Tell « 360Photography

RSS

Posts Tagged ‘Tell’

This DIY camera uses machine learning to tell you what it sees

14 Nov

A camera that knows what it’s looking at would have seemed like a farfetched pipe dream not long ago. These days, however, you can even build such a camera in the comfort of your own home. Adafruit has shared a project that allows you to build a camera around Adafruit’s own BrainCraft HAT system, which is itself an AI Machine Learning addition to the Raspberry Pi 4. Plus, it even tells you what it sees.

As DIY Photography observes, the Raspberry Pi Machine Learning camera uses TensorFlow Lite object recognition software to figure out what it is looking at. The project works with either the 8MP Pi Camera Module or the 12.3MP module that includes interchangeable lens support. The enclosure is 3D printed.

So what is a camera that can determine what it’s seeing be used for? As John Aldred points out at DIY Photography, ‘…it opens up a lot of options for connecting the Pi to a ‘real camera’ for shooting photos or video. You could connect a DSLR or mirrorless camera from its trigger port into the Pi’s GPIO pins, or even use a USB connection with something like gPhoto, to have it shoot a photo or start recording a video when it detects a specific thing enter the frame.’

Imagine a scenario in which you want to remotely photograph a specific animal. Perhaps you don’t want to have a camera constantly capturing images or shooting whenever it detects motion, but instead want something more precise and fine-tuned. Maybe a sports photograph could utilize object recognition to capture a specific moment during a game with one camera while manually shooting with another. Aldred also notes that you could potentially have the object recognition software place object keywords into image metadata, which could make organizing large batches of images a much more streamlined process.

Image credit: Adafruit

The technology is still developing, and machine learning takes time, but there’s a lot of interesting potential here and talented, creative individuals often find ways to push new gear and tech to the limits. At the very least, it seems like a fun project. If you’d like to learn more and view the complete parts list, click here. In total, you’ll need the Adafruit BrainCraft HAT (around $ 40), Raspberry Pi 4 ($ 35), a camera ($ 30 and up) a 3D printed case, and a few more odds and ends. Click the following links for helpful user guides: ‘Easy Machine Learning for Raspberry Pi’ and ‘Running TensorFlow Lite on Raspberry Pi 4’.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

What might the Z6 II and Z7 II tell us about future pro Nikon mirrorless models?

02 Nov

The Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II are solid updates to the original Z6 and Z7 but neither represents a ‘new’ concept in the Z-series lineup.

With the Z6 II and Z7 II, Nikon has modernized its high-end Z-series full-frame lineup, and made its offerings more competitive against midrange and high-end ILCs from Canon, Panasonic and Sony. But while the Z7 II is the nominal flagship, it’s clearly not a ‘professional’ model in the same sense as the D6 and (arguably) the D850. While new to the market, neither Mark II model represents a new concept. This means that the gap which has existed at the top of the Z-series lineup since 2018 is still there.

So how might Nikon fill it? What can the Z6 II and Z7 II tell us about a future Nikon pro model?

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that instead of a single semi-pro or professional ‘Z8’ we’ll actually see two high-end models from Nikon, probably announced sometime next year, to be available in summer 2021. They will offer extremely similar controls and UI, but will be based around different sensors and intended for different purposes: one for speed and versatility, and one for resolution and maximum image quality.

For the sake of simplicity as you navigate this article, I’ll call them the Z8 and the Z8 S – with the ‘S’ here being my shorthand for ‘speed and sensitivity’.

Nikon Z8 key specifications (hypothetical)

60MP sensor
10 fps continuous shooting
Full-sensor PDAF down to -4EV
Comparable autofocus performance to D850
Expeed 7 processor
D800-level weather sealing
Dual card slots (2X CFe or CFe + SD)
High-res sensor-shift mode/s

Nikon Z8S key specifications (hypothetical)

20-24MP sensor (possibly Sony 24MP stacked-CMOS from a9/II)
Super-high maximum ISO
20 fps+ maximum continuous shooting (unlimited buffer)
High-quality electronic ‘silent’ shooting
Full-sensor PDAF, sensitive down to at least -5EV
Comparable autofocus performance to D5/6
Expeed 7 processor
D800-level weather sealing
Dual card slots (2X CFe)
High-quality 4K video

Both models will feature D850-level build quality and will offer a similar UI, with a button-and-dial logic for switching exposure modes (rather than the Z6/7’s exposure mode dial). They’ll use the same battery pattern as the existing Z6/7-series, keeping the standard bodies relatively small, but both will be compatible with a twin-battery vertical grip, which will add at least one uniquely ‘pro’ expansion feature (a LAN port, maybe? Or a rear OLED sub-display?). Nikon isn’t going to make the ‘only one card slot’ mistake again so expect twin slots, either both CFexpress Type B, or maybe CFe + SD in the case of the resolution-focused Z8.

Expect the Z8 to feature a relatively low-resolution sensor in the 20-24MP range, paired with a new faster processor

The hardest thing to predict is which sensors Nikon will use in its next-generation of high-end full-frame ILCs. Let’s take the hypothetical Z8S first – the high-speed action-focused model. The 24MP sensor used in the current Z6 and Z6 II is excellent, but dated. It’s fast enough for most photography, but likely not fast enough to support super high frame rate shooting, really cutting-edge autofocus, or next-level 4K video.

It’s possible that Nikon might reuse the Toshiba/Sony sensor developed for the D6, or maybe a version of the 24MP stacked-CMOS chip introduced in the Sony a9 (assuming that Sony Semiconductor is willing and able to supply it). Either way, expect the Z8S to feature a relatively low-resolution sensor in the 20-24MP range, paired with a new faster processor called – and I’m going to go out on a limb again – Expeed 7.

The Sony a9 and more recent a9 II have defined what a ‘professional’ sports and action-focused mirrorless camera should be. I expect Nikon will want to put a Z-mount product into this category as soon as possible.

Low-ish resolution will be the tradeoff for what I’d expect to be a very high frame rate and near-unlimited buffer. The 2020 Olympics never ended up happening but assuming the world of sports and events gets back on track in 2021, you can bet that Nikon will want its mirrorless cameras to be visible on the sidelines alongside high-speed pro models from Canon and Sony.

While it’s possible that the Z6 II will remain Nikon’s flagship video/stills hybrid camera for a while longer, I think it’s more likely that a hypothetical Z8S will represent a step up, offering meaningfully different (better) 4K, aimed at satisfying the needs of semi-pro and professional multimedia shooters. If the sensor does end up being in the 20-24MP range, It won’t be able to shoot 8K but maybe that’s not a bad thing…

A continuous shooting rate of 10-12 fps seems reasonable, but the Z8 doesn’t need to be any faster than that

It’s easier to predict the chip which might go into a hypothetical resolution and IQ-focused Z8. While not currently listed as available to third parties, the Sony Semiconductor 3.76µm 61MP sensor currently found in the a7 IV may become an option for Nikon in the coming months. While not a massive step up in terms of effective resolution over the 46MP sensor in the Z7 II, this high-speed BSI-CMOS chip is a solid technological leap forward.

