls

Lens controls

The Nikon 200-500mm f/4.5 has five controls:

M/A – M

M/A means while autofocusing you can override it with manual focus if required.

M is a full-manual focus.

Full/Infinity – 6m

Full allows the lens to focus on the entire focusing range. I use Full all the time and have never missed the focus.

Infinity – 6m option limits the focusing range of the lens. The lens will focus from 6m to infinity. Any object which is closer than 6m won’t be in focus. I recommend using the Full option.

VR ON – OFF

Vibration reduction(VR) ON-OFF. Set this to ON. I set it to ON even when mounted on a tripod.

NORMAL-SPORTS

Set the VR type to NORMAL. For wildlife and birds, NORMAL mode works great. NORMAL mode works great while I am hand holding the lens and even in the safari jeep.

LOCK 200

The Lock 200 button locks the lens to 200mm. You cannot zoom the lens if it is locked. The lock switch is perfect for when you are traveling, and your lens is packed. It avoids unintended zooming during travel.

Ergonomics

The lens is a bit heavy, but as you continue to use it, you will be able to easily handhold it. I found when hand holding the lens, removing the lens collar or rotating it upwards made it easier to hand hold. However, hiking with this lens can be hard due to its weight, especially carrying it up the mountains.

The zoom ring is smooth with an excellent rubber grip. The zooming feels smooth and is precise. However, the manual focus ring feels slightly loose. But, I do find the quality of manual focus to be excellent.

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 fits in a mid-sized camera bag. However, to accommodate the lens and camera, a larger bag is required. The only awkward part is the lens hood. Either you can invert the lens hood and keep in the bag or use a slightly bigger bag. I use this lens with Lowepro Flipside 300 (only lens), and the Lowepro Flipside 400 when the camera is attached.

Weather sealing

The weather sealing of this lens is quite decent, and I have used this lens in a moderately dusty forest and some drizzle. The lens offered good weather sealing. Make sure you clean the lens after using in dust and drizzle. I clean the front element, outer lens barrel, and mount. I use a Nikon Lenspen Pro kit for cleaning which is easy to use and travel-friendly.

The overall construction of the lens is good. It can handle minor bumps. However, some parts are made up of plastic, making the lens construction not as rock-solid as pro-grade lenses.

Qualities of the lens from the perspective of nature and wildlife photographer

Focusing speed

Wildlife actions happen in a few seconds. Focusing speed is most critical for wildlife photography. The speed of focus with Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 is good. When the light conditions are good – such as morning and early evening – this lens focuses fast and accurately. I use back button autofocus. I have used this lens in forest, safari, grasslands, and drizzle. Here is how this lens exactly performs in the field –

The lens focuses superbly in the following light conditions and scenarios:

Bright light such as morning and evening light
Drizzle and normal dusty environment
Birds in flight (moving at a pace of slow to medium and not fast)
Animals and birds behind a tree or grass (behind clutter)
Animals in action (moving at a pace of slow, medium and fast)
Smaller birds and wildlife such as sunbirds, frogs, and grasshoppers (when they are slow moving or stationary)

Hawk cuckoo bird in the rain. Low light image and photographed from a safari vehicle.

Flight of fast-diving paradise flycatcher. Lens focussed on this fast-moving bird in good light conditions.

This bird was behind the grass. There was significant clutter in front of it and the lens focussed accurately on the bird.

Focus performance of the lens is average in following light conditions and scenarios:

Early morning or late evening light – this is the time when action happens for leopards, tigers, owls and nocturnal creatures. You may need an external light such as flashlights or headlights (not camera flash)
When the weather is rainy or dusty the lens focus performance is satisfactory
If the wildlife action is very fast, such as a Kingfisher bird diving for fish or a swallow bird flying over water
If wildlife is very small in sizes such as sunbird, crab or bees and moving

Average focus performance when photographing small objects such as a flying kingfisher at a distance.

A Peacock photographed when it was raining. The lens managed to autofocus decently during low light and rainy conditions.

Focus performance of the lens is poor in following light conditions and scenarios:

When the light conditions are poor such as night and heavy rain.
When birds in flight are at a very long distance against the plain and cluttered background – Lens struggles to focus in this case. This type of focus hunt I have experienced while photographing birds in flight against blue sky at longer distances.

Crested Hawk Eagle chasing Heron. The birds were at a longer distance and photographed during very low light conditions. Lens focus performance is a bit on the poor side.

The River Tern was flying at a long distance against a plain blue background. In this type of scenario, the lens struggles to focus on the main object.

Low light performance

This is a tricky one! As it depends also on how your camera performs in low light and how you photograph. Many of the latest cameras by Nikon are good enough to shoot in low light. Hence there are only two things which have an impact on the final image: lens low light performance and your shooting style.

All-in-all, lens performance is somewhere between good to average in low light. But if you follow the below techniques, you will be stunned with your images. It is so good! I have followed these techniques and achieved awesome images in low light :

Use a bean bag or tripod
Use aperture f/5.6
Since there is no external light source (such as flash) use shutter speeds from 1/30th to 1/60th of a second
If the lens is struggling to autofocus quickly, focus manually
Shoot in raw so that you can recover and process images effectively
Shoot at a reasonably high ISO (depends on your camera) but generally ISO 2000 to 4000 can provide a great balance between image quality and noise.

Here is an image I shot in almost darkness during a late winter evening. I used a bean bag, the aperture was set to f/5.6 and shutter speed 1/30s. The ISO was around 2500.

A Leopard during a late winter evening. Focus performance was decent during low light. Exif: 480mm f/5.6 1/30th ISO 2500

This type of performance I was able to repeat multiple times.

In short, in very low light scenarios the lens performance is average. But if you master it using the above-mentioned techniques, you can achieve stunning images.

A range of focal lengths

The Nikon 200-500mm captured the market aggressively in a short time. Its focal length is one of the prime reasons. This range is optimum for wildlife photography and is also a great focal length range on both full-frame and crop-sensor cameras. 500mm is a great range for birds, while the 200 to 400 focal length is great for large and smaller size wildlife.

