500px strives to capture authentic representation within the global experience. As part of the 500px Commercial Grants program, we provide photographers with opportunities that encourage inclusivity within commercial photography.
500px is awarding five $1,000 US Commercial Grants to women and
non-binary photographers who want to tell their stories as part of the Project #ShowUs Commercial Grant.
Project #ShowUs:
“Project ShowUs” is an initiative put together by Dove, Girl Gaze, and Getty Images.
The Project was first launched in 2019 and won a Cannes Lion, Silver
Lion, Glass: The Lion for Change award, for their groundbreaking work
devoted to shattering beauty stereotypes. 500px is honored for the
opportunity to participate in this Commercial Collection for the second
consecutive year.
Women have claimed various roles within commercial advertisements,
ranging from homemaker, mother, super model, entrepreneur, leader. Their
presence within advertising has created the construct of female
identity and who the ideal woman is, how they behave, and most notably
how they should look, providing representation for the select few who
fit this mold. While we have begun to shift the narrative, there is
still more work to be done.
“70% of women still don’t feel represented in media and advertising.”
Each model comes with their own unique backstory, something that can
provide context and representation within photography and advertising.
Incorporating authentic details and featuring models who live and
breathe the concept they represent contributes a narrative for people to
connect with and see themselves reflected, providing real
representation for those who are under represented.
The Theme:
#ShowUs is meant to both empower proud women and non-binary people
and showcase communities and support systems that unite and encourage
them to become achievers, leaders, business owners, and thought
provokers. We want to see your models in action as they contribute to
real representation that is not limited by age, sexuality, body type,
ethnicity, or belief, reflecting authentic experiences around the world.
Winners & Selection Process:
5 women or non-binary photographers will each receive a $1,000 US
Grant to develop a commercial series to be featured in this Collection.
Commercial Grants will be awarded by the 500px team and will be
selected based on the applicant’s ability to execute on the requirements
of the Commercial Grant. 500px will take into account the
photographer’s portfolio as well as the narrative within the submission.
Things I wanted for Christmas but knew
I'd probably have to buy them myself...so I did.
My “Caden” brand back pack camera
bag. It has lots of compartments for holding all my photography gear
and even a space for my tripod and water bottle. The price was just
under $30.
My Nikon 300mm telephoto zoom lens was
just under $52 (including shipping). Great for nature photography
when you don't want to get too close to wildlife but still want to get
a close up shot.
A “Neewer” brand 2X telephoto
converter. This converter, when attached to my 300mm lens will
effectively double the focal length from 300mm to 600mm. This was
less than $30.
“Xit” brand wide angle, fisheye
lens for getting a great wide angle view of the landscape you're
photographing. Cost (including shipping) was less than $30.
A “Bower” brand 3.5 telephoto
converter lens. This converter will effectively convert my 300mm
lens to over a 1000mm lens at no where near the normal cost of a
traditional 1000mm lens. The cost was less than $30. All of these
items were purchased on Ebay. If you're unfamiliar with ebay.com you
can check them out using this link: https://ebay.to/2Smb1ho
This
last item (my favorite) did NOT come from Ebay. This large capacity
drinking cup w/lid came from an online ETSY store. The store /
business is female owned and operated. She does excellent work as
you can see. The drinking cup is metal (keeps my beverages cold) but
surrounded with a resin (like plastic) that keeps the cold from
transferring to my hand. If you're wondering how I know this is a
female owned business, I work with her husband in the office
furniture business.
This
was my Christmas gift list to me. Ebay and Etsy are great places to
shop for gifts any time of the year. Check them out and tell me
about your experiences. I'd love to hear about the great gift deals
you get.
Figuring out the line between “good” and “too much” is one of the big
challenges in photography, whether it’s making adjustments in
post-processing or figuring out what to include in a composition. In
this 14-minute video, photographer Mark Denney shares 5 things to look for to figure out if your landscape photos are too busy.
