Dean Bradshaw Unveils “Real Life Superheroes” in Creative Portraits

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

Superheroes always make fun subjects for creative projects, so it’s not surprising to find a lot of noteworthy photography projects out there. It’s especially the case for cosplay photography, as superheroes are among the favorites of the subculture. However, did you also know that there’s actually a subculture dedicated to real life superheroes? Don’t take our word for it — just take a look at this beautiful portrait project of Los Angeles-based photographer and director Dean Bradshaw!

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Francesco Gregori Gives Us a Peek of Beijing’s Underground Scene

“Beijing Underground” photos by Francesco Gregori. Used with Creative Commons permission.

So much is out there about Beijing as an important global capital, historical center, and financial district, but as with any city, it’s also home to some vibrant subcultures. All you need to know where and what to look for. In his 2012 documentary project, Italian photographer Francesco Gregori takes us to some gigs, parties, hangouts to introduce us to some of the colorful faces of the city’s energetic underground scene.

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Three Tips for Beginners on Using a Softbox for Photography

Using a softbox for photography really isn’t difficult. Here’s how a total noob can do it.

When photographers first start using lighting, they often work with softboxes. I’m not exactly sure why; umbrellas and octabanks are superior in every way. But softboxes are still the light modifiers that everyone just knows and starts with. They’re the old reliable. But when photographers start out with lighting, they often don’t know the first thing about how to shape it. So here’s what you need to keep in mind with a softbox (in a bite sized package.)

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Mortal Kombat Cosplay Photos Show Creative Process from Photography to Digital Art

This Mortal Kombat cosplay project gives us a peek into the process involved in transforming photography into digital art specific to the subculture.

Cosplay photography remains one of the most popular and vibrant photography sub-genres, and cosplay is a visual art in its own right. Most of the impressive cosplay imagery we see begins with costumes and props made as detailed and accurate as possible, and is then followed up with great portrait photography. But when you really need to push the art further and make it more striking, you can draw inspiration from the retouching process of Chilean art director Marce Moya Ochoa and this Mortal Kombat project.

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How to Make the Most of a 50mm Lens for Portrait Photography

If you’re the type to often shoot at 35mm or wider, then a 50mm lens could be ideal for portraiture.

Photographers who often reach for 35mm or 28mm lenses can make a great case for using the 50mm lens for portrait photography. At times, an 85mm lens can feel too long, but modern 50mm lenses like a Canon RF 50mm f1.2 L USM can render a look like much of what’s on the market today. As one of its biggest advantages, it lets you frame your scene in tighter locations and also keeps you within a closer physical working distance to the subject. Best of all, due to the f1.2 aperture, the lens lets you seriously isolate your portrait subject in a way that only most 85mm lenses can.

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Andy Lee Used Infrared Photography for this Surreal Landscape Series

All photos by Andy Lee. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Infrared photography has always been a powerful tool for surreal and breathtaking landscape snaps, as we’ve seen some of our previously featured photographers do. So, we’re thrilled to add one more impressive project to the pile with yet another feature on Pembroke-based Andy Lee. Landscape photographers looking into experimenting with infrared imagery will surely find it nothing short of fascinating!

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Michael Tullberg: Taking on the Role of a Rave Historian

All text and rave photos by Michael Tullberg. Used with permission.

My name is Michael Tullberg, and I’ve been a music and pop culture photojournalist in Los Angeles for the past two decades now. I currently photograph for Getty Images’ Entertainment division, and have shot personally for artists like Diana Ross, Jane’s Addiction, and Robyn. However, my modern music work is only one reason why I’m contacting you. I’m also one of the longest-running electronic music journalists in this country, having gotten started in the L.A. rave underground in the mid-90s. Back then, I was writing and photographing for most of the dance music mags of the day, and shooting album covers for electronic music icons like Carl Cox and Ferry Corsten, to name just a couple.

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The Rokinon AF 45mm F1.8 Is Odd Compared to Other Sony FE Lenses

Rokinon AF 45mm

The new Rokinon AF 45mm f1.8 has an odd focal length compared to other Sony FE lenses, but it’s priced right.

In the last few years Rokinon has been slowly but surely increasing their Sony E mount lens offerings. Their latest lens, the Rokinon AF 45mm f1.8, is being billed as the perfect lens for your Sony camera. What really makes this offering stand out is the lenses unique focal length. The new Rokinon AF 45mm f1.8 is surprisingly the eighth new lens that the company announced this spring. This once small player in the lens market has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years, and their lens offerings keep on getting better. The Rokinon AF 45mm f1.8 will hopefully be able to deliver the goods too, like some of their other newer lenses have.

