Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Sunday, 6 December 2009
10 Extreme Cameras for Taking Impossible Shots
Original article: Gizmodo
From 10,000 fps camera, to the underwater camera that can withstand gigantic pressure of deep sea, 1.6 GIGAPixel resolution and extremely LARGE format camera!
From 10,000 fps camera, to the underwater camera that can withstand gigantic pressure of deep sea, 1.6 GIGAPixel resolution and extremely LARGE format camera!
It's Just A Media
"Photography is an art, just like any other form of arts, camera is just a media to deliver the message" - A friend of mine with 2 decades of experience in photography and cinematography.
Original Source: http://karlgrobl.com/EquipmentReviews/ThrashedCanons.htm
When people see my cameras they often say, are you still shooting film? or ...When are you going to replace those beat up things? or....do those still work?
Actually these cameras are in perfect working order (knock wood). Other than a broken shutter which was fixed back in 2006 (see story here) they have never been to Canon for "service". At some point I will purchase new gear, but for now this continues to be my set-up.
Below you will find some images of my Canon Mark II cameras and lenses. These pictures were taken April 6, 2009 The cameras (and lenses) have seen heavy use since being purchased in May, 2004. That's 5 straight years of dragging them around the planet, shooting in some of the least forgiving places and conditions imaginable.
A lot of the paint and whatever coating is under it, has been rubbed away,
leaving a nice silver patina.
The area just above the word Canon, is worn away from constantly rubbing up against my butt and thigh (see how I carry my cameras at this link (click here)
The hot shoe was ground down when I dropped it 9 feed down, off of the elephant I was riding on. Miraculously the camera and lens survived the fall: (that story here) and visit http://kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/70-200mm-f28-is.htm to see a post-drop report about the 70-200 lens. Ken did a thorough evaluation of the lens after the incident.
I use exposure compensation all the time, and the area around my exposure comp button is heavily worn. (Please note that on the "factory settings" Canon does not have the exposure button here. I made this change by hooking it up to the computer and reassigning the button, so as to emulate the exposure compensation button position on my Nikon D1X which I was so familiar with, before being relieved of them when I was robbed in Lima Peru.
The wear here near the vertical shutter release is mostly due to putting the camera
down on the ground or other abrasive surfaces.
The area around the shutter button and index finger wheel is a quite worn
I broke this window on my 70-200 a while back but never bothered sending it
to Canon because the lens still functions fine.
A while ago I used clear tape and pieces of toothpicks to keep the focus limit switch and the stabilizer buttons in the positions that I wanted them in. Eventually the clear tape fell off. I needed a fix, but at the time, I was in rural, upcountry East Timor and all I could get my hands on was some black duct tape.
These cameras may look like hell, but they work fine. Please remember, you don't need the latest, greatest camera gear to make a living in photography, but if you shoot for a living and need the most durable cameras possible, I recommend "pro bodies" and "pro lenses". They are designed extra tough and can take a fair amount of abuse. If you are careful and easy on your gear, or are a hobbyist, you can probably get by with "pro-sumer" or "consumer" models that have all of the same functions and features at half the cost. In terms of lenses, buy the best that you can afford. Yes, pro lenses are more expensive, but they are sharper, faster and more durable. Bottom Line: Find a camera system that works for you, learn it like the back of your hand, and you'll probably make great pictures.
Don't worry too much about gear... concentrate on what's in front of the lens and how you're going to compose and expose the shot......When they hand out Pulitzer prizes, the judges never ask what kind of camera the image was shot with, or whether it was shot on film or digital!
Original Source: http://karlgrobl.com/EquipmentReviews/ThrashedCanons.htm
What I'm shooting now.
A five year old Canon Mark II system
When people see my cameras they often say, are you still shooting film? or ...When are you going to replace those beat up things? or....do those still work?
Actually these cameras are in perfect working order (knock wood). Other than a broken shutter which was fixed back in 2006 (see story here) they have never been to Canon for "service". At some point I will purchase new gear, but for now this continues to be my set-up.
Below you will find some images of my Canon Mark II cameras and lenses. These pictures were taken April 6, 2009 The cameras (and lenses) have seen heavy use since being purchased in May, 2004. That's 5 straight years of dragging them around the planet, shooting in some of the least forgiving places and conditions imaginable.
A lot of the paint and whatever coating is under it, has been rubbed away,
leaving a nice silver patina.
The area just above the word Canon, is worn away from constantly rubbing up against my butt and thigh (see how I carry my cameras at this link (click here)
The hot shoe was ground down when I dropped it 9 feed down, off of the elephant I was riding on. Miraculously the camera and lens survived the fall: (that story here) and visit http://kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/70-200mm-f28-is.htm to see a post-drop report about the 70-200 lens. Ken did a thorough evaluation of the lens after the incident.
I use exposure compensation all the time, and the area around my exposure comp button is heavily worn. (Please note that on the "factory settings" Canon does not have the exposure button here. I made this change by hooking it up to the computer and reassigning the button, so as to emulate the exposure compensation button position on my Nikon D1X which I was so familiar with, before being relieved of them when I was robbed in Lima Peru.
The wear here near the vertical shutter release is mostly due to putting the camera
down on the ground or other abrasive surfaces.
The area around the shutter button and index finger wheel is a quite worn
I broke this window on my 70-200 a while back but never bothered sending it
to Canon because the lens still functions fine.
A while ago I used clear tape and pieces of toothpicks to keep the focus limit switch and the stabilizer buttons in the positions that I wanted them in. Eventually the clear tape fell off. I needed a fix, but at the time, I was in rural, upcountry East Timor and all I could get my hands on was some black duct tape.
These cameras may look like hell, but they work fine. Please remember, you don't need the latest, greatest camera gear to make a living in photography, but if you shoot for a living and need the most durable cameras possible, I recommend "pro bodies" and "pro lenses". They are designed extra tough and can take a fair amount of abuse. If you are careful and easy on your gear, or are a hobbyist, you can probably get by with "pro-sumer" or "consumer" models that have all of the same functions and features at half the cost. In terms of lenses, buy the best that you can afford. Yes, pro lenses are more expensive, but they are sharper, faster and more durable. Bottom Line: Find a camera system that works for you, learn it like the back of your hand, and you'll probably make great pictures.
Don't worry too much about gear... concentrate on what's in front of the lens and how you're going to compose and expose the shot......When they hand out Pulitzer prizes, the judges never ask what kind of camera the image was shot with, or whether it was shot on film or digital!
Just When I Thought I Knew Everything...
Perhaps the most fundamental basic in photography, especially in advance of auto focus point, made simpler by digital technology!
Thanks to a friend who brought up my attention on the subject. After finished reading the article below, now I'm like a child who already now hot to solve a simple math problem!
Original Source: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-focus-lock-on-your-autofocus-camera.html
Autofocus point-and-shoot cameras produce terrifically sharp pictures when you use them properly. But getting sharp results sometimes requires telling them where to focus.
A common focusing problem occurs when you deliberately place a subject off-center in the viewfinder frame. Say you want to compose the shot of your friends and the mountains this way. You ask your friends to stand to the right so that they block less of the background, giving the mountains center stage in your composition. You point and shoot. But the camera focuses on the mountains because that's where your composition has landed the focus point and your friends end up unsharp in the print. Call it tunnel focus.
Unintentional focusing on the background is, along with unwanted camera movement, the main cause of unsharp point-and-shoot pictures. And here's a simple way to avoid it — a photographic one-two punch called locking the focus.
Locking the focus
Lock the focus any time your composition does not place the viewfinder's focus point on the most important part of the scene you're shooting. Locking the focus means that you deliberately make your camera focus on some object in the scene — a person, or something interesting in the foreground — and keep the focus locked at that exact distance until you take the picture. Here's how you lock the focus:
1. Look through the viewfinder and position its focus point on the most important part of the scene — your main subject.
In effect, you center that subject.
2. Press the shutter button halfway down, until the green focus-OK lamp in the viewfinder eyepiece glows steadily.
See the next section, "Making sure your focus is locked," for more on the focus-OK lamp.
