Using a wide angle lens in portraiture is dangerous. Here's why and one way to use a wide lens safely. What is foreshortening? Foreshortening is the effect that happens when something near to a viewer appears larger than things that are far away from the viewer, even though they are not actually larger. For instance, if your subject extends her foot toward the camera, that foot looks larger than in relation to the rest of the body than it really is. In this photo, the foot closer to the camera looks four times larger than the other … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: How to use a wide angle lens in portraits
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Photography 101: Which lens should you buy first?
You just got a fancy new camera, with a shiny kit lens that, for the most part, has served you well in your beginning everyday adventures. Now you want to take your photography to the next level, whether it's getting a farther reach and being able to capture that dream-like bokeh that you hear everyone talking about or obtaining a more encompassing view. So, what's the next lens you should buy? There are a few different ways to go about answering the question, but the answer comes back to one question that you have to answer yourself — … [Read more...] about Photography 101: Which lens should you buy first?
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 for Micro Four-Thirds Captures the Artistic View of the World
Since my switch to micro four-thirds, I haven't been able to pick up a Sigma lens. When I checked out Sigma's new offerings in their global vision contemporary series — the 16mm f/1.4 and 30mm f/1.4 — I was intrigued. And after spending a few weeks with the 16mm f/1.4 (full-frame field of view at 32mm), I must say that it opens up a lot of possibilities. I took the lens on a photowalk last week to check out its capabilities. Wide open at f/1.4, this lens can only be described as dreamy, capturing the main subject with tack-sharp focus and a … [Read more...] about Sigma 16mm f/1.4 for Micro Four-Thirds Captures the Artistic View of the World
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Olympus’s New f/1.2 Pro Lenses
Olympus have announced three pro-level lenses, and they all boast a wide aperture of f/1.2. Let's take a brief look at each and check out sample pictures from Olympus Visionary Tracie Maglosky. M.Zuiko ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro This new 45mm f/1.2 lens is the most interesting to me. As a medium telephoto length, it should be terrific for portraits and landscapes. It focuses closer than 16 inches, so it's a respectable close-up lens, as well. The very wide f/1.2 aperture is attractive for both low light performance and soft bokeh in the backgrounds of … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Olympus’s New f/1.2 Pro Lenses
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: New Camera–Google Clips
Sized like a GoPro, the new Google Clips camera seems to be aimed at the family rather than the adrenaline junkie. This new camera's biggest unique selling point is the continual use of artificial intelligence to automatically record motion photos of the people you point it at. The advertising page shows it being used to record family events. It says it recognizes not only people's faces, and not only specific people's faces, and not only when they are facing the camera, but it even recognizes when they have a "good" expression. I'm not sure … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: New Camera–Google Clips
Product Review: Haida 150 Series Insert Filter and Holder System
Over the past couple of years, there has been a wave of super wide-angle telephoto lenses released on the market. Ideal for huge landscapes, vast night skies, or anything your wide-angle imagination conjures up. They offer big views, exceptional sharpness, and a whole realm of creative possibilities. My personal favorite is the Tamron 15-30mm, but, regardless of the brand, with super wides, their big beautiful front element projects out a distance from the lens body. This means that you can't use traditional threaded filters that screw on the … [Read more...] about Product Review: Haida 150 Series Insert Filter and Holder System
Create Your Own Fireworks Grand Finale
Last weekend I spent time in Chicago for the Out of Chicago Conference. On my last night there, fellow author Levi Sim and myself hosted a photowalk for attendees. Our small group was able to check out the University Club, which overlooks Millennium Park, on Saturday night. And it was just in time for the Saturday night fireworks. With my new Vanguard Veo 2 tripod in tow, we made our way up to the balcony. Instead of focusing distinctly on the fireworks, I wanted to capture the environment around them. It was Pride Weekend in Chicago, and … [Read more...] about Create Your Own Fireworks Grand Finale
How to Capture Fantastic Photos of Rainbows
Few natural phenomenon can cheer people up faster than the beauty of a rainbow. Getting great images of one is a challenge, they are difficult to predict and constantly changing, occurring due to a specific set of conditions. These tips will help you photograph rainbows when they appear, and get great results when processing your rainbow pics in the digital darkroom. As a bonus, I promise I will refrain from any "pot o' gold" jokes along the way. How, When, and Where to Find a Rainbow For a rainbow to appear you need three ingredients; light, … [Read more...] about How to Capture Fantastic Photos of Rainbows
Go Make A Panorama
You should make a lot more panoramic photographs. It's a great way to capture a larger view of the world, and you don't need to buy a new lens. In fact, you'll find that a panorama gives a better view than simply using a wide angle lens because the objects far away are not diminished as much as they are with a wide angle lens. There are many options for stitching the pieces of the panorama together. For my work, I've found Lightroom is usually adequate, and Photoshop does it a little better. Those who make a living selling panoramas often … [Read more...] about Go Make A Panorama