“In an effort to determine how I can better understand when I’ve added
too much into my landscape scenes, I decided to dig into the archives
of some of my past photos in search of images that I now feel are way
too busy,” the photographer says. “I’ll share with you the 5 most common
signs of busy landscape images I encountered in my own photos and how
best to resolve them.”
#1. Edge Patrol: Walk your eyes around the edges of
the frame to see if there are any distracting elements that could
distract your viewers’ eyes from the center/subject of your photo to the
edge.
#2. The Subjects: Is there a main subject (or
cohesive subjects) to capture your viewers’ attention, or will they be
confused about what to look at?
#3. Bounce Factor: Is there a visual “flow” to your photo, or does it make the viewers’ eyes bounce around?
#4. Scene Stuffing: Trying to stuff everything in a landscape into your photo can lead to too much going on.
#5. Distractions Count: Is the landscape photo littered with so many small distractions that could be composed, cropped, or cloned out?
Watch Denney’s video on You Tube for explanations of each of these points and for more examples showing what to and not to do.
A portrait session can be a nerve-racking event. There’s so much to
remember and prepare before the actual press of the shutter button. It
takes a lot of prep work. People don’t always realize what goes into
being ready.
Even if you’re an amateur taking pics of your family and friends,
there are some important steps to take if you want to capture some
really beautiful images. Here are some tips to help you out.
In
some cases, planning for a shoot is really simple. In this case, we
took the kids to the beach at
sunset to shoot some pics we could share
on social media.
Logistics and Planning
This is the part where you discuss the portrait session with your
friends or clients. You need to pick a date, location, and a time. You
should also discuss backup dates in case the original plan doesn’t work.
If you’re shooting professionally, you need to get the contract
signed, collect a deposit and ensure that clients know under which
circumstances their deposit (retainer) is refundable.
Image Sharing
If you are taking family pics at a reunion and you intend to share these photos with everyone, consider setting up an online photo album you can send to everyone. It’s much easier to share the pics this way.
Make sure you have everyone’s email so that they can all download the
images afterward. It’s a huge pain to email people separately. You’re
taking the pictures to stay in control and don’t overwork yourself
sending them to everyone. They can take some of the responsibility.
If there are older family members, consider printing out a set of
instructions they can use for accessing and downloading the images. I’ve
run into that issue before and found myself driving an hour to click
download on someone’s computer.
Another from the sunset shoot of informal family pics.
The Style and Portrait Session Design
It’s also a good idea to discuss the type of look and feel you want
to create in the portrait session. If you’re working professionally,
this is really important. Make sure you and the clients are on the same page.
Do they want relaxed, candid images or do they prefer something more
formal? Clothing can affect the look of a photo shoot so be sure to
discuss attire. If you’re snapping pics at a family event, you probably
won’t have much control over the look of the images unless you plan and
get everyone on board.
I’ve seen families choose themes like “Old West” for a fun afternoon
of photos. At some reunions, I’ve seen groups create a t-shirt they all
wear to commemorate the pics.
A friend of mine set up a photo booth at a Christmas party. Everyone
was asked to bring one piece of “bling” for their photo. When paired
with the props and the background she created, it was a ton of fun.
In this case, I was working with a family. Prior to the shoot, I visited the home and we discussed
possible locations.
Location Matters
The chosen location can also affect the look and feel of a shoot.
Consider a big comfy couch in a brightly lit room versus wooden dining
room chairs on a studio backdrop. The background can considerably change the feel of an image so plan carefully.
Props
Collect some props for the portrait session. If you’re working with
really young people like toddlers, it is really helpful to have things
to distract the kids. Teenagers love goofy items they can hold and use
for posing.
If you’re working with your own kids, it can be a huge battle to get
them to cooperate. I find other people’s kids far more flexible, but if I
want to photograph my kids, it’s a huge ordeal.
So think about styling the shoot in such a way that your little ones
will cooperate. This might mean including their favorite toy is in the
image. That’s okay! Go with it because it’s far better to get a
positive, happy image than a forced angry looking smile.
