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Posts Tagged ‘Sony’

Sony Xperia 1 Mark II sample gallery

25 May

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We got our hands on Sony’s new Xperia 1 Mark II smartphone, which features super-fast burst shooting and subject recognition with Eye AF. A triple camera design offers 16mm, 24mm and 70mm equivalent focal lengths, and a new Photography Pro photo app provides full manual control and a user interface that will be familiar to Sony shooters.

See our Sony Xperia 1 Mark II gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Sony ZV-1 Is a Powerful New Camera Designed for Vloggers

22 May

The post The Sony ZV-1 Is a Powerful New Camera Designed for Vloggers appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

New compact camera announcement teaser

Sony is preparing to launch a new camera, designed specifically for vloggers:

The Sony ZV-1, a small camera that will pack a large punch.

News of the ZV-1 has been leaking for weeks, but as we approach the likely announcement date (May 26th), information has appeared at a frenzied pace, including leaked product photos, leaked press announcements, and even a teaser from Sony.

What can you expect from this compact camera?

While nothing has been officially confirmed, Sony’s teaser shows a small camera with a full-articulating rear LCD. This is fully in line with the leaked press text, which suggests that the new ZV-1 will offer:

  • An articulating screen
  • A 1-inch, 20.1-megapixel sensor
  • A 24-70mm lens
  • Excellent AF (including Real-time Eye AF)
  • A soft skin effect “to reduce skin wrinkles and marks while ensuring you preserve skin-tones and the sharpness of eyes and mouths”

(And more!)

If all this information is accurate, vloggers will be in for a treat; the combination of an articulating screen, a 24-70mm focal length, and Sony autofocus capabilities (described in the leaked press text as “super-fast AF”) will be too good to pass up for plenty of content creators. The press text also promises “high-quality sound capturing performance and noise reduction in full stereo,” in addition to “a wind screen” and a “3.5mm input jack” for increased flexibility.

The camera will also likely appeal to still photographers looking for a compact, walkaround option. Twenty megapixels is just enough to satisfy beginners looking to enter the realm of higher-resolution photography, plus the 24-70mm lens offers a great range of focal lengths for street photography, landscape photography, architectural photography, portrait photography, and more.

So if you’re a vlogger or a still photographer looking for a camera that’s small, mighty, and tailored to the needs of content creators, the ZV-1 is certainly worth a look. Keep your eye out for news of the ZV-1’s official announcement on May 26th.

Now over to you:

What do you think of the ZV-1? Is it a camera you’d be interested in? Is it missing any features that you’d like to see? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post The Sony ZV-1 Is a Powerful New Camera Designed for Vloggers appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Sony UK teases new compact camera system on its website

20 May

Sony UK has published a page on its website teasing the release of a new compact camera system.

The page offers a countdown to the May 26 release date and shows a silhouette of a compact camera with a side-flip-out screen attached to what looks to be a tripod or grip, There also appears to be a windscreen-covered microphone atop the camera system.

Aside from the above statement on the page, as well as links to Sony’s social media profiles, no other information is given.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Aurora Aperture unveils new rear mount filter system for Canon, Nikon, Sigma & Sony ultra wide-angle lenses

16 May

Aurora Aperture Inc. has announced a next-generation rear mount filter system for wide-angle lenses. The new filter system is designed to allow for the use of filters with many popular ultra wide-angle lenses, including those which do not include a front filter thread.

In 2017, Aurora Aperture released a rear mount filter system for the Canon EF 11-24mm F4L USM lens. The newly-announced next-generation system works with the 11-24mm lens, plus the Canon EF 8-15mm F4L Fisheye USM, EF 14mm F2.8L USM (versions I and II), EF 15mm F2.8 Fisheye, EF 16-35mm F2.8L USM (versions II and III are not supported), EF 17-35mm F2.8L USM and EF 17-40mm F4L USM. In addition to Canon lenses, Aurora Aperture’s new filter system is also compatible with the Nikon Nikkor AF-S 14-24mm F2.8G ED, Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM Art (Canon EF, Sony E and L mount versions), Sigma’s 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art for Canon EF mount and the Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G lens.

