Questions Answered about the Future of Photography

Will the book New Image Frontiers--Defining the Future of Photography teach me what there is to know about which type and model camera to buy that I'll be able to use, say, five years from now?

Yes, the book describes the latest features in point-and-shoots, dSLR, Rangefinders, and the new mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses. You'll learn what camera models have the largest zoom, the highest resolution, the smallest interchangeable lenses, the most settings, the largest sensors, and the best in-camera HDR settings. There is also a chapter on the future of GPS-enabled cameras and other photography devices.

Why does New Image Frontiers: Defining the Future of Photography give historical background about photography, cameras, and film?

These processes and their resulting photographs are part of the photography discussion, which needs to be outlined. If we don't look at where we've been, we won't understand where we are going with the art and science of photography.

What is the future for film photography?

There are multiple areas where film processing is advancing and being morphed into new forms. The Lomography movement strives to take photography to the simpler times of film processing, when digital processing and digital camera settings weren't a concern in picture taking. The second area is simulating processed film digitally. Software programs and iPhone apps have been developed to make a digital picture look like film by adding film grain.

Does the book cover video?

Yes, with respect to how still images are being culled from video, and how photographers have to learn to edit video so they can be competitive with the evolution of video on the web. The book also covers the latest video capabilities on dSLR cameras, including their use in making Hollywood movies and television shows.

What does the book predict about the future of the different kinds of cameras?

You'll find that there is tough competition for the point-and-shoots as camera phones become more sophisticated. The book also gives professional opinions as to the future of dSLR cameras.

How will lenses and sensors change in the coming years?
There is some elaborate research going on in developing sensors that work like the human eye. In the book, quotes from engineers and scientists describe how they are going about the process of making sensors more efficient and lenses smaller and lighter.

Is there information about software, including software access in the cloud?

It's all there from an analysis of Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop, and the possibility of taking these platforms online to the software developers' efforts to be able to make photographs sharper with less noise. With respect to the cloud, the book details what is slowing down its development and how that can be overcome in the future.

How about printing and the latest features of printer models?

Printing has gone through incredible advancement in the past few years. Inks are better and the prints from professional printers have better resolution, even at larger sizes. Portable printers, too, are changing as they become able to communicate with various electronic devices.

What details about the business of photography are included in the book?

Just like everything else, the business of photography is changing by leaps and bounds. In the book there are interviews with professionals that describe the changes they have gone through and what they expect in the future. Experts in the field analyze the Internet business trends in microstock and fine art photography and how they affect brick-and-mortar businesses.

What valuable information can readers learn to make them more successful photographers?

The interviews with gallery owners illustrate clearly what type of work they are looking for and how the photographers they represent have built on the work of the master photographers. Readers will also learn what makes a photograph valuable and how to build a portfolio of images that galleries will want to look at.

The Rise of the Japanese Photographers

Robert Mann Gallery

Fukase, Hosoe and Moriyama aren't exactly household names.

In the scope of history, though, they are important contributors to the art of photography.

So often we neglect Eastern works of art. After World War II Japanese photographers identified the world as a kind of grave place because of the tragic consequences of nuclear proliferation.

This blackbird is just one example. Continue...

Nothing Less than Sharp from Foreground to Background Will Do

If you're going to be a stock/microstock photographer taking a picture without a tripod is likely to get an image rejected.

Stock/Microstock agencies usually want sharp photos from foreground to background. If you submit a landscape photo with blur in the foreground or background, you'll get a messages such as this: "The composition of a successful commercial image needs to be clear and supportive of the image's main concept and primary subject. A good composition is one which does not limit the potential use of the image by designers (by being tightly cropped, for example)."

To be sure, you can submit photos of human subjects with a soft background, but the subject must be sharp from head to toe (or from neck to above the top of the head).

Taking a sharp photo means developing some technical skills. You can learn about them here.

The Golden Triangle--a Complex Rule with Great Results

The Golden Triangle is a photography rule that few people have heard of. It's quite complex. To use it, you have to follow quite a few steps in Photoshop.

I tried it, and the results were nothing less than beautiful. It works better than the Rule of Thirds.

You can view more about how to follow these Photoshop steps for the Golden Triangle at photographytips.net.

Win Big in a Photography Contest

Have you ever won a photography contest? If so, please comment here and let us know about it.

Worthwhile Trips for Single People

Taking a single holiday doesn't have to be hard anymore. You can go to almost any place in the world as a single person to shoot the best photos of your life.