Instant Replay: The Future of Photoshop and Must Know Techniques
Bryan O'Neil Hughes and Howard Pinsky join Melissa Niu and Rich Harrington to discuss the state and future of Photoshop. Bryan, the Senior Product Manager for Photoshop at Adobe, helps us understand how the Photoshop team works, and Rich and Howard demonstrate must know techniques, all hosted by Melissa Niu. Photoshop techniques discussed include: Content Aware Fill tools, Video, Camera RAW as a Smart Filter, and Adaptive Wide Angle Lens correction. https://youtu.be/jjUYF4xLb_g … [Read more...] about Instant Replay: The Future of Photoshop and Must Know Techniques
Using eBay to find deals on lenses
I found my copy of Canon's EF 20-35mm F/2.8 on eBay of all places, and while I don't typically sell on eBay, I'll buy like no other. People are worried about scams and not receiving items as described, but in my experience of buying upward towards 500 expensive items, I've only had issues with only about 5 items, all of which eBay's buyer protection had back. I've bought lenses, computers, cameras and all sorts of random things for photography (often finding that some stores like Adorama, Newegg and Best Buy, exist), as well as other household … [Read more...] about Using eBay to find deals on lenses
Pinball Heroes: How I Previsualized and Realized a Photograph
When I heard that Photofocus was renting the Pinball Hall of Fame for a party, my mind started going crazy with ideas. The plan was to host a party during Photoshop World in Las Vegas and invite Photofocus readers to join us for a live shoot with models and borrowable cameras from LensRentals.com. The party was a blast, and you've already seen some of the pictures posted here on the blog. I had a particular plan in mind, however, and I'll show you how I made it come to life, and maybe my method will help you realize a vision you've had in … [Read more...] about Pinball Heroes: How I Previsualized and Realized a Photograph
Quick Tip: Focal Length and Distortion
The other day I was out with some friends, and I also brought my Fuji X-T1 and 18-55mm lens along for the ride. I ordered a beer, and before having a sip I decided to photograph it. Because I was sitting close to the table, my first instinct was to photograph it with the lens zoomed in (in this case, it was set to 24mm): The photo has some noticeable distortion, primarily at the top of the glass where it flares out and then narrows towards the bottom. I saw this and decided to re-shoot it, but instead I leaned back in my seat a bit, fully … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Focal Length and Distortion
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens Exploration
A couple of months ago one of my Photofocus posts Fifteen MM Fisheye Fun touched on how versatile this seemingly special purpose lens is. Here's more. What is a Fisheye lens? Fisheye lenses come in two flavors, curvilinear and circular. A circular fisheye lens shows the photograph as a circle. All lenses project a circle on the sensor. Their circles are so big that the camera's format provides the borders. If the lens were on a much larger sensor, the image would show as a circle. Back to the circular fisheye. These lenses have such a short … [Read more...] about Sigma 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens Exploration
Going Wide – Exploring the Leica 18mm f/3.8 Super-Elmar M Wide-Angle Prime
One of the biggest challenges for those who enjoy making landscape and architectural photographs is to locate and acquire the ideal wide-angle lens for the job. While no amount of gear is a replacement for experience and skill, we invariably learn as we go that certain projects will call for a solution beyond our existing means. Fortunately for photo-kind, powerful in-roads for testing and using specialized gear have surfaced to level the playing field, allowing photographers of all stripes full-access to the best tools and equipment … [Read more...] about Going Wide – Exploring the Leica 18mm f/3.8 Super-Elmar M Wide-Angle Prime
Creative Uses for a Wide Angle Lens
This is a guest post by Thomas Shue - lilsamedia.com/blog Follow him on Twitter: I know that most of you have heard of the wide angle lens before. And also know that most of you think the wide angle lens is meant to take pictures of a wide piece of real estate such as a landscape photograph. Well you can certainly use a wide angle lens for that purpose, but in most cases the landscape will look flat and lack detail because everything will appear so far away. You see, when you think wide angle, you should to think close up. That's a … [Read more...] about Creative Uses for a Wide Angle Lens
Using A Wide Angle Lens On A Micro Four Thirds Camera
Watch Scott shoot a great detail shot of a beautiful car. He's using a wide-angle lens on a micro four-thirds body. You can check out the whole class here and get a free trial membership here. Disclaimer: This is just one way to achieve this style of shot. ______ … [Read more...] about Using A Wide Angle Lens On A Micro Four Thirds Camera
How to Remove Distortion From Wide Angle Photos
If you shoot architecture or panoramas, you'll often shoot wide angle. This can lead to an unwanted fisheye effect. Whether you're shooting one exposure or stitching several, fixing the problem is stone cold simple. Learn how to use the Adaptive Wide Angle command in Photoshop to repair perspective issues in your photos. This is a fast and easy way to get better landscapes and architectural shots. Give us 2 minutes and we'll give you better looking photos. NOTE: This screen cast teaches AN approach to solving problems using various Adobe … [Read more...] about How to Remove Distortion From Wide Angle Photos
Removing Distortion From Your Photos In Photoshop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws8w77QRbIs&feature=youtu.be Learn how to remove unwanted bending from a photo using the new Adaptive Wide Angle command in Photoshop CS6. With just a few clicks your photo will look dramatically better. … [Read more...] about Removing Distortion From Your Photos In Photoshop
