The legendary Polaroid SX-70 was invented nearly half a century ago.
And in 2020, MiNT is introducing the modern version of the iconic
instant camera. InstantKon SF70
takes the best from the retro SX-70 and combines it with modern
technology. You get the same instant photo experience, but with full
manual control and a couple more improvements over the Polaroid SX-70.
So, let’s dive in and see what the InstantKon SF70 has to offer.
When MiNT imagined the camera they wanted to make, they realized that
it would have to contain the best features of the SX-70,” but also be
better than it in some key areas. “Otherwise, it has no reason for
being,” the company writes.
So, they took the foldability and portability of the SX-70, its focus
control, depth of field, and the square film format. And then they added
built-in flash, shutter speed control, and aperture control.
The closest focusing distance is 75cm (29.5 inches) and the widest
aperture is f/5.6, going up to f/22. You can also adjust the shutter
speed and set it between 1s and 1/500s. There’s also Bulb mode that goes
up to ten minutes. Some instant camera light painting, anyone?
ND filters are also available for the SF70, so you don’t
over-exposing film in bright sunlight. Speaking of film, the SF70 uses
Fujifilm Instax Square.
Here are the full specs:
Apertures: f/5.6, f/6.7, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22
Lens: 3-element lens with glass, aspherical lenses, f=93 mm, EFL (Effective Focal Length) (35mm equivalent: 50mm)
InstantKon SF70 is currently available through Kickstarter,
and it’s doing quite well: $135,411 has been pledged of the $32,245
goal, and there’s nearly a month still to go. The camera sure seems like
something worth owning, but note that it’s not cheap like most other
instant cameras. The Early Bird price is $846 for the camera alone, and
you can get a bundle with filters and film for about the same price if
you make the pledge super-early. The official retail price will be $891
for the camera alone.
In the last few years, Google Images has implemented multiple changes
to help photographers sell their work through the search engine, from
adding image rights metadata to specifying Licensing information for
potential buyers. Heading into 2021, search engines remain one of the
most important ways for photographers to market and promote their
images, but many still overlook the significance of SEO (search engine
optimization).
SEO is a complex, multi-billion dollar industry, but for
photographers, it’s relatively straightforward. Without relevant
keywords, titles, and more, your marketable work could get lost in a sea
of content; on the other hand, optimizing your images can boost your
discoverability and help you get your work in front of the right buyers.
Here are four simple steps you can take to give your licensable photos a
competitive edge and increase your portfolio’s chances of surfacing in
image searches.
Use concise, descriptive titles
Search engines rely on bots to scan and discover content relevant to
search queries, but they’re much better at recognizing words than they
are at identifying pictures. For that reason, the titles of your images
are essential when it comes to surfacing your content; according to
Getty Images, titles are one of the most heavily weighted factors for
search engines.
Titles
should be literal, straightforward, and descriptive; include concrete,
concise information about the who, what, where, and why of your image.
Don’t be afraid to get specific either; for the image above, “Young
woman among wildflowers in the mountains at sunset” works well as a
title because it pinpoints the location, time of day, and age of the
subject.
Getty Images recommends touching on the primary and secondary subject
of your photo; tangential subjects aren’t relevant enough to be
included in your title. Their test data further reveals that the optimal
length for image titles hovers around 40 to 60 characters, though
anything longer than 55 characters will be truncated with ellipses in
search results.
Finally, remember to use unique titles for each photo; while images
from a single shoot might share general similarities, titles are one way
to get granular and specific about the activities, scenarios, and
emotions that make up individual pictures. If you’re uploading the same
image to multiple commercial stock photo distributors, give it a unique
title on each platform to maximize its chances of being found.
Add descriptions
Descriptions aren’t weighted as heavily as titles, but they can prove
invaluable; research from Getty Images suggests that files with unique
50-word descriptions receive 8% to 15% more search engine traffic than
files without descriptions and those with shorter or longer
descriptions.
In your Licensing portfolio, descriptions give you the chance to go
into more detail about the image than you would in a title; for these,
you can mention factors like time of day, season, location, image style
(aerial, flat lay, etc.), and much more. This is also a place where you
can take advantage of your conceptual keywords
and describe the mood, feeling, or idea behind the image. Make a list
of some terms buyers might search when looking for an image like yours,
and include the most relevant details in your description.
Apply relevant keywords
When it comes to SEO, keywords are king, so don’t skimp on this part
of the process. Whether you’re uploading images to your website or a
stock agency or distributor, it’s a good idea to add 10 to 30 relevant
keywords to your photos. Ideally, these keywords will include a mix of
literal terms—who, what, where, and why—and conceptual terms that
capture the feelings or ideas conveyed in the image.
Most stock agencies and distributors have a keyword suggestion tool;
these are helpful to start, though you can pick and choose which ones to
keep, add your own, and remove any that aren’t relevant to the image.
Additionally, there are tons of online resources for generating
keywords, from Keyword Tool to ahrefs and beyond.
