How the Olympus Pen F Stole This Photographer’s Heart

I had to catch my breath when I looked at the photos.

I remember when I was introduced to the Olympus Pen F before it was officially announced. The Olympus PR reps sold the black and white photo rendition to me very hard. So I shot RAW+JPEG with it just in case. But as the trip went on, all I cared about were the stunning black and white photos. As the Editor in Chief of a photography blog, it’s my job to test products how they’re meant to be used. Tech publications won’t usually do that. But this was the first time I saw even the editors of tech publications be surprised by the image quality. Paired with the beautiful Voigtlander 17mm f0.95 lens, it felt nearly impossible to take a bad photo with the Olympus Pen F.

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How Passionate Photographers Stay Sane During the Pandemic

It’s easy to see how difficult it’s been for many photographers.

Fact: tons of people are bored in the 2020 pandemic. Many took on a new hobby that they’ve meant to get into for a while. And amazingly, sales of photo equipment and services enjoyed a surprising increase. Photography is a great hobby. While stuck at home, lots of new, passionate photographers started cutting their teeth. The more experienced creatives embraced this new freedom and spread their wings. Some of us got new lenses. Others headed into the woods. But no matter what, most of us kept shooting. And here’s some of the gear that kept passionate photographers sane during the 2020 pandemic.

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How Shooting Cityscapes with Manual Lenses Makes You Better

The manual lenses from Samyang and Rokinon can organically make you a better photographer.

On last week’s episode of Pro Camera Reviews, we showed viewers a special segment on manual focus lenses. Chris has long been enamored with them. He and Brett believe that you can make you a better photographer. With manual lenses, you end up putting more time and careful thought into the image taking process. So here are our extended thoughts on Shooting Cityscapes.

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Photographers Will Love Using the OneMo Backpack on Their Next Hike

PGYTECH’s OneMo Backpack is a versatile option for adventurous photographers in need of a bag that will keep up with them all day long.

As photographers, we tend to amass a ton of camera gear over time. While most of us would love to bring all of our equipment with us when traveling, the truth is we rarely need everything in our arsenal. Obviously, it’s a challenge when deciding what gear to bring and what to leave home. The decision becomes harder if you happen to be going on a day-long hike. Not only do you have to decide what to pack, but you’ve got to carry all of it on your back. Fortunately, the OneMo Backpack 25L from PGYTECH is a comfortable, modular, and expandable solution perfect for adventurous photographers preparing for such a trip. While it can’t tell you what you will need for your hike, the OneMo Backpack can undoubtedly help you carry it.

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Look in Awe at the “Life in Black and White” GuruShots Contest Winners

These photos from the GuruShots Life in Black and White contest are going to make you want to grab your camera.

GuruShots just got done with their Life in Black and White photo contest that challenged photographers to share photos with that classic look everyone loves. Black and white photography has always been a huge source of inspiration for lots of us. And many photographers even today only want to shoot in black and white. Lots of folks still want to do the work in post-production. And that’s fine! What matters at the end of it all is how the photo looks. That’s even more important with a contest. So curl up at home and check out the exceptional entries into this contest. For the best viewing experience, we recommend that you grab a cup of coffee and scroll through on your desktop. Or curl up with your laptop, sit back, and take in these shots.

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How to Shoot Better Photos in Cities at Night (And Some Street Tips)

Cities are some of the best places to shoot photos at night, and here’s an infographic giving you a few tips you’ve never heard.

I think that every photographer somehow or another loves to photograph cities at night. They become magical places that suddenly come alive and have specific lighting set so carefully. And they’re gorgeous. The contrast that city lights create draws people in from all across the world. Take Times Square: though it is the bane of every NYer’s existence, people stand and stare in wonder at all that’s around them. One could say the same about many a Rambla in Barcelona. Walk though the streets of Bangkok at night and you’ll see the city come alive like no other.

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Why All You Need Are Three Small Prime Lenses (Video)

Pro Camera Reviews happens every Sunday. Sign up to join us! Please Register here

Pro Camera Reviews is a new web show by the Reviews Team of the Phoblographer. Join Gear Editor Brett Day, Reviews Editor Paul Ip, and Editor in Chief Chris Gampat as they candidly discuss the products they’re actively reviewing and the gear they’ve just reviewed. Open Q and A from the audience towards the end of the show. Every Sunday at 7pm EST. Please Register here.

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The Inspiring Winners of the “Only the Best” Challenge by GuruShots

Here are the inspiring winners of the “Only the Best” Photo Challenge with GuruShots.

