Here are just some of the interesting articles that we published this week. Michèle Grenier finishes her series on photographing an international sports event. Andrew Ford shares his green screen location kit. Julie Powell finds her photos with Excire Search. New writer Jeremy Gray talks about the state of the Nikon Z mirrorless system. Bryan Esler’s Creators Chat features an interview with Lindsay Adler and Cano’s EOS Utility gets an upgrade to fix what Apple broke.
Covering my first international sports event, part two - I’m on my way to covering my first international sports event with my camera bag fully equipped. Let the games begin! Welcoming the baby — Sony 400 f/2.8 GM The Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM arrived at my home for its 10-day loan. It felt like a dream in a case — a HUGE photographer’s dream in a proportionately HUGE case. I’ve been working hard these past years on my photography and to get to photograph with this super-telephoto for a few days has been one of the coolest and most humbling rewards I’ve got so far. I promised myself I’d make good use of it and come back from the World Masters Weightlifting Championship with the best pictures I’ve ever taken. Getting installed — a sport in itself The big day had finally come and I get to the gymnasium venue with all my bags. As I’ve been warned by the organization, the setup for this international event was special: It had two platforms — a first for me. I learned later that one of these platforms was the same one that had been used for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Two platforms meant two athletes were lifting at the same time — not just a single one as it is usually the case. I knew I had to sit in front, equally in the middle of the two of them if I wanted to get the best images. That left me in a delicate situation. Recovering my poise Olympic Weightlifting (O-Lift) is a very formal sport that involves precise time, distances and judging. I couldn’t (and wasn’t allowed to) sit anywhere I wanted — even though I was officially covering the event. I had to be granted the authorization to sit in front of the judge’s table, which hadn’t been a simple thing. Judges aren’t very inclined to have anything or anyone between them and the lifting athletes. I am not the kind of person to battle my way to get something. But this time, I’d fought to the death for that spot. One thing was clear: There was no way for me to take pictures from anywhere else. I felt a bit like panicking and wanted to tell the judges there was no other option for me but to be there. A little calm, composure and politeness went a long way. After reaching out to some key players in the organization, I had been granted the right to sit at the spot I had to be. That is, as long as I was making myself verrrrry small. Make myself small to potentially get some of the best shots of my career? Yeah! You bet I could do that! Even if that meant sitting on the floor 12 hours a day for nine consecutive days. Weapon of choice and settings for coverage Sony a9 I installed two tripods for my two a9 camera bodies (my dear Mr. A always follows me everywhere I go). They always have their battery pack on, but this time I knew this I’d really use the extra power for the upcoming 12-hours shooting days. 85mm f/1.8 The 85mm allowed me to get head to toe shots, including the background and the athlete’s information from the screen behind them. Most of the time, my settings were f/1.8, 1/800s and ISO 1250. The goal was to get the fastest shutter speed without bumping up too much my ISO, which allowed me to keep the highest image quality possible. 135mm f/1.8 GM The 135mm allowed to get slightly closer portraits — the ones I personally love most — with the emphasis on the athlete’s face and expression. It’s also my best bud hands down. My settings while covering the event were usually: f/1.8, 1/1000s and ISO 1250. Interestingly, you can see that while I had an equivalent aperture and ISO to my 85mm, I was able to pick a faster shutter speed to get the same exposure. Thanks to the high quality built and glasses of this G Master lens. (To learn more on my favorite lens, read this full article I wrote while covering another great sports event!) The best for last And here we are left with the ultimate weapon. The cream of the crop. The 400mm. Stay with me because, in this last article, I bring out the big gun!
Using Excire Search in Lightroom Classic for the first time - After recently been given a copy of Excire Search 2 Pro to review, I wrote my first post on downloading and installing it. This process took roughly 36-40 hours, as it completed initialization while I was asleep. I awoke to find a dialog box on the computer telling me the current status. Quick and easy I thought it might be easier to record my search so you can see first hand how quick and easy it is to search for keywords: I found it interesting how it searched for small round red objects. But I must admit it did display berries as I requested more often than not. Next, I am off to explore other search criteria and hopefully make looking for images a whole lot easier.
