Photos of storms can be about the most atmospheric and gripping of any landscape photography. In fact some people make storm photography and chasing storms their photographic specialty, following weather and forecast reports like hawks.
We're sure you will agree that the images of storms that they produce are well worth the specialisation with spectacular images seeming to be the norm rather than the exception for many talented storm photographers. That's why we put together this little tribute of 13 awesome storm photos for you to enjoy.
This collection was originally put together way back in March of 2009, but we have updated it with some even more amazing shots, so enjoy!
This post is for all the photo hobbyists who are starting to take photography more seriously. Before publishing or selling that photo, it's worth exploring the finer points of privacy laws and why photo release forms are important. A photo release form is also known as a photo waiver or model release form, but it is not just for professional models. Anytime you take a photo that you plan to use commercially you need the paperwork backing up the subject’s consent. Dropping the ball on having subjects sign a photo release consent form can cost you both money and your reputation.
Consider the case of a woman who sued Chipotle for using her picture in branding without her consent. Leah Caldwell was photographed by Steven Adams on a work-for-hire assignment while she was eating at Chipotle back in 2006. She did not sign a release. Fast forward to 2017, and you can imagine Adams’ shock when he learned that he and the restaurant chain were being sued for $2.2 billion! Caldwell discovered in 2014 that her photo was used on wall branding at Chipotle restaurants. Since she had not signed a release, she sued on the grounds that her “reasonable expectation of privacy” was violated. Caldwell and Chipotle ultimately reached a settlement for a confidential sum before the case reached the courts. It’s unlikely she received the outrageous amount she was asking for, but regardless, both Adams and Chipotle took a financial hit. So before you submit that photo, read on to make sure you fully understand the legalities of photography!
A photo release is a contract that is signed by a photo subject or owner of the private property pictured in a shoot. It gives the photographer or organization they represent the legal right to use those photos for commercial purposes.
In simple terms, you must get a photo release signed whenever a photo of an individual or property will be used for profit. “Profit” includes either receiving a chunk of change for the photo directly or the submission of a photo for promotional material. This includes your own promotional material, such as an online portfolio. Most companies that buy photos will insist that you include the release form when you submit a photo. However, you need only look at the Chipotle example above to know that this isn’t always the case. And if it helps – publishers will generally pay more for a photo that includes a release! If a photo you took ends up being used for commercial purposes without a release, the subject can potentially sue for a breach of privacy.
Photography lawsuits tend to revolve around the issue of privacy. People have an expectation of privacy when they are on private land or within private property. They have the right to decline to have their photo taken at all, let alone have their photo sold for commercial use. A release form in these cases is an absolute must. Street photographers don’t need to fret. As soon as someone steps onto public property they waive the right to privacy. This means you can sell a photo without a release if the people or property are incidental and would not be easily recognized. This does not apply to photos taken directly of a subject on public property, such as in a photoshoot. Selling these photos without the subject’s release infringes on their right to control their likeness for commercial purposes. Commercial use aside, if a photo is taken for personal use, news, or education – it is fair game to use without a release. If there is any chance that you will want to use the photo for profit, it’s worth covering yourself and getting a photo release signed.
A photo release needs to include your name and any organization you are representing. It should also be very specific in outlining your intended use of any photography, and whether or not you grant the subject to have any use of those images. The photo release would also include any financial agreements you or your organization make with the subject. The website Film Shooters Collective outlines what a photo release needs to include in order to be effective:
It must be granted by someone who is capable of understanding the nature and consequences associated with the photography and who has the authority to consent.
The release needs to specify the uses for the photographs.
The release should include a general comment as to the general nature of the photographs taken and the dates of the shoot. (If you do a lot of shooting, this will certainly make your records a lot easier to understand and prevent any confusion in this matter.)
There are lots of photo release templates online, but it’s always recommended that you have a local lawyer ensure that the wording of your form is sound.
Taking photos of minors is a particularly sensitive issue. Any release form for photography of a minor must be signed by a legal guardian. Many schools, camps, and activities for children have parents sign blanket photo release forms for the year/term so that photos can be taken and used in their promotional materials. For public photography, the same expectation of privacy rules for adults applies to minors. But many states and countries take those laws further, prohibiting the photographing of minors by anyone except a parent without parental consent. You need to make sure you research these rules wherever you live and work.
