Tuesday Grab-Bag

    In a post a few days back, I blogged about an expert dissing Nikon's new D600 because of its slow'ish sync speed of 1/200.  Well, here's a sync speed right at the other end of the scale: 1/1600!  This superfast sync speed is available using Schneider Kreuznach leaf shutter lenses on Phase One's new 645DF+.  Its max shutter speed of 1/4000 is nothing to sneeze at either.

  ...

Offbeat Day: The Silly, the Spooky, and the Sad

Silly

    Bad photographs are making a comeback because . . . well, because apparently they're cool!  The fashion world strikes again.  I know it sounds silly but it's true.

    The photography techniques and ideals of the day are now "blurry shots, shadows, overexposure” according to Anne-Marie Conway, who seems (at least a little) enraptured by this retrograde development.  Known as 'Lomography', boiled down to its essentials this Art &...

No Studio? No Problem. Rent One!

    If you've ever idly planned to set up a home studio but never got around to it or simply wanted to shoot in a studio but 'knew' you couldn't unless you set one up yourself, well, Russell Masters has some good news for you: rent one!

    Though renting a studio may seem like something a photographer in a different sector, say outdoor or industrial, may want to do from...

Nikon D600 — does it sync too slow at 1/200?

    The gear announcements are flying thick and fast in the Autumn season when new products are unveiled and among the various gizmos announced today, amateurs would probably be struck by the odd mix of a Nikon full-frame body, Tamron lenses and (wait for this) Apple's new iPhone – and why not?  Would you believe that the iPhone is one of the most popular snapshot cameras!

    The iPhone 5's camera...

Hiya Shutterbug! Here’s a new blog for you

Hiya Shutterbug!

    Brilliant Prints is delighted to bring you a cool new blog that won't try to keep 'educating' you with a never-ending stream of photography how-tos . . . most of which you already know!  We'll mix it up by telling you about photography exhibitions and auctions, plus gadgets and gizmos, all seasoned with the practical lesson and spiced with the offbeat item, say about the love-hate relationships our...

Taking It Easy: Sure Fire Tips For Every Kind Of Travel Photography

You are in the idyllic location for photography. An exotic paradise, a place you have dreamed of for years. Now you are there and you are wondering, what can I shoot, and more importantly, what are the best settings to capture the feel of the place.

There are a number of themes to travel photography; among them are the people, the architecture, the wildlife and the landscape, be it rural or...

Conclusion: Shoot From the Hip Photography Part 9

I have not explained one technique that can be employed to 'shoot from the hip'.  That is to keep your camera trained at the general area of interest and use a focal length sufficiently low so as to cover a wide area, thereby guaranteeing capture of the subject, and then literally shoot from the hip and shoot at sight, secure that you will capture the subject somewhere within the frame.   ...

Ready, Prepare, Anticipate: Shoot from the Hip Photography Part 8

Notice that readiness, preparedness, and anticipation are like a dependent chain.  When 'it all comes together' you can get a natural, candid image of real-life that can seem like a professionally set-up picture.

Some years ago I was lodging in the guest-house at Tsinghua University in Beijing.  One evening I took a stroll outside the rear boundary of the campus and came upon a little street carnival being enjoyed by,...

Checklist: Shoot from the Hip Photography Part 7

On your own time, become one with your camera;  know how it operates, specially the shutter release delay.  Practice the exercise described earlier.  And become knowledgeable about how events may unfold for the subjects you are interested in, i.e. be able to predict the unfolding of the subject's actions or events.

If you sense or feel that a shooting opportunity will be at hand:

1.  Keep your camera on and ensure it...