What’s normal? Not asking about your weird uncle Walter who puts mayonnaise on his French fries—and his spaghetti. When photography went digital, understanding focal lengths became much more difficult. Let’s unravel a few of the mysteries so that we can make better educated decisions about lenses.
Photographers revere the Golden Hour, but when does it actually get dark? You have a rough idea of when night falls where you live, but what if you’re traveling to a distant location in another time zone? Here’s a link to a US Navy website that will fetch all pertinent sunrise and sunset information that you need.
Photographers feast on early morning and early evening illumination. Summer brings us more hours of daylight and consequently more shooting time. But exactly when does the sun come up in your town? And how can you determine what time the sun sets in a city you are about to visit?
People often ask me, “What sort of lens should I buy as my second lens?” and my answer is always the same: “What sort of pictures would you like to take?” I’m getting that question a lot right now because a zillion people got new cameras over the holidays. There are so many options I’ve decided to deliver the answer in two installments. But first, let’s take a close look at that kit lens that came with your camera.
Welcome back! Last week we covered lenses that are well suited for five of the most popular camera activities, including kids’ sports, travel and online auctions. If you missed that piece, you’ll find it here. This week—as promised—five more lenses for five more activities. These are sometimes thought of as being in the realm of more advanced hobbyists, but that ain’t necessarily so. Read on…
Three big reasons to buy a Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 for Sony full frame mirrorless cameras. First, it’s an ultra-wideangle capable of sweeping wide shots that are sharp edge-to-edge and span 94°. Second, it’s a 1:2 Macro lens (one-half life-size) that focuses as close as 4.3 inches. Third, this 2.5-inch lens costs just $249.
An aperture set at f/2 is twice as big as one set at f/2.8 and four times larger than f/4. What’s Pi got to do with f/stops, and why do we use such a seemingly arbitrary numbering system? Continue reading to learn the answers to these and a few more arcane aperture facts.
Anthropologists recently revealed that the DNA of modern man differs from Neanderthals, Denisovans and other early human prototypes by a mere 1.5 to 7%. Witnessing lack of driver courtesy on the NY State Thruway, I could have told you that without ever even looking at a genome. But these new facts beg the question: “Why do so few photographs remain?”
Like you, I’m looking for sensible indoor activities during this temporary quarantine. I’ve tried a few. Juggling was fun but there are still stains on the ceiling and glass particles in the carpet. So I told my family that instead of throwing things up in the air and dropping them I’d buy a ukulele and learn to play it. They said they’d support my musical inclinations, but of course, they’d miss having me around, too. Ultimately I turned to my very most favorite pastime. And after that short nap, I thought about photography.
You will never be sorry that you took your monopod along on your photo trek. There aren’t many photo accessories that can make that claim. If you don’t own a monopod, you should know that prices begin at less than $25 but many pros consider them priceless.
The U.S. tariffs that recently have been threatened or imposed against China by President Donald Trump will doubtlessly affect the photo industry in one way or another. Many of us are concerned that we may be paying more for our camera gear in the future. Just how likely are price increases, and are rising costs the only things that should make us nervous?
We often jokingly say that something will happen “as sure as the sun’s gonna rise tomorrow.” It’s comforting for humans to turn to nature to find consistency and reassurance that things are normal. Every year, either on December 21 or December 22, the part of the world I live in experiences Winter Solstice. It’s a time for celebration, as witnessed by many cultures from the ancient Romans (Saturnalia) to the Hopi Indians (Soyalangwul).
The full name in the product listing is X6 Portable Ultra Mini HD High Denifition [sic] Digital Camera Mini DV Support 32GB TF Card with Mic USB Flash Drive for Camera. It costs less than $11
Featuring thick, vegetable-tanned leather and the amazing tensile strength of seven-strand nylon parachute rope, WotanCraft Paracord X leather neck straps and wrist straps are available with traditional split ring or Peak Design Anchor Lock fasteners and are as attractive as they are practical. With a style that harkens back to their military inspiration, they add another dimension to WotanCraft's already extensive line of beautifully designed photo accessories.