Not only is Aurora’s latest rear mount filter system compatible with a wider array of lenses, but it also includes other new features. The new rear mount filter system utilizes a magnetic quick-release structure, allowing for easier installation and removal from the lens. In addition, there are a variety of new filters available for the system, including graduated neutral density filters and light pollution reduction filters.

Neutral density – Aurora Aperture refers to them as PowerND – filters are available in 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 stop variants. Graduated neutral density (GND) filters are available in 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 stop densities. Each GND filter features a soft transition at 60 percent of the image frame height. Finally, the new PowerDusk filter is designed to filter out artificial lighting and reduce visible light pollution in urban areas, which Aurora Aperture states will allow for better astrophotography and even improved nighttime street photography. For specific information on how the PowerDusk filter reduces the light which hits your image sensor at different wavelengths, click here.

Image credit: Aurora Aperture

In order to utilize the magnetic filters on the rear of your wide-angle lens, you must first install the new rear mount filter system. The installation process will vary depending on the lens in question, but it ranges from using specialty adhesive to replacing existing gel filter holders. Once the filter holder adapter has been installed, using and changing filters is as placing a small glass filter into the magnetic filter holder.

The Aurora Aperture next generation rear mount filters will be available through a Kickstarter campaign starting this month and general availability is expected in September. The price of lens adapters range from $ 35 to $ 41 USD and filter prices range from $ 43 to $ 113. Stay tuned to Kickstarter and to Aurora Aperture’s website for additional information and availability.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony PRO Support is being extended 6 months for members, free of charge

13 May

Sony has informed DPReview that it will be extending its Sony Imaging PRO Support platform for all members for an additional six months due to the ‘current global situation.’

No press release was issued, but in an email shared with DPReview (embedded below) via a spokesperson, Sony says PRO Support members will have an extra six months of service added free of charge, immediately and automatically. These services include dedicated U.S. Phone support, expedited repair turnaround time, repair loaners, evaluation loaners, camera maintenance and more.

Sony says its PRO Support members ‘are among [its] most loyal customers [and it wants] you to know how much [it] values you being a part of Sony’s Imaging family.’

Email:

Sony PRO Support extended by six months for customers due to global conditions

As a PRO Support member, you are among our most loyal customers and we want you to know how much we value you being part of Sony’s Imaging family.

With the current global situation, we are taking steps to ensure we are supporting all of our customers during these difficult times. For all Pro Support members like yourself, we are automatically extending membership for an additional 6 months, free of charge.

As a refresher, your ProSupport membership includes:
– Dedicate US Phone Support Experts
– Expedited Repair Turnaround Time
– Repair Loaners
– Evaluation Loaner
– Camera Maintenance
– Terms & Conditions for the program applies to
o US members
o Canada members
We are here to support you via phone or email:
M-F 7AM PST to 5PM PST. Saturday 7AM PST to 2PM PST.
Phone: 866-470-7669
Email: ImagingProSupport@sony.com.
Thank you again for your loyalty and support.
All the best,
Sony Imaging PRO Support

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Sony a7S III May Be Announced in Late June

08 May

The post The Sony a7S III May Be Announced in Late June appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

dps-sony-a7s-iii-news

Over the past several weeks, rumors of a new Sony full-frame camera have been on the rise.

And, taken together, it looks like we may have a Sony a7S II successor before the summer is out.

One rumor, originally reported by Sony Alpha Rumors, suggests that a Sony full-frame camera (and a full-frame lens) will debut at the end of June.

Another rumor, also revealed by Sony Alpha Rumors, tells of a Sony a7S II successor in “late June.”

Sony a7S II successor may debut soon

According to this second report, the a7S III should be launched toward the end of next month, with the camera “scheduled to be on the market by late Summer,” assuming that coronavirus doesn’t cause further, unexpected issues.

Put these two reports together, and an a7S III seems very likely, though it is possible that we’ll be surprised with an a7 IV.

