Christmas time has come and now it's the time to create great images using your creativity. All type of lenses can be used for these shots, your imagination is the only barrier. There are many ways and tutorials out there and I have selected my favorite ones and when done right the results will amaze you.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 6 November 2012: Nikon
introduces the latest D-SLR to its mid-range DX-format line-up, the 24.1
megapixel Nikon D5200, designed to bring out your creative side. From
beautiful still photos to smooth Full HD movies, this camera empowers
your freedom of expression, letting you capture your own unique view of
the world.
We could
argue for days for the reasons why I started with Canon and not with Nikon
system, but I’ll just say it was by chance and not by selection. It started
like this: I browsed e-bay for a while, searching for a camera update from my OLYMPUS 2-mpixel gadget at an affordable price. You see,
cameras in Greece
were a bit overpriced for my almost empty pockets. I had recently got hold of a
Canon EOS 300D at some store in Greece
priced around 1400 euros. I browsed the menus, but nothing more. I knew the
power of interchangeable lenses, but didn’t have the money or the need to buy
such an expensive present to myself for Christmas.
Adobe has released the final versions of Adobe Camera Raw 7.2 and
Lightroom 4.2. The latest updates bring finalized support for 21
additional cameras, including the Sony A99 and RX100, the Fujifilm X-E1
and the Canon EOS M. Lightroom gains tethering support for 11 cameras,
including the Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III. It also adds support
for 'Albums' in its uploader to the Revel service. Updates are
available through the in-software update systems.
29/7/2012 Kalamata
One of the key themes of Photokina 2012 is shaping up be the
resurgence of the full frame format, with the launch of a raft of
cameras featuring 24x36mm sensors. First up was Sony, with its SLR-like Alpha SLT-A99 and Cyber-Shot RX1
fixed-lens compact. Now, just four days after arch-rival Nikon
announced what it billed as the 'smallest and lightest full frame DSLR'
in the shape of the D600, Canon has revealed its own contender - the EOS 6D.
Photokina 2012: Nikon has announced the D600, the
smallest, least expensive full frame DSLR on the market, aimed directly
at enthusiast photographers. The D600 is built around a 24MP, 36x24mm,
CMOS sensor and crams many of the features of the more expensive D800
into a distinctly D7000-esque body. It features a 100% coverage
viewfinder and 39-point autofocus system, nine of which are cross-type
points. It can capture 1080p HD video at 30, 25 or 24 frames per second
and can stream uncompressed footage out over its HDMI port. There's also
an optional Wi-Fi unit allowing the camera to be controlled remotely
from an Android or iOS device. The D600 will have a list price of $2,099
body only, or $2,699 with the 24-85mm F3.5-5.6 lens and will be
available from September 18th.
Canon has announced a wider recall for its EOS Rebel T4i/650D, in
response to the discovery that a faulty batch of grips can turn white
and produce an allergenic substance. The company has updated its web
tool for identifying whether your camera might be affected and asks
customers to check their camera's serial number if the sixth digit is a
'1.' This applies even if you checked when the problem was first announced, back in July. It your camera is indicated to be affected, you should contact customer support in your territory.
When we
went for a whole-day photo-shooting with Maria, nothing had prepared me for the
person I would meet. We had our time
with the previous photo-shooting at Polilimnio lakes, but meeting a person in
depth for the whole day is another story.
Maria seems to be the happiest person alive and she makes everyone around her
feel the same. Despite her being
reluctant at first and that we started very early in the morning in order to shoot
with soft light and flash in shadow, the day went very well. She was a delight to watch and photograph,
very co-operative and full with ideas and suggestions, something very valuable
when the photographer runs out of ideas.
I had planned the morning well, but had no idea about the afternoon or
night. The thing is that when you plan
something it never goes the way you want, so you have to improvise and we improvised quite well!
Canon has released firmware version 2.0.0 for the EOS 7D. The update, originally announced in June,
is the most comprehensive we can think of - significantly expanding the
capabilities of the 7D. Changes include improved continuous-shooting
buffer depth (to 25 Raws, up from the original 15), customizable Auto
ISO, control of audio recording level for video and the ability to
re-process Raws and rate images in-camera. The update also enables the
use of the GP-E2 GPS module.
The front rubber grips of some units of the
Canon EOS REBEL T4i Digital SLR camera (EOS 650D/EOS Kiss X6i overseas
models) may change color (turn white)
after a short period of time. Customer support for this phenomenon is
described below.
Canon has issues a firmware update for the EOS 60D mid-level DSLR and
60Da astrophotography camera. On the 60D, firmware v1.1.1 corrects a bug
that placed the wrong serial number in image EXIF. On both cameras it
also fixes language errors in some menus. The company will announce
updated versions of its software at a later date to correct existing
images with the incorrect serial number. The firmware is available for
download from your local Canon support site now.
Canon has announced updated firmware for the EOS 5D Mark III.
Firmware v1.1.3 makes an unspecified change to accommodate the EF40mm
F2.8 STM pancake prime lens announced earlier this month. Beyond this,
the update fixes a series of bugs and corrects a series of linguistic
errors in menu screens. The firmware is available for download from your
local Canon support site now.
