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SD Express 8.0 announced, promising speeds up 4GB/s and improved performance

21 May

The SD Association (SDA) has announced the SD Express 8.0 (SD8.0) specification, promising up to transfer speed of up to 4GB/s (2GB/s per lane up to two lanes). The SD8.0 spec is built on the PCIe 4.0 standard and uses NVM Express (NVMe) technology.

It builds on the previous 7.0 specification that used PCIe 3.0, which powers the rival CFexpress format. The newest format can either deliver up to 2GB/s transfers with the PCIe 4.0 standard over a single lane using the familiar SD card format with two rows of pins (a combination denoted as PCIe G4L1 in the diagram below), or using PCIe 3.0 across two lanes (PCIe G3L2) which will add a third row of connection pins. The 4GB/s transfer speeds will be delivered by PCIe G4L2 cards using PCIe 4.0 transfer across two lanes (and three rows of pins).

SD Express speed comparison chart. Click to enlarge. Image credit: SD Association

The SDA, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, believes the new SD Express standard will create additional variety in the market and allows manufacturers to make the most of the increased speeds of SD Express to produce more storage choices for consumers. Additionally, the SDA states that SD 8.0 ‘may open even more opportunities for extra high-performance solutions using removable memory cards.’ Importantly, as with all SDA advancements, the SD 8.0 specification maintains backward compatibility across previous generations.

SD8.0 is arriving nearly two years after the SD 7.0 (SD7.0) spec was released in July 2018. The SD7.0 specification introduced PCIe 3.1 and NVMe architecture to SD cards. In February 2019, the SDA introduced the microSD Express 7.1 specification.

Camera and card makers haven’t yet made use of the UHS-III format set out in the older SD6.0 specification

Notably, camera and card makers haven’t yet made use of the UHS-III format set out in the older SD6.0 specification. Memory card manufacturer Sandisk has already shown mockups of SD Express (SD7.0) cards, which raises the possibility that the industry will skip the UHS-III specification entirely.

An alternative memory card format, the CFexpress standard, has been increasing in adoption due to its impressive speeds and performance. CFexpress cards can utilize up to four lanes and currently can deliver 1GB/s speeds per lane. However, the current CFexpress 2.0 standard, announced in February 2019, promised comparable speeds using four PCIe 3.0 lanes to the ones that SD 8.0 will get from two v4.0 lanes

It will be interesting to see when CFExpress standards adopt a PCIe 4.0 interface, as the SDA and CFA continue to be in a memory card arms race. If history has proven anything, it’s that it will take some time before the new standards, and the accompanying performance increases, are commonplace in consumer products. However, the new SD8.0 spec lays impressive groundwork technology for faster cameras and improved workflows for photographers and videographers.

For additional information on SD8.0, the SDA has launched a ‘virtual trade show.’ You can explore it by clicking here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CineStill’s new developer kits make it easier than ever to creatively control slide film development

20 May

CineStill has introduced a new 3-bath processing system for slide film users that allows photographers a choice of three color and contrast profiles for the same type of film. Users can opt for a straight development to bring out the default characteristics of the film, or choose a tungsten balanced look or one with a warm tone and lower contrast. The Cs6 Creative Slide 3-Bath processing system allows photographers to get three quite different looks from the same emulsion by using a different developing solution.

The developers are part of a new 3-bath system that comprises a first developer that determines the color and contrast profile of the end result, followed by a combined the second developer and reversal process, and then a third bath that contains the bleach and the fix. CineStill claims the chemicals are easy to use and that temperature control is not as critical as in normal E6 processes, so successful home processing is much more achievable.

The three choices for the first developer are D6 DaylightChrome, D9 DynamicChrome and T6 TungstenChrome. The DaylightChrome developer is said to produce a neutral result with slightly enhanced color saturation and a usable dynamic range of 6 stops.

DynamicChrome produces a warm tone with enhanced contrast and color saturation but at the same time preserves highlight and shadow detail to offer a useable DR of 9 stops and extended exposure latitude. The TungstenChrome developer shifts the film’s color to correct for the use of warm tungsten lights saving the bother and light-lose of using a color-correction filter over the lens.

Photo by Sandy Phimester on Kodak E100 processed with CineStill Cs6 DynamicChrome

The one-liter kits contain enough chemistry to process 16 rolls or 100ft of film and are priced from $ 39 including all three baths, while the individual developers are available from $ 12.99. The chemicals are available now from the CineStill website, and from retailers in the USA and Europe from the summer.

Press release

Introducing: Cs6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath process for color-timing E-6 reversal film at home

Chrome unlocked!

Want to shoot slide film? Want it to be quick and easy to process? Want to still have creative control over how your images look? Introducing the CineStill Cs6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath Process for simple creative control of your E-6 film.

