This week, Ken Lee got us ready for the winter season by showing us the OpenSnow app. Then, Sara Kempner told us how to find inspiration to photograph in winter weather.
Bryan Esler reviewed the Sigma 100-400mm super telephoto lens for Sony cameras, while Darren Miles gave us his thoughts on the Profoto brand. Finally, Julie Powell presented some creative ideas for photographing drinks.
Sigma 100-400mm offers superior performance in a compact footprint - I was torn when I was offered the chance to review the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary lens (B&H | Amazon) for Sony. On one hand, having that sort of reach is wonderful. As someone who has been photographing people around my city, it allowed me to be more of a fly on the wall. At the same time, I’m not a wildlife photographer, and this lens is undoubtedly targeted toward that audience. Despite that, the Sigma 100-400mm is a lens I’m considering purchasing. It offers speedy autofocus and great optical results. While it’s certainly not a low-light champion like a fixed f/2.8 lens would be, it offers great capabilities during daylight. First impressions First off, the Sigma 100-400mm is quite small. Coming from the world of micro four-thirds, I was always told that DSLR super telephoto lenses are huge. Clearly this isn’t the case here. While that does have to do with the variable aperture range in this lens, I was still pleasantly surprised at how compact it was. Having a compact super telephoto is certainly appealing. It’s not as heavy as you’d think (2.5 pounds) and I was able to carry it in my backpack. That’s a win-win. The lens also has a few switches on it — a focus AF/MF switch, a focus limiter, stabilization and a customizable AFL button. This is certainly designed with Sigma’s aesthetic, with a large focus ring and smaller zoom ring that work beautifully. All in all, it’s quite a sight to hold. Specs Aperture: f/5-22 (wide) to f/6.3-29 (telephoto) Minimum focus distance: 3.61 feet (wide) or 5.2 feet (telephoto) Optical design: 22 elements in 16 groups Diaphragm blades: 9, rounded Image stabilization: Yes Weather sealing: Yes Filter size: 67mm Dimensions: 3.39 x 7.76 inches Weight: 2.5 pounds Performance The first few shots I took with the lens were of people using scooters downtown, for a client of mine. I saw someone speeding toward me at the corner of my eye, and within an instant, I was locked on to them and I achieved a sharp photograph. Needless to say, I was surprised. After all, this lens fits inside Sigma’s Contemporary lens lineup, so you’d think that some performance would suffer over its pro-level Art series lenses. But with the Sigma 100-400mm, that’s clearly not the case. To further test the autofocus, I took the lens to the local skate park. Again, the results were very good, despite having a very bright day with lots of shadows present. I also played around with the lens at a nearby park. Here, I captured an eagle in the trees … and a grasshopper jumping along. The wildlife I had hoped to find clearly wasn’t as present as I thought, but nevertheless, the lens performed well. The lens was tack sharp, and I was very pleased with the results. Finally, I tested out some of its macro and landscape capabilities. One of my favorite features on super telephotos is the compression and separation it provides. And with the Sigma 100-400mm, it’s no different. Final thoughts If you’re looking for a hidden gem for the Sony E-mount system (or even the L-mount), the Sigma 100-400mm (B&H | Amazon) may just be it. The performance is that of which I would expect from a pro-level lens. And at a very affordable price, it’s hard not to pass up.
Has Profoto lost its way? - Let’s get one thing out of the way — this is not a hit piece on Profoto. I’ve been an avid user and proponent of their gear for almost a decade. Their lighting is consistent and nearly bulletproof, and the system has come through for me for nearly a decade. However, in the last couple of years, I feel like Profoto has relied on their reputation and heritage more than the customer experience. Everything from the new products they’ve introduced to customer support for existing products. It’s time Profoto start behaving like the premium brand they claim (and price themselves) to be. Three issues that brought me here 1. Support for existing products is lackluster Many professional photographers rely on their lighting systems in their day to day operations. I’m no different — I take professional portraits in my studio and I rely on my Profotos. Occasionally, I assess the new gear landscape and make decisions on purchases for the business to evolve with the times.I shoot Canon and prefer cameras with two memory card slots. We ordered a Canon R6 in July. Here we are in November of 2020, and Profoto has yet to update the firmware of their triggers or strobes to be compatible. I’m sitting on a $2,500 asset (the R6) that I can’t use in the studio because my lighting system isn’t compatible with the latest Canon cameras. Nearly six months after it was introduced. On the Profoto support page, the last firmware update for the triggers and the strobes was in November 2019. 2. Repair service leaves a lot to be desired This is another price to value relationship blunder. Whenever I’ve had to send in a strobe to be repaired, not only is the service crazy expensive, the time to get the item back is weeks. I know there are parts shortages due to a global pandemic — but even before COVID-19, turnaround times were totally unacceptable — especially for gear in this price category. 