If a version does make its way into one of Nikon’s future high-end ILCs, I’d expect to see it paired with beefed-up IBIS and a sensor-shift high-resolution mode. A continuous shooting rate of 10-12 fps seems reasonable, but a 60MP camera doesn’t need to be any faster than that.

The Nikon D6 and D850 feature backlit controls for comfort during low/no-light shooting. I’d expect that future professional Z-series cameras will do the same. This shot shows a D5, with its top and rear LCD status panels also illuminated (in pale blue). Maybe a future ‘Z8’ could have an optional vertical control grip with a secondary rear status LCD?

As for autofocus, I’d expect the Z8 and Z8S to offer extremely similar systems (at least in terms of how they operate) which get much closer to the experience of the D850 and D6, including a true analog for 3D AF tracking. The Z6 II and Z7 II seem somewhat improved over the original-generation, but Nikon knows it needs to close the pro performance gap with Canon and Sony, and I expect that this will be a major priority (and a major marketing-point) in future high-end Z-series model.

Much of what I wrote above is wishful thinking, but while this is guesswork, it is somewhat informed

As for cosmetics, I wouldn’t be surprised if Nikon takes the opportunity to break from the slightly angular, skinny-feeling Z6/7-series and create somewhat larger, curvier bodies, somewhere between the D780 and D850. Expect a 10-pin remote release socket and flash sync on the front of the body (like the D850 and D6) and a return to DSLR-style rubberized, recessed control dials.

So that’s my article. And I won’t lie, much of what I wrote above is wishful thinking (I guess I just really want a Z8…). Despite the oft-expressed conviction among commenters that DPReview sees product roadmaps years ahead of time, I know no more about what Nikon is planning in 2021 and beyond than you do. But while this is guesswork, it is somewhat informed, both by Nikon’s approach to building out its DSLR lineup, and by the gaps and omissions in the current Z-series lineup compared to its competitors.

What do you think? Feel free to make your predictions in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Clothing for Portraits – How to Tell your Subjects What to Wear

31 Oct

The post Clothing for Portraits – How to Tell your Subjects What to Wear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

What is the best clothing for portraits? The clothes your clients or portrait subjects are wearing in their portraits can be a touchy subject to discuss with them, especially if you are just doing a portrait for them as “a friend with a good camera.” Even as pros, we have a hard time getting people to listen; they frequently show up in clothes that make us cringe and that even hurt our eyes.

This article will help you understand what to suggest your subjects wear for their portrait photoshoots. You’ll also learn how to help clients understand why your suggestions really are in their best interests so they actually listen and get it right.

Clothes make the portrait

What your subjects are wearing is just as important as all the other portrait details, such as lighting, location, and posing.

Poorly-selected clothing can really take away from an otherwise great portrait.

Here are the goals when helping your portrait subjects or clients select clothing:

Make the people the main subjects
Flatter the subjects and make them look their best
Make the clothing disappear and be a non-issue

Poorly-chosen clothing, or having no discussion about clothing for portraits at all, can result in just the opposite. This is not what you want to have:

Clothing that stands out so much you hardly even notice the people
Arms, legs, or tummies that look less than flattered and people that are unhappy with the end results
Clothing that gets so much attention it becomes more about the clothes than about a portrait of the people wearing them

So what is the best thing for people to wear?

I get asked for tips on clothing for portraits a lot in my portraiture classes. People hear funny things about what they should or shouldn’t wear for their portraits, and they show up in the damnedest things that sometimes make you shake your head and say, “What were they thinking?”

But people won’t know what is right (or what is best) unless you tell them. And you must help them understand why.

This is what I recommend people do for a portrait session:

Wear solid-colored clothing
Choose muted tones that are a bit subdued
Choose similar tones for the top and bottom (both dark or both light)
Choose one to three colors for your group portrait, colors with similar tones that go nicely together. Then have everyone work within that color palette. For example, a group could wear dark green, navy, and burgundy, which are all dark jewel tones. Or a group could wear tan, a lighter olive-green, and denim, all of which are lighter, softer tones.
Choose a top with sleeves at least to the elbow
Choose long pants for men/women or a skirt below the knee for women
Choose dark socks and footwear (unless it’s a barefoot photo on the beach)
Keep jewelry simple and minimalistic
Do hair the way you’d normally do it while wearing these clothes (more on that later!)
If people plan to get a haircut or new hairdo, make the appointment at least two weeks prior to your portrait session

(I added a few bonus pointers on hair and makeup, but they go right along with the clothing.)

Did you notice how I did not use the word “Don’t” anywhere in the list above?

There’s a reason for that.

People’s brains actually don’t register the words “Don’t,” “Not,” or “No.” So when you say them, the brain just disregards that part and registers what comes after. For example, if I say, “Do not think of a lemon,” what did you just do? Of course, you thought of a lemon. So when you are explaining clothing (or anything, for that matter) and giving suggestions on what to wear, take great care to always say what you do want.

If you tell people, “Okay, don’t wear stripes, flowers, or bright colors,” what will they remember? “I think my photographer said something about stripes and bright colors, so that’s what I’ll wear.”

Your subjects also probably heard somewhere that, for photography, you need to put your makeup on extra dark and heavy. Even people that normally wear no makeup or very little makeup can show up to a photoshoot with black eyeliner and raccoon eyes.

(I know because this has happened to me when I didn’t discuss makeup with my subjects ahead of time. And if it does happen, your subject will hate their photos because they won’t look like them. They likely won’t say anything; they just won’t pick any photos and you’ll think they didn’t like your work.)

It is your job as the photographer, even if you are just doing it for fun and for friends, to help people look their best in the portrait you take. So let’s look at the points above and how you should explain portrait clothing to your subjects so they get on board!

I actually had a hard time coming up with examples of what not to wear for portraits. I’ve been doing this for so long that I don’t have any subjects that come unprepared. So I’ve found a couple of group images just so you can see the difference clothing makes.

The image below is from a wedding, so the subjects weren’t all planning on having this group portrait done. But it shows what happens when the clothes have not been planned. There are multiple colors, some dark and some light. We have a few bright patterns and a short skirt. We have a lot of short sleeves (it was a hot day) and some white shoes. Can you see how all of those things make an impact? Overall, the effect actually isn’t that bad, and I’ve seen a lot worse. But let’s see what a little refinement can do to help.

wedding portraits clothing example — A group portrait from a wedding. The shot wasn’t planned, so people were wearing what they were wearing.

clothing for portraits group of people during a photowalk — Another “bad” example of clothing for portraits (from a photo walk). Notice how all the colors and patterns draw attention?

Examples of clothing that is working

The family shown below chose all black and denim, and for the most part, it is working really well. I’d only suggest that the mother wear longer sleeves. Notice how much attention her arms get? For her, it’s fine, but for someone self-conscious about their arms or their weight, short sleeves will make their arms look larger.

