These 10 Street Photographers Show the Medium Isn’t Dead

17. Aug. 2019
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Street photography is alive and kicking. These photographers prove it.

“Street photography is dead,” proclaim the pessimists. We disagree. We believe the scene is thriving more than ever. There’s a worldwide community coming together to keep the craft fresh and exciting. There’s also a lot of mediocre work out there, but that’s part of any discipline. To say it’s dead, however, is incredibly inaccurate. There are street photographers today who produce fantastic work. And it gives us confidence that the current state of street photography is bright. So, with great pleasure, we give you 10 street photographers that show the future is in good hands.

FACTS: Why Leica M is the Best System for a Film Photographer

15. Aug. 2019
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Film photographers: besides a few point and shoots, you’re best off using a Leica camera for many reasons.

If you’re a Leica film photographer already, then you most likely agree with this statement. Though the Canon, Nikon, and Pentax users are probably going to be salty here, there is very little use for a film SLR in the 35mm format. All of the viewfinders are dark at night–which is a problem unless you’re really just shooting during the day. But with a rangefinder, it’s typically much easier to get your subject in focus and to get a lightweight package. The Leica M series of cameras (and to a certain point Voigtlander cameras and Zeiss Ikons) are great tools for the modern film photographer. We’re going to tell you why.

Why Prime Lenses Are So Much Better Than Zooms

15. Aug. 2019
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Prime lenses are the love of many photographers and for great reasons.

While many photographers will reach for the convenience that a zoom lens offers and fix their photos in post, the photographers who reach for prime lenses tend to think about their images in a completely different way. A prime lens is what many photographers are taught to work with to help them develop not only their photographic eye but also their photographic identity. After this, photographers tend to work and develop new needs and end up changing to different focal lengths. Through and through, prime lenses are the best options over zooms for a wide variety of reasons. But why? HINT: it has to do with making things less technical.

6 Spectacular Third Party Lenses to Use on Fujifilm X Mount Cameras

14. Aug. 2019
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There might not be many third party lenses for Fujifilm X Mount cameras, but the ones you can get your hands on are top drawer.

The Fujifilm platform is unique: there are very few third-party lenses available for the system. Fujifilm’s reluctance to share the secrets of their AF systems with the like of Sigma, Tamron, and others means that, for the most part, users can only choose from native Fujifilm glass. This is not a bad thing as Fujifilm lenses are fantastic, but many Fujifilm users believe that there are no third-party lenses available at all to use with Fujifilm X Mount cameras. This is a bad thing: there are some genuinely spectacular manual focus lenses for the platform, including some from Zeiss. If you own a Fujifilm X Mount camera, you owe it to yourself to check out these six stunning third-party lenses. Continue reading…

Opinion: The Best Camera Is Your Eyes and Brain; Not the Device in Your Hands

13. Aug. 2019
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This is a reminder to photographers to actually experience things, not just capture or create.

There is a great exercise for photographers that actually involves not having your camera with you (and also not using the camera on your phone either). Instead, you just immerse yourself in an experience and forego getting a photo that may otherwise be subpar and end up buried somewhere in a social media feed only to be forgotten for a few double taps. No camera can capture a personal experience. Cameras know nothing about love, about creativity, about anger; they know nothing of emotions. Humans do, and sometimes we try to hide behind cameras to shield ourselves from tough moments, or spend all of an experience staring at the back of a screen/through a viewfinder rather than actually paying attention to what’s happening in front of us.

8 Lenses to Pair with Your Fujifilm X-T3 for Stunning Landscape Images

12. Aug. 2019
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landscape photography with the Fujifilm X-T3

The Fujifilm X-T3, when paired up with any of these lenses, will become a landscape photographers best friend.

The Fujifilm X-T3 is a master of all trades when it comes to photography. The 26.2 Megapixel X-Trans sensor is capable of resolving a ton of detail, and it can produce gorgeous colors. Couple these thing with the fact that it is weather-sealed, affordable at $1,499, and has a vast library of lenses to go with it, and you begin to see why the camera is so popular. The X-T3 just happens to be great for landscape photography too thanks to these characteristics, and when paired with the lenses we have chosen below, it will help you produce luscious landscapes that will show off the true beauty of the world around you. Continue reading…

Why the CASE Act Is So Incredibly Important for Every Photographer

12. Aug. 2019
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If you’re reading this, at one point or another you felt compelled to pick up a camera, pursue and develop the craft, or appreciate the immense talents of other image-makers.

You found the satisfaction in documentation, capturing a moment, preserving a memory, literally stopping time. You discovered the power of the universe in your hands in that instant, and it inspired and ignited you the way only art and creation can. You felt the creative connection that I hope all of us get to experience as often and fully as possible, that artistic expression of self.

