Hey, there's a pandemic. Have you heard?
Looks like we might be spending a lot of time in the house with our immediate family these days. Maybe that family includes kids. And maybe they are starting to go a little stir crazy.
Keep reading for some ideas for any lighting photographer who might be looking to make the best of some unscheduled family time.Read more »
Strobist
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The COVID-19 pandemic has caught more than a few of us off-guard, and its impact is likely to roll on for months to come.
Advice in many countries is to stay at home and minimize your contact with other people. This isn’t an easy thing to do, and for a lot of people it’ll mean having to find additional ways to stay occupied.
Photography can provide plenty of ways of keeping yourself entertained and committing yourself to a project now might be a chance to emerge with new skills and new ambition when things start to get back to, well, whatever future normal looks like.
This is the first part of a series where we’ll put forward ideas for things to do. But we want your input, too. Throughout this article will be links to forum threads where we look to hear your suggestions.
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You keep promising yourself you’ll do this. Whether it’s going through and trying to tag things in a coherent way, honing your catalogue by deleting the images you know you’ll never use, or importing and arranging those memory cards and old hard drives of images that aren’t stored in a systematic manner, there’s always an organizational project that you’ve been putting off.
Are you ever going to get a better time than now? Even as someone working from home, I’ve gained all the time I’d usually spend commuting, so there’s no excuse for me to put off getting my images organized.
It might sound dull, but an organized set of images makes it easier to do the more fun suggestions we’re just about to get to…
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Coming at it with a fresh pair of eyes, is there something you could do differently with a favorite image?
I’ve found myself wondering whether some of the shots I’ve taken in the past might benefit from split toning, which isn’t a technique I’ve often used in the past. But it may simply be a case of starting again and seeing whether there’s a different crop or a different ‘look’ that might work better for images you’ve not looked at for a while.
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The other option is to look for new favorites in your back-catalogue. What about those shots that didn’t make the cut, first time ’round? Are there some hidden gems that, re-appraised, turn out to be more interesting than you thought?
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Even if you don’t get it printed right away, now might be a great time to organize a set of images into book form.
It’s easy to think of shoeboxes full of prints and negatives as wasted or lost, but they have a certain permanence that a well-organized hard drive or database probably doesn’t. Photo books can be the best of both worlds: gaining the visibility and (comparative) permanence of prints but in a more accessible, curated format.
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Find old photos of friends and family in your archive and share them on social media. This could be a nostalgic way to stay engaged with loved ones while you’re all isolated from one another.
Maybe consider putting together a selection of your favorite photos from the last year. Keep the selection tight: you don’t want to stray into ‘making everyone view your holiday slides’ territory, but think about a highlights reel. Maybe try to weave a narrative together or add some anecdotes, to try to capture the experiences you perhaps weren’t able to share at the time.
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A great way to gain inspiration and to learn something is to take a close look at the work of established photographers.
Perhaps choose a single image: take your time thinking about what make it stand out to you. Analyzing great photos is, along with learning to select your own best work, one of the best ways to help you ‘see’ the best photo in a situation, next time you’re out shooting.
If there are any you’ve found particularly inspirational, let us know in this forum thread.
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Teach yourself to use a photo-related application you’ve been meaning to learn for a while. e.g. Have you been wanting to move from Lightroom to Capture One for a while? Now may be a good time to do it.
Again, if there are any pieces of software you’re particularly enjoying, let us know in this thread and we’ll build up the list.
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The internet is full of advice and courses to help you improve your photography.
It’s impossible for us to be exhaustive, so we’ve created a forum thread, if there’s an online course that you’ve found useful enough to want to share. We’ll update this list with popular suggestions.
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Podcasts are another great way to learn, gain new perspectives, spark new ideas or simply keep yourself entertained.
Here are a few that we’ve enjoyed. Let us know in this forum thread if there are any you think deserve a mention.
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Whether you’re using it to attract clients or just maintaining a stream to show off your work, how about showing your website a little love?
Whether it’s a question of replacing an over-familiar lead image or making sure all the best of your most recent work is included, there’s always something you can do to make your site look better.
Or, if you’ve not created one, why not now?
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Chances are your camera can shoot pretty good video. Have you ever tried doing more than shooting a few clips?
Some of the skills of videography are directly transferable from photography, which means you don’t have to start from zero. But video there are also a lot of aspects of video that will be new and challenging (personally I’m finding the process of learning to shoot video to be one of the most creatively satisfying things I’ve done in many years).
So why not try setting yourself a little project? Think about what you need to shoot, how you need to shoot it and how you’re going to pull it all together.
There’s a free version of Blackmagic’s Davinci Resolve software that includes pro-level color grading and audio editing tools as well as non-linear editing capabilities. It’s not, perhaps, as immediately approachable as Apple’s Final Cut Pro X, but now’s a great time to familiarize yourself with the software.
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It’s too early to start booking flights or making hotel reservations, but a day will come when we can look forward to heading somewhere more ambitious than out front doors.
Why not give yourself something to look forward to by planning-out your next big photo expedition?
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Ricoh has announced it will release a new wide-aperture portrait lens for its full-frame cameras late this year, and that it will use the company’s Supersonic Direct-drive Motor to power the focusing system. The HD Pentax -D FA* 85mm F1.4 SDM AW with join the existing HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW and HD PENTAX-D FA* 70-200mm F2.8ED DC AW in a line-up of three models in the FA* range. Like the DA* lenses designed for APS-C cameras, these FA* models are intended to be premium quality and to represent a step-up from the standard lens series.
