Newsletter

The bright blue sky used as a background for this shot contrasted nicely with the pinkblossoms.

Classic portrait lighting isn't always necessary for capturing interesting peoplepictures.

Now I know how stagecoach drivers felt when they saw those first rail lines
being laid over their routes. The recent announcement that Kodak would be discontinuing
their silver black and white papers didn't come as much as a shock as
an inevitability that one always hopes will not be manifest. With inventories
expected to last a few months, we're now witnessing the disappearance
of venerable brands such as Polycontrast IV, Azo and Polymax Fine Art, Kodabrome
II and Portra, even their "Digital Black and White" paper, which
was used for digital printers. According to a Kodak spokesperson, Kodak has
seen a cumulative drop in black and white paper buying of 25% per year over
the past few years and could no longer justify being in the market. We also
learned, by the way, that Kodak black and white papers had of late been produced
in Brazil, being packaged from rolls in Rochester. The spokesperson did stress,
however, that Kodak black and white film and chemistry was not on the chopping
block and that Kodak sees silver photography as still extremely viable.

...

Epson 3800

Well, it seems Epson heard this, and while the 4800 is stillavaila...

Until recently, few digital camera owners were able to make true wide angle
images because a 38mm focal length was the shortest available in built-in zooms.
(All focal lengths are discussed in 35mm format equivalent.) Today, an increasing
number of digicams include zooms that start at 28mm or even 24mm. Many of the
high-end cameras also accept 0.7x adapters, ideal for ultra wide angle photography.
And SLR system lens manufacturers have also started making incredibly short
zooms, such as 12-24mm, for a very wide angle of view. All of this is great
news for creative shooters who want to expand their visual horizons.

Most camera owners think of a wide angle lens as something that's useful for including an entire landscape vista, street scene, or a large group of people, in a single image. While that is one valid reason for owning a wide angle lens, or a wide angle adapter accessory, there are many others as discussed in the text. (28mm equivalent.) Photo © 2005 Peter K. Burian.

...

What makes us stop and say to ourselves, “There’s a photograph here!”? It really comes down to one element that is all around us—light. The play of light off objects, critters and people is what grabs the mind’s eye and makes us take note and sparks visual interest in the viewer. There are lots of processes that go into that final photograph to make it successful, yet none are as important as how we speak with light. And that’s all done through exposure.