If the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 premium superzoom was a game-changer, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 changed the game yet again when it was introduced last month. With its 1″-type 20.1MP CMOS sensor and 25-400mm equiv. F2.8-4.0 lens it’s an ideal candidate for travel, offering a larger-than-average sensor and generous zoom range. With 4K video recording and a lower MSRP, it gave the already-impressive RX10 a run for the money. Read more
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
We’ve all heard one of the cornerstones of making better photographs is to slow down; be deliberate and take your time. This is very true. In no way am I advocating not being purposeful in your shooting. However, sometimes there are situations when the difference between getting a good image, instead of a blurred and washed out frame, is separated by only a few precious seconds. This is especially true when it comes to working in action filled situations like sports or street photography, but it can also be just as easy to miss moments in nature and landscape photography if you go into situations ill prepared.
Here are three tips that can improve your reaction time and make you more ready to obtain quality images for processing when you find yourself in those “shoot from the hip” scenarios.
Being Ready to Shoot Faster – Never Miss a Shot
“Know thyself.” No, Socrates wasn’t a photographer (though I’m sure he would have been awesome). In this case, the saying of “know thyself” means becoming aware of your surroundings more so than having a deep introspective understanding of your own self, although that’s a good thing to have, usually. We exercise this on a daily basis, albeit almost unconsciously. You notice a stain on your shirt, or you see the little boy chasing a ball towards the street, or you see a dark alley that’s just a little too dark to walk down alone. You can incorporate this same inherent awareness into your photography to make you a faster shooter.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you find yourself taking an afternoon to work on your street photography. When you first begin your expedition, it’s very bright outside. You are probably still able to shoot at a reasonably fast shutter speed and low ISO. As the evening starts giving way to night, there is of course less available light. So, a good idea would be to begin thinking about bumping up your ISO so that you can maintain the same exposure settings. Or alternatively, slowing down your shutter speed or increasing the size of your aperture (remember, low F-number means a bigger opening and more light into the lens such as f/2.8). Keep in mind however, that a higher ISO will introduce more noise into your final image, but it will have less of an overall impact than changing the shutter and aperture settings.
In photography, your surroundings are in a state of constant flux. So, to be a good photographer, you must be aware of the changes in your surroundings and mould yourself the best you can in order to produce consistent and quality work. This means learning to understand what is happening around you, whether it be: changing lighting conditions, approaching weather, wind, the presence or absence of people and objects, – the list goes on indefinitely. Anticipate what is going to happen next and make adjustments now, to save time later.
This would seem to go without saying, but you still see many photographers looking down right uncomfortable or awkward while they’re out shooting. Sadly, the majority of the pain is self-inflicted. To shoot faster and to be ready for the shot when the time is right, your camera must be available for use at a moments notice without restricting your movement or causing discomfort. One of the best ways to make this happen is to have your camera suspended from a quality camera strap. Camera straps, like most things, can become a very personal item for new and seasoned photographers alike. Don’t buy a strap because its got pretty flowers embroidered on it or because its made from the latest space age whatever-foam. Do a quick search for “camera strap” here on dPS and you will find a large number of reviews and write-ups of great camera straps. But don’t stop there. Shop around, read reviews, ask your photographer friends and sift camera forums. Being able to comfortably retrieve your camera quickly is key to not missing great images.
Have a budget? Most of us do, even more of us can’t afford to spend thousands on the latest lens or camera body that we dream of owning. Luckily, the majority of the accessory market is crammed with makers competing to sell you their wares. It’s easier than ever to strike a balance between what you need and what you can afford. If you can, have more than one camera strap in your kit so you can choose what fits best for a particular outing.
This is the big one, yet many people don’t seem to understand that preparation is golden. A close cousin to situational awareness, research and preparation prior to any photo work should become second nature and will pay huge dividends. It will also make you a faster shooter and help to prioritize your workflow, not to mention make you appear more competent as a photographer.
Know what you’re walking into beforehand and prepare accordingly. Are you going on a hike? Find out what wildlife and plants are native to the area and pack your bag with long lenses so you can get close to your subjects from a distance. Travelling abroad? Be sure to read up on the local attitudes towards photography before you start snapping away to avoid any awkward confrontations or worse. Of course, the most unpopular, but useful, aspect of being well prepared is practice, practice, pactice. Practice, and then practice some more. Want faster and more smoother lens changes? Practice at home, so you lose less time in the field and have fewer fumbles. Practice finding your camera adjustment buttons without looking. This will save you loads of time and frustration when you find yourself shooting at night. If you haven’t figured it out by now, the key word here is practice. Practice everything and you will be amazed at how much easier quicker most things suddenly become.
Do you have any other tips for shooting faster and being ready? Please share them in the comments below.
The post Three Tips for Being Ready to Shoot Faster so you Never Miss a Shot by Adam Welch appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Born from the brief union between Google and Motorola, the Moto X bears several unique features worthy of both names, including instant activation when removed from a pocket and constant attention to voice commands. Two shakes of the handset brings up the Moto X’s simplified camera interface, which is where we come in. How does the Moto X measure up? Read our Motorola Moto X review to find out
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
As a photographer the time will come that you are asked to shoot a friend’s wedding for free or for payment. Most photographers baulk at the idea, citing the importance of the day and fear of failure as the main reasons. In this article I want to look at what it takes to shoot someone’s wedding to help you decide if it is your lack of self confidence that is preventing you for taking one on, or a honest reflection of your abilities coupled with a moral obligation telling you not to ruin the day.