Pentax says that the new portrait lens uses three Super ED lenses to suppress chromatic errors while boosting contrast, and a single aspherical element to retain high resolution and focus across the frame. The aperture will be made from nine blades and the closest focusing distance will be 2.8ft. Although designed for the full-frame K-1 cameras, the KAF4 lens will also work on the company’s APS-C sensor cameras – due to the smaller sensor area it will offer the view that a 130mm focal length would on a full-frame model.
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Pentax has yet to release the pricing of this new lens, but to give you an idea, the 50mm F1.4 FA* lens costs $ 1100/£1050 compared to $ 350/£400 for the standard SMC FA version.
For more information see the Pentax website.
Press release
HD PENTAX-D FA* 85mmF1.4 SDM AW
RICOH COMPANY, LTD. and RICOH IMAGING EUROPE, SAS. are pleased to announce the development of the new-generation high-performance Star-series lens, the HD PENTAX-D FA* 85mmF1.4 SDM AW.
This product is the second “new generation D FA*” single focus lens following the “HD PENTAX-D FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW” which we presented as the first lens with a fixed focal length of the “New Generation D FA*”. This series is known for the perfect image quality and the lenses are characterized by the following parameters:
The D FA* 50mm quickly became one of the most popular lenses for the PENTAX 35mm system. Therefore many PENTAX photographers have demanded for an extension of this range of prime lenses. We are therefore pleased to announce the development of another lens in this series of high-performance lenses. With the HD PENTAX-D FA* 85mmF1.4 SDM AW, we follow the conquest of particularly high image quality without compromise.
Overview of the product under development
Model name: HD PENTAX-D FA* 85mmF1.4 SDM AW
Launch date: Scheduled to be launched in late, 2020
Major Specifications
HD PENTAX-D FA* 85mm F1.4ED SDM AW
| Focal Length | 85mm |
|---|---|
| Max Aperture | F1.4 |
| Min Aperture | F16 |
| Angle of View | 28.5 degrees |
| Mount | KAF4 |
| Min Focus Distance | 0.85m (2.8ft) |
| Max Magnification | 0.12x |
| Diaphragm Blades | 9 |
| Filter Diameter | 82mm |
| Diameter/Length | 95×123.5mm (3.7×4.9in) |
The post Exploring Your Home with Close-Up Filters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.
Macro photography is all about exploring the wonders of the world around you from a very close distance. Macro lenses let you see the tiniest parts of the world in extreme detail, often exposing an array of colors and patterns hidden right before our eyes. Macro lenses are also expensive! However, if you find yourself stuck at home for a while, you can start exploring your home with close-up filters instead. They’re a cheap alternative to macro lenses and can transform the mundane into the magnificent!
The first thing to do is actually get yourself a set of close-up filters.
These are basically just magnifying glasses that you screw on to the end of your camera lens. They’re absurdly cheap, ranging in price from $ 10 to $ 30 for a set of four. Just make sure you buy a set that fits your lens! The front of your lens will have a thread size listed in millimeters; for most kit lenses it’s usually 52mm or 58mm.
Close-up filters are not a substitute for a true macro lens. But they do let you get up close and personal with everyday subjects in a way that will blow your mind. It’s amazing how simple everyday objects, even just normal items in your house, take on a whole new appearance when viewed at extremely close distances.
A normal puzzle piece looks like a work of art when shot with a close-up filter. Every detail, from the texture on the flat surface to subtle scratches in the table, becomes clear and crisp.
What makes this sort of photography any different than just putting your camera close to your subjects? All lenses have a minimum focusing distance, which is based on how the glass elements inside the lens bend and shape incoming light. Most camera lenses are physically incapable of shooting objects closer than about 250mm. You simply can’t get very close to objects and still maintain focus
Close-up filters change all that.
All you do is screw one of them on to the front of your lens and everything gets magnified right before your very eyes. Exploring your home with close-up filters is a great way to see everyday objects in a whole new light. Suddenly you can take pictures like you never imagined, or thought you couldn’t get without spending hundreds of dollars on a macro lens.
One of the best parts about using close-up filters is exploring your home with your kids. All their toys and games suddenly take on new life when viewed up close. Blocks, crayons, action figures, toy cars, stuffed animals, even their shoes can all make great photography subjects.
This behemoth monster truck scaled a mountain and did it without a scratch! Luckily, I was there to capture the moment of glory with my camera. Or perhaps my oldest son and I were just playing around with some close-up filters.
That’s one of the most enjoyable parts about exploring your home with close-up filters: sharing the experience with kids. They can find fun ways to look at familiar objects and see photographic opportunities where you might have never thought to look.
When my son and I were looking throughout the house with a close-up filter on the camera, it was amazing how even the most mundane objects took on new life. Even simple things like a video game controller took on a new life of color and perspective.
The important thing to remember is that it’s about creativity, not high art. You might not find the next wall hanging for the Smithsonian in your house just by taking pictures with close-up filters. But you will see an amazing world of photography open up before your very eyes that you never knew existed.
If you’re going to give this exercise a try, here are a few things to keep in mind for good results.