In the image below, everyone is in black except for the baby. Babies are always tough, because finding plain colors or black for a baby is almost impossible.

Notice two things here:

The baby stands out the most. In this case, it’s fine, because she’s the smallest and you want to see her.
If there had been an adult in the light outfit, would it work as well? I doubt it; the person would stand out and look larger. No one likes to look bigger! Trust me.

The image below shows my sister’s family, so they’ve been well-trained on what to wear.

Once again, dark tones have been selected: grays, deep purple, and navy. Those all work well with jeans. Can you see the difference between me wearing long sleeves (left) and my sister wearing short sleeves (upper right)? What does it do to the bare arms? How do they look compared to mine?

How to get subjects to agree and follow your suggestions

The key to explaining all this and getting people to agree and go along with your suggestions is in how you tell them. If you just list off all this stuff, it can seem a bit pushy, like you’re telling them what to do. Most people assume they know how to dress; giving them a list could make them feel a tad insulted, so they get defensive rather than listen to your suggestions.

Photography is part technical stuff, part artistic stuff, and part psychology!

Let’s look at my recommended list again, but this time add in the why. By stressing the benefits to your subjects, they will get it in a big way.

As I said:

I’ve had very few subjects that I’ve photographed in the last ten years who showed up in poor clothing – simply because I’ve prepped them so well. They know that, if they want to look their best, they must follow these guidelines:

Wear solid-colored clothing so that we see all of your faces and no individual stands out. If you wear stripes or flowers, you will stand out from the rest of your group.
Choose muted tones that are a bit subdued so that you are the subject, not your clothes, and so you don’t stand out from the group. Bright colors project (especially reds, oranges, and yellows), which makes you look larger.
Choose similar tones for the top and bottom (both dark or both light). A white top and dark pants will make your top look bigger. White pants and a dark top will make your butt look bigger.
Choose one to three colors for your group portrait, colors with similar tones that go nicely together. Then have everyone work within that color palette. For example, a group could wear dark green, navy, and burgundy, which are all dark jewel tones. Or a group could wear tan, a lighter olive green, and denim, all of which are lighter, softer tones. This is so we see people first and your portrait looks stunning. Wedding group photos look so good because they’re all wearing the same colors and the people stand out!
Choose a top with sleeves at least to the elbow, because your arms take up more skin area than your face and will draw attention. It may also make your arms look larger.
Choose long pants for men/women or a skirt below the knee for women so that your legs don’t take attention from your face, and you will be able to sit and bend without showing too much leg.
Choose dark socks and footwear (unless preparing for a barefoot photo on the beach), because white sticks out like a sore thumb and that’s all you’ll notice in your portrait.
Keep jewelry simple and minimalistic, because too much jewelry takes attention away from your face.
Do your hair the way you normally would while wearing your portrait clothes: No fancy updos with jeans, no ponytails with evening gowns, etc. (This is common sense, or so you’d think, but I’ve had ladies go to the hair salon and get fancy updos, then show up in jeans and a t-shirt. It simply doesn’t make sense, because you wouldn’t normally do that when putting on jeans and going to the park for a BBQ or something.) This is because your portrait will be more timeless and represent more closely who you are, not just what you look like.
If you plan to get a haircut or new hairdo, make the appointment at least two weeks prior to your portrait session. Fresh haircuts rarely look their best the same day or the next day. Ladies need time to practice working their hair; men need it to grow out just a little. Allow some time to live with your new look before your portrait session.

See a common thread in my notes above? Most people have the same fears about being photographed – yes, fears! Being photographed is right up there on the fear list, next to public speaking and going to the dentist. I kid you not!

People’s fears are about looking stupid, not knowing how to stand or pose, and looking fat or old. So if you can help them see that these clothing tips will allow them to eliminate at least one of their fears before you even start, then you just have to deal with all the rest later!

Most of these clothing suggestions have to do with helping subjects look slimmer and not stand out. How to stand and pose to minimize weight issues is another question entirely.

Putting it all together

You may notice that most of the “good” examples here are wearing dark colors.

That’s pretty common, as most people have heard that dark colors or black makes you look slimmer. To some degree, that’s true. But light colors can work, too.

In fact, if everyone in the group dresses similarly, then the one person in dark clothes would stand out. Little kids in denim and white tops with bare feet are super cute, as are little girls in white sundresses.

So don’t be afraid of other colors or tones. Just keep them similar. Some of my largest extended family groups that have done the best went so far as to put each family unit in their own color scheme (one in browns, one in greens, etc.), with the mother and father in another color scheme – all with dark jeans. I’ve also had some ladies buy everyone a matching shirt.

The thing is:

Once you get your subjects on board and understanding the logic behind portrait clothing choices – the “why” – they will go to great lengths to make it work, because they know it’s for their benefit!

Clothing for portraits: action plan

If all this portrait clothing advice sounds like a lot and is overwhelming, feel free to copy my list and make a little sheet to hand out to people. Just make sure you add the benefits, as shown in my second list!

The post Clothing for Portraits – How to Tell your Subjects What to Wear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darlene Hildebrandt.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

What does the EOS R5 tell us about Canon’s mirrorless plans?

08 Mar

A prototype of the forthcoming Canon EOS R5, on display at the recent WPPI trade show

If it wasn’t obvious at the time, it should be clear now that the EOS R and RP don’t represent Canon’s full ambitions for full-frame mirrorless. Following the initial surge of those releases, there’s been an apparent lull while the real work continued. Now that Canon has started to release details of the forthcoming EOS R5, the bigger picture is becoming clearer.

This is not to downplay the role of those first two cameras. The RP in particular seems to be turning into the camera we thought it might: a competent and aggressively priced first-time full-framer, pitched below the 6D level to entice people into the system.

But it was very apparent that the R and RP weren’t at the center of Canon’s plans for the RF-mount and we’ve had to wait until now, to see more of Canon’s longer-term strategy.

The RF lenses have already set out the game plan though. That triumvirate of F2.8 L zooms is clearly not primarily aimed at RP or even R users. The prices and the performance that they’ve shown, along with the use of the widely respected ‘L’ designation, should make that clear.

Neither the ‘holy trinity’ of F2.8 L zooms, nor the 50 and 85mm F1.2 prime lenses will have been developed primarily for EOS R or RP shooters.

These lenses are laying the groundwork for a camera designed to appeal to the dedicated enthusiast and professional user.

The R5 will be a mirrorless 5D

One thing that’s certain, now that we’ve seen the prototype cameras, is that the inclusion of the number ‘5’ in the R5’s name is no coincidence.

The 5D line has been important for the company, both in terms of sales and in terms of reputation. The 5D DSLRs help cement the company’s image as the maker of aspirational products for enthusiasts and dependable cameras for working professionals, then extended that to create the first high-end stills/video hybrid camera. Like the ‘L’ designation, Canon is unlikely to risk undermining the values associated with that branding by casually applying it to something less ambitious.