If you are using a full-frame camera, you will get a focal length of 200mm to 500mm. If you are DX shooter, the effective focal length you will be getting is around 300mm to 750mm. 750mm is superb for bird photography. 300mm is great for animals and other wildlife. I use Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 on crop-sensor ( DX format ) body. When I am on a safari with the effective focal length of 300mm to 750mm, I can easily photograph eagles, woodpeckers, small forest birds, tigers, elephants, and snakes.

A Rat snake appeared in the bushes which were very close to me. I zoomed out the lens to capture this beautiful snake. Focal length: 200mm.

Flamingos are very sensitive to a boat. Hence, I have to keep a good amount of distance from them. I captured this image from a long distance while I was in a boat. The long zoom range helped to photograph this distant yet beautiful scene. Focal length: 480mm

The one caveat is you can’t capture wildlife when they approach close to your safari gypsy or boat. I needed to switch to the smaller telephoto lens such as Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 in this scenario.

Tigress in the dusty grassland. Lens managed to focus in a dusty environment. This image is captured with Nikon 200-500 f/5.6

As the Tigress approached very close, I switched to the 80-200 f/2.8 lens, as it was a close encounter.

Best aperture, image sharpness, and colors

When the lens is wide open, the aperture is f/5.6 from 200mm to 500mm. At 200mm, the f/5.6 aperture is a bit slow, but at 500mm f/5.6 is excellent. This is where you are going to use it the most.

I use the lens wide open 70% of the time. I use the lens wide open for slow-moving birds and wildlife. If the objects are relatively close, I get sharp images using f/5.6.

In some of the instances, such as birds in flight, fast-moving wildlife, and wildlife at distance, I stop down the lens to f/7.1 or f/8. This is mainly to extend the depth of field.

Shoveler in flight photographed at f/8 – sharp flight.

Shoveler bird captured at f/5.6, sharpness at this aperture is great

If the objects are at a shorter distance and not moving very fast, aperture f/5.6 produces nice colors and sharpness. If the objects are moving fast, use f/8 to achieve sharp images. While you adjust your aperture for image sharpness also ensure you have enough shutter speed to freeze the action.

Here are the techniques to get sharp images with this lens every time. I have used these techniques in the wild and repeatedly produced a sharp image:

Set lens aperture to f/5.6 or f/8 depending on the subject
Set the shutter speed to at least 2x times the focal length (for example, if you are at 500mm, use a shutter speed at least as a 1/1000s )
In case you are not able to use a high shutter speed because of low light, either use Vibration Reduction along with stable support such as a tripod or bean bag (shutter speeds can be as low as 1/30th)
Use continuous autofocus with focus areas as a d9 (AF-C + d9) or Single autofocus with focus area as S (center point) ( AF-S )
In case required to increase the ISO values. ISO values ranging from ISO 2000 to ISO 4000 (This depends on how well your camera can handle the noise). But for most of the latest Nikon cameras, this is a sweet spot

These are the main aperture values useful in wildlife and nature photography. I have found f/5.6 to f/11 the most versatile. But don’t limit yourself to these numbers. Try different aperture values based on the creative signature you want to make with your image.

Manual focus override

Manual focus override (M/A button) is useful when the lens struggles to autofocus. Usually, this happens if there is clutter in front of the main object. Examples are grass or leaves in front of birds and animals. In this case, use the manual focus ring to focus. The manual focus ring feels a bit loose, but the quality and precision of manual focus are good.

Manual focus override is also useful in low light conditions. In fact, I highly recommend when there is low light or if wildlife is in clutter, use manual focus override. You will end up getting perfectly focussed images every time.

Place Image 26: Image of a jackal. Initially, I tried using autofocus. Since there was much clutter in front of Jackal, I used the manual focus override. The transition was smooth, and the precision of the manual focus worked well.

Vibration reduction

The Vibration Reduction on the Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 is great. I achieved great results when handholding this lens at a shutter speed of 1/30th in low light. When you are in a safari or hiking, this type of great VR is good to have so you can make sharp images while hand holding the lens.

Place Image 27: Barking deer photographed at 1/30 s shutter speed from the safari vehicle. (Exif: at 360 mm, f/5.6, 1/30s, ISO 1600 )

Recommendations

Pros:

Maximum aperture of f/5.6 for entire zoom range
Excellent Vibration reduction performance
Focal length is perfect for wildlife and nature photography
Good focusing speed and image quality
Most affordable price for a super telephoto lens

Cons:

Hood size is big to fit in the small bag
Some people may find this lens a bit heavy
Bigger filter (95mm) – it adds some price. If you don’t want to use a filter, then you can skip it.

Conclusion

The Nikon 200-500 f/5.6E VR is a beautiful all-around lens. It is perfect for animals and birds. If you are looking for the most versatile lens for wildlife and nature, the Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 E VR is for you! Especially with the price of $ 1400, no other lens comes close.

It is compatible with all current Nikon DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Nikon 200-500 f/5.6E VR is your best friend in the wilderness. You will purely enjoy photographing the wildlife with Nikon 200-500 f/5.6E VR. Good luck!

Which telephoto lens do you use? What do you think about Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens? Please do let us know in the comments below.

The post Field Test: Could the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 be the Most Versatile Wildlife Lens? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Shreyas Yadav.

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Review: Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 lens for Canon – At just US$50 could this be the most affordable “nifty fifty”?

18 Mar

The post Review: Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 lens for Canon – At just US$ 50 could this be the most affordable “nifty fifty”? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.

The 50mm f/1.8 lens, or as we call it, the ‘Nifty Fifty,’ is one of the most widely used lenses in the market. This is usually the first lens a modern digital camera owner desires to purchase after the kit lenses.

The reasons why this is the most popular lens are fairly simple – the first being affordability, and the second, the ability to produce pleasing bokeh.

In terms of affordability, the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 lens is ideally the cheapest Nifty Fifty. Priced at less than US$ 50, this is less than half of the Canon variant and works on APS-C as well as full-frame cameras.