While you may take great shots with close-up filters when shooting handheld, a tripod will almost always yield the best results. Even the smallest movements are magnified many times over, so it helps to have your camera as steady as possible. You’re also working with razor-thin depth of field, so unless you’re a neurosurgeon, it’s unlikely you will be able to keep your hands still enough to get the shot you are going for.
If you have never tried manual focus before, exploring your home with close-up filters might be a good time to give it a try.
Autofocus is very difficult when working with extremely close subjects because depth of field is so incredibly shallow. Manual focus gives you more control over your photos and helps make sure the results are exactly what you want.
Live View is a great option if you are not used to focusing manually. Many cameras, especially mirrorless, have a feature called focus peaking that lets you know exactly what part of your picture is in focus.
DSLRs don’t usually have focus peaking, but you can often use Live View to zoom in on a selected portion of your image. This is great for making sure your close-up photos are tack-sharp right where you want them.
Normally when you want nice-looking, out-of-focus areas on your pictures, you use a wide aperture. The same is true when using close-up filters. But, you’ll quickly find that shooting wide open results in a depth of field that is basically unusable. Stop your lens down to f/5.6 or f/8 to get good results.
In the above image, which is just a normal washroom soap dispenser, the depth of field is so insanely shallow that just the very tip of the pump is in focus. And that’s with using a small aperture of f/5.6! Shooting at f/4, f/2.8, or f/1.8 would be a muddy, blurry mess.
Working with close-up filters is a great way to experiment with manual mode on your camera. Not manual focus, but manual exposure control where you set the values for aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
Each of these parameters has a specific effect on your image, and when shooting close-up, you can easily see the effects that these parameters have. The stakes are low, the creativity is high, and if you’re stuck at home, you probably have some spare time to learn something new.
If you’re not sure where to start, just keep your eye on the light meter. Adjust aperture, shutter, and ISO until the meter shows that your image is properly exposed. Take a shot, and then change the aperture so it’s smaller. You’ll need to compensate by making the shutter speed longer, but that’s okay since you’re using a tripod.
Notice how the depth of field is different on the photo with a smaller aperture.
Keep experimenting with these, and pretty soon you’ll start to develop a good understanding of how to master your camera’s manual mode.
Exploring your home with close-up filters is a great way to pass the time. Moreover, it’s also an outstanding opportunity to see the world around you in a whole new way. The possibilities really are endless. If you have ever wanted to try macro-style photography, this is a great way to do it without breaking the bank.
If you have any close-up shots you would like to share, or any tips I forgot to include, leave them in the comments below!
The post Exploring Your Home with Close-Up Filters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.
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Canon has announced it will be closing service facilities in a number of states within the United States due to a growing number of ‘stay at home’ directives from authorities across the nation. This decision from Canon comes just days after Nikon announced it too will be closing its U.S. repair facilities for the foreseeable future due to the restrictions being put in place amidst this global pandemic.
According to the advisory, Canon service facilities in California (Burbank and Costa Mesa), New Jersey (Lyndhurst) and Illinois (Itasca) will be closed ‘until further notice.’ Canon notes any products needing repair can be sent to its Factory Service Center in Newport News, Virginia (which is no longer accepting walk-in service at this time).
Canon also used the advisory to provide an update to consumers regarding how it’s currently handling its COVID-19 response, saying:
‘The spread of COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving situation that is of great concern to everyone. Canon’s commitment is to take proactive and proportional steps in accordance with all recommended procedures and protocols as advised by the CDC, the United States Government, and state, regional and local public health agencies.Again, we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state authorities. The health and well-being of our customers, clients, and employees remain our top priority during this difficult time. As conditions change, we will take recommended and appropriate steps to restore and continue the excellent service that you have come to expect from Canon USA, Inc.’
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| An annotated screenshot from Canon showing the ‘request product repair’ button on its service website. |
As before, Canon is directing customers to its online system to coordinate repairs and providing updates on its COVID-19 measures on its website.
We have contacted Canon to clarify if any other service centers around the world are currently affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We will update this article if we receive a response and will be updating this article if we receive news any other service centers shut down.
The post Learning to Embrace Lens Flaws to Add Character and Nuance to Your Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.
As I grow increasingly “long in the tooth” so to speak, I look back over the last twenty years or so since I first picked up a camera and reflect. I entered the professional arena of photography relatively late, being in my mid-twenties before I began to think about photography more in terms of a profession rather than simply an enjoyable hobby. Since then, it’s been a wild ride. I’ve used all sorts of lenses and have been fortunate enough to evaluate a host of lenses for published tests, many of which can be found right here on Digital Photography School. As of late, I’ve noticed a marked difference in the way I approach lens flaws in my reviews.
This has caused me to reevaluate how I approach not only my own professional lens tests but my attitudes towards my own lenses and personal photography.
Why do some of us expend our energy searching for a “perfect lens” and feel that a lens’s flaws are determinants of our work? This is the question we’re going to examine today.
Come along with me for a unique investigation of the attitude we often take towards lens flaws and why many of these individual nuances are completely paradoxical and can actually bolster the creative magnetism of your photographs.
Consider for a moment what you might consider to be the “ideal lens.” Not in terms of focal length or aperture but rather the quality of the image it is capable of producing. Think about its sharpness and contrast, the way it renders colors, its vignetting, and distortion.