The reversal process is the purest of analog processes and it’s now more creative and accessible than ever! The colors of slide film are unrivaled and now you can color-time and control dynamic range with alternative 1st developers. For the first time ever, you can change the color profile of your slides. With limited slide film options available today, CineStill is tripling the choices available for slide film, and demystifying slide processing with only 3 baths to appreciate a beautiful photograph. Your slides should be superior to color-corrected negative scans, without sacrificing creative control.

For the past several years CineStill has been developing ways to bridge the gap between mail-order photo labs and instant photography. Whether it be a Monobath for B&W film, a simplified 2-Bath process for color negatives, a Temperature Control System for mixing and heating chemicals, or various partnerships to make daylight processing accessible… There’s no longer a need for a darkroom, professional lab or high-tech equipment to create analog photographs. You can now create beautiful color transparencies at home through one simple process.

With the Cs6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath Process comes 5 new products

1. D6 “DaylightChrome” Neutral-tone 5500K 1st Developer
Renders approximately 6+ stops of usable dynamic-range* with bright whites and moderately enhanced color saturation, just like conventional E-6 processing. Daylight-balanced for conventional slides in daylight or with electronic flash. Single-use 1+1 dilution develops 8-16 rolls or 100ft of slide Film.
Kodak E100 DaylightChrome

2. D9 “DynamicChrome” Warm-tone 1st Developer
Renders approximately 9+ stops of usable dynamic-range*, while maintaining vibrant color-contrast and rich warm tones with preserved highlight and shadow detail (optimized for scanning) for a more cinematic look. Extended exposure latitude increases the usable dynamic-range* of slide film from 6 to 9+ stops! Conventional E-6 processing renders approximately 6 stops of usable dynamic-range*. Perfect for high contrast lighting or backlit subjects in daylight, shade or with electronic flash. Single-use 1+1 dilution develops 8-16 rolls or 100ft of slide Film.

3. T6 “TungstenChrome” Cool-tone 3200K 1st Developer
Renders approximately 6+ stops of usable dynamic-range* with cleaner whites, and moderately enhanced color saturation. Shoot in artificial light without sacrificing 2 stops of exposure to color filtering! Kodak’s published technical data sheet recommends exposing E100 at EI 25 with an 80A Filter in Tungsten (3200 K) light. Now you can expose at box speed in low-light or even push to EI 200 or 400, and color-time your slides in processing. With conventional E-6 processing this would require color filtration and a 2-4 stop exposure compensation. Single-use 1+1 dilution develops 8-16 rolls or 100ft of Ektachrome®.

4. Cr6 “Color&Reversal” 2-in-1 Slide Solution
Combines the reversal step with color development. 6min minimum process time for completion with flexible temperature range of 80-104°f (27-40°C)**. Reusable solution reverses 16+ rolls of developed slide film.

5. Bf6 “Bleaches&Fixer” 3-in-1 Slide Solution
Combines the bleach and conditioner steps with the fixing step. 6min minimum process time for completion with flexible temperature range of 75 -104°f (23-40°C)**. Reusable solution clears 24+ rolls of reversal Film.

* ”Usable dynamic-range” is the amount of full stops of exposure value that renders acceptable detail and color. “Total dynamic-range” however, is the maximum range containing tonal separation rendering any detail, and is often twice the usable-dynamic range. The usable dynamic-range of conventional slide film is between 6-8 stops (total 14-16 stops). Color negative is between 9-13 stops (total 16-21 stops). Digital sensors are mostly between 7-10 stops (total 12-15 stops).

** Maintaining temperature is not essential beyond pouring in a 1st developer. When a temperature control bath is not available, simply preheat the 1st Developer +2ºF warmer, and the other baths will automatically process-to-completion as they cool down. Only the 1st developer is time and temperature critical because it controls contrast and color.

Cs6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath Kits for Reversal and E-6 Film

CineStill Cs6 3-Bath Kits will be available from $ 39. The 1000ml/Quart Kits can process 16+ Rolls or 100ft of Slide Film and the 3-2-1 Chemical Reuse Kits processes 32+ Rolls of film.
Included In Cs6 3-Bath Kits:

  • D9 “DynamicChrome”, D6 “DaylightChrome”, or T6 “TungstenChrome” 1st Developer
  • Cr6 “Color&Reversal” 2-in-1 Slide Solution
  • Bf6 “Bleaches&Fixer” 3-in-1 Slide Solution

The CineStill Cs6 3-Bath Kits and separate components are available for purchase now at CineStillFilm.com, and throughout the U.S. and E.U. markets later this summer.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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‘Like being asked to cook for Gordon Ramsey’ Photographer Jerry Ghionis on shooting portraits of Joe McNally

20 May

When Jerry Ghionis got a call asking if he was interested in photographing portrait legend Joe McNally, he jumped at the opportunity. Using just one lens – Nikon’s Z 85mm F1.8 S – Jerry and Joe turned their cameras on one another. Watch the video above to see how they got on.

