I suspect that you need to shoot more pictures. I was recently teaching at a dude ranch in Montana (it was a marvelous week--I hope to see you next year) and the one thing each of my students needed to do was to shoot more pictures. People often notice that when I'm talking about the act of recording images with a camera I always say "Let's make a picture." This is 100% intentional. I do my best not to take pictures, but to make them together with the people I'm photographing, or to be intentional and contemplative when photographing … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Take–Make–Shoot
Lumix
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Tips For Shooting The Milky Way
Photographing the Milky Way is remarkable because what you see on your camera is magnitudes more intricate than what you can visualize with your eyes. I was teaching a workshop in Montana the other day, and we took advantage of the big, clear, dark skies and it was so much fun to see people ooh and ahh over the images appearing on their cameras. With Autumn around the corner, it's a terrific time to take advantage of earlier sunsets and cool clear skies before the winter makes it a lot more difficult to stay out at nighttime. Here are some tips … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Tips For Shooting The Milky Way
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: GH5 Firmware 2.0 Announced & Digested
Panasonic have announced a new firmware version for the GH5, and it's got lots of bug fixes and plenty of new features. They say this will be available at the end of September, and it'll be a free update. I like that they're adding features and not charging for them. The complete list of features is copied below, but here are the features I'm personally excited about from a photography point of view--cinematographers may be excitred about different things. I realize this is two columns in a row on the GH5, but I promise next week will be … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: GH5 Firmware 2.0 Announced & Digested
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: How To Tether Wirelessly With Lumix
Shooting tethered means that your camera is connected to a computer and the pictures are saved to the computer while you shoot. You can do this by using a long USB cable or sometimes an ethernet cable from the camera to the computer. If you're using a Lumix camera, though, you've got to buy Promote Systems software to tether with a cable. Or, you can just connect to your computer wirelessly anywhere in the world with camera's built-in wifi. Here's how to do it on a Mac--I'd love some help from you writing this up for a Windows … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: How To Tether Wirelessly With Lumix
Portrait Tips: Run Away & Zoom-In
You've got to try this technique for your portraits and you'll find a great impact on your compositions. Zooming-in makes stuff appear closer, and so we usually use it for things that are far away that we can't get closer to, like football players playing a game, or far-off wildlife. But in this case, you should put your subjects far away on purpose and then zoom in. Zooming-In Makes the Background Smaller and Closer Not only does zooming-in make your subject appear closer, it also makes the background appear larger. That means that a small … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Run Away & Zoom-In
Creating a Timelapse in Lightroom: Part One
I've long been interested in capturing stop-motion, through timelapses on my camera. With my recent move to mirrorless, I thought there was no better time to try out some new techniques. Last week, I went to the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival, to see if I could capture a timelapse of some of the carnival rides at night. Getting Started with Timelapses You don't need much to get started with a timelapse, especially if your camera has a timelapse mode or interval shooting mode. If your camera doesn't have this, you will need an … [Read more...] about Creating a Timelapse in Lightroom: Part One
Portrait Tips: 3 Ways To Not Shoot Butts
When you take a street photography class with me, I'll probably tell you my one rule: No Butts. If you're photographing butts it means that you've either missed the moment or you're too chicken to photograph people to their face--which can be really intimidating. But even if you're simply making pictures at a family gathering, you should practice waiting for the right moment to make a picture when the action is happening and you can see it on folks' faces. Here are a couple of tips to capture the right moment from the right angle and not end … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: 3 Ways To Not Shoot Butts
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Hallelujah! Lr Update Includes Picture Styles For Lumix
Update: I've changed the title of this article for those who are jumping to conclusions without reading the body. Lightroom has always supported RAW files for Lumix cameras as well as lens profile corrections. That's not what this is about. Read on. Three years ago I dove into the mirrorless world and started shooting full-time with the Lumix GH4, leaving my full frame Nikons aside. Ever since then, I've been saying that the only things I miss from Nikon are the speedlight controls and the camera color profiles in Lightroom. Well, … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Hallelujah! Lr Update Includes Picture Styles For Lumix
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: The Wrong ( Or Right) Reason to Buy Mirrorless
I was out making pictures with three other photographers, yesterday--just a random assortment of friends--and all of us were using mirrorless cameras and that's the first time I've been out with a group and no one had a DSLR. We took a short hike to a waterfall and as we walked everyone remarked once that they loved how much lighter their mirrorless systems are, which is always a big selling point. But I think getting into mirrorless because it's lighter would be a mistake. It's Not About Weight We're photographers, not adventure racers … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: The Wrong ( Or Right) Reason to Buy Mirrorless
The Best Method For Fireworks
The Fourth of July is this coming Tuesday. It's America's biggest party and we love to celebrate with fireworks. Making a good fireworks picture is satisfying and difficult. So here are two tips for making great fireworks photos. f/8, 3 Seconds, ISO 400 on a Tripod Use a tripod for this technique. It doesn't have to be fancy. I used the Platypod Ultra with a Vanguard TBH-50 head for all the pictures in this post. Try those settings (f/8, 3 Seconds, ISO 400) and you can't go wrong. To adjust how bright the fireworks streams are, change the … [Read more...] about The Best Method For Fireworks
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Does Form Follow Function?
