Jeff Karp’s Beautiful Street Photography Finds Light in the Darkness

All images by Jeff Karp. Used with permission.

Jeff Karp is an exceptional street photographer. In a short period of time, he has amassed a strong, supportive following through Instagram. “I am so grateful and humbled by every person who chooses to authentically follow,” he says when speaking of his rise to success. This, however, is not someone who is solely focused on popularity. Here is a man who takes street photography very seriously. He is just as passionate about improving as he is creating – clearly evident through the images he makes. A street photography journey that’s still very much in its birth, Jeff tells us, “I work every day to get better”.

Jeff very kindly took time out of his busy schedule to chat to us about his experience in street photography so far…

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Did You Know About This Nikon 170mm F1.4 Lens from Years Ago?

If you want to get your hands on the Nikon 170mm f1.4, you’ll need at least $50,000 to start.

Just imagine the portraits one could take with a Nikon 170mm f1.4 lens, let alone the nightmare they’d have with focusing. Every time you’re told that a long telephoto lens would be too big and that no one would buy it, consider it to be complete poppycock. Indeed, a lens like this is possible, and even though it’s pretty big and very silver in appearance, it is very well possible.

 

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Creating Stunning Portraits Using Beautiful Golden Hour Light

While you don’t need the golden hour to get the best portraits, it surely does help.

For the uninitiated, Golden Hour describes the short, fleeting period of time just after the sun had risen or immediately before it is about to set. During this momentary window, the sun appears very close to the horizon and produces a quality of available light that tends to be beautifully diffused and typically embodies a warmer tone than usual. Portrait photographers, particularly those that rely heavily on natural light, often prefer to photograph their subjects during these ephemeral minutes because of the beautiful quality the light imparts onto their subjects. We have a wealth of tutorials here on The Phoblographer that cover topics such as portrait subject posing as well as how to best interact with your subjects to bring out the expressions you’re looking for, but for the purposes of this particular tutorial, we are going to focus specifically on the challenges that you will likely come across when photographing portraits during Golden Hour and what you can do to combat them.
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The Zenitar 50mm f0.95 for Sony FE Will Need Their Awful Focus Peaking

If you’re considering the Zenit Zenitar 50mm f0.95 lens, then just remember one of Sony’s biggest problems.

When I saw the news of the new Zenit Zenitar 50mm f0.95 lens I was truly as excited as so many of you are, but then I remembered just how terrible it is to use the focus peaking feature on Sony FE cameras. Now lots of you may say, “Chris, you can just use magnification.” But the truth is that you shouldn’t have to do that and it really isn’t a faster way of working with the lens because you need to move the focusing point around depending on your scene’s composition unless you’re an absolute master of the focus and recompose method of shooting–and I doubt many of you are. So while the Zenit Zenitar 50mm f0.95 seems to be quite tempting, I’m going to warn folks against it at least initially.

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Opinion: The Film Photography World is a Million Times Less Toxic Than the Digital World

If you’re looking for a sphere within the photography world that isn’t a bunch of dudes just complaining about pixels and measurbations, then consider film.

I love film and I love film photography. In fact, I adore it. I am enamored with the conversations around it, with the discipline involved in knowing that you need to be more careful and how that translates into digital photography, with the formats and how much more affordable it becomes as you go for larger sizes, the look, and most importantly its people. There are far less frivolous conversations in the film photography world about megapickles (spelled this way purposely) and one brand vs another–instead it’s more about creative intent.

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Here’s Why a Fujifilm Full Frame Camera Isn’t Coming Anytime Soon

If you’re waiting for a Fujifilm full frame camera, we hate to say this but it doesn’t seem to be in the company’s plans.

Fujifilm has already launched some pretty landmark cameras of the digital age, but there’s still one thing missing in their line-up: a Fujifilm full frame camera masterpiece. Despite the clamor for it, the company has made it clear in a recent interview with Fujifilm’s Shinichiro Udono, Jun Watanabe, and Takuya Noguchi at the CP+ 2019 by French website Photo Trend.

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Cheap Photo: These Cheap 50mm Lenses Are Fantastic Choices

If you’re on the hunt for affordable but really solid 50mm lenses, then this list will be tempting.