3. Holding the shutter button halfway down, reorient the camera so that your desired composition appears in the viewfinder.
4. Press the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.
Back to those friends and the mountains, you lock the focus by aiming the focus point at your friends (which temporarily puts them in the center of the viewfinder) and pressing the shutter button halfway. Then, keeping the shutter button halfway down, you swing the camera to place your friends off-center (see Figure 1). Now press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the picture.
Figure 1: Lock the focus to prevent your point-and-shoot from focusing on the background with an off-center subject.
You may need to use this technique with vertical composition, too. Say you're standing on a rock to shoot a vertical picture in which your friends are at the bottom of the viewfinder and the mountains in the background are at the top. To maintain the focus of your friends, first aim the camera down to place the focus point over one their faces and press the shutter button halfway. Hold the shutter button halfway down and swing the camera back up to include the mountains and reestablish your desired composition. Press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the picture.
Regardless of your composition — centered or off-center —always keep your eye on where the focus point lands. Even if your two friends are smack in the middle of the viewfinder fame, between them is a little gap and the viewfinder's focus point falls neatly into it. First "aim" the focus point so that it's on one friend's face, then reorient the camera to center your friends.
Particularly if you're a landscape fan, you may be wondering what happens to distant objects when you lock the focus on closer objects. "If I focus on my friends in front of the mountains, instead of the mountains," you ask, "then won't the mountains be out of focus?" Not necessarily.
With most scenes in which you photograph a relatively close object in front of a distant background, if you focus on the close object, the background will be reasonably sharp in the print. But the reverse is not true. Focus on the background — those mountains — and the close object simply won't be sharp.
Making sure your focus is locked
When you lock your focus, you can't actually see the subject getting sharp in the viewfinder. However, you can verify that your point-and-shoot has autofocused on something by looking at its focus-OK lamp (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: The viewfinder's green focus-OK lamp glows steadily to confirm the focus.
The focus-OK lamp lights up whenever you press the shutter button halfway. If it glows steadily, it's telling you that the camera has successfully focused. If the focus-OK lamp blinks, or doesn't light, or lights briefly but then goes out or starts blinking, it's telling you that the camera can't focus.
More often than not, your camera can't focus because you're too close to the subject. Fix the problem by easing up on the shutter button, stepping back a foot or two, and then pressing the shutter button again.
If you move, the focus doesn't
Locking the focus is vitally important to getting consistently sharp pictures. But remember that when you have that shutter button pressed halfway, the focus doesn't budge. If you ask your subject to move closer or farther away, or you move closer or farther from it to adjust your composition, your subject's no longer in focus. If the distance to the subject changes after you've locked the focus, let up on the shutter button and repeat the focus-locking procedure.
Zoom before you lock the focus. With most point-and-shoot cameras, locking the focus also prevents you from adjusting the zoom. If you want to zoom in or out after locking the focus, let up on the shutter button, adjust the zoom, and then lock the focus again.
Thanks to a friend who brought up my attention on the subject. After finished reading the article below, now I'm like a child who already now hot to solve a simple math problem!
Original Source: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-focus-lock-on-your-autofocus-camera.html
Using Focus Lock on Your Autofocus Camera
Autofocus point-and-shoot cameras produce terrifically sharp pictures when you use them properly. But getting sharp results sometimes requires telling them where to focus.
A common focusing problem occurs when you deliberately place a subject off-center in the viewfinder frame. Say you want to compose the shot of your friends and the mountains this way. You ask your friends to stand to the right so that they block less of the background, giving the mountains center stage in your composition. You point and shoot. But the camera focuses on the mountains because that's where your composition has landed the focus point and your friends end up unsharp in the print. Call it tunnel focus.
Unintentional focusing on the background is, along with unwanted camera movement, the main cause of unsharp point-and-shoot pictures. And here's a simple way to avoid it — a photographic one-two punch called locking the focus.
Locking the focus
Lock the focus any time your composition does not place the viewfinder's focus point on the most important part of the scene you're shooting. Locking the focus means that you deliberately make your camera focus on some object in the scene — a person, or something interesting in the foreground — and keep the focus locked at that exact distance until you take the picture. Here's how you lock the focus:
1. Look through the viewfinder and position its focus point on the most important part of the scene — your main subject.
In effect, you center that subject.
2. Press the shutter button halfway down, until the green focus-OK lamp in the viewfinder eyepiece glows steadily.
See the next section, "Making sure your focus is locked," for more on the focus-OK lamp.
3. Holding the shutter button halfway down, reorient the camera so that your desired composition appears in the viewfinder.
4. Press the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.
Back to those friends and the mountains, you lock the focus by aiming the focus point at your friends (which temporarily puts them in the center of the viewfinder) and pressing the shutter button halfway. Then, keeping the shutter button halfway down, you swing the camera to place your friends off-center (see Figure 1). Now press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the picture.
Figure 1: Lock the focus to prevent your point-and-shoot from focusing on the background with an off-center subject.
You may need to use this technique with vertical composition, too. Say you're standing on a rock to shoot a vertical picture in which your friends are at the bottom of the viewfinder and the mountains in the background are at the top. To maintain the focus of your friends, first aim the camera down to place the focus point over one their faces and press the shutter button halfway. Hold the shutter button halfway down and swing the camera back up to include the mountains and reestablish your desired composition. Press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the picture.
Regardless of your composition — centered or off-center —always keep your eye on where the focus point lands. Even if your two friends are smack in the middle of the viewfinder fame, between them is a little gap and the viewfinder's focus point falls neatly into it. First "aim" the focus point so that it's on one friend's face, then reorient the camera to center your friends.
Particularly if you're a landscape fan, you may be wondering what happens to distant objects when you lock the focus on closer objects. "If I focus on my friends in front of the mountains, instead of the mountains," you ask, "then won't the mountains be out of focus?" Not necessarily.
With most scenes in which you photograph a relatively close object in front of a distant background, if you focus on the close object, the background will be reasonably sharp in the print. But the reverse is not true. Focus on the background — those mountains — and the close object simply won't be sharp.
Making sure your focus is locked
When you lock your focus, you can't actually see the subject getting sharp in the viewfinder. However, you can verify that your point-and-shoot has autofocused on something by looking at its focus-OK lamp (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: The viewfinder's green focus-OK lamp glows steadily to confirm the focus.
The focus-OK lamp lights up whenever you press the shutter button halfway. If it glows steadily, it's telling you that the camera has successfully focused. If the focus-OK lamp blinks, or doesn't light, or lights briefly but then goes out or starts blinking, it's telling you that the camera can't focus.
More often than not, your camera can't focus because you're too close to the subject. Fix the problem by easing up on the shutter button, stepping back a foot or two, and then pressing the shutter button again.
If you move, the focus doesn't
Locking the focus is vitally important to getting consistently sharp pictures. But remember that when you have that shutter button pressed halfway, the focus doesn't budge. If you ask your subject to move closer or farther away, or you move closer or farther from it to adjust your composition, your subject's no longer in focus. If the distance to the subject changes after you've locked the focus, let up on the shutter button and repeat the focus-locking procedure.
Zoom before you lock the focus. With most point-and-shoot cameras, locking the focus also prevents you from adjusting the zoom. If you want to zoom in or out after locking the focus, let up on the shutter button, adjust the zoom, and then lock the focus again.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Description:
Canon 5200mm F14 Prime Lens. The world's largest dedicated SLR Super Telephoto lens.
Few were made & I stumbled across this one - pulled out of dusty storage in China - minus scopes & lens adaptor mount. Though the lens is made in Japan of course.
It uses a mirror & lens combination. The front lens is massive.
Rear drop-in filters can be used.
•Focal Length: 5150mm
•Exposure Control: Light quantity is controlled with the use of built-in ND filters, corresponding to f/14, f/16, f/22, f/32
•Minimum Object Distance: 120 meters (Approx 393 feet!)
•Size: 500mm(wide) x 600mm(high) x 1890mm(deep) [20x24x75.6]
•Weight: 100kg (220 lbs) without stand.
From a Canon Flyer:
"This is the only ultra-telephoto lens in the world capable of taking photographs of objects 18 to 32 miles away (30km to 52kms away). Having a focal length of 5200mm, Canon Mirror Lens 5200mm can obtain one hundred times as large an object image as that of a 50mm lens."
"For focusing this mounted or fixed lens on an extremely distant object, two aiming telescopes are set on the side of the lens barrel, and the entire lens is placed on a rigid stand which rotates smoothly. Minimizing the overall length had been a big problem in designing this lens. However, the Catadioptric system that is applied to the other two Canon mirror lenses (Canon 800mm f3.8 & 2000mm f11) has succeeded in reducing it down to one third of the nominal focal length. In general focal length and optical aberration increase with each other, however, our long and persistent research and development have succeeded in solving this problem. Canon mirror lens 5200mm composed of spherical main and secondary mirrors and a correction lens would assure you of clear images."
The magnification of this lens is truly staggering.
If mounted to a Canon XL HD series video camera for example, a reach of 1000x optical (at least) would be possible (approx 37,500mm).
Capable of taking shots 18 to 32 miles away (30km - 50km)
If it was mounted on a DSLR with a crop factor the magnification would be larger still.
The video is a series of stills I took of the lens when I inspected it last year. I have also included video of the simulated magnification - all a bit of fun. In fact the maximum video telephoto simulation still just falls short of 4000mm in 35mm terms. So the 5200mm would be much closer & far sharper & distortion free. The video was shot with a Sony PDW 510P 16x9 2/3 SD XDCAM disk camcorder with a lens using up to 3 optical extenders.
If anyone has some other information about the 5200mm lens - its history & uses please post and or message me.
Friday, 20 November 2009
50 inspirational ideas for photography
From here
Credit goes to the original author
Inspiration is a powerfull thing but doesnt seem to come past as often as we like.
Here are 50 ways to breathe new life into your love of photography and re-energize your inspiration.
1. Play with Photoshop
So much of photography these days happens after the shutter release has been pressed. There’s probably a ton of things that you don’t know how to do in Photoshop. Photoshop can remarkably change images , Learn something new and see what that does for your photography potential.
2. Read the Manual
It’s not just Photoshop that can do all sorts of things that you don’t know about. Your camera probably has more settings and functions than you know or know what to do with. You might find a lot of new ideas in the middle of your camera manual.
3. Watch a Movie
Manuals are all well and good, but movies have cinematographers too. I find that music channels are very good for portrait photography, turn the sound off sit back relax and let it work its magic.
4. Read a Magazine
It doesn’t just have to be a photography magazine, ALL magazines have images in.
5. Check out Some Wedding Photojournalism
The traditional staged posing with a tripod has almost been removed from wedding photography, the bride and groom prefer a much more spontaneous real life images that capture the moments. Wedding photography is a good way to see how to blend into a crowd and document an event.
6. Hit the Water
How gorgeous is underwater photography, if you don’t have underwater housing or an underwater camera tries to incorporate water into your images. Water can be used in clever ways as it is so reflective, the lighting has to be near perfect but some of the best images are when the light hits the surface of the water.
7. Hit the Streets
There’s a good reason that street photography is so popular: there are so many good things to shoot there. Peoples expressions, crowds, clothing, colours, landscape, buildings it’s all there.
8. Join a Demonstration
Demonstrations are full of flags, banners, placards and crowds. You can lose people in the mass or pick out expressions in the crowd. The only cause you have to support is photography.
10. Watch a Sports Event
The pros have it easiest at sports events with prime positions and lenses longer than your arm. But you can still try something new at your park on a Saturday afternoon.
11. Visit the Zoo
It might not be as thrilling as a Kenyan safari, but a zoo still has the sort of photographic subjects you can’t find anywhere else. Of course, you don’t have to try to squeeze your lens between the bars. Shooting the kids in awe at the monkeys can create some interesting images too.
13. Shoot Fast at a Race Track
Race tracks also give you an opportunity to use a new technique: speed. Fast cars and a faster shutter speed can make for some inspired shooting.
14. Visit an Exhibition
Obvious, really. And yet so often overlooked. Any decent-sized town is likely to have at least one photographic exhibition on at any one time. Take in yours and see what the top photographers did to get on the wall.
15. Browse Google Images
You don’t even have to leave the house to find inspiring images though. Toss keywords into Google Images, admire the good photos that turn up and ask how you would have improved the poor ones.
16. Join photography Groups
The pictures in Flickr Groups are great places to see what other people are doing with a theme; the discussions are great places to find out how they did it. And you’ll probably find that the feedback you get on your own photos will give you plenty to think about too.
17. Just Step Back and Watch
For children’s photographers in particular, there can be a temptation to just dive in and get the photos. Sometimes though, lowering the lens, stepping back and watching the subject can reveal whole new sides. That’s true for portrait photographers, wedding photographers, and animal photographers… in fact just about any photographer.
19. Change your Angle
Most people shoot an object by placing the lens right in front of it. Different angles and viewpoints can create interesting compositions.
20. Change your Time
Find yourself shooting at the same time of day each weekend? So break a habit. Discover what the light at dusk, mid-afternoon or early morning can do for your ideas. And it’s not just the light that can make the difference here. Just breaking your routine can often be enough to give you a new perspective and a whole new way photography habit.
21. Read a Blog
Of course, reading a photography blog is even more inspiring thing than writing one. Not only can you learn what went into a photo and where the idea came from, you can also discover how to sell it. But then we would say that, wouldn’t we?
24. Buy a Photography Book
You can never own too many photography books, and each one you buy should give you a bunch of new ideas. Although that’s true of both books of photographs and books about taking pictures, you might find that photography guides give you more inspiration than a collection of images. The former will give you techniques to try out, while the latter will show you the techniques the greats have used. Still, if you’re really stuck, go shopping.
25. Make Friends in the Photography World
Some photographers find it easiest to shoot alone. Others like to shoot as a group. Everyone can benefit from the feedback, discussions and habits of other photographers.
26. Join Photography Organizations
If you’re a professional and you’re not a member of a professional photography organization, you should be. Not only can organizations help with insurance and legal matters, their news, contests, and profiles of other photographers can inspire to make your own splash among your peers.
27. Shoot Yourself
When you’re stuck for a subject, always remember that there’s an interesting one behind the lens too. Be brave. Put yourself in the shot for a change.
28. Revisit Your Past
You probably have a stack of old images that you rarely review, including many that you can’t bring yourself to look at. Give them another chance. A shot that failed a few years ago might well be achievable today and give you ideas for more.
29. Revisit Places You’ve Been Before
And the same is true of locations. Even if you’ve taken a photograph in one location, it doesn’t follow that you’ll take exactly the same image a few days, months or years later. The light will be different, your skills will be different and so will you.
30. Ask “What if…?”
Some of the greatest artistic answers have come from asking the right questions. A good one to start with is always “What if…?” What if you focused on the foreground instead of the background? What if you changed the ISO? What if you got a flash of inspiration?
31. Join Photo Contests
Everyone and their uncle these days seems to be running a photography competition. And for good reason. They’re a great way to motivate photographers to shoot outside their boxes.
32. Choose a Theme
Most people work to deadlines, themes or times. Everything is easier when you narrow it down give yourself a theme e.g. Alice in wonderland , it may be an overused theme but there are many things you can do with it.
33. Go Back to the Rules
You probably know the rules of photography. And you probably know how to bend them and when to break them too. So maybe go back to when you were first learning techniques and try working strictly to rule for a while.
34. Just Shoot Anyway
There are always times when you lift the camera, look at the screen and think, “No.” But what would happen if you did it anyway? At worst, you’d waste a bit of disk space. At best, you might surprise yourself and find a new kind of composition.
35. Get a Cause
Few people are more motivated than those who believe they’re working for the common good. So join them. Pick a cause, offer it your photography skills and the end will help inspire the means. You could find yourself shooting all sorts of things from campaign posters to t-shirt images to angry demonstrations. The variety should be as satisfying as the campaigning.
40. Play with Textures and Colors
While photographers often pay attention to light and composition, the texture of the materials in the subject can be left behind. Try focusing on touch rather than vision for a few shots and see what happens . Ttry using different tones of just one or two colors and see what that does for yourt results. Also think about taking color away B&W images are very bold and can give many emotions off.
41. Play with Settings
Chances are, once you’ve found a camera setting that works for you, you don’t stray from it too far. So start straying. Play with the exposure, change the ISO, switch the shutter speed. And build on the results.
42. Try a Different Specialty
Whether you specialize in wedding, portraits or anything else, try a niche you’ve never done before. You don’t have to do it professionally but just doing it for a while could give you a whole new bag of techniques and inspire new ways of creating your images.
43. Start a Project
Inspiration might come in a flash but you want it to hang around. Instead of thinking of an idea for one photograph, try thinking of an idea for a series of photographs. If you’d decided to take pictures of lightning for example, expand the concept to include extreme weather as a whole and add photographs of windswept trees and sun-bleached rooftops. That should keep you busy for a while.
44. Define the Perfect Image
Do you know what the perfect image would look like? Bet you’re thinking about it now, right? Instead of thinking how good the next shoot would be, try thinking about what the best shot would look like then find it.
45. Create a Shooting Schedule
One way to cut back on the regular head-scratching is to plan ahead. Pull out a calendar and decide in advance what sort of images you’ll be shooting each weekend for the next few months. And leave room for flexibility.
46. Pick a Different Model
If you always use the same models or models with similar looks go for something completely different: the opposite sex, a different height, a new age group. See what a different subject can for your ideas.
47. Do Something Totally Outrageous
Ever told yourself “That would never work?” Well, here’s a “what if…” What if it did work? Go ahead, surprise yourself. Shoot what’s under the sofa. Snap the top of your head. Do something outrageously silly and see if it works.
48. Tell a Story
Good pictures always tell a story. So try thinking of a story then go out and create the images that illustrate it. That could be the story of your street, a narrative describing a community or even the progression of a cub baseball team. Find where your story begins then use your camera to follow it through to the end.
49. Buy New Equipment
And if all else fails, you can always use cash. A burst of new ideas always seems to come free with a new lens.
50. Just Play
The beauty of digital photography is that there’s no penalty for making
mistakes. That gives you a free ticket to stop worrying about whether a picture will turn out well or be an embarrassing flop, and just shoot. So try just enjoy taking photographs without thinking too much about the results.
Credit goes to the original author
Inspiration is a powerfull thing but doesnt seem to come past as often as we like.
Here are 50 ways to breathe new life into your love of photography and re-energize your inspiration.
1. Play with Photoshop
So much of photography these days happens after the shutter release has been pressed. There’s probably a ton of things that you don’t know how to do in Photoshop. Photoshop can remarkably change images , Learn something new and see what that does for your photography potential.
2. Read the Manual
It’s not just Photoshop that can do all sorts of things that you don’t know about. Your camera probably has more settings and functions than you know or know what to do with. You might find a lot of new ideas in the middle of your camera manual.
3. Watch a Movie
Manuals are all well and good, but movies have cinematographers too. I find that music channels are very good for portrait photography, turn the sound off sit back relax and let it work its magic.
4. Read a Magazine
It doesn’t just have to be a photography magazine, ALL magazines have images in.
5. Check out Some Wedding Photojournalism
The traditional staged posing with a tripod has almost been removed from wedding photography, the bride and groom prefer a much more spontaneous real life images that capture the moments. Wedding photography is a good way to see how to blend into a crowd and document an event.
6. Hit the Water
How gorgeous is underwater photography, if you don’t have underwater housing or an underwater camera tries to incorporate water into your images. Water can be used in clever ways as it is so reflective, the lighting has to be near perfect but some of the best images are when the light hits the surface of the water.
7. Hit the Streets
There’s a good reason that street photography is so popular: there are so many good things to shoot there. Peoples expressions, crowds, clothing, colours, landscape, buildings it’s all there.
8. Join a Demonstration
Demonstrations are full of flags, banners, placards and crowds. You can lose people in the mass or pick out expressions in the crowd. The only cause you have to support is photography.
10. Watch a Sports Event
The pros have it easiest at sports events with prime positions and lenses longer than your arm. But you can still try something new at your park on a Saturday afternoon.
11. Visit the Zoo
It might not be as thrilling as a Kenyan safari, but a zoo still has the sort of photographic subjects you can’t find anywhere else. Of course, you don’t have to try to squeeze your lens between the bars. Shooting the kids in awe at the monkeys can create some interesting images too.
13. Shoot Fast at a Race Track
Race tracks also give you an opportunity to use a new technique: speed. Fast cars and a faster shutter speed can make for some inspired shooting.
14. Visit an Exhibition
Obvious, really. And yet so often overlooked. Any decent-sized town is likely to have at least one photographic exhibition on at any one time. Take in yours and see what the top photographers did to get on the wall.
15. Browse Google Images
You don’t even have to leave the house to find inspiring images though. Toss keywords into Google Images, admire the good photos that turn up and ask how you would have improved the poor ones.
16. Join photography Groups
The pictures in Flickr Groups are great places to see what other people are doing with a theme; the discussions are great places to find out how they did it. And you’ll probably find that the feedback you get on your own photos will give you plenty to think about too.
17. Just Step Back and Watch
For children’s photographers in particular, there can be a temptation to just dive in and get the photos. Sometimes though, lowering the lens, stepping back and watching the subject can reveal whole new sides. That’s true for portrait photographers, wedding photographers, and animal photographers… in fact just about any photographer.
19. Change your Angle
Most people shoot an object by placing the lens right in front of it. Different angles and viewpoints can create interesting compositions.
20. Change your Time
Find yourself shooting at the same time of day each weekend? So break a habit. Discover what the light at dusk, mid-afternoon or early morning can do for your ideas. And it’s not just the light that can make the difference here. Just breaking your routine can often be enough to give you a new perspective and a whole new way photography habit.
21. Read a Blog
Of course, reading a photography blog is even more inspiring thing than writing one. Not only can you learn what went into a photo and where the idea came from, you can also discover how to sell it. But then we would say that, wouldn’t we?
24. Buy a Photography Book
You can never own too many photography books, and each one you buy should give you a bunch of new ideas. Although that’s true of both books of photographs and books about taking pictures, you might find that photography guides give you more inspiration than a collection of images. The former will give you techniques to try out, while the latter will show you the techniques the greats have used. Still, if you’re really stuck, go shopping.
25. Make Friends in the Photography World
Some photographers find it easiest to shoot alone. Others like to shoot as a group. Everyone can benefit from the feedback, discussions and habits of other photographers.
26. Join Photography Organizations
If you’re a professional and you’re not a member of a professional photography organization, you should be. Not only can organizations help with insurance and legal matters, their news, contests, and profiles of other photographers can inspire to make your own splash among your peers.
27. Shoot Yourself
When you’re stuck for a subject, always remember that there’s an interesting one behind the lens too. Be brave. Put yourself in the shot for a change.
28. Revisit Your Past
You probably have a stack of old images that you rarely review, including many that you can’t bring yourself to look at. Give them another chance. A shot that failed a few years ago might well be achievable today and give you ideas for more.
29. Revisit Places You’ve Been Before
And the same is true of locations. Even if you’ve taken a photograph in one location, it doesn’t follow that you’ll take exactly the same image a few days, months or years later. The light will be different, your skills will be different and so will you.
30. Ask “What if…?”
Some of the greatest artistic answers have come from asking the right questions. A good one to start with is always “What if…?” What if you focused on the foreground instead of the background? What if you changed the ISO? What if you got a flash of inspiration?
31. Join Photo Contests
Everyone and their uncle these days seems to be running a photography competition. And for good reason. They’re a great way to motivate photographers to shoot outside their boxes.
32. Choose a Theme
Most people work to deadlines, themes or times. Everything is easier when you narrow it down give yourself a theme e.g. Alice in wonderland , it may be an overused theme but there are many things you can do with it.
33. Go Back to the Rules
You probably know the rules of photography. And you probably know how to bend them and when to break them too. So maybe go back to when you were first learning techniques and try working strictly to rule for a while.
34. Just Shoot Anyway
There are always times when you lift the camera, look at the screen and think, “No.” But what would happen if you did it anyway? At worst, you’d waste a bit of disk space. At best, you might surprise yourself and find a new kind of composition.
35. Get a Cause
Few people are more motivated than those who believe they’re working for the common good. So join them. Pick a cause, offer it your photography skills and the end will help inspire the means. You could find yourself shooting all sorts of things from campaign posters to t-shirt images to angry demonstrations. The variety should be as satisfying as the campaigning.
40. Play with Textures and Colors
While photographers often pay attention to light and composition, the texture of the materials in the subject can be left behind. Try focusing on touch rather than vision for a few shots and see what happens . Ttry using different tones of just one or two colors and see what that does for yourt results. Also think about taking color away B&W images are very bold and can give many emotions off.
41. Play with Settings
Chances are, once you’ve found a camera setting that works for you, you don’t stray from it too far. So start straying. Play with the exposure, change the ISO, switch the shutter speed. And build on the results.
42. Try a Different Specialty
Whether you specialize in wedding, portraits or anything else, try a niche you’ve never done before. You don’t have to do it professionally but just doing it for a while could give you a whole new bag of techniques and inspire new ways of creating your images.
43. Start a Project
Inspiration might come in a flash but you want it to hang around. Instead of thinking of an idea for one photograph, try thinking of an idea for a series of photographs. If you’d decided to take pictures of lightning for example, expand the concept to include extreme weather as a whole and add photographs of windswept trees and sun-bleached rooftops. That should keep you busy for a while.
44. Define the Perfect Image
Do you know what the perfect image would look like? Bet you’re thinking about it now, right? Instead of thinking how good the next shoot would be, try thinking about what the best shot would look like then find it.
45. Create a Shooting Schedule
One way to cut back on the regular head-scratching is to plan ahead. Pull out a calendar and decide in advance what sort of images you’ll be shooting each weekend for the next few months. And leave room for flexibility.
46. Pick a Different Model
If you always use the same models or models with similar looks go for something completely different: the opposite sex, a different height, a new age group. See what a different subject can for your ideas.
47. Do Something Totally Outrageous
Ever told yourself “That would never work?” Well, here’s a “what if…” What if it did work? Go ahead, surprise yourself. Shoot what’s under the sofa. Snap the top of your head. Do something outrageously silly and see if it works.
48. Tell a Story
Good pictures always tell a story. So try thinking of a story then go out and create the images that illustrate it. That could be the story of your street, a narrative describing a community or even the progression of a cub baseball team. Find where your story begins then use your camera to follow it through to the end.
49. Buy New Equipment
And if all else fails, you can always use cash. A burst of new ideas always seems to come free with a new lens.
50. Just Play
The beauty of digital photography is that there’s no penalty for making
mistakes. That gives you a free ticket to stop worrying about whether a picture will turn out well or be an embarrassing flop, and just shoot. So try just enjoy taking photographs without thinking too much about the results.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Camera Snobbery
Found an interesting discussion related to camera snobbery. Upon google, I found out that this is the detail definition of the term from http://www.buggrit.com/cameras.html
He (almost always a man) is a proud owner of a cult camera, such as a Leica or a Hasselblad, and will tell you so at every possible opportunity. Generally insecure, they try to take comfort that they own the best (or at least most expensive) equipment, and feel it's important to let others know this often. They're trying to hide behind snobbery and expensive equipment to disguise the fact that they're often piss-poor photographers, and, if they can't impress you with their photography, they'll try to impress you with their equipment. These sad souls have lost sight of what photography is about.
Monday, 12 October 2009
10 Photography Quotes that You Should Know
From Photography School:
10 Photography Quotes that You Should Know
Take note of and remember the following photo quotes. It’s always worthwhile to learn from masters.
1. “ You don’t take a photograph, you make it." - Ansel Adams.
Full awareness of what makes a good photo is essential in taking great photographs. Why would anyone be interested in this photo and what elements can be included or excluded to make it truly great?
2. “ Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." – Henri Cartier-Bresson
Do you know how many photos you have taken up until now? You will have to take thousands of pictures to reach a point where you can begin to evaluate them objectively. Looking upon your photos as if you were looking at them through someone else’s eyes is a good way to give yourself constructive criticism. Comparing your first photos with your most recent, do you see improvement? Do you remember how you loved some of your first photos – do you still love them or are they now not so good anymore?
3. “ Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph." – Matt Hardy
You often don’t or can’t see beauty in the world until someone shows it to you. Take a look around you just now – even without moving from the computer. Can you see something in a new way, a different way of presenting something common? Just take a look again…
4. “ Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times…I just shoot at what interests me at that moment. – Elliott Erwitt
When the world is your canvas, so to speak, you need your tools with you to capture everything around you. Make a habit of always carrying a camera with you—you will never suffer the regret of wishing you had.
5. “ Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow. – Imogen Cunningham
Never be fully satisfied with what you’ve done. Never stop photographing. It is very likely that your best photograph has not yet been captured.
6. “ You’ve got to push yourself harder. You’ve got to start looking for pictures nobody else could take. You’ve got to take the tools you have and probe deeper. – William Albert Allard
We are always looking for reasons for not taking good pictures. Cartier-Bresson used film camera, same lens, no flash, same shutter speed – he didn’t need the newest digital equipment to take great photos. We all have access to some subjects that no one else has access to – look at your friends’ hobbies, the workplaces of friends and family, and any place you have access to to find a vision that comes uniquely from your access. Many people would dream of having the same access you have, and you might not have considered how valuable your access is.
7. “ If I saw something in my viewfinder that looked familiar to me, I would do something to shake it up." – Garry Winogrand
How often have you seen a photo that is missing something, thinking, “This is a good photo but I’d make it different somehow.”? Sometimes small things make a big difference. Don’t be afraid to shake things up.
8. “ I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it, it just isn’t that good." – Anonymous
Sometimes it is interesting to hear the story behind the photo and you see the photo in a new light. But in most cases a photo shouldn’t need a story to back it up. It has to speak for itself.
9. “ Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop." – Ansel Adams
Even one of the masters in photography, Ansel Adams, didn’t expect to get more than 12 great photographs each year. How can anyone expect more? Take a look at your last year in photos – do you really see 12 photos that stand out from the rest?
10. “It can be a trap of the photographer to think that his or her best pictures were the ones that were hardest to get. – Timothy Allen - On editing photos
Editing photos can often be the most difficult but also the most satisfying part. Sometimes taking a quick look at all the photos and then going away for a while before taking a closer look lends a fresh eye to your viewing. You may see things you did not notice previously. Stepping away from the mass of photos can make certain images stand out in your mind’s eye, leaving a memorable impression that can characterize a good photo.
I personally like #8!!!
10 Photography Quotes that You Should Know
Take note of and remember the following photo quotes. It’s always worthwhile to learn from masters.
“The wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages are perpetuated in quotations”. - Benjamin Disraeli
1. “ You don’t take a photograph, you make it." - Ansel Adams.
Full awareness of what makes a good photo is essential in taking great photographs. Why would anyone be interested in this photo and what elements can be included or excluded to make it truly great?
2. “ Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." – Henri Cartier-Bresson
Do you know how many photos you have taken up until now? You will have to take thousands of pictures to reach a point where you can begin to evaluate them objectively. Looking upon your photos as if you were looking at them through someone else’s eyes is a good way to give yourself constructive criticism. Comparing your first photos with your most recent, do you see improvement? Do you remember how you loved some of your first photos – do you still love them or are they now not so good anymore?
3. “ Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph." – Matt Hardy
You often don’t or can’t see beauty in the world until someone shows it to you. Take a look around you just now – even without moving from the computer. Can you see something in a new way, a different way of presenting something common? Just take a look again…
4. “ Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times…I just shoot at what interests me at that moment. – Elliott Erwitt
When the world is your canvas, so to speak, you need your tools with you to capture everything around you. Make a habit of always carrying a camera with you—you will never suffer the regret of wishing you had.
5. “ Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow. – Imogen Cunningham
Never be fully satisfied with what you’ve done. Never stop photographing. It is very likely that your best photograph has not yet been captured.
6. “ You’ve got to push yourself harder. You’ve got to start looking for pictures nobody else could take. You’ve got to take the tools you have and probe deeper. – William Albert Allard
We are always looking for reasons for not taking good pictures. Cartier-Bresson used film camera, same lens, no flash, same shutter speed – he didn’t need the newest digital equipment to take great photos. We all have access to some subjects that no one else has access to – look at your friends’ hobbies, the workplaces of friends and family, and any place you have access to to find a vision that comes uniquely from your access. Many people would dream of having the same access you have, and you might not have considered how valuable your access is.
7. “ If I saw something in my viewfinder that looked familiar to me, I would do something to shake it up." – Garry Winogrand
How often have you seen a photo that is missing something, thinking, “This is a good photo but I’d make it different somehow.”? Sometimes small things make a big difference. Don’t be afraid to shake things up.
8. “ I always thought good photos were like good jokes. If you have to explain it, it just isn’t that good." – Anonymous
Sometimes it is interesting to hear the story behind the photo and you see the photo in a new light. But in most cases a photo shouldn’t need a story to back it up. It has to speak for itself.
9. “ Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop." – Ansel Adams
Even one of the masters in photography, Ansel Adams, didn’t expect to get more than 12 great photographs each year. How can anyone expect more? Take a look at your last year in photos – do you really see 12 photos that stand out from the rest?
10. “It can be a trap of the photographer to think that his or her best pictures were the ones that were hardest to get. – Timothy Allen - On editing photos
Editing photos can often be the most difficult but also the most satisfying part. Sometimes taking a quick look at all the photos and then going away for a while before taking a closer look lends a fresh eye to your viewing. You may see things you did not notice previously. Stepping away from the mass of photos can make certain images stand out in your mind’s eye, leaving a memorable impression that can characterize a good photo.
I personally like #8!!!
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Compact camera
Finally bought a compact camera for our anniversary gift!
Really small camera, not really a brainer to use, the size is almost similar to a credit card. The main reason why I bought this is so that my wife can use or when we'll be going to places where I don't fell like carrying my dslr, so that we won't miss any moment anywhere we go!
Initially want to buy the more expensive Panasonic Lumix LX-3, a compact camera with a really fast lens, but after careful consideration, we decided to settle for a smaller compact instead. No doubt LX-3 is the best in its class, but I can't guarantee whether it can fit into my pocket or my wife willing to compromise her hand bag space for bigger compact! So now I've extra cash for my next addition to my slr family. Still considering between an ultra wide angle or a speedlite?
It's a Canon IXUS 100 IS
Really small camera, not really a brainer to use, the size is almost similar to a credit card. The main reason why I bought this is so that my wife can use or when we'll be going to places where I don't fell like carrying my dslr, so that we won't miss any moment anywhere we go!
Initially want to buy the more expensive Panasonic Lumix LX-3, a compact camera with a really fast lens, but after careful consideration, we decided to settle for a smaller compact instead. No doubt LX-3 is the best in its class, but I can't guarantee whether it can fit into my pocket or my wife willing to compromise her hand bag space for bigger compact! So now I've extra cash for my next addition to my slr family. Still considering between an ultra wide angle or a speedlite?
10mm vs 18mm
Found few photos related to the subject for my own reference. Credit goes to the owner of the original images.
18mm, approx 72 degree angle of view
10mm, approx. 110 degree angle of view
From: wilful disbelief's blog
For distortion between 10mm to 24mm from Photozone website.
Discussion on focal length vs viewing angle can be found here.
Also interesting discussion in ShutterAsia forum related to ultra wide angle. According to the OP, he prefer the sigma rather the more expensive Nikon. The only complaint he has so far is the followings:
18mm, approx 72 degree angle of view
10mm, approx. 110 degree angle of view
From: wilful disbelief's blog Useful photo from shutterasia, applicable for canon cropped sensor (1.6x), but at least give you some rough idea on how it'll look like on Nikon DX (1.5x)
Found a link for focal length comparison from Tamron.
For distortion between 10mm to 24mm from Photozone website.
Discussion on focal length vs viewing angle can be found here.
Also interesting discussion in ShutterAsia forum related to ultra wide angle. According to the OP, he prefer the sigma rather the more expensive Nikon. The only complaint he has so far is the followings:
- Stupid coating which is liable to peel off
- Stupid side-pinch lens cap which can't be used with the lenscap on (I changed mine for center-pinch Nikon cap - which is good)
- Non constant f/4 aperture - but as I explained above in reality I don't find this a limitation
Monday, 5 October 2009
[OFF TOPIC] Word of Wisdom
HAMKA berpesan dalam satu bukunya tentang 4 punca utama kegagalan dalam hidup iaitu :- (1) menukar cita-cita di dalam perjalanan (2) salah memilih pergaulan (3) banyak makan (4) banyak tidur.
Saturday, 3 October 2009
Upgrade Path, by Tom Hogan
From one of my reliable source related to photography. As much as I hate it, when it comes to photography, the camera still is the main focus of discussion among my photography friends or community. I thought this one is really valuable, especially for me who owned a non-AF Nikon body.
The most interesting part is the conclusion. Tom suggest that he's again upgrade from DX to FX, in a sense that some owner basically don't have any valid reason to justify the upgrade. I will have to agree with him, unless money is not a constraint at all.
Original and spicy sauce: http://www.bythom.com/upgradepath.htm
| Like What You've Got | Dislike What You've Got | |
| D1 | Update. Really. The newer models are so much better than the original. On a budget, try a used D2h. But if you've got the dough, try a D300s, D700, or D3. | Update. On a budget, try a used D2h. But if you've got the dough, try a D300s, D700, or D3. |
| D1h | Then stick with it, but consider picking up extra batteries before they get hard to find. But you're missing out on CLS flash. | Update to a D2h on a budget, a D300s or D3 if you want new. |
| D1x | I'd ask you to reconsider. The D1x was good for its time, but it has two issues that keep it from being close to current state-of-the-art: the missing rows (it's really a 4024x1324 camera), and very poor shadow detail rendering. Also, you're missing out on CLS flash. On a budget, try a used D2x or even D200. Still have cash burning in your pocket, then buy a D300s or D700. | Update to a D2x on a budget, a D300s or D700 if you want new. |
| D2h | Stick with it. | Realistically, only a D3 will make you happier. But you'll be realigning your lens collection. |
| D2hs | Definitely stick with it. | Again, the D3 is the natural upgrade path, and again you'll be realigning your lens collection. |
| D2x | Definitely stick with it as long as you don't need more than ISO 400. | This one is tricky. The D3 and D300s are a slight step backward at base ISO, definite steps forward at higher ISOs. If you need ISO 800-1600, the D300s. If you need higher, the D3, but prepare for realigning your lens collection. |
| D2xs | Definitely stick with it as long as you don't need more than ISO 400. | This one is tricky. The D3 and D300s are a slight step backward at base ISO, definite steps forward at higher ISOs. If you need ISO 800-1600, the D300s. If you need higher, the D3, but prepare for realigning your lens collection. |
| D3 | Keep it. | What are you thinking? Keep it. |
| D3x | Keep it. | The only sensible update is if you aren't satisfied with high ISO work (1600 and above), in which case a D3 (or perhaps D700) is the only option. |
| D100 | As long as you don't need the extra pixels or really high ISO values, keeping it is a reasonable option. But you're missing out on CLS flash. | D300s is the right answer, I think. You could wimp out and buy a used D200, but the D300s bump up in quality is bigger. A used D300 is another option for the price conscious. |
| D200 | Hold the course for now. | D300 or D300s nets you a modest boost in high ISO work, better autofocus, Live View, and faster card writes. Just barely qualifies as a reasonable upgrade. |
| D300 | No need to upgrade. | Are you kidding? What are you missing? There currently isn't a "more pixels" option in the Nikon side that makes sense for you, and moving from a D300 to D700 triggers a massive lens realignment problem. |
| D700 | Count your blessings. | You've got to be joking. There's nothing wrong with a D700. If you need a higher frame rate, get the MB-D10. If you need more pixels, wait. |
| D40 | Keep shooting. | You have to consider why you're unhappy. If it's just more features and pixels you want, the D5000 is your choice. If you just want more pixels, the D3000 is a consideration. If it's the lack of autofocus with older Nikkor AF lenses, you have to get to a D90 to fix that problem. If you're ready to make a big leap in functionality (and complexity), then a D90 or D300s might be reasonable choices. Forget FX bodies. If you needed FX, you'd already have one. |
| D40x | Keep shooting. | A subset of the D40 upgrade advice: if you want more features, a D5000. If you want autofocus with older lenses, a D90. If you're ready for a top of the line camera, the D300s. Nothing else makes any sense. |
| D50 | Probably keep shooting. | You have to consider why you're unhappy. If it's just more features and pixels you want, the D5000 is your choice. If you just want more pixels, the D3000 is a consideration. If you're ready to make a big leap in functionality (and complexity), then a D90 or D300s might be reasonable choices. Forget FX bodies. If you needed FX, you'd already have one. |
| D60 | No need to upgrade. | You have to consider why you're unhappy. Basically, it likely isn't pixels, as the D60 is adequate there. Thus, you're probably looking for more features. This means you'll skip the D3000. Depending upon which features you desire, the D5000, D90, and D300s are the logical choices. |
| D70/D70s | Realistically, nothing wrong with what you've got. But if you bought into this level of camera, you're probably lusting after some of the changes that came downstream (more pixels, better high ISO, etc.). I'd say give in to those urges, you'll be happier. | Two choices to stay at about the same level of sophistication: D5000 or D90. Your choice is basically as I outline in my D5000 review: tiltable LCD versus autofocus with older lenses (yes, I'm aware there are other differences, but that's the big decision point in my mind). If you're ready for more sophistication, a D300s or used D300 is another possibility. |
| D80 | You must not be using matrix metering. Of all the consumer DSLRs Nikon has made, this is the weakest of the bunch, in quite a few ways. I'd urge you to reconsider: later cameras fix so many of the D80's flaws. | D90 to stay at the same level, D300s to move up. |
| D90 | You've got a fine camera, keep it. | I'm not sure what you don't like, but it probably has to do with build quality and/or feature set. That leaves one possibility: D300s. |
The most interesting part is the conclusion. Tom suggest that he's again upgrade from DX to FX, in a sense that some owner basically don't have any valid reason to justify the upgrade. I will have to agree with him, unless money is not a constraint at all.
Original and spicy sauce: http://www.bythom.com/upgradepath.htm
Monday, 28 September 2009
Beauty is very subjective
From Times Online
Comment: I do agree with his opinion from this interview, especially those in bold. I personally think the best way to capture human portrait is when they are in its original form and nature.
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David Bailey: still snapping away at 71
David Bailey is fed up with fashion photography. “D’you know,” he rages, “any model over the age of 23 has to be touched up these days. Twenty-three? It’s f***ing ridiculous but that’s what you have to do for American Vogue and it’s getting to be the same over here.”
Comment: I do agree with his opinion from this interview, especially those in bold. I personally think the best way to capture human portrait is when they are in its original form and nature.
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David Bailey: still snapping away at 71
David Bailey is fed up with fashion photography. “D’you know,” he rages, “any model over the age of 23 has to be touched up these days. Twenty-three? It’s f***ing ridiculous but that’s what you have to do for American Vogue and it’s getting to be the same over here.”
British fashion photography has lost its edge, he reckons. “They want shoots that look like a shop window in Knightsbridge. They always have the same kind of dead-looking girls. It isn’t interesting and the girls aren’t interesting. Because they aren’t girls. They’re androids. Airbrushed and cleaned up and not real. And you can’t tell any more who took the photographs. You used to be able to tell; there was character to the pictures. You could tell this was a [Helmut] Newton or that was a Beaton or a Horst or whatever. A Bailey woman has a distinct look. A Bailey woman is a real woman of flesh and blood and sex.”
Spread on the floor of his Clerkenwell studio, among myriad portraits of Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Damien Hirst and an anonymous vagina, is a recent, giant, black and white nude photograph of his fourth wife Catherine – fourth wife of 24 years, mind you, and we can perhaps assume his last. She is 48 years old, has had three children with Bailey and still, with the help of an artfully placed silk scarf, looks fabulous. “This hasn’t been touched up. She’s real. She’s sexy. You see, with Botox and touching up and all that fake stuff you don’t get a real woman. I prefer my women to be real,” he says with a wicked chuckle.
David Bailey, CBE, is 71 and still has all the instincts of the enfant terrible who once asked the managing director of Vogue to move his Humber so that he could park his Rolls-Royce. He may no longer slip to the floor in his jeans to zoom in on his beautiful models, as Thomas, the character played by David Hemmings and based on Bailey, did in Antonioni’s 1966 film, Blow-Up. But he is still stirring in different ways.
This autumn he is doing a sculpture show at the Pangolin London gallery in Kings Place, near King’s Cross — sculptures of heads with big long tongues lolling out of their mouths. “I’ve always had a thing about tongues because the tongue is a kind of sexual appendage, really, and it doesn’t wear a dress or a pair of trousers. Everyone sticks their tongue out. You taste with your tongue, you have sex with your tongue, you stick your tongue down somebody’s throat. And the Queen goes to New Zealand and the Maoris go ‘lulululu’ at her with their great big tongues, and she says ‘Yes. Charming’.” He laughs uproariously. “So I thought I’d do a whole lot of different heads with tongues sticking out.”
He is also doing a photographic campaign for Nokia to promote its N86 camera phone. The night before we meet he has been out pacing the streets, using the tiny camera phone to photograph people who work at night. “We photographed people working in bakeries, at the meat market, a paramedic, that kind of thing.”
When he got home at 6am he settled down, rather surprisingly, to read a bit of Samuel Pepys. “God! He was a bit of a scallywag, wasn’t he? He did everyone. I love the way he did it and the way he describes it: ‘A charging stallion invaded her private quarters ... he inserted his fingers into her thing’ — her thing! — ‘which exceedingly excited her . . .’ ” Bailey roars with laughter. I point out that he once said that he had slept with 350 models. “It was a joke! Actually I said 365 models, which is really not that many. It’s only one a day for a year.”
In spite of having had just three hours’ sleep, Bailey is on cracking form, showing no signs of slowing down. He sits in a saggy old armchair, dressed in a black T-shirt, an old red shirt and his usual jeans. No longer the virile emblem of the Swinging Sixties, he is stout, wheezy and encumbered by age but his manner has not changed and it is just as difficult to do justice in a family newspaper to the richness of his speech. Somehow, at 71, he is still attractive and irrepressibly flirtatious.
He still works for Condé Nast, primarily for Vogue, Vanity Fair and for GQ, for whom he has just finished a “Men of Power” portrait series — and a series of extremely sexy portraits of his wife, both coming out later this year. He has published four books in the past three years, with six more coming shortly. This autumn his work will be in a Polaroids show at Atlas Gallery in the West End, and in the National Portrait Gallery’s 1960s photography show; all that on top of his own sculpture show at Pangolin London. A settled private life has in no way slowed his productivity.
He has, as he puts it, had six wives and three marriages: the first was to Rosemary Bramble, a Clapham typist whom he married in 1960 and who has slightly been airbrushed out of the Bailey legend. The next year he began a four-year relationship with the model Jean Shrimpton, who was superseded by the actress Catherine Deneuve, whom he reportedly married “on a whim”. Then in 1968 he began living with Penelope Tree, a US model. In 1975 he married the model Marie Helvin, then 11 years later he married another model, Catherine Dyer, 23 years his junior, with whom he has been ever since.
Talk about complicated. How do they feel about each other? “They’re all friends. I still see them all on and off, perhaps more Marie and Penelope than the others.”
Bailey has three children with Catherine: Paloma, 24; Fenton, 21; and Sascha, 15. Paloma has been working in Bailey’s studio this summer. “Sascha is about to go and work for [the business mogul]] Philip Green for work experience. That’ll knock him into f***ing shape. Fenton is taking pictures. He did a record cover the other day — it wasn’t bad. But he’s not very motivated... I had my own tailoring business at 14. In those days, if you didn’t work you didn’t eat.”
The pressure to earn has never left him. Bailey doesn’t take holidays., or even a weekend off. “I can’t. The rates on this place and the room over the road come to £38,000 a year. I’m a pauper compared with old golden balls Damien [Hirst].”
Bailey is no pauper. As well as his commercial work and the Condé Nast commissions, his prints sell for tens of thousands. “The market has come up again in the past couple of months, I’m glad to say.” He has just done a book with Damien Hirst, 8 Minutes. There is a two-volume book on India in the pipeline, and a three-volume book on the East End. You sense that Bailey knows that if he were to slow down, he would stop, so the pace remains relentless.
It was ever thus. Born in Leytonstone in the East End, in the next street to where one of his heroes, Alfred Hitchcock, was born, he began his working life at 14, was called up for National Service at 18 and joined the RAF, which dispatched him to Singapore, where he was trained in parachuting and jungle rescue. “I learnt a lot very quickly. All I’d known as a boy was the cinema. I was dyslexic and caned for it at school. I left school with no qualifications. I didn’t know there were museums or art colleges. I also didn’t know about snobbery because no one was in a position to be snobbish in the East End when I was growing up — I certainly learnt about snobbery in the air force, though, so I was quite well prepared for Vogue in a funny way.”
Leaving the RAF at the tail end of the 1950s, he got a job as an apprentice with John French, the fashion photographer. “Yes, he hired me because of what I was wearing. Obviously he was gay. If it hadn’t been for two gay men [the other was John Parsons, art director of Vogue, who hired Bailey in 1960] I’d still be driving a bus.”
Instead, Bailey went on to become the most successful of what the society photographer Norman Parkinson called “the Black Trinity”, the glamorous, working-class, hardworking and heterosexual photographic trio of Bailey, Terence Donovan and Brian Duffy.
Bailey quickly stirred up the fashion department at Vogue, where, in the early Sixties, the implicit sexuality of his photographs was at odds with the prevailing style of tight, well-behaved polish. The place, he recalls, was run like a point-to-point, with women who had no visual sense “getting all hysterical over some amusing little hemline”. “They just didn’t get what I was trying to do. Fortunately I was an arrogant arsehole and I was lucky that John Parsons and [Alexander] Lieberman were there, who could see what I was doing.”
Whatever the guidelines set by fashion editors, Bailey managed to flout them, subtly or blatantly, and produced one of the most enduring bodies of fashion and beauty photography of the Sixties, Seventies and beyond. His artistic integrity intact, he also became an accomplished portrait and documentary photographer. “I always tried to make my fashion photographs look like Cole Porter songs in my mind, and my portraits more like the blues.”
Cecil Beaton, whose photographs had dominated Vogue in the Thirties, was taken aback by Bailey’s arrival in 1960. “He patted me on the head and said ‘I don’t really get this David Bailey but I guess he’s got some kind of Cockney charm’ and I thought ‘that’s funny Cecil, you silly old queen’. I remember doing a portrait of him and I asked him ‘Are you vain?’ ‘Me, vain?’ he said, sitting in a red f***ing cashmere f***ing dressing gown, with a red silk scarf against red f***ing felt wallpaper . . .”
Beaton, Parkinson, Avedon, not to say Donovan, are all gone and Duffy gave up photography years ago, but Bailey is still extraordinarily competitive. “Lots of the photographers I knew have died, and I’ve been at Condé Nast longer than anybody. ]My first photograph published in Vogue was in July 1960. It’ll be 50 years next July.” Bailey heaves himself up and goes off to edit last night’s pictures, before driving down to Devon to work on those tongues again. There’s no stopping this man.
David Bailey’s camera phone pictures go on show at The Old Dairy, Bloomsbury, London, on August 27 and 28.
Great Photographers on the Internet
Disclaimer: This is not my article. Stumbled across this when browsing through one of the flickr group discussion. Original blog entry can be found here. Credit to the author for his creativity and eye opening view on the current state of digital photography.
Irving Penn
Hi Irv, I don't know what you were thinking here dude! You got a pretty model (altho kind of old), but you have caught her with her eyes cloes in a not very good pose. Biggest problem is YOU NEED CROP to a vertical!!!!! Backdrop is too small and there is not enough of a sweep so you can see the crease. If you send me a file I can fix it in Photoshop and I can give you my suggested crop. If you don't care aboout your PROFESSIONALISM you are never going to get work as a pro believe me!!! Hope I am not being too harsh. Oh well best regards anyway, M.H.
Sam Abell
Sam, GORGEOUS scene I luv it! Too bad u couldn't get a little more color in sky area. Blues should be a little more saturated. Also the rule is u need to have either sky or land (lake?) dominate, not just split right down the middle. Try to move the camera after u focus. A great shot though please see my entries and leave your comments. Ted.
Garry Winogrand
Hi Garry. You caught some nice poses here. Biggest problem is I can tell the horizon isn't straight. It doesn't look like a hill. Man at right needs to be cropped out. Sometimes I find if I shout right before I take the picture I can get people's attentions. If you had done so we would have been able to see more of their faces. George MacWilken.
Bill Brandt
Bill, your problem here is the shadow detail. Some lenses give more shadow detail & contrast than others. The Leica lenses are best for this. There are several types, the Elmarit, Summicron, and Summilux that I know of. I don't know which type has the highest shadow detail but I will ask and I'm sure you will get some answers. Need to see both eyes to get a sense of depth. What lens did you use for this pic? Also highlight detail seems lacking, esp. the arm. Adrian from NSW
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Bonjour Henri, assuming you are French, or at least understand it. This is a great capture, I love the composition and the dog. We had a dog that looked kind of like that one once. Your problem here is that your AF has focused on the wrong place—the man is actually kind of soft! The camera has mistakenly focused on the people in the doorway, creating a distracting softness in the man. Usually it is best to focus on the closest object and most times the camera will choose the closest large object to focus on, but unfortunately not here. But it is still an amazing capture. Cordially, Edwin
Keith CarterKeith: Nice Try Focus is on Wrong End of horse obviously!! The square is hard to compose in, dont fell too bad. Sometimes we Fotographers have to take what we get. Bob
William EgglestonThis is just a snapshot. I would not even have considered showing this. If you ware going to post pictures you need to make sure it is of something unusual or with a personal vision. Otherwise you are going to loose the interest of your audience. George Spelvin [Nikon D200, Nikon D70s backup, 17-35 f/2.8, 80-200 f/2.8, 4GB Microdrive (2), Photoshop CS, Epson 2200]
Ralph GibsonRalph, this is a nice idea and I think you had a nice idea. But the shadow is very distractin, you should have taken one step to the left. If that had let in more distracting background then I think you could have stepped one step closer. Great try, better luck next time. —pitcherman
Edward SteichenMuch too dark exposure and not sharp. I suppose you may say that you tried to make it unsharp but what the hell's the point in that. I like things sharp. Maybe you should study some other peoples' photographs here on this forum and get an idea of what a good photograph should look like. **
Alex WebbHi Alex, I don't really see a clear composition to this photograph and your shadow detail's are all lost you need to get a camera with a bigger dynamic range perhaps you could try Fuji S3 I here it has biggest dynamic range of all but uoi need to know how to use it. Fill flash would have helped also. Only two thumbs up But I like some of your other work please vote for mine too al
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