However, the Yongnuo lens for Nikon costs around US$ 70 as it includes the focus motor. I recently bought one for my Canon 5D Mark iii, so I thought of sharing my views about this lens.

Build quality and ergonomics

The Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 lens looks exactly like the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens (discontinued version). The plastic used in the Yongnuo lens feels a bit cheaper though. Surprisingly, the rubber grip is smooth, and the ‘AF and MF’ switch is similar to Canon.

The construction of the lens consists of 6 elements in 5 groups and has 7 diaphragm blades – the same as the Canon variant. This Yongnuo lens is light to carry as it weighs only 120g – 40g lighter than its competitor. Overall the lens looks and feels good at this price point.

Focus speed and accuracy

I have been using this for almost a month now, during the day as well as night time. The focus speed is a bit slow as the lens hunts for focus, especially in low light conditions. If you are shooting stationary subjects, then it is fine, but if you want to nail the focus swiftly, then you might be disappointed.

Though the focus speed is not that fast, the accuracy is fairly good. It takes time to focus but when it does the focus is accurate. I would not recommend this lens for video shooters as it messes a lot with the focus. However, if you are a hobbyist and casually shoot portraits or still objects, this lens can do the job.

Sharpness and Image Quality

Before clicking photos using the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8, I had much less expectation from this lens. To my surprise, this lens produced amazing sharpness and image quality. I did not compare it side by side with its competitor lens, but I am sure it is on par with it.

The few image samples that you see are all shot at an event during the sunset/evening time. The images are tad sharp, and the colors also look natural. I had done a test on vignetting performance, and at f/4 it was almost gone. This lens worked for me when I was shooting stationary subjects as well as when shooting performing artists at an event.

For me, the bokeh shape was a bit unpleasant at f/1.8, and I’m not sure exactly why. I used this lens at f/2.8 and achieved sharp and crisp images with minimum vignetting and shallow depth of field effect.

Conclusion

This lens by Yongnuo is for someone who has just started with photography or has a tight budget but still wants to achieve the f/1.8 look at 50mm. The focus speed is something that might irritate you, but once it focuses the image quality is quite impressive. I would suggest this lens to someone who shoots still subjects or portraits without much movement. If you are a wedding, event or a professional portrait photographer, you might be disappointed.

Have you used this lens? What are your thoughts?

Digital Photography School

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Fujifilm X-T30 offers most of the X-T3’s feature set for $900

14 Feb

Fujifilm has unveiled the X-T30, its latest APS-C mirrorless camera. The X-T30 provides many of the features found in the higher-end X-T3, including its 26.1MP X-Trans sensor and X-Processor 4 Quad Core-CPU, along with some autofocus improvements that will come to the X-T3 later via a firmware update.

The X-T30 offers a hybrid AF system with 425 points across the entire frame, and boasts faster face detection compared to its X-T20 predecessor. Eye detection AF can be used in AF-C mode, and phase detection AF is now usable in lower light conditions.

On the video front, the X-T30 offers a surprisingly robust feature set including 4K/30p and 10-bit 4:2:2 output via HDMI and 8-bit 4:2:0 internal recording. That’s one of a few key differences between the X-T30 and X-T3 – upgrading to the X-T3 gets you 10-bit 4:2:0 internal and 4K/60p.

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The X-T30 is an altogether smaller and lighter camera than the X-T3 (383 g / 13.5 oz compared to 539 g / 19 oz) and offers a smaller, lower-resolution viewfinder – 0.62x and 2.36M-dot to the X-T3’s 0.75x and 3.69M-dot EVF. A 3″ 1.04M-dot touchscreen tilts on one axis, and a single card slot is offered.

A new, lower native ISO of 160 is offered, and burst shooting with continuous autofocus tops out at 20 fps (8 fps with mechanical shutter). Bluetooth connectivity has been added on top of the Wi-Fi offered by the X-T20, and battery life sees a slight improvement over its predecessor as well – 380 shots versus 350 shots per charge (CIPA).

Official Fujifilm X-T30 sample images by Bryan Minear

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The Fujifilm X-T30 will go on sale in March for $ 899 body-only, $ 999 with XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS Power Zoom or $ 1299 with 18-55mm F2.8-4. At launch the X-T30 will be offered in black or silver, with a handsome charcoal silver option to follow in June.

Press release:

FUJIFILM LAUNCHES THE NEW FUJINON XF16mmF2.8 R WR LENS AND THE FUJIFILM X-T30, A NEW MIRRORLESS DIGITAL CAMERA IN A UNIQUELY LIGHTWEIGHT AND COMPACT DESIGN

– Updates to FUJIFILM X Series lineup including the new the X-T30, which packs greater image quality and UHD 4K video-recording capability into its thin, lightweight body (just 13.51oz) (383g);
– The FUJINON XF16mmF2.8 R WR wide angle lens for X Series announced;
– Forthcoming firmware releases for FUJIFILM X-T3, FUJIFILM X-T100 and FUJIFILM X-A5;
– New version of FUJIFILM Camera Remote app available

Valhalla, New York, February 14, 2019 – FUJIFILM Corporation today unveiled several new announcements for the FUJIFILM X Series lineup, including the launch of the FUJIFILM X-T30 (X-T30), its new mirrorless digital camera that provides photographers of all levels with enhancements in image quality at greater speed and accuracy. Fujifilm also announced the FUJINON XF16mmF2.8 R WR wide angle lens with a compact, lightweight and weather-resistant design for its XF family of interchangeable lenses.

X-T30
The new system features Fujifilm’s X-Trans CMOS 4 Sensor. This 4th generation, 26.1 megapixel imaging sensor, is one of the highest resolution sensors among APS-C sensor digital cameras. The small, lightweight camera also takes advantage of Fujifilm’s new X-Processor 4 Quad Core-CPU, which provides content creators of all levels with fast auto-focus (AF), accurate face detection and enough power to create beautiful, high-resolution stills. The sensitivity of ISO 160 — previously only available as extended ISO — is now available as a regular ISO option and will serve to facilitate capturing moments in bright daylight outdoors.

