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Gear of the Year 2018 - Dale's choice: DJI Ronin-S http://bit.ly/2SqIIfx When it came time to select my 2018 gear of the year, my first inclination was to think about cameras and lenses. After all, we’ve seen some great ones in 2018, and that would have been an easy path to follow. No doubt, I could have picked something both technically impressive and fun to use. However, when I really thought about what product had the most impact on the quality of my work this year, both at DPReview as well as for my own projects, it wasn’t a camera at all. Rather, it was the DJI Ronin-S camera gimbal – a tool that allowed me to significantly improve the quality of my video work using the cameras and lenses that I already had. Anyone who has shot much video knows that camera movement can be as important as composition. Anyone who has shot much video knows that camera movement can be as important as composition, and while most cameras now include some form of image stabilization, camera-based stabilization systems can only do so much. Gimbals provide more latitude to create movement, but usually add some complexity to your shooting workflow. With the Ronin-S, I feel like I’ve found the Goldilocks combination: a great gimbal that fits so seamlessly into my workflow that I barely notice. I was impressed with the Ronin-S almost from the moment it arrived in our office. After a few weeks of testing I was confident enough to choose it for a larger project: a documentary film I was shooting in the Peruvian Amazon.
Like any filmmaker, I wanted to get the best results possible, but I also had some pretty strict requirements. Since I had keep my kit compact and easy to carry, I decided to shoot on a pair of Panasonic GH5s. I needed a gimbal that would work well with these cameras, could be easily reconfigured for different camera setups in the field, and which could quickly adapt to different shooting conditions on the fly. The subject of my film was The Great Amazon River Raft Race, a 180km race down the Amazon river on rafts made from balsa logs. Over the course of this multi-day event I had to keep cameras rolling in conditions that included crowded street markets, unstable boats, and and all the rain that comes with Amazon thunderstorms. The wide variety of shooting conditions certainly put the Ronin-S to the test, and it came through with flying colors. I immediately came to appreciate just how quickly I could set up a camera in the field. With a bit of practice, I could balance a camera and lens combination in about a minute, which the Ronin’s auto-tune feature would then fine tune in just a few seconds. VIDEO In this b-roll clip from my film, I was shooting from the back of a 3-wheeled 'mototaxi' driving down a fairly rough road. The footage isn't bounce-free, but it's much smoother than I could have produced shooting hand-held. The strong motors in the Ronin-S also made it possible to use zoom lenses without adjusting balance or recalibrating the system. As a result, I was able to use a single zoom lens for most of my primary filming – something particularly helpful in a location where it seems like everything around you is actively trying to contaminate a camera sensor. The ability to quickly switch among different gimbal settings at the touch of a button also saved me on more than a few occasions when the story took unexpected turns. However, the feature I probably appreciated the most on the Ronin-S was remote camera operation, including remote follow focus with focus peaking. As an aside, it's worth noting that the Ronin-S can provide various levels of remote camera control, and the level of functionality differs a lot by camera model and lens. Fortunately, DJI has done an excellent job integrating it with the GH5 I chose for this project. I’ve been asked a number of times why I didn't use autofocus. While it’s true that the video AF on many cameras is impressively good today, it still doesn’t provide the level of control or predictability I want when filming. In contrast, I found the remote follow focus on the Ronin-S to be very precise, predictable, and easy to use. VIDEO In this b-roll clip, I was shooting from a small, moving boat with three other people in it. The camera movement came out much smoother than my experience in the boat led me to expect. Ironically, the one thing I was actually worried about turned out to be a non-starter. With limited access to power, I had concerns about how long the Ronin’s battery would last, but it never let me down. After a full day of shooting, my arm was borderline useless while the Ronin-S had hours of power left in reserve. So much for the superiority of man over machine. The final area where I have to give the Ronin-S high marks is what I’ll call “Dale’s jungle survivability index.” I’ve worked in the Amazon before, and electronic equipment just doesn’t do well there. It’s hot and humid, and can be very wet, dirty and muddy. It’s damn near impossible to properly clean or dry equipment in the field, especially when you’re out for multiple days at a time. I’ve had equipment failures on previous trips, but the Ronin-S took everything I could throw at it and never blinked. It’s a solid piece of equipment. I’ve had equipment failures on previous trips, but the Ronin-S took everything I could throw at it and never blinked. It’s a solid piece of equipment. Sure, I have a few minor complaints, such as having to leave the entire system assembled just to charge the battery or the fact that the rubber seal over the battery’s on/off button keeps falling off, but those aren't showstoppers. Ultimately, what makes the Ronin-S my 2018 gear of the year isn’t the fact that it’s a camera gimbal – after all, those have been around for years – but the fact that it’s so flexible, configurable, and easy to operate. My footage looks better as a result of using it, and I won’t hesitate to use it again for future projects. Photography News via Dpreview http://bit.ly/i0r8o5 December 30, 2018 at 08:00AM
