ILFORD Shares How Their Prized Black and White Films are Made

If you’ve ever wondered how your favorite 35mm and 120 ILFORD black and white films are made, the company shares it all in their recent short film.

It’s always fascinating to learn about how our favorite things and everyday tools are made. For some photographers that includes their go-to film stocks. Black and white film photographers are definitely in for a treat, as ILFORD recently shared an official peek inside the HARMAN technology factory in Mobberley, England, where the ILFORD and Kentmere product lines are made.

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Review: Smartframe (A More Secure Way to Share Your Images)

Smartframe

The goal of Smartframe is to make your digital images more secure on the Web, but does it work?

Digital images have really revolutionized how we share our work. Today we are able to snap a picture, edit it, and post it online within just a few short minutes. Before you know it your work is in front of millions of eyes around the globe. As amazing as this is, it doesn’t come without its problems and the biggest problem is image theft. The moment your image is online it can take just seconds for someone to right click and save your pictures to their computer. They can also screenshot the image if you have right click disabled on your blog or website. This has been a problem for as long as I can remember. Enter Smartframe. Continue reading…

Concert Photography: These Cameras and Lenses are Real Rockstars

If you want to try your hands at concert photography, just know that these cameras and lenses will help you score incredible images.

As we head deeper into summer, more and more concerts come to our cities, and that means that more and more photographers try their hands at concert photography. This exciting, yet challenging genre of photography requires fast lenses so that you can shoot in low light, and it requires cameras that can handle high ISOs easily.  There are plenty of cameras and lenses on the market that are suitable for concert photography, but this roundup will focus on our favorite cameras and lenses that will help you capture all of the on-stage antics. Continue reading…

Aperture Lesson: Shooting Portraits Wide Open vs. Stopped Down

Here’s a quick portrait photography tutorial that demonstrates how different aperture settings affect your shots. 

Remember all those manual photography cheat sheets that we’ve been sharing recently? Here’s how you can apply what you’ve learned about aperture when shooting portraits. In a quick video tutorial by Sony Artisan Miguel Quiles for Adorama, we see the results of shooting with the aperture wide open and stepped down, and when to pick one over the other.

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Weighing in on Photographer Jason Lanier’s Sexual Assault Allegations

“When you get pregnant – not by me – when your life that you were doing with my company ends, and you become bitter, stop taking it out on me” – Jason Lanier, 50:40)

Former Sony Artisan Jason Lanier (who was dismissed for undisclosed reasons) is now facing multiple accusations of sexual misconduct from several models who have previously worked with him. To engage in this discussion, we need to break a few things down first; one is the importance of power dynamics at play in a situation like a photographer/model relationship. One woman’s video speaks to character assassination on multiple, professional levels – a fear so many of us deal with when faced with these situations.

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More Wedding Photos Get Ruined by a Selfish Smartphone Photographer

How many times do we have to say ‘don’t take wedding photos if you’re not the photographer?’

Look we get it, you have a camera in your pocket all the time thanks to smartphones, and we understand that your desire to take pictures of every single moment of your life can be hard overcome, but it’s time to learn some restraint. Yet another wedding photographer has taken to the web to discuss just how damaging it can be for you, the guest, to take out your cell phone to snap pics of the bride and groom. Join us after the break to see how a selfish act ruined this couple’s wedding photos. Continue reading…

How Using Unsplash Got This Photographer Into Legal Trouble

We’ve been warning photographers about losing rights to their work when they upload photos on Unsplash. Now, a photographer and business owner tell us about the legal issue he could be facing after using one such photo from the platform. 

If you’ve been considering posting stuff on Unsplash to get traction for your work, we’ve been very vocal about what you stand to lose. This time, we want to share what it’s like when you’re on the other side of the fence, and the legal problem you could find yourself grappling with when you source a photo from Unsplash for use on your blog or website. Simon Palmer, a photographer, cameraman, and business owner, recently shared with us an unsavory experience that unfolded after using a photo from Unsplash for a blog. His marketing team has been instructed to use only copyright-cleared images for this purpose, so they thought it wouldn’t be an issue. However, sometime later, they were contacted by international copyright enforcer Copytrack with a copyright infringement notice, requesting a license fee. He double-checked the image on their blog and was sure they downloaded the photo from Unsplash and credited the photographer as was indicated on the site.

