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6 photographers who should really be more famous

jmeyer — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:01:45 +0000

We’re all familiar with the Adams’ and Leibovitzs of the world. But there are a number of great photographers producing stunning work quietly under the radar of the photographic literati.

In their latest guest blog, our friends at Photoventure have rounded up 6 of the best photographers working today who really should be more famous than they are. Do you agree?

Andy Kennelly

Andy Kennelly offers a varied portfolio of landscapes, street photography, portraits and urban scenes, and it’s all pretty spectacular. One gets the sense from his perfect compositions that he’s quite a patient photographer, never pressing the shutter button unless he’s absolutely certain everything is right.

He also writes a thoughtful blog on the image-making process that’s quite a good read for anyone interested in how professional photographers see and think about pictures.

Kazuma Obara

Kazuma Obara was at his desk in Kyoto refreshing Yahoo over and over again after the massive earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan in March 2011. A few days later he quit his job, picked up his DSLR – which until this point had just been a hobby – and drove to Fukushima prefect to document the personal stories he felt were missing from what the news was reporting.

Some time later, using a contact he won’t divulge, he managed to pose as a worker at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant and enter to document the struggles of the workers trying to keep disaster at bay. While he hasn’t been a full-time photojournalist for long, and his work is largely dominated by the the disaster in Japan, Obara’s ambition, dedication and sensitivity as a photographer suggest he will do many more great projects in the coming years.

Ben Canales

An accomplished night photographer and time-lapse enthusiast, Ben’s creative efforts in the dark of night have also made him one of the more commercially successful photographers on 500px. Ben often incorporates an element of man’s presence into his big, wide shots of the night sky, using car headlight, head torches or glowing tents to help paint his foregrounds with light. Truly magical stuff.

Anton Jankovoy

A prolific travel photographer, Anton’s diverse portfolio has been published in just about every major publishing house you can think of, and he works with all the top agencies. Yet his name isn’t as familiar as it perhaps should be. It’s a mystery to us, but thankfully we can help change that by sharing his wonderful images.

Rarindra Prakarsa

He says he’s just an ordinary man from Jakarta who likes taking pictures, but one glance at Rarindra’s portfolio and it’s clear that he’s not just an ordinary man. He’s perhaps the most underrated street photographer since Vivian Maier. Breathtaking natural light and candid expressions are the hallmarks of his outdoor portraits.

Clark Little

Clark Little had a brief brush with fame several summers ago when some of his dramatic pictures of breaking waves went viral on the internet. What sets Clark apart from every other aquatic photographer is his incredible vantage point from inside the waves. A former professional surfer, Clark knows the terrain and what it’s capable of, and he seems to have an incredible instinct for pressing the shutter at just the right moment.

If there’s a photographer who you feel should be more famous than they are, add them in the comments below. Don’t add yourself though…

Pentax unveils K-50, K-500: price, release date, full specs revealed

jmeyer — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:44:58 +0000

Ricoh Pentax has unveiled two new entry-level DSLRs, officially announcing details of the Pentax K-500 and Pentax K-50 price, specs and release date overnight.

Both new Pentax cameras share the same 16-megapixel APS-C sensor introduced with the Pentax K-30, and both cameras also offer high-sensitivity shooting at ISO 51200.

Pentax K-500, K-50 Price

The Pentax K-50 price tag will be £529.99 body only, or £599.99 for the K-50 + 18-55mm DAL WR lens kit, while the Pentax K-500 price tag comes in lower at £449.99 for the body + 18-55mm DAL lens kit.

A release date for the Pentax K-50 and K-500 is scheduled for “the end of June”.

Pentax K-500, K-50 Specs

Among the Pentax K-50′s key features are a weather-resistant, dust-proof construction designed with 81 seals for improved durability, and resistance to cold at temperatures as low as -10 C.

The K-50 also incorporates a Pentax-developed Shake Reduction mechanism to aid sharper images, and a range of advanced features like full HD movie recording, an Automatic Horizon Correction function and an Astro Tracer mode to assist with astronomical photography.