Canon is unlikely to risk the 5-series branding by applying it to something less ambitious

The prototype units Canon has put on show also help to make clear that it’s this 5D-using crowd it’s targeting with the R5: the styling cues of the body might come from the EOS R but the control layout is reassuringly 5D-like. Wedding shooters, along with everyone else who got really anxious about such things when the EOS R was launched, will be reassured to hear the R5 will have twin card slots.

There are certainly plenty of design cues from the EOS R, including that square status panel and the mode button set inside the rear shoulder dial…

Canon was determined to get it right

The lag between the announcement of the system and the arrival of its key camera model suggests there was still work that needed to be done.

Given how much of a head start Sony had already established in full-frame mirrorless with its progressively better a7 cameras, there must have been a temptation for Canon to quickly establish a presence in such a key part of the market. But, rather than launching a rival to the Sony a7R III at the same time Nikon launched its Z7, Canon has kept its powder dry.

…but that rear-plate scroll wheel, that big, traditional joystick and the arrangement of the two buttons on the right shoulder have much more in common with Canon’s DSLR design.

This strongly suggests it’s been continuing to work on the technologies underpinning the R5. Whereas the R and RP placed sensors from existing models (the EOS 5D IV and EOS 6D II respectively), in less-expensive bodies, it’s now clear that the R5 will include a series of all-new technologies. And we’d guess at a price tag around the $ 3500 territory that EOS 5D models have been launched at.

It will feature new-to-Canon technologies

Canon confirmed to us over a year ago that it was developing an in-body stabilization system for a ‘pro-level’ RF camera, and this is likely to be one of the things still being perfected.

There’s scope for some misunderstanding in translation, of course, but the senior figures we interviewed seemed to suggest a system that would combine the efforts of in-body and in-lens stabilization, like Panasonic and Olympus do, rather than sharing the work by letting in-lens stabilization take over some of the work from the in-body mechanism, per Sony and Nikon.

Canon has a history of launching new systems by starting with the middle model. The launch model of the EF mount, the EOS 650, wasn’t an especially high-end offering.

While Canon has decades of experience of in-lens stabilization, it doesn’t have any prior experience of combining lens and sensor-shift IS. This is clearly a technology Canon wanted to get absolutely right before launching a 5D-level camera, rather than delivering a standalone IBIS system and then using the promise of combined IS to entice people to upgrade to an R5 Mark II.

It will push video capabilities forward

The EOS 5D II established the idea of the DSLR as a video device. It wasn’t quite the first video DSLR but with its Full HD capability and full-frame sensor, it was the one that ended up in the hands of would-be videographers the world over. The Mark III added a little polish to this but didn’t really push things forward.

But one of the undeniable advantages mirrorless offers over DSLRs is that you don’t have a mirror that needs to be moved out of the way before you can start recording. This, in turn, helps give a more coherent stills and video shooting experience, making it easier for photographers to adapt to shooting sequences of moving pictures, rather than just stills.

So a 5D-level mirrorless camera would be the perfect time to make a spiritual successor to the 5D Mark II and Canon is talking in terms of 8K capture.

The potential benefits of 8K apply to people watching in 4K, just as there were benefits to 4K capture before widespread adoption of 4K displays

You may not think you need 8K, if that’s what the camera ends up outputting. It’s true that the limits of human vision at sensible viewing distances take us into the realms of diminishing returns, but many of the potential benefits of 8K apply to people watching in 4K, just as there were benefits to 4K capture before widespread adoption of 4K displays.

The first is the ability to crop in, giving scope for adding panning or zooming movement into locked-off shots. This is hugely useful in terms of giving flexibility at the edit stage, particularly for single camera setups that an R5 is likely to be used for.

But the other option is to capture at 8K and output it as perfectly oversampled 4K, since you need to capture twice the resolution to accurately describe all the detail that a 4K video can show. It may be that this is what Canon is referring to 8K capture with 4K output, but even this would be an impressive step forward.

I won’t call it a flagship

So what we know from the announced details and what we can deduce from the RF lenses that have been launched is that the 5R will aim to be a ‘Super 5D’: with the addition of in-body IS and advanced video making it perhaps the biggest generational leap forward for ‘5’ level cameras since the introduction of Full HD video capture.

The EOS R5 promises to match the 1D X III in terms of its 20fps frame rate, but it’s still the 1D series that’s the real flagship in Canon’s lineup.

But I’m still loath to call it a flagship. 5D cameras are important to Canon and certainly help set public perception of the brand, but it’s the 1D-series that has entrenched the company’s position on the sidelines of sports across the world.

The R5 is likely to include some of the AI-trained autofocus know-how developed for the EOS-1D X Mark III, and it’s likely to be the top dog in the RF lineup for the foreseeable future. But the sheer amount of power offered by the 1D X III in mirrorless mode suggests we may be only a single generation away from an RF-mount 1D.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

How to Tell Stories with Architecture Photography

14 Mar

The post How to Tell Stories with Architecture Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

At first glance, it might seem like architecture photography is all about prestige projects, glittering corporate headquarters, and well-paid specialist photography gigs. However, there can be much more to architectural photography if you look a little deeper.

The Radcliffe Science Library, Oxford © Charlie Moss

Architecture is a vast and diverse field. It basically means the design and construction of buildings or the style in which a building is built. Styles vastly differ from country to country, even from town to town. Very local architecture that is heavily inspired by the local conditions and traditions is known as “vernacular architecture” – and that is the kind of built environment that inspires me most in my architectural photography.

On weekends, it is quite common to find me out and about with a camera in The Cotswolds – the beautiful area of England that is on my doorstep. There I seek out beautiful examples of buildings crafted from Cotswold Stone – the local building material. The stone itself varies in color from beautiful honey to a rich golden hue, and it’s these variations that tell you where you are!

Head a little further south, and you’re in the city of Oxford, famous for its prestigious university. The story of the city and the university is told through its architecture and is a vernacular architectural photographer’s dream. It’s here in Oxford that I’ve based this article on architectural photography, but hopefully, you’ll find it full of tips and tricks for shooting any of your surroundings or those you visit on a trip.

1. Do some research

Schools Quadrangle, Oxford, and a door on Parks Road, Oxford. © Charlie Moss

Before you grab your camera bag and walk out of the door, the first thing you’re going to want to do is a little research. See if you can read up on the most important buildings in the place you’re heading out to. Then see if you can work out why they’re considered the most important.

Look at images of the place that other people have already taken and see if you can pick out any themes. Other photographers might have had some smart ideas for locations – no harm in making a note to check them out while you’re there too. Is there a predominant style of architecture? A set of repeating motifs? Or perhaps a common building material? If there does seem to be patterns in the buildings, ask yourself why that might be and see if you can get to the bottom of what they could perhaps mean.

