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Dropbox Transfer file-sharing service with up to 100GB limit is now out of beta

Dropbox Transfer, a file-sharing service previously made available to beta testers, is now available to all Dropbox users. The tool enables anyone to share files at capacities up to 100GB with optional password protection and expiration dates. The content is accessed using a privately shared link; the recipient doesn’t need a Dropbox account to download the content.

Dropbox Transfer is similar to WeTransfer, Smash, Hightail and other file-sharing services. The platform enables Dropbox users to rapidly upload content from their account or computer’s hard drive, set an expiration date and password if desired and choose the background and logo for the Dropbox Transfer interface that’ll be presented to the recipient.

According to Dropbox, its file-sharing service gives users more control over the content than they’d have if they shared a folder. For example, the link to the transferred content automatically expires in seven days. As well, the recipients aren’t able to edit the files in the transfers and the sender can monitor the number of views and downloads.

By default, a Dropbox Transfer link will show the recipient a list of the shared files and their sizes, the name of the sender, and the transfer’s expiration date. The transfer size limitation is based on the sender’s Dropbox plan: free users are limited to 100MB, Plus ($ 12 per month) and Business Standard ($ 15 per month) include 2GB transfers, and the following plans support 100GB transfers:

– Professional ($ 19.99 per month)
– Business Advanced ($ 25 per month)
– Enterprise (Pricing varies, contact Dropbox for details)
– Education (Pricing varies, contact Dropbox for details)

Users who want to change the transfer’s background and logo will need a Dropbox Professional subscription. Content can be transferred and accessed using the Dropbox.com/Transfer desktop website and the company’s iOS mobile app. It’s unclear whether Android support is in the pipeline at this time.

Update (November 5, 2019): Updated headline to clarify the 100GB limit is only for select Dropbox plans and clarified the pricing on the various plans offered.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2019
The Sony a6600 is (almost) a great camera for event photographers

Introduction

Out-of-camera JPEG.
Sony 16-55mm F2.8 G | ISO 400 | 1/250 sec | F2.8

In Eden, there is greasy pizza, hoppy beer, a DJ and a ton of hipsters (myself included). I am of course describing Eden Seattle, an event space in the city’s industrial neighborhood that was recently home to an Art Battle.

Before you ask, an Art Battle is a competitive, live-action art contest. There are a series of twenty minute rounds, with the audience voting at the end of each to decide which artists progress to the finals. At the end of it all, the paintings are auctioned off and everyone goes home happy – often a little tipsy, and possibly with a piece of rapid art under their arm.

As it turns out, the a6600 is just too darn slow

As a photographer, the challenge is to capture the fast-moving, well-lit painters as well as the atmosphere of the attentive audience in the surrounding shadows. This means constantly changing settings to properly compensate for lighting and subject movement. I needed a camera that could keep up with me, that would react instantly to my inputs, and get out of my way so I could get on with taking pictures.

Out-of-camera JPEG.
Sony 16-55mm F2.8 G | ISO 320 | 1/250 sec | F2.8

Along with a new 16-55mm F2.8 G lens, we just got the Sony a6600 into the DPReview office. We already know a lot about the image quality of the camera, and have been impressed with its autofocus system, but I wanted to see how Sony’s APS-C flagship and a high-end zoom lens (plus a couple fast primes for good measure) would cope with the fast-paced environment.

As it turns out, the a6600 is just too darn slow.

Taking the good (photos) with the bad (lag)

Processed in Adobe Camera Raw.
Sony 16-55mm F2.8 G | ISO 3200 | 1/100 sec | F2.8

Now, it’s true that the a6600 shoots ridiculously fast bursts, high-speed video, and all that. By ‘slow,’ I mean that I experienced such distinct operational lag when changing settings – lag that is noticeably worse than the company’s a7 or a9 series of full-frame cameras – that it was an incredibly frustrating tool for this type of use.

I was constantly double-checking my settings instead of focusing on my photographs

To start, here’s how I set up the camera: full manual control, with auto ISO. I did this because I wanted to make sure that the aperture stayed wide-open regardless whether I had the zoom or a prime on the camera, and I wanted to be able to quickly change the minimum shutter speed with direct dial control. I could drop to 1/60 sec for static subjects in the dark, and 1/320 sec for the properly-lit painters. But here’s where the lag comes in.