Naturally, I think many of us would like a lens that has maximum sharpness from corner to corner, crisp contrast, zero distortion and vignetting while producing true, rich color tonality.
Why do we think this way?
What I mean here is why do we feel as if a perfect lens equates to a lens which carries no inherent flaws?
I think we can all agree that issues such as massive chromatic aberration aren’t desirable in any situation. However, I suggest we should begin to embrace other behaviors present in our lenses more as inherent character traits that can enhance our photos rather than issues to be avoided.
Going further (and likely stepping on a few toes), the approach that lenses ought to present the scene or subject as optical perfection could be viewed as quite a photo-modernist attitude.
We find ourselves bombarded with highly-advanced digital cameras capable of enormous resolving power.
Naturally, and rightfully so, we seek out lenses that we feel will bring out the most potential from our cameras. And yet, many of these lenses tend to present themselves as benignly unobtrusive tools that only serve to channel light into the camera while adding as little flavor as possible.
These are new concepts for a new time that have not always been so, at least not intentionally.
An unfortunate byproduct of this “lens sterilization” approach is that many, especially those who are just beginning their journey as photo makers, feel a looming sense of inadequacy if their lens or lenses present themselves with so-called lens flaws.
This is a dangerously slippery slope that can often breed the notion of gear dependency over-reliance on one’s own creative opinion and self-expression.
It’s arguably true that some of the best examples of the benefits of embracing the flaws present in your lens come from the recent resurgence of photographers opting to use vintage film lenses with their modern digital cameras. Not only are these lenses relatively inexpensive compared to more modern lenses, but they also carry unique characteristics that have come to be desired.
Case in point, the fabled Helios 44-2 lens.
The interesting thing about the Helios (and other vintage lenses) is that it offers a distinctive “swirly” bokeh that has become prized by portrait photographers and others.
Even more interesting is this swirl is brought about by the type of technical “flaw” with the lens elements, which results in the signature spherical aberration of the bokeh.
You can also approximately simulate this effect in Photoshop, which I describe here in this article.
There are, of course, other lenses that have been embraced due to their inherent optical qualities as of late. These include the cult classic Kodak Aero Ektar, the Zeiss Jena series, and the Lomography Petzval along with many others.
The Petzval, purposefully engineered to offer heavily swirling bokeh and vignetting, is especially interesting.
The bottom line here is there could very well be a predominantly apparent splitting of the schism with photographers choosing lenses that offer more inherent character. This makes for more unique photos as it is left to the user to determine the exact application where and when these lenses work best.
Let’s face it, there are many cases where we have to make do with the lenses we have, myself included.
I used my very first digital camera for years with only the “kit lens” included with the camera.
The lens wasn’t considered an upper-tier piece of glass, but it was all I knew and, for me, it was beautiful.
Looking back, I can’t find a fault other than my assumption that it wasn’t good enough because it was the lens that came in the box. This is highly revealing of the common mentality of today’s photographic climate. It’s quite easy to look at our gear as the scapegoat for what might be lacking in our photography simply, well…because.
There’s no denying that we all evolve as photographers and with that evolution, we must recognize that we will eventually outgrow our tools.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t shy away from our lenses because they might exhibit properties that are undesirable by the common mentality of our age.
Your lens isn’t sharp corner to corner? It has a heavy vignette at its wide-open aperture?
Think about these problems from a practical standpoint for a moment. How often do you add in a post-crop vignette in Lightroom during post-processing? Do you ever add an intentional Gaussian blur?
These questions hint at a deeper insight into our own approach to photography. Could it be that the very characteristics that we desire in our photographs tend to be viewed with a negative connotation depending on the context?
The purpose of these thoughts is to show that the merits of any camera lens are truly based in the eye of the beholder.
Sure, there are some poorly-made, un-sharp monstrosity lenses out there that hinder rather than help you make the photographs you want. At the time, many of the lens flaws we have been conditioned to abhor possibly aren’t as detrimental as we might think once we drill down and identify for what they are.
This is the main objective of this article.
It could very well be that the old cliche’ of “the best lens is the one you have with” carries with it connotations which extend past mere practical convenience. This is especially applicable if you are new to photography.
As a professional photographer who has used some of the best modern lenses on the market, I can tell you my favorite lenses have been those that fit my own proclivities, regardless of their inherent flaws and quirks.
So I will leave you with this bit of hard-learned wisdom; there are no perfect lenses, just as there are no perfect photographs or perfect photographers for that matter.
All lenses have some measure of flaws, no matter their cost. Just because you might be using a “kit lens” or one that happens to have several so-called lens flaws, doesn’t mean that you can’t go out and make terrific photos as long as you shoot what makes you happy.
The post Learning to Embrace Lens Flaws to Add Character and Nuance to Your Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.
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Nikon USA has announced it’s temporarily suspending equipment repairs at its service facilities and no longer accepting new repairs due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The move, which was done ‘in accordance with mandates issued by the federal government and various state governments,’ according to the announcement embedded below, ‘prioritizes the health and safety of [Nikon’s] employees and customers.’
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| A screenshot of the notification on Nikon’s repair service page. |
Nikon Inc. President and CEO Bo Kajiwara also shared a letter, embedded below, with Nikon’s customers and partners to further explain the decision to shut down repairs and explain what other steps Nikon is taking amidst the pandemic.
