Fujifilm has upped the ante in instant wireless printing with the next generation of their popular mobile printer. The new “instax SHARE SP-2” improves upon its predecessor with faster/quieter operation, improved Wi-Fi connectivity, and a totally new design.
If you read my article “Sweet Glass: My 10 Favorite Lenses For Portrait, Boudoir & Wedding Photography” you know I’m fond of the 85mm focal length for portraiture. If you didn't read it, please check it out after reading this review. And Tamron’s SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD lens surely rings this bell. It’s available for Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts and as part of Tamron’s Di family is designed to work with APS-C format and full-frame SLR cameras. I tested the Canon EF version ($749.)
I got the idea for this how-to story from something the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist David Hume Kennerly said to me: “Believe me, the challenge of photography is not going to France for the first time and photographing the Eiffel Tower. The challenge is really seeing and then photographing the stuff that’s familiar and ordinary, stuff we see all the time but never really observe or give much attention.”
Here’s a great video to get you inspired about photography. In the clip from Advancing Your Photography, Ansel Adams’ son Michael discusses how his father made what is perhaps his most famous photo: “Moon Over Hernandez.”
We love covering stories about big lenses and judging by reader reaction, you love reading about them as well. So here’s another interesting piece of big lens news that popped up today: a massive, three-foot long Nikon 1200mm lens set-up has been listed on eBay for $5,750.
Hasselblad just took the wraps off what has the potential to be a groundbreaking new medium format camera: the 50-megapixel X1D. The Hasselblad X1D is being dubbed “the world’s first compact mirrorless digital medium format camera,” and from the looks of it, the X1D is certainly unique.
WD just launched what could be a very handy mobile storage solution for photographers on the go. Called the My Passport Wireless Pro, the small mobile storage device is a great way to wirelessly back up photos and transfer them between devices whether you’re out on a remote shoot, in your photo studio, or editing images at home.
Last month we gave you a sneak preview of Adobe’s forthcoming Content-Aware Crop feature that auto straightens horizons and fills in the blank space in your photos. Well, that impressive tool is now a reality for Photoshop CC users.
The new Canon EOS Rebel T6 is the follower of the EOS T5, which was introduced two years ago. Just like its predecessor, the new camera is an APS-C system with an 18MP sensor. The new camera has a slightly modified image processor (“Digic 4+” instead of “Digic 4”) and shows some differences in its feature list. It still uses a 3-inch LCD screen on the back, but this screen now offers 920,000 RGB dots instead of 460,000. However, despite the doubling of dots this LCD resolution isn't that impressive anymore, given what is currently on the market. Also, the screen doesn't offer a hinge or swivel point so it is fixed and can't be moved.
OK, here’s something a bit different: A lens replica mug for coffee lovers that features a self-stirring mechanism and has a stainless steel interior to keep your drinks hot. It’s also great for icy, blended cocktails, but nobody would consume those while out shooting, would they?
Documentary photographer Walker Evans (1903-1975) was not only one of America’s most influential artists of the 20th century; he was a superb visual storyteller. His approach to photography was simple: “Stare. It is a way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long.”
The legendary Bourne & Shepherd photo studio, founded in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, has sadly succumbed to the digital age after a storied history of 176 years.Bourne & Shepherd is considered the longest running photo studio of all time.
One of the first bits of advice offered to less-experienced photographers is to “get closer to your subject.” More advanced shooters know that moving in tight tends to avoid background clutter and emphasize the primary subject. Macro (or close-up) photography takes this tenet to the extreme and makes possible some very unique imagery as long as one owns the required equipment and employs proper techniques.
The folks who brought you PortraitPro, the software that turns average looking men and women into superstars (or as John Oliver might say, “Turns ones into tens faster than a South American counterfeiter”) now brings you LandscapePro, a similar application you should think of as “cosmetic surgery for Mother Nature.” But is this a case of “liking what you get,” or “getting exactly what you like?” That, my friends, is the $59 question
Our Weird Lens Guru Mattieu Stern is at it again; this time with a review of a Jupiter 21M 200mm f/4 “tank lens” that he says has “astonishing contrast and bokeh.” Stern adds that the first time he used this lens he was “blown away by the quality.”