Photofocus articles that caught my eye this week are one from Julie Powel on a D.I.Y. backlight setup, a first look at the new 61MP Sony camera by Bryan Esler, retouching photos with a vertical monitor with Erin Holmstead, a close look at our redesign by the man who did it, Bryan Esler and last but not least I answer a question about the cover of a magazine published 50 years ago. Cheers!
Sony introduces 61-megapixel a7R IV camera - This morning, Sony introduced its latest camera, the a7R IV. Packing a 35mm full-frame 61-megapixel back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor, the camera features 15-stop dynamic range at low sensitivities, 10fps high-speed continuous shooting and Real-time Eye AF for movie recordings. The camera, which succeeds Sony’s popular a7R III, is the company’s highest resolution full-frame camera ever. “The new Alpha 7R IV combines medium format-level image quality with high-speed shooting, extremely fast focusing and an extensive list of upgrades to design, connectivity and usability,” said Neal Manowitz, deputy president of Imaging Product and Solutions Americas at Sony Electronics. “This will allow professional photographers, videographers and all other types of creators to capture content in ways that were simply not possible before.” The a7R IV is equipped with a 5-axis, optical in-body image stabilization system that has been fine-tuned to support its high-resolution shooting capacity, resulting in a shutter speed advantage of 5.5 steps. The shutter unit assembly has also been redesigned to reduce slight movements that may cause blur. The camera also packs Sony’s highest resolution viewfinder ever, a 5.76 million dot UXGA OLED Tru-finder EVF, which is about 1.6 times the resolution of the a7R III. The display can be set to achieve either a 60fps or 120fps refresh rate. Shooting and focusing speed The a7R IV can photograph full resolution images at up to 10fps, with accurate AF/AE tracking for up to approximately seven seconds. There’s also an APS-C crop mode present, delivering 26.2-megapixel images. The upgraded focusing system is compromised of 567 focal-plane phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 74 percent of the image area. There are also 425 contrast AF points that add extra precision and reliability for low light and other situations. The higher AF sensor density and refined tracking algorithms of the new camera produce a notable improvement in tracking performance, allowing complex subject motion and sudden subject movements to be reliably tracked with greater precision than ever. The Alpha 7R IV also supports Real-time Eye AF, which employs artificial intelligence to detect and process eye location data in real-time, locking and maintaining focus on the subject’s eye with extreme precision. This is available for both animal and human subjects, with either animal or human Eye AF mode selectable depending on the shooting situation. Real-time Tracking(7) is available as well, which utilizes a newly developed subject recognition algorithm to ensure the ultimate subject tracking and persistence of the focusing system. There is also an anti-flicker shooting mode(13), which automatically detects the presence of fluorescent or artificial lighting in a shooting environment to minimize any impact on the final image. Filmmaking features The a7R IV offers 4K video recording across the full width of the image sensor, and full pixel readout without pixel binning in Super 35mm mode. S-Log 2 and S-Log 3 are also available to maximize color grading flexibility, with S-Log 3 offering 14 stops of dynamic range. Hybrid Log-Gamma is also available to support an Instant HDR workflow. For video autofocus, the camera utilizes a refined Fast Hybrid AF system that achieves faster, smoother, more stable autofocus during video shooting — even if an object temporarily moves in front of the intended subject. The camera also includes Touch Tracking functionality during movie shooting, allowing the user to simply touch the screen on their intended subject for instant acquisition. The a7R IV debuts Real-time Eye AF for movie shooting, a first in any of Sony’s cameras. When activated, the eye of a subject is automatically tracked with high precision and reliability, allowing the shooter to focus on the content itself as opposed to what is in focus or not. The aforementioned Touch Tracking functionality will also automatically initiate Eye AF when a human subject is selected. Build and design The camera also features several upgrades to its design and usability. To maximize durability, the a7R IV features upgraded dust and moisture resistance, with additional sealing provided at all body seams, battery compartment cover and media slots. The camera is built from durable magnesium alloy, and has an upgraded six screw, extra-firm lens mount. The body also includes an improved grip for greater comfort and a more secure hold. There’s also a new multi-selector joystick design, an exposure compensation dial lock button and a redesigned shape and new position for the rear dial. The camera includes two UHS-II compatible media slots, allowing for faster read/write speeds. Battery life has also been improved over the a7R III, with a CIPA measurement for up to 670 still images using the LCD monitor, or 530 images with the Electronic Viewfinder. The body can also be powered via a USB connector. Pricing and availability The Sony a7R IV will ship in September 2019 for a suggested retail price of $3500. Pre-orders will be available through B&H beginning July 18.
