The Best, First Prime Lens to Buy for Each Camera System

Move away from kit lenses and branch out with a prime lens.

The kit lenses that come bundled with your camera allow good flexibility as they generally cover a large range of focal lengths. The down side to them is that the image quality they produce is not always the best. One of the best things you can do to really increase image quality is to buy a prime lens. These small, lightweight lenses are fast and offer razor sharp image quality. Here’s a look at the first prime lens every photographer should buy on their chosen platform. Continue reading…

5 Large Sensor Cameras Under $700 For the Everyday Photographer

If you’re an everyday photographer, or documentarian who wants to travel light, these incredibly affordable, compact cameras might be for you.

What is an everyday photographer you might be asking? Simply put it’s someone who likes to capture the world around them on a daily basis. Perhaps a mom who likes to document their time spent with her children who are growing up before her eyes. It’s someone who wants to go on photo walks to capture the ever evolving world around them, or a person who just likes to document moments in their life. After the break see which compact, highly affordable Mirrorless cameras we recommend to capture fleeting moments.
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These 5 Lenses are Complete Monsters But Have Lots of Innovation

We currently live in a world where modern lenses are turning into absolute monsters and beasts.

There are a few lenses that honestly surprise us and cause us here at the Phoblographer to provide manufacturers with applaud for trying something so incredibly different. While lenses are said and meant to be pretty small as much as possible, some lenses are absolute monsters. These lenses, however, often incorporate some interesting innovations to them. So we’ve rounded up a number of lenses that are really amazing us right now.

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Black History Month: Celebrating 10 Photographers From The Black Community

Lead photo by Aundre Larrow. Used with permission.

All year round we should celebrate photographers from the black community. February, however, is a great opportunity to shine some extra light on the best of the best in the scene–it’s Black History Month in the US afterall. In line with Black History month, we have compiled a list of 10 photographers whose work gets our photographic juices flowing. From portrait photographers to street photographers, this list showcases the breadth of quality throughout different sub-genres in the industry.

Allow these fine photographers to provide the glitz and glamour, and let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.

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How To Turn Your Photography Writing Into A Form of Income

In the digital age, blogging has become an integral part of a photographer’s business. If you’re looking to turn your photography writing into a form of income, this one’s for you.

Thanks to the internet everyone can get their words down on virtual paper and try to spread their message to the world. Certainly over the past five years the idea of writing from your laptop — and making money from it — has become a very attractive profession, especially to millennials. The term “Digital Nomad” was born and everyone wants a slice of the pie. The idea of taking great photos and writing articles to go with them has become big business — hence why so many want to get involved. But while some believe that all you need is an internet connection, a blog account, and a strong yoga pose in your avatar, the reality is it takes a lot of sacrifices to start making money from writing about photography.

In this piece I’m going to share my personal journey and the steps you need to take if you’re aiming to earn an income from writing.

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6 Great Lights That Will Take Your Portrait Photography to Another Level

Adding external lighting and off camera flash into your portrait photography will make your images so much better.

Adding external lighting into your portrait photography workflow will really help you make images that will stand out from the crowd. While natural lighting is great, adding flashes and monolights into the mix can really make your images incredibly dynamic. There are so many lighting options on the market though, so it can be hard to choose between the options out there. In this feature we will take a look at six different lighting options that are affordable, and easy to use. There’s no doubt that they will help you take your portrait photography to new levels.  Continue reading…

Four Affordable, Manual Focus, Wide Angle Lenses for Land and Cityscapes

These wide angle lenses are razor sharp, and they’re priced right too.

 

The great thing about landscape photography is that it’s a genre that can be participated in year round. You can head back to the same locations four times a year and you can capture different shots each time thanks to the changing seasons. You can also adventure and find new places to shoot all the time as well. The possibilities are endless. Another great thing about landscape photography is that you don’t need to break the bank on lenses that will allow you to get amazing shots. These four manual focusing, wide angle lenses that we will be sharing with you are all ridiculously sharp, and because they’re manual focus, they’re half the price of some similar autofocusing lenses. Join us after the break to see which four we recommend. Continue reading…

Opinion: The “Photographer Friend Rate” is Sacred and Should be Treated as Such

I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about with the “Friend rate.”