The state of the Nikon Z system, part one: Cameras - (Editor’s Note: We’d like to welcome Jeremy Gray to the Photofocus team. Located in Maine, Jeremy has been a fine art landscape and nature photographer since 2006, and has received numerous awards as a part of art and photography-specific contests, exhibitions and shows. You can follow him online at jeremypgrayphotography.com.) In the fall of 2018, Nikon took its first steps into full-frame mirrorless photography with the release of the Nikon Z6 and Z7 cameras. For the new Nikon Z mirrorless system, Nikon also developed a new lens mount, the Z mount, replacing the venerable Nikon F mount. The Z mount has a wider diameter and a shallower flange distance than the F mount, which has allowed for Nikon Z lenses to offer impressive performance while being smaller and lighter than their Nikon F mount counterparts. The Z6 and Z7 launched alongside a trio of lenses, the Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8 S, Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S and Nikkor 24-70mm f/4 S. Importantly, through the use of the Nikon FTZ adapter, you can attach many Nikon F lenses to the Z series cameras with full compatibility. I will look at the full lineup of Nikkor Z lenses in a subsequent article. But first, let’s look at the cameras: The Z6, Z7 and new Z50 to see what they offer. Lead photo: Captured using the Nikon Z6 with an adapted Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E lens at 500mm. Settings: f/5.6, 1/640s, ISO 500. Nikon Z cameras: The Z6, Z7 and Z50 Nikon Z6 ($2,000 USD suggested retail price with a street price around $1,800) 24.5-megapixel FX-format backside-illuminated CMOS image sensor Native ISO range of 100-51,200 EXPEED 6 image processing engine Up to 12 frames per second continuous shooting 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization 273-point phase-detect autofocus system 4K UHD video at up to 30 frames per second Built-in electronic OLED viewfinder with 3.69 million dots 3.2-inch tilting touch screen display Single CFExpress Type B/XQD card slot Weather-resistant construction Built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity The Nikon Z6 is the Z system’s most versatile camera overall. Despite its lower megapixel sensor when compared to the Z7, the Z6 continues to deliver excellent image quality, especially in low light, while offering a faster overall shooting experience. The Z6 and Z7 feature an identical camera design, which proves to be customizable and very comfortable to use. The new OLED electronic viewfinder is a highlight due to its fantastic resolution and high magnification. Having spent a lot of time using Nikon DSLR cameras over the years, the smaller and more streamlined Z6/Z7 camera body felt immediately familiar, while also more modern. The camera body features a robust build quality and weather-resistant construction. The camera’s rear tilting touch screen works well, and the control layout is very well-designed. However, the much-lamented lack of a second card slot is unfortunate. Moving to a mirrorless design inspired the introduction of a new phase-detect autofocus system. While the Z6 and Z7 share a lot of features and the same overall autofocus technology, due to fewer pixels on the Z6’s sensor, the Z6 does have fewer autofocus points than the Z7, 273 versus 493. The Rundown: The Nikon Z6 is the fastest and most well-rounded Nikon Z camera available. It does nearly everything well and it does so at a competitive price. Nikon Z7 ($3,400 USD suggested retail price with a street price around $2,800) 45.7-megapixel FX-format backside-illuminated CMOS image sensor Native ISO range of 64-25,600 EXPEED 6 image processing engine Up to 9 frames per second continuous shooting 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization 493-point phase-detect autofocus system 4K UHD video at up to 30 frames per second Built-in electronic OLED viewfinder with 3.69 million dots 3.2-inch tilting touch screen display Single CFExpress Type B/XQD card slot Weather-resistant construction Built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity The Nikon Z7 is to the Z6 what the Sony A7R series is to the Sony A7 series. This means that the Z7 trades away some speed and low-light performance in exchange for higher-resolution images. With its 45.7-megapixel image sensor, the Z7 has the most megapixels of any Nikon Z camera and boasts the highest number of autofocus points with 493. Like the Z6, the autofocus points cover a very large area of the image sensor (much larger of an area than any Nikon DSLR). Both cameras deliver fast and accurate autofocus for both stationary and moving subjects, although the Z7’s fastest continuous shooting speeds are not quite as quick as the Z6’s. Both the Z6 and Z7 also include 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization, which works very well and delivers highly detailed images, even when shooting in lower light and with slower shutter speeds. As mentioned earlier, the Z7’s camera body is identical to the Z6, at least externally. In addition to the different image sensor inside, the Z7 also lacks an optical low-pass filter in front of its image sensor, which results in a sharper image than the Z6, megapixel difference aside. Further, the Z6 and Z7 both record 4K UHD video at up to 30 frames per second, but the Z6 is the more capable video camera overall. Both cameras record with the full width of the FX image area, although the Z7 utilizes line skipping whereas the Z6 does not, which results in the Z6 producing better overall 4K video. The Rundown: The Nikon Z7 is the ideal Z camera for capturing the most detail in a scene, making it a great choice for landscape photography and other types of photography where extra resolution helps. Nikon Z50 ($860 USD suggested retail price) 20.9-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor Native ISO range of 100-51,200 EXPEED 6 image processing engine Up to 11 frames per second continuous shooting 209-point hybrid autofocus system 4K UHD video at up to 30 frames per second Built-in electronic OLED viewfinder with 2.36 million dots 3.2-inch rear touch screen display Single SD card slot Weather-resistant construction Built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity It’s worth noting that unlike the Z6 and Z7, I have not had extensive hands-on experience