It’s also good practice to start compiling your own list or
spreadsheet with your most commonly used keywords and ideas for future
shoots. You can always browse top-selling images on 500px or Getty
Images for inspiring keywords to implement in your own work. When
keywording your files, you can include details like time of day,
background color, location, as well as the number of models, their ages,
what they’re doing, and more. You can also incorporate some of these trending keywords for a timely twist.
While it’s important to include a variety of appropriate keywords,
from literal to conceptual, remember to avoid “spamming” your files with
too many or unrelated keywords. Keyword spamming makes for a bad user
experience, and search engines are getting better at detecting it.
Share your work
500px and Getty Images market and promote the images on their
platforms, but today’s commercial photographers also serve as their own
PR professionals. One of the best things you can do for your Licensing
portfolio is to get it out there and in front of people; share your
newly uploaded shots on your website and all your social channels, with
links to where people can buy your images.
For more visibility, add trending hashtags related to relevant and
enduring commercial themes like environmental sustainability, wellness,
and technology. It can help to use a tool like Display Purposes
to generate unique and popular hashtags for your work. Other tools like
Iconosquare and Planoly can also help you schedule your social media
posts, so you can plan out your week in advance.
While SEO can seem daunting, it’s an integral part of building a
commercial photography portfolio, especially in a competitive market.
“Optimizing your content to be found simply means including as much
important information related to your photo in all available fields,”
the 500px Content Team explains. It all boils down to finding a metadata workflow
that suits your schedule and business needs; fortunately, today’s image
management tools and AI capabilities make the process simpler and more
efficient than ever. You spend time making your photos the best they can
be, so it makes sense to give them an advantage using SEO. Share this article.
PORTLAND, Maine — When John Duncan, 69, starts spinning stories,
there’s no telling where he’s headed. Duncan tends to ramble but it’s
only natural. Having lived an extraordinary life of travel and
adventure, he’s earned the right.
Many of Duncan’s best tales flow from the thousands of pictures he’s
made throughout his nearly seven decades. He’s been all around the
world, worked more jobs than he can accurately count, seen amazing
sights — and has the photographs to prove it.
But as a photographer, Duncan is best known for the simple,
black-and-white images he made at home, on the streets of Portland in
the 1970s. In recent years, Duncan’s been combing through his archives,
scanning old negatives and posting them online. The positive response
has been intense as his pictures transport viewers back in time, to a
city that no longer exists.
“People stop me on the streets and say, ‘Hey you’re the guy who posts
all the old pictures of Portland, I love those,'” Duncan said.
“The extent of his documentation of life in 1970’s Portland is
mind-boggling and we are the beneficiaries” said Bonnie Blythe, a group
co-founder. “He is also beautifully skilled and so humble.”
Duncan’s 70s photos are not epic. They’re the opposite. Rather than
depicting news events, protests or disasters, they illustrate simple,
daily life. In his image collection, there’s long-haired young men
playing guitar in the park, pals drinking beer in a now-retro apartment
and mechanics working on once-ubiquitous Volkswagen Beetles.
Portland’s
photographer John Duncan’s archive of photos depicting the city in the
1970s is deep, including these images. Credit: Troy R. Bennett | BDN
Back then, Duncan shot almost anyone that got in front of his lens,
including friends, strangers, random street scenes and even what he
could see in his car’s rear view mirror.
One of Duncan’s best-loved photos is of two ladies, one dressed dark
and the other light, walking on what looks like a collision course, down
Congress Street in front of the long-gone State Drugstore. Since
posting it to Facebook, the image has inspired dozens of comments and
shares.
“I believe the beauty salon on the second floor was my
grandmother’s,” wrote one commenter, which prompted many responses about
whose relatives were customers at the salon.
It’s typical of Duncan’s online photos. They often prompt long
strolls down memory lane, uniting the collective memory of Portland’s
displaced diaspora.
“Love this, remember it well — and the corner it was on,” wrote
another member of the Portland Encyclopedia group. “Oh, to have those
good ol’ days back. Sigh.”
People recognizing themselves or relatives in his vintage pictures,
too, often get in touch with Duncan, asking for prints. He’s happy to
oblige.
“I posted pictures of a guy throwing pizza dough and someone wanted a
print. They said it was their father and he’s 70, now,” Duncan said.
“They gave me a bottle of whiskey for it. That was good.”
Another one of Duncan’s more well-known pictures is of a striking,
freckle-faced girl selling lemonade in the West End. Since it hit
Facebook, he’s been contacted by the now-grown woman and her children.
Duncan still has old treasures he’s yet to unearth. He estimates he’s
only gone through about three-quarters of his negative archive.
“And everytime I go through them, I find something I missed before,” he said.
Duncan’s first camera was a gift from his father in middle school. Since then, he’s only rarely been without one.
“Scenery has never interested me,” he said. “It’s always been about people, humans.”
Portland
photographer John Duncan shoots pictures while Bob Bergeron works on
his mural at the new Amistad Mark Perry Center on Forest Avenue on Dec.