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This is the last day of voting in our “Best of 2018” polls. While cameras weren’t the star of the year, lenses certainly were from Canon and other manufacturers this past year. You can vote in the three polls below. We’ll be announcing the results tomorrow. Photography via Canon Rumors http://bit.ly/2CsmGDw December 30, 2018 at 07:51AM
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The post The dPS Top Travel Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk. This week on dPS we’re featuring some of the top articles in different categories that were published on the site over 2018. We’ve already shown you the Top All-Round Photography Tips, the Top Photography Gear Tips, the Top Post-Processing Photography Tips, the Top Landscape Photography Tips, and the Top Portrait Photography Tips of 2018. This one is all about the best travel photography tips of the year. Here are the top travel photography tips articles of 2018:1. How to Put the Fine Art into Travel Photography2. Avoid These 5 Major Mistakes Made By Travel Photographers3. 4 Ways To Make Better Street Portraits While Traveling4. The First 10 Things You Need to Buy After Your Camera for Travel Photography
5. Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips
6. 5 Ways to Ensure That You Stay Ahead of the Travel Photography “Game”
7. 5 Ways to Find Great Locations for Travel Photography8. 7 Travel Photography Hacks to Get You Going Places9. 5 Ways to Photograph Travel Icons10. Travel Photography Secrets That You May Not Have Tried11. 7 Tips to Make Travel Photography Interesting Again12. Why Olympus Mirrorless Cameras are Top Notch for Travel Photography
13. Tips for Selecting What Gear to Take Along for Travel Photography
14. Six Non-Photography Tips to Super-Charge Your Travel Photography
15. How to Search Potential Cityscape Photography Spots Online Before Traveling
Next up, we’ll show you the dPS Top Street Photography Tips of 2018. The post The dPS Top Travel Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk. Photography via Digital Photography School http://bit.ly/29wB9CX December 30, 2018 at 07:08AM
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Getting Rid of Professional Photographers Leads to Poorer Quality Photos Self-Apparent Study Concludes http://bit.ly/2BMy7o0 The past two decades were rough times for publishers. Many traditional media outlets have gone the way of the dinosaur with newsrooms being particularly hard hit. The future of journalism looked pretty bad. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that many old-line publications began making money again. Naturally, the success or failure of many is linked to a transition to “online” from print, but that’s only part of the story. Gutting the staff that produced high-quality journalism in the past was also a huge component of this turnaround strategy. One job that was among the first to go were the photojournalists and well-paid freelance photographers. Now big names are looking wherever they can for the cheapest product available, some even turning to online social media outlets for sources. Tara Mortensen and Peter Gade looked into just this issue with their research “Does Photojournalism Matter? News Image Content and Presentation in the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record Before and After Layoffs of the Photojournalism Staff.” Shockingly, they found that getting rid of professional photographers leads to poorer quality photos and media in publications. The researchers graded the photos taken by “non-professionals” and compared those with the grades photos by professionals received. Tellingly, photos by non-professionals scored very poorly in the “intimacy” ranking, a measure of “private connection with the viewer” – whatever that means. PetaPixel quotes the research, writing: “Following the layoff, the paper published fewer images, and presented less prominently…Professional images captured significantly more elements of photojournalism than non-professionals, including emotion, action, conflict, and graphic appeal. Professional images were presented larger and more prominently. …Results of this case study provide evidence that—despite clear differences in image content—photojournalists are struggling to assert their professional legitimacy in the digital age.” What do you think? Obvious conclusion or a call for bringing back professional photojournalists? Or both? Let us know in the comments. The post Getting Rid of Professional Photographers Leads to Poorer Quality Photos Self-Apparent Study Concludes appeared first on Light Stalking. Photography News via Light Stalking http://bit.ly/2kwTW5i December 29, 2018 at 10:19PM
