Nothing rattles the photography community faster than talking about lens protectors. Some swear by it, while others wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole. What is the rage about, and what is the approach you should take with lens protectors? We will discuss all of them in this article. What is a Lens Protector Lens protectors are pieces of glass Continue Reading
The post This is Why You Need a Camera Lens Protector appeared first on Photodoto.
Watch out, DJI. Sony Corporation announced today it is getting into the drone market under the brand name ‘Airpeak.’
I a short press release, accompanied by the above teaser video, Sony says the Airpeak brand will ‘reflect its aspiration to contribute to the further evolvement and the creation of the unprecedented value through its imaging and sensing technology.’
While Sony does hint at industrial purposes for its drones, the company specifically says the Airpeak brand ‘will support the creativity of video creators to the fullest extent possible.’
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| An illustration from a patent application Sony was granted back in January 2020. |
Sony says the project will launch in spring of 2021. In the meantime, it will share information along the way and work on partnerships to test their products and get feedback from drone users. You can keep up with the latest updates on Sony’s new Airpeak website.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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The maker of the Solarcan has launched a new series of solargram cameras loaded with ready-tinted photo paper that will create colored images straight out of the tin. Solarcan Colours come in a choice of three versions to offer warm, cool or duotoned traces of the sun’s passage across the sky.
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Solarcan cameras are literally a drink can with a pin hole drilled into the side and a sheet of 7x5in photographic paper loaded and sealed inside. The idea is to strap the camera somewhere outside so it is facing south and then to leave it there as long as you like while it records a trace of the sun everyday while it is in place. Once you can’t wait any more you take the camera indoors, open it with a tin opener and retrieve the paper. The paper will show the image without processing, so you photograph it or scan it and then invert the image to get a positive impression of what you’ve recorded.
The longer you leave the can strapped to a tree or a pole the more sun traces you get, and the company recommends leaving it is place for six months from one solstice to the other. You can just leave it for a day though.
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| The Solarcan Colours kit includes (left to right) Eldorado, Atlantis and Nebula versions of the camera. These are the colors you’ll see once the recorded negative is inverted in software, or via a smartphone app |
The original Solarcan uses straightforward black and white paper, but Solarcan Colours uses tinted papers that deliver a color to the images without post-processing. Many Solarcan fans add colors to their digitized negatives in software, but the new Solarcan Colours have the shades built-in. The colors are:
Inventor Sam Cornwell won’t let on what’s in the paper to give it the tints, but he does tell DP Review that the Solarcan Colour is half-way on his Solarcan roadmap – and that he has something ‘big’ planned for 2022.
Solarcan Colours is being launched via a Kickstarter campaign, as was the original Solarcan, and the company aims to deliver the first consignment in January 2021. Prices start from £39 (approx. $ 51) for a kit with all three colored cans, while the original black and white Solarcan is also for sale for £15 (approx. $ 20). For more information see the Solarcan website or the Solarcan Colours Kickstarter page.
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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Blackmagic Design has announced DaVinci Resolve 17, the latest major release of its flagship video and audio editing software. DaVinci Resolve is ‘the world’s only solution that combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics and audio post-production all in one software tool.’
DaVinci Resolve 17’s primary new features include HDR grading tools, redesigned primary color controls, an AI-based magic mask, a next-generation Fairlight audio engine and much more. Blackmagic states that in total there are over 100 new features and 200 improvements to existing features.
The new HDR grading feature is accessible within the software’s color page. Users can create new color wheels with ‘custom roll-off for specific tonal ranges,’ resulting in additional creative control when making fine adjustments. The new wheels include control over exposure and saturation within each zone and are color space aware, allowing for uniform results.
Additional improvements to colorwork include mesh-based warping tools. You can adjust hue and saturation or chroma and luma. Adjustments are performed by dragging control points and Blackmagic Design promises ‘clean, natural-looking adjustments.’ Primary color controls have also been redesigned in the software. With respect to color space, DaVinci wide gamut and DaVinci intermediate are new timeline color space and gamma settings which deliver a universal working color space. Blackmagic states that ‘it’s larger than what cameras can capture’ and that ‘customers will never lose image data, no matter where it comes from.’