What’s it like to take pictures of a portrait legend? In an exclusive interview, Jerry explains the background to the shoot and what it was like to work with Joe, as well as offering some insight into his work, and his approach to portrait photography.

Tell us how you got involved with this shoot

When I got the call about taking portraits of Joe McNally, I thought wow – that’s like being asked to cook for Gordon Ramsey!

The brief was just to shoot portraits of one another, have some fun, and see what comes of it. I wasn’t intimidated, I was excited. I want to create flattering and meaningful portraits of people, and I thought, well, here’s a guy who’s done this for everyone, and he deserves something for himself. That was the opportunity I was excited about: creating something for Joe that he’s done for so many people.

For this shot, Jerry posed Joe with the first Nikon camera he ever used, an FTn with F36 Motor Drive.

Photo by Jerry Ghionis, courtesy Nikon USA.

The one shot that was pre-planned was the portrait of Joe with the Hollywood lights and me in the mirror. For that one I thought it would be cool to feature Joe with the first Nikon camera he ever used. He’s a tall guy, and I wanted to style him like a trendy 50s or 60s-era photographer, with a blue background working with his blue eyes, and the contrast against the color of his hair. So I found some old studio lights, a vintage mirror and some other things. I knew what I wanted, but I only had literally about five minutes to set it up and another five to shoot it. That was quite tough. I’m trying to light Joe, who’s a lighting master!

Everything on this shoot, including the video, was shot using the 85mm alone. Was that intimidating?

No, not at all. Once you’ve shot a few weddings and you know how to do it, very few things intimidate you. At least in terms of gear. And anyway, some of the recent weddings I’ve shot, most of the images I took were using that one lens.

The 85mm suits my style of photography because I like longer focal lengths

How long had you been working with the 85mm at that point?

Probably a month or two, before the shoot. And I loved it. The 85mm suits my style of photography because I like longer focal lengths. My usual favorite lens is a 70-200mm, so I was looking for something longer to use with my Z6 and Z7, which might become my new ‘go to’ lens.

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What is it about the 85mm that makes it useful to you?

Whenever you use a lens that’s faster than F2 for portraiture, you’re going to want to shoot a handful of images, sort of rapid fire, to make sure that you get a shot where the focus is exactly where you want it. That’s just the nature of portrait photography on fast lenses. But the 85mm has just become my reliable everyday go-to lens. I’d say the last six months of weddings I’ve shot, I’ve used the 85mm probably about 90% of the time. It’s so light. Focus is perfect at F1.8 and it’s completely sharp. I’ve made an incredible amount of pictures using that lens, I love it.

Had you worked with Joe on a project together before?

No this was the first time we’d shot together. It’s rare on campaigns like this that you’d shoot with somebody else. It was great, it was just two guys, no egos – we just wanted to have some fun and create some cool pictures.

The whole thing was probably one of the biggest honors of my photographic career.

It’s rare on campaigns like this that you’d shoot with somebody else

Did Joe like the pictures you took of him?

He did! He’s referred to the pictures on stage in his presentations. He’s been very generous and kind. And most importantly his wife likes them too!

What lenses would you advise someone should invest in who wants to get into portrait and event photography?

Most of the weddings and portraits I’ve shot lately have been on the 85mm F1.8, and at a minimum, I would recommend an 85mm, two camera bodies, a 24-70mm, and a 70-200mm, and two flashes. One camera’s not enough, and you’ll need cameras from the same system, so that you can switch between them without thinking.

The Z 85mm F1.8 S is a compact short-telephoto prime lens for the Z System. Sharp and almost aberration-free wide open, the Z 85mm is a useful lens for portraiture and available light shooting.

What simple things can someone do to improve their portrait photography?

The biggest problem I see is people shooting too quickly. When you’re photographing a wedding or a portrait, you can’t just show what someone looks like, you need to show who they are. To do that, you need to slow down, connect with them, and know how to flatter them. You can’t do that if your eye is glued to the viewfinder or your head is buried in your camera’s menu system. Shooting too quickly contributes to a lack of confidence.

The other thing is people don’t practice enough. I practice all the time. I’ll often shoot once a week just for myself, trying a new technique or a different lighting setup. I have a mannequin at home, so if I want to produce a particular lighting setup that I haven’t done before, while the hair and makeup person is doing their thing, I’m practicing with the mannequin and by the time my subject is ready I’ve prepared the full lighting setup.

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to get into photography seriously?

Remember that you’re only as good as your last shot. You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be better than you were last week.

This is sponsored content, created with the support of Nikon. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography

20 May

The post 3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

dps-reasons-to-introduce-motion-blur-in-photography

Making a still image come to life can be a difficult task, especially if you don’t know the full functionality of your camera. When you’re first learning photography, it quickly becomes second nature to keep everything perfectly in focus, so you don’t instantly know how, why, and when to introduce motion blur to your images. But before you introduce motion blur, first, let’s learn what it is and how to do it.