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Shoot This 52-Week Photo Challenge to Improve Your Skills in 2019 http://bit.ly/2SlPHpY Just get a new camera for Christmas and/or looking for a New Year’s resolution to improve your photography skills in 2019? Here’s a 52-week photo challenge designed to get you motivated and to stretch your creativity. The challenge below is the Dogwood 52 Week Photography Challenge by photographer Dale Foshe of Dogwood Photography. This popular challenge is in its four year, after successful runs in 2016, 2017, and 2018 that tens of thousands of photographers around the world participated in. Each week, the challenge rotates through three categories: Storytelling (taking a prompt and turning it into a photo story), Compositional Eye (using rules of composition to train your eye), and Inspiration (using a simple inspiration as creatively as you can). Here are the challenges for the 52 weeks of 2019: If you’d like to download and/or print it out, here’s the challenge as a PDF: Finally, if you’d like to do this challenge alongside photographers around the world, you can share your resulting photos with the community by hashtagging each week’s photos with #dogwood52, #dogwood2019, and #dogwoorkweek[number] (e.g. #dogwoodweek7 for week 7’s photo). There’s also an official Facebook group dedicated to the 2019 challenge. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com December 29, 2018 at 11:36AM
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How This Pro Instagram Star Earns Up to $100K Climbing Peaks Full-Time http://bit.ly/2BKsEOr The rise of Instagram in our culture has spawned a generation of professional Instagrammers who make a living from broadcasting (often sponsored) photos to their massive followings. Meghan Young is one such Instagrammer, and this 12-minute feature by Bloomberg gives us a look into what her life and career are like. The 33-year-old Young spends her time climbing mountains and sharing views of her adventures with her audience.
“My job is to make it look effortless, to look like it’s the most fun ever and it’s never a job,” Young tells Bloomberg. “But it is a job.” With about 200,000 followers tuned in right now, Young earns her living from both customers who license her photos and companies that pay for appearances and endorsements in her Instagram feed. She’s reportedly on track to earn between $50,000 and $100,000 over the next year through her job as a social media influencer.
Young says she turns down the majority of the unsolicited sponsorship offers she receives, as they’re often unrelated to outdoor adventuring, and instead she spends days and weeks doing the legwork it takes to make carefully crafted pitches to potential sponsors that are relevant to her audience. She usually asks for $1,500 for each permanent post in her feed and $200 per day for temporary stories. About 70% of the pitches she sends out are rejected, and it’s the remaining 30% that help her make a living. This whole system may be far more work than most people think when they hear the words “Instagram influencer,” but Young is able to pay her bills and do what she loves for a living. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com December 29, 2018 at 11:02AM
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Defending ‘Needles in the Sewer’ and Photographing the Disadvantaged http://bit.ly/2StaibR One of my images has been subjected to criticism and scrutiny in a way that none of my other work ever has. The photograph in question is of a scene in London, Chinatown; a man reaches into a sewer while shouting about how someone threw his needles down there. I waited a moment or two before I decided to make a photograph, shot two frames, and then continued my walk. At the time I took it I knew there would be a strong response to the photograph, both artistically and philosophically/ethically. However, it will always be the prerogative of the photographer to decide on their own personal ethics and to apply those to their work. I will always photograph things that catch my attention, and leave it to the audience for whether or not it “works” for them. This should never stop me from creating in the first place — no one needs “permission” to make an image, but similarly, everyone in the audience has the choice to enjoy or disregard whatever they want. The main issues people brought up about this image were consent and exploitation. I will usually disagree quite strongly with anyone who argues that consent is necessary for street photography in public. The law in the UK and many other countries defends photographers and photojournalists when it comes to candid photography in public spaces. Often “permission” will destroy the integrity of a true photojournalistic-scene. The only time I ask for permission for photographs is when I’m shooting portraiture one-on-one, when it is necessary, and this shows in my work. As a member of the public (especially in London, one of the most heavily CCTV monitored cities in the world) I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect privacy. Exploitation is a slightly trickier problem to deal with because there is definitely some profit to be had from this image, even if only from exposure. I was conscious when taking the image to wait until a moment his face was obscured; so at least his specific identity is not what I am profiting from, and rather the scene in general. I also think that the image depicts quite a relatable form of suffering, an addict in a first world city. This is no more exploitative than war photography, or images of starvation and disease. If anything this is closer to home for much of my audience, and because of this has more emotional pressure. I think that because