There are many contests out there. And fun to enter. This particular photo contest is from the organization: BETTER PHOTO.COM. They had some amazing photos that inspire me, and hopefully you to take more pictures that are around us:
The March 2022 photography contest at BetterPhoto is fun, prestigious, and inspiring. Grand Prize this month goes to ‘~ A Frosty Morning ~’ in the March 2022 photo theme. Each month, we offer new photo challenges, assignments, and themes to spark photographic creativity.
That’s all the grand prize and 1st place winners today. Have you ever thought of entering a photo contest. This is one way to greatly improve your photography.
Check this out so understand why contests are so valuable: CLICK HERE
Here is one more link to show you some other winning photos: CLICK NOW
I was recently invited to a Tamron open house at one of the local Photo Stores: Allen’s Camera in Layton, Utah. I think that it is always fun to go to these shows to see and handle the merchandise. The rep was very informative and loves his job. He gave great details into the Tamron World. Let’s take a look at Tamron in detail now.
HISTORY OF TAMRON:
Kabushiki-gaisha Tamuron) is a Japanese company manufacturing photographic lenses, optical components and commercial/industrial-use optics. Tamron Headquarters is located in Saitama City in the Saitama prefecture of Japan.
The name of the company came from the surname of Uhyoue Tamura who was instrumental in developing Tamron’s optical technologies. It was only on the company’s 20th anniversary that the name was changed to Tamron (from Taisei Optical).
In the fiscal year ending 31 December 2017, net sales totaled 60.496 billion yen and operating income was 4.24 billion yen, up 79.8% from 2016. At that time, the consolidated company had 4,640 employees and five production plants: in Hirosaki, Namioka and Owani in Japan, and one in China and Viet Nam, respectively.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TODAY:
In the lens processing, in order to manufacture a lens with the required performance, various conditions need to be adjusted by selecting the machine used for manufacturing and adjusting the polishing time according to the magnitude of curvature and the characteristics of the material. For example, high-pixilation and high-definition are yearly advanced in CMOS image sensor used in cameras and a lens surface-roughness, unevenness or waviness negatively effects the lens imaging performance. To enable a highly accurate lens, Tamron reflect a simulation result to a processing accuracy from the optical designing stage. Tamron’s lens processing technology is covering a wide range, multiple lens bonding with curved surfaces, processing with plane lens and prism lens, and prism lens bonding with each other. From now on, as a new usage, optical lens is expected to be used with laser and to be required a complicated irregular shape or prism shape integrating various technologies. To produce multifarious lenses required in the future, Tamron is newly developing and improving the processing technology and handing down its established expertise by cooperating the lens processing know-how and the optical development technology.
To say that Tamron has a lot of different lenses is an understatement, but what they are truly proud of is their amazing zoom lenses. When I was at the Tamron show at the local photo dealer the other day, I was amazed with this lens, and I think it’s the one they are most proud of too:
Go to extremes with the world’s first* 22.2x ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom.
Introducing the world’s first ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom lens for the APS-C format. With a focal length range of 18-400mm and 22.2x zoom, it has an ultra-telephoto range equivalent to 620mm in the 35mm format. This brings distant subjects closer, while providing perspective-flattening effects that are only possible with an extreme telephoto lens. Plus it offers exceptional optical performance across the entire zoom range—from wide angle to ultra-telephoto. With this new lens—and its Moisture-Resistant Construction—Tamron brings the art of photography to the joy of travel. Now you can use the same lens to shoot everything from stunning landscapes and neon-lit cities to detailed portraits and delicate flora. The ultra-telephoto range makes it just as easy to photograph animals and sports. And with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.9, you can even enjoy tele-macro photography.
That was the part that I thought was so incredible is this lens macro ratio is 1:2.9! And you get that macro ratio even at 400mm! That opens out amazing possibilities for every photographer.
ANOTHER MOST AMAZING LENS I FELL IN LOVE WITH: TAMRON’S 11-20MM ZOOM LENS:
If you have the urge to shoot landscapes, then this lens is for you. Take a look at this video:
TAMRON MAKES A LOT OF LENSES
If you go to Tamron’s website, and browse around you will discover that they make a lot of lenses. It’s these few lenses I have highlighted today are the ones I think Tamron has excelled at.