It’s tax time here in the US, and in continuing with our search for really affordable lenses and cameras we’ve found a number of great and cheap 50mm lenses for you to choose from. We’re trying to ensure that you don’t break the bank. Because we’re catering this to full frame shooters, you’re going to find a 50mm lens with glorious bokeh that you’re seriously going to love.

So let’s take a look at the list!

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Kevin Bauman Paints a Portrait of Detroit’s Past in 100 Abandoned Houses

All images by Kevin Bauman. Used with Creative Commons permission.

A city, much like all of us, changes, evolves, and ages. Just look at photos of your city or home town from 20 years ago and you’ll see some changes, big or small. Denver-based Kevin Bauman takes this a notch higher with an interesting project simply called 100 Abandoned Houses. Part architectural and part documentary photography, he takes us around the streets of Detroit to showcase the lingering remnants of a shrinking city.

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Here’s a Creative Way to Think About How Lens Apertures Physically Work

Photographer Nick de Bruijn came up with this really fun way to explain lens apertures to a friend.

When we think about all of the visual graphs in regards to how lens apertures work, there are literal drawings of them. But photographer Nick de Bruijn came up with a special way of explaining how they work simply by using and carefully arranging the lenses themselves. As you can in the image above, the lenses are arranged from top to bottom from 1.2 to f3.5. The way that one is supposed to think about this is the largest aperture is on top (and therefore less closed down) and then smallest is on the bottom. Of course, that all depends on the maximum aperture of the lens–but if you think about the size of this all being in regards to a single lens, then you’ll see how genius this all is.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Astrophotography and The Gear Needed to Succeed

astrophotography

Astrophotography is one of the most rewarding genres of photography, and it’s really not as difficult as you might think.

When we think about astrophotography, we often think about creating a sense of wanderlust and awe that we’re all experiencing when we see the photos. I mean, have you ever wanted to be able to capture stunning pictures of the night sky but weren’t really sure what you needed to do, and didn’t really know what equipment you would need? If so this beginner’s guide to astrophotography is for you. In this guide we will take a look at the basics of astrophotography and will cover things such as camera settings, the 500 rule, how to stack images, and we will take a look at the gear you’ll need to create out of this world Milky Way and night sky images.

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Thingify Unveils Pinhole Pro X, the World’s First Zoom Pinhole Lens

If you’re feeling experimental with your digital camera, Thingify has just announced the first zoom pinhole lens, Pinhole Pro X, for you to play with.

Thingify, the Toronto-based company that brought us a bunch of quirky professional pinhole lenses for mirrorless cameras and DSLRs, are at it again with a new creation. This time, it’s touted as the world’s first zoom pinhole lens, and now the third in the Thingify Pinhole Pro range of lenses.

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The Phoblographer’s Guide to Kodak Film for Professional Photographers

Kodak film is some of the best that you’re going to find on the market; and for good reason too!

The world of analog film photography is one currently experiencing a Renaissance; and at the forefront of it is Kodak film. Kodak is the last big company producing film that hasn’t cut emulsions but instead is bringing out new ones. Professional photographers used to use Kodak film for years and today the new breed of analog photographers does just that. There are a number of options for photographers to get into–with some of the tried and true emulsions being both Kodak Tri-X and Kodak Portra. Look around the web, and you’ll see tutorials and presets for digital photographers to get the look of these films. But no matter how hard they try, they just don’t recapture the magic of film.

We’ve reviewed every professional film emulsion that Kodak offers, and so we’re rounding up our reviews for you in one spot.

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Cheap Photo: Mirrorless Camera Deals and Lenses for Under $600

Just because Uncle Sam took a chunk out of your wallet doesn’t mean that you can’t get a sweet new camera or lens.

We’d like to call this a recession special of sorts, but it really isn’t at all. However, we totally know that many of you are still looking to get your hands on a few more affordable lenses, cameras and more. So we went through and rounded up a number that we really like.

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This Signed Andy Warhol Cover of Robin Williams Costs Over $1,000,000

If you’re a fan of Robin Williams and Andy Warhol both, then this is your collectible dream.