4, 2020. Credit: Troy R. Bennett | BDN
Duncan’s biography reads like the plot of an unbelievable
action-thriller film. It makes the popularity of his vintage, hometown
photos more remarkable.
Growing up in Falmouth, Duncan set a state high school track record,
running the mile. He then went to Woodstock in 1969 and hitchhiked to
San Francisco and back. He spent nine months in the Air Force during the
Vietnam War before talking his way out, convincing higher-ups he wasn’t
cut out for military life, earning an honorable discharge in the
process.
Duncan lived in Sweden for a decade and met his wife there. He’s had
numerous careers, including oil rig roughneck, long-haul trucker, cabbie
and photocopier repair man. He also sold cotton candy from a circus
train and did nude art modeling in Maine, as well as Europe.
He’s never worked as a photographer, though. His output is all self-motivated.
Duncan’s retired now but still spending a lot of his time
photographing Portland and its people. You’ll see him cruising around
town on his bike, in a high-viz vest, camera slung around his neck,
talking to everyone.
“What really feels satisfying to me is getting close and interacting with people, if I can,” he said.
In warmer months, he sits at sidewalk cafe tables with an antique,
folding camera. When passersby ask about it, he demonstrates by taking
their portrait — adding them to his photographic pantheon of local
characters.
University of Southern Maine Professor Libby Bischof, who teaches a
course on the history of photography, thinks Duncan’s pictures are
important markers of time and culture. Bischof knows exactly why his
photos are so popular online, too.
“I name that phenomenon nostalgia,” she said. “One of the appeals of
photography is that it allows us to see what can no longer be seen. We
see the people we once were and the places we can no longer go.”
Duncan’s photos are akin to hometown poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow piece, “My Lost Youth,” she said.
Its first stanza reads: “Often I think of the beautiful town that is
seated by the sea; Often in thought go up and down the pleasant streets
of that dear old town, and my youth comes back to me.”
Bischof thinks Duncan’s informal street photography and portraits of
friends are particularly powerful because everything is in context. Most
of his images are loosely framed, including detail-rich backgrounds to
luxuriate over. You can’t get that from a more formal kind of picture
taking where everything is set up perfectly, with nothing extraneous in
the frame.
She also reckons Duncan’s pictures are a kind of memorial balm.
Bischof hears a lot of bitterness from old-timers about how Portland has
changed — how they no longer recognize it. But Duncan’s pictures
somehow make them feel better.
“Getting old ain’t for the faint at heart but I’m really enjoying all
the pictures — brings back some great memories,” one commenter wrote in
a long Facebook thread reuniting old friends for the first time in
years — while they compared the chronic illnesses they were fighting.
“Please keep up the great work.”
Sometimes remembering what came before is an exercise in pain but not with Duncan’s pictures.
“The emotion is different,” Bischof said. “With his photos, people
are less sad for what they’ve lost and more happy about what they had.” Share this article.
Michelle Bennett photographs Kelly
Schamberger, a student of Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art. Schamberger
is working on art for her virtual senior show, and the project is to
help her market herself as a professional artist after graduation.
Bennett of Wolfskull Creative has helped market many Duluth bands and
small businesses, including Superior Siren, Tender Ness, Whole Foods,
Karen McTavish and Dave Hoops. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)
DULUTH — Michelle Bennett moved through the art studio.
It was filled with Kelly Schamberger’s oil
paintings of a ship floating on turquoise tissue paper, a skeleton with a
brownish background, a portrait of a woman with maroon hair.
Duluth oil painter Kelly Schamberger hired
Michelle Bennett of Wolfskull Creative to shoot
professional photos to
better market herself after she graduates from Great Lakes Academy of
Fine Arts. These photos will be used on Schamberger's website. (Photo
courtesy of Wolfskull Creative)The owner of Wolfskull Creative
specializes in brand photography and portraits for small businesses,
musicians and artists — and considering her portfolio, Bennett seems to
be the photographer to the Twin Ports creative community and beyond.Superior
Siren, Anton Jimenez-Kloeckl, Jeremy Messersmith, Karen McTavish,
Shaunna Heckman and Abigail Mlinar are a few on her client list.Duluth singer-songwriter Sarah Krueger has worked with Bennett for promotion photos, shows and personal portraits.Bennett
has the ability to encourage her subjects, to capture their
personalities and let them shine in her images. As an artist, it's
special to relate to other Duluth creatives by just seeing them in
Bennett's photos, Krueger said: “I've watched her grow over the years
from shooting recreationally to becoming this really well-respected
photographer.” Bennett launched Wolfskull Creative after a layoff from her corporate job in 2015. She got to know many in Duluth’s music
industry from going to shows and mutual contacts. Then, she offered
session giveaways to 10 bands during Homegrown Music Festival, and her
work shifted. “Musicians in Duluth, I
don’t think were marketing themselves at that level quite yet. It
created a new standard for musicians,” Bennett said. Superior Siren. (Photo courtesy of Wolfskull Creative) Bennett recalled working on the concept for the 2018 Superior Siren album cover. On it, Laura Sellner looks up toward the camera while emerging from the dark waters of Lake Superior. “It
looks like she was in the deepest water ever. Really, she was in
4-foot-deep water in Brighton Beach on a sunny day with kids playing
around,” Bennett said.It’s harder to brand an artist than it is to
brand a business. A musician has their music, we know what it sounds
like, but what does it look like? Bennett said.It was easy to conceptualize the Superior Siren album cover because she had been a fan of Sellner’s work for years.
