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How to Shoot Better Portraits in Harsh Sunlight https://ift.tt/2Oqti9E Wedding photographer and Nikon Ambassador Brett Florens recently gave this 9-minute workshop demo on how you can shoot better portraits in harsh sunlight. “If you know your gear and lighting, shooting at the worst time of the day can create great results,” Florens says. Here are the different setups and strategies Florens uses along with the resulting photo created with each one: Direct Frontal Sunlight on ModelDirect Sun with Collapsible ScrimBacklighting the Model with SunlightSetting exposure value (EV) to +1 helps properly expose the model. Backlight with a Collapsible ReflectorBacklight with an On-Camera SpeedlightBacklight with an Off-Camera SpeedlightBacklight with a Strobe and OctaboxAnd after pumping up flash power and exposing for the flash: Switching to f/2.8 and 1/8000s for a shallow depth of field: Watch the full 9-minute video at the top of this article for Florens’ commentary about each of these setups. You can also find more of Florens’ videos on his YouTube channel. About the author: Brett Florens is an international photographer and Nikon Ambassador. You can find more of his work on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com July 28, 2018 at 11:17AM
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Nat Geo: We Went ‘Too Far’ in Linking Starving Polar Bear to Climate Change https://ift.tt/2NSErP8 In December 2017, viral images of a starving polar bear in Canada captured the world’s attention. Now National Geographic is saying it went “too far” in saying that the images show “what climate change is like.” The video was captured by photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier on Somerset Island in the Canadian Arctic. After Nicklen posted the video on Instagram with the caption, “This is what starvation looks like,” Nat Geo picked it up and added its own captions. Here’s the 1.5-minute video that National Geographic originally published: The video quickly became the most viewed video on the National Geographic website ever. The photographers estimate that roughly 2.5 billion people saw the images. “[B]ut there was a problem: We had lost control of the narrative,” writes Mittermeier in a new Nat Geo story for the August 2018 issue. “The first line of the National Geographic video said, ‘This is what climate change looks like’—with ‘climate change’ highlighted in the brand’s distinctive yellow. “In retrospect, National Geographic went too far with the caption.” National Geographic agrees with Mittermeier’s assessment. Here’s a note by the editor:
Nat Geo has published an updated version of the video that now reads: “This is what a starving polar bear looks like.” “Photographer Paul Nicklen and I are on a mission to capture images that communicate the urgency of climate change,” Mittermeier writes. “[…] With this image, we thought we had found a way to help people imagine what the future of climate change might look like. We were, perhaps, naive. “The picture went viral—and people took it literally.” Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com July 28, 2018 at 10:28AM
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Dear SmugMug, For the Love of God, These Are the Things You NEED to Fix About Flickr https://ift.tt/2vao74P Flickr, it's like an old pair of slippers, so comfortable you cannot get rid of them but so worn you could not possibly wear them. For those of us into photography at the dawn of the Internet age, it was the to go site for viewing and displaying shots. There had been little like it before and certainly, there was nothing like it at that time. Time, however, waits for no website and the proliferation of high-speed internet spawned many alternatives such as 500px, Zenfolio, and SmugMug. Recently it was the last of these that created an energetic buzz in the community when they announced they were taking over Flickr. Foolhardy or genius, time will tell but here are some of the things we think SmugMug could do to improve the Flickr experience. Streamlining The LoginLet's start at the beginning of the experience, the login. Yahoo, Flickr’s previous guardian had a reputation for integrating with Internet service providers to offer mail and other services. This led to them using login details from these ISPs to access Yahoo content. A classic example of this is the tie-up between Yahoo and BTInternet in the UK. The problem is that as these contracts ended or were replaced it became increasingly difficult to login into Yahoo and by default Flickr. Often a complex series of login pages required and often they failed. Task number one for SmugMug is to unify the login experience. A More Relevant Activity Feed.Open Flickr today and you will see images from a few photographers you might have followed. The selection is often dull, sometimes little more than snapshots. This does little to inspire the end user to continue using the site. Open 500px, on the other hand, you are presented with the very best images submitted over the last 24 hours, as rated by the community itself. Flickr needs to make its activity feed much more relevant, more timely and