3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography
f/6.3 – ISO 160 – 1/100 sec

What is motion blur?

First and foremost, motion blur is a lot different than a blurry image. If you shake the camera around or your subject starts to move right as you open the shutter, that creates a blurred image, but not necessarily motion blur.

Motion blur is when you purposely create an aspect of movement for your subject, but the rest of the photo is in focus. This is a really important element that makes the difference between motion blur and just a blurred image. Without some part of your photo being sharp, then your foreground and background are going to blend together and the photo won’t work.

Motion blur should also happen to something that the viewer would naturally assume is moving, like a car or a person running. Adding motion blur to something that is typically stationary, like a book or a salt shaker that is on a table, will seem awkward. Even though seeing a salt shaker move at the speed of light is an interesting idea, it won’t really make any sense to the viewer.

Now that we have the basics down, here are 3 reasons why you should introduce motion blur to your photography.

Introduce-motion-blur
f/8 – ISO 400 – 1/40 sec

1. It tells a story

When done correctly, motion blur enhances the storytelling capability of a photo.

Imagine that you’re shooting at a horse racing track. You’re standing at an angle near the finish line, and when the two runners pass you, you compose your shot with them both in the frame and the finish line in the background.

If you introduce motion blur correctly in
your photo, then you’re going to have an awesome shot of the two runners in
motion, slightly blurred as if they are still running despite being frozen in
time. The finish line may even be in focus, along with the spectators.

This brings the viewer into the shot like they are standing right alongside you to see the race to completion. It tells the story of what you witnessed that day.

If done incorrectly, you’ll just get a blurred photo of two blobs running toward another blob. The elements in the photo will blend together and you’ll barely be able to understand what is happening in the first place.

3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography
f/2.8 – ISO 4000 – 1/80 sec

2. It adds action to your photography

Another great reason for adding motion blur to your photos is to convey a sense of “action” or “movement.” This can make your photos seem much more dynamic.

For example, imagine a dirt bike that is roaring around the side of a mountain. Imagine seeing the blurred dirt bike racing along the path while the mountain itself is in perfect focus. It almost makes it look like the dirt bike is rocketing through the frozen image, or that you’re present to witness the moment yourself.

Or, for example, imagine a dancer. If you introduce motion blur, you can show the viewer the movement that is taking place. It could be that he or she is spinning, moving their arms, or even jumping. Having the right amount of motion blur can bring the dancer to life in your photo.

You’ll need to select a slower shutter speed than you would do normally to get this to work properly. The exact settings will depend on the speed that your subject is moving at. For the bike example above, you won’t need a shutter as slow as you would need for someone walking for example.

Introduce-motion-blur
f/4 – ISO 200 – 1/200 sec

3. It can create a wonderful effect

If you set up your camera when the lighting conditions are dark, and set a slow shutter speed so that you have a longer exposure, you can create streaking lights that not only tell a story but also look fantastic.

First, you need to make sure that you have a steady tripod. Without it, you won’t get anything other than a completely blurred picture unless you raise your ISO ridiculously high. The problem with doing that is the amount of unwanted noise that you will end up with being in your photo. So if you want the best photo possible, use a tripod.

The long exposure will mean that any vehicles that drive past will create a streaked-light effect, or the stars above will streak across the frame as the Earth rotates.

Attempting this during the day won’t work unless you use a neutral density filter like a Lee little or big stopper. Without a filter, you will just end up with a completely blown out (white) image. Even if you do get it to work, it would not have the same impact as when it is darker.

Introduce-motion-blur
f/8 – ISO 100 – 5 sec

Getting the hang of motion blur photography isn’t very difficult. But to do it well will require practice. So, experiment a little when you introduce motion blur to your photography and keep these reasons in mind to help push you along in your trials! With experience, you’ll get to learn how and when to best introduce motion blur to your photography.

The post 3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.


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DPReview TV: What critical items does Chris stash in his camera bag?

20 May

We all have our favorite essential gear that lives in our camera bags. Find out what DPReview TV host Chris Niccolls keeps in his when he and Jordan are out on a shoot.

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

  • Introduction
  • Chris' bag
  • Chris' main camera
  • Sensor cleaning tools
  • Filters
  • Cards and storage
  • Audio tools
  • Fashion accessories
  • Honorable (carry-on) mention
  • See you soon!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony’s new ‘Intelligent Vision Sensor’ is the world’s first to feature on-chip AI processing

20 May

Sony has shared the details of its new sensor array that it claims is the world’s first to feature artificial intelligence (AI) directly onboard the chipset.

