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3 Strategies To Soften Shadows For Brilliant Portrait Photography http://bit.ly/2GNgesP Shadows are an important part of every portrait – you definitely need shadows to make your portraits look their best! Of course, the quality of shadows matters a lot, since shadows with hard edges are not flattering. Hard shadows can easily reveal various imperfections such as pimples, wrinkles and uneven skin tone and it’s best to avoid them unless you want extremely dramatic and daring portraits. Soft shadows are a safer choice and they can work great in many different scenarios – it doesn’t matter if you’re shooting fashion models or headshots for companies. To make more flattering shadows, you have to consider two main things – the distance between the model and the light and the quality of light. Check out the following tips and make sure to test them out – they will help you achieve professional looking portraits! 1. Move The Light Closer To The ModelIf you’re not happy with the quality of shadows in your portraits, one of the first things you can do is to get the light source closer to the subject. This will affect the edge between shadows and bright parts of the subject, also known as the shadow edge transfer. The closer the light to the model, the softer this edge will be – in other words, bright parts will turn into shadows more gradually. 2. Use More Dispersed LightA physically bigger light is always better to work with – for this reason, window light is great for portraits because the entire sky becomes your light source. Because of this, simple window light portraits always have those subtle, soft-edged shadows. Of course, you don’t have to stick to natural light in order to achieve soft shadows. There are many different ways to get that soft and diffused light source:
You should bear in mind that the distance between the diffuser and the subject will also affect the quality of shadows. If you use softboxes, you can get them very close to your subject and produce amazingly soft and flattering light. If you’re low on budget, you can use cheap but effective diffusion alternatives such as wax paper, shower curtains, IKEA blinds or 5-in-1 reflectors which can cost as low as $15. 3. Fix Harsh Lighting in LightroomFinally, if you have already photographed your model and found out that shadows look too harsh, all is not lost – you can soften shadows in Lightroom. When approaching a harsh lighting situation, you will notice the heavy contrast between the highlighted areas and the deep shadows in the portrait. You should start off by pulling down the ‘’Highlights’’ and ‘’Whites’’ in order to balance the overall tone and then bring up the ‘’Shadows’’ and ‘’Blacks’’ to brighten the darker portions of the image. The reduction of highlights and the brightening of shadows will leave the image lacking in contrast but you can fix this by using the ’’Tone Curve’’. In order to preserve the original contrast, you should adjust the ’’Tone Curve’’ accordingly. You will need to pull down the shadows on the left side of the curve and bring up the highlights on the right of the curve to add back the contrast lost from the previous adjustments. You shouldn't always rely on softening shadows in post-processing – the results will be much better if your portrait lighting was carefully chosen and modified with diffusers. Even though hard light and dramatic shadows have their place in photography, there is something inherently appealing about soft light and soft shadows. We hope that our tips were helpful and easy to understand – next time you decide to shoot portraits, don’t forget to make your light source more diffused and shadows softer. If you want to learn more about portrait lighting and softening shadows, feel free to check out the following links! Further Reading:Here's a reminder to take a look at our Portrait Photography page. Here we've brought together every portrait photography tutorial and tip on the site (and several other sites) that we think will round out your skills as a portrait photographer. Also, this page is a living document for portrait photographers who want a single online reference for the craft. It will change and be updated often, so bookmark it and come back as you need to. Further Resources:
Further Learning:The Art Of Portrait Photography is your chance to truly master portrait photography, and produce your own inspiring, memorable images that convey real meaning and emotion. In The Art Of Portrait Photography, you will discover the insider secrets used by professionals to take your portrait photography to the next level. In this guide you'll learn:
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The post How to Develop a Photography Workflow that Preserves Your Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta. “I love spending time in front of a computer working on my images – sorting them, cataloging them and editing them,” said no photographer ever! Well, maybe a few of us like to be sitting in front of our desk pouring over image after image, shoot after shoot. But let’s face it, as photographers, we would much rather get out there and photograph in the field than be chained to our desk and computers indoors. This is where having a good solid workflow that can help you ease the post-shoot process is very important. Workflows are not just for the editing portion of your life as a photographer. In fact, a workflow is something that can help you before, during and even after your photo shoot. Whether you are a busy professional photographer or an active hobbyist, having a good solid workflow and method of organizing images is crucial. Having a workflow is even beneficial if you just photograph on your smartphone. We have all been in situations where your phone runs out of space because you have images from three years ago that you have done nothing with. Sorting through three years worth of data to find images to delete under pressure of missing a key moment is no joke! I wear many different photography hats as a wedding, lifestyle and travel photographer. So my workflow is slightly different based on the type of session I am photographing. But for the most part, I follow the same series of steps. Here is my process. Hopefully, you may be able to replicate some or all of these steps to create a process that works for you in your photography. 