We take you through the key stages to setting-up the Nikon D850 for use the first time so you can get out shooting quickly.
The post How to set-up the Nikon D850 appeared first on Camera Jabber.
We take you through the key stages to setting-up the Nikon D850 for use the first time so you can get out shooting quickly. The post How to set-up the Nikon D850 appeared first on Camera Jabber.
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Adobe has just announced that beginning May 15, 2018, Adobe Creative Cloud will be available to K-12 students for $4.99 per license, per year. Using a single sign-on, students and teachers will be able to use their school ID to access apps including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator on any device. The company's move came […] The post Adobe now offers Creative Cloud to K-12 students for only $5 per year appeared first on DIY Photography. You don't have to hire models to capture successful lifestyle images. Check out these tips for how professional photographers use everyday people in their photography.Top image via Look Studio. There's a fast-growing trend of using real people as models in commercial photography work. It's a trend that is bringing authenticity back into branded content creation. This movement can be largely attributed to the growing amount of content that is needed to sustain a brand's online media presence. Nowadays, brands need to be constantly active on social media, posting new and innovative content often if not daily. With a new need for extensive amounts of custom content creation, contract photographers are finding work in a wide variety of assignment and compensation types. While one may have an extensive budget that allows you to hire professional models, small budgets may not allow for it. Regardless of the type of contract you take on, you still want to ensure that you are producing the best work possible. We spoke with 9 photographers on the Shutterstock Custom network who create custom content for brands through assignments on the platform. Some simple assignments have minimal model budgets, so photographers are opting to use real people that they have quick access to in order to complete these assignments. Here are these photographers tips on how to photograph real people as models, and still produce professional, eye-catching content for branded work. Kyle CongLet them do something, and capture the moment
Fanette RickertHave a conversation
Lyndsey ThomasUse icebreaker jokes to get them laughing
Kassy DavisCreate a comfortable environment
Shoot for candid moments
Jean-Marc RobinBe yourself
Body language and natural poses
Ian KifflinFamiliarize yourself with the shoot location
Alexa MazzarelloForm authentic connections
Anthony RayburnCreate real moments
Kristin MooreOrganization is key
Most importantly, have fun!
We hope these tips help you on your next shoot where you are required to shoot real people as models. We can't wait to see the content you create. The post 9 Photographers Share Tips on Shooting Real People as Models appeared first on The Shutterstock Blog. The beginning of the year did not look too well for the photo industry, sales were down (almost across the board) for apparently little reason. But now that the year has progressed we are starting to see numbers in terms of shipments much more around the numbers we have expected to see. This is good news for the industry overall, as it shows that people are still buying interchangeable lens cameras. But the numbers also show that while Mirrorless ILC sales remained somewhat steady, DSLR sales continued their downward spiral; again, as expected.
Landscape photography is simultaneously one of the easier photography niches to get into, while at the same time being one of the harder disciplines to really master and be known for. But assuming your goal is simply to take better landscape photography images, there are some things that you should really have in mind while you are out in nature looking to capture the beauty of the world around you.