photography is an “art” form there is a conflation between photojournalism as storytelling, and art as an aesthetic to enjoy. The question of whether or not you can or should enjoy photojournalism is a difficult one, but I think that for me the answer is that the artistic elements of any image can be appreciated, but that the story being told is what deserves a second thought; whether through enjoyment, or catharsis, or any other considered emotional response. When it comes to street photography, at some point or another, a photographer will draw mental lines which mark out the boundaries of their ethics. This has a strong connection to the photographer’s agenda – whether they are using street photography to practice their craft, to enjoy a hobby, or to build a portfolio to move into other areas of photography, such as lifestyle or portraiture. I think that photographers who are uncertain about where they draw their lines are unsure of their agenda. With some introspection, this can be overcome, and I think the photographer’s work will be stronger as a result of this direction. I know that my own motives and agenda are not nefarious, so I have no issues with photographing people less fortunate than myself. I don’t feel the need to “justify” or reinforce these ideas to myself, but I enjoy sharing my perspective on these topics as it may help other photographers to make up their own minds. I don’t take photographs to make people look bad. I don’t distort faces with wide lenses, or highlight physical features people may not be comfortable with. I don’t go out of my way to search for people in a scene who may offer a sympathy or shock factor. I simply find images to make wherever I end up, and sometimes that means men in suits, and other times men in sewers. I respect all of my subjects, regardless of context. I shoot discreetly, without harassing or bothering people. If someone asks me to leave or to stop then I will. If they ask me to delete images I will stand up for myself if they exist, and if not I will explain that and leave the situation. I am not faking scenes to say that something happened when it did not. I can only document the reality of a moment; things that are a part of my life, life in London, and life in general. To not photograph these things when they are in front of me would be much worse, and can end up skewing people’s perceptions of an issue in the other direction. My responsibility (and maybe yours?) as a photographer is to avoid self-censorship. I can always choose to publish an image or not, but only if that image exists in the first place. If I take an image then I should have the presence of mind to understand what I saw in that scene, and what purpose I want to apply to that image. If I had not taken an image at this time would that be a form of erasing and ignoring this issue? I would rather face discussion and debate about my work than to talk as if these issues are distant and abstract. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I’d like to direct some of the attention from this topic and image to the website Addaction. It’s a UK-based organization providing aid and outreach to at-risk addicts. Please consider having a look at their website and possibly making a donation, or maybe going out of your way to produce an image that may also draw attention to this topic. About the author: Simon King is a London based photographer and photojournalist, currently working on a number of long-term documentary and street photography projects. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can follow his work on Instagram and you can read more of his thoughts on photography day-to-day over on his personal blog. Simon also teaches a short course in Street Photography at UAL, which can be read about here. The first half of this article is an excerpt from King’s personal blog. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com December 29, 2018 at 10:30AM
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The Mirrorless Camera Party of 2018 http://bit.ly/2Q8X3LB DPReview just published this humorous 3-minute stop-motion video about how the full-frame mirrorless camera party was finally crashed by new brands in 2018. “It’s time to ring in the New Year, and we invite you to join us at the Full Frame Mirrorless camera party, where we’ll meet old friends and maybe some new ones as well,” DPReview writes. After years of enjoying the market to themselves, Sony and Leica saw Canon launch the EOS R and Nikon launch the Z6 and Z7. Panasonic also announced its upcoming S1 and S1R cameras. It’ll be interesting to see how these major brands battle for full-frame mirrorless supremacy in the coming years, as Sony’s market share of sales already experienced a sizable drop of about 1/3 by last month. Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com December 29, 2018 at 10:18AM
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DPReview TV: Full frame mirrorless camera party http://bit.ly/2Vi4Ydq VIDEO It's time to ring in the New Year, and we invite you to join us at the Full Frame Mirrorless camera party, where we'll meet old friends and maybe some new ones as well. Happy New Year from DPReview TV! Support DPReview. Shop with
View Comments (0) More about gear in this articleFor the past few weeks, our readers have been voting on their favorite photographic gear released in the past year in a wide range of categories. Now that the first round of voting is over, it's time to pick the best overall product of 2018.