Why was a painting of the moon landing on the cover of Time? - Fifty years ago, today, July 20, 1969, the whole world paused to watch a really fuzzy video in black and white of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the surface of the moon. That week the July 25, 1969 issue of Time magazine arrived in my mom’s mailbox in Boise, Idaho. The cover said “Man on the Moon.” The painting on the cover was casein and acrylic on Masonite by Louis Glanzman depicting Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the moon. A painting, not a photograph? What gives? This was the most significant human achievement — without a doubt — EVER! And the preeminent news magazine features a painting? Really? Then: 1969 Getting a photograph into print on the cover of a magazine took time. Photography was exclusively the realm of film. Digital wasn’t even a dream. The astronauts, mainly mission commander Armstrong, took lots of photographs on 70mm wide color transparency film with specially modified Hasselblad cameras to record the first time humans visited another world. The film had to be brought back to earth and processed after being in quarantine for three weeks with the astronauts. The isolation was to prevent the spread of any bacteria or other “Andromeda Strain” nasties they might have picked up. By the way, “The Andromeda Strain” by Michael Crichton (who also wrote “Jurassic Park“) was number 5 in fiction bestsellers that week. The reason simply was the film was on its way to the lab. Apollo 11 was flying back from the moon with this issue of Time went to press. Paintings, word pictures Paintings and illustrations were the only way to cover the news from the moon. While Time included a frame of the video of Armstrong’s first step and photos of the Saturn V launch, President Lyndon Johnson watching the liftoff as well as spectators experiencing the beginning of this once in humankind adventure, there was no way to print the photos. They hadn’t arrived back on earth yet. Writers for Time explained in great detail what had happened. Their words painted pictures in the imaginations of readers around the world. Magazines and online publications today are much less wordy. They count on instantly available photographs by pros and amateurs to carry stories. A photograph is worth a thousand words. Reading a magazine from 50 years ago proves that clichè. Production times Magazines took weeks to layout and print. The first high-quality photographs from the moon were featured in National Geographic’s December 1969 issue. The was a vinyl record of the “Sounds of the Space Age” that could be removed and played on a turntable. 50 years ago … I was a rising senior in high school. I was 16 years old. It was summer in Idaho. Cameras came to Boise from Salt Lake City on Greyhound buses. I had arranged for the manager of my local camera store, Ballou-Latimer, to check to see if maybe, just maybe a package had come in on that Sunday morning. It had. Ron Pierce drove to the bus station and then met me outside the store to give me the package. It held the first camera I had ever purchased, a Mamiya C-33. Apollo 11 was in orbit around the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin would begin their descent to the surface in an hour or so. A little while later, my father and I boarded a commuter plane to meet my mom and little brother in Idaho Falls to begin a vacation. My family huddled around a black and white television in the Idaho Falls airport to watch coverage of the landing on the moon. That afternoon in the great room of the Staley Springs Lodge on Henry’s Lake, Idaho, along with a lot of other guests, we watched history unfolding in real-time as Neil Armstrong stepped from the LEM’s landing pad onto the moon. Ron’s kindness in making the extra effort to get a first professional camera to a very beginning photographer on that historic Sunday followed by the moon landing made Sunday, July 20, 1969, incredibly special for me. It was a day beyond words and gratitude. Moon photograph: NASA via Unsplash Buzz Aldrin on the Moon: Photo by Neil Armstrong Other photographs: ©Kevin Ames
Creating a DIY lightbox - Why try this fun afternoon project, you just need a sheet of white acrylic (mine is 900mm x 600mm) but it does not need to be that big. In some parts of the world, it is referred to as Plexiglass or Perspex, but they are mostly brand names. I set the acrylic sheet up by placing it on two small stools, I also set up my Nikon SB-910 Speedlight on a small stand underneath. Behind the scenes The object The object is to get the speed light to come through the opaque acrylic and make the objects placed on top of it almost translucent. The trick is balancing the light to get enough detail without blowing out the highlights. Settings The speed light started at 1:1 but found the light was overpowering and ended up dropping down to 1:64. Camera settings were f/4.0, ISO 200, 1/125s, spot metering and used TTL flash mode. I was using my Sony a7 II and my Sony 50mm macro lens with a Godox X1 trigger and receiver between the camera and speedlight. Picking the Props Try different fruits; Grapefruit, kiwi fruit, blood orange, dragon fruit (too thick; did not work well at all), I then moved onto rose petals and other dried flowers, leaf skeletons and such. It was really interesting to see what worked really well and what did not. As easy as it would be to pile on lots of different items, I felt it was best to start simply and work up from there, this is often the case when attempting something new. Plus I really wanted clear single shots of each item.
I edit vertically, don’t you? - I edit on a vertical screen, and yes, it’s as crazy as it sounds. However, for a portrait photographer like myself, it has been a game-changer. I generally take most of my images vertically, so it only made sense that I start editing vertically. Here’s how it’s really enhanced my workflow. The amount of screen space that I was missing when my monitor was turned horizontal was unreal! Now, with my monitor vertical, I can have my subject’s face fill up my entire screen. I have the BenQ SW271 monitor which is HUGE and my subject’s face fills every inch of it. It’s incredible. I no longer need to zoom in as much just to see if that’s a mole or zit. My screen acts like a giant magnifying glass and it’s the most beautiful thing. My secret weapon Now I know someone is going to say it’s impossible to edit with the image taking over the whole screen. To that, I say Loupedeck! The Loupedeck is my secret weapon and I have been using it for about six months now and I still love it. I have the ability to edit my entire image while it is in full-screen mode, which I can activate while hitting the F key in Lightroom Classic. This means my image takes up the entire screen, and I don’t need to see any of the Lightroom panels. My image is the only thing that is on my screen and it’s my absolute favorite feature. Think vertically So the next time you are editing flip your screen vertically and thank me later cause you’ll never go back. On Windows, you can check to see if your monitor has this ability by going to Settings > Display. From there you can change your orientation to Portrait. On a Mac, go to System Preferences > Display > Rotation.
