Heavenly Creatures Turns the Mundane Into Abstract Works of Art

All images by Sally Gall. Used with permission. 

“We need to pay more attention to it, artistically, spiritually, ecologically, environmentally, and simply for our mental health.” These are thoughts of photographer Sally Gall, as we discuss the human relationship with the natural environment. Her work spans over 30 years, focusing on the gifts the earth bestows upon us. Looking at her photographs, for a split second, they can be mistaken for paintings because, and this is no overstatement, they are a work of art. We were thrilled to learn Sally is releasing a new book. Heavenly Creatures is an exploration of how a natural element – wind – impacts the prosaic objects of the nurtured world. In the book, Sally takea something as uneventful as laundry and turns it into colorful, impactful images. We connected with Sally to discuss her artistic approach and learn more about her latest release.

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Photography Cheat Sheet: Quick Macro Lens Guide

Want to shoot macro but can’t figure out which lens to get? This cheat sheet will help you decide.

With all the options available for macro photography lenses, how do we know which one to choose? Apart from dedicated macro lenses, many zoom lenses also offer a “macro” function, making it somewhat confusing for anyone starting out. Fortunately, Digital Camera World has put together another tutorial and handy photography cheat sheet to help us choose the right macro lens for the job.

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5 Spacious Camera Bags to Hit the Trails and Go Hiking with This Fall

These bags will make getting to your fave spots with all your gear as easy as can be.

Camera bags don’t seem to get the same amount of attention as other photography accessories, yet they are one of the most important tools photographers carry. There are many cameras bags on the market, and they each serve a specific purpose; choosing the right one for the job is more important than you might think. If you’re planning on hitting the trails to hike to your favorite landscape photography location this fall, make sure you have a camera bag that’s up to the job. In this roundup, we will take a quick look at five camera bags that get all of your favorite gear to your destination in style and comfort. Continue reading…

André Musgrove: Connecting People to the Ocean with Underwater Photography

Underwater photography and words by André Musgrove. Used with permission.

My name is André Musgrove, I’m an underwater photographer and filmmaker from Nassau, Bahamas. I’ve been shooting for 4 years. I specialize in freediving photography and filmmaking, creating and capturing concepts with freedivers, underwater models and animals in unique marine environments such as shipwrecks, sharks, blue holes, underwater statues, etc. I shoot using only ambient light (no artificial lighting or strobe flashes) in 95% of my pieces and also shoot most of my pieces while freediving (breath hold). Through my images and films, I hope to connect people to the ocean and show how humans can coexist in the marine environment to encourage people to keep our oceans safe and clean.

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Is Panasonic Feeling the Heat in the Full Frame Mirrorless Race?

Recent price drops on the S1 and S1R suggest Panasonic is struggling.

The Full Frame camera market (up until about five years ago) was dominated by Canon and Nikon. Sony decided they wanted a piece of the Full Frame cake and they came in and shook things up. Canon and Nikon are now lucky if they get some crumbs these days. It was a bit of a shock when Panasonic announced they were branching out from their Micro Four-Thirds ways with the Full Frame Mirrorless S1 and the beastly S1R. Nobody knew quite what to expect. The Panasonic cameras are pretty great. However, recent price drops suggest Panasonic can’t even get near to the cake, let alone have any crumbs. Continue reading…

Photography Cheat Sheet: Exposure Guide for Tricky Lighting Conditions

Let this photography cheat sheet help you get the exposure right even in the most challenging lighting situations.

Once in a while, you’ll come across shooting situations that give you inaccurate colors, blown-out highlights, and unbalanced exposures. You can correct these in post-process later, but it always pays to get the best results possible in-camera. With the tips in today’s photography cheat sheet, you’ll be ready to make the necessary adjustments when shooting in some of the most tricky lighting conditions.

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Cheap Photo: Great Lens Deals From Sigma, IRIX, Rokinon and Pentax

There are come excellent lens deals around right now, especially on Sigma lenses.