1. Choice of GearCameraMy camera of choice is a Canon 5D MKIII. At this point, I only have one digital camera. I used to have a Canon 5D MKII as my backup, but ever since I starting working with a second shooter for my weddings, I didn’t find the need for my Canon 5D MK II. So I sold it. For commercial shoots or bigger gigs that require multiple cameras and lenses, I just rent what I need. I am lucky in that I have a big camera store close to home that has all the gear I could need. They even have a studio that I can rent out should I need more space. Batteries and CardsI purchased two extra batteries when I was a full-time wedding photographer, and because I sold my backup gear, I am now left with extra camera batteries for my primary camera. This works really well because I carry all my batteries with me when I am traveling or going to a multi-day event. That way I don’t have to worry about finding a plug point or charging my camera battery in the field. This was a lifesaver earlier in the year when I traveled to Portugal and lost my power converter/adaptor. Try figuring out how to say power adaptor in a part of the world where you don’t speak the language! I drained out my batteries to the very last percent of battery juice during that trip! Side tip: try shaking the battery to squeeze out every last bit of battery juice if you are running out of battery life. I’m not joking. I have tried this successfully many times in Portugal to get that last shot before the battery died! I have 5 x 32GB CF cards, 3 x 16GB CF cards and a handful of 8 GB CF cards. For the most part, all these cards travel with me for a multi-day shoot or a personal travel trip that is several days long. Part of my pre-shoot workflow includes downloading all my cards, charging my batteries and packing my bag with everything I need the night before. Camera bagMy camera bag is a backpack that I used not just my photography but also for excursions and trips around town. I ditched the proverbial camera bag many years ago when I started traveling with my family of young kids. Carrying a camera bag, diaper bag, and a purse was just not practical. Also, once I got used to carrying a day pack that held all my treasures, it just seems second nature to me to pick that bag up no matter what the occasion. Since I have just one camera/day pack, part of my workflow is to make sure the bag is empty and ready for the next adventure as soon as I come back home from a shoot/trip or even just going around town. Luckily, it has enough pockets to store batteries, CF cards and other things like filters, and flashes. 2. During the shootThere is nothing quite like learning the importance of having a workflow than losing data or content in the absence of one. I learned the hard way when I lost all my images from a shoot on a card that failed. Luckily it was for a family shoot that I could reschedule. So from that point onwards, I change my camera data card with each logical break in the event I am photographing. For example, if I am photographing a wedding, I have the getting ready activities on one card, the ceremony on another card and the reception on a third card. Even though the cards are not full, this gives me the security of losing only a part of the day should anything go wrong. Of course, my backup for weddings is my second photographer who does the same thing. For non-wedding related client work, I use a backup SD card in my camera. The Canon 5D MkIII has a dual card slot, so I take full advantage of the technology at my fingertips. If I am on a personal assignment, I change out my cards every night and download the photos onto an external drive. Another thing that is important to note is how you store used and unused data cards. Figure out a system that works for you in how you separate the two. For me, used CF cards from a photoshoot are placed in a separate pouch from unused CF cards. I place those in another pouch in my camera bag. In terms of the actual shoot, try and come up with a game plan for what you are photographing. As a wedding photographer, one of the key things I make sure to discuss with my wedding couples is a shot list. A shot list is a list of all the key moments and images that the couple absolutely wants to have taken. Typically these are around photos with family members. With client and commercial shoots, the clients typically have a list of images they want to get from you. Use this concept of a shot list to list down all the ‘must have’ images you want to get out of a photographic excursion. Shot lists save you effort, and they help you become more efficient with your time in the field. 3. After the shootWhen I am back home from a wedding or a lifestyle shoot, the first thing I do is pack away my gear. I separate my camera body from my lenses and pack them away separately. All batteries are removed, including those from my flash. I have heard horror stories where batteries, especially AAAs, have leaked into the flash socket, so I don’t want to have to deal with that mess! Plus I use rechargeable batteries for all my flashes and external lights. Once they are out, I put them back in the case ready to be recharged for the next photography gig. If I am at a multi-day shoot, all batteries are plugged into the charger slots right away. These are the steps I take with my images:
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2019 WeddingClientCard01 WeddingClientCard02 FamilyLifestyelShoot Personal_TripCard01 Personal_TripCard02