Farming beauty, with Lindsay Adler - For Lindsay Adler, getting started with photography deeply involved her family, living on a farm. But instead of working the farm, she pulled out a camera early on and learned how to capture the scenery surrounding her. “It was actually a family hobby. My grandma liked to take pictures around the farm. My mom did, my aunt did and apparently my grandma’s father had a darkroom that she remembers,” said Lindsay. “When it first started, it was kind of like, ‘Oh, mom, grandma and my aunt are all headed out taking pictures. Why don’t I grab a camera?’ From there, Lindsay got more and more interested in photography, and ended up starting her business at the age of 15. Now living in New York City, the scenery has certainly changed, but her passion to make great, emotionally-driven photographs certainly hasn’t. Drawing inspiration When Lindsay started her business at age 15, she was surrounded by nature. At the time that drew her to capturing the great outdoors. She grew inspiration from Art Wolfe, who “created images that I didn’t even understand could be possible.” But again, everything came back to family. “When I was 16, my mom and I went and took photography classes from Marianne and Joe McDonald. We took a one-week class with them. They were incredibly encouraging, and they became mentors, telling me I could do it for a living.” The pair helped Lindsay get a scholarship for an organization called NAMPA — the North American Nature Photography Association. Recognizing that what she photographs now is far from her nature and farm roots, she valued that first opportunity at a NAMPA conference. “I’m learning from the world’s best wildlife and landscape photographers, and it was like, again, something with photography is definitely what I want to do for a living.” Today, Lindsay’s inspiration certainly comes from a different spectrum of photographers. “The photographers I admire today … it’s not like I don’t admire the ones from my past, but the work is so far different. Now looking at photographers … one of them is Lillian Bassman. She was kind of a contemporary of Penn and Avedon. But that was kind of the problem — their stars were shining so bright, and as a woman, it was quite a challenge.” In addition to other photographers, Lindsay draws inspiration from her travels. She regularly travels the globe not only for photoshoots, but also to teach other photographers. “The way I’ve crafted my career is that I get to have a beautiful combination of both shooting and teaching. I do both. Sometimes the shooting pays for me to travel, but most of the time, it’s actually the teaching. I love teaching regardless, but it’s great because it helps me meet people around the world and get to travel to places I would have never gone. “One of the reasons I think traveling is so important to me, is if I get too comfortable in a routine, the same thing over and over again, I don’t have inspiration. I don’t feel inspired, I don’t feel challenged. And so when I travel, it can be a sculpture, painting or a musician on the street, or so many other things that give me an idea for a photoshoot.” From the farm to the studio So how did Lindsay make that switch, from nature photography to beauty and fashion photography? “When I first started in photography, it was a combination of, I shot what I loved for fun, and then I shot whatever I thought paid me. And the two really didn’t intersect. What I was getting paid to shoot I didn’t necessary find creatively fulfilling. I think one of my greatest evolutions was finding a way to get paid to shoot things that I loved. “That’s one of the things I think a lot of photographers struggle with,” says Lindsay. “They either want to be really creative or make money, and they feel like the two shall never cross. So what I have really done more seriously over the past decade was to figure out a voice and a style, and then figure out the brands and clients that would want to speak through my voice and to see through my eyes.” But how do you find your style as a photographer? “One of the exercises, if right now, you had to put up on your website — not to make a living, just to show who you are as an artist — only three photos. It’s all you can never show anything else or anything different, what would those three be? If you look at those three photos, try to figure out what they have in common. Is it the color palette? Is it the subject matter? There are definitely going to be. things that overlap. “That starts to give you a feeling of how you see yourself as an artist and what you’re attracted to. So then, imagine that you can start filling that page with more work that fits, that’s cohesive. How do you add to those three and start to build a body of work around those three that you’re most proud of? I think that starts to give people an idea of style.” Capturing emotion Lindsay’s portraits are known for showcasing emotion through things like posing, lighting and her overall style. For her, it’s all about intention, approaching a photograph knowing what you’re trying to achieve. “Emotion isn’t just one thing — emotion is achieved through lighting. It’s achieved through clothing because it creates a character in which the model can embody. And then of course, it’s posing and expression,” says Lindsay. “It’s all of those things. It’s the colors you choose. It’s the amount of lack of shadows. So I think first and foremost, the most important thing to achieving emotion in your photographs is to have intention of what that emotion should be. “After I have my intention, a lot of times my subjects, they feel
Canon releases EOS Utility update, fixes macOS Catalina issue - Canon has quietly released a new version of its EOS Utility. The update restores compatibility with macOS Catalina version 10.15.2 and higher. The issue I reported on January 15, 2020, was created by Apple’s 10.15.2 update. The next update from Apple did not address the connectivity problem. Tethering restored Canon’s EOS Utility 3 and the older version 2 are both installed in the Mac’s Applications folder. Version 3 is for current cameras while version 2 covers older models. Below are links to the new version and its instruction manual. EOS Utility 3.12.1 download Scroll down to the EOS Utility 3.12.1 for macOS, then click Select. View the EOS Utility manual
The day in the life of a professional photographer - We see it every day. Someone becomes a photographer and thinks, “Now I get to make photographs for the rest of my life.” Sure, you can and you will. But not as much as you think. In fact, maybe 20% of the time you will be making photographs, while the rest of the time will be on the business side of things. Tasks like: Content marketing Video marketing Social marketing Email marketing Billing Booking Editing Repairing Culling Drinking lots and lots of tea or coffee Talking to leads Taking to clients Scouting locations Talking to clients again Drinking more tea or coffee Editing more Delivering product This list can go on for a very long time. I decided to put a comedic piece together to illustrate my point. While the video is on the funny side, the point is very serious. The myth that a photographer doesn’t have to worry about business is incorrect. So much so that I might recommend going to school for business rather than photography, then learning photography the modern way. Workshops, assist others, online courses, CreativeLIVE and other avenues like that. Be sure to check out some of the Photofocus business articles, too. Enjoy the video.