Recently, we did a contest with GuruShots where we asked folks for “Only the Best” photos as part of the challenge. And we’re officially showcasing the winners right here and now. The contest shows off some beautiful work from talented photographers all over the world. These photographers and the submissions highlight a very key thing in the world right now: diversity. And in a beautiful way, I’d like to think that this natural spice of life is given center stage in this contest. There are so many points of view, skill levels, subjects, and genres in these top 100 photos from the “Only the Best” contest. So, are you ready to be inspired? To find out more, and to sign up and take part in the next challenge, visit www.gurushots.com.

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Under $600: 18 of the Best Photography Gifts for Dad This Father’s Day

These photography gifts will make Dad snap happy this Father’s Day.

If your dad is the photographer (or wants to be the photographer) of the family, and you’re struggling to come up with ideas on what to get for him this Father’s Day, look no further than this post. Whether your dad is a newcomer to the craft, or he has been around the shutter a few times, these items will make this Father’s Day even more special for him. Head on past the break to see all the incredible deals we found on photography gifts.

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The Best Deals for Photographers on Gear We Tested (Only 1 Camera!)

There’s only one camera on this list, and the rest are some of our favorite pieces of gear for photographers during these Spring sales.

We know a bunch of you don’t want to spend a ton of money right now. We’ve perused our Reviews Index in search of some of the best gear available at the best prices. Don’t want to spend over $100? We’ve found something for you. Need a new light? There’s one in here. Or what about a new lens because you’ve got some extra dough? There are three great ones on this list. Best of all, there’s only one camera on this list that we’d recommend to photographers right now. It’s all about fun. And more importantly, these are bound to be an excellent treat for yourself right now. So take a look, and let us know what you really want right now!

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Every One of These Tamron Lenses Are Available at a Great Price

You can make your mom (or yourself) very happy this year while saving a ton of money thanks to the Tamron Mother’s Day Instant Savings event!

Do you have a mom who loves photography? If so, you might want to check out the red hot deals Tamron has in their Tamron Mother’s Day Instant Savings event. If you want to treat your mom to a new lens, or perhaps even treat yourself to some spectacular glass, these deals are for you. You can save big on the Tamron 18-400mm f3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD for Canon EF and Nikon F mount cameras, the Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD, and more. Head on past the break for all the info.

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A Good, Free Portrait Editor Does Not Exist. Or Does It?

“Your time is way too valuable of a resource. Don’t spend hours retouching your portraits. Let PhotoDiva handle them.”

What’s the biggest misconception about the job of a portrait photographer? Perhaps that it’s easy. No big deal – just set up your camera, shoot – and boom! – the pictures are ready. But are they, though? What would people see if they went behind closed doors? Hours and hours of tedious, painstaking retouching. That is the sad truth about portrait photography. Is there any hope for a better, quicker, more efficient retouching process? Looks like there is one newcomer that claims to be able to grant you that, and for free! Enter PhotoDiva, a self-proclaimed smart portrait editor that promises to make your retouching infinitely easier. Sounds intriguing? Cocky? Both? Well, there is no way we’ll know unless we try this software ourselves.

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Tips for Shooting a Party in Low Light: What Photographers Should Know

Photographers, shooting a party in low light is pretty easy to do as long as you’re having fun. Here’s how we used the Nissin MG80 Pro to do just that!

Some photographers like to be a fly on the wall when it comes to shooting a party, but if you want images that pop, you’re going to need to get deeper in there. Shooting parties isn’t only about having the best gear and knowing how to use it, but more about (get this) being a human being and thinking a bit. You should never feel like you’re under a lot of pressure: therefore, you should prepare a lot beforehand. Getting to the venue early and walking around to explore the lighting situation is the best thing to do. Parties are also social occurrences, and people are more than happy to be social with you. Shooting a party in low light presents a number of challenges. Luckily, we’re telling you about how to not even break a sweat when you start shooting.

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Photographer Zen Sekizawa Relies on ARRI Lighting for “The Dance”

In “The Dance” Sekizawa explores the breaking down of traditional ideals of Japanese refinement through the avant-garde dance form known as Butoh. This project compiles slow motion, still photography, and stop-motion to create one seamless 10-second looping film.