Continuous shooting mode allows for 6fps (in JPEG format), while the SAFOX IX+ AF system incorporates 11 sensors (including 9 cross-type sensors in the middle). Other features include a 100% field of view optical viewfinder, customisable buttons and a top 1/6000sec shutter speed.

What’s more, the Pentax K-50 comes in 120 different colour variations – yes, you read that right! Pentax says, “the colour-to-order service has proved to be… a unique, stylish way for Pentax camera users to express their style through their choice of camera system.”

Pentax K-50 vs K-500

The main difference between the Pentax K-50 vs K-500 is the K-500 lacks the weather sealing of the K-50 and the K-500 doesn’t come in the wide variety of colours.

What’s more – and perhaps most significantly – AF points are not visible in the Pentax K-500′s viewfinder, while they are visible in the K-50 viewfinder. You can view AF points on the K-500′s LCD screen, however.

Adobe Lightroom 5 price and new features confirmed: full software now available

jmeyer — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:26:25 +0000

The Adobe Lightroom 5 price tag and new features list has been officially revealed, as the beta period for the latest version of Adobe’s image management and photo editing software has come to an end.

Formally releasing the software today, the Adobe Lightroom 5 price tag will be £102.57 / $149.99 to download the standalone software from Adobe’s website. Alternatively, the price for upgrading to Lightroom 5 from your current software is £57.64 / $79.

Jump to our Adobe Lightroom 5 beta review

Among the new features in Adobe Lightroom 5 is an Advanced Healing Brush, which allows users to make precise adjustments to fix irregularly shaped imperfections like dust spots and splotches.

An Upright tool analyses each of your images and automatically straightens objects such as buildings and horizons.

New Radial Gradients in Lightroom 5 allow users to apply off-centre and multiple vignettes in a single images.

Also among the Adobe Lightroom 5 new features set are a range of extended sharing and publishing capabilities.

New video slideshow functionality lets users combine their still images with video clips and music, while updates to the Adobe Lightroom Book module allow photographers to personalise photo books of their images from a variety of templates – as well as create their own specific templates.

Finally, another of the most significant Adobe Lightroom 5 new features are Smart Previews, which enable photographers to make edits to their images offline without bringing their entire library of original image files with them.

Photographers can make changes to their image metadata using the Smart Preview function, and these changes are then automatically applied to the original files when they are reconnected.

Adobe Lightroom 5 was initially released as a free, public beta in April 2013, and is now available as an individual license or as part of Adobe Creative Cloud.

UK Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013: 9 myths debunked for good

samanthacliffe — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 23:01:46 +0000

In the latest guest post from our friends at the photo management blog Photoventure, they take a closer look at the UK’s Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. The controversial bill has sparked debate – and even outrage – among photographers online, so much so it can be difficult separating fact from exaggeration.

Here the Photoventure team debunks 9 of the popular myths about the bill and explain some of the simple ways you can keep your work safe.

The Act contains changes to UK copyright law, which permits the use of images where metadata – including information about the author of the work – is missing. These works are called ‘orphan works’.

Most images on the internet today are images such as these, which have metadata missing, and as a result millions of photographs (and photographers) are affected by this scheme.

The implications of this Act are understandably of concern to photographers whose primary objective is to ensure their work is legally protected. But how concerned do you really need to be about these changes? Are your images really at risk of being used without your permission and with no compensation?

We take a look at the most popular myths surrounding the UK Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act and debunk them once and for all.

1. Anyone can use a photo they have found on the internet as an ‘orphan’ if they can’t find the copyright owner after a search.

Debunked: A licence must be obtained in order to use a work as an ‘orphan’. In order for this to happen, the individual or company wishing to use the work must undertake a ‘diligent search’, where attempts to find and approach the work’s owner must be made. If this search is unsuccessful, this then needs to be verified and assessed by an independent body, which will be appointed by the Government. If the body is satisfied a sufficient search has taken place, only then is work permitted to be used. The applicant will then be required to pay a licence fee to use the work.