Michelle Bennett of Wolfskull Creative
photographs Kelly Schamberger, a student of
Great Lakes Academy of Fine
Art. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)
For a musician such as Jeremy Messersmith,
who had released five albums by the time they worked together, she was
able to work backward and have many conversations with him about his
concept. (One of her final shots of him shows Messersmith looking off
the side of the frame, the lake stretching far behind him with the
shoreline trickling in.)
Her work with Superior Siren was “really prolific,” said Clancy Ward. That, and her work with Messersmith, reeled him in.
Ward
hired Bennett to shoot for his business, Saltwood Furniture Co., and
his band, Sugar on the Roof. Along with photos, Bennett will be
rehabbing Ward’s business website and consulting.
“It’s people like her and my son … that really reinstated my confidence in the ability of younger generations,” Ward said.
It
has been a long-held passion for Bennett, who recalls photographing
others with a disposable camera during elementary school. Years later,
her father gave her an old Asahi Pentax.
“It’s a paperweight now,” she said, but back then, she used it to get familiar with the darkroom.
Michelle Bennett of Wolfskull Creative
photographs Kelly Schamberger, an artist who will use the
photos to help
her market herself after graduation. (Clint Austin /
caustin@duluthnews.com)
She reminisced about the effects she could conjure.
“I used to get that out of Lomo cameras, where there’s light leak, and really unexpected things that happen,” she said.
She
eventually learned photo editing software, and when she started her own
business, she wanted her photos to look more painterly. There is
definitely a play with darkness and a mood she’s trying to sell, she
said. And she often edits her photos so they look like film.
Author Sarah Seidelmann was drawn to Bennett’s aesthetic, and how she captures the dark in her photographs.
“There’s
a realness, I would dare to say, a grit, to them, and it makes me feel
more connected to each of those artists. They feel more accessible in
this world where there’s so many filters.
“As human beings, we’re not all light and sunshine, and not all well-lit,” Seidelmann said.
When Duluth author Sarah Seidelmann felt
compelled to take photos that were empowering to her
personally, she
thought of Bennett. She and a couple of her friends posed for topless
photos on the
beach. “They changed the way I think about myself. … I'm
part of creation," Seidelmann said.
(Photo courtesy of Wolfskull
Creative)
When Seidelmann was compelled to
take photos that were empowering to her personally, she thought of
Bennett, saying, “She creates a safe space for you to be yourself.”
Seidelmann
and a couple of her friends posed for topless photos on the beach.
“They changed the way I think about myself. … I'm part of creation,”
Seidelmann said.
Working during a pandemic has been challenging for Bennett.
You
prepare for a downswing after the holidays and an upswing during
spring, so it was scary when everything was canceled in March, she said.
Photographer Michelle Bennett of Wolfskull
Creative takes in the scene in the studio of artist
Kelly Schamberger as
Schamberger works. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)
Bennett moved to Minnetonka at the
start of the shutdown. Making the choice to move back home was really
difficult, she said, but things are picking up.
She
returns to Duluth for days at a time for client work. She has recently
photographed a magician, a sunset session on Park Point and photos for
Zen Eye Care. And she’s looking forward to being able to expand again
creatively, maybe travel with a band as their photographer, when it’s
safe.
And as far as the origin of her
business name: Bennett wanted something that referred to this area but
didn’t necessarily include “Duluth” or “North Shore.”
She has always thought the outline of Lake Superior looked like the head of a dog or wolf.
“‘Wolf
head’ sounded a little too decapitated,” she said, so thus began
Wolfskull Creative. “I wanted something kind of edgy, it’s kind of rock
’n’ roll, which I like.” Share this article.
Ilford to Release the Sprite 35-II, A Reusable 35mm Point-and-Shoot
by: Jaron Schneider
Ilford is reportedly set to release a revival of the 1960s-era Sprite 35 in the $35 Sprite 35-II. Reportedly coming in January, the Sprite 35-II is a reusable point-and-shoot 35mm film camera.
Firsthand information on the camera has proven challenging to
procure, as Ilford itself has not published any information on the
camera publicly since its initial unveiling via Inside Imaging at the beginning of December.
The camera will continue the heritage of the original Sprite 35, one of the easiest and affordable cameras of its time.
“Forget shutter speeds, aperture, or light meters – just load a roll
of film, hit the shutter button, and press the film lever,” Ilford
states.