When it comes to Mirrorless cameras, you've got two basic styles to choose from. The traditional SLR-shaped camera with a viewfinder in the center of the body, and the rangefinder style, with the viewfinder mounted at the top left corner of the body. Interestingly, you can't divide the styles up by brand because most of the manufacturers make bodies in both styles. I'm interested in this because with mirrorless cameras there's the opportunity to start over completely in regards to design. Film cameras required a lens mounted to the camera in … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Does Form Follow Function?
Mirorrless Camera Maniac: Dealing with Flickering Lights
Why are there colored lines of bright and dark in your indoor and nighttime pictures? How do you get rid of them? Don't worry, it's not a problem with your camera. It's a problem with electricity and LED lights and fluorescent lights. Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do to mitigate the problem. What's the Situation? The power that comes from the wall is called AC power, which stands for alternating current. Alternating means the power is literally cycling on and off continuously. In countries using about 110V in the wall, it … [Read more...] about Mirorrless Camera Maniac: Dealing with Flickering Lights
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: 5 Ways to Maximize Your Battery Life
One complaint about mirrorless cameras is that their battery life is poor compared to DSLR's. Considering all that the battery does in mirrorless cameras, I'm actually amazed at how great the battery life is. The viewfinder, LCD, shutter, autofocus, and image stabilization are all driven by the one battery, plus the wifi and GPS functions you can activate. Nevertheless, here are some ways to maximize the battery life and keep shooting and these will help DSLR users, too. 1. Use the Viewfinder The large LCD on the back of your camera uses much … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: 5 Ways to Maximize Your Battery Life
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Accessories for Accessibility
In the last 35 days, I've traveled to Florida, Nevada, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shandong in China, the Oregon Coast, Seattle, and I've been hiking four times near my home in Portland, Oregon. I'm sitting in a hotel in Spokane, Washington, right now, and I'll be heading to Bozeman, Montana, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Boise Idaho in the next few days. I've made thousands of pictures in each place, and I couldn't have done it half so well with a bulkier DSLR. I realized there are a couple of accessories I use everywhere I go and they are so integrated … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Accessories for Accessibility
InFocus Interview Show | Photofocus Podcast May 26, 2017
The Photofocus InFocus Interview Show for May 26, 2017. I’m your host, Vanelli. On today's show, Levi Sim interviews travel photographer and Panasonic Rep, Mark Toal followed by Platypod inventor, Larry Tiefenbrunn. Mark talks about how he got into photography and how micro 4/3 cameras allow him to always have a camera with him. He shares his insights on what makes his photos compositionally intriguing and how living in different locations has influenced his photography. Larry talks about finding inspiration, some excellent resources for … [Read more...] about InFocus Interview Show | Photofocus Podcast May 26, 2017
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: There’s An App For That
Most mirrorless cameras include wifi and the ability to work with a smartphone app, and most mirrorless photographers I talk to aren’t maximizing that connectivity and the included functions. The cameras themselves create the wifi, so you don’t need to connect to wifi wherever you are. I highly recommend you get used to using your app and let it help you work better. Here are some of the things I do regularly with my Lumix cameras and the Panasonic Image App. Transfer Photos Whether I’m sending pictures I just took of my kids to my wife or … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: There’s An App For That
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Debunking the Sensor Cleaning Myth