In Oxford, there is a long-running fight over which architecture styles best reflect buildings dedicated to learning and research. Are the Roman and Greek inspired Classical style buildings the most appropriate because of their obvious connection to ancient civilization? Alternatively, are the tall, soaring, pointed towers of Gothic architecture better for a university because it seems to be reaching ambitiously skywards towards God? The designers and patrons of the city have argued this backward and forwards for many centuries now, so it is the perfect place to tell stories about the architecture!

If nothing else, think of some themes that you might like to shoot while you’re out with your camera. I can never seem to resist a good photograph of a door, and nor can many other people judging from the subject’s popularity on Instagram.

2. Look for contrast

The Radcliffe Science Library, Oxford © Charlie Moss

Images that juxtapose different but related buildings or themes can be very powerful when you’re photographing architecture. Well-considered juxtapositions of images can show both positives and negatives about architecture. In the first image above of the Radcliffe Science Library, I’ve tried to capture the contrast between the ancient Headington Stone used in the original Victorian library building, and the modern glass extension.

Both materials express different ideas about what it means to study science, and so together they tell the story of what science has become over the last two hundred years. The reflection of the tree brings the two together – reminding us that science is all around us and not just found in libraries and laboratories.

If you can capture scenes like this all in the same image then that is great, but do not be afraid to place two or more images next to each other as I did above in the images of Keble College.

3. Plan to shoot a series

Keble College Chapel reflected in the Beecroft Building, Oxford, and Keble College, Oxford © Charlie Moss

Creating diptychs and triptychs in photography is as old as the medium itself. Setting out to specifically capturing two or three images that work together (and could perhaps be mounted together as prints) is a fantastic way to tell a story.

It might be that you plan these images specifically to be a series while doing your research, but often you might make connections while you’re out and about. The best tip I can give to you is to write down the connections that you’ve made while shooting in a notebook; otherwise, you’re bound to forget them while editing!

The two images above were a happy accident. I didn’t realize that there was a brand new physics building constructed in the last twelve months, and it perfectly reflects the chapel of the college across the road. This juxtaposition of science and religion is quite powerful, but also I enjoyed the way that the facade of the new building draws inspiration from the old. The tall rectangular windows of the new Beecroft building seem almost to be a modern version of the tall rectangular windows in Keble College built around a hundred and fifty years ago.

If you see an interesting image that wasn’t on your original itinerary, then stop and take a few minutes to photograph it. Don’t be so focused on your research that you miss unexpected gems – they might turn out to be some of the best photographs of your trip.

4. Bring the architecture to life

Bikes in Oxford. © Charlie Moss

Regardless of how spectacular the buildings themselves might be, it is how the inhabitants of the city use the architecture that’s important. In Oxford, the primary mode of transport is the bicycle. There simply isn’t enough room in this medieval city for cars, and so pedal-power is far more efficient.

Every street and building has space for parking bikes – and if it doesn’t – the cyclists soon find somewhere to put them! To photograph the city of Oxford without photographing the bikes would be to miss out on a large part of what makes the place come alive.

Think of how you can show the life that lives alongside the architecture in your images. It could be something as iconic as a bright yellow taxi in front of the iconic Flatiron building in New York. Alternatively, it might be as simple as a reflection of a busy city street in a brilliant local coffee shop.

Try to capture what makes the place you’re photographing unique, both in the buildings and in what is happening around them.

5. Shoot the icons

The Radcliffe Camera, Oxford, with All Souls College, Oxford in the background. © Charlie Moss

While you’re focusing on the details and the hidden stories, don’t forget to tell the big stories too! Iconic architecture is iconic for a reason, so don’t keep it off your itinerary. The important thing is, once again, to find the story that you want to tell and try to capture that.

The above image shows the Classical versus Gothic war of architecture in Oxford in a single shot. The front building is the Radcliffe Camera, an historically significant library built in the English Palladian style inspired by the classical temples of the ancient Greeks. Behind its defensive wall is the soaring tower of All Souls College built in the Gothic style. You couldn’t get two more contrasting buildings in the same shot if you tried.

These contrasts and histories are the keys in photographing architecture. If you can seek out the interesting stories to tell, you’ll have no problem shooting great images.

The post How to Tell Stories with Architecture Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

What does the EOS R tell us about Canon and the RF mount’s future?

14 Sep

Despite not being tremendously exciting, I believe Canon’s EOS R shows a more adventurous attitude, at least by Canon’s standards, than we’re used to seeing. Having shot with the camera, spoken to Canon and read the tea leaves, here’s what I think the EOS R tells us about Canon and the RF’s mount’s future.

The RF mount

Interestingly, both Canon and Nikon have settled on a similar solution: a short, wide lens mount and have both said it gives them greater design freedom when it comes to making lenses. Canon gave a little more detail about the ways in which it does so.

Both Canon and Nikon have settled on a similar solution: a short and wide lens mount

The shorter flange-back distance allows Canon to mount a large rear lens element much closer to the sensor, and the wide diameter means they can create lenses that don’t need to squeeze light through a narrow tunnel. Designing lenses that don’t have to make such dramatic adjustments to the course of the light passing through the lens allows lenses with fewer optical aberrations. It allows gives the option to use fewer elements, which can make some lenses lighter.

I said I thought it was an uncharacteristically bold move by Nikon to step away from the F-mount and I think you could say the same for Canon. If someone were trying to be really cynical, they might suggest Canon and Nikon are making such a noise about the use of wide and short designs just so they can imply a design limitation in Sony’s narrower E mount. But having shot the 28-70mm F2 wide-open a little over the last few days, I’m more likely to believe there’s some benefit to what Nikon and Canon say they’re doing.

But perhaps that’s where the comparisons with the Nikon should end.

The quiet radical

While Nikon tried to mimic its DSLR’s behavior as closely as possible, but primarily using its live-view AF modes, Canon seems to have taken a more open-minded approach. The general perception we see from our readers (and it’s one we have some sympathy for), is that Canon is a cautious company with a dominant market position that discourages the kinds of unexpected innovation we see from the likes of Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony.

The EOS R has a number of interesting features, including the habit of stopping down its lens on shutdown. This lets the company close the mechanical shutter to reduce dust ingress, since it minimizes the risk of sunlight condensed by the lens warping the shutter blades.

But that’s not true of the EOS R. For years we’e been calling on manufacturers to try to work from a blank sheet of paper, rather than just doing what’s always been done. And the more we’ve used the EOS R, the more it feels like Canon has at least tried to do that. Not to the extent of throwing everything away, but at least using this new system as an opportunity to think about which existing elements they want to maintain and where there’s room for something new. So not quite a blank sheet, but at least stopping to consider existing assumptions.

It looks to me like a genuine attempt to create the best of both worlds

More so than the Nikon Z cameras, Canon has taken some elements of its live view AF system: Face + AF Tracking mode, for instance, but then blended this with the way AF points work on its DSLRs. It looks to me like a genuine attempt to create the best of both worlds, rather than being completely constrained by trying to deliver what they think their existing customers will expect.

The EOS R takes the Face + Tracking mode from its live view system but adds the custom option from its DSLRs that lets you choose whether to specify the starting subject or let the camera choose.