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| DaVinci Resolve 17 includes numerous improvements to color work, such as HDR Color Wheels, Custom Curves and more. Image credit: Blackmagic Design. Click to enlarge. |
The Fairlight Audio Core in DaVinci Resolve 17 has undergone major changes. Blackmagic says it is ‘the world’s fastest and highest quality solution for audio post-production.’ Fairlight Audio Core is a low latency, next-gen audio engine that intelligently manages CPU cores and threads in your computer. With the new Fairlight Audio Core, you can work with up to 2,000 tracks at a time with fully supported real-time effects, EQ and dynamics processing. DaVinci Resolve 17 promises ‘sample-accurate editing tools’, ADR, Foley and Fairlight FX (like reverb, de-esser, hum remover and more). You can mix and master stereo audio, 5.1, 7.1 and 3D audio formats. For improved performance, you can also utilize an optional Fairlight Audio Accelerator Card. Further, with the software’s multiple user collaboration feature, multiple sound editors can work on the entire project at the same time.
A new transient analysis tool has been added. This tool automatically detects individual words, beats or sound effects. Transient markers are displayed in the waveform as vertical lines and can be navigated by users via the arrow keys. Blackmagic states that these markers make it easier to identify specific parts of a sound when editing audio. You can also now see larger audio waveforms while trimming.
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| Image credit: Blackmagic Design. Click to enlarge. |
The DaVinci Neural Engine allows for automatic mask creation for an entire person or for specific features such as a face or arms. Further, ‘customers get matte finesse tools, the ability to add and remove strokes and automatic tracking.’ When editing in 16:9 HD or Ultra HD, you can now quickly create square or vertical versions for publishing to platforms such as Instagram. The Neural Engine helps here as well by automatically identifying faces and repositioning them inside the new frame, thus saving time.
Additional time-saving features include the new multi-column view for viewing effects, transitions and titles. The new workspace includes description icons, plus you can cover the cursor over an item to see a live preview in the viewer. The edit page includes ‘dozens’ of time-saving new features as well. These include the ability to manage independent proxy media, more easily synchronize multicam clips, create a sync map, generate render files for any portion of the timeline, make source side adjustments and much more.
Doubling back to multi-user collaboration, this feature is now included in the free version of DaVinci Resolve 17. This means that multiple free users can collaborate on the same project, across multiple devices, simultaneously. Of course, the free version doesn’t include all new features, but it includes a lot. A quick note that it appears that a much-requested feature, ProRes RAW support, doesn’t appear to be coming in DaVinci Resolve 17.
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| Image credit: Blackmagic Design. Click to enlarge. |
Of DaVinci Resolve 17, Blackmagic Design CEO, Grant Petty, said, ‘This is a massive update and it has amazing new technology and features for colorists, audio engineers, editors and visual effects artists. While the new color science, HDR grading and improvements and Fairlight usability are the most noticeable features, what I am most proud of are the thousands of small improvements that customers will notice every day!’
There are many features and improvements in DaVinci Resolve 17 that are beyond the scope of this article, so let’s quickly summarize the primary features of DaVinci Resolve 17:
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| Image credit: Blackmagic Design |
DaVinci Resolve 17 is available now as a public beta. You can download the software by clicking here. DaVinci Resolve is available as a free download. For all the new features, including the DaVinci Neural Engine, stereoscopic 3D tools, additional Resove FX filters, Fairlight FX audio plugins, HDR grading and more, you must purchase DaVinci Resolve Studio. When the public release of DaVinci Resolve 17 Studio is available, it will cost $ 299 USD.
In addition to DaVinci Resolve 17, Blackmagic Design has also announced additional products. The DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor, $ 295 USD, is a new keyboard for DaVinci Resolve’s cut page and ‘allows a new and dramatically faster editing solution that’s a combination of integrated hardware and software.’ For a limited time, every customer who purchases DaVinci Resolve Studio from a Blackmagic Design reseller will get the Speed Editor free of charge.
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| DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor. Image credit: Blackmagic Design. |
On the Fairlight side of things, a new Fairlight Desktop Console will be available this December for $ 3,495. This is a complete audio mixing control surface for mixing multiple tracks at once, automating various parameters and plug-in settings and more. Blackmagic has also announced the Fairlight HDMI Monitor Interface. This allows customers to use any HDMI or SDI television or monitor with large Fairlight Studio Consoles. This product will cost $ 259 and you can learn more about it here.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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The embargo has lifted on iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max reviews ahead of their availability this coming Friday. So, just as we did with the iPhone 12 reviews, we’re rounding up and summarizing a number of reviews from across the web as we were unable to get ahold of review units.