The idea of cleaning your camera's sensor scares most photographers half to death. The thing is, if you don't clean the sensor, you'll end up with spots in your pictures anytime you stop down the aperture a little bit, and it just gets worse over time. I know many photographers who are so nervous about cleaning their sensors that they won't even change lenses in the field for fear of getting some dust on the sensor. Don't Be Scared Well, it's time to get over the fear and get your sensor cleaned up. The first thing you need to understand is … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Debunking the Sensor Cleaning Myth
Mirrorless Camera Guru: How To See The World Like A Photograph
Mirrorless cameras' greatest advantage is the fact that there is no separation between what the sensor records and what you see in the viewfinder. Seeing exactly what your picture will look like before you even press the shutter button is an incredibly powerful way to shoot. Personally, I now shoot far fewer pictures because I know that I've already nailed the exposure. When I look in the viewfinder, I see the world like a photograph. DSLR's require you to focus a lot of brain power on your camera's light meter. The skill to interpret what … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Guru: How To See The World Like A Photograph
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Amazing Speedlight Solution for All Cameras
Once I realized that mirrorless cameras were more than capable of replacing my DSLR, I dove in head first and sold my Nikons. Ever since then, I've been saying that the only thing I miss from my Nikons is the excellent Creative Lighting System. Nikon's CLS allowed me to make pictures with excellent light in all kinds of situations without using additional radio triggers or sync cords. From broad daylight to pitch black night, from manual mode to TTL, Nikon's speedlights never failed me. when I switched to Lumix, I continued using my Nikon … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Amazing Speedlight Solution for All Cameras
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: You Need One Before 8/21/17
If you live in the United States, I can unequivocally say that you need to buy a mirrorless camera before August 21st, 2017. Just trust me. Ok, I'll tell you more. Why Before Aug. 21st? You’ve probably heard about the Total Solar Eclipse happening this year, and it’s on the 21st of August. If you haven’t made plan to be in place to view it, you’d better get going on that because hotels and campgrounds are filling fast. Here’s another article with the details. But Why Do I Need A Mirrorless Camera? A solar eclipse means the moon will … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: You Need One Before 8/21/17
Portrait Tips: Practice the 3 Be’s
I’ve heard Joe McNally say, “If you want more interesting pictures, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” I’ve also heard it said, “If you want to make better pictures, become a better person.” I find that is true whether I’m photographing my neighbor, a long time client, my own family, or a complete stranger. And I’ve got three Be’s for how you can implement it. 1. Be Interested Being interested doesn’t mean acting interested so you can take a picture. It means changing your mind so that you’re interested in what your subject is … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Practice the 3 Be’s
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: The #1 Problem With Mirrorless
I'm an evangelist for mirrorless. The mirrorless cameras are driving innovation and bringing the best changes to the way we make photographs. I tell everyone I meet that they should consider a mirrorless camera, and while they are amazed by the features and intrigued by the possibilities, they all say the same thing: "But I have all these lenses for my current camera--I'm too invested to change!" I understand that feeling, but I've had a different experience. Did you know that I've owned 27 Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILC's) in the last 7 … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: The #1 Problem With Mirrorless
Live Webinar: Lumix GH5 Launch Event
Lumix's new flagship camera is the Panasonic Lumix GH5, and it begins shipping to customers this Wednesday, March 29th. The waiting list began earlier this year, and photographers and cinematographers alike are anxiously waiting. Don't Miss this Free Webinar B&H Photo is celebrating the shipping launch with this live webinar featuring pros like Jacki Huntington, Griffin Hammond, David Flores, Lok Cheung, and Lumix's own Sean Robinson who will be demonstrating features and showing off the new tools. Here's a link to all the details of the … [Read more...] about Live Webinar: Lumix GH5 Launch Event
First Impressions and Hands-On with Lumix GH5
