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The progenitors of GFX: A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format concepts

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

At Dubai’s recent Gulf Photo Plus event, Fujifilm gave us a good look at a couple of its forthcoming products, and also allowed us a peek back in time, into the design of existing GFX cameras.

What you’re about to see is a collection of mockups of concept GFX designs, dating from before the launch of the GFX 50S and 50R. Some of these mockups appear very familiar, some less so. Click through to take a closer look.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

First up is the camera that got most of the X-Summit audience talking – the very earliest concept mockup for what became the original GFX 50S. As you can see, there are a lot of similarities to the camera that eventually shipped in 2017.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

Top-mounted dials, a central pentaprism-style EVF, lots of controls, a nice big sticky-outy grip…

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

But in fact, the camera is fully modular. The EVF and grip are optional accessories to the core body of the camera, which consists of the mount, sensor and controls for the key exposure parameters.

Fujifilm’s representatives confirmed that the ‘Omega’ concept was directly inspired by Hasselblad’s iconic 500-series square format film cameras. Note the distinctive annular shutter speed dial, positioned around the lens mount itself.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

As originally envisaged, the Omega had a direct control for aspect ratio, and unusual ‘roller’ style controls, rather than the final GFX’s more conventional dials.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

Here are the three main modules – a grip component, the main body of the camera, and a removable EVF. The spirit of the Omega lives on in the design of the GFX 50S’s viewfinder, which can be removed to make a slightly smaller, lighter camera.

The main reason why this even more modular design never saw it to production is simple – the shutter mechanism for such a large sensor was simply too large for the concept. That doesn’t mean we’ll never see a modular GFX, but we might have to wait for global shutters to become a practical reality first.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

Next up is ‘Gamma’, a design which takes a lot of cues from contemporary XT-series APS-C format cameras.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

Essentially a scaled-up XT, the Gamma would have offered a larger sensor, in a body very familiar to Fujifilm’s existing APS-C shooters.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

It’s unclear why this design didn’t make it beyond the concept stage, but it’s possible that Fujifilm wanted to draw a cleaner line between the APS-C lineup and the (inevitably) more expensive GFX range. Also, notice that there’s no room for a top-plate display screen in this design.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

A second, unnamed XT-style concept removes the exposure compensation dial and combines shutter speed and ISO into a single (arguably still unnecessary) dial, reducing the amount of bulk on the right hand side of the body. Again, there’s no top-plate mounted status screen either.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

Of the two XT-style concepts, this is my personal favorite. The narrower body and simple control layout, with such a large grip is lovely to handle.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

Finally, a glimpse at what the eventual GFX 50R could have been. This is an early concept mockup for a rangefinder-style GFX, but minus the viewfinder. As such, the ‘SP-X’ actually resembles a cross between the X-Pro 2 and the X70 and XF10 compacts.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

From the rear, the angular SP-X looks fairly familiar – sub-dial ISO control notwithstanding – but with this concept, Fujifilm’s design team wanted to experiment with a rear screen that truly blended in to the back of the camera. You can’t really tell in this shot, but…

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

…the screen is designed so that when the camera is held in a shooting position, it reversed against the camera.

A closer look at Fujifilm’s medium format GFX concepts

To use the screen, it must be folded out, which suits waist-level shooting and image review (but in this position, not much more than that). It’s not clear whether Fujifilm envisaged a more complex reversing hinge for the final design, but either way – this is definitely the most conceptual of the concepts. Still though, put put an EVF in there and I might be interested.

What do you think? As always, let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

February 19, 2019
Panasonic announces new Lumix ZS80 (TZ95) compact, FZ1000 II superzoom camera

Panasonic has announced it’s adding two new zoom cameras to its Lumix lineup: the Lumix ZS80 (TZ95 outside of North America) compact camera and the Lumix FZ1000 II superzoom camera.

Lumix ZS80/TZ95

First up is the Lumix Z80, the latest camera in Panasonic’s travel zoom series. At the heart of the ZS80 is a 20.3-megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor. Beyond stills, the ZS80 can capture 4K/30p video. In front of the sensor is an optically stabilized 24mm (35mm equivalent) Leica lens with 30x optical zoom, giving it a maximum focal length of 720mm (35mm equivalent).

The ZS80 can capture Raw photos and features a maximum burst rate of 10 frames per second (fps). On the rear of the camera is a three-inch 1040K-dot tilting touchscreen and a 2,330K-dot equivalent Live View Finder (LVF).

Panasonic’s signature 4K Photo mode makes an appearance in the ZS80 and adds a new Auto Marking feature that makes it easy to pick out individual frames within a 4K video file.

TheZS80 includes both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for connecting to and transferring images to smartphones or tablets and tagging the GPS location information within images.

Panasonic says theZS80 can capture approximately 380 shots per charge and in the event the battery does die, USB charging is possible.

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The Panasonic Lumix ZS80/TZ95 will be available at the end of April 2019 in black and silver for $ 449 / £399 / €449.

Lumix FZ1000

The new Lumix FZ1000 II features a 1-inch 20.1-megapixel sensor behind a 16x optical zoom Leica lens with a 25-400mm (35mm equivalent) focal length range and F2.8-4.0 aperture range. The lens features Panasonic’s 5-axis hybrid Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.+) with a Level Shot function that automatically detects horizontal lines within an image and keeps it level while shooting.

In addition to stills at up to 12 fps, the FZ1000 II can capture 4K/30p video in the MP4 format at 100Mbps with the option for 120 fps recording at 1080p. Like the TZ95, the FZ1000 II features Panasonic’s 4K Photo mode with the new Auto Marking feature.

The rear of the camera features an articulating three-inch 1.24M-dot touchscreen as well as an OLED 0.39-inch 2.36M-dot EVF.

The FZ1000 II includes built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for wireless connection to mobile devices. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is rated for 440 shots per charge when working with the rear LCD and 290 shots when using the EVF (430 shots per charge when using the EVF in the ‘eco’ setting, which limited it to 30 fps).

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The Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 II will be available at the end of March 2019 for $ 899 / £769 / €849.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

February 19, 2019
EyeEm, Fotolog and other photo sites affected by security breach

Turns out the 500px data breach we reported on last week wasn’t an isolated incident. According to The Register the data breach affected not only 500px but a total of 16 websites, including mobile image sharing platform EyeEm, Animoto, Artsy and Fotolog.

Overall the details of 617 million online accounts were stolen and offered for sale on the dark web.

EyeEm sent an email out to its user base, saying 22 million of its accounts had been compromised but no payment or payout data had been affected. The breach exposed users’ names, email addresses, and encrypted versions of passwords, however.

The company also writes that it only recently become aware of the hack, despite the fact that it happened back on July 5th 2018. Upon discovery of the issue all passwords were disabled and emails went out to the EyeEm community.

EyeEm also asks its users to not reuse old passwords, not use the same password on multiple websites, use multi-factor authentication whenever possible and use as password management tool. This is sensible advice, no matter if you’re affected by any of the hacks or not.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

February 19, 2019
How to Quote Commercial Photography Jobs: A Few Important Line Items to Consider

The post How to Quote Commercial Photography Jobs: A Few Important Line Items to Consider appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

There are a variety of ways to quote on a commercial photography job. Every photographer has their own approach.

If you’re new to working with clients, or even if you’ve been at it for a little while, putting together a formal estimate can be a daunting process. The bigger the scope, the more variables there are to consider.

Here are some line items to consider.

Creative fee

When you’re putting together an estimate for a commercial photography job, I recommend charging a Creative Fee for your labor. This creative fee is the time you spend shooting, but it can also include some post-processing.

Some photographers charge a day rate or a half-day rate. I don’t advise charging by the hours, but I determine how many hours you think you may need to execute a job and multiply it by the hourly rate you would like to receive for it. You may want to top that up by up to 25%, as you’ll find most jobs take longer than you think they will.

As a new photographer, I tried a variety of ways of estimating jobs. When I charged a half-day rate, I often found that there was no such thing. By the time I set up, did all the project management to pull the shoot together and hire the help I needed, it was a full day of work and then some.

Think about how much work you have to do behind the scenes and factor that into your creative fee as well.

One thing I don’t recommend is lumping all your expenses together and presenting it to the client. Giving them one big total can lead to sticker shock and confuse your potential client. They won’t know what they’re paying for exactly.

Breaking it down for them is a good business practice and helps the less experienced clients – say, those with a small business – understand all the work that goes into producing a commercial photo shoot.

Equipment

Some photographers like to have their own equipment they bring to photo shoots. This not only means a couple of cameras and Speedlites, but it can also mean monoheads, stands, and a variety of other gear.

You may have everything you need to bring to smaller shoots, but on bigger productions, you may need to rent extra gear, like several lights and lighting modifiers. You should not absorb this cost. It goes into the estimate.

Therefore, you need to get all the pertinent information up front about what the shot entails, so you know what to take. Make sure you get a shot list and ask all the necessary questions up front.

If you do have your own gear, you can include it in your creative fee and mention it as a footnote on the estimate that it’s included. Alternatively, you may decide to separate it.

You should charge at least a nominal fee for the use of your equipment. This way you can put money aside for any replacements and upgrades you need to do over time.

If a client were to go to a rental house and rent the equipment needed to pull off a commercial production, they would pay hundreds of dollars. And that is just for the tools. What about the skill of the person to handle those tools?

Don’t be afraid to charge appropriately for your services.

Studio rental

Photo shoots can take place in a variety of locations, but if you need to shoot in a studio, make sure that you put a cost for the studio rental in your estimate.

Be familiar with at least three studios in your area that can be rented out and what they charge per hour or day. If at the time that you write your estimate you’re not sure which one you’d be shooting in, put the most expensive one as the cost.

Once you get the go-ahead you can see what is available on the date you’ll be shooting and book the available studio.

Editing & post-production

When working on a commercial level, you may not be the person responsible for editing the photos. If you’re working with an ad agency or sometimes even a magazine, they may have someone in-house to do editing according to specific parameters.

Alternatively, you may be expected to do the basic editing, but someone else may be responsible for further refinement. Be clear on the outset about the expectations around post-production.

The Photoshop required may be complex and require the expertise of a professional retoucher. In this case, you must get a quote from a retoucher and put that as a line item in your estimate.

Archiving fee

Some photographers charge an archiving fee as part of their post-production process.

There is the time associated with uploading and storing images and the process required to back them up. Since you should be charging for all the time you spend on a project, it makes sense to include it in the scope. You can have it as a line item or include it in your creative fee.

Digital Imaging Technician

Depending on the genre of photography you shoot and the nature of the production, you might want to hire a Digital Imaging Technician. Also known as a DIT, they are responsible for backing up everything as you shoot, and for doing quick color treatments or composites on set.

For example, as a food and still life photographer, I always shoot tethered to my computer so I can see a large, more accurate rendition of my image than I can get on the back of my LCD screen. I also sometimes have to work with overlays if I’m doing product packaging, so I can see how the image fits with any text or artwork. A DIT can help with this process.

Photo assistant

I have used a photo assistant since the day I started shooting professionally.

A good photo assistant is indispensable and worth every penny. A photo assistant can help you carry all your gear, work your lighting and run out on errands. Having one on hand saves you time, which in the end is saving you money.

There are professional photo assistants whose sole work is assisting other photographers. However, there are plenty of photography school grads that start their careers assisting and have a lot to offer in terms of technical knowledge and eagerness to gain experience.

Many of them are not even that expensive, so if you can’t get the extra expense approved, I suggest taking a cut for yourself to have one help you out.

Stylists and makeup artists

Depending on the niche you’re shooting in, you may need a stylist. This may be a wardrobe or fashion stylist, or a food stylist.

Food stylists are responsible for shopping for the food and ingredients required for any food shoot and preparing it for the set. Food styling requires particular skills and are an essential part of any team producing food photography. It is not the photographer’s job, as it’s a different occupation and should be treated as such.

Food stylists usually charge by the hour or a day rate, as well as for prep, and often have their own assistants.

Similarly, wardrobe stylists are responsible for the clothing and related props on fashion shoots.

Makeup artists are required for fashion shoots as well, and sometimes on commercial portrait shoots.

Image usage

Image usage is the trickiest part of a photography estimate.

There is no right or wrong answer for how much you should be charging for usage.

When you are hired to shoot for a brand, you still own the copyright to those images. The client does not own them. The creative fee is for the labor to execute the commission, the usage fee is a license that allows them to use the image in a defined way for a specific time period.

How much you should charge is dependent on your market, the visibility of the brand, and how they want to use them.

The Getty Pricing Calculator is a free tool that can give you some idea of what to charge for usage.

However, I have found that there is what photographers should charge, and then there is reality. There is no point in charging a client hundreds of dollars per image if the client is small and cannot pay that.

I always recommend separating image usage from the creative fee. However, often you need to educate the client up front about copyright and what usage refers to. This can be tough if you’re dealing with a small business owner who thinks they own the images because they hired you to shoot them.

Give them an agreement that outlines the usage and make sure they are clear on how and where they can use the images.

In Conclusion

If you’ve been struggling with how to price your photographic services, hopefully, you now have a better idea of the types of things you can charge for.

The post How to Quote Commercial Photography Jobs: A Few Important Line Items to Consider appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

Digital Photography School

February 19, 2019
Camera Rescue aims to save 100,000 analog cameras for future generations

Finland-based organization Camera Rescue has rescued 46,000 analog cameras and it plans to more than double that number by 2020. Cameraville recently interviewed the organization’s Juho Leppänen to discuss the mission, as well as the unique challenges they face.

Camera Rescue launched in 2018 with the mission of preserving analog cameras for future generations. The organization finds used film photography gear and puts it through what it calls a ‘camera rescue process,’ which includes testing and, when necessary, repairing the devices. Rescued cameras are then sold through KameraStore.com.

The organization’s core team member Juho Leppänen discussed Camera Rescue’s mission and work in a 10 minute video from Cameraville, including the technical issues the team has to overcome. A lack of technicians capable of repairing these cameras remains a problem, though the team is addressing that problem by training a new generation of repair technicians.

“We took all the guys we could find that have the experience [and] they’ve been teaching newer guys,” Leppänen explained.

Beyond the organization’s own work, Leppänen details technical issues facing the analog photography market. “If we want new cameras, we need a new mechanical shutter,” according to Leppänen, who also pointed toward aging scanning technology that must be updated.

“Most of the scanners that are around are based on Windows XP,” which is no longer supported, Leppänen said. Though new scanners could be developed, cost remains an issue, with Leppänen explaining that it may cost €3 million just to produce the first batch of new scanning technologies.

The analog photography industry also requires new automated film development machines and an overall low barrier, in terms of difficulty and cost, for new photographers to get started. “If we want new people to come to film,” Leppänen explained, “we need to make the first roll very easy, and to make the first roll easy, it needs to be cheap.”

Additional videos about Camera Rescue, as well as the team’s history, can be found on Cameraville’s blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

February 19, 2019
Sigma cine 28mm T.1.5 lens gets a price and shipping date
Sigma has announced its new 28mm T1.5 cine lens for full frame sensor cameras will be available starting in the middle of March. The lens will cost $ 3499 but will also be offered with luminous markings, to make it easier to use in low light, for $ 4,499.

The lens is latest of a set of 10 full-frame fixed-focal-length lenses, eight of which have a T1.5 maximum aperture. The lenses have 180° focus ring rotation, and are tested using the company’s 46-million-pixel Foveon sensor.

As with the rest of Sigma’s cine series, the 28mm T1.5 FF will be available in PL, EF and E mounts. The company has also announced a new carry case for a set of five lenses that will cost $ 750. It is designed to hold the 14mm, 28mm, 40mm, 105mm and 135mm lenses, and will be available at the same time as this 28mm lens.

For more information see the Sigma website.

Press release:
Sigma Ships Its 28mm T1.5 Full-Frame Cine Lens

Sigma Corporation of America, a leading still photo and cinema lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced one of its newest additions to the cine prime lens lineup, Sigma 28mm T1.5 FF, will be available in mid March 2019 for $ 3,499.00 for the regular version and $ 4,499.00 for the fully luminous (FL) version.

Sigma Cine 28mm T1.5 FF is a fast and sharp T1.5 cine lens compatible with full-frame camera sensors and optimized for ultra-high-resolution 6K-8K productions. Featuring a 180-degree focus rotation, this lens is available in EF, E and PL mounts with lens support foot and cap included.

One of the key focal lengths to achieve a true cinematic look, the wide-angle perspective of a 28mm lens has long become an industry standard in shooting motion pictures. DPs and filmmakers of all genres will now have the opportunity to add this gem to their Sigma Cine lens collection to further enable their creative vision and enhance their workflow.
In addition, Sigma is now offering a five-piece case that can hold the 14mm, 28mm, 40mm, 105mm and 135mm cine lenses to safely transport your gear. The new case is also available for purchase in mid March for $ 750.00.

Prominent Characteristics of Sigma Cine Lenses
- Individual inspection of every single lens with A1 proprietary Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) measuring system using 46-megapixel Foveon direct image sensors. Even previously undetectable high-frequency details are now within the scope of their quality control inspections.
- Computer-based ray tracing has been used from the design stage onward to minimize flare and ghosting and enhance contrast in backlit conditions. Ghosting has also been checked at every prototype stage, with its causes identified, assessed and eliminated.
- Color balance standardized across the line to make color correction a breeze.
- Dust-proof and splash-proof construction, with each ring and mount sealed to prevent water and dust from entering.
- The body is made 100% of metal to stand up to tough professional use over the long term.
- Luminous paint for enhanced visibility
- Laser engraving for enhanced durability
- Mount Conversion Service allows users to convert their lenses to and from EF and E-mounts (charges apply). If the camera system changes, it is possible to simply convert the mount system to continue using the high-performance Sigma lenses.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
February 18, 2019
Panasonic announces new Lumix TZ95, FZ1000 II cameras

Panasonic has announced it’s adding two new zoom cameras to its Lumix lineup: the Lumix TZ95 compact camera and the Lumix FZ1000 II bridge camera.

Lumix TZ95

First up is the Lumix TZ95, the latest camera in Panasonic’s Travel Zoom (TZ) series. At the heart of the TZ95 is a 20.3-megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor. Beyond stills, the TZ95 can capture 4K30p video. In front of the sensor is an optically stabilized 24mm (35mm equivalent) Leica lens with 30x optical zoom, giving it a maximum focal length of 720mm (35mm equivalent).

The TZ95 can capture Raw photos and features a maximum burst rate of 10 frames per second (fps). On the rear of the camera is a three-inch 1040k-dot tilting touchscreen and a 2,330k-dot equivalent Live View Finder (LVF).

Panasonic’s signature 4K Photo mode makes an appearance in the TZ95 and adds a new Auto Marking feature that makes it easy to pick out individual frames within a 4K video file.

The TZ95 includes both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for connecting to and transferring images to smartphones or tablets and tagging the GPS location information within images.

Panasonic says the TZ95 can capture approximately 380 shots per charge and in the event the battery does die, USB charging is possible.

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The Panasonic Lumix TZ95 will be available at the end of April 2019 in black and silver for £399.99 (UK) / €449.99 (Ireland).

Lumix FZ1000

The new Lumix FZ1000 II features a 1-inch 20.1-megapixel sensor behind a 16x optical zoom Leica lens with a 25-400mm (35mm equivalent) focal length range and F/2.8-4.0 aperture range. The lens features Panasonic’s 5-axis hybrid Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.+) with a Level Shot function that automatically detects horizontal lines within an image and keeps it level while shooting.

In addition to stills at up to 12fps, the FZ1000 II can capture 4K30p video in the MP4 format at 100Mb/s with the option for 120fps recording at 1080p. Like the TZ95, the FZ1000 II features Panasonic’s 4K Photo mode with the new Auto Marking feature.

The rear of the camera features an articulating three-inch 1.24m-dot touchscreen as well as an OLED 0.39-inch 2.36m-dot EVF.

The FZ1000 II includes built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for wireless connection to mobile devices. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is rated for 440 shots per charge when working with the rear LCD and 290 shots when using the EVF (430 shots per charge when using the EVF in the ‘eco’ setting, which limited it to 30fps).

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The Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 II will be available at the end of March 2019 for £769.99 (UK) / €849.99 (Ireland) / $ 897.99 USD.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

February 18, 2019
How to Photograph Destination Weddings Successfully

The post How to Photograph Destination Weddings Successfully appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

So you’ve booked your first destination wedding, now what? Don’t worry, photographing a destination wedding is not much different from photographing a local wedding. Check out how to photograph destination weddings and make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.

1. Logistics and planning

It’s incredibly exciting getting the chance to travel to photograph a couple’s wedding. With that, however, comes the logistics and effective planning, so you aren’t scrambling or getting delayed by a flight.

First things first, make all the flight purchases and itineraries yourself. You should arrive at the destination at least one full day before the event.

For example, if the wedding is on a Friday, you need to arrive early Thursday morning at the latest. The best would be to arrive on Wednesday anytime. This way, if a flight gets delayed or canceled, you have time to figure out your next move. Never plan to arrive on the same day as the event.

If you are not extending your stay, make sure to leave the destination the next day or next night. The reason for this is because, after a full day of photographing a wedding, you won’t want to worry about packing, airport shuttles, and all that goes into traveling back home.

Get your rest, eat a good breakfast and then be on your way. Make sure to say goodbye to your clients before leaving if they are still on the property.

It is entirely up to you if you wish to extend the stay and turn the opportunity into a vacation. However, make sure that you separate the costs of work and vacation so that your clients aren’t paying for your vacation and you can relax knowing that you can enjoy your vacation.

Having said that, it is acceptable to extend the stay and travel a bit on your own. Destination weddings are perfect for this type of traveling, however, always be careful of your equipment when traveling.

2. Research the location of the wedding

Since you’ll most likely be traveling to a new place, you won’t be familiar with the location. Research online as much as possible so that you can find possible shoot locations and get an idea of what you’ll be working with.

Googling the location and adding “weddings” can also bring up other photographer websites who have photographed there. It can give you ideas of where to photograph or how the light looks.

Reach out to the planner or coordinator of the wedding and touch base with them before you arrive. It’s also nice to introduce yourself to them via email before arriving. Ask them in-depth questions about things such as the weather, the location, travel, and access.

All of these logistical and location questions are important so that you know whether to rent a car or if it’s easily accessible to the nearest town.

Getting all of this information can help you make an itinerary with the couple and they will be impressed that you went the extra mile to find out all of the details not only the wedding, but of the actual location.

3. Make the most of your time before the event

It can seem pretty enticing to take a dip in the pool after traveling to the destination of the wedding, however, it’s best to make the most of your time before the event.

Take the time to walk the grounds and get the lay of the land. This can help you get an idea of possible locations that aren’t too far from any of the important events of the wedding day. Ask the coordinator or planner to give you a quick tour of where the ceremony and the reception are taking place.

This is also a great time to check out the town if the couple has opted for photos there. Go and take a look and take the time to make a list of possible locations for portraits, family portraits, creative bridal party locations, etc.

In order to capture this shot, we had to wake up for sunrise at 6:30. Doing research on the location will help you determine the best time for photos.

Also, take a short break to say hi to the couple. Reassure them that you have arrived and have been checking out the location for the best possible photo spots.

Upon arriving, also check your gear. Check that everything is in working order after traveling and that your batteries are charged. If you find you need something, it’s best to find it during this time rather than finding out you needed extra double aa batteries during the ceremony.

Preparing yourself, the photo locations, and your gear allows you to fully relax knowing that you have everything ready to go for the event. Then you can take that dip in the pool without any worries.

4. Gear

Flying with gear can be stressful. Never check-in your gear. Whenever possible, put it in a carry-on case so that it is with you at all times – at least the most important gear. Light stands and tripods are not as crucial as a flash and your favorite portrait lens.

Keeping your lens within arm’s length always ensures nothing gets thrown or broken in the course of the trip. Also, you’ll be able to take photos as you travel on the plane, in the airport, and anywhere.

Before traveling, make sure to speak to an insurance agent about getting your gear insured while you travel. Some insurance agencies only cover your gear in the country you live in. Be sure to call around and have your gear covered as you travel.

Also, ask if your gear is covered in transit. That means that while you’re on your way to where your event is taking place. Transit means in the car on the way to the airport, to the resort, or on the plane.

Having your gear insured while you are traveling makes you feel more at ease in the event something were to happen. Something like a broken lens, a faulty flash, having your camera fall in the water or having your gear stolen.

No one would want this to happen, however, being insured against these things helps keep repair and replacing costs lower than if you didn’t have your gear insured.

Now that you’re insured make sure you bring a backup camera and lens that helps you to cover the wedding in case your main camera stops working for any reason. This is pretty basic for any wedding event – local or destination. However, overseas or far from your local camera shop, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to rent anything if something does go wrong.

5. Tell a story

Most destination weddings take place in places that tell part of the couples’ story or is meaningful to them in some way. Take a photo of the dress where the resort is shown off. For example, a couple from Washington has their wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. An excellent photo to showcase the beach would be to take a photo of the wedding dress outside where you see the reflection of the ocean in the sliding door windows.

You can also strategically place the details of the wedding day, such as the shoes, bouquet, or the family formals so that some part of the location tells the story. Including these details in the photos makes for a beautiful wedding album and tells the story of the entire day. It has more meaning than a photo of the bride’s shoes in a location that could have been local.

Destination weddings tend to have a smaller guest list, and therefore, most of the guests are very close to the couple. This means that toasts and first dances may be emotionally driven.

Photograph from a more journalistic point of view during these emotional moments, that way, you can capture the mother with tears of joy during the ceremony, or a meaningful hug from a best friend after the first kiss. All of these moments are important during destination weddings.

The bride’s father is the officiant and her sister is behind them.

Take lots of portraits of the bride and groom with their guests, either candid or posed. As the guest list is small, every person is essential, and you should photograph each of them. If the wedding is tiny, say less than 20 people, take a group photo of everyone who attended.

Capture all moments. This man was telling the bride that she was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen during the bride and groom portraits. A funny and sweet moment to remember!

It’s sure to be a favorite among all the guests, and the bride and groom will appreciate you took the time to get a group photo of everyone who made their day special.

6. Get vendor information

Destination weddings are perfect for publications and lots of blogs. You’ll want to get the full list of vendors so that you can also share the images with them and across social media sites.

Tagging a vendor in your photos always creates more buzz and can help you to book more destination weddings in the future. This is especially helpful if you would like to keep photographing weddings at that particular destination.

Send the coordinator/planner a thank you email along with the link to selected photos of the event so that they too can share the images and tag you. Include any hashtags that you’d like for them to use on social media.

Doing this can create a positive rapport with the vendors and give you another opportunity to photograph more weddings at the same location. It also helps your future clients if they need referrals to vendors that you have personally worked with before.

In conclusion

There is not much difference between a local wedding and a destination wedding. With these tips, you’ll be more than prepared to photograph your destination wedding. With the right planning, you’ll do the very best for your clients, and you might even get to enjoy a vacation while you’re at it.

Have you photographed destination weddings? We’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below.

The post How to Photograph Destination Weddings Successfully appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

Digital Photography School

February 18, 2019
How to Push Past Fear in Photography: A Retrospect

The post How to Push Past Fear in Photography: A Retrospect appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

Five years. It doesn’t seem like so long ago that I first sat down to write an article which I hoped would help other photographers overcome some of the fears that we all face at one time or another. So much can change in five years. As I sit here and read back through that piece, “How to Overcome Fear in Photography,” I feel uniquely placed to add some insightful commentary on the things I’ve learned over the years about combating the oddly universal apprehensions that we all have to overcome from time to time as photographers. At the very least, I hope it lends a measure of solidarity to you no matter what stage you happen to find yourself at on your journey on the path of photography.

Fear #1: My work isn’t good enough

Ah, yes. I can personally guarantee that no matter how experienced or accomplished you may become in making photographs there is always concealed within yourself a secret doubt about whether or not your photos are good enough. The idea that we somehow fall short in our efforts is something that is forever in the back of your mind to one degree or another. Good photographers consistently are their own worst critics.

How to beat it:

Like all facts of life, the remedy to this lies not in solving the problem but rather in controlling our reaction. The recognition that we all strive towards an unattainable perfection with our work should not be a source of anxiety but instead should fill us with a sense that there are always new ways to improve. An assurance that we can do better gives us something to aspire to and through our aspirations lies creative growth.

Fear #2: I’ll never “make it” as a photographer

When you think about it, the idea of relying on photography to pay all of your bills is a scary thing. Let’s face it, going “all-in” on any endeavor drags us through all sorts of anxiety and fear. This is especially true if you happen to be leaving an established career which lies outside of photography as I did. Confounding the problem further is if you do decide to make a go of it as a photographer, you may be met with quiet disbelief and polite warnings of caution from your coworkers, your friends, and even your family.

I never saw myself as being anything resembling a teacher…yet here we are.

How to beat it:

Alright, let’s get one thing out of the way first: no one can tell you if you’re ready to be a full-time photographer except for you. However, the point I want to get across to you is that you CAN make it happen if you are willing to put in the work, accept failures with renewed vigor and never give up if it’s something you truly want to accomplish.

I’ll also let you in on another secret: photographers today seldom “make it” solely on income from their photographs alone, although some do. Many lead photography workshops and teach courses, sell books, produce editing presets and otherwise diversify themselves in many creative ways to keep the ball rolling. Sure, carving out a career in photography today is more competitive than ever.

The key to overcoming the fear of not being able to survive is by realizing that being a skilled photographer is not enough. You need to be flexible, persistent and resourceful in creating different sources of income based on your love of photography.

Fear #3: “I don’t know how to do…”

Closely related to that nagging fear of your work not being on par with other photographers lies the dreaded idea that you don’t possess a particular photographic skill which you’re convinced you need to master to take your work to the next level. Whether it’s working with strobes or filters, posing people for portraits, working with particular post-processing software, or simply learning what all those buttons do on your new camera; we all feel a little outmatched at times by our own ignorance.

How to beat it:

Luckily, of all the fears we’ve talked about, this one is the easiest to push past. It’s also the one which requires the highest level of tough love in order to overcome. Here goes…*clears throat*. The only thing standing in the way of you learning a new photographic technique or skill is you. Now, I know that’s a hard pill to swallow but stay with me. We live in a world today which offers arguably infinite knowledge right at our fingertips. The internet, eBooks, YouTube videos, online discussion groups, and photography courses have enabled us to learn virtually anything in the privacy of our homes.

Furthermore, the majority of this enormous wealth of knowledge is available for free! There is virtually no excuse for us to be worried about not knowing how to do something. Knowledge truly is power.

Fear #4: The great unknown

If there’s one all-encompassing fear that eats at both new and established photographers, it is the fear of uncertainty. I remember back when Instagram changed its algorithm a couple of years ago. Many people, photographers and otherwise, suddenly realized that one of their primary sources of client exposure (and income) could be taken from them overnight. The fear crept in.

The same was true when YouTube reorganized it’s video monetization guidelines for creators causing widespread panic for those who depended on the outlet for a large slice of their work. I make and sell a large number of develop presets for Lightroom. When Adobe changed their file formats for develop presets a couple of years ago, there was a brief moment when I thought that all of the presets I had made thus far would no longer work with the new versions of Lightroom. Do you think that scared me? Absolutely it did. The harsh and inevitable reality of situations occurring which are wholly beyond our control can terrify us.

How to beat it:

There are two ways we can deal with the fear of the unknown. The first is that we can curl up into a ball and hope that nothing negative happens. I don’t recommend that option. Alternatively, we can accept that there are always things that can happen to us that we don’t see coming which spark fear and apprehension in our hearts. For example, your camera battery may die just as the sun breaks over that mountain top. Alternatively, your lens may malfunction just as the bride and groom kiss, or three clients might cancel their engagement sessions in one month.

Moreover, Instagram could change the algorithm for the 100th time, and your connecting flight for that incredibly expensive photo workshop in Patagonia may get delayed. Any number of a trillion problems may arise at any given time. We can’t control everything, especially when it comes to photography. Whatever happens, the only weapons we have to combat the fear of the unknown is preparation and acceptance. Prepare yourself for as many scenarios as you can and then just let go. “Be the ball” as Ty Webb might say. If you continuously operate under the notion that the future holds nothing but bad things not only will your photography suffer but so will you.

Pushing Past the Fear

Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. As photographers, we base much of our learning on experience and experimentation. Trial and error is often our best teacher. We grow and evolve in our work as much through failure as we do by our success. The idea that there can be a day when you walk out with your camera without a doubt in your mind and feeling completely free of any degrees of photographic angst may likely never happen. You gain confidence through constant practice. You make gains, take losses and learn new skills by making mistakes. At times the future may hold much uncertainty, but being able to push past your fears is the key to reaching your potential in photography.

The hope I had five years ago when I wrote the first article on overcoming fear in photography is the same hope I carry now. I hope you now know that whatever fear you might be facing with your photography is likely shared by others. Moreover, it is entirely beatable. Push past your fears and allow yourself to be the photographer you know you can be.

The post How to Push Past Fear in Photography: A Retrospect appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

Digital Photography School

February 18, 2019
Open letter to Panasonic: Innovations in manual focus could make Lumix S a winner for cinematographers

Jack Lam is a cinematographer based in Beijing and Hong Kong. His body of work includes TV commercials, seasonal TV drama series and theatrical feature films. His commercial clients include Cathay Pacific, Lenovo, Airbnb, Alibaba, and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. He also works with DJI as a design consultant for their cinema products.

This guest editorial has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

As a working cinematographer, I am super excited by Panasonic’s announcement of the Lumix S mirrorless camera system. The Panasonic GH5 is so well-designed, it has become a reliable workhorse for many video shooters. I have no doubt a full-frame version of it will be amazing, and everything I read about the S1/S1R confirms that.

However, Lumix S has the potential to become much greater that what we see in this product launch. With this brand new camera system, Panasonic has a unique opportunity to create the perfect small camera system for professional cinematographers. But doing so requires Panasonic to address a long-standing problem that is overlooked by all other camera makers, as well as some rethinking of conventional ideas on camera design.

This missing feature – one that can become a potential killer feature for Panasonic – is good manual focus control for video.

“What’s the big deal with MF?” one may ask, “Don’t most cameras already have MF?” Well, when I say good manual focus control, I mean good enough for real working professionals – advanced documentarians and Hollywood cameramen alike.

The new Lumix S series cameras present an excellent opportunity for Panasonic to redefine the interface between mirrorless cameras and cinematographers who need pro-level focus control.

I want MF control that is simple, accurate, reliable, repeatable, predictable, measurable and ergonomically sound. It should also be wireless-capable and highly integrated as part of the camera (so that we can keep the camera small and don’t need to add six other accessories just to pull focus). Do you know of any small (DSLR/mirrorless) camera in the market that fulfills all of the above requirements? I have found none.

My perspective

My work varies widely in budget and crew size, ranging from run-and-gun documentaries, TV commercials to feature films for national theatrical releases. While the Arri Alexa is my go-to camera of choice for most of my work, I also use small form-factor mirrorless cameras when I see fit. I used to own every Panasonic GH model from the GH1 to the GH4, before I took a break from the m43 system for the full-frame Sony A7S.

This missing feature – one that can become a potential killer feature for Panasonic – is good manual focus control for video.

There are many instances where a smaller camera is the better camera for the job (for example, run-and-gun docs, sensitive locations, small gimbal, special car rigs, crash cams, etc.). Unfortunately, every time I shoot with a small camera I am faced with one big problem, a problem that haunts every video shooter but one that receives very little attentions in camera reviews: how do I pull focus? To be more specific, how do I pull focus effectively and professionally, as my director expects me to? How do I make sure I can nail the focus equally well in the first take, the second take, and each take thereafter?

The problem with focus pulling in today’s cameras

I am sure every DSLR video shooter shares this experience. Ever since the so-called DSLR video revolution, anyone looking to get into this game must build their own camera rig with all kinds of third-party components as if making a science project. Finding the right combination of lenses, lens adapters, focus gears rings, follow focus system, and the rig cage to hold everything together… All of these take a lot of time and energy to experiment and to troubleshoot, while we should really be focusing our time on our own artistic growth. The worst thing is, despite all the time and money we spend, the resulting rigs we built are never very good. They are unreliable, clumsy to use, and not very ergonomic.

The need to piece together unstandardized third-party camera parts also introduce uncertainties to productions. While we can order an Arri Alexa kit from any rental house in the world and have a pretty good idea of what to expect, it is never the case with DSLR/mirrorless camera rentals. Running a multi-camera shoot usually means operating with camera rigs from multiple brands, and their parts are not always compatible with each other.

All such desperate attempts in rig-building are primarily meant to provide a means of focus control. At the heart of this problem is the fact that camera manufacturers have failed to provide a good solution for focus pulling as part of their camera design.

Would you call such a monster user friendly?

Autofocus is not the answer for professionals

With the incredible progress in autofocus technology, can AF help us achieve good focus pulling, or even replace MF altogether? The answer is a resounding NO. Autofocus IS NOT and WILL NEVER be a good solution for professional cinematographers.

I have tried the AF in some of the latest cameras in the market. Dual pixel phase detection, facial recognition, AI subject tracking… I have to say the amount of technology is very impressive. AF works amazingly for stills, but for video I find it only useful under very limited conditions. Perhaps AF can be useful when I am following only ONE subject with a small gimbal without a focus puller’s help. Maybe I can give AF a try when I am shooting a sit-down interview on a slider. But when it comes to professional filmmaking, these said situations are just ‘kindergarten focus pulling’.

With the incredible progress in autofocus technology, can AF help us achieve good focus pulling, or even replace MF altogether? The answer is a resounding NO. Autofocus IS NOT and WILL NEVER be a good solution for professional cinematographers.

Real focus-pulling in a professional setting is much more complicated and much more nuanced. It often involves multiple actors and multiple marks. The camera may be panning from actor to actor, who may or may not be hitting their marks. We need to synchronize our focus shifts with dialogue beats, action beats, and emotion beats. Sometimes we need to predict the action and rack focus before the actor moves. Sometimes we don’t want to focus on the actor’s eyes. In fact, even the term ‘follow focus’ can be misleading because sometimes we intend to not follow anything at all to create a certain mood. Until the day arrives when a computer can understand dialogues, emotion, and esthetics, it is only foolish to think that AF can replace a focus puller.

I would even argue that the reason why some video shooters would even consider trying AF is only because there is no good MF control available to them. If we have an easy way to control MF reliably, most of us wouldn’t even need to bother with AF at all.

After all, why dumb down to artificial intelligence when we have the intelligence (and heart) of a real human being?

Focus control for stills and video are two different animals

The old saying goes, “To a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” When camera engineers started making still cameras that shoot video, the obvious solution for focus control was to use the existing AF system that works so well for stills and applied it to the video mode. Then the marketing department finished the job by calling it the new frontier of filmmaking.

However, focus control for motion picture is a very different task than getting sharp focus in a still image in many ways. For stills, all we need is to place the focal plane at the right subject as quickly as possible. How the image looks during the focusing process does not matter. For video, there is an element of time, and every frame counts. During a focus pull, the soft frames are just as important as the sharp ones as a form of artistic expression. That means hunting for focus is not an acceptable strategy.

For stills, all we need is to place the focal plane at the right subject as quickly as possible… For video, there is an element of time, and every frame counts.

To put it simply, focusing for stills is a question of WHAT to focus on. Focusing for video involves the interpretation of WHAT, WHEN, and HOW FAST to focus, and that makes it a much more complex problem for a computer to solve because it requires the understanding of intention.

Besides, focus pulls that look timely and confident often require one to know the focal distance of out-of-frame subjects ahead of time. Camera-based AF technology simply can’t do that.

Touchscreen tapping IS NOT focus pulling

There is an element of performing art in focus pulling. To a focus puller, the focus wheel is like piano keys are to a pianist. A focus puller’s distance scale is like a musician’s octave scale. A real focus puller thinks in terms of feet and inches, and prefers to have total control of focal distance. Then there is rhythm and timing in focus pulling, just like music.

For the same reasons why a piano app on an iPad can never replace a real piano, touchscreen tapping can never truly replace the focus wheel. If you want to build a camera that is loved by real professionals, you must first understand and respect the way a professional works.

If a professional musician can’t fit a grand piano in his tiny New York apartment, what would he get instead? The same goes for focus pulling with small cameras.

Focus pulling truly is an art form (let the pros do it their way)

If you still have any doubt in the above statement, this YouTube video by Fandor does a great job explaining the intricacy of focus pulling.

Please note – many of the focus pulls featured in this video, while being very easy to perform manually, are simply not possible with AF.

This YouTube video by Fandor does a great job explaining the intricacy of focus pulling. Many of the focus pulls featured in this video, while being very easy to perform manually, are simply not possible with AF.

Small cameras deserve professional manual focus control too

Skeptics may say, “if you care so much about the art of focus pulling, you should be using those big, expensive camera systems.”

This is certainly not true. Even big Hollywood productions have a need for small cameras with good focus control. I once spoke with cinematographer Tom Stern, ASC, about his experience shooting the movie American Sniper (2014). He shared that one day they had an interior helicopter scene, and it took a very long time to set up their Alexa XT cameras inside the tiny space. Director Clint Eastwood figured they were running out of time and made the call to “let’s bring in that little camera”. They ended up shooting the whole scene with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

In retrospect, Mr. Stern expressed disappointment with this camera for two reasons: 1) the image didn’t match well with the Alexa; 2) the pocket-sized camera wasn’t so small anymore after the cinema lens and the Preston follow focus system (and the required accessories to support it) were mounted.

Sadly, four years after the movie was made, we still don’t have a small camera that fully answers Mr. Stern’s demands.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

February 17, 2019