Photography Education (Page 2)

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Rudy Winston

Here’s a relatively new Canon feature in mid-range and upper-end EOS DSLRs that I think flies a bit under the radar for many photographers. But every time I use it, I’m grateful that we have it as an option. I’m speaking of Canon’s “AE Lock with Hold” feature, which is an option within the camera’s Custom Controls (in the Custom Functions menu) on the following cameras:

• EOS-1D X Mark II; EOS-1D X
• EOS 5DS; EOS 5DS R
• EOS 5D Mark IV; EOS 5D Mark III
• EOS 6D Mark II; EOS 6D
• EOS 7D Mark II
• EOS 80D; EOS 70D

Want to know more about one of these cameras? There's a treasure trove of information available right here.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

When it comes to real estate photography, nothing will have a more positive impact on your target audience than an eye-catching image or video. If you’re a photographer hoping to take your real estate or architectural photography to the next level, here are some helpful tips!

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

A wide variety of photographable wildlife is available to everyone, in fact many may live close to your home. How do you find suitable spots where photographable wildlife is plentiful?

Start with the Internet
A tremendous amount of wildlife information is easily found on the Internet. Search for potentially wildlife-rich places in nearby national parks, nature centers, lakeshores, state and city parks, seacoasts, public swimming areas on local lakes, boat docks, fishing lakes and hunting areas. And don’t forget local, state, and national wildlife refuges. Most of these places are open to the public.

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated CDLC articles I've seen in a long time. [Sean]

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Erin Babnik

One of the greatest rewards of photographing landscapes is the transformative experience of being outdoors. Regardless of how well the photography goes, spending time in beautiful or invigorating environments is time well spent. Nonetheless, most landscape photographers would prefer to return from an excursion with new additions to the portfolio to show for it, and that desire can make exploring new areas seem like an imprudent expense of time. Focusing on results can lead to a creative cul-de-sac, however, sometimes causing a photographer to privilege scenes that are ‘safe bets’ instead of taking risks with unknown territory. Although playing it safe with familiar locations can bring desirable short-term results, the greatest rewards come from venturing outside one’s comfort zone and into situations that encourage personal discovery. Exploring new terrain is one of the greatest habits that a landscape photographer can form for the purposes of creative growth, not only because exploration is challenging, but also because it is exciting and extremely fun.

The Canon Digital Learning Center has posted several articles on the newly announced Speedlite 470EX-AI flash and EOS M50 MILC.

Canon Digital Learning Center Articles

• What's New: Speedlite 470EX-AI -- Basic Information
• What's New: Added Control with Speedlite 470EX-AI's Personal Functions
• What's New: Speedlite 470EX-AI's Revolutionary A.I. Bounce
• What's New: EOS M50 Autofocus
• What's New: 4K Video on EOS M50

Preorder the Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI and EOS M50 here.

To be a successful commercial photographer (in whatever capacity), producing high quality images should be your number one priority. However, your second priority should likely be building a brand and marketing strategy. A good place to start? Your logo. It will ideally be featured on your website, letterhead, business cards and image watermarks.

In this Adobe Blog post, the Creative Cloud team offers some solid suggestions to consider when designing your logo.

Want to create a unique shape for your logo? Adobe Photoshop CC's paint symmetry feature may help. [Sean]

From the Adobe Blog:

Skim the pages of any fitness magazine and you’re likely to see a Nike Swoosh. Glance up at a billboard and you might see Mastercard’s dual circles staring down at you. Do you recognize these brands? Of course. What makes their logos work? First, recognize a logo on its own is not a brand identity, but just one part of it. Think of all the pieces of your identity together and how they can be aligned visually with your logo to make up a cohesive and effective brand identity.

Whether you’re trying to establish a new brand or get creative with one that’s already well-known, an effective logo is key. Context and style may vary from year-to-year, but the principles and best practices that guide logo design remain unchanged.

When we think about the elements of effective logos, here are some things to keep in mind.

From FastRawViewer:

What DPRSplit application is for:

Canon 5D Mark IV's sensor has a somewhat unusual pixel arrangement: each pixel is composed of two subpixels. If Dual Pixel RAW mode is enabled in the camera, the resulting CR2 file contains two images, or two frames: one composite, made from reading both subpixels, summed; and the other is made out of one set of subpixels.

The intended use of this arrangement is to enable some extra editing after the shot: because of the parallax between the subpixels, Canon Digital Photo Professional software allows one to perform microadjustment of focus, bokeh shift, and ghosting reduction.

However, there is one more possible use for a dual-pixel raw, which is not covered by the manufacturer: the second frame, the one that is made out of one set of subpixels, collects half of the light that the composite frame does, as if it was exposed one stop lower compared to the composite frame.