Dear Valued Customers, Partners, and Friends,
We are all experiencing unprecedented circumstances around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the virus. Nikon’s top priority is the health and safety of our customers, employees and the communities we serve.
I am proud of the dedication of our Nikon team who are working remotely and remain focused on providing the highest level of support possible at this difficult time. We are closely monitoring the situation and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and federal/state/local health authorities.
Nikon Inc. has taken steps to ensure the safety of its employees by instituting office closings and remote work strategies in line with state and federal government mandates. These include the temporary closure of our repair service centers to prioritize the safety of our workforce and help limit the spread of the virus.
For information about our repair service center change or to get in touch with a remote support representative, please visit: https://nikonusa.com/support
In the interim, Nikon online resources for education are available on the Nikonusa website: https://www.nikonusa.com/learnandexplore
We encourage everyone to take the necessary precautions to stay safe and to support their communities during this difficult time. We look forward to overcoming this global issue with great resolve and unity.
Read more: https://nikonrumors.com/2020/03/21/nikon-usa-no-longer-accepting-equipment-for-repair-covid-19.aspx/#ixzz6HYFGt6JM
The post Everything a Beginner Should Know to Improve Their Street Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.
Street photography may seem simple on the surface, just a lot of waiting around looking for an interesting moment to happen. However, the reality is that it is one of the most difficult forms of photography. Particularly at the beginning, it can be very hard to improve in street photography.
The best moments don’t occur very often, and when they do, you have to be aware enough to see it quickly. You have to be brave enough to capture it, and your camera has to be set right.
A lot has to go right, but when it does, that’s when the magic happens. There is a specific set of tips that are important to learn early on that will make all of this much easier and, eventually, second nature.
Fear and timidness are two of the toughest obstacles to overcome for new street photographers. If you don’t feel this way, then skip to the next tip! But most people have a lot of difficulty with this aspect at first. It takes time to overcome, but the less timid you can become, the faster you will be at capturing the best moments.
No matter how tasteful your photography is, street photography is a little creepy! We’re kind of stalking people on the street a bit. But it’s important to know that we’re doing this for a reason. We like people and we want to create interesting photos of our society.
The fear aspect will get better with time – the more you shoot, the easier it will get. But it can help early on to capture some street portraits to get you comfortable. You will quickly realize how many people will be flattered by what you are doing.
Another important thing to know is how to deal with a situation if you are caught.
I just like to smile and be honest. I tell the person that I was photographing the area and the people and culture, and I thought they looked great! Flattery can get you a long way.
If the person seems uncomfortable after you speak to them, offer to delete the shot. You don’t have to, of course, but it’s the right thing to do.
And always be careful about who you photograph. Sometimes, a photograph is just not worth the chance of getting yourself in trouble.
I typically prefer to shoot on Aperture or Shutter Priority settings. Since you are usually going back and forth between different levels of light, this allows you to focus on the scene itself instead of going back and forth on your camera settings. In steady lighting conditions, Manual Mode works very well, though.
Raise your ISO up! I typically use ISO 400 if I am in pure sunlight, ISO 800 in light shade, ISO 1600 in dark shade, and ISO 3200-6400 for dusk into night.
Raising the ISO allows you to have a faster shutter speed to freeze motion. It also gives you more depth of field to make sure you capture the focus correctly, or if you have multiple subjects at different depths.
On Aperture Priority, f/8 is usually my ideal setting whenever possible. It allows enough depth of field but also enough light to enter the camera. And as it gets darker, I will go down with the aperture.
Finally, I always try to keep my shutter speed above 1/250th of a second to freeze motion in people. The key on Aperture Priority is to pay attention to your shutter speed as the lighting gets darker, to make sure that it does not dip too far below 1/250th.
Prime lenses are made for street photography. They are smaller, lighter, and less noticeable. Also, the act of using a single focal length will make you much faster and more intuitive with the camera. Using one is a key way to improve your street photography.
Zooming constantly will just slow you down and keep you off balance when a moment occurs. With a prime, you are ready when something happens.
I prefer a 35mm and 50mm focal length depending on what I am shooting. Both are wide enough to capture complicated shots that mix foreground and background, and they allow you to get close and intimate with your subjects.
When some people think of street photographers, they think of the photographers that jump out in people’s faces to take a photograph. It just does not have to be done in that way to get great, candid, close shots. I find the opposite approach to work much better.
I prefer to act like I am just looking around at something above or behind the subject I want to capture, and I carefully get myself in position. They just think I’m probably a tourist looking around, and while they notice me, they continue in their own world without realizing I’m photographing them.
I also take very quick shots where nobody notices. That way, you don’t have to do any acting in these situations. But, acting comes in handy very often.
Finally, you don’t always have to walk around while photographing. Pick an area with foot traffic and wait around. Doing this allows your subjects to enter your personal space instead of entering their space. It also allows you to get very close and nuanced photographs with much less chance of people noticing what you are doing.
One of the keys to creating interesting street photography is showing emotion and feeling in your images. One of the best ways to do that is to capture those emotions and feelings in your subjects.
Pay attention to the looks in peoples’ eyes or the gestures in their bodies. Try to see who is walking around wearing their emotions on their sleeves, so to speak.
I would rather photograph a non-descript person with incredible emotion over the flashiest person just walking down the street emotionless.
This is a general tip for improving most photography, but it is especially difficult for street photography. The closer you get, the more intimate your moments will feel.