ONE MORE LENS TO HIGHLIGHT: 150-500MM LENS:
And one more video to go with this incredible lens:
I know that good photographers are organized people. They plan a day to go take pictures, and if it storms, so what! I want to take this time to talk about what you need to do to prepare to take your photo journey, even if it rains.
Always carry a weatherproof camera in your bag
From the previous blog, CLICK HERE TO SEE PREVIOUS BLOG we learned how your photos turn out better in stormy weather. Think about this when it’s raining:
The rain cleared out all the dust in the air, making it look richer in color, and the colors just seem more enhanced.
Not too many photographers will brave the bad weather, so your chance of getting more unique photos will certainly increase.
You will capture photos that are unique, even if it’s the same old landscape photos
Notice this photo above. Storm is rolling in. Normally you would get this beautiful landscape photo with nice blue skies. But these dark stormy looking clouds are amazing, and will certainly win the hearts of some photo fans.
If you have some of the newer cameras that have just been released from Pentax, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Canon, you will notice that their new flagship cameras have all been upgraded to include incredible weather sealing. Now you can go out and take photos in the storm without worry.
BUT BEWARE: YOUR LENSES MAY NOT BE WEATHER RATED. Go through the lens catalog for your new camera and find the weather rated lenses available for your camera.
Most of the time people don’t want to go with plastic bags, and special equipment to make their current camera weatherproof. I have had extremely good success with this camera:
CHECK OUT THE DETAILS OF THIS CAMERA:
Uncompromising water, shock, dust, and freeze protection. Approximately 20 effective megapixel for sharp, high-resolution, low-noise images with a wide dynamic range. Camera body of tough aluminum-panel chassis equipped with high-precision GPS, a powerful LED Ring Light, and electronic gimbal stabilization. Venture into the wild with an all-weather compact camera equal to any and all conditions.
More ideas of how to take photos in bad weather, CLICK HERE
We’ve all sat, staring out of our window and cursing at the rain poring down or the flat, grey sky that just happened to cloud over on few hours we’ve managed to set aside in our busy schedule to head out and shoot some photos. But all is not lost for the opportunistic and well prepared photographer.
“Story” captured by Nicholas A. Tonelli
BE PATIENT
After many rainfalls or storms, comes a spectacular burst of light. Often this light lasts only momentarily, but is worth waiting for. But you’re never going to catch it if you’re still staring out of that window. Part of making good photographs is being an opportunist. Weather reports are easily accessible through the internet, over the radio, and in newspapers, often with detailed information.
You might be able to find out if the cloud cover or storm is about to pass. If not, head out anyway. Yes, it might all be in vain and remain gray and unappealing until nightfall and be a complete waste of time, but what if it isn’t?
If you speak to, or read any book written by a successful landscape photographer, they will tell you stories about how they visited a place dozens of times and waited for hours before getting that one in a million shot. Have a look at that shot. Was it worth the time? Chances are it was. Imagine the satisfaction gained from someone looking at your photo and letting out a breathless “Wow!” Then you’ll be the one telling the stories. A simple way to think about it is that you get out what you put in.
BE PREPARED:
Have you done any research on your subject? Have you visited your location at this time of day before? Do you have a list, or at least a mental outline, of the photos you want? Have you considered the equipment you might need to take? Answering these questions will take you a long way to being able to seize the moment when it does eventually arrive.
Photo by Beau Rogers; ISO 100, f.8.0, 1.6-second exposure.
Instead of fumbling around trying to attach lenses, tripods, filters and any other gadgets that might be necessary, (and I do mean “might”), you will simply be able to step out of your car, or hiding place, gear in hand, and calmly collect the images you’ve been imagining.
A little foresight in taking care of these things beforehand allows you to focus completely on taking photos once in the field. As with anything else, if you can concentrate completely, you’ll likely do a better job.
WHAT’S YOUR PURPOSE?