The Sprite 35-II will feature a fixed shutter speed of 1/120 of a
second and a single-element 35mm f/9 fixed-focus lens. There is also a
built-in flash with a 15 second recycle time.
While
the Sprite 35-II isn’t going to blow the doors off modern expectations,
it is a rather faithful reproduction of a classic, beloved camera.
Ilford’s updated design smooths down the hard, square edges of the
original and makes for an attractive modern take on the 60-year-old
camera.
The camera will be lightweight and compact, weighing 122 grams (~4.3
ounces) with dimensions of 119mm (W) x 67mm (H) x 44mm (D), and will be
available in black and black and silver versions.
No information on where the camera will specifically be available to
purchase was made known, but the company will reportedly start shipping
the camera in January 2021 for $35. Share this article.
Steve McCurry shows that even he shoots some portraits on a camera phone
By Chris George
The legendary travel and portrait photographer tells the story of three pictures taken with the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
Steve McCurry shooting on location at New York's Grand Central Terminal with the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro(Image credit: Xiaomi)
As if we needed proof that camera phones
are now capable of shooting professional images, legendary Magnum
photographer Steve McCurry has just released a series of three panoramic
portraits shot on a smartphone. The photographer, best known for his
iconic portrait Afghan Girl, shot the images with the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
– as part of a series commissioned by the Chinese phone manufacturer on
photographers shooting pictures of their own personal heroes.
In
the behind-the-scenes video below, McCurry talks us through this three
choices for the #MyUnsungHeroes project. First up is 98-year-old fellow
photographer Tony Vaccaro who is best known for his powerful pictures of
World War II – but who hit the news
this year as a Covid-19 survivor. In the picture that McCurry takes,
Vaccaro is seen holding portraits that he took of Pablo Picasso and
Sophia Loren during his post-war career as a fashion & magazine
photographer.
"One
of the things I admire about Tony is that he photographed in virtually
impossible circumstances during the war; he even sometimes developed his
film in his helmet at night", explains McCurry.
“Heroines and
heroes, from all walks of life, are the backbone in this difficult
moment when we all need to toughen up and carry on. I would really want
to make a memory to make these faces remembered."
The
other two heroes he chose were closer to home –his four-year-old
daughter Lucia, and his Studio & Exhibitions Manager Camille Clech.
“This
year is also a good time to express our huge respect and appreciation
to those who have been supporting us throughout the hardships', explains
says Shou Zi Chew, President of International, Xiaomi. "This is why we
chose to work with Steve McCurry, a world renowned photographer, to
capture portrait images of the unsung heroes in his life using our
stellar flagship Mi 10T Pro. This device is created to power your
creativity, with its top range 108MP camera, we believe this would bring
Steve’s works to another level,”
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Gift Guide: Fun photography gear to brighten up the holidays
Tags: Photography for Beginners, Fujifilm, Nikon, San Disk
by: Taylor Hatmaker
It’s a difficult time to be a
photographer. Getting creative feels impossible when every day is the
same and the most exotic locale you visit is the living room. Travel is
out this year, vacations are pushed back and everybody is cooped up
inside trying not to lose it.
Everything
is hard in like 12 different ways right now, but encouraging your
friends and family to immerse themselves in new hobbies and plan future
adventures is a great distraction. For photographers at a loss for what
to shoot this year, it’s the perfect time to mix things up, switch up
your gear entirely and try to see the world with fresh eyes.
Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 Instant Film Camera
Image Credits: Fujifilm
It
might not seem like it, but it’s actually the perfect time to get into
instant photography. As a photographer myself, I haven’t picked up my
main camera in months. Nothing feels inspiring. But I started carrying a
cheap instant camera on walks around my neighborhood, rain permitting,
and it’s been a meditative way to appreciate the beauty of small things
that otherwise just blend into my routine. This Fujifilm Instax shoots
larger, square photos and they look great popping up in an Instagram
feed too if you’re in it for the ‘gram.
Another good option: The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Camera creates smaller, rectangular photos and it’s playful design makes it perfect for anyone.
In
a year when we can’t do a lot of the things we’d normally enjoy, many
of the safest, most enjoyable things are outdoors. If your giftee is an
adrenaline junkie (climbing, snowboarding, surfing, etc.) the latest
GoPro is a no-brainer for in-the-moment action stills or video that you
could never capture otherwise. But like an instant camera, a GoPro can
also be a really fun way to switch things up for nonadventure
photography. I brought one along on my honeymoon and ended up shooting
stills with it half the time even when I wasn’t in the water — having a
teeny indestructible pocket camera just feels really fun and different.
If
you’ve met a photographer who has enough memory cards, I’d like to know
their secret. These SD cards are fast, reliable and widely compatible.
Much like socks, SD cards have a way of vanishing and you never have
enough of them even though it feels like you buy them all the time. Good
stocking material!
