In the first part of this series of two, I introduced bokeh — out-of-focus areas — and outlined the main controls of defocus. These include sensor size, focal length, aperture, distance to subject, and distance to the backdrop. How, then, do you compare defocus between lenses and cameras? Read on.
Two years ago, Ricoh executives claimed that most users would return to DSLRs in one or two years. Two years later, that has not happened, but it has not stopped the company from continuing to march to their own unique beat, as this interview reveals.
Creating a successful landscape image takes a variety of skills, some that don't even involve a camera. If you want to get on the road to success, check out this great video tutorial that will help you frame your approach to landscape photography through three major aspects.
Perhaps some of the biggest dealbreakers for images are sharpness, resolution, and noise. No one likes a blurry low-res ISO 25,600 file. Yet, sometimes the client picks the worst possible file that is the definition of poor image quality. Luckily, Topaz Labs have developed AI-enabled software which lets you save your portraits. Act fast and take advantage of their Cyber Monday prices.
Becoming a successful photographer is a remarkably complex thing that takes the confluence of a range of skills, creativity, and often, a bit of luck. If you are new to photography and wondering how to bring it all together, check out this great video that features an experienced photographer discussing things no one really teaches beginners.
Imagine you can open up Lightroom and browse through the lighting setup (a graphic from top down) that shows you what you did during your shoot, where each photo has its lights, and the setup of these lights, all embedded. Would that be beneficial?
I operate a channel that helps photographers on YouTube and Instagram, and both audiences are predominantly male. I've worked on sets for over a dozen years, where there is the expectation that men are the directors or photographers and women handle the glam. Is that a problem? Yes, it's a big problem, and here's why.
If you're pursuing filmmaking and you want to start shooting documentary-style films, this video will give you what you need to make sure you get cinematic shots and can tell a compelling story.
If you’re into macro photography, you might be wondering why so many macro lenses emphasize a wide aperture; f/2.8 is nice to have, but when focused down to 1:1, it’ll leave you with no depth of field. From my point of view, Venus Optics seems to have had the same thought. They built a macro lens with a spec sheet that’s focused on delivering macro results. Is this the new best option for macro photographers?
Drones are appealing to a wide gamut of people, from creatives to tech-heads, to aviation enthusiasts. For me, it was perhaps a blend of all three, but something I couldn't easily justify. Nevertheless, I bought one anyway, and it turned out to be the best poor decision I've ever made.
I have never loved a fixed prime lens camera, except for the Fujifilm X100 series. Quirky, fun, and impressively capable, these small cameras have become quite respected across the industry. Now in the fifth generation, the newest version is highly refined and versatile, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it.
Sony kept fans waiting a long time before finally unveiling the a7 IV, and with the release date quickly approaching, a7 III users will be weighing whether it’s worth the upgrade. And what if you're pondering your first a7 camera? Should you shell out the extra cash for the newer camera?
It might not be the most exciting lens out there, but Nikon's NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 is highly portable, affordable, and surprisingly sharp given its size and price. If you are looking for such a lens, check out this excellent video that takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Sam Newton made a big impact in the YouTube community when he filmed a music video about how he'll be the next Peter McKinnon. He dropped a lot of names, and since all the big YouTubers watched it, he got mentioned by most of them and therefore got a large following on the platform. This is how he started and his advice for the long game in making films.
A polarization filter is a great tool for reducing glare on shiny surfaces. A welcome side effect is the more saturated colors. Especially during autumn, a landscape photo will get a nice warm appearance. Unfortunately, automatic white balance may counteract the effect.
Knowing what equipment you should take on a job is always difficult, so I thought I would share with you what I ended up taking on a 10-day ad campaign, and more importantly, why.
There are a plethora of lenses available for Sony’s E-mount, especially when you factor in both APS-C and full frame. Here’s a list of the ten best that you can buy as we approach the end of 2021.
It was the best of tripods, it was an even better tripod. This is why I ended up upgrading what I was already very pleased with to what I think is the best tripod my money could buy.
Camera gear is not only meant for professional work, it is a ton of fun as well. However, it is quite expensive, and as such, every purchase you make should be carefully considered beforehand. This helpful video tutorial features some good advice on how to choose the right gear for you.
Photography is the sort of thing you can always find new ways in which to improve, whether it is your technique, creativity, business, or something else. If you are looking for ways to improve your photography, be sure to check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you several ways to become a better photographer that will not require a camera.
If you’re plotting a gift for the photographer in your life, check out this list of ideas. I should warn you, some of them are slightly silly, but they are all very affordable and could make for some excellent stocking fillers.
The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens was highly respected for being relatively affordable compared to other premium lenses while still offering tack-sharp images, fantastic image stabilization, and of course, 1:1 macro capability, all making for one of the most versatile lenses out there. The RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM follows up on the EF version's legacy by introducing a range of new features and improvements, and this great video review takes a look at how it performs.
I recently interviewed Australian film photographer Rob Walwyn on his incredible images documenting the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated Australia’s east coast in late 2019 and early 2020. Walwyn’s project, "Karrikins," led to his first solo exhibition at the 2021 Head On Photo Festival in Sydney.
Portraiture is one of the most popular genres of photography for many reasons and photographs of people are often the ones that are looked at the most and for the longest. One style within portraiture that is a staple is the dramatic look. In this video, watch a start-to-finish edit of a portrait with the dramatic look as the end goal.
2021 has been a busy year for flagship cameras from Nikon and Canon and while Sony made a significant impact after finally announcing the a7 IV, the company might feel that it is now behind the competition. With that in mind, what does it have in store for 2022?