Perhaps a one of a kind, there is currently a really rare signed Interview magazine on eBay featuring Robin Williams on the cover and signed by Andy Warhol. The seller, who has a 100% positive rating by more than 600 other folks, has a very interesting story behind how the piece came about. And if you’re both a fan of Andy and Robin (I’m personally a fan of both) then this is something that is very important to you–if you can stomach the price of over $1,000,000. For a vintage antique dating back to over 30 years ago and for something that is really this rare, it’s still pretty easy for one to question the price.

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DXOMark: The Sony a7r III is Just a Hair Better Than the Nikon Z7

DxoMark says that the Nikon Z7 really falls behind the Sony a7r III in high ISO performance

Let’s be honest here: Nikon z7 sales haven’t been the best and if anything, DXOMark’s latest tests on the camera are just an ego boost to Sony users. Nikon’s current top end mirrorless camera scored an incredibly 99 points right under the Sony a7r III–which has 100 points. But fear not Nikonians–your beloved Nikon D850 is still king of the full frame charts.

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Inside Work in Process: Australia’s Latest Analog Film Lab

Ever wanted to build your own darkroom or even dreamed of opening your own film lab? You might want to take notes from our guy Brock Saddler.

It’s been a while since we last touched base with Brock Saddler, the Australia-based photographer who showed us how to hack the Bronica ETRS to shoot Fujifilm Instax Mini Film. While he hasn’t been successful yet in creating a seamless version of this project, he was actually busy with something else: his own film developing lab. It was something that was always in his mind, and he was happy to report that he was finally able to set it up and get it running for the past 8 months.

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Dubble Announces Stereo-Inspired “Transitional” Specialty Film

Dubble is at it again; a new treat for film photographers with a taste for the fun and the experimental.

Are you a film photographer looking for something fun to shoot with? Count on Dubble to deliver exactly that. This time, it’s another vibrant film (why of course) called STEREO. As you probably have guessed, the name alludes to the 3D red and cyan glasses once used to view stereo photographs. This inspiration comes alive in the STEREO as yet another experimental emulsion Dubble crafted in collaboration with revolog, and is described as a “transitional specialty film”. And it does just that, with a full frame starting in red tint then gradually fading into full frame in blue tint. So, essentially, you get two different hues, and twice the fun in your snaps!

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I’m a Street Photographer Transitioning into Posed Portraiture

I spent years chasing the candid frame. Now, I’m moving into the world of planned photo shoots and learning a lot along the way.

It took a long time for me to get confident when shooting on the streets. Now, as I embark into the world of portraiture, I feel like I’m starting all over again. New worlds, different approaches, dealing with many personalities; all of this is putting me out of my comfort zone, and I love it! So, as I move on this creative journey, I’m taking you with me, sharing with you what my experience has been like so far.

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How Street Photography Lead Mo Gelber to a Path of Healing

There are many reasons someone takes up street photography. To create, to escape, and in some cases, to heal.

Mo Gelber is a NYC-based street photographer, who gravitated towards the craft to soothe the pain he had been carrying for most of his life. When recounting his childhood he tells us, “I grew up in a dysfunctional home full of violence.” He continues, “my father would let out all his personal frustrations on me.” His suffering needed solace and it was street photography that was going to bridge the gap between the two. In a heartfelt, emotional story, Mo was bravely able to share his journey with us.

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Does Canon’s Next Mirrorless Camera Need to Be a 70MP Monster?

A new report suggests the next Mirrorless camera in Canon’s EOS R line-up may have a sensor bursting with megapixels.

As the Mirrorless race heats up, more and more reports are hitting the circuit in regards to what road Canon may take in regards to their next Mirrorless camera. We have already seen a mid-tier Mirrorless camera in the EOS R, and we now have the entry level EOS RP as well. So, where does Canon go next? If reports are to be believed, they will try to win users over with a 70MP monster. Continue reading…

Create Great Prints with These Six Essential Photography Studio Tools

You’ll be creating and printing like a boss with these tools!

Having the right tools to edit and print your images in your photography studio is just as important as having the right camera and lenses to take the images. The post processing side of things is often overlooked, but having the right equipment in your photography studio is essential. In this roundup we’re going to look at items that will speed up your post processing times, monitors that display razor sharp, color accurate images, and printers that will blow you away with their print quality. These are all items every photography studio should have, especially if you want to create the best images for you and your clients. Continue reading…