8 Fantastic Travel Photographers with Under 10,000 Instagram Followers

11. Aug. 2019
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Oh my god, it’s back again, this time with travel photographers under 10k.

While you may not appreciate our efforts above to rewrite the lyrics of a classic Back Street Boys song, we’re sure you’ll enjoy this installment of great photographers with under 10k followers on Instagram. In this article, we shift the focus to travel photography. Quality travel photography requires skills that go beyond what happens in-camera. Having good geographical awareness, inside knowledge, and a sense of what makes a place beat are all needed to get robust and consistent travel photographs. The photographers below show they have what’s required in order to excel in this genre of photography. That’s why we find ourselves scratching our heads at why more people are not following their work!

6 Lenses for Perfect Portrait Photographer with the Fujifilm X-T3

09. Aug. 2019
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If you own the excellent Fujifilm X-T3 and want to take your portraits to a new level, consider using these lenses.

The Fujifilm X-T3 is one of the most powerful APS-C cameras to grace the camera market. The camera is feature-packed and can create images on par with the images of some Full Frame cameras. There are some fantastic lenses available for it too. If you have been thinking about switching to the X-T3, or currently own one and want to start shooting portraits with it, the lenses we have listed will not disappoint. We know they will amaze you. Check out our six favorite lenses for portrait photography on the Fujifilm X-T3 after the break. Continue reading…

An Ode to the Leica M9: the Best Digital Leica They Ever Delivered

08. Aug. 2019
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Every now and again, I consider buying a Leica M9 because of just how unique it is in the history of Leica’s cameras.

The Leica M9 is one of the last digital cameras for master photographers who are great at their craft. They were made before the selfie became super famous. At that time, the M9 cost many thousands of dollars. It was released around the time of the Canon 5D Mk II, the Nikon D700, and the Sony a900–all of which were innovative in their own rights. But the Leica M9 was the first mirrorless full-frame camera to really grace the market. It was plagued with a few issues like incompatibility with certain SD cards, lousy battery life, sometimes slow performance, etc. However, I’m not sure there was a single photographer that would doubt the quality of the images that came from its sensor. True to my previous statement about master photographers, the Leica M9 hearkened to the photographer who shot chrome film and gawked at the photographer who reached for negatives to try to get a better result in the darkroom. The sensor’s output wasn’t as versatile as other CMOS sensors of the day, but every photographer who held a Leica M9 secretly coveted something like it.

5 Affordable Full Frame Cameras for Professional Photographers

07. Aug. 2019
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A follow up was requested by a reader who told us that Full Frame cameras can be just as cheap as the APS-C cameras we mentioned in another roundup.

After a recent post about APS-C cameras that are used by professional photographers, we were contacted by a reader who wanted to point out that there are Full Frame cameras that can be picked up for around the same price as the most expensive APS-C cameras we listed. This is indeed true, but there are few to choose from. However, if Full Frame cameras are the ultimate goal for you, but you don’t want to shell out much more than $1,500, the Full Frame cameras in this roundup are worth checking out. We’ll take a look at five affordable Full Frame cameras after the break.

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Opinion: 35mm Is the Most Versatile Focal Length in Photography

07. Aug. 2019
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The 35mm lens beats your 50mm and your 28mm lens at everything with its absolute balance on subject matter.

While I personally see the world more in 28mm, 35mm is the best when it comes to versatility with creating images. When first starting out, I was told to use 50mm. And it was wrong. It was dead wrong. I’ve grown to appreciate what 50mm can do, but I’m not a fan of it nor the marketing and cults that seem to be behind it. While I see the world in 28mm, the variety of 28mm lenses on the market right now are just not that perfect. But 35mm lenses are pretty darned great. In an ideal world, we’d have more 40mm lenses; we don’t.

6 APS-C Cameras Used by Professional Photographers

05. Aug. 2019
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APS-C cameras have come a long way in a short amount of time, and some are more than good enough for professional use.

The current buzz word in a lot of photography realms is Full Frame. The reason behind this is that the big three (Sony, Canon, Nikon) have been focusing on Full-Frame Mirrorless cameras more than anything else. Only Fujifilm has been really pumping out APS-C cameras. It can be easy then to question whether APS-C cameras are indeed ‘good enough’ for photographers these days given the publicity surrounding Full Frame models. We’re here to tell you that you do not need to buy a Full Frame camera to be considered a pro. APS-C cameras are absolute powerhouses these days, and they feature all of the technology that their bigger sensor brothers do. Here we will take a quick look at six APS-C cameras that will deliver pro results without the huge price tags of their Full Frame brethren. Continue reading…

Back to School: The Best Cameras, Lenses, and More for 2019

05. Aug. 2019
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Get some new camera gear just in time for the new school year.