Before diving into the details, it’s worth noting this sensor has been produced with industrial applications in mind, but as tends to be the case with much of Sony’s other sensor technologies, it’s not difficult to imagine seeing these AI-powered technologies in Sony’s smartphone and possibly even mirrorless camera sensors down the road.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into the details. The IMX500 is a 12.3MP (4056 × 3040 pixels) backside-illuminated 1/2.3” sensor capable of 4K/60p video capture that features a new stacked design that puts the pixel chip atop the logic chip. The stacked design means the data captured from the pixel chip can immediately be parsed via Sony’s AI processing directly on the logic chip.

Processing in the sensor not only removes the need for external hardware, it also means only the relevant data needs to be output, significantly reducing the amount of data that needs to be communicated to the cloud, reducing bandwidth and increasing speed. Sony says the new sensor can capture and process the image within 3.1 milliseconds when using the MobileNet V1 image analysis model.

IMX500 (left), IMX501 (right).

In addition to faster, real-time object-tracking and processing, this setup also allows the system to export either image data and information or information alone. The ability to export the AI-derived information alone adds an additional layer of security that could be added to scenes where privacy is critical.

Illustration from Sony showing how the data output format can be customized to meet various needs.

Again, Sony specifically mentions retail and industrial equipment use-cases for this new sensor technology, so it’s not likely we’ll be seeing this in consumer camera tech anytime soon.

The IMX500 (bare chip model) is expected to start shipping in April 2020 for 10,000 JPY (~$ 94), while the IMX501 (packaged product model) is expected to start shipping in June 2020 for 20,000 JPY (~$ 188).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Associated Press criticized over social media rights requests for free content

20 May

Lawyer and self-professed ‘copyright geek’ Mike Dunford recently drew attention to the Associated Press’s controversial requests to use content posted on social media. He shares a copy of the social media release form the AP asks social media users to agree to, breaking down each part with an explanation and issues related to them. Though some of the AP’s presumed concerns are legitimate, according to Dunford, he ultimately claims that the release terms are ‘abusive across the board.’

The controversy started when lawyer Jay Mashall Wolman shared a tweet from Associated Press editor R.J. Rico, which has since been deleted, bringing attention to the AP’s social media release form. Wolman then shared several other similar content requests made by the Associated Press and its employees, each asking different social media users whether they took the content that caught the AP’s attention, as well as whether the AP could use it for free.

The requests are joined by an image of the AP’s social media release form, which asks the person who captured the content to read the message, then to respond to the message containing the form with an agreement to the terms. The AP’s social media release form claims for itself:

…world-wide, non-exclusive right to (and all consents to) use, reproduce, prepare derivative works of, edit, translate, distribute, publicly perform, and publicly display the content throughout the world in perpetuity by any and all means now known or hereafter created in all media now known or hereafter created; an AP shall further have the right to license these right to others…

In addition, the social media release form includes a section that requires the user to agree to be responsible for any copyright matters that may result from the use of the content by AP or any entity it licenses the content to, stating:

[The social media user agrees that] you are the copyright owner or the copyright owner’s authorized agent and that you are fully entitled to grant these rights in favor of AP and that there is no agreement or other restriction preventing this grant of rights. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the AP and its licensees from and against any claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses arising from any breach or alleged breach of these representations and warranties.

Wolman tagged multiple people in his tweets, including Dunford, who gave a long commentary on the release form in a tweet thread of his own.

Dunford points out that though Twitter’s terms may allow the Associated Press to embed these tweets in its online articles without getting prior permission, he ‘wouldn’t want to rely entirely on that.’ There have been examples of controversy over publications embedding tweeted content without getting explicit permission to do so. Dunford also points out that embedding isn’t useful for the AP when it comes to video and printed content.

Requesting that a social media user allow a major news company to use the content for free is problematic when it comes to paying content creators for their works. However, Dunford zeroes in on the social media release form terms, claiming that they are ‘MUCH more of an issue’ than simply asking to use content without paying for it.

Dunford points out that the AP and its lawyers are at ‘a substantial advantage’ over the unrepresented social media user when it comes to securing content rights. Digging into the actual terms, Dunford points out multiple concerns, including that the AP’s release form gives it the right to license the social media user’s content and it gets the non-exclusive right to forever use the image as if it owns it. ‘It’s abusive,’ Dunford says.

The biggest concerns start with the second paragraph, however, with Dunford stating in his tweets:

National Press Photographers Association (NPAA) General Counsel Mickey Osterreicher weighed in on the matter with a tweet of his own, encouraging content creators to refrain from agreeing to terms like this:

Wolman found examples of AP employees tweeting the social media release form dating back to 2015.

For social media users who fail to see the potential harm in accepting terms like this, an anonymous legal Twitter account allegedly belonging to an Australian lawyer detailed some of the problems users may encounter, including the fact that owning the copyright to the content doesn’t protect the user against potentially being sued over it in the future.

