Photography News

We all know someone that has an older photo taken in black and white and many of us have seen those request to transform those photos into color. Converting old black and white photos to color may have just gotten easier with a new app.

The Intrepid Camera Co. is on a roll. With the lofty goal of bringing low-cost large format film photography to the masses, they launched their initial 4x5 model's Kickstarter in the fall of 2014. Although plagued with fulfillment issues and mixed reviews (You can see our review of the original model here), enough attention was garnered to warrant a follow up of a much more refined model in 2016. Now, Intrepid is stepping up and hoping to swing for the fences with a big boy: an 8x10 camera.

Have you ever watched a Marvel Avengers movie wishing you had your own personal AI just like Tony Stark? At Google I/O 2017, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed a new technology lovingly branded "Google Lens" which aims to bring mankind a breath nearer to each person having their own personal Jarvis. Google Lens is a new technology designed for Android devices that allows a user to point their camera phone at any object in order for contextual information to be gathered about that object and to convey it back to the user.

It's a great time to be a Sigma user. With the release of numerous exciting and innovative lenses priced competitively, the company is changing the lens market in a big way. Now, the 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary is available for preorder.

Last October, New York City became the place in the country to pass a law protecting the rights of freelance workers. Today the bill known as the Freelance Isn't Free Act, officially went into effect.

Anyone who uses off camera lighting is familiar with the Profoto brand name; the Swedish company has been revolutionizing the market for years, continuously upping the ante with the products they release.

Yesterday a cyber attack hit corporations, governments, organizations, and home users as well, and according to the press, it keeps spreading around the globe. This cyber attack is a ransomware called "WanaCrypt0r 2.0" and it encrypts the data on Windows-based computers. This is quite terrifying for photographers too, as there is still a risk for those who work on Windows PCs and keep their photo archive on PC-mounted hard drives.

Bots have been used on social networks for as long as I can remember. They are a way of growing one’s community without much effort and getting more attention than by doing everything manually. However, it’s not organic, and thus social media companies have tried to shut them down for a while. Instagram recently launched a witch hunt and managed to get Instagress to close down. Yesterday, another big bot service, Mass Planner, was taken down. Is it the end of the bot era?

Phase One announced today their new, first-of-its-kind 101-megapixel achromatic medium format digital back. The IQ3 100MP Achromatic, which is manufactured without a Bayer filter, does not record any color information which allows “all available light to be captured unaltered and unobstructed.”

With the introduction of new features such as TTL, HSS, HS, and the likes, flash manufacturers have been forced to develop a different remote for each camera brand. Profoto has its Air TTL system for Sony, Canon, and Nikon, but was lacking micro four third systems compared to Elinchrom. It’s now a thing of the past with the release of the Air TTL-O remote.

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on my favorite camera, the Mamiya RZ67. Even though such a camera sells for peanuts compared to its original cost decades ago, buying into a new system can be costly. Well, in celebration of May the 4th, KEH, a used camera gear reseller, is having a fantastic sale on Mamiya gear.

Phase One has rolled out the first major update to Capture One Pro 10 today with the release of Capture One Pro 10.1. The latest update has several exciting improvements that will simplify users' workflows and even offer better file handling for people editing Fujifilm X-Trans raw files.

You think your camera is fast? Check this out. A group of researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a camera that is way faster than yours. I guarantee it. Their camera captures at a frame rate equivalent to five trillion images per second, a rate faster than previously thought possible. It’s so fast that even captures light in flight.

We're always on the lookout for good camera deals and this definitely caught our attention. There is currently a highly rated eBay seller providing brand new Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Camera Bodies for only $2,199.99. That's $500 better savings than any other major camera distributor is providing online right now. Usually we give a little caution with gray market cameras but the seller says these are direct import cameras and they come with a one year US Warranty through the seller. That's a hard price to beat. The cameras come in a limited supply so make sure to act quick.

Welcome the newest member of Microsoft's Surface family, the Surface Laptop, along with the new Windows 10 S and an updated version of the Surface Arc Mouse. The Surface Laptop falls right between the Surface Pro 4, a powerful tablet made to replace your laptop, and the Surface Book, a laptop that can function as a tablet. This new device serves as Microsoft's first clamshell-style laptop and is a clear response to Apple's MacBook built with both the latest hardware and plenty of style.