The X-T30 also includes advanced features such as the Focus Lever which enables users to quickly and easily shift to a focus point, an intuitive touch-screen panel, and an ergonomic body design to ensure hand-held stability in versatile shooting conditions. At a weight of just 13.51oz, the compact and lightweight body is comfortable to hold even when it is mounted with a large lens, such as a telephoto zoom.

Evolved for video-recording capability, the X-T30 offers the ability to record ultra high-definition (UHD) 4K or Full HD 1080p video and high quality audio – without additional equipment – to accommodate the needs of a wide range of content creators.

Professional Performance: The 26.1MP BSI APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 image sensor and X-Processor 4 quad-core CPU combination allows for reliable and accurate AF and Face Detection performance when capturing high-resolution stills or recording 4k video of moving subjects.
Advanced Image Quality: The new X-Processor 4 Quad Core-CPU doubles the speed of face-detection for moving people compared to the X-T20. Additionally, eye-detection AF now works in AF-C mode, which results in accurate focus-tracking for moving portrait subjects. The low-light limit for phase detection AF has been expanded even more from the conventional +0.5EV to -3EV, to allow for operation in a wide range of lighting scenarios.
Superior Video and Image Effects: Offers the ability to record 4K video at 30 frames per second or capture of 120 frames per second at 1080p to create super slow motion effects. Filmmakers needing high color fidelity can record 10-bit, 4:2:2 color through the camera’s HDMI port. Leveraging Fujifilm’s advanced color reproduction technology, users are able to record video in ‘Film Simulation’ modes. The X-T30 also incorporates numerous shooting functions, such as “monochrome adjustments” available for ACROS and Monochrome, and “Color Chrome” effect that produces uniquely deep colors and gradation in subjects with highly saturated colors, which are notoriously difficult to photograph.
Easy-to-Use Design: Offers 3 inch touch LCD with 2-way tilting and optimal touch screen to capture images easily in challenging situations. Provides advanced SR Auto mode –easily activated with a lever — to automatically choose the optimum shooting settings out of 58 presets for any given scene.
Mobility: Built-in Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth V.4.2 offers digital communication with the free FUJIFILM Camera Remote app to wirelessly control the camera or share images to smart devices.

Carrying on with the tradition of the FUJIFILM X-T10 (released in June 2015), and the FUJIFILM X-T20 (released in February 2017), the new model retains the X Series’ signature dial-based, manual controls and proprietary color reproduction technology, along with a complete range of shooting functions designed to attract a broad range of users from professional photographers and independent filmmakers to first-time beginners.

FUJIFILM X-T30 Specifications:

26.1M BSI APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4
X-Processor 4 quad-core CPU
100% phase detect AF across the entire frame
Excellent face and eye detection AF with new Face Selection option
2.36M-dot OLED EVF
3 inch 1.04M-dot 2-way tilting Touch LCD with smooth and fast drag controls
4K/30p, Full HD 120fps, H.264 compression option
External HDMI recording capable of 4:2:2 10 bit quality
1x SD UHS-I card slot • Built-in Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth V.4.2
Headphone Jack via USB-C Adapter (3rd Party)
USB-C
NP-W126S battery

FUJINON XF16mmF2.8 R WR Lens
Designed to deliver the high performance resolution from Fujifilm’s X-TRANS CMOS sensors through its precise optical design, the XF16mmF2.8 R WR adopts an internal focusing system and stepping motor to provide extremely fast and near-quiet auto-focusing. Although light and compact, the design incorporates metal components on the exterior of the lens, while interior is sealed around the barrel in nine different locations to ensure durability and weather-resistance to the surrounding environment. The XF16mmF2.8 R WR joins the collection of affordable, compact, and lightweight lenses within the FUJINON XF Lens System, making it the perfect companion to the XF23mmF2 R WR, XF35mmF2 R WR, and XF50mmF2 R WR lenses.

High Resolution Performance: Edge-to-edge sharpness from the center to the corners of the frame is achieved by the precise arrangement of 10 lens elements in 8 groups. This lens also includes two aspherical elements, which assist in suppressing the image degrading effects of chromatic aberration and field curvature imperfection.
Compact, Lightweight and Stylish design: Weighing in at 5.47oz (155g) and measuring just 1.79in (45.4mm) in length, this lens offers up the renowned image quality and refined style associated with the FUJINON XF family of lenses. With its metal exterior, precise click stops, and smooth dampening, this lens offers incredible image quality in a durable, aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Fast and Quiet Autofocus: The inner focusing AF system uses a stepping motor to move focusing elements into place through precise electrical pulses in order to achieve fast and near-silent autofocus performance.
Weather and Dust Resistant Durability: The lens is designed to operate in temperatures as low as 14° Fahrenheit and is sealed at nine points around the barrel, making it both weather and dust resistant.

FUJINON XF16mmF2.8 R WR Optional Accessories:

49mm Front lens cap (FLCP-49)
49mm Protect filter (PRF-49)

FUJINON XF16mmF2.8 R WR Specifications:

Lens construction: 10 elements, 8 groups (includes 2 aspherical elements)
Focal length (35mm format equivalent: f=16mm (24mm)
Angle of view: 83.2°
Max. aperture: F2.8
Min. aperture: F22
Aperture control
Number of blades: 9 (rounded diaphragm opening)
Stop size: 1/3EV (19 stops)
Focus range: 17cm and beyond
Max. magnification: 0.13x
External dimensions: Diameter x Length: Approx: ?60.0mm x 45.4mm
Weight (excluding caps, hoods): Approx. 155g
Filter size: ?49mm10

Availability and Pricing
The X-T30 digital camera body and kits are anticipated to be available in March 2019 in the popular black and premium silver for a suggested retail price of USD $ 899 and CAD $ 1,199.99. The X-T30 body with XC15-45mm lens kit will be available at a suggested retail price of USD $ 999 and CAD $ 1,299.99. The X-T30 body with XF18-55mm lens kit will be offered at a suggested retail price of USD $ 1,299 and CAD $ 1,699.99. All camera and kit variations of the new charcoal silver color will be available in June 2019.