Wolf points out, among many other things:

You’ve heard of bots that do automated DMCA takedowns. Imagine that there’s an automated DMCA takedown of your video. Imagine that results in legal action over who has the rights to the video. You don’t have to imagine too hard, it happens all the time.

Now imagine that you’ve agreed to indemnify the AP for the costs of bringing/defending those proceedings.

Wolf concludes his commentary with a solid point, stating, ‘Can’t afford a lawyer? Then you definitely can’t afford to grant indemnity.’ The Associated Press has not commented on the criticism and concerns.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: These are the shortlisted images for the Palm* Photo Prize 2020 contest

20 May

Shortlisted images for the Palm* Photo Prize 2020 contest

Palm* Studios recently announced the shortlisted images for its 3rd annual Palm* Photo Prize competition. Over 7,000 images were submitted from all over the world. 108 were selected for the shortlist and are now in the running for the annual prize. All of these photos are for sale as prints with 100% of the profits going directly to the artists.

The judging panel consists of Alastair McKimm, editor-in-chief of i-D, Karen McQuaid, senior curator at The Photographers’ Gallery, Sarah Allen, assistant curator at Tate Modern, David Campany, Jessica Lopez, photo editor at Polaroid Originals, and Lola Paprocka, founder of Palm* Studios.

Brooklyn, New York-based photographer Dino Kuznik is in the running for the annual prize.

20 overall award winners for the Judge’s Panel prizes, Peoples Choice Award, and Peoples Choice Instagram Award will be announced on May 30th. DPReview reached out to a handful of these shortlisted photographers and got the story behind their nominated images plus the information on the gear they used. Don’t forget to check out all the nominees and support their work.

Shortlist, 2020: Dimitri Djuric (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: The image is a type of pylon for a high tension overhead power line. It’s part of an ongoing series of buildings and structures photographed at night.

Gear: Fujifilm XH1 camera and a big flash.

Shortlist, 2020: Ashley Bourne (Bristol, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: My work centers around storytelling within society, drawing on ideas from personal experience to form the basis of my projects.

Gear and Film: Pentax 67 medium format camera, a 90mm lens, and Kodak Portra 400 film.

Shortlist, 2020: Mark Mahaney (San Francisco, California, United States)

Artist Statement: This is an image from my first book, Polar Night. The project is a passage through a rapidly changing landscape in Alaska’s northernmost town of Utqiagvik. It’s an exploration of prolonged darkness, told through the strange beauty of a snowscape cast in a two month shadow.

The unnatural lights that flare in the sun’s absence and the shapes that emerge from the landscape are unexpectedly beautiful in their softness and harshness. It’s hard to see past the heavy gaze of climate change in an arctic town, though Polar Night is a visual poem about endurance, isolation and survival.

Gear: Pentax 645z camera with manual focus 75mm lens.

Shortlist, 2020: Joseph Balestra (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States)

Artist Statement: At the end of 2019, I spent a month out west in California as a way to wrap up the year and reflect. During this time I created a few portraits of local artist and personalities. This portrait was created on Venice beach of Artist Floyd Zion, a musician and model based out of LA. The shoot was approached in what is still to this day one of my favorite ways to work with a subject. No planning, just chasing light and enjoying a day of collaboration.

Gear and Film: Mamiya AFD II camera, Kodak film, self-scanned.

Shortlist, 2020: Alexander Beer (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Too many people stigmatize women who wear the hijab. There is nowhere in the the Holy Quran that tells them not to kick ass as human beings. These amazing girls and women are all taekwondo black belts.

Gear and Film: Asahi Pentax 67 6×7 camera, with 120 film.

Shortlist, 2020: Caitlin Chescoe (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: My Father has been a life long KISS fan, we’ve grown up with bands like KISS playing throughout the house and it is very much a part of who we are as a family. On this occasion myself, Mum, Dad and Sister all dressed up as the band to watch a gig in Munich for KISS’ last ever world tour. We had front row seats and my Dad nearly cried he was so happy. This image represents an incredible memory that we all share together.

Gear: Hasselblad 500c/m camera.

Shortlist, 2020: Jan Kühr (Oslo, Norway)

Artist Statement: Ripe fruits and vegetables constitute a wild boar feast in the mountains in Alpilles, South of France.

Gear and Film: Mamiya 7 II camera with an 80mm lens, Kodak Porta 160 ISO film.

Shortlist, 2020: Rinchen Ato (Cambridge, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Rinchen Ato’s photographs are an exploration of her heritage and the fast-evolving culture of the Khampa people. Over multiple trips, spanning the past two decades, she has documented family, friends and the struggles and celebrations of the wider community of Tibetan people living in Kham.

It is an incredible place. The region is mountainous, consisting of high altitude grasslands, a remote and rugged land with a society where little had changed for centuries until recently. ‘My father often jokes that he was born in the Bronze Age and even in the 20 years I have been photographing there I have seen how quickly Kham has evolved.’ The inhabitants were mostly nomadic but, with rapid modernization, mass migration to the town of Jyekundo ????????????? and huge earthquake in 2010 which obliterated the area, many villages are now abandoned or only have a few families remaining.