Processed and cropped slightly in Adobe Camera Raw.
Sigma 56mm F1.4 | ISO 1600 | 1/320 sec | F1.4

First, lag in the dials. If I quickly turn a dial, say, three clicks, the camera will almost always adjust my setting by three steps – but only after a small pause. That’s frustrating, but not a deal breaker.

Then, there’s a pretty pronounced lag when swapping between the electronic viewfinder and the rear screen. Again, not a deal breaker, but if I’m changing settings just before, after, or as I’m raising the camera to my eye, sometimes the camera seems to get bogged down and doesn’t catch up to the number of clicks I’ve felt the dial go through. That meant I was constantly double-checking my settings instead of focusing on my photographs.

Out-of-camera JPEG.
Sony 16-55mm F2.8 G | ISO 125 | 1/100 sec | F2.8

Then, there is a lag with the buttons. When I hit the exposure compensation button, I have to wait a beat before I can turn a dial to adjust it (and again, if the camera is swapping from EVF to LCD or vice versa, it would occasionally ignore this input altogether). And I tried assigning the rear AF/MF button to AF-ON, since I prefer back-button autofocus, but then there was a lag before autofocus initiated. It initiated much faster if I left autofocus on the shutter button.

And lastly, there’s lag if you want to use the touchscreen to move your AF point around with your eye to the finder. Sony’s Real-time tracking means I could theoretically keep my AF point in the center, alter my framing to get it over my subject, initiate tracking and recompose at will. However, I don’t want to always have to drastically alter my composition to get my focus point over my subject. But that’s what I ended up doing, because the screen lag meant I couldn’t quickly and precisely move the AF point where I wanted to.

Not a big deal, or a deal breaker?

Out-of-camera JPEG.
Sigma 56mm F1.4 | ISO 640 | 1/200 sec | F1.4

Now, it’s true that the Sony a6600 is an enthusiast camera, not a professional camera, and this sort of use-case is really pushing both what it’s capable of and could reasonably be expected to do.

But here’s the rub – there are other cameras, including the Nikon D7500, Fujifilm X-T3 and the Panasonic G9 – that I can expect to perform well in these situations. It’s not unreasonable to say that a larger sensor in an even more pro-oriented body would be even better, but at least those aforementioned cameras don’t leave me feeling as though I’m waiting for them to keep up with me.

To be fair, I can’t say that another camera would necessarily have gotten me appreciably more technical ‘keepers’: images that are in-focus, properly exposed, and so on. But what I can say is that I would have had a lot more fun, and felt a lot less frustration, and been able to focus far more on my surroundings and compositions if I didn’t have to worry about whether my shutter speed is where I wanted it to be.

Gallery

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2019
Your Workflow for Styling Food Photography

The post Your Workflow for Styling Food Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

The success of any shoot relies on the timing and organization of the various elements to your workflow. There are so many things to remember when shooting. In food photography, forgetting one detail can make the difference between a great picture and one that is so-so. Here are my tips on what to consider during every stage of your food shoot and styling food photography.

Choose the right lens

Like with any genre of photography, choosing the right lens for what you’re trying to achieve is essential. In food photography, you can get a lot of mileage out of a couple of key lenses.

One of these is a 100mm/110mm macro lens if you’re shooting with a camera with a full-frame sensor. The macro capabilities will allow you to take the tight shots of ingredients or dishes, but you can also step back to take beautiful “food portraits.” This can make it a really versatile lens.

Another important lens is a 50mm. This will allow you to take overhead shots, and it’s a good lens to have for food portraits as well. Just keep in mind that on a full-frame, a 50mm is actually a wide-angle lens for food photography. You might need to use large backgrounds, and you can also end up getting distortion when shooting at a 3/4 angle — another good reason to have 100mm macro in your kit.

A 35mm lens is best suited to overhead shots and capturing large spreads of food and some lifestyle type of shots.

If you have the budget for it, I recommend a 24-70mm, as it’s an excellent all-around food photography lens.

Check your camera settings and exposure

If you want to shoot food, it’s best to set your camera to take RAW images. JPEG images are processed, which is handy, but they have a very limited color range as opposed to a RAW file. They also degrade in quality each time you retouch them, whereas you can edit RAW images as much as required without losing important information.