The FUJINON XF16mmF2.8 R WR lens is expected to be available in black in March 2019 or silver in May 2019, at a suggested retail price of USD $ 399.95 and CAD $ 499.99.

New Firmware Updates for FUJIFILM X-T3
New firmware version [FUJIFILM X-T3 Ver. 3.00] for the FUJIFILM X-T3 will be released in April 2019 to strengthen the accuracy of the X-T3’s face/eye detection feature, and to provide enhanced AF performance and speed, and operability of the X-T3 touch screen.

Enhanced Accuracy of Face/Eye Detection and AF Performance: The X-T3 firmware update provides improvements in the X-T3’s AF algorithm, with face detection of the X-T3 enhanced by approximately 30%. Additionally, the firmware serves to make the AF tracking even more stable not only in still photos but also in video recording.
New “Face Select” Function: The new X-T3 firmware update adds a new “Face Select” function to provide priority auto-focus, tracking, and exposure on a selected subject when multiple faces are detected within a frame. X-T3 users can make a selection via the touch screen or focus lever.
Fast AF Speed: The X-T3’s new firmware update provides the camera with a new AF algorithm, which improves the AF speed from previous versions, regardless if the subject is located a short distance or farther away.
Intuitive Operability: The firmware update provides additional settings for the X-T3’s touch screen that provide enhanced ease-of-use when focusing.

New Firmware Updates for FUJIFILM X-T100 and FUJIFILM X-A5
Available starting February 2019, the new firmware FUJIFILM X-T100 Ver. 2.00, FUJIFILM X-A5 Ver. 2.00 for the FUJIFILM X-T100 and for the FUJIFILM X-A5, respectively, will include advanced features for shooting a variety of scenes.

New “Bright Mode”: Provides a brighter and more vivid image when using the “Advanced SR Auto” mode. It can be easily turned on and off with a single tap via the LCD touch-screen.
“Portrait Enhancer” Mode: The popular “Portrait Enhancer” mode is now available with customizations to meet a range of different skin tones.
New “Night+ Setting”: The “Night+” mode automatically adjusts ISO, brightness and vividness of the picture for enhanced quality in poor light situations.

New Version of the FUJIFILM Camera Remote App
Fujifilm will also launch the newest version of the FUJIFILM Camera Remote (Ver. 4.0) app to connect smart devices to Fujifilm’s wireless-equipped digital cameras to enable seamless transfer of photos and remote-control shooting features. The newly designed interface of the new FUJIFILM Camera Remote app allows for a quicker pairing process and an “album” function to quickly arrange photos imported from the camera. The new version will be available in the App Store for iOS™ devices in March 2019 and available in the Google play store for Android™ devices in May 2019.

Fujifilm X-T30 specifications

Price
MSRP	$ 899 (body only)
Body type
Body type	SLR-style mirrorless
Body material	Metal
Sensor
Max resolution	6240 x 4160
Image ratio w:h	1:1, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels	26 megapixels
Sensor size	APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor type	BSI-CMOS
Processor	X-Processor 4
Color space	sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array	X-Trans
Image
ISO	Auto, 160-12800 (expands to 80-51200)
Boosted ISO (minimum)	80
Boosted ISO (maximum)	51200
White balance presets	7
Custom white balance	Yes (3 slots)
Image stabilization	No
Uncompressed format	RAW
JPEG quality levels	Fine, normal
File format	JPEG (Exif v.2.3) Raw (Fujifilm 14-bit RAF)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi-area Center Selective single-point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection Live View
Autofocus assist lamp	Yes
Manual focus	Yes
Number of focus points	425
Lens mount	Fujifilm X
Focal length multiplier	1.5×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Tilting
Screen size	3″
Screen dots	1,040,000
Touch screen	Yes
Screen type	TFT LCD
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	Electronic
Viewfinder coverage	100%
Viewfinder magnification	0.93× (0.62× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder resolution	2,360,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	4 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/4000 sec
Maximum shutter speed (electronic)	1/32000 sec
Exposure modes	Program Aperture priority Shutter priority Manual
Scene modes	SR Auto Portrait Portrait Enhancer Landscape Sport Night Night (tripod) Fireworks Sunset Snow Beach Underwater Party Flower Text
Built-in flash	Yes
Flash range	5.00 m (at ISO 100)
External flash	Yes (via hot shoe)
Flash modes	Auto, on, slow sync, manual, commander
Flash X sync speed	1/180 sec
Drive modes	Single Continuous H Continuous L Bracket
Continuous drive	30.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes
Metering modes	Multi Center-weighted Average Spot
Exposure compensation	±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
AE Bracketing	±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps)
WB Bracketing	Yes
Videography features
Format	MPEG-4, H.264
Modes	4096 x 2160 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2160 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 4096 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 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 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone	Stereo
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported)
Connectivity
USB	USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
USB charging	Yes
HDMI	Yes (micro-HDMI)
Microphone port	Yes
Headphone port	No
Wireless	Built-In
Wireless notes	802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.2
Remote control	Yes (via wired remote or smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed	No
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	NP-W126S lithium-ion battery & Charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	380
Weight (inc. batteries)	383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz)
Dimensions	118 x 83 x 47 mm (4.65 x 3.27 x 1.85″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
Timelapse recording	Yes
GPS	None

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Datacolor launches SpyderX, its fastest and most accurate color calibration tool to date

11 Feb

Color management solutions company Datacolor has announced SpyderX, its fastest and easiest to use monitor color calibration tool to date.

The new tool has been redesigned from the ground up with a new color engine ‘that provides significantly increased color accuracy and low light capabilities,’ according to Datacolor.

One of the standout improvements is the decrease in time it takes to calibrate a monitor or projector. Compared to the five minutes previous Datacolor tools required to calibrate a device, the new SpyderX tool takes less than two minutes once the appropriate software is downloaded.

The redesigned device is also more precise than ever with improved levels of color accuracy and shadow detail recognition.