Right now, B&H is running some awesome specials on Nikon cameras, Sigma Art lenses, and more. Now is a great time to pick up some new gear!

Last week at NAB, G-Technology announced upgrades to a range of its products that combine Thunderbolt 3, USB C, and their highest capacity drives yet with the addition of 12 TB, 7,200 RPM single drives that give products such as the dual-drive G-RAID system at a staggering 24 TB storage allotment.

For anybody that's been looking to get a good quality camera setup all in one basket, now's the time to do it. The team over at B&H Photo have listed the Sony a6500 for a whopping $400 off the normal price tag. But wait, there's more. Included with the camera in this package deal are a 64 GB SD Card, shoulder bag, extra battery, and most importantly, two lenses.

Color theory for photography and retouching is more important than many would like to admit. Knowing how to create a visually strong color photography starts there. You can always go by the feeling, but failing to plan is planning to fail. Learning all about colors takes time and finding the proper resources is not an easy task. But thanks to Wacom, digital artists now have a place to get the needed materials to get familiar with all the theory necessary to get started.

Fashion photographer Lindsay Adler, who is known for her lean, bold, and graphic style is hosting a free webinar on May 1, 2017 to help you train your eye to identify posing problems and fix them in your images.

In what has the potential to be a landmark case in U.K. news history, a freelance photographer is taking legal action against the broadcaster for their usage of his photo, which they included by embedding a tweet.

Supermodel Gigi Hadid has become the latest high-profile celebrity commissioned to shoot for an international fashion feature. Following in the recent footsteps of Kendal Jenner and Brooklyn Beckham, the V Magazine Special Edition is made of backstage Polaroids taken by Hadid, laid out in collages alongside handwritten notes.

The Broncolor Scoro was initially released in 2012 by the Swiss flash manufacturer. Five years later, they introduce a new release of the high-end power pack and it’s called the Scoros S WiFi/RFS2. Along with it, the bronControl app is made available for Mac and PC to make remote control of your units easier than ever.

One announcement last week from Sony's press conference flew under the radar for many as it was mentioned after they unveiled the a9 and worked everyone into a frenzy. Sony will be expanding support and level of professional services for working photographers in North America to "meet and ultimately exceed their expectations."

Former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza announced a new book chronicling his second presidential assignment. The book, titled, "Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs," will have more than 300 pages and as many photographs according to Souza's Instagram feed. The book is due out November 7, 2017, and is currently available for preorder on Amazon as well as at Barnes & Noble for $40 as a hardcover.

Samyang introduced a new cine lens to its VDSLR line-up. It's an affordable wide-angle lens suitable for filmmakers using DSLR or mirrorless cameras with a 35mm sensor. Samyang's VDSLR 16mm T2.6 offers quiet and smooth de-clicked focus and aperture gear rings. Distance scale and T numbers are marked on both sides of the lens for optimal convenience when filming.

The Profoto Pro-7a power pack probably one of the most ubiquitous strobe packs in high-end photography studios around the world. Despite two newer models replacing it, the Pro-7a is still widely available for rental at photo studios and equipment houses. Several Pro-7a packs have been popping up on the used market at very appealing prices. The problem is that they are actually Profoto Pro-6 Freeze packs with a few cosmetic updates.

DaVinci Resolve is well known for color editing in the video world. But Blackmagic's goal is to create a complete solution for NLE, color, and sound. While 12.5 was already very convincing, the newly announced DaVinci Resolve 14 is even more so. It is up to 10 times faster than the previous version and with new tools for audio, this new release could be what many have been waiting for.

Ever wonder how to go about raising your rates for an existing client? Perhaps you’ve been struggling to find your niche. You may be in luck because episode number one of Chase Jarvis’ new show, The Daily Creative, was just released and these are a few of the topics that were discussed.

When flying from a distance, DJI's Goggles stream the drone's capture at 720dpi, and when you're closer, you can get up to 1080dpi with DJI's new OcuSync Wireless Technology. It's a different take on what goggles can be. It boasts two screens, one for each eye, each with a higher resolution (1280 x 1440) than the Oculus Rift (1080 x 1200), but what is most impressive is how it can be controlled by the tilting of your head with Head Tracking.

Avid’s Media Composer is, despite all odds, the industry standard for video editing. So if it’s good enough for Star Wars, it’s good enough for you. Luckily, users will now be able to get a dumbed down version for free this year.

