Direction of light - Using available light in the studio
This striking portrait of Rozalinda was lit by big window light in the studio. In using light - whether studio lighting or available light - you need to consider the direction of the light. You need to figure out how you want to place yourself and your subject in relation to where the light is coming from. Your own position in relation to the light and your subject, will significantly change the way the light appears on your subject. Check this article for an example: Change your position, change the direction of light.
With Read more inside...
Lens review: sharpness - Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM vs Sony 85mm f/1.8
Which is the better choice -- the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM (affiliate) or the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 (affiliate) -- it's a question that comes up regularly in the Sony discussion groups and FB groups. The short answer - you would be very happy with either option. In this review though, we are going to consider the sharpness of both lenses. There is also a link where you can download the RAW files shot of a lens test chart, if you want to have a closer look.
I took photos of the lens test chart in my studio, Read more inside...
review: Sony 16mm Fisheye Conversion Lens for FE 28mm f/2 Lens
I don't use a fisheye lens too often - it tends to look gimmicky very quickly. But man, is it fun to pull it out on occasion. Expanding my range of Sony lenses, I noticed this little gem from Sony - the Sony 16mm fisheye conversion lens (B&H / Amazon) which converts the Sony 28mm f/2 lens into a 16mm fisheye. Best of all, it is inexpensive. The big question of course is, how easy is it to use, and how sharp is it? And that's what we'll have a look at in this review of the Sony 16mm fisheye Read more inside...
If you are new to processing RAW files, you might be slightly disappointed that the images look more flat than what you saw on the back of your camera. This is because the original default in how the RAW file is views in Lightroom (or Bridge), is "flat". No adjustments applied. If you want your images to have more pop to them when you first view then in LR or Bridge, you need to apply different defaults for your RAW files.
Here is how I set up my new baseline for RAW images, so that for a volume workflow, I start off with an image which Read more inside...
A night-to-day time-lapse shot from our apartment window when we recently visited Toronto. I wanted to travel lightly on this trip, so I took my Sony A7 III (B&H) and Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 (B&H) along. And just in case, I also packed the lightweight Siriu 1004X traveler tripod with E-10 ball-head (B&H), since I anticipated doing some low-light photography, and perhaps even some time-lapse photography. Sony, in their infinite wisdom, somehow doesn't have an intervalometer built into their cameras. (Here's Read more inside...
I like the concept behind the initial Two Perspectives video so much that I wanted to continue with that idea - myself and another photographer discussing and mostly, photographing something. Hopefully in that there will be a video that is informative and of wider interest. The 1st video was the Intimate male portraiture shoot-out with my friend Cate Scaglione.
For the next Two Perspectives project, I contacted my friend Tracy Bosworth Page - an outstanding Georgia-based photographer who specializes in headshot photography. She is Read more inside...
The 24-105mm f/4 range of lenses seem like a compromise between size & weight, and the range, and the so-so aperture. We get a great range from wide-angle to short telephoto. Perfect for travel or just any kind of general photography. But we miss out on the fast aperture. There is often a compromise in the sharpness of these types of lenses - the greater the range of a zoomoften implies a loss in lens sharpness with greater chance of optical distortion and smearing. With this review of the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G lens (B&H / Read more inside...
That crazy bokeh there is via the Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 (B&H / Amazon), taken at widest aperture, giving this wafer-thin depth of field. Even though this is a new lens, I would classify it as a classic or vintage lens. It is manual focus, and gives that delicious look to images exactly because of that DoF and bokeh. In terms of the composition, I like how the blue lights in the foreground is echoed by the same lights in the background.
How this photo session with Anastasiya came about ...
My friend, Parker J Read more inside...
With these on-location headshots of actor and TV presenter, Andy Peeke, there is a lot going on despite the apparent simplicity. The photos were done in a very short space of time - we rained out! So I had to work fast and still nail the images as intended. Also,
- I wanted that out-of-focus city scene behind Andy, and I wanted it to appear bright.
- The lighting, off-camera flash added to the ambient light, shouldn't intrude and make itself obvious. I wanted the light on him perfectly balanced with the way I intended the background to appear.
- Unusual for Read more inside...
Yes, that's a Sony mirrorless camera - the Sony a7ii (B&H / Amazon). It's mine. No, I didn't switch to Sony. I still use Nikon DSLRs as my main camera system, and I can't see that changing in the foreseeable future. But I did buy this Sony A7ii. (I also bought a Fuji X-T20 as my walk-about camera.) But this Sony will be my "project" camera. I have a specific intent with it - to use any of the huge array of interesting vintage lenses. Some of these older lenses distinctive optical qualities - most often in how Read more inside...
