Saturday, June 1, 2024

Photography tutorial videos on my www.Rumble.com channel. You can view this and more by simply clicking on the picture below.

6:07

Sunday, April 28, 2024

The Celebrities You Might Not Know Are Into Their Photography

Three headshots of celebrities at separate red carpet events, featuring a man with curly hair in a gray suit, a woman in a white dress, and another man with a beard in a black suit. — Mark Ruffalo (left), Lucy Liu (center) and Ben Affleck are all photographers too.

Everyone is a photographer, and that includes celebrities. But, some celebrities are seriously into their photography.

Here is a list of celebrities who take their photography more seriously than others, investing both significant time and money into developing their craft.

#1. Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis, filmmaker and actor famous for his unforgettable role as Gollum in the Lord of The Rings trilogy, is also a hobbyist photographer.

In 2019, Serkis had an exhibition of some of his photographs in the Leica Gallery in Mayfair, London. The exhibition — which was called “Because It’s There” — featured photographs that Serkis took on his trek to Everest Base Camp. The exhibition included portraits of sherpas he encountered on the climb as well as images that celebrated the “bravery, tenacity, and humor” of anyone who risks their life scaling mountains.

#2. Ben Affleck

While the public knows him best as an actor, Ben Affleck has been an avid photographer since high school. Affleck is constantly shooting photos and says he is fascinated with cameras and lenses to the point that it has become a “very serious addiction.”

Affleck says he regularly “get[s] made fun of” for being a huge camera geek and his wife Jennifer Lopez jokingly referred to her husband’s photography obsession in a new documentary.

Affleck has reportedly amassed a huge private collection of vintage camera lenses including an “unbelievable” set of Canon K35s that are rehoused, some old ARRI/FUJINON Alura Zooms, and “crazy Russian lenses from the 1950s” that he purchased on eBay among his collection.

#3. Jason Lee from My Name is Earl

Actor Jason Lee, best known for his role in NBC’s hit sitcom My Name Is Earl, recently opened a photography shop and camera store in Los Angeles with fellow photographer Raymond Molinar.

An avid photographer, Lee began shooting regularly in the early 2000s and has published multiple photography books, including A Plain View in 2018. He dove headfirst into photography in 2002 when he bought a Leica M6 and Mamiya RZ67 medium format camera.

Lee has long stuck with film photography, and analog equipment is the primary focus of his new L.A.-based store.

Mamiya RZ67 medium format camera.

Lee has long stuck with film photography, and analog equipment is the primary focus of his new L.A.-based store.

#4. Frank Ocean

Grammy award-winning singer Frank Ocean is also a film photography fanatic. Ocean’s passion for analog photography led Vogue to commission him to shoot behind-the-scenes images of the Met Gala in 2019 on his Contax T3. Last year, Ocean published a 48-page photo book Mutations that featured a retrospective of portraits and images shot mostly by the singer himself between October 19 and December 22, 2022.

#5. Mark Ruffalo

Actor Mark Ruffalo — who starred in the hit film Poor Things earlier this year — has also been an active street photographer for the last decade.

“I’ve been doing street photography on and off for about 10 years. I just like how it captures people naturally; when people know a camera’s on them, they immediately change their behavior,” Ruffalo tells The New York Times.

For several years, Ruffalo regularly shared some of his street photography while on subway trains or at stations to his 20 million followers on Instagram.

#6. Jessica Lange

Before becoming a two-time Academy Award-winning actress, Jessica Lange studied photography at the University of Minnesota after winning a scholarship to study the arts. Lange took up photography again in the 1990s when her partner, late playwright and actor Sam Shepherd, gifted her a Leica camera as a gift. Since then, she has been an active photographer and released several photography books including Highway 61.

Highway 61 was a photographic tribute to the storied route that Lange has traveled numerous times since her childhood in Northern Minnesota.

“It’s a great counterpoint to filmmaking because it’s a private, solitary experience,” Lange says of photography.

“It’s like writing or painting; it’s something you can do on your own.

“Acting is a co-dependent art form, and the actor is not in control. And filmmaking definitely informs the decision to photograph something. I’m drawn to situations with a dramatic feel to them as far as lighting or backdrop or people’s presence, the way someone stands.”

#7. Brendan Fraser

Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser is also passionate about film photography and had exhibitions of the images that he took while filming on location for movie like The Mummy. According to Tech Radar, Fraser would appear on the set of TV show Scrubs carrying a Polaroid, a folding pack camera, and a Holga camera as he is a huge fan of lo-fi photography. Fraser even has a dedication in the book Collector’s Guide to Instant Cameras.

#8. Gary Oldman

Actor Gary Oldman — known for his work on Batman, Leon, and the Harry Potter films — is a passionate photographer too. Oldman mainly shoots black-and-white images behind the scenes of his films. But he also has a love of wet-plate photography. The actor has exhibited his photography a few times including in Berlin, Germany in 2012 and at the Flowers’ Gallery in East London in 2016. For his exhibition at the Flowers Gallery, Oldman shot portraits of artist George Blacklock entirely on a Swing-lens Widelux F6B.

#9. Cole Sprouse

Riverdale actor Cole Sprouse has an avid interest in photography. Sprouse took lessons in the craft at New York University (NYU) and went on to launch his own photography website in 2011.

He has since shot assignments for publications such as Vogue, W Magazine as well as fashion campaigns for Primark and Rabane.

“If I wasn’t acting I’d be doing that full-time,” Sprouse says about photography.

