Rant: Modern, Dedicated Photo Printers Desperately Need Bluetooth Integration

If photo companies want us to print more often, they need to make it a whole lot simpler.

I think that one of the biggest things that I hear from all the manufacturers out there is that print is on its last legs, evolving, becoming more niche, etc. And to be very transparent, I think that they have themselves to blame. It’s only been in the past year that I’ve been bigger efforts from Fujifilm, Canon, HP (sort of), and Epson to really reach out to younger audiences. By that, I don’t necessarily mean age, but more photographic age. There are still so many photographers that don’t know what their images look like on a print and haven’t had the opportunity to really get prints made. I think that Bluetooth can honestly make this so much easier.

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What Should You do When Someone Says Don’t Take My Picture?

Taking someone’s picture when they ask you not to doesn’t make you a photographer with the law on your side, it just makes you selfish.

“Please don’t take my picture.” This is something we have all probably heard before as photographers. Whether the plea comes from a friend or family member that you might be hanging out with, or from a complete stranger that you may pass on the street, it’s a powerful statement, and it is one that should not be taken lightly. Sure, when we are out doing street photography we can indeed take images that include people, and by law we might be covered because it’s a public space, but just what should we do when someone says this? Join us after the break and we will explore this a little more. Continue reading…

How Close Should You Be to a Portrait Subject When Shooting With a 35mm Lens?

Modern day 35mm lenses are quite good; so good that they’re good enough for portraits.

Many photographers swear by their 35mm lenses and almost never want to shoot with anything else. The reason for this is because it so closely simulates what the human eye sees and so it’s easy for a photographer to go out there and shoot a scene just the way that they see it. That would be great, if 35mm lenses were absolutely perfect. While they’ve greatly improved, 35mm lenses are still not perfect and when used for portraiture still can’t replace or do what a proper telephoto focal length can. But with patience, you can figure out how to make the most of a 35mm lens for portraiture.

Here are some quick visual tips.

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The Best Accessories for the Enthusiastic Smartphone Photographer

Do you have a strong interest in smartphone photography? Here’s some gear to help you take it to the next level.

Whoever thought we would be taking credible photographs on the same device we call our mothers on? Well someone did, hence why smartphone photography has become its own popular sub-genre. With that, it’s hardly a surprise that photography companies have created a plethora of accessories to help boost your smartphone photography experience. From lenses to tripods, mini LED’s to ring lights, smartphone photography can just about offer the same experience as the more traditional DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras. In this list, we have something for everyone. And don’t worry if you’re not an iPhone or Samsung user – we’ve got you covered too.

Below are seven accessories to help you build on your enthusiasm.

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The Color Film Photography Blind Taste Test: Can You Figure This Out?

The purpose of this article is to help you decide which of nine C-41 color film stocks, of those currently available in the US, is right for you. If you’d rather digest this content in video form rather than article, that’s an option as well.

To make this blind comparison, I took, and will compare three identical shots, each taken on the nine emulsions discussed in this video. You’ll be able to compare these photos “blind”, meaning you won’t know which stock is which ahead of time. I’ll also talk through some of the differences from my perspective. This will be especially interesting to you newer film shooters looking to find a color film that fits best with your style of shooting, developing, and/or budget. But even if you’re a long-time film shooter, you may find it interesting.

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Quick Tips for Beautiful Flower Photography in Early Spring

Flower photography season is afoot with the coming of spring, so here are some useful tips to get you prepared.

Spring season is the perfect time to get those macro lenses dusted off and ready to shoot — what else, but beautiful, dainty flowers! If you already have plans set and a picture-perfect location spot on, we’ve got just the video tutorial to help you with your flower photography. Professional wildlife photographer Paul Miguel has already started making rounds in his local woodland to photograph the dainty wood anemones, so it’s time we all get started with it as well. If you’re trying this out for the first time, with his tips below, you’ll surely pick up some tips and ideas for beautiful flower photography fitting for spring.

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Do Any of Us Shoot Street Photography for Just Ourselves?

“It doesn’t matter what others think; I just shoot street photography for myself.”

If you’re somebody who likes to converse about street photography a lot, I am almost certain you have listened to someone make the above statement before. It’s highly possible you have even said it yourself. However, in this digital world, do any of us shoot street photography just for ourselves?

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Leica Banned in Chinese Social Media for This Controversial Ad

The iconic “Tank Man” from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests was one of the conflicts depicted in the controversial Leica promo video.