2. I won’t be paid if my image is used under the orphan works scheme and anyone can use my work free of charge.

Debunked: When the applicant has been granted permission by the Government-appointed body to use an orphan work, they will be required to pay a licence fee. This money is held by the independent body, and can be claimed by the rights holder if they come forward at a later date.

3. My right to copyright is removed when I post my photos online.

Debunked: Your copyright is not removed when you post your images online.

4. My images will have their metadata stripped and they will be licensed in bulk as orphans under the Extended Collective Licensing provision.

Debunked: The Intellectual Property Office states: “The Orphan Works scheme and Extended Collective Licensing (ECL) are separate and the orphan works scheme is about licensing of individual works.

The government has no power to impose ECL on a sector. The safeguards included in the scheme mean that ECL is only liked to be an option where there is strong support for collective licensing. Any rights holder worried about how their work could be used under an ECL scheme could opt out at any time.

It is unlikely that ECL will be an option for photography where there is a strong tradition of direct licensing: there is no collecting society for photographers in the UK, so no application for ECL is feasible at present.”

5. Anyone can use my photos without my permission.

Debunked: If the applicant who wishes to use an orphan work hasn’t undertaken a diligent search in the eyes of the independent body, a licence will not be issued.

If the photograph is not genuinely orphan, the rights-holder should be found and their permission to use the image requested.

6. A company can take my work and sub-license it without my knowledge, approval or receipt of payment.

Debunked: The licences to use an orphan work will not allow sub-licensing.

7. The stripping of metadata creates an orphan work.

Debunked: The absence or removal of metadata does not make work ‘orphan’ or allow its use under the orphan works scheme.

8. I have to register my photos to claim copyright.

Debunked: Copyright remains automatic. There’s no need to register your work for it to be protected by copyright.

9. The UK Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act is unprecedented and there has been nothing like it elsewhere in the world.

Debunked: The Orphan Works powers in the UK are based on what happened in Canada, which has been licensing orphan works since 1990.

How do you feel about the Act? Will you continue to post your photos online?

Source: Intellectual Property Office

Focus On Imaging photography trade show closes its doors for good

jmeyer — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:07:26 +0000

Focus On Imaging, the UK’s biggest photography trade show, is closing down after 24 years.

Organisers confirmed the move, revealing that the 2013 Focus On Imaging exhibition held in March will be the last.

Image copyright Focus On Imaging

“Focus On Imaging will not be sold – I’m simply bringing it to an end,” said Mary Walker, of organiser Mary Walker Exhibitions, in a statement published on the Focus On Imaging website. “It is with great pride that I look upon an amazing period of time in my life, where I continually worked hard to run Focus On Imaging to the absolute best of my ability.

“I myself, the Show and my committed team have witnessed the phenomenal growth and revolutionary changes that have come to the photographic industry, and I am proud to have offered photographers and manufacturers an opportunity to come together professionally and personally over the years.”

She added: “There are now so many elements of a photographer’s working life that we simply could not have imagined back at the inception of the original ‘Focus On Photography’ as it was 24 years ago… I am certain that the time is right for the industry to perhaps find fresh opportunities and bring new ideas to photographers – maybe we’re due a new revolution of some kind?”

The annual photography trade show has been a highly anticipated event in the UK for nearly a quarter of a century, bringing together amateur and professional photographers, manufacturers, retailers and more.

Digital Camera World to host PhotoLive 2013

Digital Camera World and its sister titles at our parent Future Publishing can also announce that we will be launching our first major consumer photography tuition live event, PhotoLive 2013.

Taking place on the 26th and 27th October in London at the Novotel, Hammersmith, PhotoLive will feature more than 200 seminars delivered by leading professional photographers and Photoshop experts.

The list of speakers already confirmed for PhotoLive include such famous names as Andy Rouse, David Noton, Steve Caplin, Calvin Hollywood, Glyn Dewis, Tom Mackie, Paul Harris, George Cairns, Nils Jorgensen, Kate Hopewell-Smith and Steve Bloom. Many more are set to be revealed in the following months.

