Recently, Squarespace announced a new partnership with Unsplash via their company blog. Before we dive into why this story is worth discussing, it’d help to explain who Squarespace and Unsplash are and what they do.
Rumors are circulating that Fujifilm will not be releasing the X-H2, choosing instead to cancel the entire line of X-H cameras. Is this because the X-T3 is simply too good?
We constantly talk about websites, marketing and everything gear related under the sun, but rarely does the topic of health come up. We're usually crouching down, rolling around on the ground or balancing on our tiptoes to get a couple inches higher for the shot. So the reality is, one of the most important topics should be your health. You can replace gear but there is only so much you can do for your body.
There have been plenty of occasions where someone has asked me which camera they should buy up to a certain price point. My first question almost always is to ask them what smartphone they currently have. The reason for this is because smartphone cameras have come such a long way that they’re now viable tools for photography and video.
Well first off, I am not positive anyone actually retained what the specs on the new iPhone 5S are going to be. Mostly because I'm sure the only thing running through their minds was 'I love goldddddd' from Austin Powers Goldmember. But lets push aside the fact that you can rock a phone that will glisten in the sunlight like a shiny olympic medal and talk about some of the much needed upgrades on the new 5S.
Photography, a medium that has consistently reinvented itself, now stands at an unprecedented crossroads. Revolutions like AI have led to a profound reevaluation of photography's role and essence. Is photography evolving or diminishing as an art form in this era of rapid technological change?
If reports are to be believed, Apple is set to revolutionize phone cameras by introducing the next-gen 3D sensors that Sony will make available in 2019. Satoshi Yoshihara, head of Sony’s sensor development team, said he is “certain” 3D will transform how we take pictures on our phones, with the aim also being to include faster facial recognition that can “probably identify anyone in photographs from a reasonable distance.”
Los Angeles based filmmaker, John Irwin, customized a DSLR intervalometer and hacked his Canon's firmware to allow him the advantage of shooting long exposures in video mode during the day. The device uses a remote trigger to allow a controlled burst of exposure that is carefully calibrated beforehand depending on the available light. The key to his method was his ability to ramp the camera's shutter to blazing fast speeds (upwards of 1/93000) each time the remote trigger is clicked.
As much as we’d all like to be able to say that we’ve lived life up to this point with no regrets, the fact is, some of us may have many; and that’s OK. Identifying things you may have done differently is a vital step towards moving forward in a productive way. Here are five aspects of photography that you may regret if you're not conscious of them as you work throughout the next five years.
It is official: Canon has toppled Olympus to become the leader in terms of market share in the Japanese mirrorless market for 2018. The Canon EOS R, released in the autumn of 2018, might not have impressed the pundits but seems very much on it's way to becoming wildly popular among consumers, at least in Japan.
Presets are awesome. They've sped up my workflow by an order of magnitude since I first started using them back when I switched to Lightroom years ago. They save time and, therefore, money! But, to quote every action movie ever made: "Is that all you got?"
Last month we gave a Canon 5DM3 away in our Facebook Fan Contest. The contest was such a success we decided to do it again. Just like last month, to enter the contest you simply have to "like" 3 Facebook pages. If you get anyone else to sign up for the contest you will receive an additional 3 entries per person raising your chances of winning considerably. Check out the full post for all the details.
If you’ve ever had lens flare ruin a seemingly perfect shot, this extremely simple technique will save you a ton of headache in post-processing.
We work in a field where, whatever we buy something for, we use for its intended purpose. Sometimes we just want to save money and dig through our stuff to see what else we can use it for. Here's a list of things you can use your gear for, either in a pinch or as a better replacement for something else.
Have you ever wondered how to create portraits with those dreamy watercolor backgrounds? In the following tips, I’ll give you a few tricks on how I achieve this whimsical, ethereal look in my work.
