It seems as though most lenses that hit the streets these days are going for absolute perfection when it comes to image sharpness, clarity, distortion control, and bokeh rendition. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can lead to a lot of lenses that produce the same type of results. So how can we make our work stand out from the rest? One easy way is to use unique lenses like the ones listed in this roundup. These unique lenses aren’t afraid to be different, and they will make your work stand out from the crowd. Join us after the break to see some of our favorite unique lenses.
Man has been captivated by the quest to explore the unfathomable expanse of the universe. Yet, there are still depths right in our own planet that we haven’t reached. To some degree, we don’t have to look far for worlds that are strange, otherworldly, and unfamiliar. In her clever and stunning underwater series, London-based Laura Emerson shows us that the wonders of the cosmos lie not only in some distant corner of deep space; it’s also right here in our homeworld.
Austrian wet plate and wedding photographer Markus Hofstaetter has always been our go-to guy when it comes to all things cool about large format photography, especially wet plate photography. Aside from taking impressive, one-of-a-kind snaps, he’s also quite the handyman with his cameras and often makes modifications and DIY parts required by his projects. The latest of these is a DIY ground glass for the large format camera. As always, he documented the process in a cool video and shared with us a bit of information about it.
Whether you’re heading out of town or braving the great outdoors, it pays to be prepared with what you take in your camera bag. Apart from your gear and other essentials, there’s a bunch of other stuff you should take with you. If you’re not quite sure yet, let today’s photography cheat sheet be your handy guide.
Did you get a new camera over the holidays? Do you need to add some new glass to your current lens collection? If so, you need to see these new year lens deals. The outstanding Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art is at an incredibly low price of just $649 (for multiple platforms), the Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ultra-wide is only $599 for Canon and just $499 for Nikon. The seriously impressive Samyang 85mm f1.4 for Sony cameras is only $549. There are also deals on Fujifilm lenses like the XF 56mm f1.2 for only $899, Olympus glass like the great 17mm f1.8, which is just $399, and on Pentax Limited lenses like the 77mm f1.8 Limited which is only $646.95. Come and see even more lens deals after the break.
One of the most important creative decisions you’ll make when editing your photos is choosing between color or black and white. When does a photo look better in monochrome? What should the highlight of your photo be if you want to go for a black and white image? How do you know which between the two gives a better mood for your photos? JT of Run N Gun YouTube channel answers these questions and more in one of his latest rundown of useful photography tips.
If you work in a studio that is a little short on space and you need to find a way to make narrow backgrounds work, this tutorial from Daniel Norton is for you. After the break, we will share a video with you that shows why using a longer lens is the way to go, and how the wonderful effects of lens compression will solve a lot of the problems working in a smaller space will give you.
Polaroid cameras from decades past remain among the most popular and beloved when it comes to vintage cameras, revered alongside their modern counterparts. That’s why apart from the cameras themselves, a lot of us instant photography fans find ourselves fascinated with the vintage camera ads that feature them. Today, put the spotlight on one such ad, which takes us back all the way to 1970.
This opinion piece is written with some very careful thought about Ansel Adams that I’ve had in my mind for a long time now. He’s a celebrated photographer, and he indeed took a lot of photos during his time. But what really made him famous more than anything else could perhaps be his prints and the development process that came about it all. He’s one of the creators of the Zone system, and that translated into the work he conducted in the darkroom. But think carefully: what makes his work so much different than that of someone else who specialized in laboratory work? Surely, anyone could have shot these same photos, right? But not everyone could have developed the images to be the same thing–which further means that without this process that he created in the darkroom, his images wouldn’t have been anything special.
With drone photography becoming more and more popular in the last few years, photographers are also becoming more and more willing to get creative and experimental with their projects. So, if you’ve been looking for tips to improve your drone photography and make the process easier for you, today’s photography cheat sheet features 10 useful ones you have to try today.