The tuition programme will cover all types of photography and equipment, so attendees can tailor a programme specifically to suit their own style of photography and choose sessions most suitable to their equipment and preferred genres.

From Canon-specific sessions, to masterclasses on improving landscape, wildlife, macro and portrait images, there will be pro advice to cover all aspects of digital photography. These sessions will be delivered in a professional learning environment, with many utilising studio setups.

Tickets and pricing are also flexible, with offers available for entry and single sessions as well as full day passes.

PhotoLive will also include a busy retail area where show attendees can get their hands on the very latest kit and try before they buy. The retail area will feature live stages for product demonstrations and further opportunities for the attendees to learn new skills and techniques.

Future Publishing brands promoting PhotoLive include the UK’s best-selling photography title, Digital Camera, the Nikon magazine N-Photo, Canon title PhotoPlus, and best-selling image-editing magazine, Practical Photoshop. It will also feature in Photography Week, the world’s best-selling weekly photography title on iPad, as well as Future’s leading technology brands including T3, Techradar.com, Computer Arts and MacFormat.

Click here to register for updates and be first to receive ticket information

Adobe adresses photographers’ Creative Cloud subscription, file legacy concerns

jmeyer — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:32:59 +0000

Adobe has issued a statement addressing photographers’ concerns about the Creative Cloud subscription-only model and the legacy of any work created in Photoshop CC, suggesting the company may soon offer a compromise.

Recognising the “unique needs” of the photographic community, Adobe has announced it is “looking at potential offerings that recognise the photography community – because it is so broad.”

Adobe’s statement comes in response to intense criticism the company has received following Adobe’s 6 May announcement of its next generation of ‘CC’ applications.

Chief among these updates was the launch of Photoshop CC, the latest version of its popular photo editing software, and the revelation that photographers could no longer buy Photoshop in a one-off purchase of a boxed disc or digital download.

Instead, photographers now pay a monthly Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for access to Photoshop CC each month.

Jump to our guide to the 10 most important features in Photoshop CC

Users can then download Photoshop CC to their desktop and use it as long as their Creative Cloud subscription remains active.

A full membership Creative Cloud subscription is £46.88 per month and gives you access to all applications and of course, all updates.

If you own the full Adobe Creative Suite 3 or later versions, this price is reduced to £27.34 per month. For photographers who only want to use Photoshop CC, you can choose the Single App option for £17.58 a month, which is reduced to £8.78 a month if you own Photoshop CS3 or later.

Photographers have raised concerns in the wake of the 6 May Adobe announcement that they will not only lose their software if their Creative Cloud subscription lapses, but they will also lose their work, as files saved in Photoshop CC are not compatible with other software.

“Through discussions with the community, we have heard some concerns around our move to Creative Cloud,” Adobe has responded in a statement sent to press. “Three main themes are coming through:

File access. Customers want to be sure that, if their membership to Creative Cloud lapses, they will still have access to their files.
Photographers, particularly photo-enthusiasts, are looking for a more tailored offering that focuses on their particular needs.
Some customers are not convinced that Creative Cloud is right for them and would rather continue to purchase desktop applications as before.

While Adobe does reinforce in its statement that it has “no plans to change our focus on Creative, we understand this is a big change and for customers who are not yet ready to move, we will continue to offer CS6 products through our reseller partners and Adobe.com.”

With regards to photographers’ concerns about the legacy of their files created in Photoshop CC, the company added: “Adobe completely agrees that customers should have access to their files if they choose to stop their Creative Cloud membership. Our job is to delight our customers with innovation, but there are a number of options open to us here and we expect to have news around this issue shortly.”

Does this latest announcement from Adobe suggest the company could soon offer photographers a way to ensure the legacy of their Photoshop CC files – or perhaps an alternative to the Creative Cloud subscription model?

We will update this story as it develops.

Issue 139 of Digital Camera magazine now on sale!

jmeyer — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:47:45 +0000

Issue 139 of Digital Camera, Britain’s best-selling photography magazine, goes on sale today!

This issue’s main feature is about making cash with your camera, something that’s bound to appeal in these lean times.

