LATEST ADDITIONS

Almost lost midst the buzz over this week’s unveiling of Panasonic’s new flagship Lumix GH5 mirrorless camera is the introduction of the company’s Lumix FZ80, a remarkably affordable superzoom camera with an effective range of 20-1200mm and 4K capability.

Some trends just won’t go away: Billboard magazine notes that U.S. vinyl album sales are up 53 percent, generating $416 million in sales. Stereophile, our sister publication, reviews new analog audio equipment and you can purchase new Nikon F6 or Leica M-A film cameras from Shutterbug advertisers. Ferrania is back making film and the Japan Camera Hunter website is making their own film, a discontinued Agfa emulsion they’re calling JCH StreetPan 400. Amazon’s top-selling photo item is Fuji’s Instax Mini Instant Film. There’s even a new twin-lens instant camera, Mint’s InstantFlex TL70, and yes, I gotta get me one of those.

Remember Albert? Not Einstein—I mean the Albert that’s also known as “Snowtober.” If you lived on the East Coast in October 2011 you remember Albert as the freak Halloween snowstorm that left more than three million homes and businesses without power. Talk about Trick or Treat. One thing that we all should have learned from that painful experience is what all Boy Scouts know: Be Prepared. 

Here’s a very helpful tutorial on adding impact to your landscape photos by enhancing dynamic contrast without the need for any special plugins. The technique is based on the Soft Light Blend Mode in which whatever is neutral gray remains unchanged, while blacks get darker and whites get whiter.