3. Changing flashbulbs should be easy Instead of just plain old plug and play, Profoto has this pin mechanism that wraps around the bulb. You can untwist it (with a pair of pliers) and replace the bulb, but I’ve yet to do it successfully. I always seem to disconnect the unaccessible pin mechanism. And you know what that means — another expensive trip to Profoto. What Profoto can do to improve 1. Faster firmware updates I’m sure there are reasons, but if you’re going to charge what Profoto charges, then they need a better handle on firmware updates for the latest gear in the marketplace. Six months after a mainstream camera brand introduces a camera is way too long. I’m assuming of course that there will be an update for the R6 soon, but there’s no indication of that from Profoto. 2. Shorten the repair cycle Four to six weeks to replace a flashbulb is ridiculous. Now I admit, when I’ve called Profoto and spoken to someone, I can often get my gear back faster. And one time when I needed the bulb replaced when I did it myself, they fixed it and shipped it back to me complimentary. 3. Improve the UI of triggers Profoto has done a great job improving the UI on their latest strobe lights. But the triggers are not only expensive — the UI is Pong Atari 2600 style. Unintuitive and with a digital display akin to a 1980s VCR. Plus, it doesn’t display the strobe’s current power setting. 4. Re-engineer flash bulb replacements This should be a simple plug and play procedure. The way it’s set up right now with the B1, B1X and B2, it’s almost automatic that I’ll have to send it to Profoto and wait potentially weeks for something I should be able to do myself in a matter of minutes. Profoto is still great, but … I’m not giving up on Profoto, at least not yet, but it’s discouraging for me to see an inexpensive competing system like Godox innovating and updating their firmware regularly and offering compelling products for a third to a fifth of the price. Bottom line to Profoto is, if you’re going to charge like a premium brand, then it’s time to start acting like one. Upstarts like Godox are offering products that are “good enough” for considerably less money and fewer compatibility issues with new gear. I want to hear from you! Share your experiences with Profoto in the comments below!
Food photography: Capturing the perfect drop - Whether it’s cocktails or mocktails, it’s those little details that can make all the difference in your photos. Capturing the perfect drop is easy with a few food photography tips and tricks. Ice cubes and condensation, garnishes and staging … these are what make all the difference. Throw in the right lighting and camera angles and you have the makings for some stunning drinks and product shots. Great for celebrating at Christmastime, too. Ice, ice baby Real ice cubes melt quite quickly, especially under studio lights and direct sunlight. Instead, try some acrylic stand-ins. They are cost-effective and will happily sit around all day if need be. If you chill them, you can use them in everyday drinks too. Another trick is to try frozen grapes in wine, which chills the wine and adds some pizazz. Condensation for the brrr effect Nothing says brrr icy-cold quite like condensation and there are two quick and easy ways to achieve this. First, take a glass or can and put it in the freezer to make it really cold. Then, place it in a warm room or give it a quick blast with a hairdryer. Sit back and wait for the condensation to appear. The second — and so easy to do — is to mix 50/50 water and liquid glycerin in a spray bottle and spray the glass or bottle. Wrap a tissue or piece of paper around the top so you don’t spray all the way to the top, just where the liquid would be. Bonus — it will stick around for ages too. If you need more, give another spray. Go festive Spruce up a Saint Nick-arita with some condensation and sugar. But also throw in some sparkly Christmas lights and candy canes to make it festive. Garnishes Garnishes always seem to make a cocktail complete, don’t they? Slice some lemons or limes for garnishes on the edge of glasses, or cut them in half and decorate the scene. Rub a little of that lemon juice on the edge of the glass then tip upside down in a plate of sugar crystals (or crushed candy canes!) for that added sparkle. Sprigs of fresh mint also make drinks look refreshing. You can also place a bottle of your drink of choice or mixes in the shot too. Strawberries or cherries on skewers work a treat too. If using mint, be sure to keep it wrapped in a damp paper towel in the fridge to prevent it from wilting, and change it out often if working with hot artificial lights. Reflections Try shooting on glass or black acrylic to capture some great reflections. Just be wary of not capturing unwanted elements too. Use CPL filter or diffusers to tone down unwanted reflections, especially on glassware. Splash out Don’t forget to experiment! Drop fruit or ice cubes into your liquid and capture the high-speed action. A High-Speed Sync strobe or speedlight would come in handy here for faster shutter speeds. Go for the angle Shoot your drink from different angles, editorial food photography style. Get some overall shots, but then go in close for the details. Try from the top (flatlay) or an obscured angle. Lighting All of the above were shot with indirect natural light. Direct light can cause hot spots and unwanted reflections in glass and shiny objects. Instead, try pulling back away from your light source, be that natural or artificial light. If using studio lights, try feathering them to your subject, avoiding the harsh direct light from strobes or speedlights. If your lighting looks a little unbalanced, try using a reflector to bounce some of that light back onto your subject. Possible issues You may come across possible issues when working with reflective and shiny surfaces, like unwanted reflections and hot spots. Try a Circular Polarizer filter or change your camera angle slightly. You can also try blocking the reflection with a piece of foamcore. If you are just starting out, go easy, have fun. Sometimes working with glass and shiny objects provides tricky reflections. But with a little patience and practice, you can achieve some amazing results.