But you don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself at first. Start from further back and over time, work to get closer and closer. This is a process that can take a little time to get comfortable with.
At some point, you need to become fast with your camera to capture some of those split-second moments. Embrace your intuition and work to become spontaneous and fast with the camera.
You will miss a lot of photographs this way and come back with a lot of bad ones (why editing is so important), but the special photographs will be special.
If you feel that there is the potential for a great photograph in your gut, just stop thinking and go for it. The worst that can happen is you will delete the photograph later on.
Unlike some other forms of photography, perfection is not celebrated as much in street photography. We’re looking for real and unplanned moments, and these moments are not perfect.
Sometimes the best way to improve your street photography is to just loosen up.
What matters is that the photograph is interesting and it looks good. Everything else is gravy. If the photograph has those qualities, who cares if it’s skewed, a little blurry, highlights are blown out, or if there’s an element in the way. That’s the real world.
Sometimes these aspects will ruin your photograph, of course, but just as often they’ll ground the moment in reality.
As you are learning and getting comfortable, it’s very important to practice in busy places with a lot of foot traffic. This gives you many chances for great photographs and it’s easier to work in a candid way as well. This is how to work out the kinks and develop your technical skills and overall awareness.
But it is equally important to photograph in slower and quieter areas too.
These areas can be just as interesting and even more so than the busiest areas. It can take some time to get used to photographing here and figuring out what makes a good photograph, but you will be much better off for trying.
Street photography is about taking something that is internal, capturing it in the real world, and then showing those ideas in your work.
It’s not worth taking photographs that you think other people will find interesting. Ultimately, your work can only become so good that way.
Shoot what you think is the most interesting and forget about everyone else. Over time this is how you will develop a strong and distinct voice.
And most importantly, get out there and shoot as often as you can. That is the real way to improve your street photography.
Do you have any other tips to improve street photography that you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments, along with any street photos you’d like to share.
The post Everything a Beginner Should Know to Improve Their Street Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by James Maher.
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Canon’s recent announcement of the new EOS R5 wasn’t completely unexpected, but one of the camera’s key specifications, 8K video, did catch us a bit by surprise. 8K video has been in development for several years, but to date it’s mostly been limited to Hollywood-level cinema production and tech demos by Japanese broadcaster NHK.
With the R5 it looks like that may be about to change. In fact, we now know that the R5 will be able to capture 8K/30p using the full width of the sensor. Of course, there’s a lot more to video quality than just resolution, and we don’t expect the R5 to challenge a camera like the RED Helium 8K, but the fact that 8K is making its way into any consumer mirrorless camera suggests that this could be the tip of the iceberg.
With that in mind, let’s look at some reasons why you probably don’t need 8K video anytime soon – as well as a few reasons why you might.
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8K displays are absolutely incredible, and once you’ve seen one in person you can’t unsee it. It’s exciting to think that some day 8K displays will be everywhere.
But today, they’re not everywhere. In fact, they aren’t really anywhere except for niche locations like post-production environments or the living room of that guy down the street who always has the latest gizmo (and isn’t afraid to pay top dollar for it). Sure, 8K TVs are coming down in price, but they still run into the thousands of dollars and it will be a while before they’re commonplace.
8K TVs are coming down in price, but they still run into the thousands of dollars…
There’s also the question of whether most viewers will be able to see the difference between 4K and 8K. Even with good eyesight, human vision at typical viewing distances will be a limiting factor unless you’re using an exceptionally large display.
In short, there’s really no reason to get an 8K camera in order to deliver 8K content today.
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Unless you’re in the high-end video production business, or possibly a really serious gamer, chances are pretty good that your current computer won’t be up to the task of editing 8K video.
The same thing happened when 4K video came on the scene. It wasn’t uncommon to discover that video rigs designed to cut through 1080p footage like butter could get mired down when working in 4K. We needed faster processors, faster video cards, faster storage and, of course, new 4K displays to take advantage of all that resolution.
We can expect similar challenges in the early days of 8K video. Early adopters will pay a premium to upgrade their editing equipment, so unless you really need to shoot 8K today it might be better to wait a couple years for better, and more affordable, mainstream support.
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Remember when we first started shooting 4K video and discovered just how big the files could be compared to HD? We needed larger memory cards, more of them, and in may cases, faster cards to accommodate the increased bit rates required for high quality 4K. Check out our recent review of the Panasonic S1H for a real world example of how this impacted DPReview’s Richard Butler.
Remember when we first started shooting 4K video and discovered just how big the files could be compared to HD?
Larger files also resulted in workflow changes. Some videographers who were used to editing entire projects on a laptop’s internal hard drive had to start carrying around external hard drives, and later, portable SSDs. Even archiving projects required more storage.
High quality 8K video will, to some degree, begin this cycle over again. At least this time we’re starting out in a world in which SSDs are ubiquitous, but we’re still going to need larger SSDs and faster connections to effectively work with 8K files. The good news is that SSDs are gaining capacity as prices continue to fall, and USB 4 promises to deliver faster connections for consumers without the high cost of Thunderbolt, but early adopters will again pay a premium.
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A single frame of 4K video delivers around 8.2MP of resolution, something that’s comfortably within the resolving range of almost any lens from the modern digital era (and many earlier ones). In contrast, 8K video delivers roughly 33MP frames.