Florida state wildlife commission voted Wednesday to impose restrictions on shore based shark fishing. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which met in Fort Lauderdale, voted unanimously to create much stricter rules for shore based shark fishing. The exact rules will be drawn up at a later date, but may include licenses for shore based shark fishing as well as restrictions on gear that may be used for fishing. Read the full article here. Tagged: florida, news, shark fishing Wishing the Wetpixel community a very happy Earth Day 2018. Earth Day is traditionally an opportunity to reflect on how our actions impact the environment and to try and improve our personal effect on the planet's environment. The organizers of the 2018 event have chosen to highlight the growing problem of plastic pollution. Most of us can reduce the amount of plastic we consume via lifestyle and consumer choices; perhaps 2018 is the year to audit our lives and to seek to use less plastic? Tagged: earth day 2018, wetpicxel There's no other way to put it: at least according to DxOMark, the Huawei P20 Pro is far and away the most capable smartphone camera on the market. In fact, with a score of 109, the world's first triple-cam smartphone ranks a full 10 points ahead of its nearest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S9. And it's not just the P20 Pro; even the P20, which only has a dual-cam, broke into three digits with a score of 102. That makes the Huawei P20 Pro and P20 the two best smartphone cameras DxOMark has ever tested, and puts them right at the top of our must-review list. You can read the full P20 Pro and P20 reviews by following those links, but the TL;DR is simple: Huawei cleaned up across the board. DxOMark put it simply enough it the conclusion to its Huawei P20 Pro review: We are used to every new smartphone camera generation being slightly better than the previous one, but looking at the images and test results from the P20 Pro, it seems Huawei has skipped one or two generations. The results are simply that good. The P20 Pro's triple camera setup is the biggest innovation we have seen in mobile imaging for quite some time and is a real game changer. Terms like "game changer" tend to make me cringe, but in this case it might just fit. At least according to DxO's scores, the P20 Pro leaves competitors in the dust "in virtually every category." Even if you're exclusively interested in stills (and not video), nobody even comes close to the Huawei P20 Pro's Photo score of 114-its nearest competition comes from the Samsung Galaxy S9 (104) and the Apple iPhone X (101). Check out the full review, test images, and score breakdown on DxOMark, and let us know what you think of this impressive new smartphone camera in the comments. And, of course, stay tuned for our own review of the Huawei P20 Pro, which we're hoping to get from Huawei shortly. We would all love to have a brand-new lens for our camera, but the reality is you can save yourself a small fortune by purchasing your next optic second-hand. Below we offer some quick tips for helping you choose the best option when buying a second-hand lens for your camera. 01 Confirm compatibilityJust because you shoot with a brand and want to buy a second-hand lens from that same brand, doesn't guarantee it will work. Manufacturers sometimes change the chips and electronic contacts in their cameras and lenses, so an older lens from your brand of choice may not always be compatible with a newer camera. A quick internet search, though, will usually provide you with the answer you need. 02 Take some test shotsJust like buying a car, when buying a second-hand lens for your camera you should ideally test it out. Doing so will give you a quick feel to make sure everything works and that the elements haven't been knocked out of line, which can cause soft images. If you buy a second-hand lens for your camera online, make sure you test the lens as soon as it arrives. If you experience any problems, contact the seller immediately. 03 Check the opticsIf you've bought a second-hand lens for your camera that was advertised in mint or near-mint condition you should rightly expect that it has no optical blemishes. What we mean by this is that the front and rear elements should be free of scratches, and the internal elements should also be free of dust and, yes, fungal growth (which happens sometimes in older optics if they are not stored correctly). As above, try to confirm this in writing with the seller if you do not have an opportunity to handle and use the lens before purchase.
04 Test the apertureSomething we always make a point to do is test a lens's aperture with the optic both on and off the camera. Do this at every f/stops. If any of its blades feel sticky, put it down, walk away and don't look back. 05 Try to focusMount the lens you're looking to buy on your camera, and set single shot focusing. Take a few test shots to check the accuracy and responsiveness of the lens. If all is good so far, then dial in Continuous or Predictive focus and check it again. Lastly, you want to test the manual focus ring. Is it tight or does it give resistance? Does it feel sloppy? You'll know immediately if it doesn't feel right, and if this happens you shouldn't buy it. 06 Got a guarantee?If you buy a second-hand lens for your camera from a dealer then it should always come with a money-back guarantee. The length of that guarantee may vary, but a reputable dealer will always offer one. As a minimum you should expect three months. But remember that you can often negotiate in these situations, and there's no harm in asking if you can extend that cover for six months to a year. Make sure, whatever it is, you get it in writing. 