10Stops Photography News

May 14, 2013

Street Photography: Just Pretend You’re a Tourist

Tech News Daily on street photography

5) Pretend you’re a tourist. Whenever I think someone may object to a candid photo, I just took on the street, I immediately take another photo of the scene or building behind the individual, as if the vista is absolutely fascinating and the actual human subject was simply in the way.

This is my absolute favorite technique for photographing individuals that may object to having their likeness captured. It’s never let me down, not once. It also helps that I almost always wear a NY Yankee’s cap, which you do not see a lot of in Baltimore. People often assume I’m from out of town to begin with. That said, a level of discreetness is still a requirement, on your first frame, to pull this off.

Check out the entire article for some other great tips.

Realmac Software to Launch Analog Camera for iPhone »

From the creators of the popular iOS app Clear, comes a new camera application called Analog Camera for iPhone. Though the app has not yet been released, the brief (12s) video demonstrates Analog Camera’s apparent ability to shoot multiple frames in rapid succession and, what looks to be, some very attractive filters. The UI presents itself as simple – flat by design – with a bit of eye candy woven into the well executed animations. I’m looking forward to this one, as it looks like another solid delivery from the folks at Realmac Software

via @jenni on App.net

May 11, 2013

Humor: How to Take Incredible Photographs of Your Friends »

The Oatmeal pokes fun at our obsession with photographing the moment as opposed to enjoying it, and walks us through the steps necessary to capture an “incredible” photograph of our friends. If this is the first you’ve heard of The Oatmeal, you’re welcome.

May 9, 2013

Trey Ratcliff’s Sony NEXperiment »

Photographs ©Trey Ratcliff

For over a year, my Nikon D800 has been my Main Camera and the Sony NEX-7 has been the backup. They are now swapping places!

I’m just experimenting with this swap two weeks while in China. However, this is a pretty major decision because I don’t go to China too often. If I come back and miss shots because of a bad camera decision, then it’s all my fault.

I would agree, this is a pretty risky move on Trey’s part as there is potential in this scenario to “miss the shot.” However, I think Trey’s willingness to experiment speaks volumes about his confidence in the NEX-7 as a serious shooter.

Not long ago, I wrote about Scott Bourne’s switch to the Micro 4/3 system, which further validated my hunch that mirrorless technology is the way of the future for photographers. Well, here we are again with another huge photog taking the leap, albeit only 2 weeks initially, away from the industry standard DSLR to a mirrorless setup. The images above are prime examples of the outstanding quality Trey is getting with his NEX-7. Surprisingly, both were taken using the kit lens.

I wouldn’t be surprised if, upon his return from this experiment, Trey switched to the Sony NEX-7 full time.

Inspiration: That Tree by Mark Hirsch »

The first picture he took with his new iPhone was a photo of That Tree. He was instantly hooked! Mark had driven past and admired That Tree every day for nineteen years without ever taking a picture of it. Now for an entire year, there hasn’t been one day where Mark hasn’t taken a picture of that Tree. The year-long project was completed on March 23, 2013.

That Tree, also the name of Mark’s soon to be published book, is an amazing project that showcases the best in photographic creativity. Mark shows the world that it is possible to photograph the same subject for 365 days and make every single frame unique and engaging. Check it out.

Inspiration: Shelf Cloud Over Saskatchewan by Gunjan Sinha

The above image, is that of a Shelf Structure captured by Gunjan Sinha while storm chasing in the Canadian Prairies. It is, perhaps, the single most impressive photograph of such an occurrence I have seen to date. National Geographic has published this photograph as part of its Photo of the Day series. There, the image is available for download as a 1600×1200 wallpaper.

May 7, 2013

Video: Street Portraits in Chicago with Eric Kim

Eric Kim, international street photographer, produces some of the best street photography I’ve had the pleasure of viewing, so any time he offers suggestions or tips on the topic, I sit up and take notice. As a landscape photographer interested in getting started with street portraits, I found the above video to be just what I needed – a brief and obvious directive on approaching interesting subjects. If you struggle with getting out of your shell and approaching subjects too, the above video may help. Eric’s YouTube channel is full of helpful videos like this one (reviews as well). I definitely recommend checking it out.

Adobe Creative Cloud, Have Mercy »

Digital Camera World has done just what I had hoped someone would – they’ve broken down the major hoopla over Adobe CC into 10 things every photographer should know. One of the major points they have cleared up for me (and others, I’m sure)

You do not need to be connected to the internet to use Photoshop CC. This is a very common misconception. The Photoshop CC software is installed on your computer. However, Adobe will need to periodically check your subscription is current so you’ll need to log on once a month.

This is great news as I was certainly concerned how a subscription may be effected by, say, potential service interruptions with my provider.

One major concern still lingers – what does the future hold for users willing to lock themselves into an ecosystem that leaves them vulnerable. If Adobe packs up and leaves town tomorrow, do user subscriptions and their access to CC tools go with them? Equally as scary, what if Adobe decides that $50/month is no longer a fair price point? What if they decide that $75/month is a better price point? It would seem users are kind of trapped. Either pay the rate begrudgingly, or you find an inferior product to use – neither of which seem like attractive options.

For now, I’ll be sticking with my own (outdated) copies of PS and LR, updating where possible and staying away from Adobe CC. I’m not a fan of being placed at the mercy of a major corporation as I seem to do that enough already.

May 2, 2013

Gear Acquisition Syndrome? Here’s Your Sign.

Turns out, Vincent Laforet is a professional photographer. He’s got decades of experience! He’s got access to millions of dollars worth of gear! He’s got actual ideas! None of these things were in the box!

This tongue and cheek short film by Doug Bayne, though more than 2 years old, reminds us of the state of photography and how prominent GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) has become in the community. It’s an easy trap to fall into, thinking that pro gear equals pro quality – and for some of us, it does – but the reality is that a real pro will make compelling images with just about any camera you place in their hands. The gift a protog is blessed with, is certainly not their gear, rather their creative vision. Without it, your weather-sealed full frame is nothing more than an expensive paper weight.

Using Photography to Cope with PTSD »

Half a million veterans were treated for post-traumatic stress disorder in 2012. Many are still fighting their own silent war, whether they’ve recently returned from the Middle East or served in the military decades ago.

[...]

Veterans suffering from PTSD and other mental challenges are processing their emotions in a photography class at the VA’s Menlo Park campus.

We hear it all the time, “a picture’s worth a thousand words.” While it’s grown to be cliche, at the root of that statement is still much truth. This program for Veterans, suffering from PTSD, acknowledges and validates how difficult it can be to express traumatic experiences, emotions and memories through words. Through imagery, however, some of those walls are broken down and emotions can be expressed on a deeper level, through art. I think that anyone who is involved in photography on a passionate level can agree, there are definite therapeutic byproducts of chasing the light – whether you’ve been to war or not.

Stories like this remind us of the true offerings of art and how powerful an image can be, not only for the viewer, but for the creator as well.