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Doll Photographer Sharon Marie Wright Brings Her Subjects to Life

All images by Sharon Marie Wright. Used with permission. “They either think I’m crazy or are fascinated and we end up chatting,” explains Sharon Marie Wright as we discuss the response people have to her art. “I’m okay with either scenario: you have to be if you are in public playing with dolls, right?” Doll photography may be quite a niche, but for Sharon, it has become her bread and butter. Through her powerful and creative photography, she has managed to bring her dolls to life. She makes them part of a story, gives them a narrative, and allows the viewer to be fully immersed in the fantasy. Her series, Zombies + Dolls = Your Worst Nightmare, is a surreal take on blood and gore. She has taken a child’s plaything and turned it into a monster – and we love it! Continue reading…

The Voyeur in Photography as it Relates to the Photographer’s Intentions

The idea of the voyeur in photography is one that is romanticized but never discussed in fuller length.

We talk about street photography, street portraiture, and intentions often on this site, but I feel that the idea of the voyeur is something we genuinely need to bring up again. I’m not one to say that voyeurs should be berated, but I think one’s intentions should be put into perspective. To get right to the meat of the problem, I want to tackle the issue of photographing children–an issue often brought up. Many photographers will say “No, that’s wrong and you’re going to get in trouble.” And they’re right–in today’s society, it’s easy to be labeled as a predator of some sort. While taking pictures of people in public is 100% within your legal rights, I believe street photographers should check their intentions in an effort to move street photography forward beyond the casual snapshot and the emulation of all those who came before us. That’s not to say there isn’t good work out there–the street photography world has some fantastic work. But there is a lot of the same and the images of many people look the same.

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The Sony MRW-S3 USB Hub, Tough SF-M SD Cards Are Arriving This Fall

Sony MRW-S3

If you’re all about workflow efficiency, the Sony MRW-S3 could be for you.

We all know that time is money, and that the quicker we can get done importing and editing our pictures, the quicker we can be back out behind the camera making more images. There are plenty of USB hubs on the market, but like many things, they are not all created equally. If you want to get your hands on the fastest USB UHS-II Hub in the world (according to Sony), you’ll only have to wait a few short months as Sony has just announced that their new MRW-S3 Hub will hit stores this fall alongside some new Tough SD cards. Join us after the break for more details. Continue reading…

DXOMark: How The Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S Fares Against The Rest

The Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S scored well in DXOMark’s tests.

Nikon are slowly building up the lens collection for their Z series of cameras, but with so few on the market they need to make sure that each and every release hits it out of the ballpark, especially when there is a back catalog of lenses that can easily be adapted to the Z6 and the Z7. Recently, the guys and gals over at DXOMark put the new Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S lens through their battery of tests, and it scored well, but can it compete with other lenses in its class? Join us after the break to find out. Continue reading…

Julieanne Kost Gives Us a Stunning Bird’s Eye View of Iceland

All photos by Julieanne Kost. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Our recent fascination for breathtaking aerial photography continues today. This time, we turn to the work of California-based Julieanne Kost, who recently shared the abstract beauty of Iceland’s landscapes as seen from above. Whether you’ve been looking for inspiration or great examples of aerial photography, or like seeing well-known travel destinations in a new perspective, we’re sure this series is worth checking out.

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The Poignant Story of the World’s First Staged Photograph

Learn about the unexpected story behind the first staged photograph and its creator, Hippolyte Bayard.

The staged photograph has long been part of photographers’ tools for creative expression, but how far back it goes is probably not known to many. Thankfully, Vox producer Coleman Lowndes has the answer for us, as well as the dismal story behind what is now called the world’s first staged photograph. In a Darkroom episode, he shares the events that led to its creation by a French artist and experimenter named Hippolyte Bayard.

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Review: LaCie 2big RAID (the Answer to a Photographer’s Storage Woes)

LaCie’s 2big RAID is a secure, easy to use solution for photographers and content creators in need of extra local storage.

Thanks to raw files ballooning in size from the never-ending megapixel war camera manufacturers have waged, photographers have had to deal with storage issues. Many photographers end up moving files onto cheap external hard drives as a quick fix to make room on their computers, which inevitably end up getting tossed into a drawer or cabinet. Most of these external hard drives are poorly organized, never adequately maintained, and lack any sort of redundancy in the event of hardware failure. This is why RAID storage solutions like the LaCie 2big RAID have become go-to options for many creatives with demanding workloads that require large storage footprints.