Photography is an art form, and you deserve to be protected in your craft. A photographic moment can happen anytime, anywhere. Serious photographers should always have access to photo release forms at a moment’s notice. If you’re the forgetful sort or don’t want to lug around piles of paper, making use of a waiver app will ensure you have access to waivers anytime on your mobile device. Otherwise, you should always have a pile in your photography bag at the ready. You will have a long, lucrative career and a collection of happy clients if you are diligent in following the laws designed to protect both you and your subjects.
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7 Ways To Earn A Little Extra Money From Your Photos In 2019
A quick Google will reveal many many pages of sites telling you how to make money from your images. Some of them are accurate, some exaggerate the amounts you can make greatly. Making money from images is possible but it’s not easy.
Today, we are going to look at some of the ways you can generate income from your photography. We are focussing on those that want to earn a little extra on the side and not go into photography as a full-time profession.
1. Stock Photography
Perhaps one of the most common and well-known ways to generate money from photography. However, it's not a simple task of uploading 200 images of your cat and one sunset and waiting for the money to roll in. Stock is a game of patience and hard work.
The vast majority of your images will sell for pennies. If you have some particularly unique images then you might get some three figure commissions but they are really quite rare. The vast majority of stock agencies are what are called microstock, that is to say, pile them high sell them cheap.
Some agencies are better than others, my best returns come from Shutterstock, my worst from iStock/Getty. We have several articles here Light Stalking on getting your stock accepted.
There are 7.3 million sunset pictures on Shutterstock. Choose your genre carefully.
2. Sell Your Own Prints
It’s never been easier to sell your own prints. Let me rephrase that, its never been easier to set up a website to sell your own prints. There are multiple choices of gallery building websites that allow you to upload and sell prints, Zenfolio, Pixpa, and SmugMug to name a few.
However, whilst setting up the site may be easy, the actual selling is not. You are going to need to find your market and market yourself to them. The best options for selling your prints online are when you have a niche subject or when you shoot local interests.
You are going to need to put a lot of work into not only marketing but also website SEO (search engine optimization) in order to get your work seen. You also have to take into account the cost of a subscription to a gallery site, this can run to several hundreds of dollars per year.
Creating your own site is time-consuming but can be rewarding. By Jason Row Photography
3. Local/Family Events
Weddings, christenings, local events, all can be a source of potential income for your photographic skills. However, you need to be confident in your abilities, have the right equipment and back up equipment and in many cases some form of liability insurance.
With that said, there are many people out there that make a part-time living at weekends from shooting events. Often the best option here is to become a second shooter for a local professional. Sometimes, local pros will require help shooting the bigger gigs and if you have the experience, you may well find they will embrace your talents.
If you are a bit of a dab hand with Photoshop then there is a whole world of potential for making money as a part-time freelancer. There are a number of sites on the Internet that help connect freelance workers with potential clients. These include Fiverr and Upwork.
Despite its name, Fiverr is not all about selling your abilities for $5 a go. These days there are many different levels or pricing and you can set your price according to your ability and portfolio.
You will be competing in a very large market place so like with other suggestions, you will need to market yourself and have a good portfolio to demonstrate your capabilities. Again finding niche areas will help maximize your incomes.
Another area that has become a potential revenue source in recent years is citizen journalism. A number of stock agencies such as Alamy have realized the potential of this and have created dedicated portals to upload newsworthy images. These are processed and put online much quicker than regular stock to maximize their potential revenue.
To make money at this you are going to need to work fast, monitor and cover breaking news in your local area and get those images online quickly. That said, if you live in a large city and have time there will always be newsworthy events going on nearby.
You can shoot with a smartphone and upload your work more or less instantaneously. A number of news oriented stock agencies even have smartphone apps to make the process quick and painless.
This used to be an easier route to generate some revenue but last year Youtube dramatically increased the bar at which you could monetize your channel. However, if you have a talent for demonstrating or talking about all things photographic, there is the possibility of making money.
Tutorials, vlogs, and reviews are probably the best options to build an audience. You will need to get to 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours per year of viewing time before you can monetize your channel.