Price: $20 and up from Amazon, depending on capacity
Sony RX100 VII
Image Credits: Sony
Know
someone who (a) wants a super compact travel camera, (b) wants to get
into photography but doesn’t care about interchangeable lenses or (c)
needs a small camera for anything, really? Sony’s been killing it in
compact photography for years now and the RX100 series is a testament to
everything it does right. The RX100 VII is an incredible camera in a
really small package, capable of taking everything from beginner night
sky photos and professional-looking portraits to casual photos and
everything in between. Since it’s got full manual settings, new
photographers can go as deep as they’d like and anyone who wants to keep
it simple can stay in full auto and snap away.
Pro tip:
Since Sony is in the 6th generation of the RX100, you can find old
versions for screaming good deals and you won’t even know what you’re
missing. Just stick with the RX100 III on up for the included
viewfinder.
Know
a photographer who always needs stuff, but you’re not totally sure what
that stuff is? Or someone who wants to start shooting but likes the
process of researching and picking things out themselves? A gift card to
New York-based photography supercenter B&H is a solid choice.
They’ve got a robust online shop where you can buy anything and
everything.
Bushnell Core DS 30MP Low-Glow Trail Camera
Image Credits: Bushnell/Getty Images
This
is a weird year and we’ve all learned weird new stuff about ourselves.
In my case, I have learned the weird new fact that coyotes are
frequently roaming around my fairly urban backyard eating people’s pets.
(Sad but also interesting!) With entertainment options slim and
monotony all but guaranteed, a lot of people are paying more attention
to backyard and neighborhood wildlife lately. Even if you live in a
major city, there are tons of wild creatures around. Go full Nat Geo
with a trail cam and finally find out what happens when animals stop being polite and start getting real.
Also cool: We haven’t tried this one out, but the Canon PowerShot Zoom ($299)
looks like a handy present for anyone who’s started bird or wildlife
watching lately and is interested in nabbing quick super-zoomed-in
shots.
A
lot of photographers, myself included, have switched over from DSLRs to
full-frame mirrorless cameras in recent years, and for good reason.
Mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter, but that used to mean
compromising on image quality in the name of portability. Those days are
long over. New mirrorless cameras have image quality on par with their
larger, more traditional counterparts and their light weight and smaller
size makes them easier to cart around for stuff like travel, street or
outdoor photography. You really can’t go very wrong with most of the
full-frame mirrorless options out there, but Sony’s a7 III is perfect
for anyone getting serious about photography. The brand new Sony a7C is
another mirrorless full-frame also worth a look if you want an even more compact option on the cutting edge of what small cameras can do.
Is
your loved one one of those pretentious film photography people who
talks about how digital ruined the art and nothing feels as good as a
film camera? Well for one they’re kind of right. But you might be able
to delight them nonetheless with the latest from Fujifilm’s’s extremely
well-loved X100 series. It’s about as close as you can get to the je ne sais quoi
of shooting with film, offering lots of little touches (classic design!
an ISO dial!) that capture some of the magic of film photography. This
is another option where you can save significant $$$ by finding a new
last-generation version on the cheap.
Compact
mirrorless cameras are having an extended moment right now, but
sometimes a regular DSLR is a better choice. For anyone learning the
basics of photography for the first time, a “cropped sensor” DSLR
(versus a pro-level full-frame DSLR) is really a better starting place
in some ways. These camera bodies and their lenses are larger, but
they’re generally more tactile in a way that will help new photographers
build up a good foundation of knowledge. These bodies usually come with
a “kit lens” (18-55mm) that’s not terribly impressive, but if you also
pick up a cheap 50mm f/1.8 your budding photog will have plenty to play
around with. Whether you go Nikon or Canon, it really doesn’t matter —
just pick a horse and ride it. Did we mention these are great,
affordable choices for a teen who’s just getting into photography? They
are!
Peak
Design is best known for their camera bags and those are cool too and
very worth a look. Bag preferences can be a pretty personal thing but
even the most well-geared photographer can appreciate one of these handy
little pouches for stashing SD cards (so they don’t vanish!) and all
the random little odds and ends you need to cart around in a camera bag.
You can’t go wrong with any of Peak Design’s organizational stuff —
it’s all thoughtful and handsomely designed. Share this article.
I have a very special
place in my heart for the Pentax K1000. It is the first SLR film camera
that I purchased, and a fully mechanical one at that. Yes, it uses a
single cell battery, but that is only to power the light meter (which
was already kaput in my copy to begin with). So here I am, writing about the film camera that sparked my G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and increased my love for film photography.
A photo of my Pentax K1000 with the 50mm f/2 lens that came with it.
Unfortunately, I no longer am in
possession of the camera. The photos that you see in this article are
the ones that I managed to salvage from my Carousell listing of the
Pentax K1000.
Let’s get on with the review shall we? But first, specifications of course because, duh, specs definitely matters right? (I’m being sarcastic, chill guys.)
Specifications
These specifications were taken from Ken Rockwell’s amazing website.