An a7S II successor is long overdue; the a7S II launched way back in 2015, and since then much has changed in the camera industry. Note that the a7S III would be part of Sony’s video-centric stills lineup, which focuses on high-quality video over features such as huge megapixel counts and insanely good autofocus tracking.

So what can we expect from this new Sony snapper?

First, the a7S III should feature at least 4K/60p (the old a7S II offers 4K/30p), but there’s also a possibility for a jump in resolution to 6K or even 8K.

A June-announced 8K camera would be poised to compete with the upcoming Canon EOS R5, which will leapfrog over other mirrorless bodies to offer 8K/30p recording. Personally, I’m doubtful as to whether Sony could pull this off; it’s far more likely that we’ll get 4K/60p, or maybe 6K.

We should also see some standard Sony features: touchscreen capabilities, IBIS, faster AF, and a relatively compact body. The a7S II was (and is) a powerful low-light shooter, so the a7S III may take that even further, offering top-of-the-line high-ISO performance.

As for the price:

The Sony a7S II is currently available for around $ 2000 USD, but it debuted with an MSRP of $ 3000 USD; we can expect that the a7S III will start at this mark, though it’s possible we’ll see a higher price if the camera offers some unexpected features (such as 8K video).

So if you’re a hybrid shooter looking for your next camera, keep an eye out for updates over the next couple of months!

Now over to you:

Are you excited about the potential release of the a7S III? What do you think the camera will offer in terms of video and stills capability? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post The Sony a7S III May Be Announced in Late June appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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DPReview TV: Sony a7 III vs. Canon EOS R vs. Nikon Z7 2020 rematch!

02 May

Since Chris and Jordan last compared entry-level full-frame mirrorless cameras head-to-head-to-head, Nikon and Canon have offered significant updates to the Z7 and EOS R via firmware. Take a look as they revisit their previous rankings to see how these cameras now compare to the class-leader – the mighty Sony a7 III.

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

  • Introduction
  • Displays
  • Lens selection
  • Autofocus
  • Handling
  • Video
  • Image quality
  • Which is right for you?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lenses for mirrorless: how Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony full-frame options compare

01 May
The move to mirrorless by some of the industry’s biggest players put the focus on their new lens lineups.

In our recent look at ~$ 2000 full frame mirrorless cameras, we said that choosing between them is as much about buying into a lens system as anything else. In this article, we’re going to have a look at the four full-frame mirrorless systems to see what they offer and where they might yet go.

This article isn’t a question of ‘which range is biggest,’ it’s to help show which lineups have the lenses you might need for your photography.

As well as the lenses currently available, we’ll consider the degree of support provided by third-party lens makers and briefly discuss some of the technologies involved.

Sony E-mount

When it comes to full-frame lenses for mirrorless, Sony has the biggest head start. Sony introduced its full-frame ‘FE’ range alongside the original a7, back in late 2013, and already had several years experience of making APS-C E-mount lenses by that point.

Sony has also taken the unusual move of allowing third-party lens makers access to its lens mount specifications and communication protocol. This has allowed companies such as Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and Zeiss to expand the range of available lenses for Sony photographers. In the case of Sigma, these include existing DSLR optical designs as well as new, dedicated optical formulations for mirrorless.

Primes

Zooms

All
Diagram covers autofocus primes and high-end zooms in the 14-200mm range. Lineups correct as of April 2020.

In addition to covering most of these bases, Sony has had time to add specialist lenses, such as 600mm F4, 400mm F2.8, 100-400mm and 200-600mm telephoto options, equivalents to which aren’t currently available for other systems.

Starting earlier has given Sony time to provide a wider range of lenses, including less obvious options such as the 135mm F1.8 GM

Sony says that the years it’s spent making large lenses for mirrorless camera has allowed it to develop expertise in the types of motors best suited for full-frame mirrorless lenses (the need to drive lenses smoothly for video, as well as quickly means the requirements aren’t the same as for DSLRs). However, while it’s true that Sony’s adoption of technologies such as linear motors and piezoelectric drive provides its more recent lenses with impressively fast, smooth focusing, be aware that some of the company’s earlier lenses don’t always show this same performance.