Learn how to sell to galleries, stock libraries, shoot weddings and more; as well as inspirational real-life stories, we’ve also got some invaluable tips from Alamy’s chief picture buyer.

Another big highlight of this issue is an easy guide to exposure, which is essential reading for anyone who’s suffering from shots that are too light or too dark.

Hardware-wise, we review the exciting new Panasonic GH3, one of the best compact system cameras to date, and check out the latest power compacts. If you’re looking for a handy SLR back-up, this is all you need!

We’ve also got FOUR great free gifts this issue, including a fully working version of CyberLink PhotoDirector 3 for Windows. This is a fully featured photo editor that rivals more expensive programs, and there’s a full guide inside the magazine.

We’re also giving away a handy guide to family portraits, a mini-mag on portrait retouching and a packed video disc with all-new camera technique, Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials.

Pick up issue 139 now and discover why we’re Britain’s best!

Get cash back on the Vanguard ABEO 283AV & Quovio 41 (Advertising Feature)

jmeyer — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:13:22 +0000

As HD video recording capability has become standard in digital cameras, budding ‘HDSLR’ photographers increasingly need a solid, trustworthy video kit that will help them achieve the highest-quality video.

Thankfully, Vanguard, a global leader in high-quality photo and video accessories, has a solution.

Vanguard’s versatile ABEO 283AV tripod kit offers incredible stability, supporting up to 4kg (8.8lbs) of camcorders, cameras, and even spotting scopes for shooting videos or still images.

The ABEO 283AV owes its security to its premium magnesium die-cast construction and anti-twist central column.

Meanwhile, Vanguard’s PH-114V two-way pan head comes with the ABEO 283AV and moves fluidly while you frame and shoot your scene, allowing you to securely tilt from +60° to -90° angles to give your compositions more creative possibilities.

The ABEO 283AV’s legs bring even more versatility to photographers. The tripod’s legs each have quick-flip leg locks to enable a fast set-up and are able to individually adjust to 25°, 50°, and 80° angles, allowing photographers and videographers to shoot from eye- down to ground-level.

It also comes with rubber feet to keep your set-up secure in rough terrain, and thick foam on its legs helps you to not lose your grip in case of wet weather.

But you won’t have to worry about gripping the tripod for too long anyway if you’ve also got a Vanguard bag to carry it for you.

Vanguard’s Quovio 41 shoulder bag, which won the TIPA Award for best photo bag in 2013, is perfect for the photographer or videographer on the go.

There are two different ways to attach your tripod to your free Quovio 41 shoulder bag. Attach your tripod to the front of the bag so it’s ready for action when you use the Quick Access opening to take photos.

Alternatively, if you have a heavy-duty video tripod you can simply strap it to the top of the bag where it will remain stable during transport.

Along with boasting multiple options for how to carry it, the Quovio 41 offers an attachment for your trolley or you can even attach it to an ICS Harness.

Inside the Quovio 41 is a roomy interior lined with thick padding and a divider system that can easily be rearranged to fit your pro DSLR body or semi-pro camcorder gear.

What’s more, the Quovio 41 incorporates two mesh pockets that are perfect for accessories, a memory card wallet and a 14in compartment for storing your laptop.

And what if it happens to be raining or you have to set your bag down in the snow? Don’t worry – the bottom of the Quovio 41 is water-resistant and comes with a rain cover.

YOU CAN GET CASH BACK ON ABEO 283AV AND QUOVIO 41 PURCHASES

For a limited time you can claim cash back on purchases of the Vanguard ABEO 283AV and Quovio 41, as well as a number of other exciting Vanguard products.

Digital Camera World readers can claim up to £35 cash back on purchases of ABEO video kits, or £15 cash back on the Quovio 41 bag (as well as the Quovio 44 and 49T models).

Vanguard’s exclusive cash-back deal runs until 31 July 2013. For more information on the offers, the eligible products and to download cash-back forms, visit Vanguard’s cashback site.