That’s within the working range of quite a few still cameras, and many recent optics are certainly capable of resolving that level of detail. If you already have higher resolving lenses that’s great, but if you’ve been shooting video using older lenses – including some from the digital era – you may find that you need to upgrade your glass to get the most out of 8K video.
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We’ve talked about several reasons why you probably don’t need 8K video today, but let’s consider a few reasons why you might want it anyway.
One might be to capture high quality still images from video. Heck, even 4K video provides enough resolution for many purposes, and features like Panasonic’s 4K and 6K Photo modes have been useful to many photographers. Having the option to capture 33MP images from video takes this to a whole new level.
At a recent NAB Show, Canon displayed a gallery of stunning photos that were extracted from 8K video frames; the quality was so high that they could have been shot with a modern DSLR. Of course, extracting photos from video may not be the ideal workflow for all types of photography, but for some it can work very well. We may very well see 8K photo modes on some cameras. Maybe even the R5.
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8K video will provide immediate advantages when shooting and editing 4K projects; the camera operator will be able to plan a shot knowing it will be possible to ‘punch in’ later, and the editor will have more creative flexibility when cutting the project together.
The resolution provided by 8K will facilitate 2x cropping to 4K in post with no apparent loss of resolution, making it possible to simulate longer lenses or edit out distracting elements at the edges of a scene. It will also enable editing tricks like virtual zooms and pans. These techniques are frequently employed when editing 4K footage for HD delivery, but now the entire process can be scaled up.
8K will also allow you to do better green screen work. Good chroma-keying depends on the ability to discern fine details around the edges of your subject, such as hair. The more resolution you have to play with, the better. Other factors, such as color sub-sampling, are also important to the quality of green screen work, but all else being equal more resolution is an advantage.
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4K video is impressively detailed, but oversampled 4K video is even more detailed. So, even if you don’t need to create virtual crops, zooms or pans in your video you’ll still benefit from the effects of oversampling.
We’ve already seen a number of mirrorless cameras that oversample 4K in-camera, typically from a 6K starting point. However, sampling theory says that 8K is the minimum resolution you need to correctly capture the maximum resolution that 4K can show. In effect, it’s perfect oversampling, similar to the way the original Sony a7S (above) captured 4K and downsampled it to 1080 with zero luma aliasing.
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This one is tricky because it requires us to predict the future a bit more. However, there are a couple useful data points we can look at: 1) As a consumer technology, 4K video experienced more rapid adoption than many expected, and 2) The trend among camera buyers is to upgrade their cameras less frequently than they did in the past.
This suggests that 8K technology could be widely available more quickly than we anticipate as well. In fact, it’s already showing up on some smartphones. As a result, if you plan to keep your next camera for a while and want to make sure it’s future-proof, then it may be a good idea to ensure your next purchase is 8K-ready.
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There was a time when widespread access to HD TVs and displays seemed a long way off, but savvy content creators, including a lot of small, independent videographers, were already producing content in HD instead of SD. Why? Because they knew that if they didn’t, once HD was more widely adopted their content would appear dated quickly (and possibly even be excluded from some platforms).
This was true during the transition from HD to 4K as well, and we’ll likely see a similar trend as we move to 8K. Whether the visual difference between 4K and 8K at standard viewing distances is as noticeable as the previous transitions is debatable: both have so much detail it might be difficult to tell them apart.
Whether the visual difference between 4K and 8K at standard viewing distances is as noticeable as the previous transitions is debatable…
However, screens keep getting larger over time: the 24″ TV that sat in a family’s living room in the 1980s became a 65″ TV by the 2010s. If screens get big enough, the difference between 4K and 8K might actually become noticeable. There’s a counter argument to this, of course, which is that many people watch more content on the tiny screen that fits in their pocket than on a TV, so it depends a lot on your target audience.
Ultimately, if future-proofing your content is important, it might make sense to begin working in 8K early.
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The Canon EOS R5 is likely the first of many cameras we’ll see with 8K video. At a technical level, we should at least recognize that this is a pretty impressive accomplishment for any manufacturer. However, whether you truly need 8K video in the near future is debatable.
If you’re the type of person who mostly shoots video to capture your own life adventures, share movies with friends on social media, or does fairly minimal editing on the video you shoot then there’s little incentive to adopt 8K today. Chances are good that you won’t notice much difference.
If you’re the type of person who mostly shoots video to capture your own life adventures… chances are good that you won’t notice much difference.
On the other hand, if you’re serious about video and produce 4K content, 8K has the potential to benefit your workflow: cropping to 4K in post, digital pans and zooms, and downsampling to create better 4K video being just a few examples. 8K will appeal to some stills photographers as well. Do you enjoy using 4K and 6K photo modes on your camera to nail the perfect frame? If so, you’ll probably love 8K photos.
Not sure if 8K is in your future? You can watch this 8K video on YouTube while you decide. Of course, you’ll need an 8K monitor to properly watch it, which you can find here. We’ll wait while you try it out.
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SkyPixel, in partnership with DJI, Nikon, SanDisk, and Western Digital Corp, launched its 5th Anniversary Aerial Photo & Video contest on December 3rd. Entries closed on February 3rd and the results were announced earlier this week. The 56 category winners and finalists were awarded prize packages worth over $ 117,000. Since launching in 2014, the SkyPixel platform has attracted over 18 million aerial photographers and content creators from 140 countries.