Canon RF-mount

Canon’s RF lens lineup thus far has shown a distinct focus on the needs of professional users, with many of its first lenses belonging to the premium ‘L’ range.

Canon hasn’t opened up its lens mount to other makers, so there’s limited third-party support available at the moment. If the RF mount gains anything like the popularity that the EF mount did, it’s extremely likely that other companies will find a way to offer autofocus lenses, but widespread third-party support for RF may be some years away.

Primes

Zooms

All
Diagram covers autofocus primes and high-end zooms in the 14-200mm range. Lineups correct as of April 2020.

Canon currently uses a variety of motors in its RF lenses: primarily using the company’s fast, smooth ‘Nano USM’ technology and the ring-type USM motors that underpin most of its high-end DSLR lenses. These ring-type motors appear to work pretty well with Canon’s dual pixel AF system but aren’t always the smoothest or fastest, especially given that they tend to be used in the lenses with large, heavy lens elements that need to be moved.

The RF 35mm F1.8, meanwhile, uses a small stepper motor, which makes it noticeably slower and noisier to focus than the best of Canon’s other mirrorless lenses.

Nikon Z-mount

Like Canon, Nikon has not yet opened up the Z-mount to third-parties, which currently limits your autofocus choices to Nikon’s own lenses.

However, Nikon’s initial build-out strategy looks very different from Canon’s: Rather than starting with exotica, Nikon has provided a range of comparatively affordable/portable F1.8 primes, alongside a set of F2.8 and F4 zooms.

Primes

Zooms

All
Diagram covers autofocus primes and high-end zooms in the 14-200mm range. Lineups correct as of April 2020.

In terms of focus motors, Nikon seems to primarily be relying on the use of small stepper motors for its lenses so far, which offer decent performance but don’t appear to match linear motors or Canon’s Nano USM technologies for either speed or smoothness. Twin focus groups help to give accurate focus even close-up, in some of Nikon’s zoom lenses, which can also improve on the often modest speeds of single-motor designs.

L-mount: Panasonic, Leica and Sigma

Panasonic, along with Sigma, has aligned itself with Leica by adopting the ‘L’ mount for its full-frame mirrorless cameras. This instantly gives it access to an established lens range (though, like Sony’s, one that is built around a mount originally focused on APS-C). Sigma’s inclusion in the alliance should ensure a wide range of third-party L-mount lenses become available.

All Panasonic cameras so far have been based around the company’s Depth-from-Defocus (DFD) AF system. The degree to which lenses from other members of the L-mount alliance are optimized to this system is not clear at this point. We’d expect Leica’s lenses, which are designed around a distinctly DFD-like approach to work well but we don’t know how closely Sigma has yet embraced the DFD concept. For now we wouldn’t expect the same consistency across native L-mount lenses that we’ve seen from the single-maker systems, but we’d expect Sigma to be working to maximize compatibility.

Primes

Zooms

All
Diagram covers autofocus primes and high-end zooms in the 14-200mm range. Lineups correct as of April 2020.

Panasonic’s lenses primarily make use of linear focus motors, but use a combination of linear and stepping motors for lenses such as the 50mm F1.4 and its 70-200s that require more glass to be moved around.

DSLR lens support

If you already own a selection of DSLR-mount lenses, then you’ll find that with the right accessories, you can mount them on any of these camera bodies. Since the mirrorless mounts are all shallower, this leaves plenty of room to put an adapter between the lens and body. The performance you get will vary, though.

Canon frequently bundles one of its EF-to-RF adaptors with its RF-mount cameras, and it makes three variants (a simple pass-through tube, another with a control ring around it and a third that lets you drop a choice of filter between the lens and the camera). The dual pixel AF system, combined with Canon’s knowledge of its communication protocol means EF lens users will get probably the best adapted lens experience when using Canon RF-mount bodies. That said, we still wouldn’t necessarily expect DSLR-level performance from all EF lenses when adapted.