4. After the shoot (remote)When I am traveling for work or pleasure, I carry one WD My Passport Ultra external hard drive and all my camera data cards. Earlier in my career, I would carry two external hard drives and create primary and secondary backups in the field. Now I have found that I don’t photograph as much because I am more thoughtful about what I photograph. So now I just carry all my cards, and one external hard drive to back them up in the field. I avoid taking an external hard drive when I am just traveling for pleasure or personal work to reduce my load. When I get home, the RAW files from the CF cards used during the trip are copied over to both external hard drives (primary and secondary) that house all my raw images. They are deleted from the WD Ultra so that it is ready for my next trip. Early in my photography career, there were times where I would travel with almost every lens I owned, a laptop, two external hard drives, and many camera cards to be safe. Perhaps it is age, or perhaps it is maturity (I like to think it is a little bit of both), but now I try to travel light and take only what is absolutely needed to get the job done. If I need something along the way, I either borrow, rent or figure out creative solutions to make things work. 5. Editing workflowEighty percent of my editing happens in Lightroom (LR). Photoshop is used sparingly if I have to make any advanced editing. I have invested in the Adobe Creative Cloud for LR and Photoshop. I’ve installed them on my iMac (my primary editing device), as well as my MacBook Pro (my travel companion). My Lightroom catalog lives on an external HD. I understand some people have concerns over running a LR Catalog on an external HD, because of potential LR speed issues. So far, I have not experienced any issues with LR in terms of speed by having the catalog on an external HD. However, if you are concerned about speed, then your LR catalog can be put on your computer’s hard drive, and keep a backup on the external HD. A backup of my LR catalog lives on a cloud service that is updated every six weeks. I used to use iPhoto on my iMac to store all my images and only upload selected images to Lightroom. I tried to use Bridge for a few years to select images that I want to import into Lightroom. Now I use Photos on my Mac to select images that I want to edit and upload them into Lightroom. I know it is probably easier to just upload all images to Lightroom and sort them via the software to save an extra step. I have one Lightroom catalog that houses all my work since 2012, and so there are quite a few images in the catalog. I had found that when I used Lightroom to sort and select images, it takes forever to load. My Lightroom catalog is sorted by year, and I use the following naming convention for my Lightroom. I am less worried about the naming convention in Lightroom than I am with my primary and second storage units. This is just my personal preference. YYYYMMDD_ClientName_TypeoftheShoot. After editing is complete, I export my client images onto the same WD Ultra external hard drive as my Lightroom catalog. The client folders get arranged by the date of the session. This time the naming standard is as follows: CompanyName_ClientNameEvent_Date All images have the same naming convention as the folder, along with an image sequence number. Every few years I go through and delete edited galleries from the external hard drive. I don’t delete client RAW files – just the edited files. I have found myself going back to many client galleries and re-editing images as my style evolves and changes. There is no point in keep multiple copies of the same image. I use a mix of presets and hand edits for my images. It took me many years to finally come up with a style and method of how I want my images to look. Ninety percent of my edits follow that same process. Every once in a while I drastically change my “look” to keep things fresh. As a rule, I spend no more than a minute on each image. I would much rather be outside photographing than indoors editing. 6. Editing RemotelyI really avoid extensive editing of images in the field. I prefer to focus on documenting and photographing rather than same day edits. I would much rather take a quick snapshot on my iPhone and edit using phone apps for a quick social media preview than spend time and effort in editing in the field. A couple of years ago, I traveled out of the country for three months over the summer. This was before Lightroom came up with their cloud version. Because I was gone for so long, I took my Lightroom catalog with me on an external drive and used that for 3 months. Recently, I started using Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC for my workflow. I primarily used them for working when traveling. When I know I need access to my files for a particular project or a particular job, I upload those files to my Lightroom CC and work on them while on the road. Once back home, I ‘sync’ Lightroom CC as a collection in my Lightroom Classic and have all those edits readily available. 7. Client workflowI use an external portfolio service to host my images for client work. These client galleries are only online for three weeks, and then they are deleted. My wedding photography packages all include edited images on a personalized flash drive whereas my family portraiture clients have the option of purchasing digital images if they want them for future use. Every few years I go through and update client galleries and delete old ones. Keep in mind these are just the edited files. My client RAW files are stored indefinitely in case a client comes back after a few years for the images. If you don’t want to delete client images, you can invest in an external cloud storage system. In ConclusionWhile it might seem like a lot, my workflow has simplified over time. Just as I limit the gear I own and use, I also try and limit the images I capture – for both client and personal work. Having 100 photos of a spectacular sunset no longer make sense to me. I also stick to my workflow because it saves time in the long run. One of my favorite things to stock up on are external hard drives. Every so often they fail, and I have to replace them. As cloud storage gets more accessible and less expensive, I can see myself moving things over to the cloud and simplifying my process and workflow even more. I encourage you to use this, or some variation of this workflow and tweak it to make it your own. If you do it consistently and often enough, it becomes second nature and saves you time so you can do what you enjoy doing – photographing.