The 2017 NAB Show is in full swing and now is a great time to get some awesome discounts of up to $3,000 on popular photo and video equipment and accessories. Check out some of the best deals of the week!

The Swiss flash manufacturer, Elinchrom, and the innovative video light maker, Light & Motion, announced today that they are joining forces to bring new game-changing products to the market. The news comes in right after Elinchrom made the Skyport Protocol open to other brands. Thus, it’s no surprise that the new partnership is unveiled along with two new wirelessly controllable video lights.

DJI continues to push the video production industry forward with the drones and camera accessories it has been introducing into the market over the last few years. Just announced at NAB 2017 is a brand new version of their popular gimbal stabilizer, the Ronin 2.

This Sony a9, which appears to be one of the most impressive cameras ever built, is now available for preorder at BH. If you want one of these when it's released on May 25th, you may want to preorder today.

Edelkrone has reinvented it again. This time, it's a motion control system that includes some of its existing products as well as new additions bundled into a kit they say is the "world’s smartest and most portable 4-axis motion control system."

While everyone is busy arguing down here in the States, two companies based in Toronto, Canada have joined forces in a collaboration to bring Format's very strong looking online portfolio feature set to 500px's active community of over 9 million photographers. 500px is a very popular photo sharing site that was launched in October 2009 and has stood out both in terms of user interface presentation and the overall quality of work showcased. Format boast a very slick and easy to use platform with impressively high user recommendation rate of 95%.

Score one for authentic interaction. Today, Instagress, a prominent Instagram bot service, shut their doors after being "requested" to do so by Instagram.

The topic of Instagram shadow banning users has been a hot topic for the last couple weeks. Some people think it’s a real thing while others don't. The problem is that there was no way to actually prove its existence or to even see if you were affected — until now.

The Light L16, the camera you’ve been hearing about for the last couple years with 16 lenses and sensors packed into a phone-sized package, has gotten a bit of a facelift ahead of its launch.

Ahead of NAB 2017, Adobe has announced a ton of new features and updates to their video-oriented products, which include new graphics features, audio effects, interesting AI capabilities, and more.

Filmmakers will be pleased to hear that Canon will now be offering the option to upgrade the 5D Mark IV to include Canon Log starting in July. In addition, a new model will be available with the feature pre-installed beginning at the same time.

A few weeks ago Elinchrom announced their new adventure light, the ELB 1200. However, they didn’t release any pricing at the time, but they are now official. The Swiss flash manufacturer also recently added a few versatile light shapers to their already comprehensive range of products.

Sony just announced its most impressive camera to date, the a9. If you've been thinking about making the switch from Canon or Nikon to Sony, this camera may make that decision easier.

Most of us use Instagram to display our work. It has a great social aspect to it where people can follow your growth and see what you provide as a style. It's where clients go to see if you have what they want with regards to their brand image or way of portraying themselves. It plays an important role in a photographer's working life. As a social platform, they have copied from Snapchat with their stories and now they've copied Pinterest too. Although I don't like copying, let's see what it will offer.

"CaNikon," the colloquial term used to describe the market dominance of Canon and Nikon, is going to have be changed. Sony has just overtaken Nikon in the full-frame interchangeable lens camera market in the U.S.

In recent years, the radio flash transmitter market has grown extensively. Every camera brand and strobe manufacturer has come up with its own system, but as if that wasn’t enough, some brands specialize in designing their own as well. Today, Elinchrom is opening its Skyport protocol to third parties with the hope of creating a new industry standard and solving the cross-branding issues photographers are facing nowadays.

Probably the worst-kept secret on the Internet in the last few days, the Nikon D7500, was officially announced on Wednesday. There’s a lot of D500 DNA in the D7500, which is not a bad thing, since that’s Nikon’s flagship DX body, and this model sits right below in the midrange of the lineup.

The fashion modeling agency founded by President Trump, Trump Models, is closing its doors after 18 years of business in the glamorous industry. The President had already resigned control of the day-to-day running of the parent company The Trump Organization which is now handled by his sons, Donald Junior and Eric Trump.

You can have your images judged by AI. Just don't blame me if you don't score as high as you thought you would. These developments are supposed to help people decide what images work best for the message you are trying to convey, so it's good to know it's there and to try it out. It's in the beta phase now, and the website is similar to that of EyeEm, the stock image library built in Berlin, where the images are analyzed and tagged automatically depending what is featured in the photograph.