The SpyderX is available in two varieties: Spyder Pro, which ‘is designed for serious photographers and designers seeking a fast and easy-to-use monitor calibration solution’ and Spyder Elite, which ‘takes it one step further with more advanced settings for professional photographers and videographers who want ultimate control of their color workflow.‘ SpyderX devices are available for $ 169.99 and $ 269.99, respectively, at Datacolor’s online store and authorized Datacolor retailers.

Press release:

Datacolor debuts SpyderX, a ground-breaking color calibration solution for monitors.

Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA, February 11, 2019 – Datacolor®, a global leader in color management solutions, has launched SpyderX, its fastest, most accurate and easiest to use color calibration tool for monitors. The development of SpyderX is testament to Datacolor’s commitment in advancing color management solutions for photographers, videographers and creative specialists worldwide.

SpyderX uses a fully redesigned color engine that provides significantly increased color accuracy and low light capabilities, giving photographers the confidence needed to achieve their creative vision.

SpyderX enhanced features include:

Blazing Speed – Taking less than two minutes to calibrate a screen, the SpyderX is several times faster than previous models, with calibration happening so fast it easily becomes part of the workflow.
Highest Accuracy – Providing a significantly higher level of color accuracy and shadow detail on a wide range of monitors.
Ease of Use – Simple and intuitive single-click calibration software, as well as advanced options.

Susan Bunting, director of marketing at Datacolor, said: “We know photography is a labor of love, and a lot goes into taking every shot. That’s why we’ve redesigned SpyderX from the ground up, ensuring you can trust the color on your screen while making the whole process of calibration as intuitive and quick as possible.”

Now available in two versions, the SpyderX Pro ($ 169.99) is designed for serious photographers and designers seeking a fast and easy-to-use monitor calibration solution. The SpyderX Elite ($ 269.99) takes it one step further with more advanced settings for professional photographers and videographers who want ultimate control of their color workflow.

Purchase SpyderX at spyderx.datacolor.com, Amazon or with authorized resellers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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The 10 most inspiring drone images of 2018

21 Dec

The 10 most inspiring drone images of 2018

Thanks to camera drones, it’s easier than ever to capture stunning photos from an aerial perspective. Whether through careful planning, or clever editing to create interesting art, drones can be used to push the boundaries of creativity. Here, we present the 10 drone images that inspired us most this year.

Above: Reuben Wu

This image is part of musician and artist Reuben Wu’s Lux Noctis series. Taken in the Vermillion Cliffs of Arizona at night, Wu used a drone with a powerful DIY LED light attached to it to achieve a halo effect above the peaks.

He set up a digital medium format camera positioned high up from across the pinnacles. A single drone was used so he could operate the camera and flight simultaneously.

Fabien Barrau

French photo editor and photographer, Fabien Barrau, mixes photos taken with his DJI Mavic Pro and stock images to create landscapes that oscillate between reality and fantasy.

Inspired by the phenomenon of pareidolia, he creates animal faces within the elements of the landscape. Barrau spent more than 60 hours in Photoshop to realize this image of the night owl.

Martin Sanchez

What’s most remarkable about this image of a group of hippos, taken in Tanzania with a Mavic 2 Pro, is that a drone is the only possible tool that can capture these animals in such close proximity, from above, without disturbing their natural habitat.

Mole Media

Danny, an Australian-based remote pilot from Mole Media, was inspired by legendary photographer Demas Rusli who created a similar image.

He used a Mavic Pro for his take on a classic, found an intersection in Penrose State Forest, shot in RAW, and used Photoshop to individually recreate the seasons and add different layers of objects and clouds. The result, a 4 seasons in 1 day illusion.

Reed Plummer

Reed Plummer happened to capture this school of salmon in perfect circular formation, no post-processing needed. The image was captured on the coast line of Wamberal Beach in New South Wales.

Marc Le Cornu

Marc Le Cornu used a DJI Phantom 4 Pro with an ISO of 100 at 1/1000 shutter speed and f/8 aperture. He wanted to catch his local ferry in full flight for ages, so after some careful timetable planning, he flew from a rocky point close to the shipping lane and managed to race out to get in position as the ferry approached.

There was only one chance to capture the perfect top down due to the speed of the ship. When he initially edited the shot in Lightroom, he thought it resembled a starship. That sparked the idea of creating the illusion of a rocket blasting into space. The final image was created in Photoshop, adding a few stars and lens flare.

Henry Do

Using a Mavic Pro Platinum, Henry Do shot a series of images using Automatic Exposure Bracketing. This process of capturing these shots starts with a horizontal scene at a straight angle, followed by repeatedly turning the lens down slightly and shooting, repeating the process until the camera is pointing down at 90 degrees.

Do uses a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop to merge these images into a portrait, splits individual images, such as day and night in this view of Barcelona, and merges them again to create this effect.

Micah Fitch

Micah Fitch perfectly captured this image of a recent Space X launch with an Inspire 2, Zenmuse X5S, and the 25mm f/1.8 Olympus lens (50mm equivalent on the X5S’s M43 sensor). He took 3 shots as quickly as possible in the 4:3 aspect ratio and stacked them vertically, overlapping about 30% from shot to shot.

The goal was to also frame the Huntington Beach Pier in the foreground to add a sense of scale. Micah combined 3 RAW files using Lightroom’s panorama mode, matching the exposures up. The overall intention for this image was to edit it so it would mirror what he saw with his own eyes.

Costas Spathis

Costas Spathis created this image with a Mavic Pro. The settings he used were ISO 100, shutter 320, and a f/4 aperture. The original capture was a simple line of ships located in a calm Marina in Greece.

To create this particular illusion, Spathis used a tool called Polar Coordinates in Photoshop. Much of his work is inspired by the sea and his love of symmetry.

Kristina Makeeva

Moscow-based photographer Kristina Makeeva creates magic with her images, many where she relies heavily on Photoshop to produce surreal effects.

What makes this image particularly remarkable, besides the fact that she placed one person with a yellow raincoat in the center of a fall-color-lined street for a striking, unique composition is that she used Automatic settings on her Phantom 4 with minimal editing. This image was taken in Ontario, near Toronto, Canada.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Make the Most of Creative Shutter Speed in Photography

16 Dec

The post How to Make the Most of Creative Shutter Speed in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

This photo is all about the moment of capture. I used a fast shutter speed to capture it.