Do what you can to obtain the best exposure in-camera. Getting things right in-camera saves you a lot of time. It’s much harder and more time-consuming to try to fix things in post-production, and you still can’t always get as good of a result as you would if you just took the time to get things right in-camera.

When shooting in natural light, put your white balance on Auto and correct it in post-production if you need to. If you’re shooting with flash, be sure to set it to Daylight white balance.

If you’re using artificial light, set your ISO to 100. Your shutter speed should not exceed the sync speed of your camera. If you don’t know that, you’ll have to look it up. It’s generally around 200.

When shooting in natural light, use a tripod and lower your shutter speed to account for lower light conditions rather than cranking up your ISO, which will give your images unwanted noise.

Harness the light

Before you put the “hero” food down on the table, do a lighting test with a stand-in that is a similar shape and size of the dish you are shooting. Food dies very quickly, so you don’t want it sitting around while you’re tinkering with your lights.

Soft light is usually best for food photography, so use a diffuser, scrim, or translucent fabric to diffuse the light. In most cases, directional light (coming from one direction) will look best. Use black cardboard to create shadows, white cardboard or reflectors to kick in light or fill shadows.

The light should come from the side, the back, or somewhere in between to be most flattering to food. Never use front light – it looks great in portraits, but is too flat for food and will cause unwanted shadows on your set.

Choose the right surfaces and backdrops

Styling food photography also includes your surfaces. Your surface is what you place your food on. The backdrop is what goes behind your scene.

Slightly textured backgrounds and surfaces add more dimension and interest. But you can have too much of a good thing; a lot of texture will detract from the food, so tread lightly.

Avoid backgrounds or wood surfaces that are orange in tone, which looks unattractive with food. Most food is warm-toned, so a cool or neutral backdrop will make it pop. A warm backdrop with warm food can end up looking dated.

When choosing custom backdrops, avoid those that are shiny or reflective in any way. Metallic paint, black marble and such will be difficult to work with. A lot of matte varnishes also end up having a bit of glare, so do a patch test first.

Get creative with your surfaces and backdrops. Tablecloths, tissue paper, craft paper, canvas, linen, cheesecloth are all inexpensive DIY backdrops you can use.

Choose the right props and shooting them correctly

There is a reason that “prop stylist” is a whole occupation on its own. Don’t underestimate how powerful the right props can be.

The key is to not over-prop your scene. One or two props are often all you need unless you’re telling a wider food story like a tablescape. Too many props distract from your food.

It’s also vital that you use dishes and flatware that are on the smaller size. Props can often appear to the camera much larger than they really are, and dominate the image.

Go for matte dishes as much as possible. You can manage reflections in glass and cutlery by spraying them with “Dulling Spray” by Krylon.

You can also use a polarizing filter to cut down on reflections, although you’ll lose 1-2 stops in doing so.

Food styling tips

Use garnishes, herbs, seasonings, crumbs etc to create interest and texture on your set. Use them sparingly though, to avoid a messy look.

Keep herbs fresh by storing them between sheets of wet paper towels. You can also put them in a Mason jar filled with water to make them last longer.

When dressings salads, do so at the last minute, and always have extra dressings and sauces ready to brush on your food subjects.

One great tip used by pro food stylists is to use citric acid, a product like “Fruit Fresh,” to keep produce fresh-looking. Simply dissolve it in water and soak fruits and vegetables in the solution for 1/2 an hour. To keep a misted look on produce without having the water droplets evaporate quickly, use glycerine mixed with water and spray it on the items.

A food photographer should always have a food styling kit with items like brushes, cotton swabs, water spritzers, and squeeze bottles to bring to shoots. Other important items for your kit are drinking straws, tweezers, paper towel, and clean cloths.

Be aware of composition

Composition is a big subject and it can have a lot of impact on your food photography. Without it, the eye loses interest in what’s in the frame.

When shooting, check that you don’t have too much empty/passive space; crop tighter or rearrange your composition. On the other hand, you can shoot a bit wider to give yourself more leeway for cropping your compositions in post-production.

Remember that odd numbers of elements create balance and harmony, while even numbers compete with one another and weaken the impact of the image. There are many other principles of composition, like the Golden Mean, as well as leading lines, patterns, repetition, and texture.

Color is also a part of composition, so think carefully about how the colors of your props and backdrops complement your food.