I’ve never been one to consider style in my bag purchases, but if that style comes at no extra cost, then, why not? That’s certainly the case with the new HEX x Misshattan Ranger DSLR Sling, a different take on the company’s regular Ranger DSLR Sling.
Portrait photography is a challenging genre that requires you to not only be deft and confident with your camera and post-processing, but also able to make the subject comfortable in front of your lens. If you would like to improve your portrait photography, check out this awesome video tutorial that will give you a wide variety of helpful tips to get you on the right track.
With Christmas lurking over the hill like a bright red flashing pickpocket, it's time to start figuring out what to buy your loved ones. If they are a photographer, here are some ideas that won't bankrupt you.
A product shot on a clean, white background with no distractions is a look that will always be in demand, though it presents some challenges to the photographer creating the image. Those challenges increase when the product is translucent and lets light through it, but this excellent video tutorial will show you how to deal with such a situation to produce a professional final image.
When you are new to photography, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to learn and master a multitude of techniques and technical parameters all while developing a creative style at the same time. It is completely normal to make mistakes along the way. This helpful video tutorial discusses five common mistakes beginners make and how to fix them or avoid them entirely so you can get on the path to better images more quickly.
Astrophotography and nighttime photography generally come with their own respective challenges. The biggest problem tends to be increased noise especially in the shadow areas of an image. But what if there was some incredibly smart software that could magically get rid of the noise and improve your images, would you use it?
Light makes or breaks most scenes, whether video or stills photography. In many genres, it's controllable and you can set it up how you like it. But with genres that are candid and wild — street photography for instance — you need to be able to identify brief opportunities as scenes and light interact.
Here are some of the biggest Photography deals we've found lasting Black Friday through Cyber Monday.
Australian photographer Rob Walwyn is hosting the first exhibition of his project ‘Karrikins’ as part of Sydney's Head On Photo Festival. Karrikins documents the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated Australia’s east coast in late 2019 and early 2020. What makes Walwyn’s images even more stunning is his use of Kodak’s discontinued false-color infrared film Aerochrome.
Of all the edits you can do to a photo, perhaps none is more fundamentally transformative than converting it to black and white. However, how do you know when to make that conversion? This excellent video tutorial discusses the topic as it applies to wedding photos and portraits and offers some helpful advice.
A lot of people think of Lightroom as the place for organizing photos and performing basic edits and Photoshop as the place for more involved and serious edits, and while that is true to a degree, you might be surprised by just how much you can do in Lightroom. This fantastically comprehensive tutorial will show you everything you need to know to edit photos in Lightroom.
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most complex pieces of software in the industry. While it is relatively easy to do the basics as a beginner, it has layers of depth that go far past where even many experts go. In this video, learn over 100 different tricks and tips.
What if you could change the season of a landscape photo with just the click of a button? Photoshop's new landscape mixer neural filter promises to leverage Adobe Sensei technology to do just that, allowing you to turn a summer landscape into a snow-laden wonderland with a single click. Does it produce worthwhile images, though? This neat video features a Photoshop pro taking the new feature for a test drive to see what it can do.
It is good to have a plan B in landscape photography. But what if even plan B doesn’t work? Should we give up? Or is there still the chance, any way to get some really strong photographs? I came exactly into such a situation recently – and oh man – finally it turned into one of the best photography days I ever had. I even got 360 degrees surrounded by compositions!
Hasselblad's 907X 50C is one of the more unique cameras to come along in quite some time, putting a modern medium format sensor in a body completely devoid of a viewfinder, meant to be used like a TLR camera of yesteryear. This great video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
It's not easy and if it were, everyone would be doing it. You have to keep repeating that to yourself because it's true and you are entitled to some grace, as you grow. These 3 tips help me continue and I'm sharing them with you!
During an effort to rid my house of excess belongings this weekend, I stumbled upon an analogy that should help inform my gear buying decisions going forward.
A 100-400mm zoom lens is highly versatile, useful for anything from sports and wildlife photography to landscape work and more. They come in many different options with a wide variety of price points. Canon's RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM sits at the affordable end of the spectrum but still offers some great features, and this excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
The beauty of winter is that even landscapes you have photographed dozens of times can become entirely new scenes with fresh, vibrant looks. Winter landscape photography presents its own unique challenges, though, and this excellent video tutorial will give you seven tips to help you get the most out of your photos.
Adobe photo editing software has been around for so long and seen so many iterations that its depth is almost unknowable. Even some of the fundamental tools have nuance and required skill to get the most out of them, and the Tone Curve is one of them.
Lens designs have been pushed to some pretty extreme lengths in the past decade or so, with full frame options like 50mm f/0.95 or 28-70mm f/2 becoming standard fare. However, the most extreme consumer lens design ever made might be from several decades ago. So crazy is the design that only one copy was ever made, and this fascinating video takes a look at what you can do with it.
It seems like all photographers can talk about these days is how sharp this lens is versus that lens. I miss the days when blurry photographs were charming.
I have only been to a fire lookout once, and it was by accident. The experience of being high above the landscape was exhilarating, and the views were outstanding, but I didn’t stay long, as I thought I was trespassing.
Black Friday sales are here and we want to keep you up to date on some of the best photography deals available. These savings are only available for a very limited timeframe, so if there's something that piques your interest, make sure to act on it now!
Perhaps no piece of equipment has a bigger impact on your photos than your lens. There are some common misconceptions about lenses, however, and as expensive as they are, it is important to make sure you know everything you can about them. This helpful video tutorial discusses some common mistakes photographers make when thinking about lenses.
