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Real-World Review of the Olympus OMD-EM1X

24 Jul

The post Real-World Review of the Olympus OMD-EM1X appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mark C Hughes.

I recently picked up the Olympus OMD-EM1X (it was a few months ago). I’ve had a chance to use it a lot during this time. It’s an interesting beast of a camera, and have a bunch of observations that I thought would help provide some perspective on this new camera. I put the Olympus OMD-EM1X camera through its paces for this unscientific, but real-world, review.

The EM1X the new professional-grade camera from Olympus

Full disclosure, I am not sponsored by Olympus, but I have been shooting with Olympus gear for several years now and have had several Olympus bodies (OMD EM1 Mark 1, EM1 Mark II and an EM5 Mark II). I also have a bunch of other gear (I shot some older Panasonic cameras I used before switching to Olympus), and prior to that, I was in the Canon system.

While I still have all my lenses, the camera bodies are now getting long in the tooth. I really liked my Canon gear but found that it was just too heavy for me because I tend to like to travel. However, I have lens options, and full-frame cameras use significantly larger lenses for similar focal length when compared to Micro 4/3rds.

Also, I tend to be a bit of a run-and-gun photographer, preferring to get to a position, compose my images, and move on. I don’t usually spend a great deal of time in one position, opting for more positions to work an image. Moreover, I don’t like having to pull out filters, switch lenses (if I can avoid it) or carry tripods (although I often have one with me somewhere).

Great and quick focus for macro photography

Lots of critics

When the EM1X first came out,  some critics were pretty negative about this camera before even seeing it. That’s because it’s an expensive camera based around a slightly older micro 4/3s sensor (same as the EM1 Mark II). While the features are all professional-grade (i.e., insane weather sealing, exceptional in-body image stabilization, speed, and unique computational photographic features, all based upon a 20 MP sensor), some critics felt it is too small.

Micro 4/3s size

Just as a reminder for those unfamiliar with micro 4/3rd sensors, a micro 4/3rd sensor is a sensor with a crop factor of 2. This means the sensor only covers about a quarter of the area of a full-frame (same size as a 35mm negative) sensor. Years ago, full-frame sensors were incredibly difficult to produce, and most sensors were crop sensors of one form or another. Now with advancing technology, full-frame sensors are more readily available, although they generally found in camera bodies with substantial price tags.

You can get blurred backgrounds with Micro 4/3rd lenses when you use faster primes

Costs vs. features

As an Olympus user, buying my own gear, I was a bit unsure of the cost (it is about $ 3,000 USD), which is about double the cost of the OMD EM1 Mark II ($ 1500 USD).  Now I have both.

I really liked my OMD EM1 Mark II, and it has been a workhorse for all my work. With very few complaints about it, the biggest thing I would like would be a bump in the continuous autofocus hit rate (it is already pretty good, but…).

I think all photographers chase better focus, especially now with the incredible autofocus systems on most cameras. The continuous autofocus on the EM1 Mark II was a huge improvement over the EM1 Mark I. It made it much easier to shoot moving subjects, but still wasn’t great for tracking.

In the new Olympus OMD-EM1X, on the surface, the other upgrades to the new body seemed more evolutionary than revolutionary (although I have since discovered that impression was not entirely correct).

In addition, the sensor seemed to be the same in the EM1 Mark II, so what was worth so much more?

Compared to the EM1 Mark II, the EM1X is only slightly bigger (the lens on the right is also a little bigger)

After I purchased the Olympus OMD-EM1X, I immediately realized that some of the cost differences between the models (EM1 Mark II and EM1X) were a little misleading. That’s because the EM1X comes with an integrated battery grip (you can purchase a non-integrated battery grip separately for the EM1 Mark II for US$ 250), an extra battery charger at US$ 59 and an extra battery which goes for US$ 54.  I have used the external battery grip (HLD-9) for my EM1 Mark II, and I’ve barely removed it since. This makes the overall cost difference a little less, but still, at about US$ 1,100 more, the 2 years newer EM1X is still the most expensive camera that Olympus sells.

Beyond the cost, I was initially a little reluctant to jump on the EM1X because of the slightly unusual marketing messaging on this product.

I am a professional photographer and need a solid, reliable camera that is quick to autofocus. Although this was clearly a premium model for the Olympus line and the most expensive camera they sell, Olympus seemed unwilling to state that it was their top model. They instead stated it had shared top billing with the Olympus EM1 Mark II. The EM1X seemed to be marketed only for wildlife and sports photography but is it more capable than just in those two areas?

Another big feature of the camera is the weather sealing. According to the advertising, you can expose this camera to a rainstorm and it will continue to work.

Portability of the system means you can get to more remote areas without carrying too much gear

The real-world results

In addition to some travel photography to Nevada and Madeira, I also took the Olympus OMD-EM1X backcountry camping for a few days.  While backcountry camping, it rained a great deal and I carried my EM1X for the entire time using a Peak Design capture clip on the outside of my backpack. I have also used the camera to photograph animals and some wildlife. The considerable differences are the weatherproofing, autofocus, in-body stabilization, field sensors, and some of the computational features.

The weather sealing of the camera and lens allowed me to clip it on the capture clip and didn’t require a separate bag

Weather resistance

It is a bit of an understatement to say that it is a weatherproof camera.  Lots of cameras claim to be weatherproofed, but in reality, you don’t want to get them wet.

With the Olympus OMD-EM1X, I was genuinely unconcerned when shooting even in a torrential downpour (except for how it would affect my composition).  I start focusing only on what I need to do to get the shot, not whether or not my camera will survive.

When you try to access the memory cards or the battery, there is no doubt that this camera is built to withstand the weather. I live in Northern Canada, and I have used the EM1 Mark II and the EM1X in bitterly cold conditions with lots of snow, and I can attest that neither is a problem for this camera.

Combined with the EM1X, the 12-100mm F4 has 7.5 stops of image stabilization and weather sealed goodness

While backcountry camping at Mount Robson in British Columbia, Canada, it rained most of the entire trip. At no time was I concerned about the EM1X, nor did I ever put it away to get it out of the rain.

This was not a concern shared by others. There were lots of other photographers with other camera brands around, and all had some type of weather shielding for their cameras (camera bags and plastic bags) even while shooting.

The biggest problem I encountered was trying to keep water off the front of the lens so I could take my images without big water drops in the image.

The EM1X got very wet but never showed any adverse consequences of the water. I never quite felt that confident with my EM1 Mark II, because of the battery grip attachment.

Feel

The EM1X is very solid, kind of like a tank. It feels great in hand, and it has key buttons in great locations. Unlike the EM1 Mark II that felt like the battery grip was always a little loose, the integrated battery grip significantly improves the overall ergonomics. In addition, by having both batteries in the same compartment, changing them out is trivial. With the EM1 Mark II, if one or both batteries depleted, getting the battery out of the main body required removal of the battery grip to get at the second battery compartment.

The use of locks for the battery grip and memory card slots give the EM1X a solid feel too.

New button layout

The new button layout has a real sense of purpose. With some cameras, it almost seems the designers couldn’t figure out where to put particular buttons, so they just put them anywhere. In this case, button placement is deliberate. The majority of buttons sit in the same position, regardless of whether the camera is in portrait or landscape orientation. This means there are two buttons for most functions.

I used back-button focus for many years on different cameras, and its placement has much improved for Olympus. The addition of the two-track pointers (both landscape and portrait) allow you to fine-tune your autofocus position while shooting.

Autofocus improvements

Continuous tracking is significantly better than the EM1 Mark II (firmware 2.3) with an ability to lock into a subject and stay on them even in a crowd. I was shooting my son’s lacrosse game and was amazed at how well the tracking held.

I know there are other makes of cameras with good tracking, but this one definitely ranks up there with the elite. It uses both phase and contrast detection and is super fast.

Autofocus allows for tracking of individuals during sports events

In-body image stabilization

It is claimed that the in-body image stabilization (IBIS) is up to 7.5 stops when used in combination with a stabilized lens. Most Olympus lenses don’t have stabilization; instead, they rely on in-camera stabilization. This means you can shoot handheld at times up to about 4-6 seconds and still get sharp photos.

Coming from Canon DSLRs that use only optical stabilization (same as Nikon), you need to pay attention to your shutter speed because of camera shake. This becomes a significant issue with higher megapixel images as the greater detail in the images means that camera shake is highly visible. The Olympus OMD-EM1X mostly eliminates this, and you can really use it to your advantage.

It is difficult to convey to someone how big a deal this is in practical shooting, particularly if you don’t have a tripod. It means you can leave your tripod behind (more often than you probably already do).

You can obtain high-resolution 50MP images handheld without the use of a tripod.

Field sensors

The field sensors provide a built-in GPS with all kinds of information about where you took the image. This includes altitude, temperature, and elevation. The information is baked into the metadata for the images so that it is there.

Prior Olympus cameras, in general, required communication with an app on your mobile phone to get this kind of data. This allows you to track the location of your images in applications such as Adobe Lightroom.

One word of caution, there are two options with how the field sensors activate. You can drain your battery quite fast (even if you are not using the camera) if you don’t use the battery conservation option.

In practical terms, it means that if you use the battery saver mode, you need to turn on the camera for a little while for the GPS to get the location. If you are too quick, it will be missing the GPS location data.

In real-world terms, when I was backcountry camping, the field sensors also showed elevation change and temperature.

High-Resolution Mode

For some time, Olympus has had a sensor-shift/high-resolution mode, where the camera takes a series of images to create a high-resolution image. It does so by moving the sensor 1/2 a pixel in each direction a total of eight times. This feature is not new and has been available on Olympus cameras for a few years.

It is also not the only camera manufacturer (there are only a few) that do this (implemented differently), but all require the use of a tripod.

On the Olympus EM1 Mark II, the resulting image is an 80 MP raw image. The EM1X has this same ability to do high-resolution images with a tripod and introduces the ability to do a high-resolution mode while handheld. To do this, the EM1X takes 16 images and combines them for a slightly smaller, but still high-resolution image (50 MP versus 80 MP).

The handheld, high-resolution mode works remarkably well.  The biggest problem for all of these implementations are moving subjects in the field of view. However, the high-resolution images still turn out quite well, with a noticeable bump in resolution.

Combining remote destinations and high-resolution captures can lead to great images

Simulated ND Filter

The EM1X has an ND mode, where you can simulate long exposure photography without the use of an ND filter.  This allows you to take daytime images of waterfalls, handheld, and without an ND filter.

The results are pretty good.  However, there are limits as to how it works, but the results are worth the effort.

In the end, you can achieve this using an actual ND filter – the results are similar. The ND Filter works well if you are a run-and-gun photographer.

Capturing a flowing stream during the day with normal settings

Using the ND filter allows for the blending of images and the simulation of using an ND filter but without a physical filter

Compact and customizable

If you look at the history of Olympus, you will realize that this is a company that has built its reputation on photographic cameras based on concepts of compact but capable cameras, with a significant emphasis on “compact” (this is not new).

This has always been the case and has been part of the brand for the past 100 years. More recently, Olympus has focused on digital cameras that are very well built, with great optics, incredibly customizable and with a compact form factor.

I also think that Olympus regularly tries to push the leading edge of features that surround the sensor. Things like in-body image stabilization, pixel shift high-resolution mode, and other computational features.

Beyond the new tricks, how about the old tricks?

The Olympus OMD-EM1X is heavier, but not by a huge amount. The ergonomics are great, and the Micro 4/3rd lens selection is fantastic (Olympus and Panasonic). The image quality has never really been an issue for me and my work. Olympus and Panasonic both make very fast lenses, and if you are looking for shallow depth of field, they have lenses that provide great bokeh.

On the downside, the EM1X is not a discrete street photographer type of camera. It is big, pronounced, and screams serious image-taking. There are many smaller bodies for Micro 4/3rds, but this camera delivers big overall.

I am a fan and am convinced.

Without diving into the rabbit hole of full-frame versus crop-sensor debate (there are lots out there), when you consider image size and resolution, you can use most modern cameras micro 4/3rd’s and up for most genres of photography.

In reality, unless you are printing very large (10 feet wide), cropping like mad or need crazy shallow depth of field, sensor size is for pixel peepers to worry about, not the average photographer. You can even use micro 4/3rds for astrophotography, but you really have to work at it.

For those who want to argue the benefits of full-frame sensors over micro 4/3rds, you could argue that the current gold standard is no longer any full-frame camera. Instead, it’s something more like the Fujifilm GFX 100 – a mirrorless medium-format 100 MP camera. These have many of the features of full-frame cameras, including weather sealing, in-body image stabilization, and dual memory card slots.

The camera is quite versatile.

The verdict?

This camera does certain things particularly well. If you are serious about your images, want to travel light, go into locations with harsh weather conditions and want to limit the use of additional gear (tripods and filters), this is the camera for you.

Most modern cameras can take great images in the right hands. The differences become features and suitability to the task.

Based on my real-world experiences, for most photographic imaging, the Olympus OMD-EM1X is up for it. It can do things other cameras can’t including durable weather sealing, handheld, high-resolution mode, ND filter simulation, very fast shooting (60fps without autofocus and 18fps with continuous autofocus) and crazy in-body image stabilization.

review-olympus-omd-em1x-camera

The post Real-World Review of the Olympus OMD-EM1X appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mark C Hughes.


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New Photographers: You Need Grit and This Game Plan to Make a Living

24 Jul

Photography is not for people who lack grit. DATA USA reports that the average salary for photographers is $ 36,699, which is $ 13,514 less than national average salary in the U.S. It is also a shrinking profession, projected to fall 5.6 percent in the next decade, even as the economy grows. © Witthaya Prasongsin | Dreamstime.com   If photography is your Continue Reading

The post New Photographers: You Need Grit and This Game Plan to Make a Living appeared first on Photodoto.


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5 Tips to Improve your Seascapes

24 Jul

The post 5 Tips to Improve your Seascapes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop.

The term seascape is used to describe a sub-genre of landscape photography, where the subject is (or is composed with) the sea, beach or ocean. Similar to landscape shooting, there is a certain amount of planning that goes into having a good day “at sea”.

Here are a few tips to help you on your next salty excursion.

1. Angles and perspectives

So how do you want to tell your seascape story?

There is the obvious option of shooting at sea level. You should include foreground elements to give your scene some depth and interest.


If you have higher ground, use it for a different perspective.

When you shoot from above, you are able to capture coastline shapes to your advantage. These include the shoreline, cliff edges or other rocky outcrops, and the way the land and sea meet. The ocean works well as your foreground or middle ground in the frame. Use the textures around you as well at different angles.

Most seascapes are shot at wide angles to capture the entire scene. Waves also make interesting seascape images. You can do this using a telephoto lens or by getting in the water with your camera properly housed in an underwater case. The latter is not as easy because it requires a whole other skill level.

2. Shutter speed

Since seascapes are all about water or using the water element in your composition, shutter speed is an important consideration. In regular landscapes, your shutter speed affects mostly your sky, whereas, in seascape photography, you now introduce another major moving element. Thus learning to photograph water, and how shutter speed affects it, will go a long way towards your seascapes. You can freeze those crashing waves in time or shoot longer exposures for an end result of smooth, silky water. It all depends on your desired result.

3. Chasing tides

When you go out to shoot landscapes, most likely you check the weather forecast beforehand.

For seascapes, it is a good idea to also check the times for high and low tides. The tides may enhance interesting land features at your location. Some areas may work well with both high and low tides, while others may only be accessible during the low. This is a good reason why scouting a location helps with planning your outing.

Similarly, shooting the same area at different tidal times can also be an interesting photo project.

Tidal pools also make great foreground subjects, and as a bonus, it can be reflective as well.

4. How wet?

Sometimes you need to get your feet wet to fully capture the beauty of the ocean. Other times, you may even get in knee-deep. Saltwater is the natural enemy of electronics though, so keep your gear safe, and more importantly, yourself!

It is better to shoot crashing waves from a distance. If you venture close, choose a dry, safe position and have someone help you look out for rogue waves. Wet rocks can be slippery, so be careful walking on them.

Keeping your gear dry is also a challenge, especially the front lens from sea spray. Plastic bags or waterproof covers and microfiber cloths come in very handy!

Tripods in the ocean are a tricky thing to maneuver with the ebbs and flows of the waves, but once you get a sound footing, you are all set.

If you are shooting on the beach, use tripod feet, or implant the feet a couple of centimeters into the sand to increase stability.

When shooting in the sea, wash off your tripod with fresh water as soon as you can. Keep in mind that salt and sand can still get into the leg joints/extenders and affect slide and lock features.

Do you get in the water more often than not? Then a good recommendation is to get a cheap, sturdy tripod that is replaceable. If not, you will need to disassemble your tripod to clean it properly.

5. Let’s reflect

What could be better than an amazing sky? How about its reflection in a large body of water?

The magic of reflections is real, and an expanse of the ocean provides a fantastic opportunity to capture it. When you use other foreground elements such as rocks, keep an eye out for pools and puddles formed within them to add some extra interest.

Wet sand and rocks can also be reflective as waves recede or at low tide. All of these elements can come together to create an awesome composition. Wet rocks are yet another reason to go out shooting after it rains.

Conclusion

Seascapes are definitely worth the effort. The ocean is always changing, and you can get totally different captures at sunrise and sunset or between high and low tides.

Seascapes also work during the day when the sun is high and is enhancing those beautiful ocean blues and greens, at varying depths.

Plan in advance what you want to capture. What angles are interesting? Can you do something different than what has been done before?

When getting your feet wet, do so safely for both you and your gear. But most of all, have fun! Respect the ocean, and you can make amazing images while listening to its soundtrack.

 

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Why You Shouldn’t Delete Your Images Too Quickly

23 Jul

The post Why You Shouldn’t Delete Your Images Too Quickly appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nils Heininger.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly

There are many reasons why you might want to delete images: They show the same subject, again and again, they are technically inferior, or you simply do not like them. However, don’t hit the delete button right away!

Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t delete your images too quickly

Isn’t it hard to stay organized? Since the age of digital photography, it is quite easy to get “just one more shot” of your subject. These few shots quickly add up to hundreds, even thousands. Considering the huge file sizes of modern cameras, that’s a lot of memory. Not only is your hard-drive full of bytes, but you also have to keep an overview – a few stars here, a few flags there and a red label for your beloved ones. It’s often hard to avoid the data mess.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly-1

At first, I rated this image with one star. Recently, I rediscovered it and was happy that I did not delete it

Sometimes, I feel like deleting all the images I assume I will not use anymore. Why should I keep images that I don’t sell, show to my friends and family or use in any other way? It’s the same subject, just from another perspective.

I have five images from a nicer angle, in a better light and with fewer people in it.

Here is my hint:

Wait a little while, and stay organized. Don’t delete everything in the first place. There are some reasons why you might want to keep your images.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly-2

A picture I rejected because it was a byproduct of a hike to shoot the Milkyway over a river bend.

Your client wants a specific picture

If you are documenting something, or you do travel photography, you should be careful what you delete. Never get rid of any image before completing the job. You may think the light in the image of person XY was not too nice or the photograph is not perfect, but maybe it tells a story.

Your client or editor might ask you, “Is there an image of this person XY, while he looks a bit sad?” or “Is there an image of a person wearing this weird hat, which is so typical for people working in this area?”

You may remember that person XY wore that hat. Then you look it up and realize that you deleted the image because you did not find the light appropriate. My friend, you missed a chance to satisfy an editor.

Even after delivering a project, it is smart to keep all of your images. You may want to sell some of them to someone else. People could approach you to ask if you have an image of this one shop because they make a follow-up story on yours. We never know what the future brings. Don’t delete what others might ask for. Demands of editors can be unpredictable.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly-3

I shot this image as a byproduct of covering a desert safari in India. It was useless for this topic, but it might be useful for another project about the desert region.

Blindness for the beauty

Sometimes, while you are working on a project, you get used to the beauty that you create. You are completely sucked into a breathtaking work environment, and every shot amazes you.

Later, you look at your images and search for the best ones (which you should do) but ignore the second-best ones. Make sure you do not delete them.

When I was in the Indian Himalayas on a motorbike tour, every mountain peak was worth shooting. The light was appealing, and the blue sky was full of little cottonwool clouds. I shot away hundreds of images during the daytime and edited the best in the evening. I recently looked at the old folders and found some amazing images that I rated with two stars just because the others outshined them.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly-4

This picture almost ended up in the bin. Luckily, I checked the folder after a few years.

Maybe you want something specific at one point in time, and you simply cannot see other forms of beauty then. The image may be surrounded by too many other nice ones that distract you at that moment.

When you open your old folders a few years later, you may be happy that you kept them all. Don’t delete what you might value later.

Did you think about stock?

If you worked on commission, you might have a deal that your client takes a bunch of images out of your primary selection. You probably shot far more pictures than needed (you should!). What can you do with the rest? Did you ever think about uploading them on a stock photography platform? You may be able to get a little money from all those images that your client rejected or that you didn’t even send to them because there were better ones of the same subject.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly-5

I chose an image of me sitting under the stars for an article about the desert. This “dismissed” one of me standing on the dune might work well in stock.

Always give your clients the best quality and the best compositions. If your contract does not stop you from using the other images, why would you want to waste them? When you make three images of subject A, but just one is good enough for your client, maybe the other two might be good enough for stock. Don’t delete what you might use afterward.

An image contains memories

Maybe the best reason to keep your images is the simplest – for yourself.

When I look back at any image, it triggers my memory.

These rivers are meeting in the Himalayas. It’s not the best image because it’s too dark, with bad light. Yet, they make me remember the feeling I had when I stopped to take the image. They remind me of the taste of the air, the feeling of empty solitude and the discovery of my dire sunburn where my scarf did not cover my neck.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly-6

Technically, a bad image, yet, the broken bridge reminded me of the struggle to get up this mountain and shoot better images. I laughed out loud when I rediscovered it.

Little details in images make you remember big stories. They evoke feelings. You can smell the flowers again, which you see in the frame of that horribly composed landscape-image. You remember the way that tea vendor smiled, even though the image is a little soft or blurry because you had to shoot with one hand while balancing your teacup in the other. Don’t delete what your older self might love to see.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly-7

It is very hard to compose with one hand while reaching for tea with the other.

Conclusion

You never know what will happen and how you will look at your images at a later point in time. If you have completely identical pictures, well, hit that Del-Button.

If they differ, mark them differently.

You can check your old files after a few years and decide what you want to delete for good.

Maybe you will find something useful even if it is just for a blog post about why you should not delete images. All the images in this article were once ready for deletion.

I resisted, and today, I am happy about it.

why-you-shouldnt-delete-images-too-quickly-8

Be careful what you delete. One day, you might regret it.

What about you?

Did you ever have any regret after deleting images? Do you find pleasure in it? Is there a method, which helps you to avoid deleting the wrong pictures? And when did you last review your old images? I would love to hear your stories in the comments below.

 

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The post Why You Shouldn’t Delete Your Images Too Quickly appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nils Heininger.


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SLC-1L-09: Compressing Tonal Range With Specular Highlights

23 Jul

White marble, dark chocolate, one light source. Problem?

Not at all. Because pretty much everything you can actually see across the top of that box is not really the "correct" tonality of the chocolate. It's all specular highlights.

Controlling the density of specular highlights is what compresses the subject's wide tonal range and unifies everything into one smooth exposure.
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Did You Score Any Gear From This Massive Amazon Prime Blooper? Need to Know How to Use It?

23 Jul

The post Did You Score Any Gear From This Massive Amazon Prime Blooper? Need to Know How to Use It? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

amazon-prime-blooper

This week, people flocked to Amazon for some annual Prime Day deals.

But a select few got a bit more than they were expecting:

Gear that normally costs thousands of dollars…

…on sale for just $ 94.50 USD. 

It all began when an observant Amazon shopper saw that a Sony a6000 bundle was on sale for $ 94.50. They shared this bargain on Slickdeals, and other photographers immediately began to take notice.

Slickdeals users raced to grab the bargain, but it soon became apparent that the Sony a6000 bundle wasn’t the only thing on sale.

Consider the Canon 800mm f/5.6L, which normally comes for $ 13,000 USD. One Amazon customer reportedly managed to snap it up for just $ 94.50 USD.

The same story is true for a number of other pieces of camera kit: the Fujifilm X100F, the Sony a7III, and the Canon EOS R, all of which normally go for over $ 1000 USD, all marked down to $ 94.50.

This was a mistake on Amazon’s part. First, it’s highly unlikely they would offer these items at such laughably low prices. And the deals weren’t seen by all customers; only some folks were able to view the bargain prices.

Many have claimed that Amazon will cancel any orders made for these products. And this might make sense – if it weren’t for the fact that many items have already shipped. Some customers have even received their items.

(Though it remains to be seen whether Amazon will honor the slashed prices for backordered items.)

Unfortunately, this deal-of-a-lifetime is long gone. And only a few Amazon customers managed to grab professional-grade gear for under a hundred dollars.

Were you one of them?

And even if you weren’t able to lock in any of these accidental bargains, did you get any new photography equipment for Prime Day? Let me know in the comments!

Also, for those who did get their hands on some exciting new photography gear, I’d like to take a minute to mention our course, which is only open for a limited time:

31 Days to Become a Better Photographer.

In it, you’ll discover how to use your new gear – so you can take stunning photos, consistently!

Don’t miss out! Sign up here:

31 Days to Become a Better Photographer

The post Did You Score Any Gear From This Massive Amazon Prime Blooper? Need to Know How to Use It? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Understanding Exposure Metering Modes

23 Jul

The post Understanding Exposure Metering Modes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Your camera’s metering modes vary the way it measures the light. This affects the way exposure information is provided. Every modern camera has a built-in exposure meter. Sometimes it’s also referred to as a light meter.

Understanding Exposure Metering Modes Woman Photographer at the Shopping Mall

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Understanding how to control the exposure metering modes on your camera allows you to take better photos. If what you are photographing contains very little contrast, your camera will make a good exposure in the default mode. When you compose an image with contrast, your camera may not make the exposure you want it to.

Selecting the best metering mode allows you to take more pleasing photographs.

There are three basic exposure metering modes on most cameras. These are:

  1. Averaged
  2. Spot
  3. Center-Weighted

Choosing the most appropriate mode is a matter of choosing your main subject and making the right settings accordingly.

Understanding Exposure Metering Modes Thai Model and Elephant

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

How do different exposure metering modes work?

1. Averaged

This mode is named differently depending on the brand of camera you use. Nikon calls it Matrix Metering. On Canon cameras, it’s called Evaluative Metering. Sony and Pentax use the term Multi-Segment Metering. Olympus calls it Digital ESP Metering. Each manufacturer has different algorithms to determine the outcome. Essentially they all do the same thing.

The camera partitions the viewfinder into zones and measures the light in each. It compares these light readings. Then it averages all the information to provide what it decides is the best exposure setting.

Most cameras have this mode as the default. This is how my camera is set most of the time. Using this mode will give you an overall idea of what your exposure settings need to be. When the light is fairly even, using this exposure meter mode works well.

Understanding Exposure Metering Modes Buddha Statue Even Lighting

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

2. Spot

Using this mode, your exposure meter will measure the light from a small area – usually about 3.5% of the frame. You need to place the spot exactly where you want to take your reading from. This will most often be your main subject.

The position of the spot within your frame varies from camera to camera. In some cameras, the spot moves with the point of focus. On other cameras, it remains fixed in the center of the frame. It’s important you know where your spot is, otherwise your exposure can be incorrect. Consult your camera manual or do an online search to find how your camera’s spot meter is positioned.

3. Center-Weighted

This mode reads the light from an area in the center of your frame. The percentage of the area varies from camera to camera. It is typically around 60%. Some camera models allow you to vary the area it covers. This mode is good if you compose with your subject in the center. I rarely compose that way, so never use this mode.

Understanding Exposure Metering Modes Iron Bridge at Night, Chiang Mai, Thailand

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

How to use the Exposure Meter

Half-pressing the shutter release button activates the exposure meter. It will turn off automatically after a time. So if you are not seeing the information it provides, it may have switched itself off.

In your viewfinder or on the monitor you’ll see the information displayed like this on most cameras.

Understanding Exposure Metering Modes Exposure Meter Graphic

Sony cameras use numbers and the + and – symbols to display the exposure information.

If you set your camera to manual exposure, you will see the information displayed when the meter is on. When in an auto mode this information may not be displayed. This is because the camera determines the exposure.

Using manual mode a ‘0’ in the display indicates when the exposure is correct. When the display shows a row of dots stretching towards the – symbol, your image will be underexposed. When the display shows a row of dots stretching towards the + symbol, your image will be overexposed.

Using this information, you can make the required adjustments to your aperture, shutter speed, and/or ISO.

Karen Woman Cooking

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Why are there different Exposure Meter Modes?

Photographs are captured by digital cameras recording reflected light. Light and the tone of your subjects is variable. You need to set your exposure according to how bright or dark your subject appears.

Making a composition with very little tonal variation when the light is flat, your camera will easily make a correct exposure. When there’s high contrast, particularly when the light is harsh, it can be more difficult to get a correct exposure.

In high contrast situations, it’s important to manage your exposure meter. You must read the light from the most important area of your composition. Choosing Averaged or Center-Weighted Metering can often result in poorly-exposed photographs.

Spot metering is most useful when you’re photographing a composition where there’s a lot of contrast. Taking a spot meter reading from the main part of your composition will allow you to expose it well.

Portrait photography is one example of when it’s helpful to switch your metering mode to spot. The face of the person is normally the most important part of your composition. You want the person’s skin tone to be exposed well.

By placing the spot meter on your subject’s face and taking a meter reading, you can adjust the exposure accordingly. If you are using an Auto Mode, your camera will make the setting adjustments for you.

Understanding Exposure Metering Modes Buddhist Monk Candle Lighting Ceremony in Chiang Mai, Thailand

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Using spot metering on a camera when the spot is fixed in the center of the frame, you need to point it where you want to take the reading from. Using an Auto Mode when you recompose to frame your subject, you’ll need to hold the exposure lock button.  If you don’t lock the exposure, your camera will readjust the settings. In Manual Mode, the settings remain constant until you change them again.

Illustrative examples

Photographing a person against a dark or light background requires careful metering so their skin tone looks natural.

Understanding Exposure Metering Modes Masu Dark Background

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

Here’s a portrait of Masu. She is a Kayan woman living with her family in Thailand. I positioned my spot meter to take a reading from her face. In this case, my exposure setting was 1/640th of a second at f/4 and my ISO was set to 400.

If I had used Averaged or Center-Weighted metering, my exposure would have been incorrect. The camera would have accounted for a large portion of the black background.

Placing the spot meter on her face was important. If I’d left the spot in the center of the frame my reading would have been incorrect. It would have read the light reflecting off the black. This would give a reading which would have led to an overexposed skin tone.

Masu Light Background

© Kevin Landwer-Johan

With Masu standing against the white background, I made my exposure metering the same way. The settings are identical to the settings I used for the black background. This is because the light had not changed, only the background.

Conclusion

Choosing the right exposure metering mode helps you better control your exposures. It’s important to look at the light and tone in your composition. Then determine the most important area to expose for. The more contrast there is, the more important it is to meter well.

 

exposure-metering-modes

 

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How to Take the Perfect Macro Photo (Step-By-Step Guide)

22 Jul

The post How to Take the Perfect Macro Photo (Step-By-Step Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how you can take the perfect macro photo.

I’m talking about macro photos that are unbelievably good – the kind of photo that professionals strive for.

Because it turns out there are a few simple macro secrets. And if you use them regularly, you can practically guarantee some gorgeous macro images.

Are you ready for some step-by-step instructions that will take your macro images to the next level?

Let’s dive right in.

Step 1: Shoot during the right light (clouds or Golden-Hour!)

Macro photography starts with light.

And without good light?

Your photos just won’t work.

But what counts as good light for macro photography?

First of all, the golden hours are amazing for macro photography. If you shoot during the hour or two after sunrise and the hour or two before sunset, you’re guaranteed incredible light.

You do have to be careful about the light’s direction. During the golden hours, the sun is low in the sky. This means that the light hits your subject from an angle. And this angle will affect how your photos turn out.

In general, frontlight is the best type of light for macro photography.

(Frontlight refers to light that comes from over your shoulder, and hits the front of your subject.)

So if you stick to frontlight, you’ll do just fine.

If you struggle to find the best position for frontlight, try pointing your shadow at your subject. That way, you can be sure that your subject is always perfectly lit.

However, the golden hours aren’t the only type of good light for macro photography.

You can also shoot beautiful macro photos when the day is heavily overcast.

Because clouds diffuse the light, making it nice and soft.

With soft light, you don’t have to worry about the direction. Instead, focus on shooting subjects with color. The soft light will make the hues more vivid.

And speaking of subjects:

Step 2: Find a single stand-out subject

All perfect macro photos need a strong subject.

Something that stands out. Something that can act as a focal point for your photo. Something that anchors the shot.

There are dozens of possible macro photography subjects, including:

  • Flowers
  • Insects
  • Rocks
  • Feathers
  • Leaves

But here’s the thing:

The particular category of the subject isn’t important. You can take amazing macro photos of flowers or insects, rocks or feathers.

What’s important is that you choose the right flower, the right insect, the right rock.

Because you need to choose a subject that’s going to stand out from its surroundings. That is, you should aim for a subject that contrasts with the environment (ideally in multiple ways).

For instance, your subject can be sharp, while its surroundings are soft.

Your subject can be dark, while its surroundings are light.

Your subject can be red, while its surroundings are green.

The point is for your subject to stand out. If your subject blends in with the environment, the shot generally won’t work. Because almost every macro photo needs an anchor.

Note that this means your subject shouldn’t overlap chaotically with other, similar objects. For instance, you don’t want a flower that’s surrounding by other distracting flowers.

Bottom line:

Make sure your subject is powerful. That’s the first step to capturing the perfect macro photo.

Step 3: Find a simple background that enhances the subject

You know the importance of a stand-out subject.

But your background is important, too.

If you want to capture a stunning macro photo, you’ve got to make sure that your background is totally aligned with this goal.

What makes for the perfect macro background?

First, the perfect background is simple. It doesn’t have much going on. It doesn’t distract.

Second, the perfect background enhances the photo as a whole. That is, it adds a splash of color, or creates a pure white look for the subject to rest on.

In general, you can make your macro backgrounds simple by creating a deep blur. You do this two ways:

  1. Use a wide aperture (in the f/2.8 to f/5.6 range).
  2. Have a large subject-to-background distance. For this, make sure that your background is off in the distance.

To enhance the photo with your background is harder. I like to make backgrounds by using the sun-shade technique – where you make sure that your subject is in the shade, and your background is in golden sun.

That’s how I was able to capture backgrounds like this one:

If you can’t use the sun-shade technique, that’s okay. Try to find a background that includes a bit of color – such as a distant autumn tree.

Note that you can often find better backgrounds by simply walking around your subject and observing it from multiple angles. Try getting down low, shooting from up high, or getting on a level with your subject.

Step 4: Pick the perfect settings for a sharp, well-exposed macro photo

Once you’ve chosen a subject and a background, it’s time to choose your macro settings.

I’ll start by sharing my common settings, and then explain why I choose them and what I suggest you work with.

When I shoot macro photography, I use Manual mode, because I like tweaking both my shutter speed and aperture to try out different looks. However, it can also make sense to work in Aperture Priority mode if you’re not interested in playing with different shutter speeds for creative results.

I don’t recommend Shutter Priority mode, because this relinquishes control over your aperture – and aperture is something that you should absolutely choose yourself.

Speaking of aperture: I consistently use apertures between f/2.8 and f/5.6. This gives me the perfect blurry background – which, as I mentioned above, helps create a stand-out subject.

However, macro photographers sometimes prefer their subject to be sharp throughout. In this case, you’ll need an aperture in the area of f/16 and beyond, and you’ll need a tripod. In fact, if your subject is very three-dimensional, you’ll need to focus stack (a technique that’s beyond the scope of this article).

I tend to work handheld (because I like the flexibility). This means that I rarely let my shutter speed drop below 1/120th of a second. But if you use a tripod, you’re free to let your shutter speed drop far below this mark (if there’s absolutely no wind, that is!).

In general, I advocate using the lowest ISO you can get away with. You want to minimize noise as much as possible. So try to keep this down.

Finally, make sure that you switch from autofocus to manual focus, especially if you’re working at high magnifications. You simply can’t focus well with autofocus at macro magnifications, no matter how good your lens. So manual focus is key to getting the perfect shot.

And that’s it! Take your shot – and admire it! Because if you’ve followed the instructions above, it’s going to look really, really stunning.

How to take the perfect macro photo: next steps

You know how to take the perfect macro photo.

You know how to find the perfect light, the perfect subject, and the perfect background.

You even know the perfect macro photography settings.

So go out and take some perfect macro photos of your own!

Which step in capturing a perfect macro photo do you struggle with the most? Leave a comment right now letting me know – and I’ll see what I can do to help!

 

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The post How to Take the Perfect Macro Photo (Step-By-Step Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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How to Use the HDR Panorama Photo Merge in Lightroom Classic CC

21 Jul

The post How to Use the HDR Panorama Photo Merge in Lightroom Classic CC appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

Not long ago I wrote about Four of the Latest Updates to Lightroom Classic CC. In it, we talked about some of the fresh features Adobe has recently added to Lightroom. One of those great new additions was the single-step HDR Panorama Photo Merge. That’s a mouthful of a name, but it’s an incredibly useful tool that allows us to combine multiple bracketed exposures into a seamless high dynamic range panoramic image in, as the name suggests, essentially a single step. In this article, we’re going to delve a little deeper into the new single-step step HDR Panorama Photo Merge (geez) feature and show you exactly how to capture and combine your images to make a beautifully executed panorama.

What is an HDR Panorama?

High dynamic range (HDR) photographs and panoramas are nothing new to the world of photography. In fact, neither are HDR panoramas.

HDR photos are simply images combining multiple exposures to form a final photo that exhibits tonal and/or focus ranges far beyond a single exposure. Along those same lines, panoramic photos are images stitched together that carry a visual perspective beyond what is obtainable from a single exposure (with a few exceptions).

As you may have guessed, an HDR panorama combines multiple photographs to produce a wide perspective composite image featuring high dynamic range.

Previous methods for merging multiple images to produce HDR panoramic photos were generally tedious and required venturing over into Photoshop. Luckily, with the new HDR Panoramic feature introduced in v8.0 of Lightroom Classic CC, you can now efficiently combine your images with just a few clicks of the mouse. Let me show you how I made the above HDR pano combining twelve separate bracketed photos right inside of Lightroom.

Obtaining your images for merging

The first and arguably most crucial part of creating your HDR panorama begins inside your camera.

Lightroom places some stringent criteria on the images you can combine using it’s single-step HDR Panorama function. ALL of these rules must be met by each one of your images prior to merging.

Here are the “rules” for images you plan to merge into an HDR pano directly from Adobe:

  • All the images in your selection must contain the exposure metadata – Exposure time, f-number, and ISO.
  • Each set of bracketed exposures in your selection must have the same number of images. For example, if you chose to bracket with three images, then all the sets in the selection must also use three images.
  • Every set of bracketed exposures in your selection must have the same exposure offsets. For example, if your first set has exposure offsets of (0, -1, +1), then all other sets in the selection must follow the exposure offset pattern. The image sets can have different exposure values; only the exposure offsets pattern must be consistent across all the sets.
  • Each set of bracketed exposures must be captured contiguously. For example, if you’ve considered a bracket size of three while capturing the images, then the first three images in the sequence become part of a bracket set. The next three images in the sequence become part of another bracket set, and so on.
  • Within a set of bracketed exposures, the images must not have the same exposure value.

While you can shoot your images in either a vertical or horizontal orientation, it is a good idea to use vertically orientated photos in you plan on displaying them digitally. This avoids extremely long, yet narrow images. Of course, this is entirely up to you.

Combining the images

Now that you’ve made it through the rather exacting process of actually obtaining your photos for merging, the rest of the operation is refreshingly easy to complete.

Selection

First things first. In the Library Module of Lightroom Classic CC select the images you want to use for the HDR pano. An easy trick to select all of your images at once is to select the photo at the beginning of the series and then hold down the shift key while clicking the last photo in the series. This automatically selects all your bracketed exposures at once. It also saves you quite a few mouse clicks if you are using a high number of photos.

Once you’ve got all of your photos selected, right-click on any of those images and choose Photo Merge, and then HDR Panorama.

It’s here where you learn for sure whether all of your images meet the requirements for merging. If not, you will receive the soul-crushing message ‘Unable To Detect HDR Exposure Bracket Size. Merge To Non-HDR Panorama Instead?’ That means Lightroom will merge the photos into a normal non-HDR pano if possible.

However, if you’ve done your duty, and you obtained all of your images correctly, your photo will appear as a preliminary smart preview. From here, it’s just a matter of controlling how you want Lightroom to handle the final merging of your images. You’ll have quite a few options that will affect the ultimate product.

Projection modes

Think of projections as the shape of the canvas on which Lightroom paints your finished HDR panorama. There are three different projection modes from which to choose based on the nature of the panorama you are creating:

  • Spherical: This aligns and transforms the images as if they were mapped to the inside of a sphere. This projection mode is great for ultra-wide or multi-row panoramas.

  • Cylindrical: This projects the panorama/HDR panorama as if it were mapped to the inside of a cylinder. This projection mode works well for wide panoramas, but it also keeps vertical lines straight.

  • Perspective: This projects the panorama/HDR panorama as if it were mapped to a flat surface. Since this mode keeps straight lines straight, it is great for architectural photography. Extremely wide panoramas may not work well with this mode due to excessive distortion near the edges of the resulting panorama.

Boundary Warp

The amount of Boundary Warp is a way to stretch your merged HDR pano so that it more or less fills the frame of the selected projection mode. With Boundary Warp, you have a slider that ranges from 0-100 that allows you to preserve any content of the photo that you may lose after cropping.

Experiment with different Boundary Warp settings until you reach a happy medium between distortion and content preservation.

Auto settings/crop

These settings work extremely well to save you some editing time at least on the front end. The auto-crop and auto-settings functions allow Lightroom to trim and process your finished HDR panorama automatically. While you, of course, can crop and process your image manually after merging, I’ve found the auto settings function gives consistently outstanding results.

Stacking

Consider stacking as an afterthought of your post-panorama post-processing. It’s a way for you to keep all of your ducks in a row, so to speak, and is especially useful if you’ve used many photos to construct your HDR panorama. Choosing the stacking option literally stacks all of the images used for your HDR panorama merge into a group with the merged image placed on top. This aids in keeping your filmstrip tidy and saves physical space in the Library Module.

Once you have made all of your selections for the HDR pano merge, it’s time to click the ‘Merge’ button. This begins the process of combining the images into a single DNG file.

After the merge is complete, you will have an image which you are free to finish processing just as you could with any other digital RAW file. This includes adjusting the auto-cropping and, of course, the auto settings. This achieves the final image that we saw from earlier.

Final considerations

Remember that any HDR image is already by its very definition a composite photo. As such, it is a combination of many different exposures which, if pushed too far, can result in an incredibly fake-looking final product. Always keep your HDR images within the realm of passable reality unless you are intentionally going for a hyper-realistic appeal. Along those same lines, make sure the photos meet all the criteria for HDR panorama merging listed above.

Furthermore, attempt to previsualize the final merged photo in your mind and shoot your images according to the tonal range and perspective you wish to achieve. When in doubt, it’s always better to have too many images to work with than not enough.

Have some HDR Panorama photos you’ve created inside of Lightroom Classic CC? We’d love to see them! Feel free to share them in the comments.

 

HDR-panorama-photo-merge

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How to Shoot Animal Portraits [video]

21 Jul

The post How to Shoot Animal Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

animal-portraits

In this video from the crew over at Cooph, Vincent Lagrange, shows you how to shoot animal portraits that have style and tell the story behind the animal.

?

These are the key things Lagrange points out in the video:

Purity

Animals don’t need makeup or a stylist – they have their own unique look to photograph from the get-go.

animal-portraits

Technique

  • Build a good relationship with the animal.
  • Create a soft light setting. Avoid flash so that the animal is as relaxed as possible.
  • Create a quiet atmosphere
  • Communicate with sound.
  • Only use food when the shoot is becoming difficult.

animal-portraits

Approach

  • Don’t start directly photographing the animal. Spend some time with it first.
  • If the animal doesn’t want to be photographed, then don’t. Let it rest and then try again. It is not an object.
  • Have patience

Equipment

  • For the larger portraits, Vincent uses the Leica S medium format camera.
  • When he is on the road, he uses the Leica M.
  • He always uses fixed lenses – never zooms.
  • He also never uses continuous shooting mode. He invests time in composing and doing single shots and keeping it quiet.

You may also find the following helpful:

  • Five Tips for Creative Pet Photography
  • Tips for Great Lighting for Pet Photography
  • 6 Tips for Working with Unruly Animals in Pet Photography
  • Why Taking Pictures of Your Pets Will Help Make You a Better Photographer
  • Five Things You Need to Know Before Starting a Pet Photography Business

 

The post How to Shoot Animal Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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