“I think with the way that we digest information nowadays, photography has become a perfect avenue to give the audience an understanding of yourself that goes a little deeper than a 10-minute interview about a show you’re doing or something of the sort. It just made sense to me.”

#10. Julian Lennon

Julian Lennon, the son of John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia, is a philanthropist, musician, and a photographer. In fact, he counts photography as his greatest passion in life.

“Photography is the thing that makes me happiest, no question about it,” Lennon told The Guardian in 2013.

As a child, Lennon says he has always enjoyed taking pictures and his father John bought a Polaroid SX-70 when he was 10 years old. But Lennon says he became serious about photography after shooting his half-brother Sean Lennon’s tour in 2007.

Since then, Lennon has had several exhibitions of his photography. His first exhibit “Timeless” in 2010 included portraits of Bono and U2 in a recording studio and Princess Charlene of Monaco moments before being crowned Princess.

Want to know more about Photography? Click here:

Monday, April 22, 2024

#Basic Photography, #Amateur Photography

3 Free Photography Cheat Sheets That Will Help You Understand the Basics

Ritesh Saini

As photographers, each time we press that shutter button, we’re always striving for the perfect shot. If you want to get consistent results, without relying on luck, you gotta know and practice the fundamentals of photography.

This post provides you with 3 printable cheat sheets from our best-selling Snap Cards: Essentials set, for free. They’ll help you on your quest to master the basics of photography- right when you need it most- when you’re out taking photos! The cheat sheets cover the topics of Exposure Triangle, Histogram, and Photographing in Manual Mode. Make sure you download them, print them and carry them with you the next time you’re out taking pictures!

If you’d like to take your photography to the next level, do check out the complete Snap Cards: Essentials set – it’s like having personal photography mentor with you! Take a look at them here.

1. Exposure Triangle Cheat Sheet

The exposure triangle is among the most fundamental of photography concepts that you should gain a good understanding of, if you take photography seriously. This cheat sheet will help you visually understand the relationship between the three pillars of exposure- shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Download now →

2. Histogram Cheat Sheet

The histogram is a really useful tool that can help you nail the exposure in your photographs. You can tell when a photo is underexposed or overexposed by looking at its histogram and know which tones need to be worked on during post-processing. Download now →

3. Manual Mode Cheat Sheet

To gain complete control over the photographic process, you should have a good grip on the manual mode of your camera. Whether it’s for a technical use like getting a sharp photograph with fast shutter speed or using it creatively for capturing motion with slow shutter speed, manual mode is the place where the endless photographic possibilities really start to shine. Download now →

To get the most out of these cheat sheets, we recommend you to print them and carry them with you, or download them on your mobile device for when you’re out photographing.

BONUS– I've got something special for you on the next page...

Do you like the idea of having a photography training bootcamp in your camera bag? Or would you simply like to improve your photography by way of a tested training method? One that thousands of photographers have used successfully? Take a look at our best-selling Snap Cards: Essentials: 20 printable key photography lessons that you can take with you anywhere.

Friday, April 5, 2024

The winners & finalists of the 500px Global Photography Awards

by 500PX

After much anticipation, the curtain has been drawn, and the spotlight is now on the incredible talents behind the lens. We’re thrilled to unveil the exceptional winners and finalists of the 2023 edition of the 500px Global Photography Awards.

From seasoned professionals to dedicated hobbyists, this year’s competition attracted photographers from all walks of life, each vying for the title of 500px Photographer of the Year and a chance to claim remarkable prizes from amazing brands.

In this third installment of the awards, participants had the opportunity to showcase their best works captured or uploaded throughout 2023. With categories spanning Landscape, Fine Art, Technical, Documentary, Storytelling, and Commercial Content, there was something to captivate every eye and imagination.

Today marks the grand unveiling of our winners, finalists, and the photographers who have secured the coveted titles of 500px Photographer of the Year. Let’s celebrate their extraordinary talent and creativity!

Drum roll…

The Photographers of the Year are…

Serhii Fett and Richard Beresford Harris—congratulations!

You will find their winning images, and the rest of the winners and finalists, below.

The winners and finalists

Landscape

PRO First Place Winner

Leonardo Papèra
View their Profile

What our Editors loved about this photo: The Dolomites are a sought-after, highly photographed locale, but when they are captured with this precision and attention to detail, they become a true wonder. Leonardo leans into the soft light and brings the peaks, valleys, and cotton candy sky to life through his camera. The contrast is just right, the sharpness uncompromising, and the framing is done in a way that embraces the rules without hinging on them. Yes, landscape photography is made a little easier when your surroundings are this stunning, but mastering precision and color tones like this can only be done by a skilled eye.

HOBBYIST First Place Winner

Richard Beresford Harris
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What our Editors loved about this photo: Mountains are massive natural features that convey a sense of grandeur and awe-inspiring scale. By introducing a person into the scene, Richard provides a reference point for the viewer, allowing them to better understand the immense size and majesty of the landscape. This contrast in scale emphasizes the enormity of the mountains and adds depth to the composition. The photographer positioned the person central in the landscape in the lower third, and used that mountain peak to create visual intrigue. The textured green, suddenly juxtaposed by the blue of the water, creates depth and leads to the layer of snow-capped mountains.

Finalists

Gianluca Rubinacci (Hobbyist)

Dimo Hristev (Pro)

Thanayu Jongwattanasilkul (Pro)

Bahadir Sansarci (Hobbyist)

Mike Tesselaar (Pro)