Think about what you are actually trying to achieve with these pictures. Do you even need blue skies? Many a moody, muted landscape has been created using the worst weather conditions. If you have an interest in shooting black and white images, you could be in for a real treat. Many subjects, such as outdoor portraits, can work better in overcast conditions, enabling you to pick up the lines in someone’s face and add character to the portrait without having to worry about your subject squinting their eyes from the sun or dark shadows appearing over half of their face.
Most successful photography, like anything else, comes from having a clear goal and taking the steps necessary to achieve it. It also comes from working with the elements and planning for various possibilities. Open yourself up to new ideas and you will find that your photography improves markedly.
iN 2 DAYS: WHAT EQUIPMENT TO USE DURING BAD WEATHER! CAN YOU USE YOUR CURRENT CAMERA?
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This is the first time I have covered this subject. Not because I don’t like it. I like certain types of Abstract photography, but, in some cases it seems like an excuse to present something that is bad, and make it good. The photo above is one abstract photo I like because it is truly abstract in our everyday life, instead of just spilled paint somewhere (I might get some bad comments on that statement).
The exact definition can be tricky to pin down. It seems that everyone has an opinion, but those opinions can differ wildly depending on who you talk to. Of course, there will always be regional and cultural variants, but let me try and tell you where abstract photography came from.
That way, you can decide what abstract photography means to you.
Abstract photography is no one particular style or technique. It has varied in style and approach for the last century or so.
However, all abstract photographers do have one thing in common: They are always looking to avoid symbolic representation.
What does that mean?
Well, it means that abstract photographers reject the idea that a photograph must always be of something recognizable. Instead, abstract photographers focus on color, shape and texture.
Photo by Charlie Moss
It was in the 1930s that abstract photography really became recognized internationally. Early pioneers include Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Dora Maar. For some photographers, the process of making images was just as important as the result, which meant that new techniques and new ways of taking photographs were discovered during this period.
Much abstract photography today involves unusual framing and viewpoints in order to try and disassociate the object being photographed from the resultant images. Abstract photographers almost try and trick our eyes and minds into not being able to easily understand what they’re looking at. Such abstract images often use high contrast, sharp focus, and an emphasis on geometric structure.
Now that we’ve answered the question of what is abstract photography, it’s time to try and put the theory into practice.
Here are three techniques you can use to try and shoot your own abstract photos:
MAKE IT OUT OF FOCUS:
One of the first things we all learn in photography is how to get things in focus. In fact, our cameras will do this automatically for us if we want them to!
Accurate focus and good sharpness are two of the most desirable traits that most photographers look for in a photograph. So what happens when you subvert that traditional approach?
This bright red photograph (below) was created by using extension tubes (learn about how to use “extension tubes” by clicking HERE) to get right up close to a flower. I then ensured that the entire image was out of focus. The colors and patterns become the focus of the image instead of the flower itself:
Photo by Charlie Moss
You can take this one step further by turning your image black and white to remove all of the color information ( Turning color into black and white? Learn how HERE). This abstracts the subject even more, moving the photograph further away from the original object and reality:
Photo also by Charlie Moss
For a photographer who is trying to explore what is abstract photography, this approach of creating out of focus photos can be a great way to start. It forces you to think hard about the composition of your images as you play only with light, color, and shape.
MAKE IT MOVE:
There are several ways to “make it move” when you’re doing abstract photography. You can move your subject, or you can move your camera.
Moving the camera can be as simple as panning the camera left to right during long exposures to capture the beautiful tones of a golden beach under blue skies. This will create smooth strips of horizontal color across the photograph.
An exciting way to shoot motion-based abstract photography is to attend sports events. The photograph below was shot at a classic car racing meet, the block colors of the barriers and curb creating stripes of colorful interest in the picture:
Photo by Charlie Moss
For creating abstract images with panning, first set a long exposure. You might need a very low ISO and a narrow aperture in order to get a shutter speed that’s long enough if it’s a sunny day.
Then move your whole body to follow the subject with your camera. It will take lots of practice!
Fujifilm X-T20 | FujiFilm 35mm f1.4R lens | 35mm | 1/170 sec | f/5.6 | ISO 200| Layered images in Adobe Photoshop. Photo also taken by Charlie Moss
Instead of moving your camera, you can also try moving your subject. The deceptively simple image of a glass bottle (above) is not quite as it seems. It was created from a dozen different shots, layered on top of each other using a “Pep Ventosa technique”. For each shot, the bottle was rotated slightly to catch the imperfections in the glass and the slight movement.