Unsurprisingly, you tend to get the best adapted performance if you use DSLR lenses on the same brands’ mirrorless bodies. Don’t expect DSLR levels of performance, though.

Various companies also make EF-to-E adaptors, allowing EF lenses to be used on Sony bodies. And, while not quite as consistent as Canon-on-Canon combinations, we’ve had good experiences with this combination, though generally only with shorter focal lengths. Meanwhile, Sigma makes the MC-21 adapter for using EF lenses with L-mount bodies but, without phase detection AF in any of those cameras, continuous AF is not available.

Nikon also offers kits that include its ‘FTZ’ F-to-Z mount adaptor with some of its camera bodies. This provides a decent level of support for existing lenses but does not contain a focus drive motor, so can only autofocus lenses with their own motors (AF-S, AF-P and AF-I lenses and their third-party equivalents). F-to-E adapters are available, but performance can vary, lens-to-lens, making it more of a gamble.

As you’d probably expect, then, older lenses tend to work most reliably with the cameras made by the same brand. However, they can be used on other systems, so depending on how extensive your existing lens collection is, you may find you can make do with lowered performance, rather than having to sell-up and start again, if you don’t want to remain bound to the whims of the maker of your DSLR.

Summary

As you’d expect, Sony’s nearly five-year head start and openness towards third-party makers has let it build up a significant advantage over its rivals, but all four mounts are already starting to see key holes in their respective lineups being filled.

In the long run, it’s likely that all four systems will be extended to offer a range of mid-range, as well as high-end primes and zooms, but it’s pretty clear that initially, Nikon and Canon are focusing on different sets of users.

Third-party support provides more options in young lens systems.

Nikon and Canon’s decisions to keep their mounts closed to competitors means they can control the consistency of experience for their users (with no risk of a third-party lens offering sub-standard AF speed or smoothness, for instance), but with the downside that you’re entirely dependent on that company’s development priorities, unless you’re happy to take your chances with simple manual focus options.

It’s the third-party makers and their ability and willingness to produce fully-compatible lenses that will be interesting to watch. The adoption rate of Sony E-mount cameras and the availability of the lens protocols is likely to mean most future third-party lenses will be designed around this mount but it’ll be interesting to see which other systems this support gets extended to.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony provides an in-depth look at the Sony Xperia 1 II camera tech

30 Apr

Sony first announced its triple-camera-equipped Xperia 1 Mark II flagship phone in February but users around the world are still waiting for the commercial release of the device. Once available, with its photo-centric design that borrows a number of features from Sony’s Alpha series cameras, the Xperia 1 Mark II should be a compelling option for mobile photographers. Now the company has shared additional information on camera technology and features in Japan.

In its primary camera the new Sony offers the same 12MP resolution as its predecessor. However, those pixels are distributed across a larger sensor surface. The Mark II’s 1/1.7″ primary sensor is quite a bit bigger than the Mark 1’s 1/2.6″ variant, but still falls short of some other flagship phones. The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and Huawei P40 Pro for example come with 1/1.33″ and 1/1.28″ sensors respectively.

The Xperia 1 Mark II comes with a larger sensor than its predecessor.

However, Sony is deploying a different strategy to most of its direct rivals. Both rival phones mentioned above use much higher resolution sensors and pixel-binning technology to reduce noise levels and capture images with a wide dynamic range.

Sony bets on ‘traditional’ large 1.8µm pixels, which, according to the company, make the new sensor 50 percent more light sensitive than its predecessor and results in improved low light performance.

The 12MP sensor offers faster read-out than the 108MP Quad-Bayer sensors used in some competitors.

Sony says the conventional design of the sensor offers faster read-out speeds than the pixel-binning Quad-Bayer technology deployed in most current high-end phones. The entire sensor can be read out in 10ms versus 32ms for a 12MP image from a Quad-Bayer sensor.

The sensor features 247 phase detection points.