Colors that are opposite the color wheel are called “complementary colors” and are especially pleasing to the eye.

Shooting your image

It’s best to shoot with a tripod and tether to your computer or laptop so you can see a larger and more accurate rendition of your image on the screen.

If you’re working with clients, they will expect you to shoot tethered. You’ll need to be able to show them every image and get their approval before moving on to the next shot to avoid them coming back to you, saying they didn’t like the image.

Shoot at a minimum of f/5.6 if you’re shooting overhead images

As for your aperture in general, f/5.6 or f/8 is a good default for food shots. You can have some nice bokeh with more of the food in focus.

While you’re shooting, don’t forget to take an image with a grey card or Color Checker to properly white balance in post-processing.

Focus and angle

To get the correct focus and angle, think about which would best complement the food and show it to the best advantage.

Overhead shots are the most graphic and work for many types of flat foods, such as pizza. They’re also a great way of getting more elements into the shot because the depth becomes flattened.

Use lower angles or straight-on angles for tall foods, such as burgers and stacks of pancakes. Keep in mind that lower angles create more surface shine

In general, you usually want to focus on the front of the food.

Post-Processing

Everyone has their own personalized workflow, but here are some tips for editing and retouching that you might find helpful.

If you use Lightroom, work on virtual copies of your files and keep the original untouched. Organize your images in Collections and input metadata that will help you find certain images according to keywords and other attributes.

If you’re more of a Photoshop person, save working copies as you retouch to avoid losing your work. Make sure you are using the correct color space for your purposes.

Always back up your RAW files and your work in at least three places, including a cloud backup system.

Your workflow for styling food photography: conclusion

There are a lot of details to remember while shooting and styling food photography. Hopefully, these workflow points can function as a kind of checklist for you of all things to keep in mind so you can take your images to the next level.

Do you have any other tips on styling food photography that you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments!

The post Your Workflow for Styling Food Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

Digital Photography School

November 5, 2019
Sample gallery and impressions: We shot a test roll of Lomography’s new Metropolis film

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Lomography recently announced LomoChrome Metropolis, the company’s first new film stock in five years. It’s currently available for pre-order, however Lomography was nice enough to send us an early production roll to experiment with. We’ve had some rare sunny Seattle days here recently, so I took advantage and loaded the roll up in my Leica M6 + Rokkor 40mm F2 combo and got shooting.

Metropolis is pitched as a film stock with muted tones, desaturated color and heavy contrast. And though the results of my test roll aren’t exactly my cup of tea, I think it’s accurately advertised.

Then again, my initial choice in subject matter, dogs in halloween costumes, may not have been the best match for Metropolis. The greenish hue of the film doesn’t lend itself particularly well to scenes with a lot of bright colors. But I could certainly see this being a tempting choice for moody cityscapes and street photography. I’d also be curious to push it a little and shoot closer to dusk (I shot it at ISO 400).

Dogs in Halloween costumes may not have been the best choice of subject matter to compliment Metropolis’ unique characteristics.

This is not an everyday film, of course, its a subject-specific film. And choosing subject matter based on your film stock is sort of a foreign concept to me. I’ve always been in the mindset that the film being used should be adaptable to whatever subject matter you choose. But I think it’s cool that Lomography is coming up with creative new films for people wanting a specific or novel look.

Ultimately, of the images I shot, those with urban elements are the ones I think look the best. And I look forward to putting another roll through my camera, this time with the intention of shooting subjects that will complement its unique characteristics. Until then, I’ll stick with my standard film stocks.

See our ISO 400 LomoChrome Metropolis sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2019
Adobe updates Lightroom Classic, Mobile and its ChromeOS app at MAX 2019

As part of its MAX 2019 conference, Adobe has announced updates for all of its photography products, including Lightroom on desktop and mobile platforms, Lightroom Classic, and Adobe Camera Raw. A number of changes arrive as part of these updates, including the addition of interactive edits and guided tutorials in Lightroom on Mac and Windows, advanced exporting in Lightroom for Android and ChromeOS and more.

A screenshot from Adobe showing off the new tutorial interface inside Adobe Lightroom.