In essence, in Dual Pixel Raw mode, the camera records into one file some equivalent of two shots, bracketed by (approximately) 1 EV.

The DPRSplit application allows one to:

• Extract the second (1 EV down) frame or both frames from Dual Pixel RAW CR2 files;
• And save the extracted frames as DNG files.

Resulting DNG files can then be opened and processed in (practically) any raw converter featuring DNG support.

System Requirements

• Windows *: Windows 7 – Windows 10, 64-bit
• Mac OX: Mac OS X/macOS 10.6-10.13, 64-bit processor (so, all Intel Macs, except for some models from 2005-06 with Core Solo and Core Duo processors)
• Screen resolution no less than 1600x900
• 50MB of disk space for the application

Download: DPRSplit (Beta 0.8)

Photo District News (PDN) recently published an article describing the pitfalls of photographers (in some states) treating their crew as independent contractors.

From PDN:

Others in the industry are at risk if they don’t know that various freelance crew members qualify as employees, not independent contractors—at least in California and New York. Employers in those states—including photographers and producers—must withhold taxes from the wages of employees, provide workers’ comp and unemployment insurance, and in California at least, pay employees immediately at the end of a job.

“It’s a huge can of worms,” says a freelance ad agency art buyer who asked for anonymity to protect relationships with her clients. “[M]any New York agencies and most editorial entities are refusing to reimburse any cost associated with payroll.” Those costs can increase crew expenses on a shoot by 20 to 30 percent.

The statutory penalty under California law for “willfully” misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor is now a minimum of $5,000 per infraction. And the statutory penalty for failing to pay an employee in California at the end of a job—including a still photo shoot—is the employee’s day rate times the number of days the paycheck is delayed, up to a maximum of 30 days.

by Sean Setters

While casually looking through the Play store yesterday, Google suggested I take a look at an app called ASCII Art. As Google seems to know me fairly well (we've spent a lot of time together), I thought I'd give the app a shot. After about 20 minutes of throwing various images at the app to see its results displayed in glorious monospaced text, the point about Google knowing me very well was reiterated once again.

From Wikipedia:

ASCII – Abbreviated from American Standard Code for Information Interchange, is a character encoding standard for electronic communication. ASCII codes represent text in computers, telecommunications equipment, and other devices. Most modern character-encoding schemes are based on ASCII, although they support many additional characters.

After conversion, the file can be saved or shared as a .PNG, .TXT or HTML document (you'll need to change the file name extension from ".txt" to ".html" after saving). Click here to see the full resolution ASCII image from above.

I haven't done extensive testing, but my guess is that simpler images with a strong subject will work better than more complex ones. If you download and try out the app, share your favorite ASCII-converted (G-rated) image below.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Using two or more Canon Speedlites is a tremendously effective way to make exquisite wildlife images. My journey in wildlife photography began with multiple Speedlites four decades ago. The key is setting the exposure, placing the lights for the best lighting, and getting them to all fire instantly.

In the beginning, I wired photoelectric triggering devices to each flash, and then advanced to using PC sync cords to wire all the Speedlites and camera together. Both systems were fraught with problems. Then optical wireless systems became available and things improved considerably. And with the new radio controls, it is the best time for working with multiple Speedlites. It is so easy today with modern flash gear, so I hope you will take advantage of it.

B&H carries Canon Speedlite Flashes.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Liza Gershman

On a professional commercial or editorial shoot, food stylists prepare food to make it look “real,” or better than real, which requires quite a few tricks. Setting the scene and telling a story is also the job of the stylist team, and once that has been created then the photographer and photo assistant handle the lighting, composition, and framing. If you are photographing for a blog, magazine, or cookbook, working with a great food stylist isn’t always possible, but using these helpful tips when photographing food will enhance your imagery.

Think of the food before you even begin to photograph and plan the steps that it takes to create a successful food image.

Ask yourself, what is the size, shape, height and dimension of the food? What makes the subject special or unique?

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Liza Gershman

When you observe the world from a macro perspective, there is more to see than one that many photographers initially imagine. Even simple things that we see in regular life can appear more interesting, like the fine detail of lashes on an open eye as they transform into single, long black strands of mascaraed hair; the dots on a ladybug become the size of a tack, and the red cover looks more like a candy than an insect; water droplets look like diamonds, and more. Macro forces your view to shift from the large to the very very small, and in that you open yourself up to an entirely new perspective.

Don'thave a macro lens just yet? Check out our Macro Lens Recommendations to find one that's right for you!