MAKE IT REPETITIVE:
Repetition is a technique that can be used to great effect in abstract photography. It makes the viewer focus on the patterns and shapes rather than the subject.
Try finding patterns in architecture and then isolating them, rather than photographing the whole building. This kind of approach of looking for details in larger scenes can help you really understand what abstract photography is all about.
If you want to shoot some architectural abstracts, modernist buildings are some of the best subjects. Their clean, smooth lines really lend themselves to abstract photography.
CONCLUSION:
There are many different answers to the question, “What is abstract photography?” And there are many different ways to create abstract images.
What’s important is to try to move away from straight reproductions of scenes and objects that look just like reality.
Try introducing movement, repetition, or even making your images out of focus. Creating abstract photos is a great way to try breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries of what is usually seen as the correct way to do photography!
CHARLIE MOSS: is UK based photography journalist with experience shooting everything from historically inspired portraits to e-commerce photography. Her passion is history of art, especially contemporary culture and photography. Thanks to Charlie for this article. It was originally posted in Digital Photography School.
You have your new camera, and so far you like it. Now it’s time to look at adding more lenses to your equipment. Not sure what all those numbers mean? That is what we are here for!
WHAT DOES THE FIRST SET OF NUMBERS MEAN?
As you look at the top of your lens, or the front of your lens, the very first set of numbers, or number, tells you what the focal length of your lens is. For example the photo above show the focal length of your lens to be: 24-105mm. How does that equate to anything? Here is your reference point:
A normal lens is one who’s focal-length is equal to the diagonal of the sensor or film. This is said to give a natural perspective similar to that of a single human eye.
On a full-frame DSLR, it is usually a 50mm lens. On a cropped-sensor (APS-C) DSLR, a normal lens falls around 35mm but from 30 to 55mm, it would still be considered normal. For Four-Thirds and Micro Four-Thirds, you would use a 25mm. Usually most manufacturers make sure to have one bright prime that corresponds to the normal focal-length for the sensor-size.
Then going back to the lens above, let’s suppose your camera is a DSLR camera. The normal lens would then be about 30mm. If you were to look through the lens, it would appear that the image is the same size as what you see, without the camera. Then, if you go below the number 30mm you enter the range of wide angle lenses. Which means that the lens pushing the image back further to get more into the picture.
Definition of “WIDE ANGLE LENS”
(Photography) a lens system on a camera that can cover an angle of view of 60° or more and therefore has a fairly small focal length. Any number that is less than 30 is therefore a wide angle lens.
Definition of “telephoto” lens:
A telephoto lens is a lens that appears to magnify distant objects. To do that, they need to have a focal length longer than that of a normal lens, or a lens that approximates the optical qualities of the human eye. A normal lens has a focal length of 30mm on a full frame camera so any lens with a focal length longer than 30mm can be considered a telephoto lens. The longer the focal length, the more magnification there is.
WHAT IS THE PROPER USE OF WIDE ANGLE AND TELEPHOTO LENSES:
Generally, a normal lens (around 30mm) is used for…. normal everyday use. Photos of the family, the dog, the cat, the things around the house.
A wide angle lens is most popular for landscape or scenic photos, to get the whole picture into the frame.
And the telephoto is generally used to bring objects in closer to you. The most common use is for wildlife, sports, and things from afar.
NEXT SET OF NUMBERS:
CANON ZOOM LENS WITH ALL THE NUMBERS.
THE “APERTURE RANGE”
Every lens has an aperture in it. It controls the amount of light getting through the lens. This has another major function that photographers really use and that is the “depth of field”. That has been discussed before in a previous blog. JUST : CLICK HERE
It is usually expressed in f-stops such as f/1.4 and stated on the name of the lens. For example, the Nikon 35mm f/1.4G lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.4, whereas the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G has a maximum aperture of f/1.8.