This speed is necessary to enable the Mark II’s 20fps continuous shooting with autoexposure and autofocus. Dual-Pixel AF is embedded into the sensor and an additional 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensor supports the system. Overall, the camera can use 247 phase detection points on the image sensor and 43,200 points from the ToF sensor to perform AF calculations.

The AF also uses data from a 3D time-of-flight sensor.

This is done by Sony’s BIONZ X branded image processor which performs 60 AE/AF calculations per second to keep subjects in focus and the image well exposed. The new phone also comes with the Eye AF feature that we already saw on the original Xperia 1. However, now it can lock on to animal eyes in addition to human eyes.

The ultra-wide and tele lenses of the triple-camera setup cannot quite keep up with the primary shooter in terms of read-out speed and processing, though. They both offer continuous shooting at 10fps with AE/AF enabled and AE/AF calculations are performed at a slower rate of 30 per second.

Sony says the triple-camera offers the same flexbility as a camera system with 16-35, 24-70 and 70-200mm lenses.

This said, with equivalent focal lengths of 74mm for the tele and 16mm for the ultra-wide, both cameras make nice additions to the primary camera’s 24mm-equivalent lens, covering a wide range of shooting situations. Sony goes as far as comparing the lenses in the Xperia 1 Mark II triple camera to a full-frame lens set including a 16-35mm wide-angle, a 24-70m standard zoom and a 70-200mm tele-zoom. Those lenses should have you prepared for almost anything, and according to the company the same is true for the phone’s triple-cam.

To make the new device even more attractive to serious photographers it comes with Sony’s new Photography Pro app, which features Shutter and Aperture priority modes in addition to a bunch of other manual controls you would find on the company’s mirrorless cameras. Most camera apps offer some sort of manual controls these days, usually in the shape of a separate ‘Pro mode’, but it looks like Sony is taking things a step further than most.

The Photography Pro app offers a range of manual modes and settings.

The Xperia 1 Mark II is also the first Sony smartphone to feature a ZEISS lens. ZEISS lenses can be found on many of Sony’s Cybershot compact cameras and are also available with an E-mount for Alpha cameras. ZEISS lenses featured on Nokia phones previously but the new Sony is the first to come with the German lens maker’s T* anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and ghosting effects.

It’s good to see Sony, which is the only current smartphone manufacturer that also runs a sizeable camera operation, creating more synergies and technology interchange between its mobile and Alpha divisions. Now we just need to wait for the device to appear in the market and see if the camera can compete with the best. According to rumors that could happen as soon as next week, starting in Taiwan.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition 2020 winners and shortlisted images

17 Apr

Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition 2020 winners and shortlisted images

The World Photography Organisation has announced this year’s category winners and shortlisted entries in the Open competition of the Sony World Photography Awards, 2020. The annual Open competition, now in its 13th year, recognizes the best single images captured in 2019. Judged by Gisela Kayser, Managing and Artistic Director for Freundeskreis Willy-Brandt-Haus e.V. in Berlin, more than 100 photographs were shortlisted across 10 categories.

‘To have my image make the shortlist of this prestigious contest is an incredible honor, especially when it was selected from such a huge number of entries from around the world. I am over the moon to have my work recognized. Congratulations to all the shortlisted and winning photographers for their amazing work,’ Marc Le Cornu tells DPReview about his recognition in the Motion category.

Each category winner will receive a set of Sony’s latest digital imaging equipment and compete for the Open Photographer of the Year title. The overall winner will be announced on June 9th and be awarded a $ 5,000 USD cash prize along with recognition on the World Photography Organization and Sony’s online social accounts.

The ten category winners are:

Architecture
Rosaria Sabrina Pantano (Italy) for ‘Emotional Geography’

Creative
Suxing Zhang (China) for ‘Knot’

Culture
Antoine Veling (Australia) for ‘Mark 5:28’

Landscape
Craig McGowan (Australia) for ‘Ice Reflections’ – who was also a finalist for the International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Motion
Alec Connah (United Kingdom) for ‘Going Down!’