One of the most important settings on your camera is shutter speed, and it’s just as important to master this as it is to master aperture. If anything, shutter speed control allows you to become even more creative with your photography. Exciting techniques like light painting and panning both rely on the photographers’ use of this setting. In this article, you’ll learn techniques that need a creative shutter speed, and how you can apply this to your photography. So let’s begin with what shutter speed is, and why it’s important.

What is shutter speed?

A photograph relies on light to become exposed, and shutter speed controls how long that light sources can expose the photo. That means in general, lighter conditions mean fast shutter speeds, and dark conditions mean slow shutter speeds. Shutter speed is also controlled by opening or closing the aperture on your lens, adding filters to your lens, and, in some cases, adding external lighting to your scene. In DSLR camera’s it means the mirror locks up, and in mirror-less cameras, the shutter is merely open. Now, various techniques rely on shutter speed to work. Let’s sub-divide them by the how fast the shutter speed needs to be.

Fast shutter speed

Using super-fast shutter speeds allows you to freeze things that might be faster than the eye can appreciate. That may mean raindrops, wildlife, or photographing sport.

Freezing the action

The shutter speed you’ll need to freeze the action very much depends on what you’re photographing. Concerning creative imagery, you’re looking at freezing things that are too fast for the naked eye, and hence, you’ll get some unusual detail in the photo you’ve taken. Next is a simple guide to the type of creative shutter speed you’ll need to freeze the following types of action:

A waving hand – A shutter speed of 1/100th is fast enough to freeze this motion, to be sure use 1/200th
A flying bird – 1/2000th will get you a sharp photo of a flying bird.
Raindrop splashes – Look to use a shutter speed of 1/1000th or faster to freeze moving water. It’s possible to take water drop photos at slower speeds, but those often use a strobe flash to freeze the water rather than the shutter speed itself.

Freezing droplets of water require a fast shutter speed.

Moment of capture

Getting the right moment is what makes or breaks a photo. It is possible to take good moments of capture at slower shutter speeds, but generally, you’ll want to freeze the action. That means a fast shutter speed, and capturing that moment a baseball player swings their bat, or the archer loses their arrow. In both cases, these need a fast shutter speed to capture that moment.

Handheld photography

While not related to creativity in your photo, shutter speed is all important when it comes to avoiding camera shake. There is a nice rule of thumb that correlates your focal length to the slowest speed you can use handheld. Of course, there are those with steadier hands, and image stabilization helps too. That said, the correlation works like this and is easy to remember. If your focal length is 300mm, you’ll need to use a shutter speed of 1/300th second to avoid camera shake. You can use a much slower shutter speed at wider focal lengths though, so at 50mm 1/50th is adequate.

Creating motion.

Ahead of getting into long exposure, there are the shutter speeds that you can get away with handheld, but slow enough to move the camera and produce motion blur.

Panning is a popular technique, that needs a slower shutter speed.

Panning

This is a great technique and is a good example of how creative shutter speed can be used.

The technique requires a steady hand because it uses shutter speeds that wouldn’t usually get taken handheld. The idea behind this technique is that you follow a moving object with your camera, and take the photo with a slow enough speed to blur the background. You can follow any moving object from a pedestrian walking to a Formula 1 racing car. Amongst the easiest objects to pan with is a cyclist moving at a steady speed. Those new to the technique should practice panning with a cyclist first. A shutter speed of around 1/25th is a good starting point to blur the background while keeping the cyclist sharp.

Motion blur

An alternative strategy is to allow the moving object to blur, and keep the static object sharp. While panning is primarily done handheld, using a tripod for this type of photo achieves better results. In this case, you’ll be looking to show the background motion of things like cars, trains or buses against static objects. That might be people waiting to cross the road, or someone waiting for a bus or train. Once again, a shutter speed of 1/25th is often slow enough to blur the moving object in your frame.

This photo was taken from a moving train. The slower shutter speed created motion blur.

Camera rotation

It’s still possible to give a photo a more dynamic feel, even when everything in your frame is static. You can achieve this feel by moving the camera with a slow shutter speed of around 1/25th. With wide-angle lenses, you can experiment with even slower shutter speeds. However, this may impact your ability to keep a portion of your photo sharp. The idea behind camera rotation is to twist the camera around a central point in your photo while taking the photo. This technique can be used for kinetic light painting when even longer exposures are needed. It can be tricky to achieve because it is a difficult technique to do handheld, and most tripods won’t allow you to rotate around a central point in the way this technique needs. It’s also best to use a wide-angle lens when taking this variety of photo.

Zoom is a good way of giving a photo a more dynamic feel.

Zoom

A zoom burst is another popular way to use creative shutter speed. It is possible with any lens that allows you to change the focal length. So, a kit lens works very well for this technique. With the zoom burst it’s possible to take the photo handheld, but using a tripod gives you better results. While you’re moving the lens and not the camera body, any tripod helps with this type of photo. The aim is to produce motion by zooming into your primary subject matter during an exposure roughly 1/25th in length. Not all locations work well for this photo. For example, a location with lots of sky may not produce much blur. On the other hand, a tunnel with differing levels of light, such as a line of overhanging trees, works great.

Camera rotation can produce interesting effects.

Creative shutter speed for long exposures

At the extreme end of creative shutter speed usage is the long exposure. Here you’re looking at exposure times in excess of one second. There is an awful lot of creativity to be had in this area, so let’s look at what you can do.

Light painting

Light painting is a lot of fun, and among the most creative techniques you can use in photography. There are essentially two ways you can create light paintings. The first is where the light source is turned away from the camera, and you use it to light up an object within the frame. To do this use the light source like a brush, and shine it only on the area’s you wish to light up. The alternative to this is pointing the light source towards the camera. Light painting can be as low tech as using your torch. However, more ambitious forms of light painting include the use of wire wool, or LED light sticks. Light painting photos typically begin at two-second exposures, and if you use bulb mode they can last into the minutes.