The post How to Develop a Photography Workflow that Preserves Your Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta. Photography via Digital Photography School http://bit.ly/29wB9CX April 27, 2019 at 09:10AM
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Instagram Sues Company That Sold Likes, Views, and Followers http://bit.ly/2PtPVdY Cheating at Instagram by buying fake followers and activity is becoming a huge business, but Instagram is pulling out the big guns to quash this type of deceitful activity. The company just filed a lawsuit against a company that made a business of selling likes, views, and followers. Facebook announced today in a release titled “Preventing Inauthentic Behavior on Instagram” that it and its subsidiary Instagram have filed a lawsuit in US federal court against a company and three people based in New Zealand. “The complaint alleges the company and individuals used different companies and websites to sell fake engagement services to Instagram users,” writes Jessica Romero, Facebook’s Director of Platform Enforcement and Litigation. “We previously suspended accounts associated with the defendants and formally warned them in writing that they were in violation of our Terms of Use, however their activity persisted. “By filing the lawsuit, we are sending a message that this kind of fraudulent activity is not tolerated on our services, and we will act to protect the integrity of our platform.” Instagram is asking the courts to prevent the Kiwi company from “engaging and profiting in the sale of fake likes, views and followers on Instagram,” which violates the service’s terms of use and the US’s Computer Fraud and Abuse Act cybersecurity law. “Inauthentic activity has no place on our platform,” Facebook says. “That’s why we devote significant resources to detecting and stopping this behavior, including blocking the creation and use of fake accounts, and using machine learning technology to proactively find and remove inauthentic activity from Instagram. “Today’s lawsuit is one more step in our ongoing efforts to protect people and prevent inauthentic behavior on Facebook and Instagram.” Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com April 26, 2019 at 12:29PM
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No, You CAN’T Use Any Internet Photo as ‘Fair Use’: Appeals Court http://bit.ly/2VlkmIX In July of 2018, a Virginia federal court sparked an uproar among photographers by ruling that finding a photo on the Internet and using it without permission on a commercial website can be fair use. Good news: an appeals court reversed the decision today in a big win for photographers (and other creatives). The copyright battle started when photographer Russell Brammer found a cropped version of a photo he had captured in Washington, D.C. used on the website of the Northern Virginia Film Festival on a page of “things to do” in the D.C. area. After Brammer sued the festival’s organizer, Violent Hues Productions, for copyright infringement, the company responded by claiming fair use. In a decision that shocked observers, District Judge Claude M. Hilton of the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that it was fair use because he determined the use was transformative, non-commercial, in good faith, factual (rather than creative), of a previously published work, only a crop, and harmless to Brammer’s potential market. Brammer appealed, and today the US Court of Appeal for the 4th Circuit reversed the ruling and sent it back to the federal trial court. “After examining the four [fair use] factors, we conclude that none weighs in favor of Violent Hues,” writes Circuit Judge Diana Gribbon Motz, who authored the decision. “Considering these factors together, it is clear that the copying here fails the ‘ultimate test’ of fair use: Violent Hues’ online display of Brammer’s Photo does not serve the interest of copyright law. […] “We reach our conclusion with the recognition that the Internet has made copying as easy as a few clicks of a button and that much of this copying serves copyright’s objectives. Many social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are specifically designed for the participatory ‘sharing’ — or copying — of content. We express no opinion as to whether such sharing constitutes fair use. We note, however, that Violent Hues’ use is not of this kind. […] “Violent Hues did not comment on the Photo, promote the Photo, ‘remix’ the Photo, or otherwise engage with the Photo in a way that might stimulate new insights. What Violent Hues did was publish a tourism guide for a commercial event and include the Photo to make the end product more visually interesting. Such a use would not constitute fair use when done in print, and it does not constitute fair use on the Internet.” So just in case you were confused by the original ruling in 2018: no, you CAN’T use a photo without permission simply because it was published on the Internet. “We are very pleased to see this decision overturning one of the most egregious fair use rulings that many of of who defend copyright can remember,” NPPA General Counsel Mickey H. Osterreicher tells PetaPixel. “We hope that this will be seen as a clear message that it is much better and far cheaper to seek permission and license images than it is to steal them.” Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com April 26, 2019 at 11:59AM Gannett launches Imagn image licensing and wire service sourced from the USA Today Network4/26/2019