The majority of the newly announced updates are for Lightroom on desktop. In addition to the aforementioned guided tutorials and interactive edits, this software is being updated with more advanced exporting options including TIF support, GPU acceleration, a new Fill Edges feature for panoramas that is powered by Content-Aware Fill tech, a new migrator tool for moving to Lightroom from Photoshop Elements and support for directly ordering prints from White House Custom Color.

A screenshot from Adobe showing off the interface for the White House Custom Colour inside Adobe Lightroom Classic.

In addition to the desktop software, Adobe is updating Lightroom for ChromeOS, as well as Android and iOS. As mentioned, both Android and ChromeOS have received advanced export control that includes more options and support for batch exporting images in original, JPEG, and TIF formats. These features will arrive on iOS ‘soon,’ according to Adobe.

As well, all three platforms are getting contextual help, which was first added to Lightroom on Mac and Windows earlier this year. The new help menu is accessible by selecting the ‘?’ icon within the Lightroom app on iOS, Android, and ChromeOS.

Lightroom for iOS is finally receiving the Batch Editing feature that launched on desktop last year and on Android and ChromeOS back in August. With this, users can apply changes to multiple image selections simultaneously, cutting down on editing time when using an iPhone or iPad.

Finally, Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom Classic are both getting the Fill Edges feature for panoramas that is detailed above. Lightroom Classic is also receiving support for multi-batch export and the ability to easily export and share presets and preset groups with others.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2019
Dell’s new UltraSharp 27″ 4K Thunderbolt 3 monitor has 100% Adobe RGB coverage, built-in colorimeter

Dell has used Adobe MAX as an opportunity to announce the UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor, a new 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) Thunderbolt 3 monitor made with photographers and videographers in mind.

The monitor, which goes under the product code UP2720Q, is the world’s first 27-inch 4K monitor with a built-in colorimeter and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity that not only makes it possible to daisy-chain two monitors together but also lets you fully power a connected laptop at up to 90W.

The monitor features 100-percent Adobe RGB coverage, 98-percent DCI-P3 coverage and 80-percent BT2020 coverage — impressive numbers considering all of the other features this monitor has to offer. The stand-out feature of this monitor is a built-in colorimeter that pops out of the bottom bezel of the display and works with CalMAN color calibration software to consistently check the monitor’s color accuracy.

Other specs include a pixel density of 163ppi, a 1,300:1 contrast ratio, an 8ms response time and a less-then-stellar 250 nits ‘typical’ brightness. Aside from the two Thunderbolt 3 ports (one upstream, one downstream), the display also features one Display Port 1.4 connection, two HDMI connections, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (downstream) and a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (downstream) with 2A ‘Power Charging.’

The monitor comes with an included shading hood and is expected to ship January 15, 2020 for $ 1,999.99.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2019
Hoya introduces Starscape light pollution filter for astrophotography

Japanese filter and accessory manufacturer Hoya has introduced its new light pollution cut filter, Starscape. The filter is designed specifically for nighttime photography, enabling photographers to capture star-filled night skies in areas where light pollution could limit visibility.

The Starscape filter is designed to reduce the glare produced by the mercury and sodium vapor lights commonly found in cities. According to Hoya, its filter cuts the greenish and yellow hues that may result from artificial light pollution, ultimately offering what the company describes as ‘natural color reproduction.’ It’s unclear how well it can handle light pollution from LEDs, however.

Hoya will offer the Starscape 1.5 ND filter in 49mm to 82mm sizes; it features a low-profile aluminum frame and 0.5-stop exposure reduction. Pricing and availability information hasn’t been revealed at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2019
Best Fujifilm X-Series Kit for Urban Portraits

The post Best Fujifilm X-Series Kit for Urban Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

With a range of feature-packed cameras that are fun to use, and a line of stunning lenses, a Fujifilm X-Series kit is the ideal companion for urban portrait shoots.

I have been shooting with the X-Series for four years and love the system and the results I get from it. However, with so many good options available, one problem you may have is choosing a lens or kit to shoot with!

In this guide, I discuss what you need to consider when choosing a lens for a shoot, and a list of my favorite Fujifilm lenses for shooting urban portraits.

Advantages of using a Fujifilm X-Series Kit

There are a few key advantages that the Fujifilm X-Series has for urban portrait shoots. Being a mirrorless system, it’s generally smaller and lighter than DSLR kits. In practice, though, my camera bag probably isn’t much lighter because I usually fill it with more of the excellent Fujinon lenses.