This
was another paid session. The family had gathered for a
50th-anniversary celebration. They
were dressed semi-formal for the
occasion.
Be Informed and Plan Ahead
Make sure you do your research. Know the area in which you are going
to be shooting. It’s helpful to visit the site before the shoot so you
can be familiar with all the little nooks and crannies.
Plan your route to the photo shoot if you can’t visit before the big
day. Download offline instructions to your phone in case you lose your
connection. It’s happened to me once that I lost the signal and drove
around for ages before I could find the location.
Get Permits if Needed
Double check to be sure you don’t need a permit for shooting at a
specific location. Some places require you to buy a permit. So don’t get
caught without one.
I know of a family that planned to do photos in the Distillery
District here in Toronto only to learn they could not photograph each
other when they were halfway through the shoot. I’ve also seen a family
get in a lot of trouble for trespassing on private land. All they wanted
to do was take a family pic for their Facebook profiles.
So double check that you can visit and use the site you want for the
session. If you’re shooting professionally, permits and property
releases are a must so be sure to take care of the entire nitty gritty
well before the day of the shoot.
Backup Plans are Essential
Have a Plan B. Always! Have an alternative plan at the ready. You
never know what may go wrong. Have a family member bring an extra camera
(or rent or borrow one) in case yours breaks. Choose an alternate site
if the first won’t work.
Just be prepared. The reality is that when things go wrong, they
usually go horribly wrong. So try to plan for every possible road bump
in advance.
This shoot was planned for months. Friends were happy to join me for a day of photographs in the
winter.
Day of the Portrait Session
Always make a checklist of items that you can use to help you pack up and be ready for the photoshoot. It’s really frustrating to leave equipment at home.
Arrive early! This should go without saying. You don’t want to make people wait.
Check the weather forecast and make sure you can contact people in case of emergencies. Get contact numbers from folks.
Be prepared to have fun! Just before everyone arrives or your clients show up at the studio make sure you’ve relaxed a little.
I know some photographers who take 5 minutes to have a coffee before
shooting. Others will sit and meditate for a few minutes beforehand.
Whatever
works for you, just make sure you are confident and enthusiastic before
you begin shooting. Your nerves will affect the quality of your work so
don’t let them control you.
Photography is so much more than picking up a camera. To take
memorable images, you need to put in some effort and plan out the event.
So think carefully about the shoot and make sure you have everything
ready.
If you are prepared and relaxed you will enjoy the event more, and so will those you are photographing!
We
wanted to create some of those images where you make snow dust. Of
course, there was just
too much white space around our chosen location.
So sometimes your plans won’t work.
We tried a lot of different locations.
Eventually, we chose to shoot portraits that were much different from our initial plans.
Finally, make sure you share with us some of the ways you prepare for
a photography session. Let’s get a good base of tips together we can
use to our benefit.
Photographing
in wet or damp conditions is a mixed blessing. The opportunities are
often enormous; in a constantly damp area, the flora can be beautiful. A
good example is the Inside Passage of Alaska, where lush, old-growth
forests are common. Or a photo journey to a place like Costa Rica (I’ve
never been there, but it’s on my “bucket list”).
But, working in these conditions requires some additional care so that
our photography equipment will not be affected by the constant moisture.
So what are we to do?
Play Weatherman… Will it Rain?
Before heading out (especially to an unknown location) check out the
weather conditions as part of your pre-trip preparation. Using a website
like Weather Underground,
you can find out what the typical temperatures, rain/snow amounts, etc.
are for the area during the time of your expected visit, as well as the
actual weather forecast. If rain looks likely, prepare for the trip
with rain in mind.
Keep Your Equipment Dry
First, regardless of conditions, use a photo backpack or shoulder bag
that is waterproof… you never know when rain may develop! When shooting
in wet conditions, I always use some kind of protection to keep my
camera/lens dry. I usually use a waterproof nylon cover that fits over
my camera body/lens. It has adjustable elastic at both ends, allowing me
to tighten it down in heavy rain, or to loosen it to make adjustments
on my camera or lens.