You can use light painting to add more interest to a scene.

Kinetic light painting

The difference between kinetic light painting and light painting is that you move the camera, whereas, with light painting, you move the light source. Of course, it’s possible to use random movements of the camera for this. However, the best way is for more controlled movement, and that means camera rotation and zoom.

Camera rotation – Very similar to the above technique, but this uses longer exposure times. You’ll need a tripod this time. The technique involves rotating the camera in a nice smooth motion while attached to the tripod.
Camera zoom – Once again, following on from handheld zooming, are longer zooms at night taken using a tripod. To learn more about the experimental potential of zoom you can read this article.

This is an example of kinetic light painting. The camera was rotated around the tripod head.

Landscape long exposure

Using long exposure in landscape photography gives you a great way of interpreting a scene in a different way. This is most easily achieved at night, but daytime long exposure is also possible.

Neutral density filter – The use of a neutral density filter allows you to take daytime long exposures. This has the potential to transform your scene with moving clouds, and silky water. You will need a strong filter, so an ND110 or ND1000 is needed.
Blue hour – As most landscape photographers will know, this is one of the best times to photograph. You’ll be using long exposure because the light levels dictate that. That long exposure allows you to experiment with traffic light trail photography.
Astro-photography – Finally, and at the extreme end of long exposure photography, is astro-photography. Those wishing to photograph the Milky Way will need to use exposure times of around 20-30 seconds depending on the equipment you’re using. Another popular technique is to photograph star trails. This can be a sequence of 30-second exposures stacked together. The alternative is to use bulb mode, and exposure for at least 10 minutes!

Long exposure on days with fast-moving cloud creates dramatic skies.

It’s time to hit your shutter!

There are lots of ways to use creative shutter speed. Have you tried any of the above techniques? Are there any techniques you use that are different? As always, we want to hear your opinions. Likewise, we’d love to see any photos you have that showcase the creative use of shutter speed. So go out and try using shutter speed in different ways, and then share your experiences with us in the comments section.

The post How to Make the Most of Creative Shutter Speed in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

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Lensrentals breaks down the numbers behind the most popular cameras and lenses of the year

04 Dec

Image provided by Lensrentals

As it does every year, Lensrentals has released the numbers behind the most popular gear it saw rented out through 2018. In a blog post on its website, Lensrentals details nearly every category and subcategory imaginable, showing what cameras, lenses, and formats reign supreme in the world of online rentals.

In Lensrental’s own words, ‘This barometer of equipment rental patterns is useful for the industry to gauge trends in adoption of new technology, camera and lens formats and change in brand share of the market.’

Starting with cameras, Canon still leads, with Sony and Nikon trailing, respectively. Year-over-year though, Canon is down from 44.90% in 2017 to 41.57% in 2018, while Sony and Nikon both increased from 24.67% to 26.31% and 15.06% to 15.28%, respectively. Although the data for this analysis was gathered before the general availability of both Canon and Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless offerings, Lensrentals says early data suggests Canon’s EOS R system is roughly twice as popular as Nikon’s Z6 and Z7 cameras.

The top ILC camera brands, based on percentage of total rentals, according to Lensrentals.

The Canon 5D Mark IV and 5D Mark III take the top two spots, respectively, with the Sony a7s II, Sony a7 III, and Panasonic GH5 rounding out the top five. The Sony a7 III is the only new camera (released in 2018) to make it into the top five.

While on the topic of CaNikon, Lensrentals data shows Canon’s overall camera usage has decreased slightly, going from 44.90% to 41.57% year-over-year, as Nikon’s increased from 15.06% to 15.28% year over year. Lensrentals notes this is possibly due to the release of the D850 late in 2017, which gave Nikon momentum going into the new year. Other camera brands saw growth as well in 2018, filling the void left behind by Canon.

Below is a list of the top ten cameras rented out by Lensrental users:

1. Canon 5D Mark IV
2. Canon 5D Mark III
3. Sony Alpha a7S II
4. Sony Alpha a7 III
5. Panasonic GH5
6. Sony Alpha a7R III
7. Nikon D750
8. Canon 6D Mark II
9. Nikon D850
10. Canon 6D

On the lens front, not much has changed at the top. Canon, Sony, Sigma, and Nikon take the top four spots, with 37.17%, 14.58%, 12.96%, and 9.62% of rentals, respectively. After that, the numbers drop dramatically, as seen in the below chart.

The top lens brands, based on percentage of total rentals, according to Lensrentals. Other includes: Metabones, Olympus, Rokinon, Voigtlander, Leica, Tokina, Fujinon, Pentax, Veydra, Lensbaby, Venus Optics, Hasselblad, Angenieux, Wooden Camera, SLR Magic and Schneider.

Canon’s second-generation 24-70mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F2.8 have proven to be the most popular lenses yet again. However, Sony has found its way into the top three with its own 24-70mm F2.8 and Sony lens rentals have increased approximately 60%, growth mostly driven from new lens releases. Lensrentals says the following lenses ‘drove the most growth’ for Sony:

Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 OSS
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS

Panasonic also saw growth, driven exclusively by three lenses as well:

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 X Power OIS II
Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 X Power OIS II
Panasonic/Leica 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH

Both Sigma and Tamron saw a slow, but steady increase in popularity, as both have been rolling out new and improved lenses across their respective lineups. Below is a list of the top ten lenses, according to Lensrentals:

1. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II
2. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
3. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
4. Canon 35mm f/1.4L II
5. Canon 50mm f/1.2L
6. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
7. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L
8. Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro
9. Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III
10. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II

Overall, there isn’t too much change across the board, aside from a few notable exceptions mentioned above. Again though, this data was pulled before Canon and Nikon’s respective full-frame mirrorless cameras became available to the general public. With the cameras now available leading into the next year, there could be dramatic changes, both in the DSLR and mirrorless market as manufacturers battle it out for the top spot.

To see a more detailed analysis of the gear rented out and numbers behind the scenes, head over to Lensrentals’ blog post.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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