For the most part we’ll be focusing on the iPhone 12 Pro Max in this meta-review collection, but some videos and text reviews cover both the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max, so you’ll get a little mix of both.
MKBHD
In this video review, Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, shares his thoughts on the new iPhone 12 Pro Max. As you may remember from his iPhone 12 Pro review, he had expected the iPhone 12 Pro Max would perform even better thanks to the camera improvements inside, but much to his surprise, he noticed hardly any difference in image quality, even between the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The Verge
To accompany its comprehensive video review, The Verge has also shared its longform text review titled ’The best smartphone camera you can get.’ In it, The Verge Editor-in-Chief, Nilay Patel, focuses almost entirely on the camera capabilities, praising improvements of the larger sensor, saying the iPhone 12 Pro Max ‘took better, more detailed, and less noisy photos than the Pixel 5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.’
Engadget
In addition to its video review embedded above, Engadget also posted a text review of the iPhone 12 Pro Max titled ‘Better, not just bigger.’ In it, Engadget Senior Editor Chris Velazco praises the larger screen, best-in-class performance and the improved camera system. However, similar to Brownlee’s assessment, Velazco says the better cameras in the iPhone 12 Pro Max ‘aren’t exactly game-changers.’
CNET
Similar to Engadget and The Verge, CNET also published both a video review and text review of the new iPhone 12 Pro Max titled ‘Big phone energy.’ Echoing the sentiments of the other reviews, CNET Senior Associate Editor Patrick Holland says ‘when [comparing the 12 Pro Max’s photos] to photos from the regular 12 Pro, the differences don’t jump out at you right away.’ However, he notes ‘that’s less of a strike against the 12 Pro Max, and more of an indication of how good the cameras are on the iPhone 12 Pro.’
Andy To
For a more real-world example, commercial videographer and YouTuber Andy To used the new iPhone 12 Pro Max to capture his trip back home to Oakland in a cinematic fashion using only video recorded with the device. The five-minute video lacks any narration, simply showcasing what’s possible with the camera array. The whole video was shot on HDR video mode without any external lenses. All footage was shot at 4K/60p or 4K/24p and the footage was edited in Final Cut Pro X.
We’ll post more video and text reviews of the new iPhone 12 Pro Max as they go live. If you know of any we’ve missed, link them in the comments below.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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The DJI Pocket 2 is a second-generation all-in-one camera with a built-in three-axis stabilizer. A follow up to the Osmo Pocket, the camera remains roughly the same size as the original but features a larger sensor, a wider lens, an improved autofocus system, more microphones, and the ability to shoot higher-quality photos and videos.
The camera remains incredibly easy to use and is a great option for vloggers and content-creators who need to capture stabilized video and don’t want to be weighed down with lots of gear.
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Sample Photos | Specifications & Design | Video | Photos | Conclusion
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The exterior design of the Pocket 2 is similar to the original but now includes a Mini Control Stick that slides into the area previously reserved for a smartphone connection. If you’re using the Mini Control Stick, the buttons to control the Pocket increase to five from the original two. Although there are some changes with the button layout, the operation remains familiar to the original.
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| The Mini Control Stick (just below the screen at left) makes the Pocket 2 easier to operate than the original. |
The Pocket’s power button sits on the right side of the camera, and the micro SD card slides into a slot on the left. The bottom left record button records video or shoots stills, and the button next to it allows you to swap between the two modes easily. The Pocket 2 now has the ability to pause recording while shooting video by pressing and holding the record button.
If you’ve slid the Mini Control Stick into position, you will be able to customize the joystick to Zoom or Tilt and switch between Tilt Lock, FPV, and Follow using the button on the top right. Touchscreen controls allow you to access additional shooting modes (slow-mo, timelapse, pano, HDR Video), customize the Mini Control Stick settings, select recording resolution, review files, and access Pro Mode.