There is a lot of continuity, though. For instance in continuous autofocus mode, Face + AF Tracking works, by default, analogously to Canon’s 61-point auto system: automatically picking a subject and following it. And, like on those DSLRs, there’s a menu option to change this behavior so that you specify the starting point and subject for the camera to track. It’s an interesting blend of the live view AF mode with DSLR behavior that I think says a lot about the approach Canon has taken.

The EOS R feels like a ‘version 1’ product

Oh course the down-side of starting afresh (relatively), is that you introduce new problems and bugs that you’d ironed-out of your existing interface. There are certainly aspects that make the EOS R feels like a ‘version 1’ product: something we don’t usually expect from Canon.

Innovative touches (for better or worse)

The EOS R also shows some innovative touches in its design, some more visible than others.

The M-Fn Bar along the back of the camera can be customized to act as two buttons and a ‘swipeable’ control pad. None of us have been very impressed, so far.

The funky ‘M-Fn Bar’ control strip along the back of the camera, for instance. To me it feels a touch gimmicky. I’ve yet to find anything I really want to assign to it, find it easy to inadvertently operate and have experienced the occasional glitch when I do intentionally use it (another very un-Canon-like experience).

The M-Fn Bar will need to evolve into something useful or will die-out.

It’s a fun idea and a very prominent display of original thinking, but it feels to me like the ‘Touchbar’ that Apple has added to its recent laptops: a device looking for a purpose and one that I think will need to evolve into something useful or will die-out in a couple of generations. Worse still, it occupies a prime location on the back of the camera and, while you can configure it to essentially just act as two buttons, there’s only a limited choice over what those two buttons do.

We were all quite impressed with the clicking control dial on all the RF lenses. We were even more impressed that Canon has made an adapter ring that means you retain the capability when working with EF lenses.

An idea I suspect will persist is the additional, clicking control ring on the RF lenses (whose function, cleverly, is duplicated on one of the EF-to-RF adapters Canon offers). It’s a cute move – one first tried by Samsung – that lets you quickly access another camera parameter without the body being overrun by dials. We’re also told Canon service centers will (for a fee), ‘de-click’ the dials on your lenses if you need smooth or silent operation for video work.

The illusion of customization

But there are also signs of Canon still being, well, Canon. A criticism we’ve leveled at Canon over the years is that, even when it does offer customization, it’s often very restrictive in how much change it lets you make. Sadly, while the EOS R initially appears to take some steps in the right direction: a large number of buttons are customizable and have an extensive set of custom options available (between 25 and 45, depending on the button), the reality is different. In many instances they’re not necessarily the custom options you might want, and you’ll still have to learn which features can be placed on which buttons before you can find your preferred setup. Or, at least, the closest to it that Canon allows.

You still can’t always do everything you might want: despite lots of options about which dial controls what setting. There’s relatively little choice over which dial controls Exposure Compensation, for instance. And there’s no easy way to gain access to the Auto ISO threshold setting, without digging into the main menu. There’s also little access to drive mode or metering mode, meaning the EOS R is a camera that demands you use the Q.Menu, rather than letting you put everything at your fingertips.

In perhaps the most un-Canon-like move imaginable, it’s said it will improve these cameras via firmware updates.

However, in perhaps the most un-Canon-like move imaginable, the company has also said it will implement a new policy of improving these cameras via firmware updates. Fingers crossed.

RF > EOS R

What perhaps makes all of the positives harder to see is that the first camera, the EOS R, isn’t very exciting. The pre-launch rumors and use of the 5D IV’s sensor led a lot of people to expect an EOS 5D IV level camera, which it most certainly isn’t. But even as something more comparable to a 6D Mark II it’s still a little underwhelming.

The pictures it takes are great, which shouldn’t come as a surprise for a camera with the 5D IV’s sensor. The dynamic range isn’t class-leading but it’s much closer to being competitive than Canon had previously been. It also feels superb when you first pick it up: solid, comfortable and with well-positioned controls, at least for the most part.

After admiring the hand-feel of the camera, the second thing you’ll notice is the apparent lack of means of controlling the AF point. The touchpad mode, disabled by default, is the only sensible way to operate the EOS R.

The rest of package is a little less impressive. Heavily cropped 4K video with visible rolling shutter isn’t the level of performance most other brands are offering (though the inclusion of Canon-Log and 10-bit output suggest the company wants to do video properly in these cameras). Separate exposure settings for video (which was part of what sounds like an anxiously-made decision to dispense with the conventional mode dial), and separate button custom settings for video are big steps forward.

The EOS R’s burst rate (with AF at least) is also poor by contemporary standards, again suggesting a sensor or processor bottleneck.

The bigger picture

But while we’re not especially blown-away by the EOS R, I think we’re all quite impressed by the system it hints at. It should be pretty obvious that Canon didn’t develop a $ 3000 24-70mm F2 zoom or $ 2300 50mm F1.2 to be mounted on a $ 2300 mid-range full frame body. Nor does it seem likely that its engineers works away to produce a 24-105mm F4 with silent autofocus, 1/8th EV aperture control and extremely well controlled focus breathing for a camera whose 4K capture gives it a 40mm equivalent wide-angle field of view.

Canon didn’t develop a $ 3000 24-70mm F2 zoom to be mounted on a mid-range body.

Beyond the system, I also think that the EOS R shows Canon being more flexible and innovative than we’re used to seeing, whether it’s in the apparent approach to the UI development, the creation of the M-Fn Bar or its stated willingness to improve the camera via firmware updates. Just as I said of Nikon, I hope Canon will retain this more adaptable approach as the system continues to develop.

If you’re a Canon DSLR shooter, it’s probably not yet time to begin the migration across to the RF system, but the work the company has already done and its apparent approach make us believe it’ll look increasingly compelling in the coming years. If that’s enough to stop you thinking about jumping-ship (with your existing lenses) to Sony, then I suspect Canon’s done what they were trying to achieve. It’ll be interesting to see what the RF series leads to.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Cell Phone Versus DSLR – Can you tell which is which?

19 Aug

We live in weird times as photographers. Paradoxes abound and when it comes to the idea of cameras and whether or not cellphone photographic performance is on par with dedicated digital camera systems is an issue which sees even learned opinions hopelessly polarized.

“Cellphone cameras are killing photography!” – “It’s such a great time to be a photographer since we have cameras right on our phones.” – “A cell phone is not a camera!” – There are many opinions on this topic!

I have a good friend who photographed his way through Europe with nothing but his cellphone while editing along the way using Lightroom Mobile. His photographs are nothing short of incredible.

At the same time, even I sometimes get tired of all the “cellphone artists” who seem to bypass the fundamental nature of photography with their tiny little gadgets held out in front of them.

Canon camera and a smartphone - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

So with the debate still raging over whether or not a cellphone can match the performance of a more traditional camera…an idea suddenly came to me. Granted, I’m not the first person to ever think of this but it’s a new idea for me nonetheless and one that I wanted to share with all of you fine people.