Deeply aware of the visual tropes used by foreign photographers, depicting Tibetans as ‘other,’ Ato’s work employs a sensibility which comes from her connection to the community, a community which is familiar to her.

The project has been described as a mix of nostalgia and realism. ‘To photograph is the act of capturing a moment and this is my attempt to record and hold on to something precious, like a love letter, an homage, to the people I hold most dear and the country that I adore.’

The project started in a naïve way. Twins are an obvious subject for photographers as the very notion suggests the mirror-like rhetoric that photography has with the world. It’s also interesting because when you shoot subjects so similar, under scrutiny, it highlights the differences between them and how we’re all individuals. But as the project now stretches over such a long period it has evolved into something more, an uninterrupted sequence, a body of work in it’s own right marking the passage of time. As they have grown and changed, so too has the environment around them, yet the resemblance between the girls remains constant.

In this image they were 15. We’d finished lunch and were sitting around chatting but this year was different. They dashed off to their room to get ready and were gone about half an hour. They came out wearing these incredible gingham dresses and matching watches. It felt like a real transition, they’d become conscious of their appearance. We stood on the balcony overlooking the town. The rabbits were a birthday gift and they wanted to hold them, and there it was, the shot.

Gear: Hasselblad 503CXI camera with film.

Shortlist, 2020: Lotte Van Raalte (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Artist Statement: This January (2020) I published my very first book, BODY. Over the course of 16 months I photographed 46 women in their most natural form including my mom. This picture was taken on the 16th of October 2018 at the beach in The Hague, the city where I grew up. My mom – who is terminally ill – had just told me some bad news. Minutes after, we were driving to the beach, during which I was still processing what she had just said.

As soon as we started shooting she was running, dancing and playing. One of her oldest friends was at the beach too, so I photographed them together. My mom absolutely loves the beach and although she’s ill, looking at the images afterwards, she looks so full of life and joy. It’s one of my favorite images of the book and I still am fascinated by the fact that her body actually created mine. The title of this image is ‘Judy and Lily.’

Gear: Sony a7RIII camera.

Shortlist, 2020: Jon Ervin (Brooklyn, New York, United States)

Artist Statement: This project aptly titled ‘Boys Will Be,’ which references the common phrase ‘Boys Will Be Boys,’ is an ongoing photographic journey exploring the various ways in which men perform and construct their identity. In this project I use the camera as an active agent to witness these gestures of masculine performance through documentation, portraiture, and staged scenarios.

By turning the camera on these men, I am encouraging them to perform for the ‘other.’ That performance, framed between the lines of the viewfinder, is a subjective choice to display their constructed identity to the camera, myself, and the viewer. The use of staged adolescent experiences creates scenarios where innocent horseplay can become something of consequence and for impalpable power dynamics that are threaded throughout our society to become tangible.

It is in those moments where boys learn their own power and how it can be used to influence others. Despite the relation to “Boys Will Be Boys,” this project does not adhere to the belief of so-called excusable male behavior that is at times aggressive, violent, and toxic; instead it has importantly left off the last word — ‘Boys.’ That distinction allows the men of this project to simply be.

Gear and Film: Pentax 67II camera with a 300mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter, Portra 400 film.

Shortlist, 2020: Dylan Lewis (Richmond, Virginia, United States)

Artist Statement: This image is from my larger body of work, a photo book titled ‘Dusker.’ The images in Dusker act as physical expressions of interior states. Situated between exhalation and incantation, they construct a space where the ontological unease of ‘documentary’ photography, the aestheticizing eye of fiction, and the emotional texture of dreams within an always-already fractured reality intertwine.

Shortlist, 2020: Pat Martin (Los Angeles, California, United States)

Artist Statement: It was Easter afternoon and we heard Jeff was feeling lonely. She had thought that her whole family had forgotten about her, but to her surprise, we all showed up with a pack of American Spirits, wine, and a pair up bunny ears. Jeff may be 98, but she’s still a party-girl and loves some good company.

Gear and Film: MF Pentax 67II camera, and printed in a color darkroom. All Kodak film, chemicals, and chromogenic darkroom paper.

Shortlist, 2020: Hua Jin (Montreal, Canada)

Artist Statement: This photo is part of my long-term and ongoing project ‘My Big Family.’ A project I document my extended families in China.

I call the woman in the picture ‘Aunt,’ she is a distant relative who lives nearby. When I took this photo she was trying to dig some coppers and wires from the demolition sites where the old farmer houses had been destroyed. She could make a small amount of money in the market by selling these materials.