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| Some Pocket 2 accessories: Do-It-All handle (attached to the base of camera), a wireless mic with windscreen, tripod mount and smartphone connectors. |
The Pocket 2 has been redesigned so that the wrist strap can attach to the camera instead of just the carrying case. It’s a subtle upgrade but a useful one. The Pocket now has a detachable base that can be swapped out for a base with a tripod mount or an accessory called the Do-It-All handle ($ 99), which turns the Pocket into a live streaming tool and allows you to use it with the DJI Mimo app without attaching your phone to the camera. The Do-It-All handle increases the total size a bit, but the benefits that come with this tool make that extra bulk worth it.
The Pocket still comes with accessories to connect to your smartphone without that Do-It-All handle, but doing so requires that you remove your phone case to make the connection, and the setup feels unbalanced. You’ll also have to control zoom and tilt through the app, which isn’t as intuitive as that new Mini Control Stick. The Do-It-All handle is really the way to go if you want to use your phone as a monitor or use the Pocket for live streaming. You’ll need to use the Mimo app and the Do-It-All handle if you intend to go live with the Pocket.
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| ISO 100 | 1/120 sec | F1.8 |
The majority of the time, I used the Pocket as a standalone product. The Pocket’s real genius is its simplicity and small size, and if you’re shooting with a smartphone connected, it makes things a bit more complicated. Having the Do-It-All handle attached to the Pocket and reviewing images and videos through the Mimo app was quite helpful, though.
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When the original Pocket launched last year, it was clearly aimed at vloggers who needed stabilized footage while they walked-and-talked. Still, the original lens was a 25.7mm F2, resulting in shots that featured a whole lot of face and required relatively bright conditions. The new version has a wider 20mm F1.8 lens and a larger sensor, making it a much better option for those who need stabilized footage of themselves.
The Pocket 2 adds two additional mics, bringing the total to four, and features directional audio. With a future update, a new feature called SoundTrack will allow those microphones to follow whatever is making noise in a scene. The SoundTrack feature wasn’t available during our time with the Pocket, so we haven’t evaluated it, but DJI says it will arrive by way of a firmware update.
The audio quality on the original Pocket left something to be desired. The additional mics and new audio features make for recordings that sound better than what you might be able to get with a smartphone. The new Pocket also comes with an optional wireless mic accessory that communicates with the Do-It-All handle for even cleaner audio—a great choice for interviews done on the fly or capturing voices in noisy locations.
The Pocket 2 features hybrid AF, which uses both phase-detect autofocus and contrast-detect autofocus. We found that it did a nice job grabbing onto subjects and moving with them, like the kids dancing at a hardcore show and the band’s lead singer moving around the street. The Pocket 2 can now record 4K video up to 60fps at a 100Mbps bitrate.
The Pocket’s stabilization remains one of its most impressive features.
The Pocket’s stabilization remains one of its most impressive features. The Pocket 2 is much easier to use than larger gimbals but just as reliable. I’d never be able to ride my bike while holding a stabilizer and a traditional camera. With the Pocket, it’s possible, and it delivered footage that was remarkably smooth as I cruised around, although it did struggle as I rolled over some New York City potholes.
The camera is drop-aware, and although I didn’t intentionally drop the Pocket, it does seem sensitive. It will shut itself off if it thinks the gimbal is in danger. I tried and failed to record footage while biking over the Williamsburg bridge with the Pocket zipped into the front pocket of my jacket with the lens sticking out and the gimbal locked, but apparently, that ride was just a bit too bumpy for the Pocket 2 to feel safe and secure.
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| ISO 100 | 1/60 sec | F1.8 |
Eventually, the Pocket 2 will also shoot HDR video similar to the Mavic 2 Air drone, but according to DJI, the firmware to enable this feature won’t ship until later in 2020.
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Still image quality is noticeably improved compared to the original Osmo Pocket, partly due to the larger 1/1.7” sensor and faster F1.8 lens. Regular JPEGs top out at 16MP, but if you’re shooting in high-resolution mode, you can get 64MP files. If you swap the camera into PRO mode, you can capture Raw DNG files that clock in around 127.7 MB each. It’s a big leap in quality from the 12MP files on the original Pocket.
One interesting quirk we discovered is that the Pocket 2 won’t let you record Raw+JPEG images simultaneously—it’s an either/or decision.
