Is a Medium Format Camera Right for You?
Medium format cameras offer unique advantages, but are they worth the investment? The photographer took the Fujifilm GFX 100 II to Iceland to see how it performs in real-world conditions.
Medium format cameras offer unique advantages, but are they worth the investment? The photographer took the Fujifilm GFX 100 II to Iceland to see how it performs in real-world conditions.
Is this really the hip thing to do these days? Why is it that I keep reading headlines like this of wedding photographers turning to their iPhone versus their camera gear? I get that it’s trendy, and within seconds (with no Photoshop needed) you can add a grunge effect with an Instagram filter and have it posted online. But seriously... *shakes head*
As every photographer who’s suffering from GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), I am currently searching for a new lens. While trawling through popular online shops, I couldn’t help myself, but laugh about some useless review images of the products.
The internet and forums have been around for long enough now that we have heard most questions regarding photography. Although repetition isn't the end of the world, we really need to stop asking these questions.
Photography equipment is not cheap. As photographers, we’re often investing thousands of dollars into metal tubes filled with planes of glass, and quickly justifying it to our friends and families. So what happens when a disconnected fashion brand such as Louis Vuitton markets to photographers, and announces a $3,500 basic camera bag?
Have you ever been in that moment when you’ve composed the scene just how you wanted, you’ve nailed your focus, you’ve placed your grad perfectly to balance the exposure and you’re about to take the photograph when you’re interrupted by someone telling you that you’re not allowed to use a tripod at the location?
The importance of printing your own images cannot be understated. There are a number of reasons, but I believe that it mostly comes down to perspective. Currently most entry-level cameras have at least 24-megapixel sensors, however, most screens are full HD which is only around 2 megapixels in resolution. Even a 4K screen is only around 8 megapixels. Seeing your images on any screen can never truly express the image as effectively as possible whether that is due to the colors or resolution. For this reason, printing your images can not only improve your perspective but also help with regards to improving your photography.
Creatives love and hate Instagram. While everyone is on it, very few enjoy being there. The platform is constantly changing the way it prioritizes work, as well as banning creatives without any reason. I was one of the unlucky many to experience such a ban.
"Splash on the glass" or so goes the time-worn mantra. Has the market flipped, and is that the right advice anymore?
We live in the Information Age. There is no doubt a ton of information on the Internet about photography and just about any other subject you’d care to know about. While the Internet is a great place to learn and e-books are convenient, there’s still something special about holding a printed book in your hand. I have e-books and printed books alike. For me personally, I notice that I’m more inclined to actually read a book if I’m not reading it on a screen. I prefer to put away my backlit digital devices in favor of reading a printed page. With that out of the way, I’d like to talk about five books that have helped shape my business as a professional photographer.
I’m sitting at my desk on a Friday and I get a phone call. It’s Saturday’s wedding venue, and they’d like for me to sign my life away. In what’s becoming an all too common practice, the venue has decided that for me to be allowed to photograph my client’s reception I should grant them a waiver of liability that allows for their potential future negligence to go unchallenged in court, even if it results in my death. Seems like a pretty fair deal for the guy showing up to take pictures, doesn’t it?
Strap in people, because this is a tough love lesson for anyone whose goal is to “make it” as a professional in the photography industry.
This may seem like a negative article, heralding the apocalypse, but really, it isn't. It's an exploration of how our beloved craft has changed over the decades, its direction, and if there are comparable crafts that can help predict the trajectory.
The 85mm prime is a pretty highly regarded focal length for a lot of portrait photographers, with most boasting a deliciously wide maximum aperture. But is it simply too awkward a focal length?
Here we are, another year has gone by and we have just enjoyed the release of yet another camera that is "certainly" the most amazing thing since sliced bread. This new camera comes with promises of wondrous grandeur that are only cemented by the inevitable implication from its maker that it is the camera that will help you create truly better images than you did before. This is, of course, nothing more than marketing hype designed to get you to spend your money.
Tim Huynh's new documentary, "Fill The Frame," sparked a recent controversy about who qualifies as a professional street photographer. I suggest the answer is no one.
Being a professional photographer in the UK pretty much means having a studio. We are not blessed with good weather, so I decided to set up a studio early on in my career.
So, it’s two weeks into the new year – how are things shaping up? Booked a ton of new work? Setting up to land your dream client? If, like me, you’re still working out the kinks and wondering how you’ll make it all work, this post is for you. I’ve got five tips to help keep you going, keep you motivated and keep you on track for the year ahead.
Whether to share locations in landscape photography is a frequent topic of discussion in landscape photographer communities. People get frustrated when they ask where a photo was taken and the photographer won’t tell them. Are they gatekeeping, or are they trying to protect the natural landscape?
This post is in celebration of simple ideas, executed brilliantly. Incredibly simple ideas demonstrate that simplicity, combined with brilliant execution, can result in incredibly powerful images that affect us far more deeply than those that are more complex and technically well executed, but are boring and bring nothing new to the table. To make better images, stop thinking big and start thinking simple.
Shourya Pratap Singh Chauhan used Photoshop to simulate himself living a life as a billionaire, which was all for show. His following started growing from 200 to over 20,000 and it's mainly due to this portrayal that people started following and sending him direct messages. This matters in a big way. Firstly, have we become so gullible to believe it, and secondly, what can we as photographers and video makers learn from this for our own businesses?
Panasonic has officially launched the Lumix S1 series, the company's first foray into full-frame mirrorless, but is there more to be said on this release than just talking about the cameras themselves?
We benefit every time that smartphone in your pocket improves its camera system. Professional or not, we must admit that the quality of the software producing images on our smartphones is brilliant. All this clever tech will hugely impact photography in the future. Here’s why.
The 645 film format is sometimes overlooked, but it offers a practical middle ground between 35mm and 6x7 medium format. You get more shots per roll of 120 film and maintain high resolution, making it ideal for various photography adventures.
I wrote recently about the importance of developing your own style. One of the worst things any creative professional can do is to get sucked into thinking about what work we should be doing or how we should be doing it. When was the last time you looked at someone else’s work and thought “Wow that’s really good. I really need to be doing something like that”? For me, it was earlier this morning. It’s totally normal and intuitive behavior.
Sometimes, you can find great advice for photographers in unexpected places. I found that writers and photographers share a sizable overlap in an area that's famously addressed in writing, but a little less so in photography.
The phrase "destination wedding photographer" never held much meaning to me, other than the rare couple who I assumed was eloping in Bora Bora. Lately that phrase is turning into something completely different and it's being referred to more as "adventure photography." It's slightly different in the fact that these people aren't necessarily having destination weddings because they're still being planned in their home states.
Very few of us have been involved in photography and art long enough to truly appreciate how much change has taken place in when it comes to cameras and photographs. David Hockney, a British artist who has dedicated much of his life to painting and photography, thinks some of the art in imagery has been lost along the way. In short, Photoshop is boring.
Recently our own Lee Morris shot a model photoshoot entirely with an iPhone 6s Plus, showing that with proper lighting technique, a good model, and proficient use of editing software, you can obtain professional looking results with even the most humble of cameras. Andrew Weber, a professional sports photographer, decided to take it one step further by capturing the unpredictable environment of a primetime NFL game with only his iPhone 6s Plus in hand. Weber was kind enough to answer some of our questions and provide a great sampling of his photos from the shoot.
Working in the creative arts world has always involved the struggle of conveying value to clients and educating them that our time has value and that exposure doesn't pay the bills. It's nothing new, and it will likely continue, especially as the barrier to entry in the industry continues to fall, but we all have the power to change it.