Green screen on-the-go - A green screen kit is handy for many video projects, but you may not own one because it seems costly to purchase or a pain to set up. I thought the same thing when starting out, but after the expense of renting time at a local studio and renting kits on the road in major cities, it seemed cost-effective to purchase what was needed. So, I decided to put together my own “portable” and cost-effective kit. I put the word “portable” in parenthesis because you will be filling your Pelican case with a good amount of weight, but this kit will begin to save money on its second use. This is a professional kit, not a DIY build-at-home kit. The lighting The key to any successful green screen production is good lighting. You will need 5 lights at a minimum: two lights blasting the green screen and your key, fill, and backlight. This keeps the kit reasonable and works for most situations. I have found the Dracast Pro Series LED1000 Bi-Color LED Light Panel (V-Mount) to be perfect. They are dimmable, low profile, low weight, work on the power supply or V-mount battery and are available in daylight or bi-color. I purchased the LED1000 bi-color model because I like to have options. The bi-color panel provides variable color temperatures from 3200-5600K, but the tradeoff is half the LEDs are off if you have the color temperature dial at either extreme. However, I keep the dial in the middle for the lights aimed at the green screen for full intensity because bright even lighting is the most important thing. Also, these lights are typically placed where they won’t spill onto the subject. For the subject, my key, fill, and backlight provide both color temperature options depending on what the shoot requires. These lights also have a soft diffusion panel that can be removed if you need even more intensity. Light stands and case One of the most low-profile light stands on the market is the Dracast DLS-805 spring-cushioned light stand. Weighing only three pounds, they fold down to 28.5 inches but can be extended to 6 feet. With some creativity and pick-and-pluck foam, you can actually fit all five lights, power adapters, white balance cards and light stands into the wheeled Pelican 1690 Protector Transport Case with interior dimensions of 30-by-25-by-15.4 inches. It’s a tight fit for sure, but I haven’t had any issues in two years of shipping. If you’re lucky, you can fit a small roll of gaff tape in as well. Green screen If you are doing a full-body green screen shoot and need a lot of green run on the floor, the Photek GS12 is awesome. It goes over piping easily with a 4-inch pole pocket and has grommets on the sides to get the slack out. It is relatively wrinkle-free if you don’t leave it folded for long periods. However, if you can get by with less width and no screen on the floor, get a small collapsible one with wire sides. You could lean it against a wall and avoid needing a background support system altogether. Just remember to ensure your subject’s hands stay within the screen. If you have a few people in a scene, larger screens from Photek are available. Since I’ve switched to keeping my tripod in a flat rectangular hard case instead of the tubular hard cases, I’m able to fit the background support system for the green screen and the lighting extension cords in the same case. I’ll fold the cloth green screen into my suitcase if I’m flying. Or, you may decide to pack the green screen and support system into a separate case. Cost Rounded cost for the items listed above: At under $3000, I have a portable green screen kit that has worked out on every occasion and will be as good as anything you rent. You may even find sale pricing for the lights on B&H Photo (and you may already have some lights, so you may not even need to purchase five). This kit will pay for itself on the second use and these lights can support other productions to defray the cost. Seeing is believing Here is this setup in use on the road. We were doing a parody of a Drake music video. The left image shows the green screen shoot. The middle image shows our import into After Effects after keying with Keylight and bringing in a Photoshop-created background to match the music video. The right image shows the final output. We kept the background changing color to match the music video. We also added light wrap and placed a color overlay (on soft light blending mode) over the video layer to have the background light reflect subtly on the subject.Win free prizes just for entering the Photofocus Celebrates 21 Years contest! Get started today.