The RAW files have a lot of flexibility in editing, although we noticed some chromatic aberration when zoomed in. According to DJI, the Pocket offers 8x zoom and 4x lossless zoom. In our experience, photos look crisp when the camera is at its widest vantage point, but as you zoom in, it becomes harder to nail sharp focus and the loss of quality becomes noticeable.
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| Boo! ISO 100 | 1/40 sec | F1.8 |
The Pocket 2 has the ability to shoot 3×3 panoramas in addition to the 180º panoramas. The 180º panorama shoots four photos and stitches them into one long image, while the 3×3 panorama mode shoots 9 images and then stitches them into a 5×7 image. The process is fast, and stitching is all done within the Mimo app. A tripod comes in handy with 3×3 panoramas to limit camera shake.
The second-generation Pocket does a slightly better job capturing action, but this probably isn’t the tool you want to shoot sports photos. It does a decent job grabbing and holding focus on musicians and wiggly pets, though.
Thankfully, the ergonomic changes to the buttons on the second-generation Pocket make it nearly impossible to accidentally swap between shooting modes, which was an issue with the original.
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The Pocket 2 addresses many of the original Osmo Pocket’s shortcomings, which was a great tool to capture stabilized video footage quickly, but which had notable limitations. The larger sensor, faster and wider lens, improved autofocus capabilities, and additional mics make this a more robust tool for content creators, vloggers, and possibly even professional shooters looking to capture supplementary footage for big jobs.
The controls have gotten more intuitive, and it’s no longer easy to swap between shooting modes accidentally. The zooming capabilities and the Mini Control Stick accessory are incredibly useful—the same goes for the interchangeable grips. Although the Do-It-All handle is an accessory that needs to be purchased at an additional cost, we really think it’s worth paying extra. It performs well and makes it easy to use your smartphone to monitor, review, and download footage on the go and use the Pocket as a tool for live streams—something that we only see becoming more common as large in-person events are on hold.
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| It’s possible to control the Pocket 2 through your smartphone, but it feels unbalanced and requires you to adjust tilt and zoom from your phone’s screen. We much prefer using the Do-It-All handle ($ 99) with the Mini Control Stick. |
The ability to shoot 64MP Raw images with the Pocket is a massive leap from the original, but the loss in quality at 8x zoom is noticeable, and at the end of the day, we think the Pocket is best suited as a video tool. The Pocket is nice for capturing candid moments and unique perspectives, but realistically we think people are more likely to use their smartphone to capture those. The Panorama modes do offer something unique. Unlike smartphones, the Pocket doesn’t necessarily have to rely on steady human hands to move in a straight line to create a perfectly stitched together image.
The Pocket remains small and simple to operate and isn’t nearly as intimidating to use as larger gimbals on the market—for us, that’s a win.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Canon’s Exciting New RF Lenses: The 70-200mm f/4 and 50mm f/1.8 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Last Tuesday, Canon announced two new RF lenses:
The Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS USM and the Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM.
Both of these lenses will ship in the first half of December, though they’re currently available for preorder ($ 1599 USD for the 70-200mm f/4L IS and $ 199.99 USD for the 50mm f/1.8).
The new lenses will undoubtedly appeal to the many Canon photographers who have already embraced the EOS R system, especially those who are looking for cheaper alternatives to the existing RF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS and the RF 50mm f/1.2.
In fact, the 70-200mm f/4 and the 50mm f/1.8 have already garnered something of a reputation, thanks to their top-notch EF equivalents. The EF 70-200mm f/4L IS, for instance, is a high-quality, reasonably-priced option for landscape photographers, amateur portrait photographers, and more – while the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is just about the handiest Canon lens you can own, combining optical prowess with affordability and compactness.
And while the RF 70-200mm and the RF 50mm f/1.8 won’t be quite as cheap as their EF counterparts, they’re certainly cheap enough to draw Canon photographers of all stripes, including a mix of professionals and hobbyists (for the 70-200mm f/4), as well as amateurs (for the 50mm f/1.8).
Plus, Canon has added several significant upgrades to these RF lenses. The 70-200mm f/4L IS, for instance, will offer up to 5 stops of image stabilization, which expands to 7.5 stops when combined with in-body image stabilization. It’s also Canon’s “shortest and lightest 70-200mm f/4 zoom lens to date,” making it an even more compelling option for landscape photographers who hike for hours on end.