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Please Stop Passing Off Your Composite Images as Photography

Composite images have their time and place, and they can be cool, but it’s not photography.

Photoshop lets us do many wonderful things. From simple edits to complex transformations, the software has been the birth place of some spectacular work. But we have to start making a distinction between photography and Photo-shopped/composite images which really aren’t photographs at all. They are great works of art in their own right, but it’s always important to be upfront about your work, especially now in the world of ‘fake news’ and ‘fake media’. Continue reading…

Tom Hegen Reveals the Abstract Beauty of Greens and Gardens

All photos by Tom Hegen. Used with permission.

Refreshing gardens and verdant locations are eye-catching on their own, but we can trust Tom Hegen to them to us in new and remarkable ways. Last time we saw him work with foliage; he transformed stretches of man-made forests into minimalist art. In yet another beautiful aerial series, the Munich-based photographer took inspiration from gardens, cultivation sites, and patches of green to reveal the abstract charm that can only come from the view above. Continue reading…

These 135mm Prime Lenses Will Help You Capture Stunning Portraits

135mm prime lenses are just about the perfect lenses for portrait photography.

Ask any photographer his or her favorite lens for portrait photography and you’ll likely hear that an 85mm prime is their glass of choice. You’ll hear some say they like to use 50mm primes, and some even prefer to use zooms like a 24-70mm f2.8, or a 70-200mm f2.8. Every once in a while though you’ll come across a photographer who will say that their favorite glass for portraits is a 135mm prime lenses. The 135mm focal length is honestly just about the perfect lens for portraits thanks to fast apertures, incredible optics, and levels of compression that produce flattering images. Join us after the break as we take a look at six 135mm prime lenses that will help produce jaw dropping portraits. Continue reading…

Cheap Photo: Grab 100 Black and White Lightroom Presets for $12!

This Lightroom Presets deal is so hot we had to crank up the AC to the max!

We all love good deals, and wow have we found one for you here! 100 black and white Lightroom Presets for just $12; that’s going to be hard to beat! This bundle normally has a price of $49, but for a short amount of time you can pick up these Lightroom presets for next to nothing! Take the guess work out of converting your images to black and white, and use these presets for perfect results with a single click. Jump through the break for more details. Continue reading…

Klas Falk Photographs Today’s Swedish “Greasers” Subculture

All photos by Klas Falk. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Subcultures are fascinating documentary photography subjects to explore and shed light on, and there’s always one waiting to be uncovered. A perfect example is the dreamy series of Stockholm-based Klas Falk, which features today’s Swedish take on the “Greaser” youth subculture that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. If you’re looking for inspiration on photographing unique and popular subcultures, this series could give you some ideas.

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Eolo Perfido’s Clownville Goes Deeper Than His Subjects’ Masks (NSFW)

All images by Eolo Perfido. Used with permission.

“The first instrument of the portraitist is not the light, or the lens, or the camera,” explains Eolo Perfido. “It’s the subject.” The French-born, Italian photographer is a deeply thoughtful creator. His series, Clownville, offers a dose of innovation, a slice of controversy, and a generous handful of compelling concepts. Whether you’re amused or afraid of clowns, he has brought art to life that you won’t be able to look away from. For him, the series is not just an example of the creative mind; it’s a metaphor of life. The work shows a person prepared to push boundaries. It may shock or it may delight. What is for certain, however, is that it will grab your attention.

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Portrait Photography Tip: More Ideas on Posing Non-Models

Need more ideas for posing non-models for your portrait photography practice? These quick and simple tips should get you shooting stunning portraits in no time.

Whether you’re a professional portrait photographer or someone still learning the ropes, you’ll definitely be working with non-models. So if you still need some help on how to pose them for your next project, we have a really useful video tutorial that should provide lots of ideas. Portrait photographers Anita Sadowska and Irene Rudnyk recently teamed up for a quick but really helpful video demonstrating poses for non-models. With Sadowska behind the camera and Rudnyk following her directions, we see a good variety of posing techniques that will make everyone look really great in portraits.

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Cheap Photo: Save 94% on 1850 Amazing Photoshop Actions (Just $29)

photoshop actions

These Photoshop actions will help you create images that will make jaws hit the floor!