But, no need to get fancy, or spend a lot of money. You can easily use
small trash bags to keep the equipment dry (I always keep a spare handy
in my photo backpack); and you can punch a hole in the closed end of a
small trash bag so that it will slide over the lens. Just add a rubber
band to keep it firm around the lens hood and you’re in BUSINESS!
Storing Equipment in Damp Conditions
When I’m in a damp location (i.e., along Alaska’s Inside Passage, on a
weeklong boat trip) and the equipment is not being used, I always store
my equipment in my photo backpack, along with a moisture-removing
“mini-dehumidifying” canister. These canisters are small, lightweight
and work around-the-clock, pulling moisture out of the air (or off
delicate equipment).
These devices are inexpensive, work well, and can be regenerated (i.e.
moisture can be pulled back out of them for re-use) when placed in a
convection oven for the required time. These can be purchased where GUN SAFES are sold (I get mine from Cabela’s, but most gun dealers should be able to get them).
Drying Wet Equipment (Exterior Surfaces)
Ok, so you’ve worked at keeping your equipment dry, but still MANAGED to
get water on the body or lens. What do you do? Well, the first thing is
to use a clean, dry cloth to wipe away the excessive moisture on the
exterior surfaces. I always carry some clean, dry pieces of old cotton
t-shirts in my “cleaning supply” bag, and use these for both removing
excess water and for cleaning the glass on my lenses (with a suitable
lens cleaner). Most anything that will absorb moisture can be used in an
emergency.
Oops, Water Inside My Equipment!
What should you do if you get water inside the camera or lens? This is
much more serious and it is likely that you will need professional
services from either the manufacturer, or from a reputable camera
serviceman. But there are some immediate things that I would recommend
you do:
First, remove all the exterior moisture that you can
Remove the CAMERA BATTERY and memory card (dry them off, if they are wet)
If
excessive amounts of moisture may have entered the camera body or lens,
place the body or lens inside a sealable plastic bag, along with A DEHUMIDIFYING canister (see above). Be careful to not introduce additional substances (dust, particles, etc.) inside the camera.
As soon as you can, have the manufacturer or qualified repair service person assess your equipment
Don’t Let the Weather Stop You!
Some of the most wonderful landscape images are made in inclement
weather, so don’t decide to stay indoors because “it looks like it could
rain.” Instead, go outdoors ready to shoot, but be prepared for bad
weather! You might even capture that ever-elusive shot that others won’t
get (because they stay indoors)!
It’s
obvious that photography is one area in the creative world that has
gained a lot of attention. Popular websites and social networks such as
Instagram, 500px, Tumblr, Flick, and much more promote how awesome it is
to use photography to express and document your life and experiences
whether you are a pro or amateur. Being able to practice photography
with quality equipment is consistently becoming more affordable and
accessible. But what if you’re stuck on where to learn or boost
photography skills? Good news, there are TONs of helpful photography
resources both free and paid out there on the web to learn from. Some
people like to learn from written resources while others prefer videos.
Well, this post is for you guys who enjoy learning from video resources
for free! In this post, I listed a variety of Photography Courses from
Skillshare, Udemy, and Youtube to get help get your photography skills
where you want them to be.
Loaning
and borrowing photographic gear has always been a delicate subject,
especially among photographers who are also good friends. It involves a
lot of trust on one side and responsibility on the other. The value of
the tools is fairly high most of the times and that makes things even
more delicate. I’m not in any position to judge whether it is right or
wrong to loan cameras, but I would like to shine a light on some of the risks that come with putting your camera in
strange hands. These are real risks you have to acknowledge and they
should have you carefully consider who it is you decide to help.
Saying goodbye to your custom settings
If you’re the kind of photographer who
likes to customize his camera, and you should be because it makes it
easier to operate, you probably have your own settings and custom
functions. When you loan the camera, chances are the person using it
doesn’t have the same working method you do and they’ll probably restore
everything or tweak it to meet their needs. All that is fine, but the
problem is most people never bother to remember what the previous
settings were, not to mention restoring them.
