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Market report provides interesting insights into camera module industry

Graph: Yole Développement

Market research & strategy consulting company Yole Développement has just released its “Camera Module Industry Market and Technology Trends 2017″ report, and the document includes a number of interesting findings and forecasts that photographers, specially those interested in smartphone photography, should pay attention to.

According to the report, the market for cameras in mobile devices is still the main driver of the camera module industry that reached $ 23.4 Billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $ 46.8 Billion by 2022.

The researchers at Yole Développement also found the manufacturers of autofocus and optical image stabilization systems had to adapt to the large production volumes and low cost requirements of the smartphone makers. This has resulted in a restructuring effort and a move of production capacity from Japan and Korea to China and Vietnam. Companies like New Shiko and TDK have been able to benefit the most from these developments.

In the sub-markets for image sensors and lens sets, the quasi-monopolies of Sony and Largan are about to end as the competition is quickly catching up in terms of technology. Module makers, like market leaders LG Innotek, are hugely dependent on customer loyalty as the loss of a large customer could potentially result in a collapse of the company.

The report also finds that the average cost for mobile camera modules has remained relatively constant. However, with high-end AF- and stabilization systems and and active alignment now being much more commonplace, complexity has increased disproportionally. The current total cost of camera module per phone is pretty much proportional to the number of cameras installed—two cameras cost the manufacturers $ 16, three cameras around $ 24, and those implementing four cameras in their devices have to calculate with a cost of more than $ 30 per handset.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 7, 2017
How to Take Interesting Photos in Uninteresting Places

Having spent the past several months traveling extensively to some pretty exciting places, coming back home to small-town suburbia was a rude awakening for me to say the least. I was so used to having interesting subjects – be it people, landscapes, flora and fauna – at my doorstep everyday. I didn’t have to think much about what I wanted to photograph, I could just step outside and find something new and interesting every time.

But once I got home and settled into my routine, I started to experience PW (photographer withdrawal). There really was nothing for me to photograph, right? How many times can I photograph the same bush, the same tree, the same pond and the same ducks?

You see being smack-dab in the middle of American suburbia, this is the extent of my daily views. But then I realized that there are some simple ways to make an uninteresting location a bit more interesting! Here are six tips to help you do that.

#1 Change the way you look at things

Sometimes it’s just about changing perspective. Literally. Let’s say you have pine trees in your neighborhood. Nothing fancy – simple pine trees that are quite abundant in most areas.

Have you ever tried to look at one through a macro lens? Maybe you can capture individual blades of pine needles. How does the tree look when it snows? Can you isolate the snow on the pine needles? How do pine cones look under a macro lens? All of these things provide a potential for interesting photographs. Just change your perspective a complete 360 from what you normally do!

Get in close

Try looking at the same boring thing with a new or different lens. A macro lens or even a close-up filter is a nice way to get up close and personal to an otherwise boring subject.

The image on the left is the neighborhood pond in winter. Nothing exciting ever happens there. But this past winter we had an ice storm and the pine tree was covered in ice. It made for some interesting compositions and also very cool macro shots!

Try wide-angle

The opposite of close is to try something that encompasses the whole scene. Using a wide-angle or ultra-wide angle lens to change your perspective of the scene in front of you.

Here I used a wider angle to try and encompass the whole extent of ice on the tree. I quite like how the ice is hanging off the branches. I almost got frostbite from being outside in this cold but quite worth the shot, don’t you think?

Get the details/textures

Textures are a wonderful way to look at the details in and around an object. The play of color, age and grain make for great abstract imagery.

#2 Experiment with different light

Light is one of the most important elements in photography. Sometimes boring doesn’t have anything to do with the location, but with the quality of the light at the time that you are shooting. If you feel that what you have around you is really uninteresting, try photographing the scene or subject in lighting that is different from what you usually do.

Get your tripod out and try photographing at night with a flash or a long exposure (slow shutter speed) combined with some light painting. Try early morning or golden hour light when the light is softer and the shadows are longer. Or go completely against the norm and try photographing in the harsh midday sun and embrace the play of light and shadows.

Sometimes when the light is just right, I don’t have a model handy, so my dog is the one who poses for me. I just loved the way he was sitting in the light basking in the warmth of the setting sun.

This was a little bit more staged but she just happened to be sitting there when the setting sun entered the house from the left. I positioned her a bit so she was half in the light and half in the shade. No props needed at all – just a willing model and looking for the right or different kind of light.

Sunsets and sunrises are perfect to spruce up your boring location. You just need get outside and photograph that great light!

#3 Simple special effects

This ties into the point above. Using simple tools like a tripod, off-camera flash, gels, etc., can add an element of interest and change to your otherwise boring images.

Some other ideas to try are motion-blur with a really low shutter speed and a fast-moving subject, intentionally missing focus to create an artistic image, panning while tracking a moving object, double exposures, free-lensing, etc.

I absolutely love double exposures. When all else fails and there is nothing of interest to photograph, I try to combine nature and portraits to create some cool double exposure effect. More often than not, my pet is the only willing and able model!!

#4 Break photography composition rules

We all know the basic rules of compositions such as; the rule of thirds, filling the frame, cropping effectively without cutting body parts, using leading lines and shapes, symmetry and patterns, pay attention to the background, etc. But sometimes when you are not quite feeling motivated and inspired or when you are dealing with an uninteresting background, try breaking some or all these rules to add some interest and drama to your images.

Most food photographs are always in perfect light on perfect white backdrops. I decided to break some rules and photograph my morning smoothie in the hard afternoon light that was streaming through my kitchen window to get some shadows in the frame and also give a more imperfect look to the blackberries.

I loved the way my neighbor’s tree burst into flowers over the spring. So after much coercion and bribing, my daughter agreed to pose – but she refused to look at the camera. So I covered her eyes, cropped off her arms and create a different kind of portrait with the florals that I loved.

#5 Try some street photography

Street photography is an interesting genre of photography because it involves people and people watching is always fun and entertaining, no matter where you are.

#6 Experiment in post-processing

If none of these ideas inspire you, try to create something fun and interesting in post-processing. My post-processing software of choice is Lightroom. Perhaps you want to try HDR processing for your images, or a black and white theme. You can also use selective blur, gradient filters, and other tools to try sprucing up your images to create something interesting and fun.

If you have been following my work for a while, you know that my style is very light, bright and airy. My images are clean and give a sense of freshness even in my processing. The image on the left is more of my normal style. But for this article and also to show that experimenting with post-processing is another way to overcome boredom, I edited all the images in a more dark and moody style throughout.

Left is how I would normally process this image, and the image on the right is just experimenting with darker, moodier tones. I quite like them both and spend hours playing around with editing styles for this article.

Your turn

I hope these ideas get your creative juices flowing in terms of things to try and experiment with in your photography when you feel your location is uninteresting and boring. Remember, memorable images don’t always happen in cool, popular places – they happen when something simple or mundane tells an interesting story.

The post How to Take Interesting Photos in Uninteresting Places by Karthika Gupta appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 7, 2017
Nikon will shut down all sales operations in Brazil at the end of 2017

Just last week, we learned that Nikon was shutting down operations in China, including closing a factory responsible for producing some of the company’s compact cameras and DSLR lenses. But if you thought that was going to be the only closure in the Nikon portfolio this month, think again.

Announced earlier today, Nikon has decided to cease all e-commerce operations in Brazil, where the company ONLY sells its wares via e-commerce. Translation: Nikon will no longer sell cameras, lenses or accessories in the country. Brazilians’ only option will be gray market gear.

The news was announced in a press release that is linked prominently at the top of the Nikon Brazil website. It reads (Google translated and edited for clarity):

As of December 31st, 2017, Nikon do Brasil Ltda. will end the sale of cameras, lenses and photographic accessories in the Brazilian market, currently marketed exclusively through its e-commerce arm, the Nikon Store. The company’s other business segments, including customer service and technical assistance, will continue to operate normally.

The change is part of ‘global scale restructuring’ of the company’s R&D, Sales and Manufacturing, and at least appears to be the first step in pulling out of Brazil entirely. For now, products under warranty and those purchased through the Nikon Brazil Store before December 31st will continue to have access to warranty services and customer service.

Owners of out-of-warranty gear will receive service “where possible” and “based on costs approved by the owners.”

Press Release

Nikon do Brasil Ltda. announces the closure of e-commerce in Brazil

Nikon Corporation is optimizing R & D, Sales and Manufacturing structures in a global scale restructuring.

As part of this process Nikon do Brasil Ltda.—as of December 31st, 2017—will end the sale of cameras, lenses and photographic accessories in the Brazilian market, currently marketed exclusively through its e-commerce arm, the Nikon Store. The company’s other business segments, including customer service and technical assistance, will continue to operate normally.

Products under warranty, including those marketed by Nikon Brazil’s e-commerce through December 31st, 2017, will continue to honor the warranty periods. For out-of-warranty products, where possible, technical assistance will be provided based on costs approved by the owners.

São Paulo, November 6, 2017.

Auster Nascimento
President – Nikon do Brasil

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 7, 2017
Video: Shooting with a $63,000 100MP monochrome medium format camera

Ted Forbes—photographer and inspirational educator behind The Art of Photography—recently got a chance to try out the Phase One IQ3 100MP Achromatic digital back, and man did it ever leave an impression. In his short video overview above, he dives into the images he captured with this bayer filter-free, monochromatic medium format beast, explaining why he feels this camera is a true ‘gamechanger.’

If that word triggers your gag reflex, you’re not alone, but Forbes isn’t one to throw hyperbole around and he gives good reason (and plenty of examples) for why he believes this digital back is something special. Pay particular attention to what Forbes is able to do using filters and the sensor’s ability to pick up light outside of the visible spectrum.

Check out the full video above to see the camera in action and dive into some sample images, but don’t forget to watch it at the highest possible resolution YouTube and your monitor can handle. You’ll need every available pixel at your disposal.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 7, 2017
Simple Tips for Positioning Your Portrait Subject to Leverage Natural Light

When I’m on a photo shoot, I always carry two flash guns with me. However, when it’s a family outing or holiday, the flash guns are left behind in favor of kiddie stuff I need to lug around and I shoot using purely natural light, without even a reflector to help. It does help that I carry a prime lens that opens up to f/1.4 should I need or want to shoot indoors.

Here are my tips for making portraits using purely natural light.

On a sunny day, there is so much light that it makes it quite hard to take portraits, contrary to what many would think. I generally don’t like taking portraits with the sun directly hitting the face of my subject, so that makes the job even harder on such a bright day.

The first thing to be mindful of is the direction of light – is it coming from overhead, at an angle of 45 degrees or higher or lower? As you cannot physically move the sun, you are going to have to move your subject instead. Think of positioning your subject as leveraging natural light to make a pleasing portrait.

Outdoors

Here are some outdoor scenarios where you can position your subject and avoid direct bright sunlight.

In the shade

My go-to (and easiest) spot is a shaded or sheltered area. Ideally, find a large enough shaded area so that your entire subject is covered in shade. You don’t want dappled light or parts of the body overexposed by being in the sun while the rest of the person is in the shade.

Areas of shade could be under a tree or in the shadow of a tall structure such as the wall of a building as in the photo on the left below. This gives you even lighting over a large area and even exposure too with no hard shadows.

Compare the left photo to the right one where the subject is wearing a hat. I metered on her face and because she was furthered shadowed by the hat, the exposure increased a tad and the rest of the image then got brighter. This can be evened out quite easily in post-production by adding a soft vignette.

With a very bright backlight

Sometimes you find yourself at a location that doesn’t offer enough shade or there is a lack of large structures to provide shelter. You would end up shooting in a bright wide-open space and your only option is to shoot backlit or at least provide shade to your subject’s face.

The difficulty with shooting backlit is that you would need to have ample fill light to compensate for the very strong backlight. You can either use your camera’s built-in flash or use some kind of reflector. That could be a light-colored piece of cardboard or a natural reflector in the vicinity, such as a bright path or wall that reflects strong sunlight back onto your subject’s face.

Shooting in an open or semi-open space, like the black and white photo above, where the backlight is a lot stronger than the light illuminating the subject it gets complicated. Unless you are using a flash to counteract the backlight, the background will be blown out. Even if you shoot with a small aperture, the difference in the amount of light between the subject and the background will be too great to get an even exposure without using a fill flash.

Natural reflectors

In the photo below, this was not taken in a fully open space but the shade there was weaker. The hat provided more shade to her face and you can see the left side is a little darker than the right. That makes for a nice gradation of light and shadow as opposed to a flatly-lit portrait.

I leveraged a natural reflector here which was just to camera right – a light colored parasol which reflected the sun onto the girl’s face. You can also see that the background was a lot brighter and more washed out compared to the first photo above left. But it is showing some foliage compared to the photo above right, hence there is more detail rather than just a white blown out sky.

When I find myself in situations like these, I make sure my main focus is the subject’s face and I don’t mind the background being blown or washed out. After all, I am after a portrait of the subject.

Light from above

Compare the two photos below. The left photo is shot with fairly flat lighting on the face. I made sure the subject was in full shade and the light coming from both the right and left sides was even.

The photo on the right is different in that I asked her to look up a little, thus using the light coming from above and creating a slight gradation of shadow on the right side of her face. Simple positioning of the face in relation to the light source makes a big difference in how your photos look.

Indoor lighting

In comparison to outdoors, there is usually only a fraction of the amount of light indoors, even with a window present. However, this works to your advantage. The light source is usually one-directional unless you have many windows, and therefore you can use this it to sculpt your subject’s face as it were, choosing where the shadows will fall and creating a moody portrait.

The light in the photo below left was coming from a big window, high up at about 30 – 45 degrees to the subject. You can see the shadow falling on the opposite side of her nose and cheeks creating a darker, moodier feel to the image compared to the photo on the right shot outdoors. Even with just a single light source indoors, you have enough light to play with and create the ambiance you want to portray.

Over to you

Whether indoors or outdoors, it is always important to be mindful of where the light is coming from, how much light there is, and if there is any contrast of light and shade in the space. Knowing how to leverage the natural light allows you to create the type of mood you are after in your portrait.

Understanding this and practicing how to use available light will make you a better photographer.

The post Simple Tips for Positioning Your Portrait Subject to Leverage Natural Light by Lily Sawyer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 6, 2017
5 Lighting Setups You Can Do Using an Octabox

Choosing a lighting modifier is always tough because it’s inherently limiting. Do you go for a large soft source or something with a little more contrast? Or something that plays well with the modifiers you already own? One modifier that appears limiting is the Octabox, because generally, they’re a pretty large source.

You could literally point them anywhere in the region of your subject and get an acceptable photo. I’ve even heard them referred to as “idiot lighting” because they work so well, you don’t have to be clever to use them. It’s not really an insult, it’s more of a reflection of how easy they are to use.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t use them more subtly though. That’s what we’re going to look at in this article. Your first setup will be the default one most beginners use with lighting. This is a good thing. It gives you a good handle on what the light looks like. But before you begin, let’s talk about the quality of light.

Quality of Light

Generally, when you refer to the quality of light, you’re referring to how hard or soft is the light source.

There are two parts to it though. First, there’s the actual size of the light. A large source is softer, like your typical 4-5 foot Octabox, while a small source, like a 7″ reflector is quite hard.

Soft light

Second, you have the distance to the source. An Octabox placed far from your subject will appear as a smaller source, and become quite hard looking. It’ll also need more power to reach the subject because the light will fall off. This brings us to the concept the f relative size of the light source.

Relative Size of a Light Source

The larger the source of light is in relation to your subject (you may be lighting a still life), the softer your light will appear. A medium source close to your subject will appear softer than a large one further away. So how do you make a larger source softer? Easy, bring it as close to your subject as you can without it appearing in the frame.

Which Octabox?

I currently own three Octaboxes. An Elinchrom 135cm (53″), a Godox 120cm (47″) and an Elinchrom Deep Octa 70cm. For this article, I’m using the more expensive, but really versatile 135cm. You could use the much cheaper Godox. It’s not as soft, but still more than useable.

Setup #1: Light Position to the Front and Side

The Octabox lights both the face and the background in this position.

This is the basic one-light setup. It’s the typical light at 45º to your subject arrangement. Put the light in front of your subject and off to the side (either side, though I opted for the right side for my example).

Your subject can be straight on, or face either direction and still be lit acceptably. You could use a meter aimed towards the light to determine your aperture, but as it’s one light, you could just look at the back of the camera to determine your preferred exposure.

Depending on your preference, anywhere from f/4 to f/11 will work fine, just set the light power to match what you want. The larger aperture of f/4 will give you a softer look overall, while f/11 will have much more in focus.

It should go without saying, but you should always focus on the eye that’s nearest the camera for the most pleasing look.

A behind the scenes image, shot from the side.

Setup #2: Light Position to the Back and Side

With the octabox moved around, the light on the subject is more dramatic. Because it’s no longer aimed at the background, the background goes dark.

For this setup, you just move the light 90º towards the background. This time you have to be more careful about your subject position. They’ll need to be turned towards the light more.

This gives us a short lighting pattern, which is more dramatic. You’ve seen this look before if you’ve read my article about lighting positions. It’s a really slimming look that adds more drama to a portrait.

You’ll also notice that compared to the previous setup, the background is much darker. Because the light is now angled away from the back wall, less of it is lit by your light, rendering it much darker. In the case of these two shots, the subject hasn’t moved, just the light.

Setup #3: Lighting From Behind (Backlight)

This a little more exotic, as you’re letting the light wrap around the subject. Your subject will need to be right against the Octabox for this. Allow the light to wrap around and expose for the subject’s face.

Behind the scenes shot.

Bonus Tip:

You can also add a second light to create a high-key portrait here. Technically high-key has all tones above middle grey, so really, you’re just using the Octabox to create a white background.

Move the subject away from the Octabox a little bit. Make sure that the light from the back isn’t flaring over the shoulders to lose definition. If you use a light meter, make sure the aperture reading aimed at the Octabox is the same or lower than the one aimed at your front light.

Adding a second light will create the white background look that’s currently popular. Technically with high-key, all the elements are above zero, so the black in the dress means this isn’t actually a high key shot, though this lighting can provide that look.

Two lights and one reflector used here.

Setup #4: The Tabletop

This is a very popular look with fashion and editorial portraits. The front of the Octabox should be parallel to the floor above your subject.

The subject should be placed at the edge of the octa, even back from it slightly. This allows the light to wrap down and around the body. A reflector should be used to aim light back into the face as well to fill in shadows.

Setup #5: Lighting From the Front with No Diffuser

For a much edgier look, pull off the front diffusion panel. As I’m using an Elinchrom, I’ve swapped my inner diffusion panel for the white deflector that comes with the 135cm. You can just use the inner diffusion panel. With the Godox, just remove the diffusion panel.

Stand in front of the Octabox and make sure your body or head is blocking the center of the light to minimize any hotspots from the light. Because you’ve allowed the silver part of the Octa to be visible, you get way more contrast in the light.

It’s still a large light source, but you get more highlights on the skin from this look. It also acts like a huge ring light, so you get diffuse shadows all around the subject, for a very cool look.

Get Shooting

Even if you’re just running with a speedlight and a Godox, you’ll still be able to get more options from your light using these five setups.

Remember to keep the center of your light above the subject’s face where possible. Have fun and feel free to post your octabox shots in the comments below!

An Octabox can be used on location as well.

The post 5 Lighting Setups You Can Do Using an Octabox by Sean McCormack appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 6, 2017
Canon EF-M 22mm F2 STM sample gallery

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The Canon EF-M 22mm F2 is by no means a new lens. But it’s a lens we find ourselves returning to again and again as we test Canon’s mirrorless cameras. It’s matched perfectly to small, mirrorless camera bodies; put it on an M100 and you’ve got an extremely compact and lightweight combination that’s ideal for everyday situations.

We’ve collected some of our sample images with this handy little lens from years past into a single gallery – take a look.

See our Canon EF-M 22mm F2 STM
sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2017
9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography

They say the best camera is the one that you have with you. Even though I love my digital SLR, quite frequently, I shoot with my smartphone. This is why mobile phone photography is so popular.

There is a collection of stunning oak trees near where I live. Each time I go there, the trees look different based on the weather and time of year. Did I need an expensive $ 5,000 camera to get these pictures? No, because I know some tricks for shooting with my smartphone.

For these types of images, it doesn’t matter what type of camera you have. If you’ve got a camera, the inspiration, and the time, you can create some great images with your smartphone. Great images come from a good eye and a basic knowledge of composition and light. If you practice with these elements, you can take awesome pictures with any device even if it’s a phone camera. In this article, I will give you some of my favorite apps that will inspire you to have some fun with the camera that is always with you.

Is the era of the compact camera coming to a close?

Either people shoot with their smartphones or they use an advanced digital SLR. There’s not much in between. Why is this happening?

For the general public, smartphones have more capacity and are easier to use than the current lower-end point and shoot cameras on the market. People are getting better results with less effort. When someone asks for a recommendation on a camera and they only have a couple hundred dollars to spend, I usually recommend that they use their cellphone.

As a photography educator, I find my iPhone to be easier to use and more consistent across multiple models. Some Android models work differently and don’t have the same capabilities as other phones. Some apps don’t work on all Androids, so please take that into account when trying out the apps mentioned in this article.

The current compact cameras are more menu-driven than most people can handle. And if their photography skills are not up to snuff, it is hard to get past the automatic modes on those cameras. I have had clients in my classes with these lower-end compact cameras where the manual modes do not work at all. These little gadgets are almost as complicated as the advanced digital SLRs, but without the quality results. The only things that are of benefit are their size and price point, but even then it means a smaller lens, a smaller sensor and diminished results.

Smartphone photography

I discovered smartphone photography after attending a professional photographic trade show. I took a little seminar on an app called Hipstamatic for iPhone and I was hooked. I was no longer a photo snob! All of a sudden, I realized I could create stunning photos in moments that would take hours in Photoshop.

Over the next year or so, I shot thousands of pictures on my smartphone and I got really familiar with the ins and outs of this type of photography.

I also realized this was the future of social media and photography for the general public. You could create little masterpieces that were appreciated online. They were not high resolution and the use of these images was limited, but that works just fine for most people. As a photographer, you don’t want to post images that can be stolen and easily used somewhere else, so the smartphone low-resolution image size is perfect.

I knew then there was a huge future in this art form for the general public. I continued to research new apps, reading everything I could and staying updated. Here are some of my favorite apps for mobile phone photography.

Shooting apps

Camera+ for IOS

This app allows you to control separate focus and exposure points, one of the secrets to good mobile phone photography. You can also use additional features such as selective focus, exposure compensation, and exposure lock. I use Camera+ on every picture I take.

Unfortunately, Camera+ is not available for Android.

ProShot – for IOS and Android

This app has all of the auto, program and manual modes that Camera+ has and is available for both IOS and Android (as well as Windows phones). With ProShot you have full manual control over exposure, ISO, and shutter speed. The most important aspect here is the ability to separate focus and exposure like you can with the Camera+ app.

My go-to editing app

Snapseed

This app is a must for both IOS and Android users! Snapseed is a go-to app for processing photos. It has such an easy interface, that you can make it part of your normal workflow and literally do your editing in seconds when taking a shot with your mobile phone. There are so many options in this app, but my favorite is the selective contrast and exposure settings. It allows you to go into the image and change exposure, contrast, and saturation in specific parts of your picture. Other settings such as grunge, HDR and Retroux let you create a variety of special effects.

Snapseed is available for both iPhone and Android.

Graphic Apps

Wordswag – for IOS and Android

Are you looking for a simple text app where you can create text overlay or a watermark? Wordswag will help you create professional looking graphics like this in just seconds!

Retro Apps

Hipstamatic – for IOS

This app allows you to select “film” and “lenses” in the “classic mode” before you shoot to create the perfect effect. Hipstamatic also added a modern interface with the ability to change your “lenses” and “filters” after you have taken the shot. Find one combination you like to create your own shooting style.

Retro Camera – for Android

With Retro Camera you can take Hipstamatic-style images with five cameras, five sets of vintage vignetting, film scratch and cross-processing options.

Creative art apps

Prisma – for IOS and Android

Here’s a fun app that will turn your images into works of art in seconds. Lots of different options to create in this app. Each option in Prisma is preset and instant with very little custom editing needed.

Diana – for IOS and Android

This app is an easy way to create double-exposure images in seconds. You can create images by selecting specific photos to combine, or you can randomly let Diana select for you. It works better if you have a vision in mind before working with this app, but sometimes a random selection works as well!

Waterlogue – for IOS and Windows 10 devices

Create beautiful watercolor style images with Waterlogue. Select from a number of different styles to create your own masterpiece!

Conclusion

The beautiful thing about photography with the smartphone is that it expands your creativity and can even help with your Digital SLR photography. You can use more than one app to create even more customized effects. Take each image through a series of apps before getting the final look you want. You never know where you’re going to end up, and you might just like that.

What are your favorite Smartphone apps? Has it changed the way you shoot with your Digital SLR? Which of these apps is going to become a regular part of your smartphone photography workflow?

The post 9 of the Best Apps to Help You Do Awesome Mobile Phone Photography by Holly Higbee-Jansen appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 5, 2017
Why it’s a Good Idea to Take Lots of Photos

Take lots of photos. Lots and lots of photos. Make mistakes. Lots of them. The more photos you take and the more mistakes you make, the better the photographer you will become.

I’m not encouraging you to blaze away with your camera like you’ve got a machine gun and are an actor in a B-grade action movie, you won’t improve your photography doing that. You need to carefully consider many aspects of what you are doing and make sure every frame you shoot is different than the previous one.

Increase your odds

Whether you’re photographing your kid’s birthday party, a street protest, graduation portrait or studio product shot for your website, there’s always a multitude of variables. Taking minimal photos is going to reduce your chances of success.

Varying the composition, timing, and exposure for each picture you take will give you more options when you come to edit your photos and choose the best of them.

Vary the composition and move around

Even the slightest changes in composition can produce significantly different photos. So if you only take one or two frames without moving your camera you might be missing the best angle.

Small variations in composition can make a significant difference.

Moving your position from side to side and up and down, even just slightly, or adjusting the focal length when you are shooting a static subject will provide you with a series of different images.

Then later, when you’re editing, you will have the benefit of multiple different photos to choose from.

Moving subjects

Taking a series of photos when one or more elements in your composition are moving gives different results.

When photographing a moving subject it’s always best to take lots of photos. As the location of your subject changes the dynamic of the photo can be varied in many ways. The relationship of your subject to the background will alter, for better or for worse.

The distance between your subject and your camera may change, possibly resulting in an out of focus photo. When your subject is moving, their position within your frame will be different from moment to moment. So it makes good sense to take a series of images, rather than just one or two.

Timing the moments you choose to make an exposure has a major impact on the outcome of your photo, especially when you have more than one element in your composition that’s moving. If you limit the number of photos you make you will risk the missing the best opportunity.

Continuous shooting mode

In many situations, holding the shutter release button down with your camera set to continuous shooting (burst) mode will not often give you the best results unless you carefully consider your actions.

If you are observant and know your subject, taking time to track the action and choosing the moments you make your exposures will give you better results. Use continuous shooting mode carefully when you need it, otherwise, you will be trying to choose your best photos later from a myriad of exposures with insignificant differences.

Exposure variations

Experiment with exposure settings.

Experimenting with different exposure setting is another good way to produce an interesting variety of images of the same subject, especially if the contrast range in your composition is broad.

If you prefer making photos using one of your camera’s auto modes, make a few exposures like that, then switch to Manual mode. Make more photos, adjusting the exposure slightly for each one.

By taking exposure meter readings from different locations with your camera’s spot meter and adjusting your settings accordingly, it can give you a range of more diverse photos than you would have if you only use an automatic exposure mode.

It’s all in the details

Recomposing slightly avoided the bright line connecting with the flower.

Paying attention to detail when you are photographing can make the biggest difference in achieving fabulous photos or just mediocre ones. Taking your time to carefully observe the elements within your frame as you line up your camera to take a photo is essential.

Watch for changes to the light that will affect your exposure. Watch for movement and make deliberate adjustments to your composition. These are all ways that will add depth and an extra dynamic to your photography. However, if you are simply not taking enough photos you are truly limiting your opportunities to be making your best photographs.

Oftentimes the first angle you think of and photograph will not be the best. And, if you only make one or two exposures, you will not get the best photograph. The second composition you choose may be smarter, but all the smart people will do the same. The third step you make with your camera angle, composition, timing, etc., will likely give you a more pleasing, unique result and even lead to more inspired choices for subsequent frames.

Over to you

By taking your time, observing carefully, and considering the various options of how you can set your exposure and frame your subject – it will give you an opportunity to get a diverse range of photos.

Time your exposures so the action is at its peak and your composition works. Then making variations on your choices will return you considerably more options of good photos to choose from. If you just make one or two exposures without making any changes it’s highly possible you will be missing out on making the best photographs possible. So always take lots of photos.

The post Why it’s a Good Idea to Take Lots of Photos by Kevin Landwer-Johan appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

November 5, 2017
iFixit tears down the iPhone X, gives it 6 out of 10 on ‘repairability’

Image: Ifixit

The brand new Apple iPhone X just got a complete teardown from iFixit.com, which rates the device a 6 out of 10 on its repairability scale, putting it on the same level as the iPhone 8 Plus and Google Pixel 2 XL. It’s easier to repair than a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 though, which scored only 4 points.

The iFixit team were particularly impressed with the repairability of battery and display; the latter, for example, can be replaced without removing the biometric Face ID hardware. On the downside, the analysis found that unrelated components are tied together by cables, turning them into complex assemblies that are difficult and expensive to replace.

The teardown also gets us a good look at the iPhone X Dual 12 MP cameras—wide-angle and telephoto, with F1.8 and F2.4 apertures and OIS—and the 7 MP TrueDepth front camera with F2.2 aperture, 1080p HD video recording, and Face ID. Head over the ifixit.com for the full report and lots of detail images of iPhone X innards.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 5, 2017