That’s quite a challenge but if you upload good videos regularly, once a week and always ask your audience to like share and subscribe, it is possible. Once your videos start reaching a certain viewing level they will become “recommended” helping elevate your channel further.
If you become big enough you may even attract sponsorship or affiliation.
If you enjoy jotting your thoughts about photography down, then a blog may be a way to generate some extra income. Like other options, it is going to take time and dedication as well as engaging content. Once you have built an audience for your blog, you can add advertising via Google Adsense or by using affiliate programs such as Amazon. To maximize any revenues, you will need to make sure the products you promote are in keeping with the content you write.
In Summary
There is no easy path to riches in photography. Believe me, if there were, I would be writing this from a beach on the French Riviera. This is a recap of some of the ways you can generate an extra income.
Stock Photography – Easiest to do, but needs dedication and a niche to make real money.
Selling Prints – High initial costs and a strong need to market yourself to make money.
Local Events – Good option for a competent photographer with local connections.
Editing and Retouching – A good option for those with a strong portfolio of Photoshop skills
Citizen Journalism – Hard work, but rewarding for those with a nose for a story
Will require a lot of work to monetize your channel but rewards can be high for engaging content.
Blogging – One of the easier options but again will require you to build and maintain your audience.
Making a sideline through your photography is certainly a possibility. However, whichever way you do it, you are going to need dedication and suitable skills. If you have them, then there is certainly ample opportunity to make some extra money.
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Monday, August 19, 2019
A Basic Introduction To Understanding Metering Modes
The topic of metering modes
seems to mystify a great many new photographers. It had me a little
perplexed when I was starting out, but maybe I could attribute that to
the fact that, as I’ve stated before, I never read the manual. For
anything.
Eventually, I learned what all the different metering
modes are all about — no thanks to my various camera manuals, because
they aren’t all that forthcoming with useful explanations of each metering mode.
Which means beginners just tend to skip over this stuff. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Understanding
metering is a key part of understanding exposure, so let’s take a look
at the basic metering modes and what role each plays in determining
exposure.
Multi-Zone/Evaluative/Matrix Metering
Different camera manufacturers use different terminology, but regardless of what it’s called this is the default metering mode for most cameras.
Evaluative
metering works, essentially, by evaluating the light across the whole
frame and then prompting the camera to make a decision about which part
of the scene is most important.
Generally, the camera will give preference to the area immediately around the currently selected autofocus point.
This mode works well for a wide variety of subjects and in uniformly
lit situations — from landscapes to portraits. You can leave your camera
set to matrix/evaluative metering and be sure that it’s going to result
in a correct exposure the vast majority of the time. Photo by Pixabay
Center-Weighted Metering
With center-weighted metering selected, the camera will measure the light
across the frame but will it will be heavily biased toward the light at
the center of the frame. Unlike matrix/evaluative metering,
center-weighted metering is not tied to the focus point you select; it
only cares about what it “sees” in the middle of the frame.
Center-weighted metering is most beneficial when the background is much brighter than your subject.
Spot Metering
Spot metering takes into account only the light around your focus point, ignoring everything else.
The “spot” in spot metering makes up less than 5% of the whole frame.
Spot
metering is most useful when your subject occupies a relatively small
portion of the frame, allowing you to properly expose the subject no
matter how dark or bright the background is.
While the center
focus point is typically the default metering spot, many cameras will
allow you to choose which focus point will act as the metering spot. Photo by Jason D. Little
Partial Metering
Not
all cameras have partial metering, which is essentially an expanded
form of spot metering. Rather than measuring such a tiny portion of the
frame, partial metering evaluates approximately 6-10% of the total
frame.
Use this mode in the same situations you would use spot metering.
Bonus: Highlight-Weighted Metering
Currently
available on select Nikon cameras, highlight-weighted metering measures
light in the same manner as matrix metering (over the whole frame), but
analyzes the brightest portions of the scene and calculates an exposure
intended to prevent blowing out the highlights. Photo by Evie Shaffer This mode is perfect for high contrast situations.
Use
evaluative/matrix metering when shooting in even light or using flash.
Use center-weighted metering for portraits or anytime the subject is in
the center of the frame. Use spot/partial metering when your subject
isn’t taking up much of the frame, when your subject is backlit or when
you’re shooting the snow. Use highlight-weighted metering (if your
camera has it) for mixed lighting and high contrast situations.