Natural World & Wildlife
Guofei Li (China) for ‘Tai Chi Diagram’

Portraiture
Tom Oldham (United Kingdom) for ‘Black Francis’

Still Life
Jorge Reynal (Argentina) for ‘A Plastic Ocean’

Street Photography
Santiago Mesa (Colombia) for ‘Colombia Resiste’

Travel
Adrian Guerin (Australia) for ‘Riding a Saharan Freight Train’

Due to the current pandemic, this year’s Sony World Photography Awards 2020 exhibition has been cancelled. The World Photography Organisation has launched the Stay Connected page to keep photographers inspired with educational resources. They will also recognize the work of past and current competition winners and finalists across their various online channels.

Open Competition, Travel, Winner: ‘Riding a Saharan Freight Train’ by Adrian Guerin (Australia)

Artist Statement: At 2.5km long, the iron-ore train in Mauritania is one of the longest trains in the world. It covers over 700km on its journey from the coastal town of Nouadhibou to the Saharan wilderness of Zouérat. More than 200 carriages are loaded with rocks in Zouérat, before the train begins its long journey back to Nouadhibou. I rode the train in both directions in July 2019.

On the first leg of the journey I learnt that in order to photograph the full length of the train I needed to stand on the rocks for height, position myself in a rear carriage to get the full view, and keep the sun behind me. Alas, none of this was possible until the morning of day three, at which point I had almost given up.

This shot was taken as I balanced on my toes atop a mountain of rocks, trying to remain steady as the train jolted from side to side.

Open Competition, Street Photography, Winner: ‘Colombia Resiste’ by Santiago Mesa (Columbia)

Artist Statement: In recent years, a number of protests have broken out across Latin America. Reasons for this unrest range from a proposed end to fuel subsidies in Ecuador to a rise in metro fares in Chile, and feelings of inequality and a general lack of opportunity in Colombia. In Medellín, north-western Colombia, workers and street vendors were taking part in a march when the Medellin riot squad dispersed them.

Open Competition, Still Life, Winner: ‘A Plastic Ocean’ by Jorge Reynal (Argentina)

Artist Statement: Each year, eight million tons of plastic end up in our oceans – equivalent to emptying a garbage truck into the water every minute. This is my protest against pollution.

In my language (Spanish), we use the words ‘Naturaleza Muerta’ to refer to still life, which ironically translates as ‘Dead Nature.’

Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Winner: ‘Tai Chi Diagram’ by Guofei Li (China)

Artist Statement: These cheetahs had just eaten an antelope, and were licking the bloodstains off each other’s faces. It’s a very rare posture, and one that reminded me of the traditional Chinese Tai Chi diagram. The picture was taken in Botswana in January 2019.

Open Competition, Portraiture, Winner: ‘Black Francis’ by Tom Oldham (United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Photographers for MOJO Magazine enjoy a rare degree of freedom and trust with what is usually an open brief. This allows us to capture our own experience with very high profile musicians. However, when photographing famous singers, we are often painfully aware of how many times the sitter has, well, sat.

I like to acknowledge this and asked Charles (aka Black Francis) to show me the level of frustration photoshoots can generate. He offered up this perfect gesture of exasperation, and the image ran as the lead portrait for the feature.

Open Competition, Motion, Winner: ‘Going Down!’ by Alec Connah (United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Despite measuring 125 metres high, it took the four cooling towers of Ironbridge Power Station in Shropshire, England, just 10 seconds to be demolished on 6 December 2019. The towers had been a feature of the landscape for 50 years, but were brought down as part of a new development on the site.

The demolition had been a long time coming – the towers were close to a river, railway line and protected woodland, so their destruction had to be precise. This picture was taken from my garden, which is on the hillside opposite the site.

Open Competition, Creative, Winner: ‘Knot’ by Suxing Zhang (China)

Artist Statement: This picture is from my series ‘Hua,’ which means flower in Chinese. Flowers are often used as metaphors for life and eroticism in art. Hua explores the commonalities and connections between flowers and the feminine – in particular, emotional vulnerability and sensitivity. Qualities such as calmness, and emotions such as uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and loneliness are translated into conceptual and artistic forms.