Type: 35mm Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera
Lens Mount: Pentax K-mount
Shutter:
Horizontal rubberized-silk focal-plane, 1 second – 1/1000 & Bulb,
1/60 flash sync, orange “cocked” indicator next to shutter button,
regular screw-in cable release.
Viewfinder: 0.88x magnification with 50mm lens, glass prism, ground glass with central micro-prism spot for focusing.
Metering: Two
CdS cells, single live needle in finder: center is OK, up is brighter
and down is darker, ASA 20 ~ ISO 3,200, metering range: EV 3 ~ EV 18 at ISO 100 with f/2 lens.
Power source: 1 LR44 cell-battery
Film loading: Standard film loading system (film tongue goes into slit in take-up spool)
Film advance: Wind lever, single or ratcheted multiple strokes, 160º throw with 10º stand-off.
Dimensions & weight: 93.5 x 143 x 49.5 millimeters, 606 grams.
There, now we’ve got the important specs out of the way.
As per other reviews, I will break up this article into several sections to make your life easier.
The Pentax K1000 is solidly
constructed from metal, with bits of plastics here and there. It is very
well built, and can definitely withstand a few knocks and drops.
The camera feels very solid in the
hand, and has a good heft to it to due to its metal construction. The
leatherette feels quite plasticky to my liking though.
My copy of the Pentax K1000 seemed to
have issues with the shutter door, as it did not seem to close tightly
as it normally should. Light leaks happened because of this. I have
managed to solve this problem by slightly tweaking the back door catch
using a pair of pliers. The back door closed tightly, and the light
leaks were no more.
The lens that came with my copy was
the ‘kit lens’ of its day, and is also made of metal. Together, they
make a fine combo, especially for the price I got for it (RM 350, which
is equivalent to around USD 120).
Easiness of operation
In terms of operation, the Pentax
K1000 is as easy to operate as it can get. Being a bare bones camera, one
can immediately see why the Pentax K1000 is the preferred camera for
photography school teachers to recommend to their students.
All the available settings on this camera can be seen in this photo.
The Pentax K1000 only has 3 essential
settings for photography: shutter speed dial, an ISO ring integrated
into the shutter speed dial, and aperture control (on the lens).
This simplicity allows the user to
focus more on the composition of the image rather than other distracting
settings, as with the case with many modern cameras (no offense
intended).
Focusing is done manually through the
lens and the reasonably large viewfinder. The Pentax K1000 uses a
split-prism system using ground glass with a central micro-prism for
tack sharp focus.
Shooting experience
Prior to purchasing the Pentax K1000, I have read reviews on it and watched many YouTube videos to hype myself up.
Needless to say, the Pentax K1000 lives up to its name.
Its reputation for being a
beginner-friendly camera could not have been more accurate. Shooting the
Pentax K1000 with the Pentax 50mm f/2 lens was a breeze. Just set your
shutter speed and aperture, compose your shot, focus, and fire away.
The viewfinder with 0.88x
magnification is reasonably huge. I remembered feeling euphoric as it
was the first film SLR viewfinder that I have looked through in my
entire life.
Pentax K1000 viewfinder. Photo courtesy of Wit and Folly.
Focusing through the viewfinder was
great. It has a circular ground glass with a split circle in the center for focusing. Align the split images together and your focus should be
tack sharp.
I must say that the ergonomics of the
camera were not the best. It was very heavy, and the lack of a grip was a
pain to my fingers and wrists. I have to mention though, that this only
affects me during the times when I stubbornly decided not to use a neck
strap.
Lens sharpness
A close-up image of the Pentax 50mm f/2 lens.
The Pentax 50mm f/2 that came with my
Pentax 1000 was reasonably sharp. From my experience, it produces
contrasty images and good color reproduction.
Take a look at some photos that I took with this combo:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvjcBcChpoH/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwHnbguhixl/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv_4AVphJ0m/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwny1GWhNyo/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwoRDC5BgWP/
Weaknesses
Based on my experience with the Pentax K1000, there are only two weaknesses that I can think of.
The first weakness that the camera has
is, as I have mentioned before, is its ergonomics. A heavy camera
without a grip to hold your camera is a nightmare experience for your
wrists due to the heavy weight of the camera.
The second weakness is of course the
weight. Weighing close to 750 grams with the 50mm f/2 lens, the Pentax
K1000 is definitely a camera you want to use with a neck strap. Due to
its heavy weight though, your neck would soon tire, so my solution was
to cross body sling it.
Conclusion
The Pentax K1000 will forever hold a
special place in my heart. Its simplicity and reliability is what makes
it a popular choice for beginner film photographers globally.
It may not have the bells and whistles
as other more advanced cameras, but it does bring me back to the basics
of photography: composing the shot and living in the moment.
For those of you in Malaysia, you can get the Pentax K1000 from Uncle Eddie. Click here to visit his Carousell and go through his listings.