While local people were trying to make small amounts of money from the ruins that used to be their homes, the government along with big companies were trying to redesign and reuse the land by building residential and commercial high rises, meanwhile, to change the traditional life-styles in the rural area.

Gear: Plaubel Makina W67 camera

Shortlist, 2020: Kamila Lozinska (Bristol, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: This is a candid shot of my dear friend Jasmine basking in the sun.

Gear: Mamiya RZ67 camera.

Shortlist, 2020: Laura Pannack (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: At the age of 16, Baruch chose to leave his Orthodox Jewish community and to study. The dramatic and challenging decision forced him to question his identity and future. Einstein says: ‘The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.’ The project explores how we choose our paths in life and questions how much control we have to change who we will become. The project was commissioned by 1854 Media and supported by Panasonic.

Gear: Panasonic SR1

Shortlist, 2020: Imogen Forte (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Last Summer, I moved out of my house, put my stuff into storage, and spent three months traveling the coast of England documenting the people and places I encountered. I wanted to explore more of the country I’d always called home and familiarize myself with new people and new places.

I met this girl in Cornwall, where she was stood in the street with her family. I approached and asked if she wanted a portrait and she agreed. I spotted this amazing backdrop in the cafe beside us and so we popped inside to have a drink and a chat and take some portraits.

Gear: Mamiya RZ67 camera.

Shortlist, 2020: Tais Sirote (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Tais Sirote, also known as Taisido, is a London-based photographer specializing in still-life and product photography. She has a background in graphic design and loves anything related to self-publishing books. Her style has always shown attention to lighting, showing her strengths on taking bold images, and having an eye for detail. Her pictures are sometimes mistaken for 3D renders and attempt to trick the eye of the viewer to make you wonder how it was taken.

Gear: Canon 5DS

Shortlist, 2020: Valeria Moreno (Richmond, Virginia, United States)

Artist Statement: This image is from a photo series meant to serve as an image as film sequence portraying young womanhood.

Gear: Panasonic Lumix G7 camera.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Adobe updates Creative Cloud video and audio apps, adds GPU-accelerated encoding, ProRes RAW support and more

20 May

Adobe has released updates for a variety of its software products, including major updates to Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro version 14.2 includes GPU acceleration for encoding on Windows, promising export speeds up to five times faster than encoding performed using only the CPU.

For Nvidia and AMD GPUs which support hardware encoding, the new versions of Premiere Pro, Media Encoder, After Effects and Audition on Windows promise vastly improved performance when exporting files. Of the new update, Adobe senior engineering manager Manish Kulkarni says, ‘With new support for NVIDIA GPUs on Windows, exports are hardware accelerated leveraging the power of the GPU to make Premiere Pro more powerful and keep video creators productive and nimble.’

‘This graph shows encoding speeds gains using hardware-based encoding with an NVIDIA RTX 5000 GPU. With the addition of AMD and NVIDIA support on Windows, hardware encoding is now available across all modern macOS and PC systems.’ Image and caption credit: Adobe

Adobe has also introduced ProRes RAW support in Premiere Pro and After Effects on Windows, a very welcomed change that’s been a long time coming. The graphics workflow in Premiere Pro has also been enhanced through the addition of an improved Pen tool with better support for Bezier curves. This will allow users to more easily create lines and shapes.

Further, in After Effects, motion graphics artists have new tapered shape strokes to use when creating animations and designs. There are also new repeating concentric shape parameters and Mask/Shape cursor indicators.

In addition to faster encoding through hardware acceleration on Windows, users can also expect faster Auto Reframe across all devices. Utilizing its artificial intelligence, Adobe Sensei, Auto Reframe now automatically reformats and repositions video across varying aspect ratios. Speaking of aspect ratios, Adobe Premiere Rush users will now be able to automatically resize projects to the 4:5 aspect ratio frequently used for Facebook and Instagram videos.

‘Auto Reframe in Premiere Pro uses Adobe Sensei AI to reposition video within different aspect ratios. The feature is now twice as fast.’ Image and caption credit: Adobe

On the workflow side of things, Adobe has added support for audio files within Creative Cloud Libraries, which allows users to save, organize and share audio assets for easier access through the CC Libraries panel. For macOS users, automatic audio hardware switching has been added to After Effects, Media Encoder, Audition, Character Animator, Prelude, Premiere Pro and Premiere Rush. This means that when changing audio devices, Adobe applications will now automatically switch to the current hardware.

Improving software performance and stability is Adobe’s top priority. Alongside today’s updates, Adobe has published a new blog post outlining the various efforts the company and its engineers have made over the past year. Further, as many performance updates depend upon the user’s hardware, Adobe has also expanded its research into crash reports and how users are taking advantage of the company’s suite of software. If you are interested in learning more about the performance gains introduced with today’s update and becoming part of Adobe’s expanding public beta program for future updates, be sure to read the new post.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony UK teases new compact camera system on its website

20 May

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

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

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

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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