‘I feel really grateful to be chosen as part of the winning crew of talented people who entered the SkyPixel contest. Taking first place in Sport was totally unexpected. I knew I had a good image but also understood I was going up against thousands of talented people in the community,’ Andy Leclerc, First Prize winner, tells DPReview.
‘The emotion and drama captured in this image (is) very powerful. Fantastic composition and post production,’ says judge Chris McLennan about the Grand Prize-winning image from Tony Wang.
Nominees are currently featured on the recommended photographers section, an area that receives over one million page views according to SkyPixel. They’ll also be considered for the role of DJI Creator. Winning photographs and videos will be showcased at DJI Flagship stores around the globe this Spring. To view all selected photos and videos, visit the SkyPixel 5th Anniversary Aerial Photo & Video Contest page.
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About this photo: ‘Indonesia has the reputation of a volcanic country. Among the more than 400 volcanoes, 129 are active volcanoes. At 2 am, my team and I drove to the most unique viewing platform of Mount Bromo National Park. After shooting the Milky Way volcano, the sky gradually brightened. I decided to use the perspective of a DJI drone to overlook the sunrise of this volcanic park.
When the first rays of sunrise hit the volcano, there was nothing more beautiful than this moment. In the future, Mount Bromo in the foreground has been active for a long time, while the prospect of Mount Semeru is not always in an eruption state, and this picture of the eruption was fortunately captured by DJI.’
Gear and specs: Not available
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About this photo: ‘I captured my image “Edge Rider” with a Mavic 2 Pro. This particular photo was tricky to plan and execute, I had to get the sun position just right and have his shadow cast the perfect riding position. I used the PhotoPills app to plan for the sun’s position and the burst mode in my camera settings to be able to capture the “WOW” moment. It took 256 attempts to get it right but the results paid off,’ Leclerc reveals to DPReview.
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F5.7, 1/500s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘I took this special selfie with Mavic 2 pro in Dolomites National Park, Italy. The setting sun hit at the peaks and clouds at sunset, it was really epic moment, I then used the pano mode to take the amazing whole scene.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F5, 1/500s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘This is an aerial perspective of Xiyun Wetland Buyun Pavilion in the morning mist.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F5, 1/400s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘A sight to see on Australia’s East coast. A mother whale with her newborn enjoying their migration South.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F3.6, 1/200s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘Aiken Spring is located on the vast ground at the foot of the Snow Mountain, with a wide horizon. Viewed from the air, various beautiful pictures have been formed around the eyes of the spring due to the long-term sulfur precipitation. Because there is no comprehensive detailed and reliable survey of Aiken Springs to date, this geological wonder has been cast a mystery.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F6, 1/240s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘Margaret River, in Australia, is renowned for wine and the big winter swells that hit the coastline. This shot was captured last Winter.’
Gear and specs: DJI Phantom 4 Advanced, F5, 1/1000s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘Greenland is a truly magical place. We explored this place with our little red sail boats that made great contrast with the white and blue ice chunks everywhere. By using a drone I am able to show the immense size of of these ice bergs compared to our boats. At some point you forget that they’re pieces of ice. I used to just call them mountains.
It’s incredible to fly your drone above these giants. But Greenland’s atmosphere is incredible in general. The midnight sun colors lasting all night and casting their beautiful light on the ice and water. And not to mention the whales that I saw everyday. I enjoyed watching them play right from the coastline of Ilulissat.
You only realize how beautiful this place is when you’re actually there. There’s something magic about the whole atmosphere. It’s a place we should really cherish in the future and that will hopefully not lose its magic because of global warming.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F3.4, 1/100s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘In Western China, there is an ancient tree that condenses the heavens and the earth, crosses the ancient floods, stands proudly in the desert Gobi, and interprets the meaning of survival in a brilliant way. With the body of the cricket, it forms an eternal landscape and an eternal statue. It is Populus euphratica in the desert!
Populus euphratica, a hero tree in the desert, is not afraid of the sand and the heat with a tenacious character, a tenacious body, a stubborn destiny, a persistent spirit, and guarding his homeland, he has constructed the eternal theme of Populus euphratica and life; it With tenacious life and indomitable will, compose a song of life.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F6, 1/60s, ISO 100
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About this photo: Captured in Iceland, ’it’s wonderful to see how nature and human can coexist together to create beauty, if we change our perspective a little.’
Gear and specs: Not available
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About this photo: ‘Located in the “Red Steel City” of Qingshan District, Wuhan, there are a number of staff quarters built by WISCO Group in the 50th century. They are all brick-concrete red roof tiles. The layout is regular and the floors are the same. “Double Happiness” has become a permanent memory of the older generation of WISCO.’
Gear and specs: Phantom 4 Pro, F5, 1/60s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘The monk carried a flower boat in the river, flower pots are transported to the temple to decorate for Tet holidays, the shadow of the cloud shining on the river feels like a boat going in the clouds. I took this picture in Thap Muoi wetland, Vietnam.’
Gear and specs: Mavic 2 Pro, F5, 1/30s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘A night shot of the Guangzhou Yuan Building in China.’
Gear and specs: Mavic 2 Pro, F5, 1/8s, ISO 100
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About this photo: ‘Here is Hohenzollern Castle during the golden hour.’
Gear and specs: Mavic 2 Pro, F4, 1/120s, ISO 100