I decided to put my own cell phone up against one of my standby full-frame DSLR camera bodies and do some blind comparisons of the images.

I want you to come along for the ride. Can you tell which images were shot with the DSLR and which were done with the cell phone? Could it be that a cell phone will ever be capable of producing images that are close to or dare I say even exceed the results obtained from a “professional” grade DSLR?

The Test

For this fun little evaluation we will be looking at the core quality of both RAW and JPEG files from a DSLR and a cellphone. The test camera is a Canon 5D Mk3 and the phone is the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active.

The comparison is for image quality only. Pay attention to the sharpness, the color, and the contrast presented in each one of the images. I’ve numbered each photo so you can make your guesses down below in the comment area if you like!

And yes, before you mention it, lenses play a huge role in final image quality. To me that makes this test even more interesting because the glass of the cell phone camera isn’t interchangeable; meaning the lens you have on your phone is the essentially the only one you can use (unless you go with aftermarket attachments) which makes its fidelity all the more crucial.

Let’s talk sensors…

As far as image sensor size is concerned there really isn’t much comparison between one inside a full-frame DSLR image and the one that fits inside of your cellphone. This is what interests me. Dimensionally speaking the image sensors from the 5D MK3 and the S8 Active is like comparing grapes and watermelons.

That being said, deciding how that impacts image quality is completely up to the eye of the beholder depending on your definition of “professional quality”.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

Samsung phone - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

The camera on the Galaxy S8 Active sports a 12MP sensor which has a physical dimension of 1/2.55 inches or about 12.7mm with individual pixels measuring 1.4 microns. I assume the 12.7mm is the diagonal measurement but I have found no information directly indicating this.

The lens of the S8 Active has a maximum aperture of f/1.7 and fixed (??mm) focal length.

Canon 5D MK3

The Canon 5D MK3 has a 22.3MP full frame sensor featuring a diagonal measurement of approximately 1.7 inches (about 43.27mm) with a pixel size of 6.1 microns. I used a (??mm) lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4.

Canon camera and 50mm lens - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

I know I know…there’s no focal length indicated for either the S8 Active or the one I used with the 5D MK3. This is because some of you astute readers would probably connect the dots for each image and that would ruin the fun!

So, I’m keeping everyone in the dark as far as the focal lengths for both lenses are concerned.

RAW Versus RAW

Just like the estimable 5D MK3, the Samsung S8 (like many others) has the capability to record both RAW and JPEG image files when shooting in “Pro” mode.

So the first series of photos will be comparing the typically drab RAW images from both the 5D MK3 and the S8 Active. Each image was shot at ISO 100 with the shutter speed being matched as closely as possible.

Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs - red fire hydrant

Image #1

Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs - puddle reflection

JPEG Versus JPEG

Moving into the realm of non-RAW (uncooked?) image files, it’s time to take a look at the JPEG photos from both the Canon 5D MK3 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active.

Just like the RAW files before, each one of these images was shot with the same ISO setting except this time at ISO 400. The 5D MK3 was set to Adobe Standard Fine JPEG and the S8 Active was set to its “Standard” profile mode as well. Again, shutter speeds were kept as close to uniform as could be achieved.

shadows of door handles - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

door handles - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

#8…These two looked so similar that I had to include them both.

laptop keyboard - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

fence design - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

#10

Peeping at Pixels

Alright, you know you want to do it. Let’s really take a close look at the images from my S8 Active cell phone and the tried and true 5D MK3.

Just to refresh ourselves with the rules of the game here, we are looking at overall image quality. First, let’s have a look at a RAW file of a leaf lying on a bed of grass.

leaf on grass - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

Then I cropped and got extremely up close and personal with said leaf…

11a (left)
11b (right)

And here’s one more for those of us who like to hold a magnifying glass up to each one of our photos. This time let’s take a look at a side-by-side zoom of a JPEG image from both the 5D MK3 and the S8 Active.

Here we have a photo originally shot as an in-camera JPEG.

Sony camera - Mobile Phones Versus DSLRs

Now zooming in on those knobs and buttons.

12a (left)
12b (right)

Final Thoughts

I realize that it’s somewhat of a risky move not telling you which one of the images are which here at the terminus of this article. Alas, that is exactly what I’m going to do.

Have a look at each one of these images which I assure you were, in fact, each shot with both my everyday-carry Galaxy S8 Active cell phone and my trusty 5D MK3. As you look at the photos examine them closely and pick which one you think came from which source.

I also encourage you to evaluate where you stand on the idea of whether or not cellphone photography is a good or a bad thing for the medium as an art. Do you think cameras and cell phones will forever remain separate pieces of technology or do you feel that some day they will be one in the same?

I’d love to hear your ideas on the future of camera tech and your opinions on the photos from the above tests. Please post your thoughts in the comments below. And yes, eventually I will provide an answer key so you have to forgive me.

The post Cell Phone Versus DSLR – Can you tell which is which? appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

New 2018 dPS Reader Survey – Tell Us More About You

27 Apr

At dPS we value you, our readers, above all else. We want to help you take better pictures.

By doing this survey you will be helping dPS serve you better. By knowing what kinds of things are you struggling with, and the types of articles you want to see we can work toward providing more of what you need to move your photography forward.

We value your time, and you, as our regular reader and always strive to improve – you will help us by completing this form, for which we will be especially grateful.

Click on this link, or the image below to start the survey.

dPS-annual-reader-survey

Thank you for your continued support and being a dPS reader. We wish you all the success on your photography journey.

The dPS Team

The post New 2018 dPS Reader Survey – Tell Us More About You appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

12 Apr

In this article, you will get 10 photo story ideas to help you connect with and tell the story your community including; bus stops, your community garden, and the grocery store.

Finding a unique and extraordinary scene to photograph can take a lot of energy. Thanks to the internet, you’re bombarded daily with exotic scenes caught on camera from all around the world and suddenly your own community or neighborhood feels commonplace by comparison.

What we often forget is that magic happens in our own backyards. What feels mundane to you, can be fascinating to people from other regions, countries, and cultures (and looking back from future decades).

Animal - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

To get that magic working in photographs of your community, tell a clear story with a mix of long shots, mid shots, close-ups, and extreme close-ups. You’ve already overcome the first hurdles. You know what the light is like and probably have an idea of some settings to use. Chances are, you speak the language and understand the culture.

You know the best place to pick up a coffee, and what time the trains, boats, or sheep go past each day. With technical and communication issues sorted before you begin, you can work on breaking some (photographic) rules. Push your creativity by experimenting with composition, framing, and movement to further convey the vibe of your neighborhood.

Need some inspiration? Here are my top ten subjects to help tell the story of your neighborhood:

1. Bus Stop Narratives

Bus stops speak volumes about the neighborhood. Whether your closest one is posh or plain, busy or quiet – there’s always something there to photograph.