As the summer is beginning to wind down in the United States, many students are beginning to gather supplies and other essentials in preparation for the upcoming school year. With the Fall semester rapidly approaching, we’ve put this roundup together for the photography enthusiasts looking to assemble their Back-To-School Photography Kit for the new school year.

Continue reading…

7 Mirrorless Cameras Perfect for Students Heading Off to School

03. Aug. 2019
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These Mirrorless cameras are perfect for capturing memories of the best days of your life.

Are you a student heading into their final year of high school? Perhaps you’re about to embark on the next stage of your journey and you’re heading off to college, or maybe you’re in the final year of your four-year school. Either way, these are all monumental moments, and you should cherish them. Having a camera with you will help you capture the memories that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Whether it’s memories made with friends, your personal achievements, or even wild parties you want to remember, these Mirrorless cameras will help you. Here are seven easy to use Mirrorless cameras that won’t break the bank. Continue reading…

Boys! Boys! Boys! Further Shows Objectification of Women in Photography

02. Aug. 2019
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To follow the full scope of this article, please see the prior piece written on this gallery’s approach to online auctions.

Sometimes people throw out the modern cultural adage ‘stay in your lane,‘ with varying degrees of validity. Thanks to Black Box Gallery, this is a particularly evident case of “more than warranted” – it’s undeniable that the respect and representation of the queer/gay male community are held in much higher regard by the curators than their respect for women. In their previous auction, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Black Box showed lewd, borderline pornographic (and I don’t mean that in any anti-porn capacity: we as a culture need to embrace more sex positivity and end slut-shaming. Rather, I’m speaking to the hypersexualized nature of the curation), male-fantasy driven imagery portraying ‘women’s powerful sexuality’ through the lens of the male gaze. In this new auction which, for the purposes of this comparison piece, could not be more appropriately named, we see an exploration of the queer/gay male community via male sexuality.

10 Lenses to Pair with the Sony a7r IV for Sensational Studio Shoots

01. Aug. 2019
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If you’re going to ante up for the Sony a7r IV and you do a lot of studio shoots, you might want to consider using these incredible lenses.

The Sony a7r IV is going to be one powerful camera, and we’re sure many photographers will decide to splash the cash on the Full Frame Mirrorless beast once it hits stores later this year. If you’re a photographer who does a lot of studio shoots, and want to be able to get the best out of the 61 Megapixel sensor, you’re going to need lenses that can resolve a ton of detail. In this roundup, we take a look at 10 lenses perfect for studio shoots.

I’m a Street Photographer and Gave Being an Instagram Boyfriend a Shot

01. Aug. 2019
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To see what it was like to make photographs for “The Grams,” I turned myself into an Instagram boyfriend!

People travel all over the world to visit cool destinations. In previous eras, people were more than happy to get some snaps on a disposable camera, but holiday goers today take their photography very seriously. Social influencers are now a thing, and the everyday person is cashing in. That’s why you will often see the fashionable, beautiful girlfriend review her iPhone and promptly tell her boyfriend to “retake the photo!” I wanted to see what that experience would be like. Now, I’d like to say that, in order to become an Instagram boyfriend, I met the woman of my dreams. And I’d like to say that we both fell in love and embarked on a fantastic journey of emotional growth and development. But the truth is we worked with a highly talented, professional model to build this piece. Katie Hodgson is a UK based model who was more than willing to be my muse for what turned out to be a grey, rainy day in London (shocker!).

Sigma Tops The DXOMark Top 10 Lenses League Table for July 2019

29. Jul. 2019
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The DXOMark lens league table is dominated by Sony, Zeiss, and Sigma yet again.

It’s that time of the month again where we take a look at the top 10 lenses according to the guys and gals at DXOMark. If you have been wondering which lenses are the very best optically, and want to know where you should spend your hard-earned money, you should check out the DXOMark lens league table. There may be a few surprises in there that have flown under your radar. Join us after the break to see which lenses you should buy if you want the best of the best. Continue reading…

On Using the Fujifilm X Series of Cameras as a Journalist

29. Jul. 2019
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The Fujifilm X series is given a lot of credit, but nowhere as much as Sony’s also great full frame mirrorless cameras.

The Fujifilm X series of cameras make solid companions for photojournalists, but only if certain cameras are used along with certain lenses. If a photographer chooses to work with the options available, they’ll find that the Fujifilm X system can be a fantastic option for a journalist working to earn a living. Sony arguably has the best option with all of its sensors being stabilized, and a variety of cameras that can do different things and offer a variety of features for different needs. But in the case of Fujifilm, that option isn’t available. All of their cameras more or less have some iteration of the same sensor. To that end, different form factors and features are what separate one camera from the next.

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