Mobile Mondays: Finding snow with the OpenSnow app for iOS - In the Southwest and elsewhere, much of the snow we get is in the mountains or at higher elevations. What’s the best way to determine when it’s going to snow? And where? Snow and ski apps Thankfully, there are quite a few snow and ski apps available. Most of these are designed for skiers to make plans. But even if we don’t ski, these apps can come in handy if we want to head to the mountains for some holiday snow. OpenSnow (iOS only) is a free app that offers snow forecasts, snow reports, map overlays and, of course, ski conditions. The layout is easy to navigate. Some of the features are locked and require an in-app purchase. The All-Access 1-Year Subscription is $19.99. This unlocks the map overlays and longer projected forecasts, the estimated snow depth map and email notifications. Snow Stake Cams One exciting feature is snow cams showing live camera footage of various areas. Browse mountains On the main menu under Browse Mountains, you can perform a search on nearby mountains, search by name or region, or by season pass. For Los Angeles, one of the closest places that it shows is Mountain High, which is only about an hour north of Los Angeles. This doesn’t always get snow, but once it does, you will sometimes meet people who ski and surf on the same day. In the spring, you can sometimes even see people skiing down Mountain High in bikinis. Snow forecasts Of course, everyone wants to see the snow forecasts. This is broken down into several areas, including a 10-Day Forecast. The free version will give you the next five days, whereas The All-Access 1-Year Subscription will unlock the full 10-day forecast. There are several ways to search including closest, forecasts, by cameras, snow reports and temperature. You can search by “All Cams” as well, but this too requires a subscription. The OpenSnow app is easy to navigate The app is intuitive and easy to navigate. Upon downloading, I found snow reports in a matter of seconds without having to wonder how to use them. Whether skiing or not, this app for iOS can give you a lot of information on snow and weather conditions nearby and globally.
Finding inspiration to photograph in winter weather - Unless you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where the sun shines all year, you’ve probably been met with the winter photography doldrums. I live on the west coast of Canada, aka the “wet coast” to locals. Needless to say, we get a lot of rain through the winter months. As someone who shoots about 85% of my images outside, I know that the winter season can cause a drastic reduction in both inspiration and shooting time, based solely on the weather. So, how do we force ourselves to get outside and be creative once the autumn colors are gone? How do we motivate ourselves to step out of our warm houses into the winter weather? Below are a few tips to help you stay inspired to get out photograph during the winter months. Be prepared Writer Alfred Wainwright once said, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” This holds true for both you and your camera gear. Being prepared with things like waterproof clothing and footwear, gloves and hand warmers can make all the difference while out in the elements. If you’re not concentrating on wet feet or frozen fingers, you’re way more likely to put time into your winter photography. Likewise, for your camera equipment — make sure it stays protected. Waterproof camera bags are essential where I live. They are well worth the investment to know that your gear is safe and dry. If it’s cold, you’ll want to keep extra batteries in your pockets as you’ll need to replace them more frequently. Rain covers are available online for your camera, or you can make one out of a plastic bag if need be! Silica gel packs of various kinds can be bought to help absorb excess moisture away from your gear. My personal favorite thing to do is bring a thermos of hot tea to keep me warm while out shooting frigid winter sunrises. I also always carry a large garbage bag in my camera bag to sit on or lay gear on if the ground is wet. Use the weather to create unique images Now that you’re prepared to face the elements, it’s time to get outside! While a rainy day might not make the world look all bright and beautiful, it gives you the option of creating moody and unique images. Rain can cause all sorts of reflections and puddles to play with if you’re in the city. Similarly, a fresh blanket of snow can completely alter a familiar scene into something new, whether you’re in a rural or urban setting. A frequently visited beach in the summer might be completely transformed during a winter windstorm and give you an uncommon image of a popular area. I like to watch the hourly forecast during storms and try to get out and shoot just as they clear. If you time it right, clearing storms can create dramatic skies and phenomenal light. Winter can also provide unique detail shots when it comes to snow and ice. Look for patterns, lines and shadows created by snow and ice for interesting compositions. Hit the golden hours A perpetual problem in my life as a landscape photographer is that I am not a morning person! Setting the alarm for 4 a.m. to go capture the pre-sunrise light makes me want to cry every time. However, the winter months are perfect for hitting the golden hours because they are much more accessible timewise. I personally am much more likely to go hit a sunrise that’s happening at 7:30 a.m. in December than a much earlier one in July. The trade-off, of course, is that it can be pretty frigid in the early mornings of the winter months. As stated above, being prepared for the cold is crucial. The same goes for photographing winter sunsets: They are much earlier in the day but can come with a chillier price tag. Find a friend Staying motivated can be difficult alone. Most towns have camera clubs or social media groups where local photographers can connect. Set up a photowalk with another photographer or create an online group with weekly challenges. Join a 365 project, or ask another photographer to critique your work. Being accountable to other photographers will help you stay motivated during the winter months. While it might be hard to pull yourself off the couch and dust off your camera during the winter months, I recommend giving it a try. Fewer crowds and dramatic weather can lead to unique images that you might not be able to capture during the summer. And a little fresh air is always good for the soul as well!