One lens, and several different aperture openings:
Here is where it can get interesting and you can see why the price of a lens goes up. Listed below is a list of Nikon lenses. And they are all 50mm lenses. You can see the Nikkor lens 50mm F1.8 lens lists for only $134.95. Now go to the second lone on the list: Nikkor 50mm 1.4D lens. It sells for $369.95. And go to the top one: the 50mm f1.2 lens sells for $724.95.
The difference between each 50 mm lens is that the f1.4 lens lets in almost twice the amount of light through it than the f1.8 lens. I don’t know how many actual lens elements are in each lens, but, say they have 14 elements in the lens. That would mean the f1.4 lens elements, all 14 of them have to be made larger than the f1.8 lens. But if you are a person who wants the lens to be able to shoot in lower light, then the f1.4 lens is a better choice. Better still, the f1.2 which doubles the amount of light transmission would even be better. But you would end up paying for all those elements in the lens housing to be bigger than the previous version.
So, in summary on this number, the lens with the smallest number, let’s a lot more light through the lens than a lens with a bigger number. And that allows you to also have a depth of field even smaller, but, the usual case for having a lens with a lower aperture number is usually to allow you to shoot in lower light.
THE LAST IMPORTANT NUMBER:
Most lenses have this important number on it. It is a 2 digit number with a circle and a line through that circle.
THE FINAL IMPORTANT NUMBER TO KNOW IS THE FILTER SIZE THE LENS TAKES.
On this photo above, all lenses (at least I think almost all lenses) have a number to tell you what size filter this lens takes or the size of the lens cap. If you are a photographer who uses filters (and I think all photographers should use filters), you will appreciate knowing what size filters you would need to enhance your photography. On this lens above, the filter size is a 72mm. That is a big filter, but certainly good to know. If you would like to learn more about using filters, CLICK HERE AND one more link: CLICK THIS ONE TOO
Nikon Z9 gets a new firmware update and becomes a whole new camera!
If there’s ever been a firmware date to get overly excited about, it’s the latest one for the Nikon Z9. The flagship camera was already an absolute beast with astonishing 8K 30p video capabilities, but this most recent firmware update adds features that basically make it an entirely new camera.
When the NIKON Z9 was released, it caused some serious excitement thanks to its 45.7MP stacked CMOS sensor, its incredible 8K video and 120fps continuous burst shooting. Not only were the specs incredibly tempting, but the price was too – coming in significantly cheaper than the rival SONY A1 and CANON EOS R3 and Nikon promised that the first big firmware would make it even better.
Finally, that Firmware version 2.0 is here – and it’s been worth the wait. With it, the Nikon Z9 is now be able to record 12-bit, Raw 8.3K 60p video internally. The jump from 10-bit to 12-bit is pretty astonishing, and now the camera will be able to reproduce billions more colors – 68 billion more, to be precise. Nikon is calling its new file output N Raw and the video files are said to be a lot smaller than ProRes Raw, which is excellent news when it comes to transferring and storing footage.
EXCITING NEW WORLD WE LIVE IN:
We live in an amazing world of technology right now. Can you imagine we have come to the day when you buy a new camera, and then there comes new “firmware” and Voila! you have a new camera, without changing the body.
The second impressive video upgrade is that you will now be able to oversample UHD 4K 60P 10-bit footage from 8K footage, which will deliver the highest quality 4K footage. Users will also be able to record ProRes Raw internally up to 4.1K at 60p, so now it’s even easier to record professional, cinematic footage that is faster and easier to edit in post.
NEW IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THIS CAMERA AS WELL:
It’s not just the video specs that have benefited from the upgrade, either. Nikon has been careful not to forget about the camera’s photography capabilities. Users will now be able to set the EVF refresh rate to 120fps, which will make the viewfinder even more life-like. The Z9 also gains a Pre-Release Capture feature so that, when you’re half-pressing the shutter, the camera start shooting buffering the shots for a second before you take the photo.
For those times when you’re shooting odd shapes, objects or scenes, the height and the width of the AF box can now be adjusted, which means you can now focus on a very specific part of the frame – regardless of how big or small your subject is.