more inspiring. When returning to Flickr or even opening for the first time, users need to go “wow” Total Modern RedesignAlthough tweaked over the years, the Flickr interface is massively dated when compared to other sites of the same genre. Huge borders between images, the need to scroll down to see metadata, details and comments and the general dullness of the way the images are displayed. The ability to easily find the best images in different genres is also important, looking at an image in different specific categories to find inspiration in your own field. Keyword Spamming/MisuseIf you have ever tried to search for something specific on Flickr, you will realize what a frustrating experience that can be. Some people tend to put irrelevant keywords into hundreds of images, the end result being that when you search that particular keyword, you need to scroll through pages and pages of images before you get to the thing that you are looking for. Here, Flickr could take a leaf out of the photo stock agencies book and penalize keyword spamming whilst promoting well-defined images to the top. Copyright ControlFlickr has always been a good place to go to to find images released under the Creative Commons license. That allows people to use these images, for free, according to the particular license applied. Of course, Flickr also allows photographers to have an All Rights Reserved license, in other words, you cannot use the image without specific permission from the photographer. The problem is, that although the usage rights of each image are defined, it is hidden by the need to scroll the image down to see it. Furthermore, it is still possible to download that image at full size. This allows people to acquire that image and use it either through ignorance or despite knowing the rules. More Social Media BasedFlickr was born of an era before Facebook, Twitter and of course Instagram. It feels more like a site based on bulletin boards than timelines. If Flickr is to survive it needs to embrace the immediacy of social media. There needs to be a constantly changing timeline, the ability to engage with other users in real time and of course tools to promote your images around the Internet. Like it or not, interaction with social media drives modern photography and Flickr needs to adopt this or it will die. A Relevant Rating SystemIn order to push the very best images to the top of the activity feed, Flickr, or SmugMug need to come up with a rating system that is not easily cheated. This is perhaps one of the greatest challenges of all gallery websites. On many sites, relatively bland or over processed images can get elevated to the top by clever self-promotion and a large friend network. If Flickr can find a way to overcome this they may well be on to a winner. Other factors that may well be a good idea is to be able to downvote images and to build a rating system based on constructive criticism rather than mutual back slapping. There is no doubt that SmugMug has a task on its hands. A Herculean task at that. The points listed above are just a few of many that need to be addressed if Flickr is to survive in the social media age. Whether SmugMug has the time or the resources to address these, time will tell. If they do, it would certainly be nice to put on those comfortable old slippers once more. Don't forget to give us your thoughts in the comments below. The post Dear SmugMug, For the Love of God, These Are the Things You NEED to Fix About Flickr appeared first on Light Stalking. Photography News via Light Stalking https://ift.tt/2kwTW5i July 28, 2018 at 10:01AM
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3 Powerful Tips To Get You Started With Black And White Photography https://ift.tt/2mTVXY9 Unless you've invested some serious money on monochrome sensor cameras like this one, black and white photography will be a post-production choice rather than an “inside the camera” choice. Black and white photography has intrigued a vast majority of today's digital photographers, especially the ones starting to fall in love with light. 1. First And Most Important Tip – Don't Shoot In Black And WhiteThe first thing that you need to understand is that black and white photography happens in post-production when converting a color image into a monochrome one. If you are shooting directly into black and white in your camera (even when looking mildly good) you are doing it wrong. I still regret not knowing this right from the beginning when I first picked up a camera 10 years ago. I made some interesting photographs directly into gray-scale mode in my little point and shoot camera, and I contrasted the JPEGs by brute force with layers and layers of contrast in Photoshop. Shooting directly into gray-scale mode is one of the most common mistakes people make when starting to get involved in black and white photography. The trick is to shoot in RAW, and then convert your color image into black and white if the image is worthy of transforming it in the first place. That said, I have an exercise for you all. 2. Try Seeing The World In Black And WhiteAlright, it is pretty hard, but try it out by isolating these things:
If you are able to see these elements in a scene in front of you, you'll start to understand black and white a little bit more. Eventually, you'll start to see that the best subjects for black and white imagery are those that have both bright whites and deep blacks in them. 3. Experiment With Post-ProductionAfter shooting some frames, import them into your computer and run the files through your favorite RAW image developing software (I love Adobe's Lightroom) and do the following. Convert the image into black and white, and then start playing with the colors, and you'll see how true contrast is achieved in black and white photography. Back in the days of film, black and white was a matter of choice. Photographers had to choose a specific film sometimes before having the scene in front of them. We all have the great fortune of deciding this after the shot has been made. Also important for you to know, not every single image in the world needs to be transformed into black and white, you need to learn how to judge whether a shot works best desaturated or in color. The post 3 Powerful Tips To Get You Started With Black And White Photography appeared first on Light Stalking. Photography News via Light Stalking https://ift.tt/2kwTW5i July 27, 2018 at 04:00PM
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This week it’s time to get creative and work on your black and white photography. Get some help here:
And have a look at our dPS ebook: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY Weekly Photography Challenge – creative black and whiteSimply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice. Share in the dPS Facebook GroupYou can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well. The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Creative Black and White appeared first on Digital Photography School. Photography via Digital Photography School https://ift.tt/29wB9CX July 27, 2018 at 02:03PM
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How My Photo Went from Reddit to the Walls of NASA https://ift.tt/2LsynjU About 4 months ago, I posted a photo of my 7-hexagon canvas cluster to Reddit’s r/space (on a Sunday, the only day you’re allowed to post your own astro photos to the sub). The title of the post was: “I’m a photographer and print-maker and my passion is the night sky. I made this 7-hexagon canvas cluster in honor of the forthcoming James Webb Telescope. The photo is of the Milky Way over WEBBer Lake, CA.” The post went viral and was on the top of Reddit for several hours that day. I received a lot of interest in my work, but due to posting links to my website the post was eventually removed due to “Self Promotion”… but not before it had spread far and wide on the Internet. It eventually made its way to Carl Starr, the Mission Operations Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope — he said his sister sent it to him. He contacted me asking if I’d be willing to make a copy of the piece for the JWST Mission Operations Center, and of course, I agreed. This month I shipped the piece out to them, and on July 20th I was able to tour the facility in Baltimore, Maryland, with Carl as our tour guide and see the piece on the wall with my own two eyes. It is one of the great honors of my life to know that my work resides in the presence of the men and women who are responsible for what may prove to be one of humankind’s most important technological achievements. Thank you to Carl, Carl, Steve, and the rest of the crew for the unforgettable tour, and for letting me be a tiny footnote in the history that you are working daily to create. I hope you enjoy my art for many years to come. I’ll be watching with wonder along with the rest of the world as you continue to push humanity’s collective view of the universe (and our place in it) further than ever before. Copies of this hexagon cluster are available in a very limited edition here. About the author: Phil Mosby is a photographer and printmaker based in Lake Tahoe. The opinions in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of Mosby work on his website, Facebook, and Instagram. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com July 27, 2018 at 01:39PM
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Burger Chain Uses Photojournalist’s Beheading Image for Ad https://ift.tt/2Acn4qJ The Washington DC burger chain Z Burger is apologizing this week after it used a picture from photojournalist James Foley’s beheading to promote its food. Last Saturday, Z-Burger posted a Tweet (shown above) with the words: “When you say you want a burger and someone says okay lets hit McDonald’s ?.” And underneath was a composite image of a burger next to an image of Foley from his 2014 execution video, shortly before he was beheaded by ISIS. The caption reads: “You disgrace me.” James Foley was an American photojournalist who was abducted in 2012 while covering the Syrian Civil War. He was beheaded in 2014, becoming the first American citizen killed by ISIS, and the video of his murder made international headlines. Needless to say, people were enraged by Z-Burger’s use of Foley’s image in a burger ad. Z-Burger quickly took down the ad and Tweeted an apology by owner Peter Tabibian.