You may have the best camera and lenses, but the images you create as a photographer or videographer, may not look good, unless you don’t have a good monitor. Therefore, when it comes to preview and editing images; the resolution, color space and panel technology matters. So, it is vital to get a decent monitor that meets your requirements within an affordable price range.
Joe McNally once said: "the easiest way to take better photos is to point your camera in the direction of more interesting subjects." One of the most common challenges photographers face is finding incredible people to work with. There is a misconceived belief out in the world that convincing amazing talent to step in front of your camera is actually really terrifying and hard. Fantastic talent is always looking for the opportunity to create new images to toss onto social media, and thus is always looking for great new photographers to work with.
If there is one lens manufacturer whose heritage exudes excellence, it’s Zeiss. They are the Ferrari, the Lamborghini of camera optical glass and with that reputation comes their, usually, extremely high price. And much like a Lamborghini, the Zeiss is a no-frills powerhouse that does one well-designed thing: as the Lamborghini is fast, the Zeiss is sharp. Zeiss’ latest telephoto prime is no exception, and the 135mm f/2.0 APO SONNAR is truly magnificent.
I have had the blessing and curse of having too many photos to edit in the past few months. I've had plenty of opportunities to improve my work with the high frequency of shoots, but it's caused me to feel buried. During a typical shoot, I'll take between 250-400 photos. With each light setup, I'll take a few shots to ensure it's just how I want it, then I'll start directing my model. I strive for 3-4 solid shots per setup, one of which will end up being the final image. Both myself and my hard drives are feeling the pressure. In order to make sure that everyone gets their photos in a reasonable timeframe, I've adopted a new workflow for my editing.
Retro never truly disappears. The Kodak Ektar H35N half-frame camera evokes memories high school parties and youth summer camps. But is this plastic fantastic or missing the mark? I ran some film through it to find out.
I went back to shooting film recently, and I couldn't believe how different the process was. It isn't just taking a photo without the live view screen, it really is a different world. A world that you should experience if you want to improve as a photographer.
This week, we are exploring how to create a white-to-grey backdrop using strobes. Though this technique can be done somewhat efficiently with two lights, three is optimal. And as in last weeks post, I want you guys to try out this technique and share your results. I will post my three favorites in the next lighting post. I shot all of these images on a white sweep, with the figures about ten feet off of the background.
Photoshelter released a new guide 11 Secrets to a Great Photo Website, packed with information and tips about creating and updating websites for your photography business.
The free downloadable guide dives into 11 important points you should keep in mind when building your website to attract potential customers, helping spread word-of-mouth referrals and how to grow your businesses through your website.
I love film photography; there's a special quality that analogue photos have that digital could possibly never match. However, I never shoot with my film camera anymore. Why not?
Ken Block, owner of DC Shoes and action sports mogul is well known for his incredible skill in a rally car. He's also been known to make some incredible videos, such as his original Gymkhana piece. For this installment, Gymkhana 5, Ken decided that he wanted to take over San Francisco: and that is just what he did. He also made sure that it was captured to perfection: I can't imagine that any less than one hundred cameras were used in the making of this piece.
Over the years I have gotten to know many photographers that can take great photos but who suffer staying motivated in their business. Many of us try to do it on our own with no one to really believe in us. Our family and friends watch us from the sidelines waiting for us to throw in the towel. I have found that watching a daily motivational video is a great way for me to stay focused and inspired. Here are 5 of my current favorites I believe every entrepreneur should watch.
Boudoir photography can be one of the most powerful ways to bring confidence back to an individual. Challenging their negative thoughts about themselves while repairing their body image is more rewarding to a boudoir photographer than the money itself (OK yes, the money is great but be honest — you love it when they cry those happy tears of joy seeing their images).
As a fellow commercial photographer I know that clients come to us for consistency and reliability. They hire us because when they are spending the big bucks on advertising campaigns they don’t want to leave things up to chance. It is part of our job to deliver the end product on time and free of flaws, but even a professional at the top of their game still battles with human error.