If you’re looking to add to your lens collection and want to save a buck (or $300), you need to check out these lens deals. We have found great deals on lenses for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony cameras, and you can save some serious green. Need a great do-it-all lens? The Sigma 24-105mm f4 is a steal at just $779 (Nikon and Canon), and the Sigma 35mm f1.4 for Canon, Nikon, and Pentax is a bargain for only $699. Looking for an ultra-wide? The IRIX 11mm f4 Blackstone is one of the best, and it has a discount of $175, making it only $599.95! Telephoto more your thing? The Sigma 70-200 f2.8 Sports and all its weather-sealed goodness can be yours for $1,259. The ultra-sharp Rokinon 35mm f1.4 for Sony E mount cameras is a must-have at just $528! Come on in and check out all of the lens deals we have found.
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These AMD and NVIDIA Powered HP PCs Will Make Image Editing Easy

image editing pc

These powerful HP Pavilion laptops and desktops will breeze through image editing in Capture One, Lightroom, and beyond.

As our cameras become more powerful and pixel-dense, the RAW files they create become larger. As a result of the larger file sizes, our PC’s need to be more powerful to can render and manipulate the images easily. It’s a vicious cycle, but it’s one that can be dealt with. New NVIDIA GPUs can make image editing easier on your system, especially when partnered with third-generation Ryzen 5, and 7 CPUs, or new 9th generation Intel Core offerings. HP has been putting together new desktop and laptop PC’s aimed at gamers, but content creators will find them just as nice. Join us after the break for more details about the new computers. Continue reading…

Jeremy Cowart Makes Creative Use of Light for Moody Portraits

All photos by Jeremy Cowart. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Lighting is a crucial component of impressive portrait photography, so it pays to know the different lighting techniques to get the job done. Once you’ve mastered these, however, you’ll begin to think of different ways to break the rules and let creativity take the reins. To help inspire and give you some ideas, we present one of the recent color portraits by Nashville-based photographer and artist Jeremy Cowart. If you like your portraits with a generous helping of colors, we’re sure you’ll find this collection eye-catching.

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Leonidas Vaggalis: Capturing Emotion in Everyday Situations

All words and photos by Leonidas Vaggalis. Used with permission.

My name is Leonidas Vaggalis, and I come from Athens, Greece. Married to a beautiful wife and two great kids. I am a photographer in my free time and want to shoot anything that makes me get into thoughts. Generally, I like to give an emotion to each photograph I take, but I don’t always succeed. I like street photography because it’s kinda random and people act natural.

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Editing Photos with the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Laptop

We played with the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Laptop at the Sony Kando trip, and it impressed us.

The Razer Blade 15 Advanced Laptop is one of the few PCs to genuinely excite me about the computing world as it pertains to photography and creativity. I’ve tried Asus, but it was nothing that would make me want to leave the cult of Steve Jobs (HE IS NOT DEAD). But the performance of the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Laptop raised my eyebrows. Coupled with the company’s initiative to target creatives, I’m optimistic that they’ll be one of the first to really win us over from Macs. Razer has catered to the gaming world for years, and as a former professional gamer, I’m ecstatic that they see the creative market as a serious one.

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Photography Cheat Sheet: Composing with the Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is one of the basic and fundamental composition techniques every photographer should learn.

When in doubt about your composition, one of your best bets is to go with the Rule of Thirds. This is why every photographer is encouraged to begin mastering this technique when they’re starting out. Read on to see how you can apply it to the shots you want with this handy photography cheat sheet by Company Folders.

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This Photographer Helps Others Find Therapy with the Art of Photography

Nina Robinson’s phototherapy program harnesses photography’s innate ability to bring about healing and inspiration both for her and her elderly students.

As a documentary photographer, Minneapolis-based Nina Robinson draws inspiration from both the people she has interviewed and fellow photographers whose works explore transformation, family, social issues, and solution-focused journalism. But as an educator, she didn’t realize how the Phototherapy program she helped develop would also cultivate a passion for teaching senior citizens.

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The First Prime Lenses You Should Buy for Your Fujifilm X Mount Camera

If you’re looking to buy your first prime lenses for your Fujifilm X Mount camera, this roundup is one you don’t want to miss.

Fujifilm has been making significant waves in the camera marketplace since they introduced the X-T1. Since then, many more X Mount cameras have been added to the lineup, with the X-T3 now being their flagship camera. Fujifilm APS-C cameras are incredible performers, and their X-Trans sensor really shines when paired up with outstanding glass. Fujifilm users are lucky: there are many very affordable prime lenses on the platform that are genuinely stunning. Join us after the break to see which Fujifilm prime lenses we recommended for first-time buyers. Continue reading…

How His Childhood and New York City Inspired Bruce Gilden

For those who wonder what inspires and pushes Bruce Gilden to keep shooting street photography, this video has some interesting answers.

Bruce Gilden remains one of the biggest names in street photography, so it’s always worth learning about his insights on the genre. Not too long ago, he sat down with another esteemed photographer, Martin Parr, and talked about some interesting stuff regarding his beginnings and “fearlessness while photographing people out in the streets.” In the video brought to us by a partnership between Magnum Photos and NOWNESS, Gilden once again talks about shooting around New York City, how his childhood was instrumental to his choice of subjects, and how the right characters are essential to a strong body of work.

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Guess How This Mind-Blowing, 81 Megapixel Photo of the Sun Was Shot

They said don’t stare at the Sun, but we bet you’re going to stare at this incredibly detailed photo for a long time.

Astrophotography is cool enough already, with photos of the Moon, star trails, and the Milky Way Galaxy. But, there’s a lot more to it. Sacramento-based photographer Andrew McCarthy shows us what else the genre has in store for those who want to go to the next level: photographing the Sun. His best example to date is a jaw dropping 81 Megapixel photo illustrating the Sun’s gorgeous surface texture and activity in incredible detail.

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Can the Canon Rebel T3i Still Take Great Portraits?

Have one of your old DSLRs lying around? This cheap camera challenge with an entry-level Canon DSLR camera will inspire you to keep shooting with it.

We’re at a time when constant upgrades render cameras out-of-date every few years, especially for professional photography. This often leads photographers to fuss about their gear and feel the need to constantly upgrade to the latest and greatest. However, it’s often possible to get beautiful results, even with old cameras. The cheap camera challenge that Mango Street recently did is a testament to this. So, if you’ve ever wondered whether you can pull off something good with that nearly decade-old DSLR gathering dust somewhere, the quick answer is yes!

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Erik Marcinkowski’s Self Portraits Explore a Difficult Relationship with Food

All images by Erik Marcinkowski. Used with permission.

Photographer Erik Marcinkowski is a commercial shooter with vibrantly bright, colorful work. He has recently turned the camera on himself to examine his relationship with food, the path to self-love, and embracing male vulnerability. His project, aptly titled DiscomfortFood, is exceptionally crafted technically while providing the opportunity for many important and necessary discussions about our society.

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Photography Cheat Sheet: Quick Lens Filter Guide

Filters can help get better results in-camera and save hours of editing. This photography cheat sheet will let you know which one to use.

Ever wondered about how filters work and what they can do to your photos? In a nutshell, these accessories are useful for addressing challenging lighting conditions or creating a certain mood or effect. They work best if you choose the right filter for the right situation, and can affect image quality. There are plenty of resources out there on the topic, but for starters, we have a photography cheat sheet as a quick reference.

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Review: Ricoh GR III (An Almost Perfect Street Photography Camera)

The Ricoh GR III is a great camera once you get used to its quirks, but it’s not perfect.

When the Ricoh GR III was announced, I was disappointed to see it was more of an upgrade rather than a brand new camera which would have truly brought it into the modern digital world. I wanted a reason to spend a lot of money for features such as a full frame sensor, weather sealing, improved autofocus, etc. But I felt the Ricoh GR III was a long wait for a few minor updates to the GR II to keep it on par with a number of other products on the market. After spending some time with the Ricoh GR III, I completely understand how a street photographer would want to use it. But if you’re anything outside of this niche then you’re limiting yourself. Arguably, you can reach for cameras with interchangeable lenses that can do more. And phones are very capable these days as street photography cameras. If you’re deeply entrenched into the fad that is modern street photography, then just hope this camera will last you a few years.

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Cheap Photo: X-H1 w/Grip $999, A7II $898, Cheap Film Presets and More

camera deals

Camera madness has swept the marketplace, and trust us when we say you don’t want to miss out on these camera deals!

If you have been looking to get your hands on a new camera, now is the time to do it. The hottest deals of the summer so far have just landed and we have them here for you. The Fujifilm X-H1 with battery grip can be picked up for just $999! The Sony A7II body can be yours for $898, and with the 28-70mm lens for only $998. The Sony a6000 is a ridiculously low $448, while the brand new, Full Frame Panasonic S1 can be yours for $2,197.99 (save $300). We have also found deals on presets like the Kodak Kodachrome bundle which is only $26, a bundle of Orange and Teal presets is just $9, and a huge Lightroom film presets bundle can be had for only $49! Check out all of the camera deals and more after the break. Continue reading…