Accidents happen
It doesn’t really matter if you lend your
camera to a best friend or an acquaintance. They could be a long time
pro, or a beginner. Either way, accidents happen and this time I am
talking about the real, honest, unwanted ones. A lot of things can occur
and it’s not even worth counting possible scenarios. Getting back a
broken camera can be very frustrating and all that can be amplified if
it’s your main camera and you have a shoot coming up in the next couple
of days. The best way to protect yourself from these events, besides not
loaning the camera, is insurance or making sure the person you lend it to is fully capable of covering the costs.
If you do loan cameras, it would probably
be a good idea to do so only to trusted, close people. What’s very
important is to make sure there is a clear date for the return of the
equipment and only under special circumstances should it be missed. Even
so, there are cases when the camera is not returned in due time and the
owner himself has to borrow from someone else, provided the loaned
camera is the main one and the backup isn’t good enough for the job. All
that leads to tension that could ultimately damage the friendship. I’m
not saying don’t help a friend in need; just make sure to help the
friend that is aware of the return time.
It might get stolen
Don’t doubt it. I’ve heard of a recent
case in the photography community of a small town from Europe that made
me raise both my eyebrows. There was this event photographer who kept
borrowing stuff from other shooters, motivating that his own gear was in
service or had broken down the day before an event. He would usually
get back-up cameras
or other gear the others weren’t using so much anymore, so nobody
thought there was any reason to panic. All that until one of the other
photographers started to suspect something was wrong. This apparently
friendly fellow didn’t show up with his camera on time. It turned out
the guy was borrowing equipment and selling it on EBay, and since he was
so busy, no one could find him. Until the Police did of course, but it
goes to show that, sadly, even some people you think you know can turn
out to be entirely different. Regardless of goods, if loaning is
necessary, you should be extra careful who you trust with your
possessions.
It might come back in one piece, but check out all those black dots!
Not everyone is careful with cameras. Some people have a natural way of ignoring proper handling and can easily get a camera
filled with dust. It’s not that they mean it or have anything against
your camera, they probably do the same with theirs and you know what
they say, you can’t teach old dog new tricks.
The person you lend it to might not have the material ability to replace it
This is also a dreaded situation.
Something bad happens, more or less avoidable, and the camera is totally
damaged beyond repair. The person you gave it to might not have the
financial resources to replace the camera,
especially if we’re talking about a pro model. Needless to say, nobody
expected something like this to happen, and you both probably thought in
the back of your mind that the worst thing that could happen would be a
repair and that would be no problem. Situations like this are very
delicate and there isn’t a standard way of dealing with them, Insurance
is probably the only safety measure.
You might build an unwanted reputation
This also depends on who you lend to.
Helping out someone out of good will is a great thing, but if you do it
for the wrong people you might build an unwanted reputation as the go to
guy who lends stuff and is flexible on the return date. You probably
don’t want your phone to ring with photographers asking for something
every time.
Photographer Kyle McDougall
says that one question he gets asked a lot is if shooting in medium
format film, such as 645, is really “worth it” compared to 35mm film. In
this 11-minute video, he explains why he thinks it is.
While he’s clear that there are no “bad” formats, and all are quite
capable. What it really comes down to is the type of work you plan to
create and the preferences that you develop over time.
“If the format you’re working with right now suits you and is working
for you, don’t feel like you need to upgrade just for the sake of it,”
he says.
That
said, he believes that 645 is a great step up in many cases from 35mm.
Working with a larger negative mean you get finer details, less apparent
grain at similar image sizes, and smoother tones. Side by side, 645
versus 35mm are markedly different if you were to view the negatives
side by side.
645 film also offers the 4:3 aspect ratio, which many photographers –
McDougall included – find to be particularly visually pleasing.