READ MORE

Win a trip to Nepal! Go on assignment with sight-saving charity ORBIS

jmeyer — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:36 +0000

UPDATE: We’ve extended the closing date for entries to 16 August 2013 – full details below!

There are lots of photography competitions out there, but few are as special as the opportunity we’re offering Digital Camera World readers.

We’ve partnered with the international sight-saving charity ORBIS to offer one lucky Digital Camera World reader the opportunity to put everything you’ve learned in our popular Shoot Like A Pro series to the test and do something truly meaningful with your photography.

For more details on the prize and how to enter this exclusive photo competition, see below.

THE PRIZE

The international blindness prevention charity ORBIS is offering Digital Camera World readers the opportunity of a lifetime to give something back with their photography.

The winning photographer from this photo competition will travel with a delegation from ORBIS to Geta Eye Hospital, in Dhangadhi, Nepal, where the photographer will be on assignment with the charity, tasked with documenting ORBIS’ work. From Dhangadhi, the winner will then travel with ORBIS for an additional two days documenting its work at Pokhara Hospital, Kathmandu.

The resulting images will then be used by the charity to increase awareness of issues relating to blindness and deliver help to those who need it most.

HOW TO ENTER

To win this fantastic opportunity, photographers are asked to submit a small portfolio of three images along the theme of Outdoor Portraits. This can be done via the entry form on the competition page at the link below.

Images must be 72dpi and no bigger than 800 pixels along their longest edge. Entries will be accepted until 16 August 2013, after which our judges will select a shortlist of five photographers.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Our judges will conduct a short interview with each shortlisted photographer about his or her portfolio, and a winner will be announced at the end of August 2013.
The winning photographer will leave London with ORBIS for the assignment, which will take place from 22 to 27 October 2013.
Your flight, accommodation and transfers will be covered, but all other in-country expenses such as food and drink will be your responsibility.
This competition is open to UK residents only.
Entrants will be informed of the winner following judging via ORBIS’s newsletter
Full terms and conditions from ORBIS and Digital Camera World can be found on the competition entry page at the link below.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER YOUR IMAGES

Olympus E-P5: price, release date, official specs revealed

jmeyer — Fri, 10 May 2013 05:00:35 +0000

The new 16-megapixel Olympus E-P5 offers a quality retro body design with a 1/8000sec shutter speed, a built-in WiFi and the same sensor as the OM-D. The Olympus E-P5 price tag will be €999 body only

Olympus has unveiled its latest flagship camera, introducing the 16-megapixel Olympus E-P5 compact system camera.

Boasting a sleek, minimalist retro body design “with no visible screws in normal use,” the Olympus E-P5 incorporates the same 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor as the award-winning Olympus OM-D, as well as built-in WiFi and in a world first for compact system cameras, a 1/8000sec shutter speed.

The Olympus E-P5 price tag will start at €999 for the E-P5 body only, and kits start at €1099 for the 14-42mm lens and the 17mm 1:1.8 kit will sell for for €1449 (including the VF-4).

An Olympus E-P5 release date is slated for end of June 2013.

Among its new features, the Olympus E-P5 is the first compact system camera with a mechanical shutter capable of shooting at 1/8000sec, the company says. Photographers can also freeze fast-moving subjects with its 1:1.8 aperture.

A 2×2 Dial Control system incorporates two dials and a switch mounted on the back and top of the camera. According to Olympus, when shooting manually, the switch on the back of the E-P5 body can be moved to one of two positions.

In the first position, moving the dial on the front of the camera adjusts aperture while the dial on the back affects exposure time. With the second setting, the dials change the ISO value and white balance respectively. Alternatively, you can use the switch on the back of the camera to assign other functions.

Other features onboard the Olympus E-P5 include 5-axis IS, 9fps continuous shootingFocus Peaking on MF Assist, 12 Art Filters, FAST AF with Super Spot AF and Touch Shutter AF and a tillable LCD screen.

Olympus claims the E-P5 provides the best-ever image quality achieved by a PEN.

For more about this camera, see our testing team’s Olympus PEN E-P5 hands-on review.