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Gannett launches Imagn image licensing and wire service sourced from the USA Today Network http://bit.ly/2GLY2A5 Gannett, the media company behind USA Today and dozens of local news publications, has announced the launch of Imagn, its own image licensing and wire service. Imagn is a rebrand of Gannett's USA Today Sports Images business unit, which has been expanded to provide news and media outlets with images related to entertainment, breaking news, and sports. The images are sourced from the USA Today Network, which pulls the content from USA Today and the 109 local news brands owned by Gannett, according to a press release from the company. In addition to images from photojournalists working across the USA Today Network, Gannett says specialized images are provided through Imagn from its partner SIPA USA. The platform kicks off with 600,000 images per year sourced from 300 sports photographers across the nation. That number will grow to 1.8 million images per year under this expansion, Gannett revealed, with the company claiming Imagn is now one of the biggest sources of original editorial images in the US. Imagn offers both flat fee and subscription-based purchasing options; the subscription is split into three tiers based on image subject matter and offers unlimited images for editorial use. Given Gannett's vast number of local newsrooms, the company may be uniquely positioned to offer a large library of images from smaller regions around the nation. Photography News via Dpreview http://bit.ly/i0r8o5 April 26, 2019 at 11:54AM
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‘Old Photos Are Not Worth Anything’ http://bit.ly/2Vv5ise Dear writer of the Forbes Magazine article, “Your Top 10 Objects Your Kids Don’t Want”… I just read your article. In it, you outline the objects in your home that you feel one’s children will not want passed on to them. You state the list was inspired by conversations with your 30-year old son and boomer clients and their millennial heirs. I must admit, I was a little dubious going in, as I know that millennials, for all their love of tiny homes and Marie Kondo lifestyles, are also responsible for the resurgence of vinyl records and shooting with film cameras. Pretty sure Leica gives a beanie away with every camera purchase. If they don’t, they should. But, on to your list. The list of objects you say our children do not want includes things like steamer trunks, sewing machines, porcelain figurines, silver-plated objects, “heavy dark antique furniture,” Persian rugs, linens, sterling silver flatware, crystal wine services, and fine porcelain dinnerware. Some of these items made sense; some didn’t. And I was okay… until I read this object: Paper Ephemera: “family snapshots, old greeting cards and postcards.” I admit it, I had to Google “ephemera.” The name sounds like the love child of “pheromones” and “enemas” and I knew that couldn’t be right. Turns out, it isn’t: e·phem·er·a You then go on to inform your readers that, and I quote:
Upon reading that last sentence, I left my computer in search of a couple of Advil and some vodka. I knew I wouldn’t make it through without their help. I was already feeling a pain behind my left eye. And, having consumed both, I thought I could walk away from the article, but alas, the words you wrote kept rattling around in my head: “OLD PHOTOS ARE NOT WORTH ANYTHING…” The sentiment made me sad. Not that it’s true, mind you, but that you think it; that you can hold in your hands family photographs, YOUR HISTORY, and feel it not worth anything. It’s so incredibly sad that even the thought is enough to kill a kitten. And certainly if YOU feel that strongly about their lack of worth, no wonder your grown son doesn’t care. I mean, hello? McFly? So, dear writer, allow me to enlighten you. You might want to sit down and grab a sandwich. I’m not known for brevity and this is one of my favorite topics, so it could take awhile. Old photos aren’t worth anything… if you have no interest in preserving your family’s history. That’s a fact, Jack. (I actually don’t know your name, dear writer, but it would be so great if it actually is Jack.) If you don’t care about passing down your family history to your children, then odds are really great, Jack, that your children aren’t going to care, either. They will view their family history much the same way they view a sewing machine. Namely, who gives a rat’s ass? Unless, of course, you have a celebrity in your family, in which case, you