Fujifilm’s X-Series is ideal for urban portrait shoots for so many reasons.

Excellent ergonomics and usability is a hallmark of the system. I love that I can change aperture on the lens instead of via a menu – in fact, I could never move back to a system where I have to change aperture via a menu now. The camera bodies feature shutter speed and ISO dials on top of the camera, so you have all the elements of the exposure triangle at your fingertips without a menu in sight.

Live view is another feature I couldn’t live without – it’s amazing seeing what your exposure will look like before pressing the shutter button. This is particularly useful in low light situations that you often encounter in urban shoots. Another dial on top of the camera is exposure compensation – you can easily adjust the exposure as you look through the viewfinder, which is perfect for the way I shoot.

Using live view on my Fujifilm X-T3, I could see exactly what adding extra exposure compensation would do when photographing Anne.

Another big advantage of Fujifilm cameras is their stunning color rendition – the best of any digital camera manufacturer. Fujifilm has used their decades of knowledge to produce JPG simulations that bear the names of class film emulsions: Provia, Astia, and Velvia, to name three.

The images in this article are JPGs (Provia simulation) with only small edits made in Adobe Lightroom. You can, of course, shoot in RAW alongside JPG and add your own looks or presets in post-production.

Camera bodies

I prefer to take two camera bodies with me on my shoots: the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T2.

You can pretty much substitute any of the excellent X-Series lineups into your urban portrait kit, from the X-T series I use to the X-Pro line and the X-E line. I’ve even shot urban portraits with the X100 line of fixed-lens compact cameras.

If you only have one camera body, that is workable – you just need to be careful if you plan on changing lenses in urban environments to minimize the possibility of dust ending up on your sensor. The last thing you want on your mind during a shoot is the feeling of dread that you just let a whole lot of dust bunnies inside your camera.

Choosing a lens for an urban portrait shoot is a balancing act between a focal length that flatters your subject, but still allows you to be close. This image of Bailey was taken with a Fujinon 23mm f1.4 lens.

Lenses for urban portraits

The Fujifilm X-Series boasts a stunning range of superb lenses, with more being added every year. Fujifilm regularly updates a lens road map to let photographers know what new additions are coming. Portrait shooters have many fast primes available to them, as well as weather-resistant primes and a fantastic range of zoom lenses.

When choosing a lens for a shoot, I consider the following things:

Focal length

How flattering is this focal length for portrait photography? The images should flatter your client or model and make them look amazing.

Working distance

What’s the practical working distance of your lens? Ideally, for urban portraits, it’s good to have a lens choice that flatters your client for portraits, but without you being too far away. For me, this rules out some options such as the Fujinon XF 90mm F2 R LM WR lens.

In low light, I often find myself shooting at, or close to, the maximum aperture of the lens (the smallest number). In this image of Natasha, I was using the Fujinon 56mm f1.2 lens at f1.6.

Maximum aperture

The maximum aperture of the lens determines how wide it can open. The smaller the number, the ‘faster’ the lens is, allowing you to take images at high shutter speeds in lower light. ‘Slower’ lenses will not be able to shoot at the same shutter speeds unless you crank up the ISO, which can affect image quality.

During the middle of the day, this may not be important, but with less light after the sun goes down, fast lenses are important for sharp images and to keep the ISO lower. The X-series lineup has a range of very fast prime lenses with many maximum apertures at F1.4 and even F1.2.

Weather resistance

If planning a shoot in the rain or snow, a weather-resistant lens and body are a must. This is generally something I don’t need to think about – if it does start raining during a shoot, I usually move to an undercover location. Usually, clients don’t want their hair, makeup, and outfits ruined by a downpour.

Listed below are my choices for urban portrait lenses.

Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R

I love this lens – there is real magic to it. It’s my number one choice for urban portraits. The XF 35mm F1.4 is the closest Fujifilm has to the full-frame equivalent angle of view of 50mm – a classic focal length used by photographers for decades.

One of the three original lenses in the X-Series lineup, it has a fast maximum aperture of F1.4, making it perfect for images with a shallow depth of field and night shooting.

Featuring stunning optics and pleasing bokeh, this lens gives you a relatively short working distance for portraits. Best of all, it’s a lot cheaper than most of the other lenses in this guide.

I love this shot – so much fun! Alyssa in a phone booth, Brisbane, Australia.

The 35mm F1.4 lens has a magic quality. I love that the lens is flattering for clients, yet it allows you to get quite close to them while shooting.

Fujinon XF 16mm F1.4 R WR

The next choice on my list is arguably one of the best lenses Fujifilm has ever produced – the stunning Fujinon XF 16mm F1.4 lens.

With a full-frame equivalent of 24mm, you may think this is an odd choice for a portrait session, but it’s a perfect lens for wide-angle environmental shots. With a minimum focus distance of just 15cm, this lens is the perfect option when working in confined spaces.

The excellent build quality of the lens is also matched by its stunning optics. Although any distortion is corrected in-body by the camera, you still need to be careful when shooting with it. Place your model or client towards the center of the frame for the best results.

Sasha sitting on beer kegs in a Brisbane laneway. There wasn’t much room in the laneway, so the 16mm F1.4 was a perfect choice for this shot.

The short working distance and wide angle-of-view enabled me to take this image of Natasha in front of some metal shutters.

Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2 R

The XF 56mm F1.2 R lens is perhaps the jewel in the crown of the X-Series lineup. Stunning image quality and beautiful bokeh make it a winner in anyone’s book.

This is the lens that all Fujifilm portrait photographers either have in their kit or on their wishlist. With a full-frame equivalent of around 85mm, it is substantially lighter than full-frame equivalent lenses for DSLRs. It boasts a super-fast F1.2 maximum aperture, is tack sharp, and has the most pleasing bokeh in the X-Series lineup.

For portrait work, this lens is fantastic. Just bear in mind that in urban environments, it’s not always a suitable choice, as you need a greater working distance when using this lens.

Sasha in Brisbane, Australia. I love how sharp she looks in this frame, and how the out-of-focus lights have rendered in the background.

Natasha in a laneway, Brisbane. With a bit more working distance, full-length portraits are also possible with this lens.

Fujinon XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro

Perhaps the most underrated lens in the entire Fujifilm line up, the XF 60mm F2.4 R Macro, was another of the original three lenses released for the system. It had a reputation for being slow to focus, but improvements to the firmware for this lens have made a big difference. I have no hesitation in using it on shoots.

Although it has the word macro in its name, the lens can only shoot at a 1:2 magnification ratio. (Generally, a 1:1 magnification ratio is regarded as true macro.) With a maximum aperture of F2.4, it’s not as fast as other lenses in this article, but the lens still provides excellent image quality and has a very good bang for your buck.

Alyssa at dusk, Brisbane. The XF 60mm F2.4 is an excellent option if the XF56mm F1.2 is out of your budget.

Alyssa in Brisbane. The XF 60mm F2.4 is stunningly sharp.

Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R

The Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 R is another lens often mentioned as the best in the X-Series lineup. With the 1.5 crop factor, it’s Fujifilm’s closest lens to the traditional full-frame 35mm angle of view. This angle of view makes it perhaps the most versatile lens in the lineup for any given range of shooting scenarios – a big plus.

Another fast lens with a maximum aperture of F1.4, the lens is optically stunning and produces sharp images and beautiful bokeh.

Although I love this lens, I often leave it at home and take along the XF 16mm 1.4 and the XF 35mm 1.4 instead. However, it still deserves a place in this guide as it’s an excellent choice for urban portrait shoots.

Bailey, Cleveland, Australia. The XF 23mm F1.4 lens is super-sharp and produces beautiful bokeh.

Bailey, Raby Bay Harbour, Australia. It was quite dark when I took this shot, but with a higher ISO and some exposure compensation, Bailey looks fantastic – as do the pretty lights in the background.

Conclusion

The Fujifilm X-Series lineup is ideal for shooting urban portraits. The range features a range of compact, feature-packed camera bodies, along with optically stunning fast prime lenses.

Although you could invest some serious money in this system, there are many excellent value-for-money options, including the X-E line of camera bodies, as well as the X-T30 and the X-T20. In terms of lens choices, two of the original X-Series lineup – the XF 35mm F1.4 and XF 60mm F2.4 lenses – represent excellent value for money, blowing the competitor’s budget lenses out of the water in terms of quality.