I used to have a roommate who was the stingiest of people and no matter what sort of favors he was asking for, always asked for the friend rate. It didn’t matter if he didn’t personally know the people he was speaking to, he always tried to haggle and ask for a lower price instead of respecting a price point at face value. There’s a time and a place to do this; and there’s also an obvious intent on doing that.

By the way, there’s a big emphasis on used to have. We don’t speak anymore.

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20 Photography Gifts Under $300 for Your Loved One on Valentine’s Day

If you don’t know what to get for the photographer in your life this Valentine’s Day, check out this list of products that would make perfect photography gifts.

Photographers can sometimes come across as hard to buy gifts for, but we’re really a simple bunch. This Valentine’s Day, if you’re thinking about picking something up the photographer in your life, you don’t need to look any further than this list. We have put together a list of 20 photography gifts under $300 that any photographer would fall in love with. Check out our suggestions after the break. Continue reading…

I’m a Professional Photographer and I Never Feel Like I Need a Holiday

Who needs a holiday when you have one of the best jobs in the world?

Whatever type and style of photography that you do, you can’t deny that working as a photographer is an unbelievable experience with its ups and downs like every other job but, unlike any other job, most of us choose to become a photographer and be it for the lifestyle of a fashion photographer, the experiences of a photojournalist, or the flavours of a food photographer, we chose to get into our niche because we love what we do. Who would ever want to have a break from that?

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Six Low Cost Prime Lenses Perfect for Senior Portrait Photography

Take your senior portrait photography to a new level with these affordable prime lenses.

Senior portrait season is in full swing in the USA. Senior portraits (for those unfamiliar with them) are portraits of students who will be graduating from high school. This is a time honored tradition in the United States, and an important milestone for students. The Senior Portrait season brings about a lot of work for photographers, and it’s often the first place new photographers will begin working for pay. As with any genre of photography, having the right lens is critical.  Continue reading…

Why 1/320th Flash Sync on Panasonic S1 and Panasonic S1R is So Great

The Panasonic S1 and Panasonic S1R have 1/320th flash sync speeds; and there are huge reasons why this is awesome.

One of the biggest things that I’m personally so excited about with the new Panasonic S1 and Panasonic S1R is the innovation brought to a full frame camera with shutter speeds and flash sync. Panasonic redesigned the entire shutter mechanism and gave it this ability–which is a first for mirrorless full frame cameras. Portrait and event photographers along with photojournalists and wedding photographers will greatly value this new boost to what they were already doing. While much of the photography world tries to put an emphasis on natural light and excessive Lightroom/Photoshop production, I feel like this helps put power back into the hands of true photographers and not editors.

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Five Handsome Messenger Bags Under $400 You’ll Fall in Love with

Looking to start a new relationship with a camera bag this month? Check out these fine messenger bags that won’t break the bank, or your heart.

Like in any good relationship, there must be trust for it to work. The camera bags we choose to use say a lot about us, and we trust in them to carry our expensive cameras and lenses. Choosing a new camera bag is like searching for a new mate. We take looks, personality, dependability, and just how hard the new relationship will hit our wallets into account. There are some messenger bags out there that cost an absolute fortune, but the ones we’ve picked here are easy on the eyes, and they’re ready for long term commitment.
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The Ten Sharpest Lenses You Can Buy According to DXOMark (01/2019)

If you’re looking for some new glass, you should check out the top ten lenses that have been given high scores by DXOMark.

There’s nothing quite as exciting as getting some new glass for your camera. Buying good quality lenses is incredibly important, after all they will determine if you’ll be able to get razor sharp shots or create the bokeh you may desire. Lenses are also incredibly expensive so it’s worth doing your research. Fortunately sites like DXO Mark can be used to see how the lenses you’re interested in perform. There results provided on the top ten lenses aren’t the be all end all, but the information you can get from DXO Mark can help you make a decision that’s right for you. Join us after the break to see the top ten lenses you can buy according to DXOMark.

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The Top 10 Cameras for Photographers Ranked by DXO Mark (1/2019)

Take a look at the top 10 cameras in terms of sensor performance before you buy your next camera.  