Lumix's new GH5 is the most talked-about new camera this season, and for good reason. It's a complete redesign of the popular GH4 and it offers loads of new features. Since I'm an ambassador for Lumix, I've had some time with a pre-production unit and I'd like to share with you some first impressions. Now, I'm an ambassador but not an employee of Lumix. They are not paying for this article, and I am not representing their views in any way. I'll tell you my honest impressions. (Spoilers: it's awesome). Excellent for Photographers and … [Read more...] about First Impressions and Hands-On with Lumix GH5
Everything You Need To Know About Micro 4/3 Lenses
Mirrorless cameras are wonderful tools, and I'm going to be writing regularly about their attributes. Quick intro to Micro Four Thirds, a.k.a. MFT, M43, Micro 4/3. The key characteristics are that they have interchangeable lenses, they are almost always smaller than DSLR's, they generally cost less than DSLR's for similar features, and they have a sensor that is smaller than DSLR's. The sensor is shaped in a 4x3 ratio, not a 2x3 ratio like DSLR's, which makes a picture that is less wide. One thing that makes Micro 4/3 cameras significantly … [Read more...] about Everything You Need To Know About Micro 4/3 Lenses
“I Like This Picture Because…”
I think the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho is one of the prettiest places in the world and one of the hardest places to photograph. It’s expansive and grand and as you drive you’ll see heavenly light and subtle color and texture changes that make it seem like you’re driving through a painting. But when you stop to make a photograph, you’ll see that it’s difficult to make a picture that expresses the beauty you see with your eyes. Idaho isn’t the only place that offers this obstacle. Most beautiful places can stymie even experienced … [Read more...] about “I Like This Picture Because…”
Photofocus Products Of The Year – Scott Bourne
Editor’s Note: It’s time for something new. In the past, Photofocus has made it a practice of acknowledging a specific camera and/or lens as the “camera/lens” of the year. This year several of us are putting together a list including camera and lens choices along with a few other pieces of gear that we think you’ll like. While it’s not designed specifically as a holiday gift guide, this list does happen to be a resource for photographers (and their friends/family) who want to get the ball rolling on their holiday shopping. A few things … [Read more...] about Photofocus Products Of The Year – Scott Bourne
Don’t Bring a Wide-Angle Lens, Just Make Panos
Making pictures on a photowalk or hike should be enjoyable and relatively stress-free. One way to reduce your stress is to carry less equipment. A small kit makes your body lighter and helps you keep going longer. Bring a prime lens and stretch your vision by framing with your feet instead of lazily zooming in and out to frame a shot. This go-light method is terrific until you see a wonderful picture that just doesn't fit in the lens you brought. Fortunately, you've got tools available to help you make the most of even that tough … [Read more...] about Don’t Bring a Wide-Angle Lens, Just Make Panos
Panasonic 12mm f/1.4 ASPH Leica DG SUMMILUX First Look
The Panasonic/Leica partnership is one of the most interesting pairings in photography. And it continues to bear fruit. There are several stellar lenses in the Panasonic lineup to prove it. And let’s face it - Panasonic was smart to team up with the Germans. Let's also just get this out of the way. When Leica is involved, you can immediately assume that this is going to be something fantastic. I have owned a few Leica cameras and lenses during my lifetime and every single time I touch Leica glass I feel lucky. It’s just special. When I found … [Read more...] about Panasonic 12mm f/1.4 ASPH Leica DG SUMMILUX First Look
How to Compensate for a Lightweight Tripod
Maybe you're on a trip and you only brought a lightweight tripod, or maybe you were seduced into buying that cheap tripod that came in a package with your camera. Either way, you'll find that using a lightweight tripod often ruins the pictures you're trying to make. A tripod is supposed to be a steady platform for shooting, but if it's too light then a breeze can make the whole thing shake during an exposure and ruin the picture with movement blur. The following techniques will help you get the most from your lightweight tripod even in less … [Read more...] about How to Compensate for a Lightweight Tripod