As for the RF 50mm f/1.8:
You get the ultra-useful 50mm focal length for just $ 200 USD, not to mention the Canon RF lens control ring (which you can use to tweak camera settings on the fly). And the lens will be both compact and light – in other words, perfect for a casual photographer, or even a street photographer, looking to fire off shots without attracting much attention.
So if you’re after an affordable, high-quality lens with a wide maximum aperture and great ergonomics, check out the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, which is available for preorder for just under $ 200 USD.
Alternatively, if you’re hoping to capture gorgeous landscapes, portraits, or even outdoor event photos without breaking the bank, you can preorder the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS USM here for $ 1599 USD.
The post Canon’s Exciting New RF Lenses: The 70-200mm f/4 and 50mm f/1.8 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
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The Panasonic 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 is a compact zoom for L-mount cameras. It’s a great kit lens for those who like shooting wide and is well-suited for video work.
View our Panasonic S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 sample gallery
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post 5 Tips for Photographing Wildlife in Low Light Conditions appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Will Nicholls.
NOTE: Check out our Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography.
Most wildlife is active during dawn or dusk, and photographing animals in low light can be frustrating when you’re pushing your equipment to the limit. Even if you’re shooting on the latest and greatest DSLR camera, you’re still going to reach a point where the light is too low to use the ideal settings. It’s at this point that you need to start calling on your skill and technique to improve your success rate.
Here are a few tricks that I use in my own wildlife photography to get better, more usable images in low light.
When shooting in low light, you should use the widest aperture you can (i.e., the lowest f-number) to let in the most light possible.
If you’re using expensive telephoto lenses, then you’ll probably have a maximum aperture of f/4 or even f/2.8. However, the majority of midrange and budget telephoto lenses have a maximum aperture of about f/5.6 or f/6.3. Still, keep the aperture as wide as possible to give yourself the optimum baseline.
With regard to the shutter speed, the rule most people learn is to use a speed of at least 1 over the focal length of your lens. For example, a 400mm lens would need a shutter speed of at least 1/400s to eliminate camera shake effectively. However, this rule often isn’t possible in low light conditions. So you’re going to need to break it!
Drop your shutter speed as much as you can while still keeping the image sharp. You can go much slower than you think. 1/100s is totally plausible.
To prevent camera shake, enable any image stabilization technology offered by your lens. It’s important to use a tripod, too, as it’ll keep things steady.
Once your shutter speed starts to get really slow, then you’ll almost definitely introduce motion blur from the subject moving. But if your subject is walking or running along, you can pan your camera along with it.
With practice, you can move your camera at the same rate as the animal and freeze its body – even with a slow shutter speed. You will get a blurred background, but it’s actually a rather cool effect (see the bear photo above!).
ISO might be the most feared setting among photographers. However, it shouldn’t make you tremble! I meet many photographers who don’t move the ISO above 400, even if their cameras are more than capable of handling the increase.
Sure, higher ISOs introduce noise into your photo, but a noisy image is better than a blurred one.
Test out your camera and see how far you can feasibly increase the ISO before shots become unusable. You can also remove noise in post-production, so you can sometimes salvage a too-noisy image.
The image below was taken at ISO 5000, but you’d be forgiven for thinking the value was much, much lower. The camera in question was a Nikon D4, which has notoriously good ISO capabilities. But this is an extreme example, and at ISO 5000 there was still noise. Even lower-level DSLR cameras can still be pushed to ISO 1600 or so while achieving fairly good quality images.
Be brave and increase your ISO when you need a faster shutter speed. It’ll help you keep shooting as the light gets lower, meaning you’ll have more time to wait for wildlife!
Zoom lenses sometimes use a variable maximum aperture.
What does this mean?
Zoomed out, you may have an aperture of f/4 – but as you zoom in, this can increase to something like f/6.3. If your lens has a constant aperture throughout, then you don’t need to worry. But if it doesn’t, then be conscious of the fact that you’ll have less light reaching the sensor when you’re zoomed in.
When your lens is limited by a variable maximum aperture, think about zooming out and taking a more atmospheric or environmental image. You’ll have a larger aperture to play with, and you may be able to achieve a more usable shot than if you zoom in all the way with less light.