Leica has been making the rounds again as of late, not for a specific camera but for a promotional video that got it banned in China. Titled The Hunt, the video features a cinematic depiction of conflict scenes around the world, including the iconic “Tank Man” from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The video has since put the German camera company under fire from online commenters and was banned on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

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Review: Fujifilm 16mm F2.8 R WR (The Adventurer’s Lens)

The Fujifilm 16mm f2.8 R WR is a pretty great lens, but I still prefer the f1.4 version.

The Fujifilm 16mm f2.8 R WR lens is something I wasn’t expecting from the company; they already had a very good 16mm f1.4 R WR lens. However, considering the company’s philosophy of bringing things down to a more elementary audience in a more affordable, weather sealed form, it played out into being right in line with what they do. This is a lens that isn’t all that bad, but if you own the Fujifilm 16mm f1.4 R WR, you don’t need this. I’ll preface the review that way, but also note the very affordable price point of this lens.

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Bruce Gilden on “Gangster Types and Tough Guys”

Whether you like Bruce Gilden or not, listening to him speak about one of his most fascinating works is still worth your while.

It’s always fascinating to hear photography greats talk about their own work and the ideas or motivations behind them, even if it’s the controversial Bruce Gilden. Whatever you want to think of his style as a street photographer, many of his works remain exemplary in street photography and documentary photography. Among these is the black and white Gangster Types and Tough Guys series, which shows us the culture and daily life of England’s brawlers and Japan’s infamous crooks. Who else can best tell us more about this body of work but Gilden himself?

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Antonio Privitera’s Inner City Blues: The Story of a Dream Come True

New York City – the land where dreams come true…

“Oh my god! I was super excited, thrilled to get there!” says Antonio Privitera as he recounts how his childhood dream to shoot the streets of New York finally came true. His latest series is not just an exploration of New York, it’s a narrative that tells the story of a photographer in his element. It’s the perfect advertisement for what happens when a creative mind meets an inspiring destination. Simply put, this is freedom and love communicated through the medium of photography. When we spoke to Antonio we felt his enthusiasm. We connected to his passion. Through his dark, cinematic-like images we got a sense for each step that he walked. His energy is contagious and through his words and photographs, he gave us the same feeling of euphoria that he had when he first stepped foot in the Big Apple. With his headphones on, his music of choice being the soundtrack of his movie, he takes us on his journey. S

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Omar Z Robles on the Challenges of Photographing Dancers with Film

Omar Z Robles is well known for his dance photography, and he’s taken it a step further recently.

“People nowadays think almost like a tribe about equipment and gear,” says Omar Z Robles about his recent project shot on film. “But in the end they’re just tools to carry your vision.” We’re inclined to agree–in the same way that a painter can create works of art with a variety of brushes, a photographer can do the same. We’ve spoken with Omar about his creative process on Inside the Photographer’s Mind before, and he’s very careful about his overall creation process. While one may think he simply capturing scenes, he’s actively directing–which is what most folks don’t do vs simply capturing. With years of shooting under his belt, this was an interesting mental challenge for Omar; which he obviously succeeded at.

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10 Weather Sealed Cameras That Can Survive Bad Storms

Weather sealed cameras will allow you to get the shots that everyone without a weather sealed camera will miss.

Anyone who works out in the field will tell you about the importance of having a solid, weather sealed camera. Weather sealing will allow a photographer to go out into a downpour, a snow storm, or a windy day with dirt and debris flying everywhere. Rain and snow aside, weather sealing will also protect your camera when it is operating in humid conditions, and even the freezing cold. As long as you have a weather sealed lens attached to the front of your camera you will be good to go. Here we take a look at 10 of the best weather sealed cameras currently on the market. Continue reading…

Dean Bradshaw Proves Blue Can Be Bleak Aboard a Fishing Trawler

All photos by Dean Bradshaw. Used with Creative Commons permission.

It’s fascinating to follow a photographer’s epic adventures through their photos, not only to get a glimpse of their experiences but also their interpretation through choices in creative elements like color, composition, and mood. A perfect example is the cinematic documentary Icelandic Fishing series of Dean Bradshaw, where he shows us what went down during the 12 hours he spent aboard a fishing trawler in Iceland. If you’re looking for inspiration for documenting your next adventure, this set is certainly worth a look.

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Cheap Photo: Sony a6000 w/lens $498, Sony a9 Bundle $3498, A7 II $898

These Sony Mirrorless camera deals will put a spring in your step as we head toward Easter.

If you have been the market for a new Sony Mirrorless camera, or some new Sony glass, you are going to love these amazing camera deals. Right now you can grab the Sony a6000 with a 16-50mm, and two 64GB SD cards for just $498! The Full Frame Sony A7 II with accessory bundle is only $898, and the A7 II with the 28-70mm lens with accessory bundle is only $998! Has the Sony a9 been fluttering its shutter at you? If it has you can get it with a Rode mic bundle now for $3,498! Need to see in the dark? The Sony A7s II with accessory bundle is just $1,998. Other notable deals include the X-T2 and the X-T20 which are in the final week of their sales. The X-T2 is just $899, and the X-T20 is only $599! Come on in to see the other camera deals.

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The Tokina FiRIN 100mm F2.8: A $599 “Flat Field” Lens for Sony FE

tokina firin

If close-ups are your thing and you use a Sony Mirrorless camera, the Tokina FiRIN 100mm F2.8 FE Macro lens could be the one for you.

Tokina has been hitting some home runs with the FiRIN lenses they’ve been producing, so this news will likely be music to the ears of those enjoying previous Tokina FiRIN lenses. Today, Tokina announced that a new FiRIN 100mm f2.8 Macro Lens with a Sony E mount will be hitting shelves this coming April; and trust us when we say it is priced nicely too. Continue reading…

Should Your Commercial Photography Adopt a Brand Stand?

In their second visual trend of 2019, Adobe encouraged brands and designers to take a stand. Should you do the same for your commercial photography?

Now that we’re into the second quarter of 2019, it’s a good time for us to revisit some of the visual trends and predictions that companies like Adobe have put forward, and decide which of them are applicable to our work. One of these, they say, is the Brand Stand trend, which is a response to the big shift in the relationship between consumers and brands. In essence, it reinforces the fact that customer loyalty is no longer inspired by a ground-breaking product or outstanding service. People’s spending are now tied to their values, and it’s now the task of brands to take a stand to tap into their customer base. As a photographer, it might as well be up your alley to help them make a compelling visual message.

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Tutorial: A Practical Application of Rear Curtain Sync Flash Settings

If you’re fond of shooting the graceful movements of dance, you might want to experiment with shooting with flash in rear curtain sync mode using these settings.

Rear curtain sync mode is one of the creative techniques at your disposal when you work with flash. Basically, the flash fires off towards the end of an exposure, or just before the rear/second curtain closes. With this technique, you can produces some really cool-looking blur and light trails while your subject remains in focus. That makes it popular for experimenting with capturing movement using flash. In this quick tutorial, wedding and portrait photographer Jen Marino shares her go-to settings for shooting dance photos.

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12 Weather Sealed Lenses That Can Take a Beating From Mother Nature

Pair these weather sealed lenses with a sealed camera body and you can shoot no matter what the weather is doing.

Being able to shoot outside when the weather isn’t the best can yield some truly spectacular results. From reflections of lights hitting the street, to capturing falling snow, and from the light that appears at the back end of a storm, to capturing menacing clouds or lightning, the weather can help create some truly dynamic images. But you need to have the right gear to go out and play in the elements. We’re going to take a look at some of the best weather sealed lenses across multiple platforms and price points that will help you get the shots you’d otherwise miss with non-sealed lenses. Continue reading…

Cheap Photo: Save an Extra 20% on Stunning Presets, Overlays, Tutorials

photography software

You can get these amazing tutorials, and photography software deals for next to nothing, but you’ll have to act fast.

Have you been wanting to expand your photography knowledge? Do you want to edit in Lightroom and Photoshop in half the time that it takes now? We have found some amazing photography software and tutorials deals for you. Between April 19th and April 24th you can take an extra 20%  off of already ridiculously cheap, yet high quality photography software, and guides. You can get 4,000 Lightroom presets for just $39! You can grab 50 Easter Photo Overlays for only $15, 1850 Photoshop Actions for $29, and the ultimate guide to jump starting your commercial photography business is only $29. Remember you can take an extra 20% off of these prices too! Come on in to see all the deals! Continue reading…

Sweet Lineup of Rare Leicas Up for Grabs in Leitz Photographica Auction

If your need is strong and your wallet is ready, there’s a bunch of rare Leica goodies waiting for you in the upcoming Leitz Photographica Auction.

We’ve been keeping an eye on rare Leica cameras on our vintage finds features, but the upcoming 34th auction of the Leitz Photographica Auction (formerly WestLicht Photographica Auction) is most likely your best bet for scoring some of the rarest. Chances are, you’re still missing one or two (or even all) of the items in the collection, so mark your calendars and make plans for Wetzlar, Germany on June 8th if you’re keen on checking them out.

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