As I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve recently been upgrading my primary digital darkroom machine, and I was happy enough with how cheaply I was able to get a machine that really met my needs that I decided to take a better look at upgrading my monitor. I’d been using a decent but much older 21″ Dell “Ultrasharp” monitor, and with calibration it was more than good enough for me to get a lot of my work done, but I still felt that something a little bigger might be of value, so I started looking at bigger (24-inch), and perhaps better LCDs for my system. I hoped to find something a little better in gamut size and viewing angle than the (perfectly nice) Dell, but a lot more affordable than the high-end ::amazon(“B0012RZK1Y”, “EIZO”):: monitors in the same size range. I ended up with the ::amazon(“B001FS1LLI”, “HP LP2475w”)::, and I thought I’d share some of my initial impressions with you here.
Back in March of 08 I attended ASMP's Strictly Business 2 seminar in Philly. It was a wonderful experience of learning a lot about business, what works, what doesn't and…
Most digital camera test reports on the Internet devote several pages to image quality at ISO 1600 and above. Now that I’m ready to trade up from a digicam to a DSLR, should I be really concerned about high ISO performance? When I was shooting with a Nikon F-601, I usually used ISO 100 to 400 film, and on a few occasions, Fujicolor 800, so why is ISO 3200 so important now? S.W.
Answer
Your question makes a valid point, S.W. In conventional photography, few photo enthusiasts ever used the very “fast” films. In fact, most retailers did not even stock print film faster than ISO 800 or slide film faster than ISO 400. But since digital cameras include built-in high sensitivity options — up to 6400 or even to 25,600 in some cases — this aspect receives a great deal of attention. And that’s not surprising, since high ISO quality is one obvious method for comparing various cameras. (more…)
As photographers, it seems like a lot of the work we do, we work alone.
So, where do we go for inspiration, and to improve our craft?
The internet has been a huge boost to education for the introverted – they can go online, and get any number of “experts” to tell them everything under the sun. It seems like everybody is an online expert these days (examines navel momentarily), and the good, old-fashioned “let’s meet in person” concept is from bygone days.
No more, I say! Let us meet!
I have hosted several meetups here in my local area for photographers; I thought I’d share a bit about what goes into a meetup, how to host a meetup, and how to make sure it’s successful. (more…)
A high-end 12.3 megapixel camera with a vast range of features including some unique amenities for creative photographers
Olympus E-30
Featuring the highest resolution available in the Olympus E-series, the E-30 is more compact, lightweight and affordable than the 10.1 megapixel E-3. This newer model includes most of the same features as the professional camera, but benefits from several upgrades. These include some new technology, higher 12.3 MP resolution, a brighter/larger LCD (2.7 vs. 2.5-inches), more auto-focus options in Live View mode and some unique new features. While the E-3 is more rugged and well-sealed — and employs a slightly larger viewfinder — the E-30 will certainly meet the needs of serious photo enthusiasts. (more…)
It was about six years back; I was very, very frustrated.
I’d set my sight on capturing a particular scene in fog, a lovely grove of second-growth redwoods, ferns, and a meandering stream in Butano State Park. The location is about a 90-minute drive, followed by a fifteen-minute hike to reach. And this was the third time I’d make the trek, and this time, as the previous two times, the fog had lifted before I arrived. For the third time, I wasn’t going to get the shot I wanted. I almost headed home in defeat, but I knew better, and I resolved to keep looking and shooting, and that has been one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made.
Shaking off the frustration that day, I started kicking around the stream, with it’s perfect leading line heading into the redwoods. I was struck by the uniform size and dark color of the pebbles in and around the stream, and spent a good bit of time looking for some macro opportunities before noticing a larger yellow rock in the stream, with a rust-colored leaf held against the yellow rock by the flow of water. While not tremendously exciting to me, I started working out compositions in which I could place the rock and the leaf near a corner of a shot of stream bed. Handheld was out of the question, I was shooting 50-speed Velvia, and I wanted to shoot straight down, so I started the chilly work of setting up my tripod in the stream to allow me to shoot nearly straight down.
Finally set up, I got a better look through the viewfinder and saw something that almost got me to give up. The rock kicked up the flow of the stream just enough that the water downstream was sparkling with reflections of the sun. I figured those reflections would ruin my perfect little “zen garden” composition, so I experimented for ten or fifteen minutes trying to get rid of them, with a polarizer, by adjusting the position of the camera, and so on. Again, I was frustrated; again, I pushed on.
Peter Burian reports on the best of the new gear at the Photo Marketing Association’s extravaganza in sunny Las Vegas, Nevada
The largest annual photographic trade show in the world, PMA 2009 was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in March. While touring the show floor and meeting with exhibitors, it quickly became clear that many were aggressively developing their line of cameras. As usual, a vast range of compact models were announced, many with HD video modes and more “intelligent” automation than in the past. I found fewer digital SLR models than expected, but two companies showed interchangeable lens cameras without a reflex mirror and these are just as versatile. In this report, I’ll briefly cover the most significant cameras (including two DSLRs announced shortly after the PMA event) and lenses as well as the most significant new printers.
Held in Las Vegas earlier this spring, the Photo Marketing Association's annual trade show attracted numerous retailers who wanted to check out the latest equipment.
Let’s start by saying that color is a science. It’s a big science. It’s so big that there are entire institutes full of people so smart it makes my head hurt, all studying color. So I think it’s safe to say we’ll not be comprehensive here. We will cover the basics of color balance and differential color temperatures, as they pertain to shooting. Color management on the back end, calibrations, color profiles are for another time.
Today’s cameras are pretty smart. They know when you’re shooting outside, or in. When you want to shoot a portrait or a close up. They can tell that you need to use a flash, and in some cases, will even find a smile and shoot it for you. But even with all of the advances in digital camera technology, the smartest camera is still not as smart as you are. The human brain is incredibly adept and nimble, and with a bit of training you’ll begin to see things differently when looking through a viewfinder.
One of the accessories I needed to get before leading my Theyyams of Kerala photo expedition earlier this year was the ::amazon(“B000Z8CUX2”,”Marantz PMD620)::. It is a small hand-held audio recorder, which I needed badly at the time because my aging M-Audio MicroTrack I was beginning to act erratically.
The PMD620 is attractively designed, with a grey metal front covering a black casing. In terms of size, it’s about the size of an older generation iPod, or about 4 inches by 2 inches and 3/4 inch in thickness. It sports two built-in mics into the top two sides of its body, and two 1/8-inch jacks are available for an external mic and headphones. A neat little trick is to use the Line-Out jack for your headphones instead of the one on top. This is more convenient, and avoids the headphones coming near the mics whilst recording. (more…)