This is clearly subjective and to a certain extent determined by the visual literacy of the bride and groom. What are their expectations and do they match what you are technically able to do? From your perspective, before you can even entertain the proposition, you should be competent, technically, with a camera. This means being able to use it comfortably in full Manual mode with an understanding of how shutter speed, aperture and ISO work together to give the correct exposure. If you currently work in Program ( P ) mode, although you may get okay results, you should probably decline the opportunity.
The above may seem harsh so let me explain my reasoning. If you do not understand the principles of how to nail exposure fairly accurately in Manual mode, then chances are that you will not be well versed in composition or the use of light, both of which are integral to creating images the bride and groom will love. You may ask at this point ask what does it matter if I shoot in Program mode – I spent a lot of money on my camera and I get well exposed images. Well, the problem is that you are not in control. Wedding photography is about translating what is in your mind’s eye into a photo, and you need the technical know how to do this, at the same time as capturing the couple’s and guests’ emotions. In short you need to control the depth of field which means shooting in Manual or Aperture priority mode (the latter in fine as long as you can do it manually as well and know about exposure compensation).
If I shoot a wedding I take at least three bodies with me (often five) so as not to miss a special moment while changing lenses, and to act as back up. The latter is incredibly important. You do not need a top of the range kit – in fact a good photographer could shoot a wedding very well with an entry level DSLR, but it does help. Do you have fast glass (f/2.8 or faster) or are you using a kit lens? If you have a kit lens, is it fast enough to give a sufficient shutter speed to capture the ceremony? The last thing you want is to ruin the proceedings and romance by using a flash. A 50mm f/1.8 can be purchased very quickly and are ideal as they all come with a built in zoom – your feet!
Even photojournalists will usually take portraits of the bride and group and arrange group shots, so being able to pose people is really important. It is an area that most photographers struggle to get right though and this shows up in the final images. They look awkward and unnatural, which is the last thing you want. It is something you can learn before the wedding and practice to get right. You really don’t want to be doing this on the day and lining the family up like a firing squad.
Even if you are covering a wedding for a friend you should still have insurance in case something happens. Your bride and groom may be forgiving, but suppose staff member at the venue trips over your bag, which you momentarily put down, and hurts themselves? You do not want to be sued!
They may have expectations of a grand album. Can you provide this, design it and deliver it? Do you have the time to do this or would you prefer to just hand over a disk of images?
A wedding is a serious thing and if you decide to take one on for the first time it is important to be very honest with the couple. Tell them that you are nervous and that it will be your first time. Unless they are very misguided, they will likely have asked you to cover it because you are either free or inexpensive, or they simply want a record of their day and you have a flash camera which works better than a camera phone.
You may be an excellent photographer, but can you handle your nerves? Can you think straight and logically if something goes wrong? Can you work to a strict deadline, like when the meal is due to be served. Are you comfortable shooting in bright sun, rain, snow or dark conditions? You need to ask yourself these questions, and ideally do a complimentary engagement shoot with the couple to ensure they like what you produce.
The above hardly touches the surface, but if you have the self belief and confidence that you can shoot a wedding, then go for it. Just be honest with the bride and groom, and set expectations. From their point of view they may not have a budget for a professional and would prefer that you got something for them instead of none. It is hard work. Your brain will ache and you really need to do your homework first, but if you do, then chances are you will love every second.
The post Are you Ready to be a Wedding Photographer? by David Pearce appeared first on Digital Photography School.
A full-frame DSLR is perhaps the most desired bit of kit any photographer could ever dream of having. This is the 5D Mark III or the D700, each an awesome camera that pretty much deliver the goods every time. But is the full frame better than the crop? Do you need it? As they’re so much more expensive than the Continue Reading
The post Let’s Get Ready to Rumble: APS-C vs Full Frame appeared first on Photodoto.
Canon has created a ‘Facebook ready’ variant of its social-media-focused PowerShot N digital camera. The ‘Facebook ready’ version will only be available directly from Canon (in the US, at least) and has a dedicated Facebook connect button in the place of the connect-to-device one on the standard N. Once the camera has been taught your login details, you can upload images with a choice of who gets to see them, once posted. The 1/2.3″ 12MP sensor camera will cost $ 299.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
By Annie Tao
Many photography enthusiasts contact me because they want tips on how to make their dream of becoming a Professional Photographer a reality. I am a believer and an example that it is possible to make your life’s passion a profession. The key is to not just start a business, but rather, to sustain it by being profitable and happy. That is success!
There are a multitude of books you can study and courses you can take about this very subject. Below is a short list of topline things you should consider based on my own experience. It will give you a starting point of things to think about and do.
You are ready to make the leap from Aspiring to Professional when…
You should be well versed in your camera settings, lenses, lighting equipment, etc. Getting a good image is about skill and experience, not luck. So know your stuff before you start charging for your services.
When you make photography your business, you are actually only shooting a small percentage of the time.
At some point in your career, you can choose to outsource or hire staff to do some of these activities, but when you start out, a larger portion of your time will be filled with things like, communicating with clients and potential clients, culling and editing images, balancing your budget, selling products and services, marketing yourself and your business, fulfilling orders, and drafting client contracts.
Being a Professional Photographer means being an Artist and a Business Person.
You’ve answered critical questions, such as: Who is your target client? How will you market yourself and your business to your target client? What is your pricing strategy for Year 1? Year 2? What products will you sell? What kinds of services will you provide? How will you differentiate your business from others in your area?
Do this before you start your business. It will be harder to shift business strategies later.
Once you start charging money for your services, you have to guarantee a certain level of quality and produce it consistently. A good portfolio would do most of the selling for you.
It’s plain and simple: if people can’t find you, you won’t get any business.
Before launching a website, make sure you’ve put thought into your brand identity and have optimized your site for searches (known as SEO or Search Engine Optimization). In addition to a website, there are a plethora of social media options to get your business and images noticed, such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr. You can protect your images by placing a watermark on them and limiting the file size and resolution.
You’ve registered your business, gotten insurance, filed for a business license (ie, LLC, Sole Proprietorship, S-Corp), and have a contract ready to send your clients when they book your services. You have also spoken with a small business attorney and tax accountant, and have opened a separate bank account for your business.
This may sound ridiculously simple, but it’s often overlooked.
Know what specialty you want to have before you start, so you won’t waste your efforts growing a side of your business that you do not love. Especially if you are in a saturated market, stick with your own style – whether it’s a style of shooting, processing, or photography – so you can differentiate yourself from others.
Do what you love, know your own strengths, and be yourself. This will help you attract the right clients for you. (The right client for Business A is not necessarily the right client for Business B.)
Starting and running a successful business takes a lot of resources — namely, your money, time, and energy. If you aren’t sure about something (ie, the quality of the images you’re producing, how to use your equipment, the profitability of a shoot), people will feel that uncertainty and won’t invest in you.
Make the necessary preparations before starting your business, so you can be confident when you do.
If you have additional tips for starting out Pros, feel free to share in the comment section.
Annie Tao is a Professional Photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area who is best known for capturing genuine smiles, emotions and stories of her subjects.
You can visit annietaophotography.com for more tips or inspiration and stay connected with Annie at facebook.com/annietaophotography.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
How To Know You Are Ready To Become A Professional Photographer
Winter is coming, and unlike normal people, who rush to get new coats, sweaters and winter tires, geeky guys with photo cameras have some extra things to remember. Winter is, just like all other times of year, is great for photography. Even if it seems that the whole season is a dark eternal night, I think in every country and Continue Reading
The post Get Your Photo Equipment Ready for Winter appeared first on Photodoto.
Get ready with me Thanks for watching! Please subscribe Let’s be FRIENDS!!!! I always respond!!! Find me here… Email: althea@mstruehappiness.com Tweets: bit.ly Blog: bit.ly Facebook page: bit.ly Instagram: bit.ly Brushes: bit.ly Beautylish Page: bit.ly Pinterest: bit.ly Tumblr: bit.ly Need to send me something?! PO Box 7085 Greensboro, NC 27417 Audio file(s) provided by www.audiomicro.com Products used to get ready Murad Oil Control Mattifier Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden Myglam blending brush with Buck from Urban Decay Naked Palette (blend, blend, blend) Stila In the Garden Eyeshadow Palette and Sigma E55 Eyeshadow Brush Soho Smudge Brush and the same blue color from the Stila Palette Revlon Eyelash Curler Marbella Liquid Eyeliner Benefit Cosmetics- The POREfessional primer Sigma Blending Brush Wet n Wild Eyeshadow in Creme Brûlée Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray L’Oreal VOluminious Million Lashes in Carbon Black Beauty Blender sponge and Naked Skin foundation in 7.0 Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Tan Golden Using Sigma Concealer brush MAC Mineralize Skin FInish in Medium Deep with Sigma Powder Brush Sigma Contour Brush with Sephora Matte Face Powder in D60 Sigma Blending brush to set concealer under my eyes Sally Hansen Mineral Blush in Cherub and Elf blush brush Covergirl Lash Blast waterproof in blackest tint they have available MUFE aqua eyes in 10C MUFE aqua lip pencil in 3C Urban Decay De-Slick to set face Duo Eyelash Glue in dark …
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Front-solid D44 aussie, Rear- D60 true trac, “OLD 302”, shes been through 9 years of wheelin 38’s lil smokey. AOD with E4OD planetaries, BW1356 chain is tired of my 38’s and now 42’s lol…. First clip walked it till it stopped and then hammered it. Second, tried two wheel got stuck, so locked it in. Wont hold second with 4:10’s and 302 in deeper mud. Like to get 351w. The rest playin around with it in drive, it gets second but wont hold, usually just run 1st. My 6 year old boy rides shotgun….
Video Rating: 5 / 5
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