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An Advanced Guide to Light Metering in Photography
n a previous article we took a look at metering using the camera’s built in metering system, explaining the different metering modes and in what situations to use them. For the vast majority of people the metering systems of modern digital cameras is so good that we need not consider other means of reading our exposures, however, for some of us, studio photographers and landscape photographers for example, there is sometimes a need for some more advanced techniques, using a dedicated exposure meter. Exposure Meters: Handheld exposure meters used to be a vital tool for many film based photographers – names like Weston being synonymous with professional photography. These days it is possible to pick up older second hand meters for very good prices or, if your budget allows, a brand new digital meter from the likes of Sektronic et al. The advantage of newer meters is that are more likely to include a dedicated flash meter as well as the incident and reflected metering modes. Today we are going to look at both incident and flash metering.
Incident Metering: When you read the exposure using your own camera’s systems, you are making a reflected light reading. This means that light falls on your subject and is reflected into your camera. The problem with this is that the surface and color of your subject, modifies the light as it is reflected. If there is a predominance of one color or the subject is significantly darker or lighter than average, your camera’s meter can be fooled. A good solution to this is to use incident light readings. This will measure the light falling directly on the subject, un altered by the subject itself. Using a handheld meter, you will notice it will have a white, translucent dome that covers the light sensor. This dome evens out the light and gives a very accurate indication of the correct exposure.
Making an incident light reading is the opposite of a reflected light reading. With your camera already positioned, you go towards your subject, be it a landscape or ambient light portraits, then point the light meter directly towards the camera to make your reading. The reading you get gives you a very accurate indication of actual exposure without the outside influences caused by a reflected light reading. When transferring your reading to your camera, it is important to make sure you adjust the aperture, shutter speed and ISO rating to the camera. If your meter ISO and camera ISO do not match you will be shooting in vane. Flash Metering: As mentioned, most modern handheld meters often have a flash meter built in. When using a flash meter, you can use either reflected light metering, at the camera position pointing toward the subject or incident reading as mentioned above. As with ambient incident light reading, flash incident reading often gives a more accurate result. There are two ways to meter flash, you can either plug your flash sync cable into the meter and press the metering button, this will fire the flash or flashes in the same way as the using the sync socket on your camera. The other way is when in flash mode, pressing the meter button and firing the flashes manually within a certain time frame, usually 60 seconds. Your meter will usually have a button or switch allowing you to select the required mode. One of the advantages of using flash metering in incident mode is it is not affected by light or dark backgrounds, meaning the exposure for the subject will be correct. As flash exposure is controlled by aperture you can adjust your shutter speed accordingly to get the background looking exactly as you would like it.
Vox Efx, on Flickr Another advantage of using an external flash meter is outdoor portraiture, using fill in flash. An incident flash metering can allow you to accurately calculate the correct amount of fill in flash to keep your subject and background in balance. Whilst perhaps not an essential piece of equipment for many of us, dedicated, hand held exposure meters can be an invaluable tool to the photographer, allowing us a much greater accuracy in metering in complex light. As photo accessories go, light meters can be a reasonably good value purchase, a decent light meter costing from $200-$400 new, cheaper if you buy second hand.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year
Do you want to become a master photographer…
…in only a year?
That’s what this article is all about.
Because in it, I’m going to give you 8 micro habits that will completely change your photography in a year. These micro habits are small adjustments in how you go about taking photos. They take very little effort.
But if you make a real effort to follow them, you’ll be a photography master within a year.
Sound good?
Let’s get started.
1. Check your settings every time you turn on your camera
This is such an easy way to improve your photos.
And yet photographers always forget about it!
All you have to do…
…is check your camera settings before you begin a shoot. And make sure you have the settings you need for the current situation.
Because here’s the thing:
Every photography outing is different. And you absolutely do not want to find yourself using the same settings from shoot to shoot. That’s a recipe for disaster.
But if you don’t check your camera before you start shooting, that’s exactly what will happen. Because you’ll forget about your previous settings, and you won’t realize that you’ve seriously messed up until halfway through a photo shoot.