Veteran commercial photographer/director Zen Sekizawa just finished a multimedia project that explores the role of Japanese women through the avant-garde Butoh dance. In “The Dance,” Sekizawa captured film, photography and stop-motion separately and compiled the elements into one seamless 10-second looping film and two photographs. She relied on ARRI SkyPanels for the entire production. “I used light intensity, light movement, and light color to explore the inseparable relationship between motion and time,” she explains. “I really love the amount of intensity and saturation the SkyPanels are capable of!”

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Photography Gifts to Get Your Lover (or yourself) on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, or the Feast Day of Saint Valentine, is widely celebrated for the occasion of showing love and affection to the ones you care about.

During this time of year, V-Day gifts are eagerly purchased in the hopes that ‘tokens of love’ will offer a sort of compassion, happiness, and even romance for couples. While there are times when a box of chocolates, dozens of roses, and an over-sized plush teddy bear might be a nice treat to receive or even to get yourself, but V-Day gifts have expanded in this day and age and there are more personal ways to gift by targeting their (your) personal interests! For one, let’s talk about the many possibilities of V-Day gifts for photographers, shall we? Below are ten gifts that might catch your eye and get you ordering ‘with love’ today!

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APA Gives Photographers Benefits You’ll Only Get from a Full Time Job

With American Photographic Artists (APA), working photographers and others can get the job benefits they need to run their business.

When you decide to become a full-time photographer, one of your biggest fears is losing job benefits. But, the truth is that you don’t have to worry. With an organization like American Photographic Artists, photographers can receive a whole lot more than they thought possible, and they don’t really have to start from scratch either. For decades, American Photographic Artists has been fighting for the rights of photographers in addition to working alongside agencies, producers, art buyers, etc., to help photographers adapt to the industry. They’ve been working to make the plunge into American Entrepreneurship easier. Like other member-based groups, most of APA’s basic benefits can be accessed for only a $50 yearly membership. However, if you enroll at a higher level, other benefits like a full-page ad in APA’s sourcebook are included in the package.

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Best Video Recovery and Repair Tool for Windows and Mac in 2020

We all have suffered from the loss or corruption of our important videos.

Since I record videos on a daily basis, the situation can be more common for me than others. Nevertheless, I’m always equipped with the right tools to repair my corrupt videos or recover all those accidentally deleted clips. One of the tools I have recently used is Recoverit. What is its new DR85 update, and is it worth your hard-earned money? Find out here!

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Before You Edit Your Photos, You Should Check This Out

From December 16th to the 29th, the Datacolor Spyder is being discounted and can help you get better-looking photos.

If you’re one of those photographers who makes more magic happen in post-production than in-camera, then the Datacolor Spyder is the perfect accessory for you. Before you take what that new YouTube tutorial taught you and put it to work, consider whether everyone is seeing your image the same. Have you warmed up your monitor? What about the light around you? And where are people viewing your images? The Datacolor Spyder can help you get consistent colors in your photos every time. And right now, you can save up to $100 on color management!

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Want to Save Money on WhiteWall’s Famous Print Quality?

In addition to its extensive line of custom sized acrylic prints, photos on HD Metal and aluminum, photos on wood and canvas or more than eighty traditional, handmade frames, WhiteWall.com has added “Round Formats & Shapes” to its lineup of print options.

Photographers looking for unique ways to display their photos can now reproduce them in four distinctive shapes including a circular format and six, eight, and twelve-sided shapes. These can be printed on any number of WhiteWall’s award-winning substrates such as Original Photo Print Under Acrylic Glass, HD Metal Print, Direct Print On Aluminum Dibond, Direct Print On Wood, and Forex Print.

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Portrait Photographers Have Trusted This Software for Over a Decade

Special Black Friday Deal – Save 20% on PortraitPro 19 and all Anthropics Technology Software with coupon code TD1990.

For over a decade, PortraitPro has been popular with photographers looking to retouch their own images in-house. The easy to use interface makes it easy to customize nearly every part of your edit, making it ideal for everything from high-fashion to family portraits. PortraitPro 18 brought AI to the table, making for a significantly faster and more accurate editing experience. The latest offering, PortraitPro 19, was released in mid-October. So what can users expect from this new version?

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Need a Lens Filter? Tiffen Has You Covered This Black Friday!

Shop with The Tiffen Company and all of its brands this Black Friday and Cyber Monday! These deals are running for a limited time only so don’t miss out.

When you purchase a Steadicam AIR 15 or AIR 25 monopod, you will receive a mail-in rebate for a free Steadicam AIR Spreader as well as up to $75 back. The AIR Spreader is a foldable, screw-in, 3-leg base option for the Steadicam AIR 15 or AIR 25.

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