07 Buying a lens onlineOf course, if you buy a second-hand lens from a private seller online, he or she will rarely ever offer a guarantee. In these instances, cover yourself the best you can and inspect pictures of the lens thoroughly, and read and re-read the sale description. There is always more risk buying a second-hand lens that you haven't tested, but you can find the best value for money this way. Save Save The post 7 quick tips for buying a second-hand lens for your camera appeared first on Camera Jabber. Jayson Cassidy is a talented 29-year-old photographer and urban explorer currently based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Jayson focuses on street photography, he shoots stunning cityscapes, urban and abandoned places. Cassidy has 18,800 followers on instagram. He shares awesome pictures of abandoned jails, prisons, power stations, hospitals and psychiatric clinics. More info: instagram / facebook The post Abandoned Buildings Across America: Photography by Jayson Cassidy appeared first on Photogrist Photography Magazine. There won't be a new flagship smartphone from Huawei at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year (the P20, which is rumored to come with a triple-camera, will be launched on the 27th of March). However, the Chinese device maker has just launched a number of new tablets, including the MediaPad M5 Pro which looks like a potentially interesting option for image editing on the go. The M5 Pro will be available with a 8.4" or 10.8" IPS display. Both screens feature a 2560 x 1600 2K resolution and a screen/body ratio of 82%. On top of that the larger version comes with the M-Pen stylus which supports tilting and shading and offers 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. Huawei says the M-Pen is ideal for note-taking and image editing alike. If that's true will largely depend on support for the pen in third-party apps. Huawei has not provided any information on this topic yet. In addition a full-size keyboard that is connected via Pogo Pins in combination with a Desktop View mode allow for a PC-like working experience. In any case, the MediaPad M5 Pro looks like a capable and attractively designed Android tablet all around. The 8.4" version comes with two speakers, the larger model offers a quad-speaker setup and a surround-sound option which has been co-developed with Harman-Kardon. Hi-Res audio is supported when listening through headphones. The Android OS and Huawei's EMUI 8.0 UI are powered by a Kirin 960 Series processor and a 5,100 mAh battery in the smaller model and 7,500 mAh variant in the 10.8" version - both supporting quick-charge - should provide plenty of battery life. The MediaPad M5 Pro will be available in Champagne Gold and Space Gray. Pricing ranges from 500 Euros (approximately USD 615) for the Wi-Fi version with 64GB memory to 600 Euros (approximately USD 735) for the 128GB LTE model. If you are shooting portraits, then you are probably doing at least a portion of your images indoors, especially during the winter months. You may be wondering how you can take advantage of available light indoors for portraits; maybe for stylistic reasons (you like the look of it better) or for other reasons (like not having to cart around a crap ton of lighting gear), whatever your reason is, it is totally possible to make the most out of available lighting for portraits indoors.
California-based company Skydio has announced the R1, a drone described as a "self-flying camera" that autonomously follows and records a subject. Unlike some competing models, R1 was built specifically for autonomous flight; it is able to fly itself at up to 25mph / 40kph while maneuvering around obstacles thanks in part to Skydio's Autonomy Engine. While many drones depend on GPS for autonomous flight, Skydio's R1 is different-it features 13 cameras that work with the Autonomy Engine to perceive and map the world around the UAV. Skydio packed an NVIDIA Jetson AI supercomputer into R1, and the little drone is using it to power intelligent features like real-time movement planning and complex environment navigation. Here's a quick intro video that explains how it's all done: Users launch the drone in either Side, Follow, or Orbit modes using the companion mobile app. No manual operation is necessary, and in fact, Skydio claims that users can move through complex environments, such as dense woods, without interrupting the R1's tracking and recording abilities. Skydio goes so far as to claim R1 is "the most advanced autonomous device-of any kind-available today." Skydio goes so far as to claim R1 is "the most advanced autonomous device-of any kind-available today." The R1, which is small enough to fit in a backpack, is made with carbon fiber and lightweight aluminum. The drone's primary camera can record subjects at Full HD/30/60fps and 4K/30fps with a 150-degree FOV. The primary camera is isolated from vibrations, stabilized with a 3-axis gimbal, and joined by 64GB of onboard storage. The remaining 12 cameras provide omnidirectional vision for navigation. Skydio R1 is available now in the United States and Canada through the company's website for $2,500 USD. Buyers are currently limited to one unit with orders shipping 2 to 3 weeks after being placed. To learn more, head over to the Skydio website. Louis Chan is a talented self-taught photographer and compulsive traveler currently based in Fremont, California. “I am a beginner in photography with just a year of experience under my belt. I am a wanderlust and travel constantly”, he says. Louis focuses on traveling and landscaping, he shoots amazing nature, urban and architecture photography. Chan uses Sony A7RII camera.
More info: instagram / facebook / website The post Beautiful Travel Landscape Photography by Louis Chan appeared first on Photogrist Photography Magazine. The best part of winter is the hot drinks. Raspberry jam tea, lattes with whipped cream, hot cocoa and marshmallows-all this sweet stuff not only tastes fantastic, but is perfect for photos-especially if you add a little levitation spell! Here's how to create a hot cocoa still life with a touch of magic. 1. Gear and propsFor this still life, you will need:
2. CompositionStart with a cup of hot cocoa and arrange your composition around it. Add a cozy knitted scarf or sweater, a couple of garlands, some cinnamon or anise stars, and lots and lots of marshmallows! Use a glue gun to attach a strainer with cocoa powder to a small metal rod (I used knitting needle), and suspend it in the air with a special clamp or handy tools (a stack of books and a ruler will work perfectly well). 3. LightingOn the triptych, you can see how the light works in this particular scene. I used two speedlights: one (the key light) is placed in a small stripbox on the right side (a bit behind the scene), the other (the fill light) is set behind a large diffuser on the left side. I also used a black flag between the key light and my background to make the boxes look darker (so they don't attract too much attention). Also, both speedlights are set on low power, since I want to capture the falling cocoa powder while in the air (it works just like with splashes: low power provides a short impulse, so it's easier to capture movement). 4. ShootingPut your camera in a continuous mode, hit the strainer lightly (so it releases some cocoa powder and falls beautifully on the marshmallows below), and take a series of shots. Hit and repeat! Don't forget to take an “empty shot”: that is, a shot with the same composition, but without the strainer and any supports, so it will be easier to delete the supports during post-processing. 5. Post-processingChoose the shot with the most beautiful spoonful of cocoa powder. Now, retouch the supports that hold the strainer in the air: place your “empty shot” on the layer above and make the supports invisible, using a layer mask and a small, relatively-soft brush in Photoshop. Adjust color and contrast, and voilà! Now enjoy your cup of hot cocoa. When we think of storytelling images, we immediately think of people doing something in a documentary type of photograph. After all, people make the most interesting stories. But landscapes have stories too. As a landscape photographer, you can create a collection of images that tell a story about a place without having people as the main focal point in the image. The following steps will help you pull the story out of the landscape and convey it to your viewers. 1. What is the story?The first thing you need to do is to spend some time thinking about what exactly is the story. Often we go to a place and start making images based on compositional elements in the scene without thinking about what is important to the story first. When I go to a new place, I often do a scouting trip first just to have a general look around and get a feel for it. Then I do some research to find an interesting story. If the place is a park, why is it a park? Who made it a park? What is the history? What interesting things happen there now and in the past? Do any animals live there, and if so which ones? Once you have some background, you can pick a story to wrap your photographs around. 2. The first photo shoot – using different focal lengthsYour first photo shoot will help you bring your plan together. Go back to the places that had the most photographic potential from your scouting trip and while there look for elements in the scene that relate to the story you have chosen. I usually start out with a wide-angle image that takes in the whole scene. Often I don't end up using this photo in the final collection, but it helps me in my process of making the collection. When you have your photo that takes in everything, think about what are the most interesting things in the scene. Try to pick at least three things and then get closer to each one of them in turn. ExampleFor example, when I went to the Salton Sea in California (a stunningly beautiful location that was created as a result of a man-made disaster) one feature that is most interesting is a layer of dead fish. But how do you make a good photograph of dead fish? I started by making an image that took in the whole scene. Then I changed lenses to use a mid-range focal length and then a long focal length from where I was standing. Then I started to get closer and closer to the dead fish looking for elements of design such as lines and shapes along the way. When I found something interesting, again I tried to use different focal lengths to see how I could convey the feeling of the place in an image. Make sure you photograph the details of the scene as well as the overall feeling. Finally, when you find a really interesting detail, get really close to it using your wide-angle lens so you have an image with an interesting detail in the foreground that also takes the whole scene into the frame. 3. The second shoot – using the best lightThe next step is to pick out your favorite images from your first shoot and think about what kind of light could make them better. Is there a subject with a great shape that would make an interesting silhouette? Is it transparent and might glow with some backlight? Would it create interesting shadows at a certain time of day? Would it look best with warm light during the golden hour? Does it need a dramatic sky? Whatever it is, plan to revisit the location when you have the best chance of getting the conditions you need to make your ideal shot. You may need to go back a number of times, if possible before you get all the shots you want. 4. Putting it togetherWhether you are putting the images into a collection display on your wall, using them in a blog post, displaying them on your website, selling them to a magazine (along with your story of course), or simply showing your friends. Having an interesting set of images that are storytelling will always create a larger impact than random photos of a place that are not connected. The post How to Make Storytelling Landscape Photos – 4 Steps by Anne McKinnell appeared first on Digital Photography School. |