(How do I know? Because I used to do this all the time! Until I started checking my settings, that is.)
So here’s what you do:
Get in the habit of choosing new settings every time you turn on your camera.
First, make sure you’re shooting in RAW, or RAW+JPEG. This is absolutelykey. If you don’t do this, you’re sacrificing a ton of post-processing potential in your images. Fortunately, this can be a ‘set it and forget it’ feature, but it pays to be alert.
Next, think about your camera mode. Do you want to shoot in Aperture Priority mode? Do you want to shoot in full Manual mode? This depends on your shooting situation, but Aperture Priority is a good go-to.
Third, think about your ISO setting. It should sit at a default of around ISO 200, but feel free to raise it if the light is limited.
Fourth, choose your metering mode. I recommend leaving your camera set to evaluative metering mode (also known as matrix or multi-segment metering, depending on the brand). Evaluative metering takes into account the entire scene and determines the best overall exposure.
Finally, think about your focus mode. AF-S (One Shot) focusing is a good default because it locks focus when you press your shutter button halfway.
Checking your camera settings is easy. It takes 60 seconds, tops.
So you’ve just got to get in the habit of remembering to do it!
2. Check the surroundings before you take each photo
You’ve framed up your shot. Your finger is on the shutter button. You’re itching to capture a photo.
But you wait.
Why?
Because if you want to make sure your photo is a stunner, then you must check the surroundings.
In other words, you need to look all around the viewfinder, so you can be absolutely sure there are no distractions.
Notice how clean this photo is; it’s a flower, a stem, and nothing else. That’s what you want.
But if you don’t get in the habit of checking the whole scene before taking a photo, you’ll find that all sorts of distractions creep into the frame.
You’ll get stray leaves, branches, and other elements around the edges.
And you’ll get telephone poles, wires, and street signs sprouting out of your subject’s head.
These things are so easy to miss if you’re not looking for them. You get so excited about your subject, so fixated on it, that you miss what’s going on in the surrounding area.
Now, you don’t have to do a long check. It doesn’t have to take more than a couple of seconds. But just flick your eyes over the scene. And make sure there are absolutely no distractions.
Then you can take your shot.
3. Only get out to shoot during the best light
One of the easiest mistakes to make in photography?
Shooting during bad light.
In fact, bad light is probably the number one culprit of lackluster images. Because bad light can break a photo so easily. It can take a beautiful composition and make it into a muddy mess.
That’s why you should get in the habit of shooting only during the best light.
But what counts as the best light?
It depends somewhat on your genre of photography. But it’s pretty hard to go wrong with golden-hour lighting.
You find golden-hour light early and late in the day when the sun is low in the sky. The low sun casts a golden glow over the entire scene, giving you light that’s soft, warm, and just all-around beautiful.
This photo was shot with classic golden-hour lighting:
Golden hour is usually seen as the two hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset. But there’s no hard-and-fast rule. Instead, just start shooting when the light becomes golden, and you’ll do just fine.
Now, there are a few other types of light that are worth pursuing.
First, just after sunset (and just before sunrise), you get something known as the blue hour, when the sun moves lower and lower over the horizon. This can be great for landscape photos, as long as you remember to bring your tripod!
Second, cloudy light is good for bringing out colors. That’s why macro and flower photographers love clouds; it allows them to capture deeper, richer colors in their subjects.
It took cloudy light to get these stunning red tones:
Here’s the bottom line:
If you can restrain yourself from shooting bad light, and get out to shoot during good light…
…well, your photography will move to the next level, instantly.
4. Shoot every scene from 5 different angles
It’s easy to get stuck in a creative rut.
One where you approach a scene and shoot it head-on, without ever trying different angles.
By doing this, you’re missing out on so many potential shots. So many possibilities for creativity!
That’s where this micro habit comes in.
Here’s how it works:
When you approach a scene, go ahead and take the standard, head-on shot. This can sometimes look good, after all!
But then get into unusual angles. Try finding a vantage point and shooting from overhead. Try getting down low down to the ground and shooting up.
Move around your subject, taking care to capture at least five unique angles, every single time you do a shoot.
And you’ll soon be taking unique photos everywhere you go.
5. Use the rule of thirds to begin every composition
The rule of thirds is a basic composition guideline.