“An apology has been sent to some of you from a contracted marketing company over an unfortunate incident, a post in very poor taste that was not approved by me before being uploaded to our Twitter account,” Tabibian writes. “[…] I have taken immediate steps to ensure that this never happens again […]” Tabibian placed the blame for the ad on the contracted marketing company Z-Burger used, which was Valor Media, run by 23-year-old social media influencer Michael Valor. Valor himself posted a series of video apologies to Twitter:
Valor says that the offensive Tweet was the work of a new art director that his company recently hired and that it wasn’t created with ill intentions. Both Z-Burger and Valor have since pledged to make donations to the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which advocates for the safe return of Americans detained abroad, to protect independent conflict journalists, and to educate regarding threats to freedom. Foley’s mother, Diane, expressed her sadness at the original Tweet but says she’s looking forward to receiving the donations:
Valor says he has since had “open-hearted conversation” with Diane and that his company will be sponsoring the foundation for future events. Image credits: Header image of James Foley from still frame by CNN Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com July 27, 2018 at 12:56PM
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Nikon counts down to new mirrorless https://ift.tt/2LUZJey
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Nikon counts down to new mirrorlessFollowing an earlier leak, Nikon has officially started the clock on a countdown to its upcoming 'special event', widely assumed to be the launch of a new mirrorless system. The timer is counting down to 1pm, on the 23rd of August (Tokyo time). That's midnight in New York, and 9pm on the 22nd for the DPReview office here in Seattle. What are you hoping to see announced? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to vote in our ongoing poll. View Comments (0) The Fujifilm X-T100 is the company's least expensive X-series camera to include an electronic viewfinder. It shares most of its guts with the entry-level X-A5, including its hybrid AF system and 24MP sensor and, unfortunately, its 4K/15p video mode. Dials and sliders and buttons, oh my! This modular set of editing controls hopes to improve your photo editing workflow – for a price. The Sony RX100 VI is a spectacularly capable travel camera, combining a flexible zoom range with impressive autofocus. But there's no getting around the fact that it's an expensive camera, and a longer lens comes with certain trade-offs. Read on for our full analysis. The Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD is a lightweight telephoto zoom lens for DSLR cameras that comes in at an MSRP of $799. How does it perform? Find out in our full review. Samsung's flagship Galaxy S9+ comes with comprehensive photography features like dual optically stabilized rear cameras, smooth 4K video and of course, beauty filters for your selfies. But is it the best smartphone camera for you? Find out how it compares against the likes of Apple's iPhone X and Google's Pixel 2 in our full review. The instant camera market is heating up, and with four formats and 15+ cameras to choose from, we felt it was high time to examine them all and pick our favorite. Whether you're hitting the beach in the Northern Hemisphere or the ski slopes in the Southern, a rugged compact camera makes a great companion. In this buying guide we've taken a look at seven current models and chosen our favorites. What's the best camera for a parent? The best cameras for shooting kids and family must have fast autofocus, good low-light image quality and great video. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for parents, and recommended the best. What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best. What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best. Photography News via Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) https://ift.tt/i0r8o5 July 27, 2018 at 12:24PM
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Fujifilm Considering Bringing Back Its B&W Film: Report https://ift.tt/2LpYRSS Fujifilm killed off the last of its black-and-white film and photo paper back in April 2018. For many film photographers that news was like a dagger to the heart, but there is hope yet: Fujifilm is reportedly considering bringing its B&W film back. The Japanese news outlet ITmedia reports that Fujifilm has “just started the examination” of relaunching film for B&W photography. The company heard the requests of film photographers who didn’t wish to see Neopan 100 Acros be discontinued, but it still needs to solve the logistical problems — obtaining the necessary raw materials for its film production is difficult and costly, and the company’s efforts to improve production efficiency and cut costs weren’t enough to offset the constantly decreasing demand for the film. If Fujifilm Neopan (or a different B&W stock) does make a comeback, it would be following in the heels of Kodak P3200, which is now alive and well again. (via ITmedia via The Phoblographer) Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com July 27, 2018 at 12:03PM
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V-Flat World Launches a Folding V-Flat https://ift.tt/2OlKDQX The V-flat is a common tool used by portrait photographers, but it has historically been a do-it-yourself product everyone builds for themselves. A new company called V-Flat World just changed that with the launch of its commercial foldable V-flats geared toward professional portrait photographers. “We are dedicated to producing high-quality V-flats that are easy to use and foldable, for use in studio or on location,” the company writes. “Going to your local hardware store and finding out they don’t have black and white sided foam boards isn’t fun and then realizing that it anyways won’t fit into your car because it’s 8 feet long is frustrating.” Here’s an introduction to the product: V-Flat World’s V-flats are 2-inches (5cm) thick and weigh just 10 pounds. They fold up from its 80-inch (6.7ft/2m) height to a compact square measuring just 40×40 inches. Takedown takes just seconds. The folded size is small enough to stick into the back of a compact car. The side and weight allows the V-flat to be easily taken to all kinds of shoots in various locations: “Our height measurements were made to avoid shipping carriers oversized fees which are extremely costly, and to be able to fit in your home studio with lower ceilings,” the company says. To set it up, you simply expand the square in both directions and connect the upper sections together using Velcro-brand hook-and-loop fasteners. One side of the V-flat is white and the other side is black. V-Flat World’s V-flat is available now from the company’s website with a price tag of $196. They will also be available shortly from B&H. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com July 27, 2018 at 11:12AM |
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