The Olympus OM-D E-M10 was announced about a month ago, the third addition to the digital revival of the OM line. It lacks the weather sealing of its siblings but inherits a number of excellent features from the existing OM-D models. Sound enticing? We’ve gotten familiar with the E-M10 over the past few weeks. The full review is on the way but for now, read our shooter’s report, and compare the E-M10 to a growing list of cameras in our new studio test scene.
We just added studio test scene images to our First Impressions Review of the Fujifilm X-T1. The X-T1 takes many familiar elements we’ve seen before in X-Series cameras but incorporates them in more DSLR-like shape and with even more external control. We also got a version of Adobe Camera Raw that supports the camera and have added it to our test scene comparison tool.
[ By WebUrbanist in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]
A colorless LEGO kit may sound boring at first blush, but consider the spatial advantages of letting form, line and shadow stand apart from the profusion of colors normally associated with their iconic blocks.
LEGO Architecture Studio‘s pigment-free approach is unusual for the company and intentionally so: it is made to create an experience that is more like pencil or pen sketching in three dimensions, a thinking-through-building process without the complications of shades and hues.
Though the all-white block series contains over 1,200 pieces uniformly absent of color, it also comes with a colorful 268-page book that shows aspiring architects (or simply interested kids) what is possible in the world of built environments.
This companion volume features the work of famous designers and firms including REX Architecture, Sou Fujimoto, SOM, MAD Architects, Tham & Videgård, and Safdie Architects, covering a range of theory and practice, concepts and reality, all from a diverse group of professionals.
From FastCo: “At the end of each chapter, the lead architects will all sit around a table with Lego and play with the pieces! Only then is the reader invited to take part in a hands-on Lego workshop exploring some of the theories and concepts explored in the chapter, which can range from exercises exploring symmetry, mass, density, the use of negative space, modules, repetition, and more.”
The target audience is also ambiguous – the set could be fun for kids, or ideal for teenagers who want to try their hand at architectural concepts and design before deciding on a college major or career path. In the end, perhaps adults will appreciate it the most, or at least best understand and appreciate the aesthetic understatement … then again, children often understand best that a limited palette of props leaves more to the imagination.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:
Learn Modern Architecture Principles with New LEGO Kit
If you’ve always wanted to design modern buildings, but don’t have any plans to attend architecture school, LEGO has just the tool you’re …
Click Here to Read More »»
Villa Savoye: Classic Corbu House Comes to Life in LEGO
One of the most iconic buildings of the 20th Century, the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier outside of Paris, France has long been a symbol of Modern Architecture.
Click Here to Read More »»
Get Bricked: 31 Incredible Examples of Lego Architecture
Everyone loves Lego, but these masterful sculptures prove that it’s much more than just a toy. Here, the most famous buildings meet the world’s favorite bricks.
Click Here to Read More »»
[ By WebUrbanist in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]
So you're used to using flashes without modeling lights. How about modeling lights without flashes? Yes? No? Maybe?
My project for 2014 is video-based (no spoilers, please) so I found myself shopping for video lights in the form of LED monoblocs. If you've ever considered taking the plunge, read on…
Nokia’s ‘Pureview’ technology is still making headlines along with the announcement of the manufacturer’s first ‘phablet’, the Lumia 1520. We felt the timing was perfect for taking a closer look at Pureview by testing the original Nokia 808 in our newly revamped studio test scene, and putting it up against this year’s version of the tech found in the 41MP Nokia Lumia 1020. See how the two compare on connect.dpreview.com.
We lined up for the new Apple iPhone 5S this morning, and Dpreview’s Studio Manager Kelcey Smith wasted no time in getting it into our studio, to take a critical look at how its new camera performs. We’re taking the smartphone out for the weekend to gather shots for a gallery planned for this Monday, but in the meantime, you can take a look at how the iPhone 5s compares to the competition in our new studio widget. Click through to check it out.
After many, many months of design and testing we are happy to announce the official unveiling of our studio test scene. The new scene was designed to address certain drawbacks with the previous test scene, as well as providing the opportunity to show more real-world relevant information about how cameras behave. We’ve increased the number of cameras supported to 23 and we’ll be continuing to add models (old and new) in the coming weeks.
One of the hottest cameras of the year so far, the Canon EOS 70D won’t be in stores for a few more weeks but we’ve got hold of an early beta sample, and Canon has let us post pictures from it. Not wanting to waste any time, we’ve been busily shooting with it for the past few days both in the studio and out in the real world, and we’ve added a lot to our previously-published preview. Click through for a link to the expanded preview, now including studio comparison pages and a large gallery of sample images.