Summer arrived and I spent my first days on vacation trying to find new challenges for my camera. Fortunately, these were very busy days with promises for future endeavors for photo shootings and excursions. The past few days I made a dream of mine come true and it was nothing more than swimming in a dream-lake. We found this lake at Polilimnio area near Charavgi village. This is by no means a summary of the day, but rather a promise for a future photo story as I am still processing the photos from these few days.
Canon has announced the EOS 650D (known as the Rebel T4i in North America), and 18MP touch-screen DSLR with a sensor-based hybrid AF system for improved focus in movie and live view modes. The camera gains the all-cross-type 9-point AF sensor from the EOS 60D and can now shoot at 5fps. It also adds stereo mics for its Full HD video recording, which is available at 30, 25 and 24fps. The camera will be available from the end of June at a price of $849, body only, $949 will the 18-55mm IS lens or $1199 with the co-announced 18-135mm STM IS lens.
It was an exciting moment when I bought my first digital compact camera. It would mean that I could make mistakes and learn from them, since I could select what photos to print and what settings to test. Unfortunately, it would also mean that I was about to lose all customization of shutter speed and aperture value, but I guessed that the “automatic little miracle” would know what I wanted to expose and where to focus. Of course nothing was like that.
Later
this May I came across a difficult challenge which I feel I have failed
although I managed to salvage all the shots up to a satisfactory (for others)
degree. I took some shots during an event in the Athens Olympic Aquatic Center at Athens Olympic Sports Complex that stretched my knowledge and
steadiness more that I felt I could handle.
Brightness and Contrast are two of the most determining aspects of photography. They are both related to exposure and light difference from dark to bright.
Lightroom 4.1 is now available as a final release on Adobe.com
and through the update mechanism in Lightroom 4. The goal of this
release is to provide additional camera raw support, lens profile
support and address bugs that were introduced in previous releases of
Lightroom.
Canon has published a product advisory notice acknowledging the existence of a 'light leak' issue on the EOS 5D Mark III. Users of the camera have reported that in dark conditions, switching on the top-LCD's back-illumination or shining a light on it alters the camera's metering, suggesting light is leaking into the body and reaching the metering sensor.
The restriction that limits video recording in digitial cameras to 30
minutes could be abolished if the World Trade Organization's
Information Technology Agreement (ITA) is expanded. Several countries,
including the USA, have begun informal talks to extend the scope of the
ITA to include products that are currently subject to tariffs and duty.
At present, digital cameras' video cuts off after 30 minutes to avoid
them being classified as video cameras (which attract 5.4% duty into
markets including Europe). If the video cameras are added to the ITA,
this distinction would no longer matter. (via Nikkei)
In photography, exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium (photographic film or image sensor) during the process of taking a photograph. Exposure is measured in lux seconds, and can be computed from exposure value (EV) and scene luminance over a specified area.
White balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic color
casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white
in your photo. Proper camera white balance has to take into account the
"color temperature" of a light source, which refers to the relative
warmth or coolness of white light. Our eyes are very good at judging
what is white under different light sources, but digital cameras often
have great difficulty with auto white balance (AWB) — and can create
unsightly blue, orange, or even green color casts. Understanding digital
white balance can help you avoid these color casts, thereby improving
your photos under a wider range of lighting conditions.
Adobe has confirmed that it will fix the security problems with
Photoshop and other CS5.x packages, having originally suggested that a
paid upgrade to CS6 was the only solution. The security concerns, raised
by the company on May 8th, were rated as 'critical,' meaning it could
'allow malicious native-code to execute, potentially without a user
being aware.' Despite this, the original solution raised in the company security bulletin was to upgrade to CS6, leaving CS5.x users vulnerable. The bulletin has now been updated.
Nikon's D800 has been awarded the prestigious Camera Grand Prix 2012 title and also won the public vote for best camera.
Welcome to the Adobe® Photoshop® Camera Raw 7.1 plug-in
release candidate on Adobe Labs. A "release candidate" label indicates
that this update is well tested but would benefit from additional
community testing before it is distributed automatically to all of our
customers. The Camera Raw 7.1 update includes support for many new cameras and lens profiles. A release candidate build of DNG Convertor 7.1 is also provided.
The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography and design.
The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine
equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two
equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional
elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.
Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these
points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition
than simply centering the subject would.
First of all, artistic skills cannot be taught,
so do not get disappointed too fast. You have to learn how to "see"
things rather than just watch or copy. If you take a photo and then
give it to 10 people you will get 10 different interpretations and
approaches meaning 10 pictures!
It’s been a
while since I bought my Canon EOS 60D and I have been striving to use it
effectively from the time it arrived. I feel I must not waste it though
on average shots (something that I am sure can not be avoided in the future) so
I somehow want to prepare my shots in advance. I previously owned a
different class camera (a 12 Mpixel Canon EOS 450D) and whenever I felt
pressure from daily issues of life and work, I took it with me and disappeared
for a few hours. This is what I plan to do in a few days, time and work
permitted, since I also want to discover the new limits of my 18 Mpixel camera
in combination with the high ISO value I can use (apparently up to 1600).
The year is
1993 and I was still getting to know the dials and buttons of my camera, I learned that the
little needle inside had to be within the circle in order to achieve best
exposure and I had certain limits when "strecthing it". In order to achieve this I had
to consider 3 things:
