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  • Vazen launches “world’s first” anamorphic lenses for Micro Four Thirds

    Vazen, a Chinese optics manufacturer, is set to launch a trio of anamorphic lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras. Showing at the Cine Gear Expo and spotted by Newsshooter, the company will be offering 28mm, 40mm and 65mm focal lengths with a 1.8x anamorphic effect.

    The lens on show at Cine Gear is a 40mm T2 that will be shipping at the end of this month. When used on Micro Four Thirds cameras, such as the Lumix GH5/s, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera or Z-cam E2, it will produce 2.39:1 aspect ratio images. Vazen claims the lenses will provide ‘buttery smooth oval bokeh, signature blue horizontal flare and the widescreen cinematic look’ as well as a minimum focus distance of 0.82m (2.7ft) for the 40mm example. The focus and aperture rings are fitted with gears and the front filter thread measures 110mm.

    Below is sample footage captured with the 40mm T2 lens:

    The 40mm version weighs 1.8kg (3.97lbs), is 110mm x 175mm (4.33in x 6.89in), and will cost $ 3,250. Users will have to wait until much later in the year for the 28mm and 65mm models. For more information see the Vazen website.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Fujifilm GFX 100 sample gallery with Raw conversions

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    We’ve been out shooting with the Fujifilm GFX 100 as much as possible, and while it’s running not-quite-final firmware, we’re able to share some converted Raw files in our latest batch of sample images. Image quality is unlikely to change significantly with the final firmware version, but bear in mind that it is still subject to change as you take a look through some fresh out-of-camera JPEGs and Raw conversions.

    And goodness, a hundred megapixels of resolution is nothing to sneeze at.

    See our Fujifilm GFX 100 sample gallery (non-final firmware)

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • How to do Abstract Watercolor Photography

    The post How to do Abstract Watercolor Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

    Less about what it is, more about how it makes you feel is this “watercolors” shot, “Visual Jazz.” © Rick Ohnsman

    When you’re ready to make the transition from “snapshooter” to a serious photographer, make photographs rather than simply take pictures, then you’re also ready to begin thinking like an artist.  No longer should you snap a photo to simply record a representation of what you saw.  You will want to begin to think about how to craft your image so that it tells a story, captures the emotion, and involves the viewer in a way that communicates to them.  While the subject and the location still matter, it is also important to consider “how does my image make the viewer feel?”

    A Wikipedia article on the famous photographer, Minor White, (July 9, 1908 – June 24, 1976) describes him this way – “An American photographer, theoretician, critic, and educator. He combined an intense interest in how people viewed and understood photographs with a personal vision that was guided by a variety of spiritual and intellectual philosophies.”

    I especially like this quote from White –

    “One should not only photograph things for what they are but for what else they are.” – Minor White

    Water ripple reflections are sometimes distorted, making interesting abstracts. © Rick Ohnsman

    Photographing “Watercolors”

    The use of the term watercolors in this article is not to describe how you might photograph a watercolor painting nor is it about how to use digital tools and techniques to emulate a watercolor look with your photograph.  Instead, we explore how you can learn to see, and then photograph the interplay of light and water to make interesting, and often abstract, images.  Such images will require you to look harder, quietly observe, study and then decide how you will use your camera to capture the image.  You will want to think about how the scene makes you feel and how you will communicate that to your viewer.

    A real benefit of making these kinds of photos is – unlike joining the dozens of photographers who might line up at sunrise at that iconic location and all snap away, essentially all making the same shot – these kinds of images will be uniquely yours.

    Every image will be different.  In most cases, you couldn’t replicate the shot even if you tried.

    There’s much satisfaction in crafting something that is uniquely your vision and creation.

    The qualities of light and water

    Yes, it’s a wave, but this photo is all about the patterns, colors, and reflections in the sea and surf. © Rick Ohnsman

    You may have heard the origin of the word “photography,” based on the Greek words “phos” for light and “graphé” meaning drawing.  Thus, photography is ‘”drawing with light.”

    The light that enters our camera lens is either direct (emitted from a source like the sun, or an artificial light source), or reflected (light bouncing off an object and into our lens).  We study the effect of light, and it’s absence, and use it to define the objects we photograph.

    Now add water into the scene.  Water can also reflect the light (and the various colors comprising it).  It can also refract the light – bending, altering, and even splitting it into its component colors.

    Light waves are changed as they pass from a less-dense material like air to a more-dense medium like water.  Understanding the physics behind how this works isn’t important.  What you as a photographer, a trained observer, and an artist, want to do is learn how to watch for and then capture the interplay of light and water.

    Water exists in all three forms in this shot; liquid, solid, and gas. © Rick Ohnsman

    The three properties of water

    Okay, hang on, just a little more physics here.

    Water exists in three states:

    1. liquid,
    2. solid (ice and snow), and
    3. gas (steam, fog, clouds, mist).

    How light behaves when it is reflected off the water in these states or refracted through them will become part of your observation training as photographer and artist.

    A long exposure blurs the liquid water, but the ice on the rocks is still, a way to display the static and dynamic qualities of water. © Rick Ohnsman

     

    A long exposure blurs the water of Avalanche Falls in the Flume Gorge of New Hampshire. © Rick Ohnsman

    There are always photos to be taken as this cellphone shot of water cascading down the windshield during a trip through the carwash demonstrates. © Rick Ohnsman

    Capturing motion

    Include the duck for a touch of reality, use the reflection only, or catch a rippled reflection for an abstract, there are many creative possibilities. © Rick Ohnsman

    Water dripping down the wall of a building makes for a “realistic-abstract.” © Rick Ohnsman

    Something else water can do is move.  From massive ocean waves, flowing rivers, erupting geysers, human-made fountains, tiny dripping drops, swirling fog and mist, snow and rain, in many forms water moves.

    Our cameras can freeze that motion with high shutter speeds or flash or blur it with long exposures.  Water and how it behaves gives us tremendous opportunities for creativity with our cameras.

    Combining still objects in the photo which don’t move, (think a rocky coastline), with water that does (like the waves) in a long exposure, and you create an exciting image that displays both static and dynamic elements.

    There’s the realism of the water lily, but over in the corner of the shot… © Rick Ohnsman

    Realistic or abstract?

    There are no rules when it comes to how you choose to depict water in your photo.  It might be quite literal like an image of a waterfall.  It could play a “supporting role,” adding story and color to an image.  Or it could be about how the light interacts with the water; liquid, solid, or gas.  Alternatively, maybe it’s totally abstract – all about the shape, form, line, and color with no concern whatsoever to what the subject might be.

    The objective here is to become a “student of light,” observing how light and water interact to create interesting scenes to photograph.

    … a complete abstract. © Rick Ohnsman

    Learning by observing

    The rest of this article will be about the photos.  Study how I made each one and the way water, in its various forms, is used in combination with the light to make the image.  I have captioned the photos with additional information about them.  See what you can learn and then go make your own unique images.

    Water vapor, or what we call fog, create effects with the light. © Rick Ohnsman

    Ice is water in solid form. It reflects, refracts, and alters the light while taking on fantastic forms. © Rick Ohnsman

    Reflections on the wet sand make great watercolors. © Rick Ohnsman

    It might come in a bottle, but sparkling water is a great way to add bubbles to your watercolors. © Rick Ohnsman

    Even where watercolors may not be the main subject, they can play a strong supporting role. © Rick Ohnsman

     

    The post How to do Abstract Watercolor Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.


    Digital Photography School

  • Apple announces new photo features and tools in iOS 13, macOS and iPadOS updates

    Today, at its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2019, Apple unveiled a collection of new photo-oriented features and tools inside its upcoming iOS 13 and macOS operating systems, as well as its new iPadOS, a spin-off of iOS designed specifically to utilize the larger, more powerful tablets from Apple.

    Below we’ve rounded up and summarized the best photo-related features from each of the three operating systems. Additional details will be added over time as we gather more information and details.

    iOS 13

    The main feature changes in iOS 13 are new and improved features inside the Camera and Photos applications.

    On the Camera app front, Apple has added a new Portrait Mode setting it calls High Key Mono. As its name suggests, the new AI-powered filter will create a high key black and white image when captured with Portrait Mode in the Camera app.

    A collection of Portrait Mode images showing the five different lighting filters available.

    Also new to Portrait Mode is the ability to adjust the intensity of the lighting. Apple says its new feature is designed to simulate the light source moving closer to or further away from the subject and even accounts for the higher intensity light being softer, as would be the case with a physical light source. And like before, each adjustment is made individually to images using AI to achieve the most accurate results.

    Screenshots provided by Apple showing the ‘Years,’ ‘Months’ and ‘Days’ tabs, respectively.

    Moving onto the Photos app on iOS, Apple has switched up the interface a little to add a new tab at the bottom that will automatically sort images into ‘Years,’ ‘Months,’ ‘Days’ and ‘All Photos.’ In addition to the new ‘Pinch’ gesture that can be used to zoom in and out of large numbers of photos, these tabs make it easier to chronological sort through images and the tabs are even contextual, so if, say, it’s your child’s birthday and their information is in your phone, the ‘Year’ tab will show photos of your child on the thumbnails of each year.

    Another UI change in the Photos app is in the photo editing section. The interface now uses buttons, akin to what you see in Instagram and other third-party photo editing applications. Apple has also added the ability to edit video directly in the Photos app, just as you would photos. Now, videos can be rotated, adjusted and have filters added to them just as you would with a still image.

    You can read more about iOS 13 on Apple’s dedicated preview page.

    iPadOS

    You might’ve noticed the lack of any mention of the iPad. That’s because Apple has finally given the iPad an operating system of its own, iPadOS. Unsurprisingly, the operating system is effectively a more powerful version of iOS, complete with a number of features photographers around the world have been asking for.

    First up is support for external drives. Now, the Files app supports browsing, editing, sorting and transferring content from hard drives, solid state drives, USB drives, SD cards and even direct import from cameras. We haven’t found any additional details, but Apple CEO Tim Cook specifically mentioned the ability to import images directly into Lightroom CC from an SD card or connected camera, bypassing the need to first import images into your Camera Roll.

    The first iteration of iPadOS also brings the aforementioned changes found in the iOS 13 version of the Camera and Photos apps.

    Apple has also managed to further decrease the response time when using the Apple Pencil with an iPad. Apple already leads the industry with a 20ms response time, but in iPadOS that’s been further reduced to 9ms, thanks to improved algorithms.

    You can read more about iPadOS on Apple’s dedicated preview page.

    macOS Catalina

    The newest version of Apple’s desktop operating system, macOS, has strayed from the desert theme and has officially been deemed macOS Catalina. Of all the changes, one change, in particular, stands out for photographers—Sidecar.

    Until now, it’s required third-party hardware and software to use your iPad as a secondary display for your macOS computer. Now, the functionality is baked directly into macOS Catalina via Sidecar.

    Sidecar works both wired and wirelessly, and supports the Apple Pencil, effectively turning your iPad into a dedicated drawing tablet that’s connected directly to your macOS computer. Sidecar will support gesture inputs and will display various Touch Bar functions on the bottom of the iPad display, even if you don’t have the Touch Bar MacBook Pro.

    Apple has shared a list of supported apps, which include Affinity Photo, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Cinema 4D, Final Cut Pro, Maya and others. However, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Capture One and other photo-related apps are noticeably absent from the list for the time being.

    A list of apps Apple has specifically mentioned as supported by Sidecar for the time being.

    By adding this functionality, Apple has more or less pulled the rug out from underneath third-party software and hardware options including Astropad and Duet Display. However, until iPadOS and macOS Catalina are available for public use, third-party options are the only means of using your iPad as a secondary display.

    You can read more about macOS Catalina on Apple’s dedicated preview page.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • OPPO and Xiaomi demo under-display front cameras

    Xiaomi Mi 9 prototype with under-display front camera (left)

    Front cameras are an essential component in mobile devices and used for a range of tasks, including selfie captures, video calls and face-unlocking. However, they can stand in the way of clean device design, taking up space on the front of the phone and requiring bulky top-bezels, display holes or a front camera ‘notch’.

    Recently several manufacturers have come up with creative design solutions that ensure an uninterrupted almost bezel-less display. Pop-up and rotating cameras are mechanical solutions, however, that are subject to wear and tear. Now it looks like Chinese manufacturer OPPO has found a solution that does not require any moving parts: a camera that is hidden under the display.

    OPPO VP Brian Shen shared a video clip on the social network Weibo, showing what appears to be a smartphone without any visible front camera holes or notches on a desk. When the camera app is launched a live preview of the room’s ceiling is displayed. The demonstrator also moves their finger over the area where the camera appears to hidden.

    Rival Xiaomi did not take long to respond to the OPPO video, posting its own under-display camera demo. Company’s president Lin Bin shared a video clip in which an under-display camera was added to a Xiaomi Mi 9 prototype.

    In contrast to mechanical solutions users of an under-display camera would not have to worry about wear and tear but in a follow-up post to the demo, Shen says that the technology is still in an early development phase. ‘At this stage, it’s difficult for under-display cameras to match the same results as normal cameras, there’s bound to be some loss in optical quality,’ Shen writes. ‘But, no new technology jumps to perfection right away.’ Neither OPPO nor Xiaomi have said when the new technology will be released.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Sony’s US-only ‘Step up to Sony’ sales event is offering up to $1K off cameras, kits and lenses

    Sony is currently running its ‘Step Up To Sony’ sales event, a summer sales event for U.S. customers that’s heavily discounting some of Sony’s most popular cameras, lenses and kits. The ‘Step Up To Sony’ event runs through Jun 22, 2019. We’ve rounded up some of the best deals from the sales event and have listed them below.

    Cameras and kits

    Sony a7R III (Adorama, B&H): $ 2,598 ($ 600 instant rebate)

    Sony a9 (Adorama, B&H): $ 3,498 ($ 1000 instant rebate)

    Sony a7R II (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,498 ($ 500 instant rebate)

    Sony A7 II (Adorama, B&H): Body only for $ 898 ($ 500 instant rebate), kit for $ 1000 ($ 600 instant rebate)

    Sony RX100 V (B&H): $ 898 ($ 100 instant rebate)

    Sony RX10 IV (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,598.00 ($ 100 instant rebate)

    Lenses

    Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,598 ($ 100 instant rebate)

    Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,398 ($ 100 instant rebate)

    Sony Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,398 ($ 100 instant rebate)

    Sony Distagon T FE 35mm F1.4 ZA (Adorama, B&H): $ 1,498 ($ 100 instant rebate)

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • How to Use a Photography Ring Light in Unconventional Ways

    The post How to Use a Photography Ring Light in Unconventional Ways appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

    With a ton of options on the market, adding a ring light to your kit has never been cheaper.

    Continuous photography ring lights seem to be everywhere nowadays. There are dozens of offerings from dozens of companies that you can choose from, and they are popular with photographers, make-up artists, and videographers. The main use of a ring light is on-axis lighting for an even, somewhat flat exposure.

    However, what do you do if you don’t like that effect or the distinctive ring-shaped catchlight for that matter? Because these lights are continuous, and because of their size, they have more uses than ring flashes of the past. If you don’t like the straight-on effect, you don’t have to use a ring light in that way.

    In normal use, you would place the light directly in front of your subject and shoot through the aperture of the light.

    This article demonstrates six uses of a continuous ring light that isn’t their intended use. It will also (hopefully) show you that these relatively cheap and effective lights are useful to have for any photographer in the studio.

    Normal use

    While not to the taste of many photographers, ring lights can be used to create bold and vibrant images.

    If you’re unfamiliar, a ring light is a circular, ring-shaped light with a large aperture designed to be placed directly in front of a subject. You then take your images by positioning your camera through the aperture of the ring.

    Traditional ring flashes had the light attached to the camera. This front (on-axis) lighting provides an evenly lit image. This is one of those things that you either love or hate, but photographers who love it tend to really love it.

    Versatility

    With the continuous versions of these lights, you have a wealth of options with how to use a ring light. Because the light is always on, you can position it anywhere you want. With a lot of the options on the market, this gives you a high-powered, lightweight and versatile continuous light for around $ 100.

    Because of the brightness of a continuous ring light, your subject’s pupils will be constricted, allowing you to see more of the color in their eyes.

    Here’s a bonus if you’ve never used continuous lights before. Because the output is constant, your portrait subject’s pupils get constricted. This means you will see more of the color of their eyes in your photos.

    Options

    Below are five examples of ways you can use a continuous ring light to great effect without ever using it as a ring light.

    1. As a normal light

    Placed at a 45-degree angle and angled downwards, these ring lights work well as normal light source.

    Despite its circular shape, ring lights are great when used as a normal light. Raise the light and angle it towards your subject to distort the effect the shape of the light has, and you can use it as a small softbox. You’re not limited to how you can light your subject this way, but I’ve found that all of the basic lighting patterns work well.

    You are not limited to the shape of the ring. Use flags to block off portions of the light to shape it however you want.

    If you have more than one ring light, you can use them together to create just about any two-light setup that you can imagine. If the ones you have have an adjustable output, managing your key to fill ratios should be pretty easy.

    2. As a prop

    Having your subject pose with the light itself can create some interesting and fun portraits. It can also help to lighten the mood during a session.

    If you have an LED ring light, they don’t get very hot. Feel free to have your subject pose with the light itself for some very different images. The results will vary with ring lights of different sizes, and you have to worry about the plug and the cables, but it’s still a fun technique. Though you probably won’t use it very often thanks to its tendency towards uplighting.

    3. As ambient fill

    Modern ring lights are getting quite powerful and it is more than possible to use them as fill lighting in conjunction with studio flash.

    You can mix any continuous light with studio flashes for some interesting effects. By using a strobe as your key light, you can then bring a ring light in for some gentle fill.

    A couple of things that you will want to keep in mind is that your strobes are probably way more powerful than your ring light, so set the power accordingly. Also, you will probably want to have a ring light with an adjustable color temperature if you are going to be mixing light sources.

    You could also reverse this and use the ring light as key and flash as fill. As before, make sure the power on your strobes goes down that far before committing to this.

    4. As a compositional device

    Putting the light behind your subject creates an interesting tool for composition. Also, it may just be me, but I love that rim light that it is producing.

    In its normal use, I am a fan of creating a composition with the actual ring light framing the subject. I just like it for whatever reason. However, you are not limited to that. You can place the ring light anywhere in your frame for some cool effects. Try placing one behind your subject for a halo effect, or placing one at an angle just inside your frame for a curved band of light running through the composition.

    5. Dragging the shutter

    When you’re mixing a ring light with studio flash, it opens the door to some interesting techniques like dragging the shutter. Here, flash is acting as fill and the shutter speed is set to 1/15th of a second.

    This is similar to using the ring light as ambient fill, but if you use your strobe normally, you can expose for the high-powered strobe and the low-powered ring light by dragging the shutter.

    This technique is not for everyone, but it can produce some interesting results.

    A little warning: if you’re a technically-minded photographer, you’re probably going to hate this technique, as the results tend to be a little soft. However, it can be used for some striking results. If you do like it, you still have to be careful with controlling the movement of your camera.

    You do have to manage any movement in your camera while using this technique. If in doubt, use a tripod.

    Because the power output on your flash is not in any way controlled by shutter speed, you can set your shutter speed as slow as you need to make this work. However, you may want to use a tripod for really slow shutter speeds. This technique can provide some cool effects in its own right, but no two attempts are going to be the same.

    That’s it

    There you have it. That’s six ways that you can use a continuous ring light without ever having to use it as a ring light. Considering how cheap these things are, they are a very useful tool for any photographer who wants to get into off-camera lighting but for some reason is put off by flash.

    Do you have other ways that you use a ring light? Please share with us in the comments below.

     

    The post How to Use a Photography Ring Light in Unconventional Ways appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.


    Digital Photography School

  • 8 Rules for the Creative Life

    The post 8 Rules for the Creative Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

    The biggest stumbling block for many photographers is not knowing how to be creative. You have some natural talent but never seem to break out and become a satisfied creative person. Thankfully, some rules govern a happy and productive creative life. These rules help you to get control and live out your creativity – even with a busy work schedule, and without sacrificing valuable time with your family.

    Here are eight of those rules that will help you thrive as a creative photographer.

    Practice your creativity.

    Kids have creativity mastered. They may not be very good yet, but they do it all the time. Their life is ordered around exploration and little creative projects. Between the new skills they learn, and the volume of their output, their natural ability increases quickly.

    1. Don’t rely on your natural talent

    Maybe you’ve got a natural eye for photography, but that’s not enough. You’ll hit a wall some day and not know how to overcome it.

    Even with a good eye already, you should keep learning more about what makes for a good photograph. Go ahead and put your own creative spin on what you’re learning. When you work hard and understand what makes your photography good, you’ll always have ideas and principles to pull from, even when you’re completely uninspired. At the very least, you’ll be able to keep working until truly creative ideas strike you.

    Don’t rely on natural talent. Understand how photography works, and exercise your creativity so that you can turn it on whenever you need it. 

    Practice your creativity

    2. Successful creative people never stop

    Successful creative people never stop working. They are not lazy. They rise to the top because of how hard they work.

    But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t sleep or never step back from your creative endeavors. Successful creative people rest in order to recharge and come back to their work even stronger.

    When you think about it, you’re always doing something with your time (even if it’s just scrolling social media). But the best creative people are intentional and constructive with their time. If you’re always doing something anyway, then why not prioritize something creative?

    Many people think they lack time to devote to their photography. You have time, but you’re choosing to spend it on other things. Write down exactly what you do all day. You’ll be shocked at how much time you waste. Don’t waste your time, do photography instead.

    Get up one hour earlier. Study and practice photography before your day even begins. You’ll be cheating time by using what you usually would have slept away.

    Think about where you could be in a year if you devote one hour to photography every day. Henri Cartier-Bresson says that your first 10,000 photos are your worst. If that’s true, then hurry up and get them behind you. You only need to take about 28 pictures a day over a year.

    But working hard does not mean that you need to neglect your family in the process. A workaholic career can destroy your family, and this is not healthy for them or you. Many traveling photographers abandon their families in the name of doing something meaningful with their work. However, what good is their work to the world if their own family suffers for it?

    Work, work, work. Get up one hour earlier to do it, but guard your family from abuse of work.

    Black and white Rembrandt lighting

    I know this photo is grainy and a little soft. It’s okay with me because I’ve acquired a taste for imperfect black and white photos (and Rembrandt lighting).

    3. Creativity generator

    Exploration is a creativity generator. So explore your craft, other peoples craft, and the whole world around you.

    If your craft is portraiture then you need to explore portraiture. But you should also explore other types of photography (photojournalism, macro, wildlife, etc.). You’ll discover interesting ways to improve your portraiture as you study other forms of photography.

    Take your learning beyond photography. Study all sorts of creative disciplines (writing, painting, sculpting, or architecture). You don’t have to learn to do these things, just learn about them.

    Read memoirs and biographies of creative people too. See what a successful creative life looks like. And learn from the mistakes of tragic lives.

    Part of creativity is bringing familiar things together in new ways. The more you explore, the more you have to bring together.

    Exploration leads to endless creative possibilities.

    4. Capture your ideas before they disappear

    As you learn, work and explore, you’re going to need a way to capture the creative ideas that keep coming into your mind. They light up brightly but disappear quickly. You need to capture those ideas like fireflies in a jar.

    Rather than jumping from idea to idea without ever completing anything, carry a notepad or recording device to capture your ideas. Record your idea and then get back to the project you’re working on. Being single-minded is far better than scattering your mind across many half-finished projects. Those half-finished projects will likely become never-finished projects.

    Sift through your ideas later when you need something new to work on. You’ll find that many of those ideas weren’t worth pursuing. Moreover, you’ll realize that there were some gems that you had completely forgotten about.

    You’ll end up with a lot of ideas, let the best ones rise to the top over time.

    creative black and white photos.

    While watching my son build Lego, I noticed the gesture expressed in his toes. Part of exploration is just watching what is going on around you.

    5. Build bridges

    Some people prefer to work as a team, others prefer to work on their own. Even if you prefer to pursue your craft on your own, you should still gather with other photographers.

    You should especially gather with ones who photograph different subject matter than you. The friendship and feedback will encourage you and help you to avoid becoming narrow and stagnant.

    It can get very lonely being the only creative person you know, especially if your spouse doesn’t share your drive for creativity. Before you know it, you’re like an isolated island.

    Build bridges to the other creative people around you. 

    6. One explosion can ruin everything

    It’s better to build bridges than it is to burn them.

    All it takes is one big emotional outburst to ruin your career as a creative person. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or work in a team, nobody wants to put up with your anger or dramatic outbursts. Treat everyone around you with respect. Even go as far as to treat them as more important than yourself. Everyone will love working with you.

    If you do let your emotions get the best of you, be quick to make amends.

    Excessive negative emotion stifles your creativity. Be kind to yourself as well and get help dealing with your stress.

    In a world of difficult people, be the easy person to work with.

    Creative community

    Gathering with other creative people.

    7. Help other creative people be better than you

    It would be natural to assume that if you’re generous with your talent, time and resources that people will just take advantage of you. That might happen. But soon enough your generosity will align with people who will be forever grateful for it.

    I still remember those who went out of their way to help me when I first started out. They could have protected themselves from the new photographer, wishing that he would fail and disappear. Instead, they helped me. Now, I help other photographers, even if they seem like my direct competitors.

    It seems counter-intuitive, but you’ll help yourself more when you help others first. At times, focusing on another person’s creativity may help you more than focusing on your own.

    Be the first in a fellowship of creative people helping each other to get better, and better, and better.

    Improve creativity

    My daughter wanted to make her own birthday cake. We let her.

    8. Turn off your phone

    You need to have periods of time when you are uninterrupted. The last thing you need when you’re brainstorming ways to complete a creative project is a phone constantly alerting you to something else.

    Practice turning your phone off for a couple of hours at a time – maybe even a whole day. It’s liberating to think, play, and be creative without the distraction.

    While I was driving back from a 3-hour creative session this morning, I saw a person checking their phone while they waited at a red light. I had a lot on my mind and couldn’t fathom adding a phone to the mix. Now I know that looking at my phone means that whatever creative ideas were on my mind will vanish. So I only look at it a couple of times a day.

    We easily become addicted to our digital technology, and a “fear of missing out” keeps us constantly checking in. I’ve developed a greater satisfaction in my creativity and a greater fear of losing my creative drive in the moment. My phone is off most of the time.

    You don’t want to trade your creativity for endless digital chatter. Phones, tablets, and computers are useful. But they have a way of talking over.

    Turn your phone off and switch your creative mind on.

    The creative life

    When you follow these eight rules, your creativity will be able to thrive.

    You’ll have distraction-free time to learn, work, and explore.

    You’ll find yourself encouraged by the other creative people in your life.

    Moreover, you’ll always be growing and so will your creativity.

    Do you have other tips for your creative life? Please share them with us in the comments below.

     

    The post 8 Rules for the Creative Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.


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  • Samsung Galaxy S10+ sample gallery

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    Samsung’s Galaxy S10+ is one of a few flagship phones to offer a triple-camera array, providing a wide-angle lens in addition to the usual standard and telephoto lenses. It may not be the lens you’ll want to use for most of your shooting, but it sure came in handy a few times as we were out shooting with the device. See for yourself how the phone handles a variety of scenes (and a couple of furry creatures for good measure).

    See our Samsung Galaxy S10+
    sample gallery

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • How I Found Inspiration Using a Telezoom

    The post How I Found Inspiration Using a Telezoom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christian Hoiberg.

    I’ll admit something to you – something that I haven’t really talked about with too many. Something that might sound strange coming from someone who makes a living from photography…

    I’ve had close to zero inspiration for doing landscape photography for several months – despite being out in the field most of the winter season.

    There are many reasons why I’ve lacked inspiration, but most of them come back to the urge to creating something different, which I keep asking myself is possible at all. Has it all been done already? Aren’t we all in one way or another influenced by the photographers we admire? For years, my work has focused on wide-angle landscape photography. While I still enjoy it, I’ve become more fascinated with the intimate views offered through the use of a telezoom. This is how my inspiration blossomed again.

    Zooming in forces you to slow down

    One of the great things about using ultra wide-angle lenses is that it’s relatively easy to get a decent shot. Find a foreground, get close to it, smack on a filter or two and, hello, nice image. It might not be portfolio-worthy right out of the box, but it will certainly impress your friends and family.

    Working with a telezoom is quite different, though. Simply zooming in on something isn’t going to create an interesting shot. You need to find that special something hiding within the grand landscape. Also, you’re even more dependent on having the right light and weather conditions.

    When I first picked up a telezoom many years ago, the fact that it forced me to slow down was one of the best benefits. It changed my approach to photography and the world in many ways. Prior to that moment, I’d go out photographing but not really do much observing.

    That’s different now.

    In fact, I often do more observing than photographing.

    I quite often return home from outings without the camera leaving my backpack.

    It’s not just about being out there taking as many images as possible. It’s about enjoying the time you spend out there. This is something that came back to me again when, late last year, I started playing more with my Fuji 100-400mm again.

    Create more unique work

    Well, I’m not sure if simply zooming in is going to help create more unique work, but I think that, in many cases, it’s possible to show well-known scenes in an entirely new light. Up until now, “trophy hunting” has typically taken place in wide-angle landscapes. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that the overall landscape doesn’t need to be stunning when working with a telezoom. You can get stunning images anywhere you look.

    The type of images captured at a focal length of, for example, 400mm are often what I call “no-name landscapes.” What I mean by this is that it doesn’t matter exactly where you take that shot; it’s simply beautiful, and you can just enjoy the image.

    Challenge your creativity

    When I’m guiding photography workshops, I often notice that many of the participants tend to stick with one lens, regardless of what we’re photographing and what the weather is like. This is despite the fact that they often have a wide selection of lenses to choose from in their backpack.

    Now, I’ve been there, and I’m willing to bet that you’ve been there too. The reason is that we tend to have a favorite lens and quickly forget about all the others. My go-to lens for many years was the Nikon 16-35mm. Looking back at it now, I know that I missed a lot of great shots because I had taught myself to view the world within that focal length.

    Conclusion

    Mixing it up and taking out the telezoom forces you to break that bad habit and view the world at an unfixed focal length. When I’m standing at a location today, I’m continually analyzing my surroundings looking for both wide-angle and telezoom images.

    Maybe I’m just rambling and making no sense. I ultimately believe that any artist is free to do whatever they want with their work. Who am I to tell someone what to do or not to do? The only thing I know for sure is that focusing more on working with a long focal length gave me a much-needed boost of inspiration and has led to me now enjoying working on several new and interesting projects.

    Have you been getting into taking photos with a telezoom? We’d love you to share them with the dPS community in the comments section below.

    The post How I Found Inspiration Using a Telezoom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christian Hoiberg.


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