suggest we hold on to the photographs. Got a famous person in the family album? Grandma tied one on with Gertrude Stein? Uncle Amos is actually Famous Amos? Then, according to you, THOSE photos are worth something. But an average, ordinary family? They aren’t worth anything unless they are memento mori images: photographs of people asleep in death. What the what? Basically, Jack, what you’re saying is Kim Kardashian’s family photos are worth something, but the countless old photos showing men going to or returning from war, grandparents on their wedding day, great grandparents plowing their fields, parents as they ran about on toddlers’ legs, aren’t worth anything. Well, unless they were photographed after death. Is that what you’re saying, Jack? Jack, I’m now officially worried about you. I urge you, Jack, to think about all the history that has been passed down through photographs; all the things we know because we can SEE them in an old photograph. All the wonderful, ordinary, everyday events in the lives or our family that we get to witness in that time machine called a PRINTED PHOTOGRAPH. When we discard old family photographs, we discard a piece of us; we throw away our history. We say it doesn’t matter. What’s more, we tell future generations that it doesn’t matter. Now, to be fair to you, Jack, you did offer the remedy of taking all of one’s family snapshots and having them made into digital files. You also offered the solution of selling them to greeting card publishers. To the first suggestion, I say yes, absolutely, back up those prints with a digital copy, but that doesn’t mean discard the photograph. It’s lasted a lot longer than your children and, if cared for properly, will outlive that digital file…that was placed somewhere…on a drive…that you can’t open 10 years from now…or can’t find. To the second suggestion, I say: what is wrong with you? Listen, I understand about living simply and paring down the items we own to only those we truly love. But really, Jack, shouldn’t one of the items we truly love be our family photographs because they are directly linked to the history of who we are? Answer carefully–a kitten’s life is on the line. (And to MY children: I know you value our family’s old photographs. I love that you love them. I adore you both and treasure how you respect your family. But so help me God, if you EVER sell my photos to a greeting card company, I will haunt you so bad it will make the movie Poltergeist look like Casper the Friendly Ghost.) About the author: Missy Mwac is a photography satirist, a lover of bacon, a drinker of vodka, a lover of sparkle, and a guide through the murky waters of professional photography. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can connect with her on her website, Tumblr, and Facebook. This article was also published here. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com April 26, 2019 at 11:24AM
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Viltrox announces 85mm F1.8 autofocus lens for Sony E-mount cameras http://bit.ly/2UM3abe Chinese camera accessory manufacturer Viltrox has announced a new 85mm F1.8 autofocus lens for Sony E-mount camera systems. The lens, which has an aperture range of F1.8 to F16, is designed for full-frame Sony cameras, but also works as a 127.5mm equivalent on APS-C cameras. It's constructed of ten elements in seven groups, including one extra-low dispersion element and four specialty elements made from 'highly transparent glass,' which Viltrox says reduces aberrations and improves color rendering. Viltrox also uses an 'HD Nano' multi-layer coating on individual elements to minimize ghosting and flares. A stepping motor (STM) is used to drive the autofocus and the lens features a minimum focusing distance of 80cm (2.62ft). The front filter size is 72mm and integrated contacts power the aperture mechanism and deliver EXIF data to compatible Sony cameras. Viltrox doesn't provide the dimensions of the lens, but it weighs 636g (1.4lbs). One of the more interesting elements of the lens is an integrated microUSB port located on the rear metal mount of the lens. This connector is used to upgrade the lens' firmware, which is currently listed as version 1.01 at launch. B&H currently has the Viltrox 85mm F1.8 STM Lens for Sony E-mount available to pre-order for $379. The expected shipping date is May 6, 2019. Photography News via Dpreview http://bit.ly/i0r8o5 April 26, 2019 at 11:04AM