Do you have a Pentax K1000? Share your experience shooting with it in the comments below!
iPhone 12 Pro Max can take amazing photos. But you have to know the tricks
Tags: Photography for Beginners, iPhone, Apple iPhone, iPhone 12
iPhone 12 Pro Max can take amazing photos. But you have to know the tricks
From composition through to editing, we tell you how to take amazing images with your phone.
by: Andrew Hoyle
Andrew Hoyle
Apple's iPhones ($599 at Apple) have always impressed with their camera abilities, and the latest lineup of the iPhone 12 ($829 at Amazon) and 12 Pro ($999 at Amazon)
are no exception. But it's the 12 Pro Max that sits at the top, packing
a bigger camera sensor and a variety of upgrades which make it a
photography powerhouse.
But having a
great camera in your pocket isn't a guarantee of brilliant images -- you
need to know the tricks of how to use that gear to take the shots you
want. Here are my top tips for upping your photography game and
hopefully getting the best ever photos from the iPhone 12 Pro Max ($1,099 at Amazon).
Know when to use the different lenses
It's easy to
stand in front of a picturesque scene and flick quickly between the
normal, super wide and zoomed views on the phone, but it's more
difficult to understand exactly why one might be better than the other
for a particular composition. To figure it out, you need to take an
extra moment to look at what's important in the scene in front of you.
By
switching to the ultrawide lens, I was able to capture this mooring
rope as foreground interest, which really ties the scene together.
Andrew Hoyle
Is
there a particular subject -- perhaps a statue or an impressive
building -- that's surrounded by lots of other elements like trees, sign
posts or street lights? Using the telephoto zoom here is a great way of
isolating your subject and eliminating all those distractions. You may
need to move back a bit and then zoom in to keep it in frame, but
simplifying your scene like this will really help your subject stand out
in the image.
But perhaps it's those extra surrounding elements
that really add to the scene and provide context for where you are. In
that case, using the standard zoom will allow you to keep those items in
the shot. Switching to the super wide view will capture even more of
the surroundings, so to avoid your subject getting lost in the frame,
you might want to move closer and find interesting foreground objects (a
patch of flowers, a cool-looking rock) to add to the composition.
Waiting until the evening for this shot really paid off, with an incredible fiery sunset.
Andrew Hoyle
Revisit at different times of day
The
awesome low-light skills of the iPhone 12 Pro Max mean you're not
limited to only taking photos at midday when the sun is at its highest.
Sunrises and sunsets will typically be darker, but may reward you with
beautiful colors in the sky and great contrast in the light being cast.
Landscape photographers know that getting up before dawn can often yield
the best results and it's something that's always worth keeping in
mind, if you can stomach the early rises.
Only 10 minutes earlier, this was the same scene. Fine, but with none of that Edinburgh sunset drama.
Andrew Hoyle
If
you're on a city break (whenever those are allowed again) it's worth
trying a sunrise shoot at least once, visiting the spots you've already
found and seeing how they're transformed by the different light. It's
this that will separate your images from the hundreds of others on
Instagram who just took a snap after having had their morning coffee.
The 12 Pro Max's improved Night mode can take amazing shots in very dark conditions.
Andrew Hoyle
Don't be afraid of the dark
And
don't think that once the light goes altogether you need to stop
shooting. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has one of the best night modes on any
phone and can take astonishing night-time photos. City scenes, with car
headlights, vibrant shop window displays and even festive holiday
decorations can provide superb fodder for night shots. And don't worry
if it pours with rain -- those wet streets will now reflect all of those
lights, which can look amazing.
The
original image on the left is a fair snap, but with a moody black and
white edit it has a lot more atmosphere and works much better as a shot.
Andrew Hoyle
Focus on your editing
If
you want to create some really eye-catching imagery, editing should be
part of your workflow whether you shoot in raw or JPEG. You need to
start off with a good image, so make sure you've followed the above
tips, but good editing can be the biggest step to transforming a
standard snap into award-worthy art.
I use Adobe Lightroom Mobile
for most of my phone editing. It's a professional tool and has a lot of
granular control over color and exposure. If you don't fancy the
monthly fees, Google's Snapseed
is free and also has a lot of superb features for getting the best from
your shots, including a variety of film effects that give some
beautiful color toning to your photos.
If you want to get a bit more wild and creative, you should check out apps like Bazaart and PicsArt,
which provide a variety of tools and effects for compositing images to
turn them from photos into often bizarre pieces of modern art. Take a
look at my roundup of image editing apps for more ideas. Share this article.
Here are the full specs:
Portland’s
photographer John Duncan’s archive of photos depicting the city in the
1970s is deep, including these images. Credit: Troy R. Bennett | BDN
Yusuf Sabqi 
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PHOTOGRAPHY FREEBIE:
How to make money with your Photography even if you're not a Pro.
Copy & paste this link into your browser, click ENTER, and enjoy:
https://mrdarrylt.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-to-make-500-month-from-your.html
or
https://www.photography-jobs.net/?hop=darryl54
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