Photoshop is one of the most powerful pieces of software for photographers. There are literally hundreds upon thousands of ways for you to interact with your images, but creating styles and effects can eat away at your valuable time. The 1850 Premium Photoshop Actions Bundle can change all of that. With just a single click you’ll be able to transform your images in seconds, and you’ll be able to create clean, consistent results that will wow you and your clients. The best part is that it has a 94% discount right now, which makes it just $29! Join us after the break for more details about these incredible Photoshop actions. Continue reading…

Andy Lee Showcases Beauty in Decay in His “Abandoned” Series

All photos by Andy Lee. Used with Creative Commons permission.

There’s always something about abandoned houses and even ruins that make them perfect subjects for emotive photography. In fact, that’s precisely why there’s a genre — urban exploration photography — especially dedicated to it. We’ve put the spotlight on several photo series set in these abandoned locations, and today, we’re adding the Abandoned series of Pembroke-based Andy Lee to the pile.

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Travel Photography Tip: Comparing 35mm vs 50mm Lenses

If you’re just getting started with travel photography and have been browsing around for some tips on the best lenses to use, this 35mm vs 50mm comparison should help.

Are you an aspiring travel photographer who can’t decide yet which between 35mm and 50mm lenses is the better choice for the job? In case you’re still looking for tips and resources, Australian fashion and portrait photographer Julia Trotti comes to the rescue with a quick comparison video for both focal lengths during her recent trip to Gdansk in Poland. Since Trotti specializes in portraits, it’s only but proper for her to begin the comparison with a bunch of portrait shots. She also works mostly with prime lenses given her genre of choice, hence the focus on 35mm and 50mm prime lenses for this comparison. She also shot with the Full Frame Canon 5D Mk IV, so keep in mind that you’ll get different results if you shoot with a camera with crop frame sensor. Since this is about travel photography, she made sure to give examples for portraits we’d typically shoot during a trip: mostly half body or full body shots with careful attention to  include the landmarks behind or around the subject. Apart from portraits in both half body, full body, and close up, Trotti also did some examples for other popular subjects in travel photography: food and landscapes.

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André Josselin Highlights the Anonymous Faces of New York City

All photos by André Josselin. Used with Creative Commons permission.

In one of our recent features, Cologne-based André Josselin shared how New York City was his dream destination and, using his Leica M, André put together a visual love letter to the city. Well, aside from capturing all the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps, he also made sure to paint a picture of its people through some candid street portraits. New Yorkers certainly are among the favorite subjects of street photographers, and we’re definitely not complaining seeing more being added to the pile. Aptly titled Anonymous NYC, the collection of street portraits was taken using a Leica M10 with a 28mm Zeiss lens. It looks and feels like a continuation of the NYC Love Letter series, but with a more decisive focus on people. There’s also a more classic New York City street photography feel, even reminiscent of Bruce Gilden. More hustle and bustle, a close distance to subjects, but also more observant of the people he chose to photograph.

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How I Stopped Obsessing Over Canon L, Sony G Master, and Nikon G Lenses; and Just Continued to Shoot

There’s an obsession with Canon L, Sony G Master and Nikon G lenses that isn’t necessarily justified.

Before I go on, you should know that I’m not at all saying that lenses from these manufacturers are bad at all. Just go to DXOMark and take a look at their scores: Sony is very high up there and Canon is highly rated with their zoom lenses. But amongst those photographers who seriously started picking up the camera within the past four years, I’d like to relate to you a tale of how my obsession was similar to yours and perhaps even worse years ago. It started with Olympus, then went to Canon, and then I finally learned my lesson. Before you drop absurd amounts of money that you don’t really need to spend, you should probably consider how the bliss from ignorance will one day only make you realize that you’re not going to be any better of a photographer just because you own these lenses.

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Firmware 2.0 Gives the Nikon Z6 and Z7 New Autofocus Revamps

The Nikon Z7 and the Nikon Z6 will today get improved autofocus performance according to the company.

When we went about testing the Nikon Z6 and the Nikon Z7, we found the autofocus performance of each of them to be behind that of pretty much every other manufacturer. And now, the long awaited autofocus improvement firmware is ready to launch. The company is today announcing that in addition to eye-detection autofocus for still-image shooting, the Nikon Z6 and the Nikon Z7 should be able to focus better in low light situations. All the details you need from the press release are after the jump.

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