Additionally, if you’re moving to medium format from 35mm, it’s not too
much narrower than a frame of 35mmm, unlike other medium format film
sizes which can be quite a bit narrower.
McDougall also says that in his experience, he finds that of the
medium format cameras, the 645 cameras seem to have the most compact and
readily available cameras that can be found and the options are also
more budget-friendly than other medium format options.
In summary, McDougall believes that for those who are interested in
moving to medium format film from 35mm, 645 has the most positives in
his opinion. To answer the initial question posed, McDougall basically
argues that the answer is yes: for many use cases, especially landscape
and posed portrait work, it is better than 35mm for many reasons. Not
only is image quality improved thanks to a much larger negative, but the
tradeoffs are less severe when compared to other medium format sizes.
Do you agree? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
For more from Kyle McDougall, you can subscribe to his YouTube Channel. Share this article.
Mid-November 2020 — 8 month months into the pandemic. We have to
distance, but the one freedom we still can experience is a walk in the
woods. Luckily, there’s a path near my home in Gloucester, Massachusetts
to neighboring Rockport that is wild, wooded, and ever-changing given
the season. In winter, it’s a whiteout. Spring, a marshy, muddy mess. In
the summer, it’s tick and mosquito-infested, but cool, clear, and crisp
in the autumn.
It’s the time to explore.
The path is only 3 miles long, filled with texture; tree bark,
leaves, erratic glacier boulders, dead tree stumps, and occasional
discarded objects, which are often rusted and have started to decompose
and transpose into the natural landscape.
A major reservoir, Cape Pond is a serene sight for nearly half of the
hour or so stroll. An occasional freshwater fisherman can be spotted,
or a Lycra wearing mountain biker. But generally, it’s a quiet
meandering trail, where you can enjoy your thoughts, or be on the watch
for interesting rectangular vistas to capture on film. It’s the perfect
length of time and variety of scenes for a roll of 36 exposure Kodak Tri-X 400.
I grabbed my Yashica Electro 35 GSN
for a variety of reasons yesterday … there was a full roll of film in
the chamber, it’s light, and I don’t need to worry about metering since I
shoot it at Sunny 16 since the meter doesn’t function,. All I need to
say to myself is “will I go with f/16, f/11, f/8, or f/5.6?”.
With the Electro I can walk with it securely anchored to my right
wrist, tethered to its tripod mount. As soon as I see what I want (to
capture), a quick swing to my eye, a fast-focus with my left thumb and
forefinger, and (as long as I pre-advanced) an instant shutter release.
And then, I’m back to the stroll.
Fortunately, in these days of instant photo gratification, the
one-two combination of Tri-X 400 and Kodak D-76 allows me to have a
strip of the exposure I just completed drying on a guy-wire strung over
my bathtub. Before I go to bed that evening, my day’s 36 moments of
compelling interest have been scanned (I’m a “shoot film / show and
print digital” kind of person).
Were all 36 great photographs? No way. But there were 5 satisfying
pictures that encapsulate the walk. Dried leaves glistening with high
contrast in their monochrome representation. Almost hidden I-beams in a
bed of autumn debris. The path itself, bending in a wave. The reservoir
framed by a tree gone horizontal. And, a field of boulders that are only
revealed because the foliage had fallen.
There were others…but these are the 5 I chose to share from yesterday’s exploration.
~ Bob
Want to submit your own 5 Frames...?
Go right ahead, submissions are open! Get your 5 frames featured on by submitting your 350+ word article by either using this Google form or by sending an email via the contact link at the top of the page.
This series is produced in conjunction with Hamish Gill's excellent 35mmc.com. Head on over to read the other half of these stories there.
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Loaning
and borrowing photographic gear has always been a delicate subject,
especially among photographers who are also good friends. It involves a
lot of trust on one side and responsibility on the other. The value of
the tools is fairly high most of the times and that makes things even
more delicate. I’m not in any position to judge whether it is right or
wrong to loan
#photographyhobbyist #photographybestoftheday #photographyforever