In Knot, I use a combination of light and texture to create strong visuals that heighten the senses. I like to use symbolic and metaphoric ingredients in my work, which I hope allows the audience to blend their own subjectivity with the objectivity of the photograph, leading to different interpretations and emotions.

Open Competition, Culture, Winner: ‘Mark 5:28’ by Antoine Veling (Australia)

Artist Statement: When audience members were invited on stage to dance at an Iggy Pop concert in Sydney Opera House, Australia, on 17 April 2019, it showed the warm welcome Aussies extend to overseas artists who travel long distances to reach them.

A woman’s outstretched arm lunges to touch Iggy. He seems unaware of her approach as the crowd presses around him. One of Iggy’s assistants, Jos (in the grey checked shirt) tries to make some space around Iggy. The scene is reminiscent of a passage from the Bible: ‘Because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”’ (Mark 5:25-34, line 28).

The image has been likened to religious paintings by Caravaggio, and his chiaroscuro technique. It went crazy on social media, making 40,000 people, including Iggy Pop, very happy.

Open Competition, Architecture, Winner: ‘Emotional Geometry’ by Rosaria Sabrina Pantano (Italy)

Artist Statement: Having returned to Sicily for the holidays, myself and a group of friends visited Fiumara d’Arte, an open museum showcasing sculptures made by contemporary artists, located along the banks of the Tusa River. Among these works is 38° Parallelo by Mauro Staccioli – a pyramid that stands at the exact point where the geographical coordinates touch the 38th parallel.

Open Competition, Motion, Shortlist: ‘NEOM Spin’ by Marc Le Cornu (United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: This image was taken during a commission to capture the area of NEOM in Saudi Arabia as part of a project for the NEOM tourism team. Our captain asked for a photo of his vessel, and I happily obliged! The golden hour light was catching the boat and its wake, and the patterns on the water looked incredible from above.

Marc elaborated a bit more for DPReview: ‘The inspiration for the shot came from our transport driver who requested a photo of his boat. I couldn’t just give him a standard photo, so I asked him to maneuver the boat in a circle whilst I captured the shot by DJI Inspire 2 drone from above. The light was perfect for giving a lovely, rich, warm feel to the image as it caught the boat’s wake and the boat itself, and the patterns left in the water from the boat’s wake created the final striking image.’

Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Shortlist: ‘A Fever of Cownose Rays’ by Alex Kydd (Australia)

Artist Statement: A rare encounter with a fever of cownose rays on the Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. The rays were circling and rubbing together in a behavior that is not fully understood. They were spiraling up and down the water column for approximately 20 minutes, at which point they disappeared.

Undeterred by my presence, they continued to focus on each other while I documented the encounter. There have been few reports of cownose rays in the Ningaloo Reef region in recent years. The image was taken while free-diving – it was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

Open Competition, Landscape, Shortlist: ‘Come on In’ by Kai Hornung (Germany)

Artist Statement: A small path in the ancient forests of the Anaga Mountains in Tenerife, Spain. The clouds hung inside the moss-covered trees, creating a spooky atmosphere. When I arrived at this spot, I was smiling while setting up my tripod – I just knew I was about to take one of my best images of that tour, if not one of my best pictures of 2019.

Open Competition, Creative, Shortlist: ‘Fractals and Flowers’ by David Swindler (United States)

Artist Statement: The Badlands of Utah, USA, are fascinating to explore and photograph. We had a really prolific wildflower bloom last year, which only happens every decade or so. The yellow flowers added a nice accent to the erosion lines and patterns in the ground. These patterns reminded me of fractal mathematics.

Open Competition, Culture, Shortlist: ‘Colourful Catrina’ by Sergio Carrasco (Mexico)

Artist Statement: My wife dressed as a Catrina – one of the most recognizable symbols of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico.

Open Competition, Street Photography, Shortlist: ‘Back Home’ by Liu Jon (China)

Artist Statement: After a downpour, there is often a moment of beauty. Here, a zebra crossing, an umbrella and a lone figure combine to make a colorful composition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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