For this review, we tested the 8TB model of the LaCie 2big RAID. 4TB and 16TB options are also available, and all of the models within the LaCie 2big RAID family are functionally identical save for the difference in storage capacity. And to be honest, there isn’t a lot for photographers to complain about.

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Street Photography Globetrotter Polly Rusyn Uses Vibrant Colors

All images by Polly Rusyn. Used with permission.

“It’s a very big part of my life,” explains Polly Rusyn, as we discuss the influence travel has had on her creativity. A true globetrotter, galavanting from one destination to the next, Polly is flying the flag for street photography around the world. Her vibrant and energized work is almost a metaphor for herself; positive and full of enthusiasm. And although color is certainly the main character, her photographs have plenty of supporting roles within them that make for some awesome street photography. Because of her dedication to travel, we were worried we would not be able to connect with her. But luck was on our side and we were able to squeeze in a catch-up just before she flew off again.

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Two New Laowa Wide Angle Lenses Launched for Nikon Z and Canon RF Mounts

Venus Optics recently expanded their roster of unique Laowa lenses with the Laowa 15mm f2 Zero-D and the Laowa 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 Zoom.

Photographers looking for a wider coverage for their Nikon Z and Canon RF mount cameras now have new options from Venus Optics. The company recently introduced two new Laowa wide angle lenses: the Laowa 15mm f2 Zero-D for both Nikon and Canon RF mount, and the Laowa 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 Zoom for Nikon Z mount.

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Phoebe Jane Barrett Creates Tender Moments with Her Portrait Photography

All images by Phoebe Jane Barrett. Used with permission. 

Phoebe Jane Barrett creates tender photographs. When we look at her work, we don’t see personas or facades, we see authentic humans. Achieving this is no easy feat. And it’s clear she has the skill to connect with people. This is why it came as a surprise when she said, “I definitely lean more towards introversion.” “After a while, I felt the pull to challenge myself and push myself forward, collaborate more and focus on a variety of subjects and genres.” It’s a challenge that paid off as her work is a great example of powerful portraiture.

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F-Stop Cheat Sheet: Understanding How Aperture Works in Photography

Still figuring out how aperture affects your photos? Let this f-stop infographic be your handy guide.

If you’ve recently picked up a camera that allows manual controls, then among the variables at your fingertips is aperture. It’s the opening of your lens; each size is called an f-stop. Learning which f-stop to use to get the desired result is one of the fundamental lessons in photography, and for that we have just the cheat sheet for you.

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These Portrait Photographers Deserve More Love on Instagram

What makes the perfect portrait photography is subjective. But we think these photographers are doing a great job.

The portrait photograph will always be popular. No matter what era we’re in, people like having their photo taken. Thankfully, as photography continues evolving, photographers remain interested in this genre. The likes of Platon and Annie Leibovitz have reached superstardom with their exceptional portraiture skills, amassing a large following because of it. But, for now, we don’t want to focus on them; we’d rather focus on portrait photographers creating super dope work that could use a leg-up instead. Here are our favorite photographers with under 10k followers on Instagram.

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These Cameras Deliver Clean Images for Large Prints at ISO 6400

We went through our Reviews Index to find out which cameras deliver great 17×22 inch prints at ISO 6400.

One of the biggest things we test for with High ISO Output from cameras is how well the images print at 17×22 inches. Sure, everything looks great on a computer screen or on your phone at ISO 6400. And in terms of practicality, there is no good reason to pixel peep your images; your clients sure aren’t. They care about how the images will look on their wall when printed large. Printing is sometimes seen as a forgotten art, but if you think about how much joy it brings a photographer to see their images become manifest, then you’ll understand why high ISO output can be very important. So we went through the Reviews Index and our own printed image samples to see how they all stacked up to one another.

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The New Sigma fp Is the World’s Smallest Full Frame Mirrorless Camera

Sigma joins the Full Frame mirrorless game with its sleek, pocketable, and versatile Sigma fp. 

On top of three high-performance lenses, Sigma also unveiled the Sigma fp. If you’re looking for a smaller option to your current gear, it can’t get more compact than this. Dubbed as the world’s smallest and lightest Full Frame mirrorless camera, it measures 112.6 x 69.9 x 45.3mm and weighs 370g, yet promises to produce high-quality images for both still photography and cine shooting.

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