The new Custom Wide-Area AF features 20 options for stills and 12 for video (Image credit: Nikon / Kenjiro Matsuo)
NEW FIRMWARE FOR NIKON IS FREE FOR NIKON Z9 USERS:
Nikon has also introduced a brand new computational photography mode called in-camera motion blend. Rather than having to create this effect in Photoshop, the camera will take up to five photos and blend them into one. No longer will you need to mask your subject, the camera will literally do it all for you.
Other upgrades include an optimized burst photo viewing mode, video assist functionality in the form of a waveform monitor and red record box, dedicated video info, fine ISO control and fast AF control is now an assignable custom button option. The auto-exposure and auto white balance settings have been improved, and there is a new focus recall setting.
This firmware upgrade is by far the most extensive and impressive we’ve ever seen from Nikon, if not from any camera brand ever. It’s amazing how much you can change with a firmware update – and even more amazing that all these updates are available for free.
The article above appeared first in DIGITAL CAMERA WORLD, AND AUTHORED BY: Hannah Rooke. A sincer thanks to DCW for this article.
One of the most thrilling parts of photography is MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY! I have learned to love macro photography ever since I stuck some close-up filters on the front of my lens. It brought me to a whole new world.
Today, I want to present some amazing fun ideas for macro photography. These are ideas and tips of things to photograph, but not how to do macro photography. If you want to learn how to do basic macro photography, click here: https://123photogo.com/2021/10/22/tips-on-macro-still-photography/
IDEA # 1 – CUTLERY
Taking photos of cutlery is an interesting idea, but, with the proper lighting, and the unique designs found on cutlery, you have a winning idea here.
Shun Santoku knife
IDEA # 2 – FEATHERS
This is a fun and interesting idea. We see feathers all the time on the ground, on a tree, or wherever. But have you really looked at them close? They are an amazing subject:
Peacock feather
IDEA #3 – WATER DROPLETS:
This one is a classic, but be creative, and find your water on unusual surfaces like a wire fence, a cobweb, or a rear-view mirror. Early morning dew makes almost any subject magical. In the spring or fall, your can look for frost instead of dew.
Water drops with reflections.
IDEA #4 – GLASS:
Close up photos of fine crystal glassware can yield wonderful abstracts filled with curved lines and reflections. For added fun, place glasses side by side, or one behind the other to create lines where they overlap. You can fill the glasses with colored water for even more creative images. Finally, you can add a sheet of clear, but textured glass (available for purchase at stained glass craft stores) in front of your glassware. The possibilities are endless.
Stained glass windows
IDEA #5 – FOIL REFLECTIONS:
Now when I hear about this idea, I thought about this carefully. Why? And then I saw some examples and then asked: Why not? Use a variety of different color lights to enhance your creation.
IDEA # 6- FRUITS AND VEGETABLES:
This is something that could be easy, but, I think it would be more fun, if you “posed” the fruit or vegetables. Don’t just go up to the item and snap, but, pose them like for a still photo.
Pose your fruits and vegetables. The photo is much more interesting that way.
Fascinating rust patterns can be found on an old car, or even a metal garbage can in the park. Peeling paint graces old fences and walls. Most people pass by such items without a second glance. Not you! Break out your macro lens, and reveal the hidden beauty. Just beware of harsh shadows if you’re photographing in bright sunlight.
IDEA #8 – CAR DETAILS:
The sleek lines of shiny chrome and trim on a polished car can provide hours of photographic entertainment. You can photograph your own car, but don’t be shy about taking your camera to an antique car show. Car owners are usually proud of their vehicles and won’t mind you photographing the details.
A man cleaning car with cloth and brush. Car detailing. Selective focus. Car detailing. Cleaning with brush. Worker cleaning. Brush and cleaning solution to clean.Black sports car. 3d rendering and illustration.
IDEA #9 – ANIMAL BITS
The texture of fur on your dog or the wrinkled skin of an elephant at the zoo can make a great close up shot. Paws, claws and teeth are fun, too, as long as you keep out of harm’s way. Finally, eyes always make compelling subjects. Shoot close ups of the eyes of your dog or cat (or a person!).
Animal fur, and the detail
IDEA #10 – INSECTS
The amazing small world of insects. So unique when you get up close. They could even look scary if you got close enough. Try this:
