It’s a funny old thing, photography. There’s a bunch of photographers who are keen to share, but there’s a larger group who aren’t. But why? It seems to me that a lot of photographers really don’t want to share their ‘secrets’ with others, as if they’ll lose out because of it. Is there actually any real chance of loss through sharing ideas and creative processes with others? Let’s tackle that first: I certainly don’t think there is, and here’s why. When you share an idea in, say, the field of real estate photography, what would have to happen for you to lose? Basically your idea would have to be put into practice by your nearest competitor. That is to say the competitor in your town or area, attracting your clients, hunting your target market, and shooting the same style as you would have to be the person causing you a loss owing to you sharing your ‘secrets.’ The offs of that very specific set of circumstances becoming a reality is extremely slim, as I’m sure you’d agree. In sharing your idea you’re helping other photographers in your field but (noteably) out of the scope of your target market to grow and to develop their skills, knowledge, understanding, and creative abilities. I don’t see any loss there at all! So as they say, sharing is caring. Photography is challenging enough already as an industry with the pressures and nuances coming from the outside, with a completely unnecessary spanner sitting in the inner works that we need to lose. We need to grow as individuals in this industry, and also as a community. We all started somewhere, and we all grow from that place. In order to achieve that growth we need to take some chances, show some vulnerabilities, and from that foundation we need to move onward and upward. The vulnerable side of us in that growth is the side of us which is taking chances on releasing what is becoming a progressively better portfolio, where each image is better than the last. Retrospectively this makes the last photo worse than the current and so it shows those “bad shots” in broad daylight. This cycle never really stops – we’re always showing this vulnerability because we’re always releasing better shots and thus, through time, revealing those same shots as getting progressively worse as the next good shots come to the surface. So here’s the next thing: – That cycle links in to the need for critique. Not heavy, harsh criticism, but creative, objective critique. It helps us to grow and it helps our community to grow. It leads us to achieve better things, better shots, and reveals new talent. We all started somewhere, as I said, and we’ve all needed guidance whether we sought it or it came unsolicited to us. It’s done from groups, communities, and from more experienced photographers. We’ve all been helped and as such we should all pay it forward. Help people. Show strengths rather than pointing out weakness. Encourage growth, offer solutions, and add value to work that needs improvement rather than devaluing and discouraging through focusing on negatives. We’ve been in positions in our own growth, be it in photography or otherwise, where we’ve felt like throwing in the towel, and a little skill sharing and positive contribution to steer us back on course always helps – let’s make sure it’s strong in the photographic community and remember where we started, and as I said, that we lose this fear of giving away too much. There’s actually nothing to lose. Much love Dave The post Don’t be nasty appeared first on Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider. from https://scottkelby.com/dont-be-nasty/
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I think that one of the biggest things that I hear from all the manufacturers out there is that print is on its last legs, evolving, becoming more niche, etc. And to be very transparent, I think that they have themselves to blame. It's only been in the past year that I've been bigger efforts from Fujifilm, Canon, HP (sort of), and Epson to really reach out to younger audiences. By that, I don't necessarily mean age, but more photographic age. There are still so many photographers that don't know what their images look like on a print and haven't had the opportunity to really get prints made. I think that Bluetooth can honestly make this so much easier.
from https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/04/23/rant-modern-dedicated-photo-printers-desperately-need-bluetooth-integration/
"Please don't take my picture." This is something we have all probably heard before as photographers. Whether the plea comes from a friend or family member that you might be hanging out with, or from a complete stranger that you may pass on the street, it's a powerful statement, and it is one that should not be taken lightly. Sure, when we are out doing street photography we can indeed take images that include people, and by law we might be covered because it's a public space, but just what should we do when someone says this? Join us after the break and we will explore this a little more.
from https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/04/23/what-should-you-do-when-someone-says-dont-take-my-picture/
Many photographers swear by their 35mm lenses and almost never want to shoot with anything else. The reason for this is because it so closely simulates what the human eye sees and so it's easy for a photographer to go out there and shoot a scene just the way that they see it. That would be great, if 35mm lenses were absolutely perfect. While they've greatly improved, 35mm lenses are still not perfect and when used for portraiture still can't replace or do what a proper telephoto focal length can. But with patience, you can figure out how to make the most of a 35mm lens for portraiture.
from https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/04/23/how-close-should-you-be-to-a-portrait-subject-when-shooting-with-a-35mm-lens/
Whoever thought we would be taking credible photographs on the same device we call our Mom’s on? Well someone did, hence why smartphone photography has become its own popular sub-genre. With that, it’s hardly a surprise that tech companies have created a plethora of accessories to help boost your smartphone photography experience.
from https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/04/22/the-best-accessories-for-the-enthusiastic-smartphone-photographer/
Spring season is the perfect time to get those macro lenses dusted and ready to shoot -- what else, but beautiful, dainty flowers! If you already have plans set and a picture-perfect location spot on, we've got just the video tutorial to help you with your flower photography. Professional wildlife photographer Paul Miguel has already started making rounds in his local woodland to photograph the dainty wood anemones, so it's time we all get started with it as well. If you're trying this out for the first time, with his tips below, you'll surely pick up some tips and ideas for beautiful flower photography fitting for spring.
from https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/04/22/quick-tips-for-beautiful-flower-photography-in-early-spring/ A very common piece of advice for photographers looking to take their work to the ânext levelâ is that they must invest time in themselves in the process of developing a âstyle.â A photographic style can mean many things; a theme within the subject matter, a specific color palette, a certain compositional approach, and anything else that leaves the artistâs work with a distinct âfingerprint.â I think itâs fantastic that there are simply so many ways for a photographer to take the tools, both in gear and approach, and create something truly distinct. However, I think that many newcomers to photography may overlook film as a viable medium on which to develop their aesthetic. Of course, there are very few things inherent to film that cannot be replicated on a digital camera, but when looking at digital gear it can be difficult to get over the idea that some great breakthrough is just around the corner. One of the wonderful things I find in analog photography is that the best film camera for you already exists. There is very little in the way of new film cameras being manufactured or innovated, so we are left with almost a âcompleteâ range to choose from. There will be nothing new to look forward to, so the concentration moves from gear to simply producing the best work with that gear as you can. When looking at film cameras, you have the choice of everything from the simplest of light-tight boxes to the most complex electronic SLRs, with specs that rival even todayâs flagship digital options. This caters to the needs of the majority of photographers, but especially for hobbyists, enthusiasts, and fine art artists who donât need to worry about the possible shortcomings of film photography. Film is known as having its own âlook,â which is why different emulsions are good for different applications and different stocks preferred for different genres. However this is not the entire truth: as with analog film, many of the factors involved in exposing, developing, and printing are subjective when compared to certain digital manipulation techniques, including most Photoshop uses. I think that many film photographers have started to embrace the sheer diversity of what a particular film can offer depending on the way it is shot, developed, and printed â itâs far beyond the recommended ISO or development chemicals. This is opening the possibilities for visual styles that are truly unique for an individual photographer, as no one else will process their film (at every stage) in the same way. One emulsion offers not just one look but as many as the photographer has patience and time to work on. For example, Portra 400 is known as being an incredibly flexible film with a very distinctive and âtrendyâ look when shot overexposed by a couple of stops and developed at normal. However, very rarely is this look shared with the exact look of that negative â rather, it will have been edited digitally to some extent as well. I think that analog purists would prefer to keep their experimentation in the darkroom rather than doing much digitally, but as always, itâs the results that matter. For myself, I find that creativity in analog photography comes from its limitations. When I first learned that ISO in film represented only the opinion of the manufacturer as to what it offers its âbestâ results at, I felt almost liberated. Iâve never liked the idea of âcorrect exposure,â especially for black and white photography, and this leaves open the possibility to tailor a specific type of exposure for my look. This means I can deliberately blow out the highlights in a street portrait for minimal context, or expose only for the highlights and leave the rest as deep blacks. Using the fantastic latitude of films like Tri-X means being able to push-develop these films to ISOs of up to 10000 while still obtaining aesthetically beautiful results. This gives you an incredible range of âlooksâ that can be achieved by any one film stock. Any combination of over/under-exposure, paired with any available mainstream or experimental development chemical, and the capacity to develop at any time that suits you, using any amount of agitation, means an almost infinite amount of options to work with sheerly on the chemical side of things. One of the most famous âlooksâ in film belongs to Kodachrome, which is known for its wonderful rendition of color and now ultimate nostalgic aesthetic. One of the most famous photographers who incorporated Kodachrome in their workflow is Steve McCurry, who made it his own simply by often underexposing his shots by one stop in order to obtain âricher, more saturated colorsâ that add a âsomber feelâ to his photos. I really enjoy learning about how different photographers make film work for them because it informs the way I can apply those techniques, or adapt them, to my own workflow. Some techniques are subtle and fairly simple, like the way that Benjamin Gordon will expose for a portrait to really bring out the soul in the eyes.
Other photographers are more comfortable with really decimating their film, pushing it both literally and figuratively to its limits, and shooting in a very carefree manner. Josh White is one of my favorite examples of this, and his ethereal results never cease to captivate me. He goes into detail discussing the way he handles his Ilford films over on his blog. Winston Duke is a photographer I like to compare to Josh, not in style or content as they are very different, but as he also blitzes his film while shooting, and again when developing, but he prefers to use Kodak stock. Winston also plays around with his film after shooting, although Iâm unsure of his exact process. I know heâs experimented with double exposures while printing and applying different textures to the film to really give them a depth I havenât encountered anywhere else. In my own efforts, I have been working with Delta 400 to make bright exposures with detail in all areas. To do this I have been overexposing by three stops and shooting in as bright conditions as I have access to, normally against the sun. Delta 400 is a T grain film, which means my results are normally very sharp and easy to work with once scanned. Once I am comfortable with my exposure methods, I will hopefully start to play around with my images in print and see what kind of effect Iâm able to bring out â probably best used for portraiture. Iâve also enjoyed using films that have something of their own aesthetic, which I can manipulate and incorporate into my images. There are some lovely special effect films with pre-exposed aspects and shapes, and I also love films with a bit of âvolatilityâ and unpredictability like Cinestill 800, which is one of the best âfilm-lookingâ films available today. I think that black-and-white and experimental films have been the most rewarding to me when it comes to playing around with light, chemistry, and the physicality of the medium. I think that this kind of experimental quality is one of the reasons film and the film community has managed to remain so resilient; the fact that there are so many possibilities when it comes to shooting and manipulating film, whether you emphasize its strengths through dynamic range and treatment of highlights, or play into a darker, grainier aesthetic. Iâve been really enjoying the results from my recent film experiments and really look forward to sharing more of my work as it unfolds. Despite being a progenitor of photography, film still has so much to offer for as long as there are photographers willing to work within its rules to produce unique results. I really hope that anyone who has started to shoot film and perhaps found it underwhelming gives it a second chance, this time doing a little more than shooting it âsafely.â New cameras rarely offer anything truly new, but film has constantly given, and will hopefully continue to give, me and many other artists unexpected, organic, and exceptional results. 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. from https://petapixel.com/2019/04/22/how-to-bring-something-new-to-film-photography/ Tokina has unveiled the new FiRIN 100mm f/2.8, a 1:1 macro lens designed for Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. The lens, which is “great for portraits and landscapes too,” features a minimum focusing distance of 11.8 inches (30cm), and captures a life-sized 1:1 reproduction with subjects at that distance from the sensor plane. Subjects at the minimum focusing distance sit 4.5 inches from the front of the lens. Optically, the lens features a “flat-field” design that “suppresses the field-of-view curvature to zero” and yields great edge-to-edge sharpness across all focus distances and apertures. Since it’s engineered specifically for Sony E-mount cameras, the lens is able to transmit all the data it needs to utilize Sony’s in-camera features — things like 5-axis image stabilization, manual focus assist, auto image enlargement, focus peaking, and the electronic distance bar. Other features and specs of the lens include 9 elements in 8 groups, a large manual focus ring, a multi-coating (for combating chromatic aberration, flare, and ghosting), a 55mm filter diameter, a weight of 1.3 pounds, and a 9-bladed aperture. Here are some sample photos captured with the lens: The Tokina FiRIN 100mm f/2.8 has a price tag of $599 and will hit store shelves on April 26th, 2019. from https://petapixel.com/2019/04/22/tokina-unveils-the-firin-100mm-f-2-8-11-macro-lens-for-sony-mirrorless/ Many hobbyist photographers dream of one day becoming professional, but here’s something that may give you pause: “photographer” has been named one of the 25 worst jobs in the USA. 24/7 Wall St. used data from CareerCast’s 2018 Jobs Rated Report as well as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to put together its list of the 25 least desirable jobs to have based on a number of factors, including work environment, stress level, future prospects, and income. “Photographer” came in at #25: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that photographers reported median annual wages of $34,000, which comes in under the $37,690 median wage of all US jobs. And while the average job in the US is projected to have employment growth of 7% in the decade between 2016 to 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that photography jobs will decline by about 5.6% in that same span. “Thanks to camera-equipped smartphones some aspects of photography are more accessible for nonprofessionals,” 24/7 Wall St. writes. “Other photography jobs could be eliminated as companies choose to hire freelancers rather than keeping salaried photographers on their payrolls.” And in case you’re wondering what the #1 worst job in the list is, it’s “taxi driver,” a job that has a median income of $25,980 and is being threatened by the likes of Uber and Lyft. (via USA TODAY via Imaging Insider) Image credits: Header photos by Samuel Zeller and Mack Fox (MusicFox). Floating camera photo by Andrik Langfield. from https://petapixel.com/2019/04/22/photographer-named-one-of-the-25-worst-jobs-in-the-us/ Want to get creative without leaving the comfort of your own home? Here’s a 5-minute video by COOPH that contains 5 ideas for macro photographs you can do with a small budget, simple gear, and everyday items. Here’s a rundown of what’s covered in the video (watch it for a closer look at each one): #1. DIY Macro DiffuserTurn an empty can of chips into a flash diffuser. #2. Textures#3. Depth of Field#4. Macro Still Life#5. Color Macro“You don’t need an expensive studio and lighting equipment to make great macro photography!” COOPH says. “Shooting some everyday items and without leaving the comfort of your own home, you too can have a great time with this style of photography that changes the way you see the world.” In addition to buying a specialized macro photography lens, you can also reverse your lens, make a DIY extension tube, or even remove the front element of a lens (for a more extreme DIY route). from https://petapixel.com/2019/04/22/5-macro-photo-ideas-to-shoot-at-home/ |
Paul DeckerHi I Paul Decker,32 years old from Arizona,AZ,USA,working on 3D animation from the last 4 years.Here I am sharing tips about it. Archives
April 2019
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