It states that the best compositions put the main elements a third of the way into the frame, somewhere along these gridlines:
In particular, you should try to put your main subject at the power points, which are the four intersection points on the grid.
Here’s an example of a photo that uses the rule of thirds:
I was careful to put the two flowers along the gridlines, and the overall shot came out looking well-balanced (which is exactly what you want!).
Now, the rule of thirds isn’t a hard-and-fast law of composition. You can break the rule of thirds. And sometimes you can create truly unique photos by being willing to break the rule of thirds.
But the rule of thirds is an excellent starting point for all of your compositions.
So here’s what I recommend:
Get in the habit of using the rule of thirds to start off your compositions. Think to yourself: How can I align elements of this photo with the rule of thirds gridlines?
If you ultimately don’t use the rule of thirds for that photo, that’s okay. But if you at least consider the rule of thirds before breaking it, your compositions will improve fast.
6. Post-process all of your good photos
Here’s the thing about photography:
If you take photos, and you don’t do anything with them, they’ll look decent.
But if you do even a bit of post-processing…
Well, you can make them look amazing. Because a little post-processing can go a long way.
Which is why I suggest that you post-process every single one of your good photos, even if you’d rather be out shooting.
Now, you don’t actually have to do much to your photos. Take all of the photos from your recent shoot, and go through them quickly, selecting the ‘decent to good’ photos out of the mix.
Then go through these and do a quick processing job.
What should this entail?
You should at least do two very basic things.
First, you should adjust the contrast. Most photos can benefit from a significant contrast boost, so test it out on your photos to see how it looks.
Second, you should adjust the colors. Lightroom has a slider called Vibrance, and it’s amazing. It simply increases the saturation of colors that aren’t yet saturated, so it’s sort of a ‘smart saturation’ option. And it’ll really make your colors pop!
After this, you can go on to make other changes, do noise reduction and sharpening, etc. But you don’t have to. Just a bit of contrast and a bit of Vibrance can do a long way.
7. Take one image every day to increase your photography skills
Do you currently take one photo every day?
For a long time, I didn’t. I went out once a week, took a series of photos, then went home.
And then I decided to take photos every day for a month.
By the time the month was up, I had resolved to continue to take photos every single day, no matter what – because it improved my photography so much.
I started to see compositions where I previously saw none. I started to get a sense of the light that I had never had before.
And this didn’t require any extra learning. It was just from being…aware. From keeping my photography brain awake.
So I urge you:
Start taking photos every day. Even if you can only take one photo, even if you can only take it with a smartphone, you should still do it.
You’ll be amazed by how quickly your photography improves.
8. Look at beautiful photos every single day
Here’s the final micro habit that will drastically improve your photography:
Look at beautiful photos.
Every day.
You see, the more you look at good photos, the more you develop your sense of color, composition, and lighting. You’ll start to notice the way other photographers use the rule of thirds. You’ll start to notice how photographers use contrasting colors to great effect. You’ll start to notice how different angles give different looks.
And then you’ll start noticing how you can use these techniques in your own photography.
Plus, in this day and age, it’s not difficult to look at stunning photos. You can subscribe to the Instagram feeds of great photographers. You can subscribe to high-quality Facebook groups. Or you can join the email lists of top photography websites (such as this one!).
The key is to make sure you look at amazing photos every day, no matter what.
8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year: Conclusion
Now that you know about these game-changing micro habits…
…all that’s left is to start implementing them in your daily life so you can completely change your photography in a year.
None of them are hard. They take a few minutes, at most.
But look back in a year, and you’ll be so glad you started them.
Also, if you found these micro habits useful, then you should check out our course, 31 days to become a Better Photographer.
The course is full of useful tips and suggestions like the ones I’ve given here. And it’s guaranteed to improve your photography, fast.
So if you’re looking to take your photography to the next level, the course is exactly what you need.
View it here:
https://resources.digital-photography-school.com/ref/937/
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5 Creative Uses For A Fisheye Lens
By Jason D. Little
#photographyeveryday #photographyislife #photographylover
When you hear someone talking about a fisheye lens, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps you think they’re useless to your style of shooting. Maybe you perceive them as being gimmicky or you can’t help but think of the severe distortion.