If the bus stop is a building, look for strong lines and shapes. If it’s busy, experiment with different shutter speeds to show the movement of vehicles and people. Perhaps it’s just a seldom-used seat overgrown with weeds.

Use wide angle shots to convey a feeling of space and emptiness as the light fades at the end of the day. Get friends or family to pose to provide context and scale to the scene.

Bus stop Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

2. Animal Life

For some, photographing animals in their neighborhood means capturing images of local domestic pets, or common birds. For others, it means finding larger, scarier animals (the rest of us are jealous).

Even the common sparrow can be a beautiful subject to photograph, and it can help tell the story of your community. Get familiar with where local wildlife (or pets) hang out, and the times they show up. Take snacks and water for yourself, and a good zoom lens if possible.

Using a fast shutter speed is ideal for photographing animals but reduces the amount of light entering the camera, so you might need to increase your ISO to compensate. Try a shallow depth of field for slow animals, and greater depth of field for the less predictable species.

Animal - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

3. Found Neighborhood Alphabet

This subject is super fun and easy to get a bit obsessed over. The idea is to find an alphabet made entirely of shapes and forms, but not actual letters. You might come across twigs making the shape of an E, a roofline that looks like a V, or stonework in the shape of a J. This makes you look at details in quite a different way and is a great exercise for your brain.

There’s a catch to this – you actually have 27 photographs to make. The 27th is the ampersand, which is the “&” shape (and not particularly easy to find)!

4. The Grocery Store

People have a love/hate relationship with grocery stores. It might be a place you associate with stress and fatigue . . . but also with ice cream! All that shelving and stacking provides fantastic lines, repetitive patterns, and colors.

Perhaps your neighborhood store is small and full of old character, or it might feel vast with plenty of reflective surfaces and wide aisles. Keep an eye on your White Balance setting, as it might need some adjustment with fluorescent lighting.

As with photographing any business, talk with the management first about your project, and be prepared to share your results with them.

Grocery - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

5. Signage

Signs come in all shapes and forms and have a wide range of purposes. Street signs, shop signs, road works signs, lost cat signs, temporary signs – they all tell a unique narrative of your neighborhood.

While the graphic design of some signage can be beautiful in itself, try photographing signs with some of the surroundings in the frame. Look for groups of signs, clever signs, and signage that evoke emotions. You don’t have to include the whole sign in your frame – perhaps pick out specific words or colors that have meaning.

Combined, a series of signage photographs can tell a story figuratively or literally.

Signage - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

6. A Year of a Community Garden

If you’re lucky enough to live near a community garden, you’ve got a fantastic year-long photographic project ready to start. Talk with the garden organizers about access and the best times to photograph gardeners in action. Return regularly to capture the changing colors and textures.

The photographs don’t have to all be pretty. Use a macro or zoom lens to photograph the decomposition and composting processes. Take a small ladder to photograph garden patterns from a fresh viewpoint. If it’s surrounded by buildings, celebrate the contrast of colors and shapes that the garden provides.

Garden - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

7. Ground-Level Series

A lot goes on at ground level, regardless of what type of environment you live in. In our day-to-day lives, we scurry on by without noticing the details at our feet. At ground level, your neighborhood might be full of sand dunes, grasses, and bare feet. Or maybe you’re surrounded by fences, road markings, and running shoes.

Try shooting from a standing position using a bird’s eye view angle, or you can sit or even lie down so that you’re at the same level as the subject.

Hot tip: Take a small mat or tarpaulin to lie down on and make sure you aren’t a tripping hazard!

Ground Level - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

8. Street Art Story

My favorite subject to photograph is street art. I love documenting other people’s creativity – particularly if it’s temporary artwork that is scheduled to be covered up or torn down. Every town and city has their own unique art vibe.

If you live in a community with lots of street sculptures and paintings, find out the stories behind them. Photograph their relationship with the surrounding buildings at different times of the day. Capture people interacting with the artwork, and include some of the environment around it by using different angles.

Street Art - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

9. Demolition Documentary

This won’t work for all neighborhoods, but you might live in an area where there are lots of physical changes happening. Buildings coming up and going down are fantastic to photograph. Apart from the changing lines, shapes, and angles, this is a cool way to document an interesting moment in time for your community.

By using a shallow depth of field and/or by getting close-up to safety fencing, you may be able to get a clear shot of the subject without the fence getting in the way.

If there’s an authorized opportunity to get onto a building or demolition site – grab it! Follow health and safety guidelines at all times, and get to know people at the site so you get a heads-up of upcoming activity to photograph.

Demo - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

10. Doorways

If you have great neighbors who you’re on good terms with, have a go at photographing a doorway series. The good thing about this theme is that you can stick with one lens and work to easily measurable straight-lines.

Places of worship and heritage buildings can have beautiful doorway architecture, but don’t underestimate the aesthetics of barn doors and slick city business entrances.

Hot tips: Photograph the doorways closed and avoid private properties unless you have permission. Watch out for reflections in glass or polished surfaces. You might need to use the distortion or upright tools in your post-production software to make sure the lines are nice and straight.

Door - Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood

Conclusion

Exploring your neighborhood with your camera is a great way to get back to the basics of photography. You can make mistakes and test out new techniques without feeling like you’re wasting time and money. It compels you to find beauty and diversity in everyday objects and push the boundaries of your creativity close to home.

The post Top 10 Subjects to Help You Tell the Story of Your Neighborhood appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

$2,500 Sony a7S II vs $50,000 ARRI Alexa Mini: Can you tell the difference?

07 Feb

Brent Barbano—co-founder of camera rental community ShareGrid—recently took a trip to Flashbox Films in Hollywood to meet up with co-owner Will Kamp and do one of those “affordable camera vs crazy expensive camera” tests the internet seems to love (and hate) oh so much.

So what did they test? They put the $ 2,500 Sony a7S II, an affordable filmmaking favorite, up against the $ 50,000+ ARRI Alexa Mini, a professional-grade filmmaking monster. Here’s how Brent introduces the comparison:

The Sony a7s II has been a game-changer for filmmakers and creatives across the world. Cinematographers and photographers have been creating amazing images with this mirrorless camera that can rival some of the best. So, we thought we’d put it to the test and do a side-by-side comparison of the Sony a7S II and the ARRI Alexa Mini. Can you tell the difference?

Well… can you? Check out the video above to watch the footage, or scroll through the slides in the gallery below:

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_8545856720″,”galleryId”:”8545856720″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

Brent and Will were obviously impressed by just how similar the final footage turned out to be, and if you’re curious how you did on this ‘test,’ you’re in luck: ShareGrid was kind enough to give DPReview readers the answer key early.

The initial plan was to update it in the video description on YouTube this Friday, but if you’ve made your picks, you can scroll down and see which slide was which down below.

Answer Key

Some of you may have noticed, others may not, but the cameras didn’t actually switch sides between shots. The Sony was always on one side, and the ARRI was always on the other. But… which was which? It turns out A was Sony, and B was ARRI: