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Applied LEGO: Design Graduate Sends Miniature Figures of Himself as Resumes

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

Design and architecture firms are used to getting creative resumes in the mail that unfold into portfolios or assemble into paper models, but this LEGO figurine may be the most creative variant yet.

A designer and artist, Andy Morris decided to make a miniature of himself as a way to stand out to potential employers and highlight his creativity.

His three-dimensional curriculum vitae packaged like a toy figure but also includes graphic elements that convey aspects of his own creative work.

The packaging gives more details on his design capabilities and offers links to his website and portfolio, accompanied by descriptions of his experience and personal design philosophies. Hurry: supplies are limited!

He hopes not only that the figure will help him find a job, but that it will match him with a workplace that mimics his own quirky creative ambitions.

Colorspace Atlas: Rainbow Book Features Full RGB Range

For a little light reading, or dark, depending on the page: imagine all the colors of the rainbow – including those we rarely see, and minute shades in between – packed into an 8-by-8-by-8 cube …

Pixelated and Underwater: Azuma Makoto’s Bonsai Art

Bonsai trees are beautiful, but most require a very dedicated person to tend to their needs – unless they’re made of Legos. Artist Azuma Makoto has not only created a bonsai made of these …

Bricksy: 20 Classic Banksy Street Artworks Recreated in LEGO

Selecting from Banksy favorites and classics, this series of brick-based fan art both replicates and expands on familiar two-dimensional works.

Professional photographer Jeff …

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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WebUrbanist

October 23, 2017
Make Sure You Know all the Drone Regulations Before You Fly
Everywhere you look, it seems like everyone has their hands on a drone. YouTube is crawling with aerial drone footage, and you can buy one at just about any electronics store. But just because drones are everywhere doesn’t mean you can (legally) fly them anywhere.

Here at dPS, we dove into topics such as tips to get started with drone photography and how to get stunning aerial photos with your drone. One thing we haven’t covered that’s worth talking about is where you can and can’t fly your drone. Read on for some tips on things to consider before you fly a drone.

Why Are There Drone Regulations?

On the surface, drones may seem like fun toys or new tools to add to your photography or videography kit. After all, they’re marketed as such and most of the time, they don’t do any visible harm. However, drones can be dangerous from the perspective of privacy and physical safety.

No one likes the idea of a drone spying on them, or worse yet, a drone that comes crashing down and damages property or hurts someone. But these very plausible scenarios are exactly why drone regulations exist – to protect drone pilots and the general public from accidents.

Who Makes Drone Regulations?

So who comes up with drone rules and regulations? That depends entirely on where you live. Generally speaking, drones are considered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and as such, they are regulated by the national aviation authority of each country. Thus, most countries will have their own rules, and often each state or city within the country might have further regulations.

So it’s important to do extensive research about where specifically you plan to fly your drone. Punishment for violating drone regulations can be hefty fines or even imprisonment, so it is very important to follow drone rules, especially in foreign countries.

What Kind of Drone Regulations Are There?

Drone rules vary in every country, but here a few common ones:

Register Your Drone

Today, drones vary from fitting in the palm of your hand to requiring a large backpack to transport them. Generally speaking, drones weighing any more than 0.55 pounds must be registered with your national aviation association before flying.

Get Licensed to Fly

Some countries require drone operators to pass an exam to get a license before flying a drone, so be sure to get licensed if it’s necessary.

Get Insurance for Your Drone

In some places, you must have insurance for your drone in order to fly. But drone insurance is something you should have any way to protect your investment.

Avoid Flying over People and Properties

Even the tiniest drone can be a hazard to someone or something if it comes crashing down from the sky or runs into an airplane. As a general rule, don’t fly your drone over crowds of people or near private or government property. You should also avoid flying near airports or helipads.

Sample Drone Regulations in the USA

In the United States, drones are considered unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). As such, they are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). There are two sets of regulations: one for those flying drones for fun, and one for those flying for commercial (professional) reasons. A summary of the FAA rules is below, with more details available here.
- Flying drones for recreational or educational use is okay without a permit. Drones must be registered if they weigh over 0.55 lbs (250g). Drones cannot be flown within five miles of an airport or helipad without prior notification to the airport and air traffic control.
- If flying for commercial use, the drone pilot must be over 16 years of age, have a Remote Pilot Airman Certificate, and pass TSA vetting. The drone must fly under 400 feet and at or below 100 miles per hour. Drones can only fly during the daytime, and must not fly over people.
For More Information
- Global Drone Regulations Database
- Master List of Drone Laws
Apps
- UAV Forecast
- Hover
In Conclusion

If your head is spinning when you reach the end of this article, you’re not alone. There are many more drone rules and regulations than most people know about, which makes enforcement of them very patchy.

What’s more is that drone regulations are in a constant state of flux, so it’s hard to say exactly what rules exist and apply at a given time. But with that said, it’s better to know the rules and do your best to follow them, or risk getting arrested and potentially fined like this French tourist in Italy.

The post Make Sure You Know all the Drone Regulations Before You Fly by Suzi Pratt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
October 23, 2017
How to Photograph Agility Events and Other Dog Sports

Humans and horses aren’t the only athletes to reach massive feats – dogs do too! From the athletic sighthounds to the driven border collies, dogs have been competing in a slew of sports on the world stage since before you were born. Some of the most popular athletic canine sports include agility, dock diving, frisbee, flyball, barn hunt, nose work, weight pulling, lure coursing, and herding.

Possibly the most well-recognized of these sports is agility, in which a dog has to race through obstacles (such as jumps, weave poles, tunnels, dog walks, A-frames, and teeters) with their handler. This fast-paced sport has been captivating dog photographers for years, but yet there remain so few agility photographers.

Some quit from frustration due to the degree of difficulty to photograph, while others find the long hours hard to manage. Whatever the reason, this article is here to make it easier for you! Many of these tips can be applied universally to all canine competitions, as most have these three things in common: action, speed, and unpredictability.

Let’s start with equipment. You can’t photograph if you don’ a have camera. Here are the ideal gear recommendations for doing photography of dog sports.

The Right Camera

As most of the dog sports listed involve speed, you’re going to need a fast camera. Similar to photographing human sporting events such as football and baseball, the speed of your camera will determine what moments you can capture.

You want to ensure that your shutter closes at the exact moment you want it to, or is able to capture an entire sequence of movement (which is what many competitors love to see from action photographers). The more frames per second your camera can shoot, the more sequence shots you can capture.

To anyone wanting to get very serious into this type of photography, I always recommend purchasing a DSLR that has a strong inclination towards action photography due to its frames-per-second, such as the Canon 7D (the 7D Mark II is the newest model – 10 frames per second), the Canon 1D-X Mark II (14 fps), the Nikon D5 (12 fps). I am sure there are additional Nikon (as well as other brands) equivalents with faster speeds, but I am versed in Canon so you’ll have to do your research.

Choose the Right Lens

The key to dog sports photography is to interfere as little as possible with the event going on. That means shooting from a distance so that your activity doesn’t distract the dogs from their task. As such, most (if not all) agility photographers will work with a telephoto or zoom lens. This allows you to be far enough away from the subject so as to not affect their performance while being able to zoom in tightly and capture some beautiful compositions.

My favorite lens for dog sports photography is the Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS USM II. But I have seen many other photographers inclined toward the 300mm or 400mm range to get even closer to the dogs without needing to get in the way physically.

Finding a lens that has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, or around that range, is a great idea in order to isolate the dog from the rather cluttered frame. Since agility rings can make a photograph look chaotic due to a number of obstacles in close proximity to your subject, getting a lens that can shoot at f/2.8 will also all you to blur or soften some of the distracting elements in the background.

Camera Settings

Your settings will make a noticeable difference in your ease-of-shooting. Besides needing to shoot with a very fast shutter speed to freeze the action (1/1000th at a minimum but I personally like to shoot at 1/3000th and faster), there are a few other things you can do to get sharp images. Many new cameras have technological advancements that make action photography significantly easier than it has been in the past, such as new autofocus mechanisms. However, what the majority of new and old cameras have in common in regards to settings are the focus mode and burst (drive mode).

First, change your focus mode to Continuous Focus Mode (AI Servo for Canon users or AF-C for Nikon users). This mode allows your camera to lock onto your subject and follow the dog around as it moves, preventing you from consistently needing to refocus. Where new technology comes into play are the additional customizations for your this mode.

Some new cameras allow you to either use the Continuous Focus Mode presets or make your own that pertain to what you are shooting. For example, on the Canon 7D Mark II, you can tell the camera how your subject moves and what obstacles may be present by adjusting the various levels of sporadic movement, obstacle interference, and more.

There are even presets for erratically moving subjects and following the subject despite obstacles getting in the subject’s way. I usually tell the camera that my subjects are moving erratically in multiple directions and that there are many obstacles in the way when photographing agility. In cameras that do not have this feature, your AI Servo (AF-C) is still a good focusing mode choice.

Next, take advantage of the frames-per-second your camera offers by using burst mode (high-speed drive mode). You can ensure that you get the right shot by setting your camera to burst mode (where you take multiple photographs in a row while pressing down on the shutter) and shooting with a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. Like I mentioned previously, competitors love sequence shots. The only way to get these cool sequences is by shooting in burst mode!

Shooting Technique

Partnered with your gear and your camera settings, your shooting technique will make or break your results. The most common technique that I see used for dog sports photography is to pre-focus on an obstacle and wait for the dog to get there. But I believe you miss a lot of key moments when you do that, especially since dogs can be unpredictable (and even though the obstacle is a part of the course, that doesn’t mean the dog will comply).

Be prepared to practice the art of panning. Panning is moving your camera horizontally with the subject’s movement. You synchronize your camera movement with that of the subject moving parallel to you. I find it easiest to focus on the dog while it is waiting to be released by the owner and then follow the dog throughout the course.

In agility, the course is preset and the handler must memorize it, and then lead the dog through. This makes panning much easier because, by the second or third dog, you will know the course by heart. With other sports where the movement is more unpredictable, like frisbee (where the dog has to catch frisbees before they touch the ground), just use your best judgment on where you think the dog is going to go. This takes practice, but nothing comes without practice!

Alongside panning, another tip to get the most dynamic actions shots is to photograph from the subject’s eye level. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on your knees as the dogs go through the obstacle course. This allows viewers to relate to the subject (as is the psychological nature of photography) and gives them an idea of the height the dog is jumping which aids in how dramatic the photograph appears.

In agility, depending on the type of organization that is governing that sporting trial, you may or may not have to shoot through a fence. If there is a fence, it is often full of large gaping holes that you can photograph through.

Now that you have our gear set, before running off to excitedly photography some cool dogs, there are several important rules and considerations to keep in mind while photographing these canine superstars. Please follow them to respect the owners and for the dog’s safety.

Ask for Permission before Photographing Events

Always ask for permission before photographing any dog sporting events. You do not want to tarnish your reputation by being asked to leave (even if you are only photographing for your portfolio, experience, or fun).

Some clubs (such as a few that I work with) have an official photographer and do not allow outside photography to take place. Other clubs may have a vending fee and request liability insurance for all photographers wishing to make a profit from photographing the event. A few clubs do not even allow photographers in the first place. Always ask for permission. Asking also opens up the door to developing a great relationship with the people putting on the event.

Do Not Distract the Dogs

As tempting as it is to cheer when a cute dog does an obstacle well, or to make noises to have the dog look at you, please don’t. These dogs are there doing a very important job – showing off their skills! Agility trials and other competitive events are expensive for the handler to enter, the dogs train for many hours to compete, and they want to have just as much fun as you are having.

As such, we must all be respectful of each other. Much like you wouldn’t want someone trying to distract you while you work, these dogs don’t want that either. Make sure you aren’t photographing too loudly or too close to the obstacles, and try not to make any noise that could thwart a dog’s attention away from their handler.

If a Dog Comes Up to You, Ignore the Dog

Not all dogs have iron-clad self-control, especially the novice dogs that are still learning the ropes in the trialing world. If a dog happens to notice you while in the ring, turn your head, body, and camera away from the dog. If a dog runs up to you while in the ring, ignore the dog. Turn away, and do not pet or talk to the dog. The best way to help the dog focus back on their handler is to not pay the dog any mind.

Be Considerate of the Competitor’s Wishes

If a competitor comes up to you and asks you not to photograph their dog, please be respectful of their request. As much as you want to photograph all of the dogs that come through, some owners may not want you to (and that’s okay). There are a hundred different reasons why someone might not want their dog photographed while the dog is competing.

Do Not Pet a Dog without Asking, Even at a Dog Sport Event

As much as this should be common sense, many people forget that even at dog events, you should still not pet a dog without consulting with their owner. Though many dogs are beautifully trained at dog sporting events, not all are friendly with people. As this is not a conformation dog show where a judge has to touch and handle a dog, not all of the dogs at an agility trial, herding event, or other sports like being petted by people (and the owners are not obligated to teach their dog to tolerate strangers petting them).

Do Not Set-Up Inside the Competition Ring without Consent

Some organizations that govern dog sporting events require a fence to be placed around the competition course. Though you may sometimes be able to set-up inside the boundary rather than outside of it, do not do so without consulting the competition judge or the trial secretary. Setting up inside the boundary can be a safety hazard for both you and the competitors. So if you are granted permission, listen to where the judge tells you to stay.

Don’t Set-Up Too Close to the Weave Poles and Tunnels

This is a lesser-known consideration that does not apply to all, but I have seen it applied to many in my career as a dog sports photographer. Some dogs get spooked or distracted if a photographer sets up in front of the exit of a tunnel, as the dog cannot see you until it leaves the tunnel. Likewise, some dogs get terribly distracted from doing their weaves if they see you at the weave pole entrance of exit.

These two obstacles tend to be a bit more difficult for some dogs than jumps or dog walks, and you want to ensure that you don’t add extra stress for them Instead, set up further away and use your zoom lens to capture the dog speeding out of the tunnel!

Don’t Eat Near the Competition Ring While Dogs are Running

Another common-sense piece of advice that goes ignored far too often is to not eat near the ring while the dogs are competing. The smell of a delicious hot dog could encourage even the most driven dog to forget what they’re doing and come ask for some food.

Now that you’re an expert, here are some tips and tricks to help you out:

Pay Attention to the Course

The easiest way to photograph a sporting event is to know where your subjects are going to go! For agility, there is a 15-minute walkthrough before a course begins in which the competitors learn the course. Watch them, or even participate in the walkthrough yourself, and learn about the route. For sports that don’t have walkthroughs, try and figure out what the course set-up is using logical reasoning.

Listen to the Briefing

Before a trial begins, most events will have a competitor briefing. Participate in the briefing to learn valuable information about the event that is about to take place. As well, the briefing is a great time to introduce yourself to the competitors.

Don’t Stress About Photographing All of the Obstacles at Once

This took me years to figure out. You do not need to worry about photographing every single obstacle in every single course. The courses get changed several times throughout the day, the sun will move every hour, and nearly all of the dogs will run at least three more times before they leave the event.

It saves a lot of time, energy, and stress to only focus on a few obstacles that you know you can photograph well (whether it be due to the lighting and/or the obstacle’s proximity to you) per course. If you come in the morning and stay until the end in the later afternoon, you will most definitely photograph everyone’s dog doing every single obstacle.

When Organizing, Sort Photos by Class or Jump Height

The real challenge comes after the photo shoot: how to make sure the competitors can find their dog (or you can find their dog). I find that organizing your images by class (every dog sports event has different classes, often named for their difficulty level) helps immensely.

For dog agility, sometimes photographing by jump height can be just as beneficial. Do keep in mind that height changes per organization that governs the agility trial. There are three organizations in the US that set the rules for their agility trials: The American Kennel Club, the United States Dog Agility Association, and the North American Dog Agility Council. Each of these has their own jump heights and class names.

Ask for the Run Order

It’s completely acceptable to ask for the run order from the trial secretary or someone higher up in order to help you organize the dog photographs. Do keep in mind that the run order may change throughout the competition, so listen to the announcements and keep notes on what changes are being made.

Knee Pads are Your Best Friend

Since you ideally want to photograph from the dog’s eye level, you will spend hours on your knees. Skating knee pads are a great idea to reduce the amount of bruising and pressure to your knees. Trust me, you’re going to want to do this after several trials of black and blue knees.

Stay Hydrated

Dog sporting events are long, tiresome, and depending on your location, can be very hot. Make sure that you stay hydrated and take care of yourself, even when you’re wrapped up in the shoot. Bring a cooler with plenty of water, and a backpack with snacks or food that you can eat during your breaks. Fruit is a great snack, it’s healthy and will give you a bit of an energy boost from the sugar.

That being said, I often break my no-junk-food routine at dog sporting events because the sweets and fast food are quick, easy, filling, and can help keep me going!

Don’t Forget to Photograph the Novice Dogs

Don’t leave out the new guys! Many of the advanced competitors have hundreds of photographs of their canine athletes over the years, but the novice dogs are brand new and probably don’t have any at all. So be sure to capture photographs of the new kids on the block. They will thank you immensely for them.

It Is Possible to Photograph More Than One Ring at a Time

This takes a bit of practice and stamina, but it is absolutely possible to photograph more than one ring at a time. In agility and some other sports, two different rings can be running simultaneously. Often, the rings will be very close to each other. If you position yourself between the two rings, and time the obstacles correctly, you will have enough time to turn from one ring to the other and photograph both. This is how I get photographs of both the novice dogs and the advanced dogs while they are running at the same time.

Most Importantly, Have Fun

Don’t lose sight of why you are there – to have fun! These events are long, tiresome, and chaotic, but are so rewarding. The photography is challenging and addicting. But don’t forget to have fun!

The post How to Photograph Agility Events and Other Dog Sports by Anabel DFlux appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 22, 2017
Canon G1 X III vs. Sony Cybershot RX100 V

Canon G1 X Mark III vs Sony RX100 V

The year is 2017. Smartphones have rendered the $ 200 compact obsolete, and they’re creeping up on $ 500 interchangeable lens cameras. Things look bleak. But lo! Camera manufacturers have stumbled upon a niche market that can soften the blow they’ve been dealt by mobile devices: the ultra-pricey premium compact.

Sony is five generations deep in the category. Canon offers a variety of large sensor compacts, but none have looked quite as promising as the G1 X Mark III. If you’re set on investing in a seriously capable compact, no doubt these two cameras will be on your list. Here’s how they square up.

Sensor

In the Canon G1 X III you get a very familiar 24MP APS-C sensor with Canon’s modern Dual Pixel design. The RX100 V offers a much smaller 1″ chip with 20MP and an evolved stacked CMOS design, with impressive tricks like slow motion video and 24 fps bursts.

They’re both very capable sensors, but there’s just no avoiding that the G1 X III’s chip is much bigger. This means it can tolerate more light, which will provide a little more flexibility in brighter light and high contrast scenes. But beware: even though larger sensors typically perform better in low light and blurry background applications, that won’t necessarily be the case in this comparison… because of the…

Lens

The G1 X III and RX100 V are both built around a useful 24-70mm equivalent zoom.

The Sony offers an F1.8-2.8 aperture to the Canon’s F2.8-5.6, and you might be tempted to think that the RX100 V offers more flexibility for separating subjects from backgrounds. Or collects more light in low light. Or you might be tempted to think that the Canon is better in both these departments because of its larger sensor. Resist the temptation. Repeat after me: equivalence is our friend.

Because of their size difference, the RX100 V’s lens is equivalent to a F4.9-7.6 on full-frame; the Canon is equivalent to F4.5-9. So it’s really likely to be a wash in both the subject isolation and low light departments: the Sony is a little better on the long end, and the Canon is a tiny fraction better on the wide end. Either way you’re getting a zoom range that’s handy for plenty of shooting situations, with a built-in ND filter to boot.

Autofocus

Canon’s 24MP chip offers depth-aware Dual Pixel phase detection autofocus, a feature we’ve come to know and appreciate in its DSLRs and EOS-M cameras. Sony in turn offers phase detection autofocus with a total of 315 points; both cameras essentially offer autofocus across most of the frame.

We’ve generally found the RX100 V to focus better and faster in continuous drive than most Dual Pixel cameras we’ve tested, impressively even at the RX100 V’s 24 fps top burst rate. They’re both quite capable in single shot mode – Sony’s Eye AF mode is handy, though the G1 X III offers a usability advantage in its touch screen. Each system has its pros and cons, but they’re both way ahead of the contrast-detection systems used by cheaper compacts and many smartphones.

Screen/viewfinder

Great news: either way you go, you’ll have a built-in electronic viewfinder at your disposal, and you should for such a handsome price. But there are significant differences in rear screen specs. Canon gives you a fully articulated 3″ 1.04M-dot touch screen. Sony offers a higher-res 3″ 1.23M-dot tilting-only non-touch screen. For Pete’s sake Sony, put a touch screen in this thousand-dollar compact!

If you’re, say, a vlogger, the Canon’s fully articulating touch screen is clearly going to work better for you. Not everyone needs or wants a touch screen, but it does help you get the most out of a super fast autofocus system.

Video

In terms of sheer video capabilities, the RX100 V comes out way ahead with 4K/30p oversampled from 5K footage, 1080/60p, 1080/120p slow motion, SLog2 for wide dynamic range capture and helpful tools like zebra and focus peaking.

The G1 X III’s mere 1080/60p looks paltry in comparison, but don’t rule it out on that spec alone. Its Dual Pixel/touchscreen combination is incredibly useful for creating smooth shifts in focus or quickly choosing the subject you want the camera to track.

If you’re an advanced videographer and you need all of the bells and whistles, or a casual user that wants highly detailed video (and you’re OK with leaving focus in complete auto mode, where it performs really well) then the RX100 V is for you. But if you’re a novice looking to create good-looking video without much effort, then you should give the G1 X III a good look.

Battery

There’s no real good news here – battery life stinks on both of these cameras. The RX100 V is CIPA-rated to 220 shots per charge; the G1 X III is rated for 200 shots. Actual results are usually better than that, but if you intend to shoot lots of bursts, plan on getting a backup battery too. A fancy compact camera with a dead battery is just a very expensive paperweight.

Form factor

Let’s give credit where credit is due: these cameras are incredible feats of engineering. They each pack cutting edge technology into a body that seems way too small for its spec list. But you can’t cheat the laws of physics: the G1 X III’s much bigger sensor makes for a bigger camera. The RX100 V has “just a 1-inch sensor,” but it’s also truly pocketable. With its chunkier grip, viewfinder and protruding dials, the G1 X III is more of a “honey I shrunk the DSLR” shape and size.

We can offer some guidance around the other points of comparison, but this one’s on you. If small cameras seem too fiddly, you probably won’t like the RX100 V. If you want to slip your camera into a coat pocket when you’re not using it, the G1 X III might be a bit too big.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 22, 2017
Zeiss reveals Milvus 25mm F1.4 lens, the 11th in the manual-focus family

Zeiss has added a new wide-angle lens to its Milvus line of full-frame, manual focus lenses for Nikon and Canon DSLRs. The new Milvus 25mm F1.4 is now the fourth widest lens in the family—which ranges from 15mm to 135mm—and brings the total number to Milvus lenses to 11, four of which boast fast F1.4 apertures.

According to Zeiss, the Milvus 25mm F1.4 is “suitable primarily for landscape and architecture photography, and for journalistic shots and videos” thanks to its fast aperture and a new optical design that uses 15 elements in 13 groups to deliver “high-contrast photos and a harmonious bokeh.” They also claim “hardly any color fringes,” even when you’re shooting with the lens wide-open.

Like the entire Milvus line, the new 25mm F1.4 is manual focus only, and features a robust all-metal housing as well as ‘special seals’ for protection against dust and splashes.

The new Milvus 25mm F1.4 will be available starting November 2nd for 2,400 Euros (including tax) or $ 2,400 USD. To learn more about this lens or the entire Milvus line, head over to the Zeiss website by clicking here.

Press Release

ZEISS Unveils High-Speed DSLR Lens: ZEISS Milvus 1.4/25

With its new wide-angle focal length, the ZEISS Milvus family now boasts eleven lenses for single-lens reflex cameras, including four focal lengths with a maximum aperture of 1.4, which are perfect for videographers too.

OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 2017-10-18.

The ZEISS Milvus 1.4/25 is the latest focal length to be added to ZEISS’s largest range of lenses for full-frame single-lens reflex cameras. The lens, which was developed for the DSLR systems from Canon and Nikon is suitable primarily for landscape and architecture photography, and for journalistic shots and videos. “The completely new optical design ensures superior performance across the entire image field,” says Christophe Casenave, Product Manager at ZEISS. “This results in high-contrast photos and a harmonious bokeh.”

High-speed wide-angle lens

Thanks to a maximum aperture of 1.4, this lens can even capture exceptional images in poor light. “Even at full aperture, there are hardly any color fringes,” says Casenave. “The finest details can be reproduced in high definition and contrast all the way into the corners.” The metal housing is what makes the lens robust, and its dirt and dust protection even makes the ZEISS Milvus 1.4/25 ready for action in adverse weather. The large 172-degree focus rotation angle enables precise manual focusing for adding creative touches to photos and videos.

The largest ZEISS lens family yet

Featuring eleven focal lengths ranging from 15 to 135 millimeters, including two macros, the ZEISS Milvus family covers a host of applications, such as portrait, landscape, architecture and street photography. “We can offer every photographer just the right lens,” says Casenave.

Perfect for videographers too

The four ZEISS Milvus focal lengths 25, 35, 50 and 85 millimeters with an aperture of 1.4 are just perfect for filming. Thanks to their high speed, they are suitable primarily for interviews and documentaries where the videographer can utilize natural light. Thanks to the de-click function in the version for the Nikon-Mount the aperture can be adjusted continuously. ZEISS Lens Gears in a range of sizes permit the use of follow-focus systems.

Price and availability

The ZEISS Milvus 1.4/25 retails for 2,400 Euros including 19 percent sales tax (RRP) or $ 2,400 USD and will be available starting November 2nd 2017 at dealers and from the ZEISS online shop.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 22, 2017
More Nikon D850 samples images added

Our review process is based both on studio testing and real-world shooting. We make sure every camera goes through the hands of several photographers and is shot in a variety of circumstances, to give a broad representation of how the camera will perform.

All those images and experiences are considered as we draw our conclusions about a camera. So, even if you’ve looked through the D850 gallery before, you may well find there are shots you’ve not seen before. Take a look, and be sure to check out the full review if you haven’t already.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 22, 2017
Canon patents a huge, hinged and reversible DSLR LCD

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A newly published Canon Japan patent might reveal the future of Canon DSLR LCD screens… and that future is massive and flippable. Originally spotted by Canon Rumors, the patent details a hinged rear LCD that is so big it hides all of the controls on the back of the camera underneath it.

As you can see from the diagrams (or read in the patent itself) the LCD is capable of lifting upward, then reversing, and is specifically designed to avoid obstructing the camera’s viewfinder. This makes it possible to view an image from the uplifted LCD and use the viewfinder during the same session.

While a hinged DSLR rear display is nothing new, Canon’s patent shows a design that would allow for a large and reversible display unlike anything we’ve seen before. In fact, the LCD shown in the patent’s illustrations covers the entire back of the camera, making it necessary to tuck the rear dial and several buttons behind it, though several others are exposed on either side of the viewfinder.

As with every patent, there’s no indication of whether or not Canon has plans to incorporate this design into an upcoming camera, but it’s one of the more curious Canon patents we’ve run across.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 22, 2017
6 Simple Tips to Capture More Expressive Images of Your Children
Images of your children are probably THE most important images you will ever make, even if it doesn’t feel like it. But for the longest time what I did was make very superficial images of my kids, until I started applying a few of the tips below. Follow along to get more intimate and expressive images of your children too.

1 – Ditch your portrait lens

The first thing to do, weirdly enough, if you have a go-to portrait lens that you use to photograph your family – is to ditch it. The reason is simple. Most of the time when we think of images of our children, we immediately think portraits.

I have nothing against portraits (there are a few on this page), but there’s more to your child than their portraits. At the end of the day, it’s really not about portraits, posing, making them pretty/handsome in the image, it’s about capturing snippets your child’s life as a whole.

2 – Have a camera with you always

Life goes on whether you are ready to shoot it or not. One of the things I recommend is to get a small pocket camera that goes everywhere with you. Photographs present themselves

Photographs present themselves whether you have one with you or not, so having a small camera makes you ready for any situation. And let’s face it when you have enough bags (diapers, snacks, etc.) as-is you REALLY don’t want to be lugging around your DSLR.

Great images can be made while going to the grocery store, at the wee hours of the morning, or just going to the park. In other words, when you least expect them. Like one time we had to call 911, my camera was with me. That is one of the times when you NEED your camera, it allows you to be present in the moment and yet detached enough not to lose your mind.

But besides those stressful times, the best images of my kids have been made when I least expected them.

3 – Think in terms of LIFE

In order to make more intimate photographs of your kids, you need a mindset for it. Here is the question to ask yourself: “What are the images that only I could make?”

Imagine you just hired someone for a family shoot, what are the types of images that the hired photographer can’t get? If you think about it, these are the most intimate moments. Ones that can only be made in the process of living life itself.

Photos of the kids sleeping peacefully, or that time where one was crying their eyeballs out…or when they finally scored a goal. It’s all about trying to find the majesty in the mundane parts of life when there are no special vacations planned, just plain old LIFE. Here are a few ideas to get your mind working:
- Kids while playing
- Kids recovering from sickness
- When they are sad
- When they are happy
- While they are sleeping
- What they look like right after waking up
- Unwrapping a toy
- Them being amazed at something
It’s all about photographing them while they are living their life. Capturing moments of intimacy that only YOU could capture because no one else is capable of getting that close to them.

The other part of the equation is to photograph your kids in this way as if you are doing a fine art project. That will help your mind find images that are not only intimate to you but also have inherent artistic value to them. Make art out of your family images.

Why? Because between you and me, great photography outside of the home starts inside the home. So give your family photography the star treatment, and trust me, at the end of the day these images will have more value and be more meaningful to you than any other photographs you have created.

I would know, I once completely lost my hard drive. I was on the bed, tripped on the wire and BAM! Lost everything. I believed my best images were those of my street photography, that simply was not the case. I didn’t care at all about those images, all I wanted was to get my son’s birth pictures back. The hard drive is somewhere in storage, but I don’t know if I can ever recover the images.

4 – Shoot for your eyes only

One way to make more personal images of your kids is to make photos that you will never show anyone. Images of their first shower, on the potty by themselves, you get the point. Of course, you will NEVER show them to anyone else ever, but it starts training your mind that not every image needs to be shared or have external thumbs up to be meaningful to you.

So start making the kinds of images you know will never be seen by any other set of eyes, maybe theirs when they grow up. If they are nice that is!

5 – How to get them to be REAL

Let’s face it, when you deal with kids and children, they have already been spoiled rotten by the camera. You just point your camera towards them and you will hear “chhhhhheeeeeeese” with a fake smile to boot. That will only lead to uncomfortable looking kids in your images. So what do you do? Simple – you fake it.

Kids are themselves right before and right after you take the photo. So you either have to be quick and take the image BEFORE they start putting on their picture face. Or you have to do so after.

If your camera makes a CLICK sound, just wait for it, and say “Okay, done!” and about half a second later take another image. That one is always better because that’s when the kids let their guard down.

Also sometimes it’s better to do two images, one for you and one more for them. For example, I like dark, moody, pensive images. My first son is all about smiles, fun, and giggles.

So sometimes what I do is direct him to make the image I have in my mind. Then once I have done that, I just tell him to do whatever he wants, and I usually end up with a grimace and shoot that. The first image would be more of a reflection of me and the second is more of a reflection of him. It’s win-win in my book.

6 – Give them the greatest gift ever

Imagine this: Your son (or daughter) is getting married. It’s your turn to make a speech. You can’t contain your emotions, and you want to cry. Yet you muster up the courage to give the speech and all of a sudden you take hold of the remote control and start a slideshow for everyone to see. It’s your son, his baby pictures, that time he was 6 and lost his tooth, times of sadness, happiness, and more.

Make a photo project out of your children’s lives. And when it’s time…give them a book with the best images you’ve ever made of them. I think the greatest gift you can give them – besides the basics, like character – is an album of their life.

How important is this? Very! I can’t show my kids any photos of myself growing up. All of those images were lost to an earthquake that happened in Haiti a few years back. I can’t show them when I was sleeping with some spaghetti in my mouth, or my first tooth falling out.

I think it makes it easier for our kids to relate to us when we can show them we were kids too. My kids? I’ll make sure each one gets an album of their life when the time is right…if they don’t make me lose my mind first that is!

Conclusion

Your most important work as a photographer is family work. It may not feel like it now, but don’t wait until a hard drive crash to figure it out. Always have your camera at the ready and photograph their life as it happens.

When it’s time you will have a collection of impactful images you can give them and they, in turn, can share with their family. Be yourself, stay focused and keep on shooting.

The post 6 Simple Tips to Capture More Expressive Images of Your Children by Olivier Duong appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
October 22, 2017
Adobe’s Project ‘Deep Fill’ is an incredible, AI-powered Content Aware Fill

The coolest technology to come out of Adobe MAX is, sadly, not the technology we already have access to. Like Adobe’s Project Cloak we showed you earlier today, it’s the incredible ‘Sneaks’ sneak peeks that really wow the audience. Case in point: check out Project Deep Fill, a much more powerful, AI-driven version of Content Aware Fill that makes the current tool look like crap… to put it lightly.

Deep Fill is powered by the Adobe Sensei technology—which “uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and deep learning”—and trained using millions of real-world images. So while Content Aware Fill has to work with the pixels at hand to ‘guess’ what’s behind the object or person you’re trying to remove, Deep Fill can use its training images to much more accurately create filler de novo.

The examples used in the demo video above are impressive to say the least:

And just when you thought the demo is over, you find out that Deep Fill can also take into account user inputs—like sketching—to completely alter an image:

In this way it’s a lot more than a ‘fill’ feature. In fact, Adobe calls it “a new deep neural network-based image in-painting system.” Check out the full demo for yourself above, and then read all about the other ‘Sneaks’ presented at Adobe MAX here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 21, 2017
How to do Pixel Stretching in Photoshop

As photographers, we’re all too aware of the abundance of ways to edit a photograph in post-production. And as technology progresses, so will the potential for image making. Pixel stretching is one way to investigate the construction of a digital image through creative means.

Compared to other glitch-style editing techniques, pixel stretching is pretty straight-forward. The process involves selecting a single row or column of pixels and stretching them out over an image to create a warped, surrealistic visual effect. The results highlight the nuances of a digital image and explore the action of altering photographs through non-traditional means.

Getting started

First, open an image in Photoshop. It doesn’t have to be anything special, just an image with a few varying tones or colors. I’m using this photograph of blossoms because its colorful and I’m excited that it’s finally spring, here in Australia.

Duplicate your original image, which will be labeled as Background in the Layers panel. Right-click on the Background layer and select Duplicate Layer. It’s important that you don’t apply the pixel stretching technique directly to the original image in case you need to revert back to earlier stages of the project.

To preserve layers, photographers use Adjustment Layers to apply adjustments to an image without altering it directly. This process is called non-destructive editing. Pixel stretching, however, is by nature a destructive technique. The process applies an effect directly to the layer you have selected. This means that if your history is so stretched that you can’t return to a certain spot during editing, there’s no going back.

The process

On the Photoshop tools pallet, select the Single Marquee Tool. You may have to click and hold down the mouse over the Rectangular or Elliptical Marquee Tool until it reveals a small menu.

The Marquee Tool panel will reveal a choice between the Single Row Marquee Tool and the Single Column Marquee Tool. I’m going to use the Single Row Marquee Tool, but you can easily come back and experiment further once you get the hang of the technique.

With the Single Row Marquee Tool selected, click on an area in your image that you think is interesting. A dotted line stretching across your image will appear. This outlines the row of selected pixels that line up with the point you clicked on.

Once you have your pixels selected, click on Edit in the menu bar and select Free Transform. You can also select Free Transform by right-clicking on the dotted line of the Marquee Tool.

After you click on the Free Transform option, the cursor will appear as two opposing arrows when you hover over the Marquee Tool line. Click on the line where the opposing arrows appear and slowly drag the cursor down over the image.

You’ll see that whole row of pixels will stretch as far as you drag the mouse. When you’ve finished stretching the selection, press enter and there you go. Looks kind of neat, right?

Shaping the area of pixels to stretch

The next step is to fit our stretched pixels into the landscape of the image. This time, open a photograph featuring straight, hard lines. Bridges and streets are good subjects to start with.

Select the Single Column or Single Row Marquee Tool and align the Single Marquee Tool with a hard line in your image. Again, I’m using the Single Row Marquee Tool but feel free to experiment with the Single Column Marquee Tool instead.

Once you have your Single Marquee Tool lined up, select the Rectangular Marquee Tool from the Photoshop toolbar. You’ll need to depress the cursor over the Marquee Tool icon to reveal the Rectangular Marquee Tool.

With the Rectangular Marquee Tool selected, click on the Subtract option just below the menu bar (big red arrow below). The Subtract mode of the Rectangle Marquee Tool means that any portion of the selected line of pixels within the perimeter of the rectangle will be deleted. Drag the Rectangle Marquee Tool over an area of the Single Marquee Tool line and release the mouse.

Rectangular marquee in subtract mode on the left of the image.

You’ll notice that a section of the Single Marquee Tool line will be deleted. This means that only the remaining Single Marquee Tool line will be available for stretching pixels later. For the image below, I deleted the lines that intruded outside the perimeter of the staircase. It’s hard to see, but the remaining dotted line is still aligned with the top of the green staircase.

Now that you have a smaller portion of pixels selected, right click on the remaining dotted line and select Free Transform. This time when you drag the selected line of pixels up or down the image, only the remaining pixels selected by the Single Marquee Tool line will be stretched.

Pixels stretched up but only within the staircase area.

Conclusion

Now that you know the basics of pixel stretching, it’s time to experiment. This simple process has some distinctive painterly characteristics that alter the perspective of an image. The nature of digital photography often yields predictable, formulaic results…But be careful, you never know exactly how a pixel stretched image will turn out – which makes it quite addictive!

I would love to see your creations in the comments below. Happy pixel stretching!

The post How to do Pixel Stretching in Photoshop by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 21, 2017