If you have any kind of dubious feelings about fisheye lenses, no one would blame you. These lenses do, in fact, have limited appeal and, yes, the distortion is extreme. Are fisheye lenses a gimmick? Not really, but anything in the wrong hands can be reduced to a gimmick, just as anything in the right hands can be awesome.
Before you dismiss them, consider these 5 ways that fisheye lenses can serve as incredible creative tools.
Go Wider Than Wide
A “true” fisheye lens is one with an angle of view of at least 180 degrees at the widest point, with a focal length of anywhere between 8-16mm. That’s wide.
Such a wide lens allows you to fit a whole lot into a single frame. Of course, you’ll need to be particularly judicious about your composition and where you place the horizon, but a fisheye lens opens up so many more possibilities for how you use visual real estate.
I suppose most photographers don’t love perspective distortion, otherwise, we wouldn’t take the time to correct it in post. And distortion is probably the characteristic most commonly associated with fisheye lenses.
Fisheye lens distortion doesn’t have to be a distraction, however. The distorted lines can be used to create visual depth and lead the viewer into the scene. Used correctly, fisheye distortion makes for images that possess a degree of drama not achievable with a traditional wide-angle lens.
If you don’t love the distortion you can get rid of it. The first step is to center the horizon, as things located in the center of the frame of a fisheye lens are typically straight. Next, you’ll need to apply a “defishing” technique, using either a lens correction profile, special software or a bit of deft post-production work.
You can learn more about defishing a fisheye lens here.
Take A Selfie/Portrait
Fisheye lenses are hardly flattering to human subjects, but sometimes flattery isn’t the point.
Fisheye portraits are especially effective with babies and young children, as the enhancement of their youthful features (such as their big eyes) tends to be perceived as fun and adorable.
Similarly, fisheye lenses can work well with pets and other animals. Get up close to their nose to create some weird, comical distortion.
Yes, you can use a fisheye lens on anything and anyone you want — yourself included (due to the 180-degree field of view you can take unique selfies) — just be aware that normal feature proportions aren’t going to appear so normal.
While fisheye lenses are often relegated to occasional, whimsical uses they can be put to serious work.
From astrophotography to urban environments to interiors, fisheye lenses possess greater potential than most people give them credit for. Indeed, these lenses occupy a certain niche and are quirky compared to more traditional lenses but this in no way impacts their legitimacy as a creative tool.
In order to be truly effective with a fisheye lens, you’ll have to put forth the time and effort to understand all the ways in which it’s different from any other lens you use. You basically have to experiment with it in order to master it.
When it comes to fisheye lenses, some photographers love them, some hate them, others are indifferent about the whole topic. Some see fisheye lenses as toys, while others see them as a way to make a statement and stand out from the crowd.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with having a little fun with a fisheye lens, but hopefully, you’re now convinced of their creative potential.
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Walmart Sold DJI Inspire 2 and Spark Drones for $17.99 – Accessories and Everything!
Some people get really lucky in the online shopping lottery, and it seems some drone fans got a huge deal from Walmart when the company’s website accidentally listed the hugely popular – and pretty expensive – DJI Inspire 2 and Spark drones for $USD 17.99.
This price even included the accessories for the drones. That’s quite a steal for a package that typically runs $USD 559.
As FStoppers reports, buyers who chanced upon this deal haven’t heard anything from Walmart about a pricing error or an order cancellation. Many people are pointing out that Walmart is pretty good for honoring its pricing mistakes and thus they are pretty confident that the people who ordered these kits for such a massive discount will get them.
In addition to the DJI packages, the retailer also had Leica and Sony cameras for sale for anywhere from $USD 24.99 to $USD 42.99 while they normally retail for thousands of dollars. The vendor on the Walmart website is listed as one eCom Electronics and savvy shoppers have scoured the website for other deals from the vendor. We think that might throw a wrench into plans to receive the products at the discounted price as the vendor might not be supplying Walmart directly but merely selling on the site.
You can check out a screen cap of the sale by clicking here.
To this end, DPReview points out that eCom Electronics has a Better Business Bureau rating of C which isn’t the best.
What do you think? Will people end up getting what they ordered or do you think eCom Electronics has an out in this instance? Let us know in the comments below.
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