Don’t forget that you have a burst mode. If you’re worried about blurry images, fire off as many frames as possible. This will increase your chances of ending up with a usable shot.
You see, slower shutter speeds mean more chance for both camera blur and motion blur. If an animal moves its head, your shot may well be ruined. But if you’ve been shooting multiple images at once (via burst mode!), then chances are that you’ll get another shot, taken a fraction of a second later, that isn’t blurred.
Burst mode is honestly one of the most useful things you can do when photographing wildlife in low light. It really helps to get usable photos and works like magic alongside the other techniques in this article.
It can be tempting to underexpose your photo, knowing that you can brighten it later. While this may give you a quicker shutter speed, the photo will likely need significant brightening in post-production. And lightening an already-dark scene will introduce a lot of digital noise.
Instead, try to keep your exposure as balanced as possible. If you can keep your histogram happy, then you’ll have a smoother ride through the editing process. The worst thing would be to take an underexposed shot, only to find out later that it’s unusable because brightening it up ruins it.
I prefer to risk blur but fire multiple frames than to take an underexposed, sharp shot. Maybe that’s just me, but the technique frequently works in my favor.
No matter how good you are at photography or how good your gear is, you’re going to have times when your shots are ruined by low light. That’s just part of the game – but, with luck, you will manage to capture strong low light shots some of the time.
With practice, you’ll learn when there’s no point battling against depleting light levels. And a combination of the techniques I’ve shared here should keep you in action for longer.
Do you have any other low light tips to add? Please share them in the comments below!
FURTHER READING: Check out our new Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography.
The post 5 Tips for Photographing Wildlife in Low Light Conditions appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Will Nicholls.
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| Image credit: Wikipedia media, used under CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone’s first staff photographer, passed away at age 83 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His longtime representative, Dianne Duenzl, confirmed the news to Rolling Stone this past Monday night. ‘Baron’s pictures gave us a rare, comprehensive, and accurate reflection of that time executed by a gifted artist whose visual intelligence is unsurpassed,’ Duenzl stated.
Wolman was born on June 25, 1937, in Columbus, Ohio, and studied philosophy at Chicago’s Northwestern University. He learned to speak German at the Defense Language School in Monterey, California, before touring with the Army military intelligence in West Berlin. This is where he began his career in photography. He sold his first photo essay, documenting life behind the newly-constructed Berlin Wall, to a print publication.
He returned to Monterey shortly after to pursue a career as a photojournalist. In the mid-1960s, he lived in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district and worked as a freelance photographer. One of his clients, Oakland’s Mills College, invited him to cover their weekend seminar on the pop music industry. Also in attendance: Jann S. Wenner and Ralph Gleason.
Photographer Baron Wolman, who took some of the earliest and most iconic images of rock & rollers during his stint as Rolling Stone’s first staff photographer, died at age 83.#RIPBaronWolman
?by Baron Wolman. pic.twitter.com/x0zN4VNcMS— Rock N Roll Pictures (@RockNRollPics) November 3, 2020
Wenner and Gleason were working on plans for a new music publication. They initially asked Wolman if he had $ 10,000 to invest in Rolling Stone. He didn’t. Instead, he offered to work for free if the magazine would cover the costs of film and the development of his photos. In a smart business move, Wolman also requested he retain the rights to all of his images.
Wolman went on to shoot the the premiere issue’s cover, featuring the Grateful Dead. Later on, he captured a rare image of their eccentric lead singer, Jerry Garcia, when he raised his hand and revealed a partially missing middle finger. Artists trusted Wolman and opened up to him in an era before handlers carefully constructed their public personas.
Artists trusted Wolman and opened up to him in an era before handlers carefully constructed their public personas.
He not only captured artists performing live, and their fans in the moment at events such as Woodstock, Wolman was also granted backstage access. His most memorable images contain intimate moments with some of rock’s more interesting personalities including Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, and Frank Zappa.
Wolman left Rolling Stone in 1970 and went on to capture images for advertising companies, the NFL, government agencies, universities, and more. His work appeared in leading print publications including Esquire, Vogue, Playboy, and Newsweek. Besides the Berlin Wall, he also documented Israel in flux. Many of these events are documented in his numerous books.
Baron is survived by his sister, Susan, and his brother, Richard. His longtime motto? ‘Mixing business with pleasure since 1965.’
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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