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Video of Chimp Browsing Instagram Goes Viral http://bit.ly/2XPJXav A chimpanzee is making headlines this week for its unusual hobby: it enjoys scrolling through Instagram and browsing photos, and it’s quite skilled at doing so. The short video was posted by animal conservation advocate Mike Holston: In less than a week online, the video has already racked up over 1.6 million views as people are wowed by the ape’s Instagram savvy and dexterity. It’s unclear how much time the chimp spends on the phone — it seems to be quite a lot, given its familiarity with Instagram — but there’s at least one prominent voice speaking out against the video: the world-famous English primatologist Jane Goodall, who’s considered the foremost expert on chimpanzees. “I am very disappointed to see the inappropriate portrayal of a juvenile chimpanzee in this video which is currently circulating on social media,” Goodall says. “Chimpanzees are highly social animals, very intelligent and have complex emotions like humans – it is imperative that we portray them appropriately and that they receive the best possible care in captive environments. “Portraying chimpanzees in this way on social media is also perpetuating the illegal pet trade in great apes, and as they cannot be domesticated, interactions with humans as displayed by this video are highly dangerous, as well as harmful to the well-being of the chimpanzee.” Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com April 26, 2019 at 10:46AM
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Megacities Photographer Michael Wolf Dies at 64 http://bit.ly/2UK10ZH Award-winning German photographer Michael Wolf, best known for his photos showing the quirks and density of megacities, has died. He was 64. The New York Times reports that Wolf died in his sleep on Wednesday at home in Hong Kong. His cause of death has not been disclosed. Wolf was born in Munich, Germany, in 1954 and began working as a photojournalist in 1994, the year began living in Hong Kong. Wolf became internationally known for focusing his lens on various major cities around the world, including Chicago, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. In his 2010 book “Tokyo Compression,” Wolf shot portraits of Japanese people crammed into crowded subway trains in Tokyo with their faces pressed against the windows. The photographer made headlines in 2011 when his “photos” shot inside Google Street View was given honorable mention at World Press Photo. Wolf also raised eyebrows in 2014 with his photo project “Window Watching,” which features photos of people inside their apartments in Hong Kong that were shot with a telephoto lens without knowledge or consent. His project “Bastard Chairs” featured the creative makeshift chairs he spotted all across China. Wolf’s project “Architecture of Density” features mesmerizing, abstract photos of Hong Kong apartment buildings — images that highlight the extreme population density of a place with over 7 million people packed into an area of 426 square miles. “Paris Abstract” was a project by Wolf that depicted rooftops in Paris in a way that makes them look like abstract paintings. In addition to his honorable mention win, Wolf won first prize twice in the prestigious World Press Photo contest. In 2005 he won the Contemporary Issues category for stories with his photos of workers in factories, and in 2010 he won for singles in Daily Life. You can find more of the late photographer’s work on his website. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com April 26, 2019 at 10:05AM
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35 Whimsical Photographs of Flamingos http://bit.ly/2ZDXpjd While reading deeply every single nomination from the World Press Photo 2019, I came across one of the most fantastic photo essays I have ever seen. This project is called “Meet Bob“, an essay made by Jasper Doest, and it is entirely about Bob, a flamingo that lives among humans after being badly injured. I wanted to make a small tribute to Bob, by gathering some fantastic images of flamingos – these amazing and whimsical birds are just so intriguing – so sit back and enjoy! These wonderful birds are just beautiful and let's face it, you want your own images to be as impactful as these amazing photographs of flamingoes but…honestly…how is your technique? Sometimes we don't get the photo we want because we have trouble getting over that last hurdle with our photography – and sometimes we aren't even sure what that hurdle is. Take this quiz and find out what holds you back from reaching the next level in your photography. It Is Always Great To Learn…But Is There Something Holding You Back?Did you know that there are basically 5 Photography Killers that can hold you back from reaching the next level in your photography journey? Every photographer tends to have a primary photographic challenge – their #1 Photography Killer – which is the #1 thing holding them back. Take the photography killer quiz and learn what your personal photography killer is and how to eliminate it! TAKE THE PHOTOGRAPHY KILLER QUIZ NOW Are Your Photographs As Magnificent As They Could Be?We hope that you've enjoyed these whimsical photos of flamingoes. You too can get images like these with the wow factor that you envision. Identifying your #1 Photography Killer and fixing it will empower you to create photographs that you’ve always wanted. Photography News via Light Stalking http://bit.ly/2kwTW5i April 26, 2019 at 10:00AM |
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