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Dec 17, 2018 at 14:00 Sony had the full-frame mirrorless market to itself for nearly five years, but it's no longer alone – the Nikon Z6 and Canon EOS R have both arrived priced to compete with the a7 III. We take a head to head to head look at these three cameras. Tune in this week to see Chris and Jordan's review of the Nikon Z6 full frame mirrorless camera, and also find out what Chris thinks of the popular 35mm focal length. (Rant alert!) The Nikon Z6 may not offer the incredible resolution of its sibling, the Z7, but its 24MP resolution is more than enough for most people, and the money saved can buy a lot of glass. Find out what's new and notable about the Z6 in our First Impressions Review. This year, plenty of amazing cameras, lenses, accessories and other products came through our doors. As 2018 winds down, we're highlighting some of our standout products of the year. Check out the winners of the 2018 DPReview Awards! The Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 Mark II is a rather belated update to one of our favorite enthusiast compact cameras. Is it enough of a refresh to keep up with the times? Wacom's latest pro tablet can help take your editing workflow – and most importantly, the final image results – to the next level. Many cameras today include built-in image stabilization systems, but when it comes to video that's still no substitute for a proper camera stabilization rig. The Ronin-S aims to solve that problem for DSLR and mirrorless camera users, and we think DJI has delivered on that promise. The SiOnyx Aurora is a compact camera designed to shoot stills and video in color under low light conditions, so we put it to the test under the northern lights and against a Nikon D5. It may not be a replacement for a DSLR, but it can complement one well for some uses. At its core, the Scanza is an easy-to-use multi-format film scanner. It offers a quick and easy way to scan your film negatives and slides into JPEGs, but costs a lot more than similar products without a Kodak label. If you're looking for a high-quality camera, you don't need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. In our latest buying guide we've selected some cameras that while they're a bit older, still offer a lot of bang for the buck. A question frequently asked on the Internet is 'what's the best DSLR?' In this buying guide we've answered that question – but also whether it's the right question to be asking in the first place. What's the best camera for under $500? These entry level cameras should be easy to use, offer good image quality and easily connect with a smartphone for sharing. In this buying guide we've rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing less than $500 and recommended the best. Whether you've grown tired of what came with your DSLR, or want to start photographing different subjects, a new lens is probably in order. We've selected our favorite lenses for Sony mirrorlses cameras in several categories to make your decisions easier. Whether you've grown tired of what came with your DSLR, or want to start photographing different subjects, a new lens is probably in order. We've selected our favorite lenses for Canon DSLRs in several categories to make your decisions easier. Photography News via Dpreview http://bit.ly/i0r8o5 December 29, 2018 at 08:01AM
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The post The dPS Top Portrait Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk. This week on dPS we’re featuring some of the top articles in different categories that were published on the site over 2018. We’ve already shown you the Top All-Round Photography Tips, the Top Photography Gear Tips, the Top Post-Processing Photography Tips, and the Top Landscape Photography Tips of 2018. This one is all about the best portrait photography tips of the year. Here are the top portrait photography tips articles of 2018:1. How to Take Unique Crystal Ball Portraits2. Video Tutorials – Portrait Posing Tips3. Five Common Portrait Retouching Mistakes to Avoid4. Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography5. 4 Ways To Make Better Street Portraits While Traveling6. Five Budget Portrait Photography Hacks to Save You Money7. Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits8. How to Choose the Best Portrait Lens According to Three Professional Photographers
9. 3 Simple Ways to Use Framing and Layering in Portraits10. 5 Tips How to Set Up a Home Studio for Dramatic Portraits11. Tips for Doing Natural Light Headshots and Portraits12. 5 Creative Indoor Portrait Locations for When the Weather is Blustery
13. Tips for Using Flash for Beach Portraits14. How to Make a Dramatic Portrait with Light Painting Using Items Found in Your Home
15. 5 Quick Portrait Posing Tips to Flatter Your SubjectUp next is the dPS Top Travel Photography Tips of 2018. The post The dPS Top Portrait Photography Tips of 2018 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk. Photography via Digital Photography School http://bit.ly/29wB9CX December 29, 2018 at 07:09AM |
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