Benji Messmer’s Leica M9 Snaps Feature a Scenic Weekend Roadtrip in the Dolomites

Itching to take your Leica M9 on a road trip? These beautiful travel photos shot by Benji Messmer during a weekend in the Dolomites will make you get even more excited.

Last time we featured Benji Messmer and his Leica M9 snaps from around the world, we had a look at how they remind us of chrome film’s classic look. This time, we place the spotlight on his wanderlust-inducing road trip photos shot in the picturesque Dolomites. If you’ve been thinking of bringing your own Leica M9 on an upcoming trip, prepare to get inspired with this beautiful travel diary.

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This Wooden DIY 35mm Panoramic Camera Yields Great Results So Far

Photographers like Galen Weld show us how determination and getting crafty can get us our dream cameras — like a DIY 35mm panoramic camera!

Move over, Hasselblad XPan. You’ve got some cool competitors out there now, courtesy of the highly resourceful and creative film photographer. They show us that if we can’t get our hands on a coveted camera like the Xpan, there’s nothing stopping us from making our own instead. That is if we can get even half as crafty and clever as Seattle-based Galen Weld, who has recently shared his progress on building his own DIY  35mm panoramic camera. If you’re interested in making your own assembly he’s even got the stuff to get you started!

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Tia Lloyd Documents Skinheads with a Powerful Portrait Project

Photos from “Skinheads, We Never Left” by Tia Lloyd. Used with Creative Commons permission.

If the United States has the Greaser subculture, the United Kingdom has the Skinhead movement. Both are predominantly youth subcultures that emerged from the working class, each with their own style elements. It’s always interesting to see how these groups have endured to this day, and even evolved in some ways. UK-based Tia Lloyd, a Staffordshire University BA Hons photography graduate, has been documenting skinhead groups that still remain across the country, satisfying her curiosity and introducing us to the faces of the British subculture in the process.

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Camera Review: Fujifilm X-T30 (Honey, Fuji Shrunk the X-T3!)

The Fujifilm X-T30 is a more affordable and shrunken down version of the highly regarded X-T3, albeit with a few caveats

While most of the digital imaging industry has been concentrating their efforts on introducing Full Frame Mirrorless cameras for the better part of the past year, photographers that prefer lighter and more compact Crop Sensor bodies got some new hotness of their very own to lust after in the form of the Fujifilm X-T3 and the Sony A6400. Both flagship APS-C cameras have proven to be massively popular for consumers to professionals alike, but what if you wanted the same level of performance but in an even svelter and more condensed package? As luck would have it, the engineers over at Fujifilm managed to answer that question with the X-T30, the company’s latest compact Crop Sensor Mirrorless camera. Fujifilm managed to incorporate almost all of the best of breed innovations found within the X-T3 into the XT30 while bringing both the size and the cost down. After spending a few short hours with the pre-production sample during the top-secret press briefing when the X-T30 first launched, Fujifilm was kind enough to provide a final production model of the camera to us so that we can evaluate in comprehensively in typical Phoblographer fashion.

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Benji Messmer’s Leica M9 Travel Snaps Remind Us of Chrome Film

All Leica M9 photos by Benji Messmer. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Leica cameras have been popular compact companions not only of street photographers, but also of on-the-go photographers. The Leica M9 in particular, despite turning 10 years old this year, remains a favorite travel camera of many today. We think we know exactly why: it gives a timeless chrome film look to those travel snaps. Just take a look at the work of Germany-based art director Benji Messmer and you’ll see what we mean!

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How to Balance Your Day Job, Family and Your Photography Hobby

Finding balance is generally one of the most difficult things for most amateur and enthusiast photographers to do. 

Life demands so much of you: and the most exhausting thing at times is finding balance between it all. My grandfather used to say to me “You go to school, and you come home, you sleep, then go to work, come home and sleep. And life is very repetitive.” He was right to a point, but I think that one of the best things that folks should do is find a way to keep a balance. It’s good for mental health, but it also means that you’re giving priority to the things that are very important to you.

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These 35mm Primes are Great For Almost Every Genre of Photography

Put one of these 35mm primes on your camera and you might not ever take it off.

There are lots of prime lenses out there that are great for specific types of photography. 14mm primes are great for landscapes, 40mm primes are great for street photography, and 85mm primes are great for portraits, but what if we told you that there is a sweet spot in the prime lens world? 35mm primes are like a multi-tool. They’re great for weddings, environmental portraits, street photography, product photography, architectural work, and they’re still wide enough to capture landscapes, cityscapes, and even out of this world astrophotography. Join us after the break to take a look at six 35mm primes that will rock your world. All of the 35mm primes we have listed here are incredibly impressive. Along with having one of the most versatile prime focal lengths, they’re well built, offer wide apertures for low light shooting, they produce ridiculously sharp images, they’re fast to focus, produce great colors, and they’ll even make you breakfast (okay, they won’t make you breakfast, but you get the point.) Slap one of these 35mm primes on your camera and you will be ready to shoot to matter what situation you find yourself in.

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Oleksandr Malyy Channels Solid Steampunk Vibes in Wet Plate Project

All photos by Oleksandr Malyy. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Wet plate photography, also known as wet collodion process, is among the topics we like to keep tabs on. It’s amazing how this centuries-old photographic process is kept alive in the digital age. The projects made with this process today never fail to show just how timeless the craft can be. Case in point is the wet plate photos of Kiev-based Oleksandr Malyy, which is a testament to how perfect it is for photographing steampunk-themed projects!

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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 at 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, and 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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