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Andrea Barbier

We shoot pictures with the best intentions of printing and distributing them, making art or books, or even just updating family photos… I’m certainly guilty of filing folder after folder away on external hard drives to be revisited ‘when I have more time.’ Even diligently doing all of the aforementioned things, there are still mountains of images that never see the light of day. A fresh approach to printing can inspire you to output more images, different types of images, and provide a perfect jump-start for your creativity. Here are some simple and delightful alternative photographic processes that will inspire you to get your images on paper.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

by Jennifer Borget

Keeping up with the coolest new camera gear is almost as challenging as keeping up with kids. As a mom who loves to take pictures of her children I am always excited about new camera gear and eager to see how it can make photographing children easier, or help me take better pictures. If you’re a child photographer looking to take your photography to the next level, the new EOS 6D Mark II is definitely a camera you’ll want to consider.

I’ve had my fair share of cameras and I could see this one becoming a new favorite for a variety of reasons. In this article I’ll break down six reasons why the EOS 6D Mark II is great for family and childhood photography.

B&H carries the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

Gone are the days when engaged couples would sit for a professional studio photo to use in newspaper wedding announcements. Engagement photography is on the rise in the United States, as couples use social media to promote their upcoming weddings in a creative way. Couples use the photos in "save the date" cards, slideshows and even animated GIFs. Learn how you can give the future bride and groom the second happiest day of their lives with a fun engagement photo shoot.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

As a wedding photographer in New Jersey and New York City, having shot hundreds and hundreds of weddings throughout my 18-year photography career, I've tried out quite a few camera systems in my time. Don't get me wrong; I've always been a Canon baby. Even to the point of learning on and owning my own Canon A1 film camera that my mom passed down to me. I worked my way up from the EOS 10D, and then the EOS 40D, the EOS 5D, and then going to the EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS-1D X, and now EOS-1D X Mark II that I currently shoot with. There are some needs as a wedding and event photographer that are mandatory in a camera body, and other wants that are crucial, but really make your life a whole lot easier.

I recently had the chance to review the EOS 6D Mark II on a real wedding at Mallard Island in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. The location is a beautiful Jersey Shore wedding venue, and the wedding day went just as you would expect a typical wedding day to go. It really allowed me the opportunity to see how the 6D Mark II handled different parts of the wedding day. After getting a feel for the camera, I evaluated it into the top six categories that I consider when choosing a camera to shoot with on a wedding day.

B&H carries the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

The Canon Digital Learning Center has posted several articles covering the new gear announced early this morning.

CDLC Articles

• What's New: EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM
• A Quick Intro to Tilt-Shift Lenses
• Tilt-Shift Lenses - Focal Lengths, and Applications
• Adventures in Close-Up Lighting with the Canon MT-26 Macro Twin Lite
• What's New: Canon EOS M100

Update: Canon Japan also has an interesting interview with the team that created the EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM.

For preordering options, click here.

From the Canon Digital Learnin Center:

By Rudy Winston

Bringing full-frame imagery to event photography — whether you’re a serious photo enthusiast, a budding professional, or even a full-fledged pro wedding shooter — is a great way to raise the quality of your images. And while the original EOS 6D certainly acquitted itself well in terms of its picture quality, the new focus and performance features in the new EOS 6D Mark II make it a very appealing step-up for these fast-paced situations. We’ll look at the Mark II’s new-found features, and see how they might apply to users who shoot events regularly.

Suggested Retailers: B&H | Amazon | Adorama | Canon USA Store | Wex Photographic

The Canon Digital Learning Center has posted what seems to be its final solar eclipse article installments, one entitled "The Big Day" and the other featuring a pocket field guide designed to be a handy reference for the aforementioned "big day."

Latest Solar Eclipse Articles

• The Big Day - Final Thoughts
• Solar Eclipse Pocket Field Guide

For a full list of CDLC solar eclipse articles, see here.

With free expedited shipping at B&H, you can still likely get a new telephoto lens in time to capture the event! And if you can't find a solar filter to fit your lens, you may want to try the DIY approach.

From the Canon Digital Learning Center:

The new full-frame Canon EOS 6D Mark II is really a great platform for single-person video operation — whether video is a big part of what you do, or something you’d like to add to your still-image shooting. Many of the virtues this camera delivers to the still-image shooter are equally appealing for recording HD video, as we’ll discuss in a few moments.

As we get into the EOS 6D Mark II and its particular video features, keep the following points in mind:

• This camera records Full HD video (1080p, or 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution). The only 4K capability is an option to generate in-camera Time Lapse Movies, which it can render as 4K files.
• Full HD and HD (720p) video is recorded using the entire horizontal width of the full-frame sensor. While 16:9 aspect ratio for Full HD or HD defines that some of the top and bottom of the traditional 3:2 sensor be cropped, you do get the full width of the full-frame sensor.
• Exposure modes available for video recording are full manual exposure (M on the Mode Dial), or totally automatic Program exposure if the dial is set anywhere else. Unlike some higher-end EOS models, there is no true Shutter or Aperture Priority operation during video recording.

B&H has the Canon EOS 6D Mark II in stock.