The camera market is a minefield these days due to the sheer number of quality choices we have from manufacturers. Everyone on the web has their opinions about different camera bodies and what they can do, but if you want to make your next purchase based solely off of overall sensor performance, the top 10 cameras according to DXO Mark that are listed below are the ones you should check out. After the break we’ll share with you the top 10 cameras that DXO Mark have carried out their tests on.

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Photographers: We’re Blowing This Onion Ring Bokeh Thing Out of Proportion

The phenomena of onion ring bokeh has to be the stupidest thing for photographers and engineers to complain about yet.

Have you heard of onion bokeh? If you’ve been speaking to those within the more tech oriented side of the industry in the past few months, you’ll have heard a lot about this. It’s the new thing photographers and engineers have been perfectly okay with for years but are now suddenly not. In all candidness, it’s one of the dumbest things I’ve heard in a long time.

Editor’s Note: YES THAT LEAD IMAGE DOESN’T HAVE ONION RING BOKEH!

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Five Zoom Lenses Under $1,000 that Make Photo Walking Incredibly Fun

Photo walking is much more enjoyable when you only have to carry only one lens.

Photo walking is a favorite past time of many. The social aspect of it always makes it fun, and just being out to take pictures of whatever you fancy brings about a sense of peace and calm. One thing you don’t want to do when photo walking though is carry a bunch of lenses with you; that just takes away from the simplicity of the event. After the break we’re going to share five versatile lenses that you can take on photo walks that will produce amazing images, and will put the fun back into your walks.

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Video: Watch What we Did to the Olympus OMD EM1x

When we got the Olympus OMD EM1x in for review, we were trying to figure out ways to test its weather sealing as best as possible.

I think we can honestly say “Mission Accomplished” in showing off just how durable the Olympus OMD EM1x is for photographers. This camera is the most durable that we’ve tested thus far, and we’re pretty proud to say that mostly anyone that uses it will find it to be reliable enough in pretty much any circumstance. The Olympus OMD EM1x is being rated to IPX1–which is incredibly durable for a camera of any sort. As it is, no other camera manufacturer discloses their IP numbers. Your smartphone is rated at a higher number than this–perhaps 6 or something like that.

But check out what we did.

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Camera Bag Makers: Tripods Do Not Belong on the Side of Our Camera Bags

Please stop treating tripods like a piece of gear that isn’t necessary, camera bag makers.

What’s the point of a backpack as a camera bag? I want to hone in on this before I defend my idea as a photographer who tests arguably the most camera bags on the web. The purpose of a backpack as a camera bag is the same as the one you choose for everyday life: your back. Messenger bags and slings tend to throw off your back if they’re too heavy. As a professional photographer, you’re going to be carrying these with you everywhere. The smaller ones are fine, but if you need to carry a lot of gear then you’re most likely sporting a backpack.

Again, it’s because you want it to be better for your back when you want/need to carry a lot of gear.

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Should We Embrace Staged Street Photography?

I know it happens. You know it happens. We all know it happens. Is it time for us to start embracing staged street photography?

Staged street photography is often given the label of being a stain on the craft. Most people in the scene are busting their ass just to get an authentic, candid frame. Some, however, are bringing a preconceived concept to life and passing it off as something it isn’t. One of the issues with staged street photography is that it’s very difficult to prove. It’s always going to be your word against theirs (unless of course, you have proof, but that’s not easy to obtain). But whilst we may agree that we can’t eradicate the fraudulent approach to street photography, is there a possibility we are able to embrace it?

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Five of Our Favorite Backpacks for the City Dwelling Photographer Under $300

If you’re in need of a camera backpack suited to city life, you’ve come to the right place.

Getting all of our gear safely and securely from point a to point b is always a top priority. We sometimes carry thousands of dollars worth of equipment, so our camera bags have to be sturdy and secure. A camera backpack offers the perfect way to carry your gear around the city. The backpacks we’ve chosen are tough, they have low profiles, can withstand the weather, and they can carry a ton of gear. Best of all, the bags we’ve chosen are all under $300!

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