We’ve added the Pentax Q7 to our database of studio comparison images. The Q7 is the first Pentax Q-mount camera featuring a 1/1.7″ sensor to match its enthusiast compact peers. We’ll be adding a comprehensive review in the coming weeks but, in the meantime, click through to see how the Q7 stacks against the competition.
When school’s out, most kids are thinkin’ “Oh man, summer’s here!”
Us? We’re thinkin’ “What are we gonna do with all these binders???”
Staring at binders all summer long is no fun, so our buddies Chris Rutter and Jeff Meyer (of Digital Camera World) showed us how to turn them into a sweet light tent — perfect for casting beautifully diffused light onto your photo subjects.
That means your photos won’t have harsh shadows from the sun, and your camera will catch all of your subject’s details.
Everyone has a binder or two at home, so you can start this project today!
Plus, this portable light tent gives you great lighting on flowers, insects, and other small stuff without having to pluck them out of the ground.
Throw it in your bag, and you’ve got a mini studio wherever you go this summer.
How to Turn Binders into a Light Tent
Ingredients
3 white, translucent binders
8 1/2″x11″ colorful cardstock
Duct tape (grey is good!)
A camera
Optional: small hand-sized beanbags
Step 1: Tape it together
Lay one binder open and flat.
Grab a second one and lay it open and flat. Keeping them open, overlap the cover of one binder on top of the back cover of the second.
Use your duct tape to keep them connected at their folds (check out the photo). You should have three panels.
Cut the front cover off your third binder and attach it to the center panel at its top edge. It’ll act like the roof to your light tent.
Try standing your light tent up, and if the roof is too floppy (flappy?), tape it down to help the tent keep its shape.
Step 2: Pick something to shoot
Take a peek outside.
Scratch that. Take a good long look! We bet there’s something hidden out there that’d make a great photo subject.
Jeff found this budding flower, but maybe you’ll catch a rollie pollie unfurling or a butterfly snacking on a daisy.
If you’re not feeling the outdoors, set up a fun miniature scene with figurines, knick knacks, and stuff around your house. Slinkachu’s rad inspiration for that.
You can also practice your product photography by throwing almost anything in your light tent and playing around with getting the best even lighting on it (think setting it by a window, taking it outside, setting something reflective under it or playing around with the angle of the flaps).
Step 3: Make it pretty with a background
Now that you have your thing-to-photograph picked out, observe its beautiful array of colors and what kind of background you think would complement it.
Perhaps take a gander at the Color Wheel, a diagram for figuring out which colors are complementary and which might clash.
The blue-yellow combination here goes pretty good, we’d say.
You can go with a piece of card stock or a color folder, even. Get more use out of those school supplies!
Place your background over the back panel and use use tape or a paperclip to keep it in place.
Step 4: Mad Props
Now, prop it up! It’s a tent, after all.
Place it over your subject so that your subject sits in the center of your “tent.”
If you have nice cushy grass to work with, then getting it to stand on its own might be easy. If your surface is smooth, prop it up with paperweights or small hand-sized beanbags on either side of each flap.
Step 5: Get your camera ready
Once you have everything just how you want it, grab your camera and put it on manual mode, so you can figure out the best settings for your snap.
For this shot, Jeff used an aperture of f/5.6 and shutter speed 1/200 at 200 ISO. A low ISO worked here because the sunlight was aplenty, but if your photo looks too dark, you might need to raise your ISO to 400 or so.
Play around with your settings ’til it’s how you envisioned.
Take it further
Ever wanted to set up a mini studio in your home? Here are the 5 things you’ll need.
Teresa Franco shoots amazing macro photos of all the little things we miss under our feet.
How to make macro photos without buying an expensive lens
Chris Rutter is the technique editor for Digital Camera magazine, based in Bath, England. Jeff Meyer edits Digital Camera World, their website. While both are Nikon shooters, their favourite brand of accessories are those made at home! Make sure to check out their series on DIY Photography Hacks!
Related posts:
Turn Your Tablet Into a Studio Light Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3 Your iPad is…
DIY: Make Crazy Detailed Light Paintings with Photo Light Stencils Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3 Ever tried painting…
You Only Need 5 Things to Make Your Own Home Studio Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2 Photography doesn’t have to…
Lay one binder open and flat. 
Take a peek outside. 
Now that you have your thing-to-photograph picked out, observe its beautiful array of colors and what kind of background you think would complement it.
Now, prop it up! It’s a tent, after all.
Once you have everything just how you want it, grab your camera and put it on manual mode, so you can figure out the best settings for your snap.
You must be logged in to post a comment.