If you have a bigger budget, also consider the X-T3, the new X-Pro 3, and the excellent XF 16mm F1.4, XF 23 1.4, and XF 56mm 1.2 lenses.

I’ve been using the system for four years and love the images the system produces straight out of the camera, thanks to the magic of Fujifilm’s JPG film simulations. The beautiful rendering of colors makes post-processing work a breeze.

What Fujifilm X-Series camera bodies and lenses do you use for urban portrait shoots? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Best Fujifilm X-Series Kit for Urban Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

Digital Photography School

November 5, 2019
Adobe fulfills its promise: Photoshop on iPad is officially here

In keeping its promise, Adobe has announced Photoshop on iPad is officially here.

It’s been over a year since Photoshop on iPad was officially confirmed by Adobe, but the Creative Cloud giant fulfilled its promise to deliver the program before the end of 2019.

As noted in the initial announcement, Photoshop on iPad relies largely on the same underlying code, but tweaks a few things to account for the more touch-based input method the iPad offers. Like the desktop version of Photoshop, Photoshop on iPad offers full PSD support so working on projects between multiple devices shouldn’t be a problem and new projects created on Photoshop on iPad will automatically be saved to Adobe Creative Cloud so you can pick back up on your computer if need be.

As previous reports from beta testers noted, not all of Photoshop’s features are present in the current version of Photoshop on iPad. In Adobe’s own words, it focused on bringing ‘common tasks and workflows that we know will be useful for most Photoshop users.’ Specifically, Adobe has included basic adjustments, brushes, cloning, spot healing, cropping, eyedropper, masking, layers and a few other features.

More powerful features, such as Select Subject, Refine Edge, canvas rotation and improved brush options will be added over time as Adobe learns ‘more about how customers use Photoshop on a mobile device.’

Photoshop on iPad will run on iPadOS 13.1 or newer on the following devices:

• iPad Pro (Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi and Cellular)
• iPad Pro (12.9-inch) and 2nd generation
• iPad Pro (10.5-inch)
• iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
• iPad 5th Generation
• iPad Mini 4
• iPad Air 2

Adobe is offering a free 30-day trial for Photoshop on iPad. After that, pricing gets a little confusing. If you currently have Adobe’s 20GB Photography Creative Cloud plan (or purchase it before January 31, 2020), iPad on Photoshop will be included alongside Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Photoshop on desktop.

If you wait until after the cutoff date, you will have four more expensive options: subscribe to the Photoshop single app subscription (which includes Photoshop on desktop and iPad) for $ 20.99 per month, subscribe to the 100GB Photography plan for $ 20.99 per month, subscribe to the Adobe All Apps plan for $ 52.99 per month or make an in-app purchase on your iPad for a recurring $ 9.99 per month subscription to use just Photoshop on iPad.

Below is a little hands-on The Verge did with Photoshop on iPad a month back.

Photoshop on iPad is currently available to download on compatible devices in the iOS App Store. You can find out more about Photoshop on iPad on Adobe’s product page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2019
Adobe announces Sensei-powered Photoshop Camera app for Android, iOS devices

Today, at Adobe MAX, Adobe announced Photoshop Camera a free AI-powered camera app for Android and iOS devices that will be publicly launched in 2020.

At the core of the camera app is Adobe’s AI technology, Sensei. When taking a photo, Sensei will recognize what the subject matter is and automatically suggest filters to match the content, both in real-time and as a filter after the capture. The filters, which are referred to as ‘lenses’ are curated and created by various ‘well-known artists and influencers,’ but Adobe is also accepting sign-ups for artists interesting in creating custom lenses.

In a blog post announcing the new app, Adobe says:

‘We built Photoshop Camera as a Sensei-first app on our journey to expand our focus to deliver creative tools, including Photoshop, for everyone. With Photoshop Camera you can capture, edit, and share stunning photos and moments – both natural and creative – using real-time Photoshop-grade magic right from the viewfinder, leaving you free to focus on storytelling with powerful tools and effects.’

One of the most impressive features of the Photoshop Camera app is an auto-masking mode that can intelligently select various parts of the images depending on what the particular lens in use is trying to achieve with the subject matter. A few examples include masking out and replacing the sky in an image as well as applying fake bokeh to a shot.

You can sign up for a limited preview version of the app on Adobe’s website. The final version is set for a 2020 release.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 4, 2019