From Canada to Cyprus to the Holyland, you can travel to some of the greatest sites on earth.

The website "Just You" gives you abundant choices in the type of travel and the destinations you want to visit.

Meeting new single friends helps to make the destinations to which you travel a whole lot more fun. You’ll meet people of all ages and all walks of life. There are get-togethers during the trip to help you get to know others on the tours.

Guides travel with you who are knowledgeable about the places you visit, which are as remote as Mijas and Fuengirola in Andulucia.

Your own accommodations include all the comforts of home—TV, air-conditioning and Internet access, all with no additional charges for single occupancy.

On the website there is a discussion board where you can ask questions and read about other travelers’ experiences, a kind of early start to your trip.

You can find the trip of your dreams, booking and paying for it all online on a safe and secure website.

Tickets are sent to you 14 days before your departure date.

Get up and get away to lands that you’ll remember for a lifetime!

Critiquing Photographs

Check out my article about how to critique your own and other people's photographs.

Critiquing Tips

Suggest using the Rule of Thirds.

Note blown highlights and black shadows.

Point out lack of contrast.

Look for poor exposure (photo taken in shade where color tones are muted)

Suggest using sunlight as color enhancer.

Recommend the stimulation of the five senses in the photograph.

Okay, here's a photograph to critique. Let me know what you think!

A Bit about John Sexton

When it comes to black-and-white film photography, JohnSexton is worth mentioning. As an assistant and technical consultant to Ansel Adams for several years in the 1980s, he learned the ins and outs of landscape photography and the zone system. In 2006, he published his fourth book of large-format, black-and-white images, Recollections, which brings to life the landscapes of the American West. As a film photographer in 2005, he received the North American Nature Photography Association Lifetime Achievement Award.  Sexton also tests film for Kodak.

Most of the time Sexton shoots with a 4x5 camera carries four to six lenses, 4x5 ready-load film, conventional film holders, a carbon fiber lightweight tripod, and emergency gear. He uses Kodak T-Max film, a recently updated black-and-white film with fine grain, which  is the “sharpest 400 speed film ever,” says Sexton.  The film comes in two sizes—one for 35 mm cameras and the other for medium format cameras.

Nikon D700 vs Canon 5D Mark II

If you're in the market for a full-frame dSLR, you'll probably be making a choice between Nikon's and Canon's.

Canon's is the 5D Mark II
Nikon's is the D700

If you want GPS, Nikon's the camera for you. If you want the same video capabilities that some Hollywood directors use, get a Canon.

More at photographytips.net.

Five Most Common Reasons for Microstock Agency Photo Rejections

This image was rejected because the people are identifiable and composed poorly.

1. Bad Exposure-Either under or over exposed photos are rejected from most stock photo agencies. These photos usually can't be resubmitted because the exposure can't be corrected in Photoshop (Raw or the Main Program) without severe photo degradation.
2. Copyrighted Elements-Any writing that associates the photo with a brand name will be rejected. These photos can be resubmitted after these elements are removed. If you can remove them, say, with the Clone Stamp Tool or the Content Aware Fill option in Photoshop then they can be resubmitted and most likely accepted, provided there are no other reasons for the photo to be rejected.
3. Poor Composition-When submitting stock images composition rules are required to be followed. The Rule of Thirds is the most important. If the image has no real focus, it's also likely to be rejected.
4. Images Look Like Wallpaper-In other words they are boring without any main subjects or objects.
5. Poor Technical Quality-Most of the time this means that the image color, focus or subject. Note that if you submit an image for which hundreds exist on the site, it won't be accepted. Finally, images usually have to be sharp from foreground to background.

Sony NEX VG20 Due August 24

The Sony NEX VG20 is rumored to come out August 24th. This is the latest technology in photography and the camera of the future.

The price and size of the camera is perfect for any budding photographer. No more clumsy mirrors to deal with. The icing on the cake is that this camera has a large sensor, unlike most point-and-shoots.

It's top on my camera shopping list.

That's not the only equipment Sony will be hawking. Look at the picture to see the rest.

Dreamstime

Dreamstime accepted this image. Copyright 2011 Matthew Bamberg

If I were to write an ad for Dreamstime, it would go something like this:

Make money selling your photos! Upload a steady stream of them to Dreamstime. Dreamstime, a microstock agency, pays better than most of the other microstock agencies.

I really like the way they give critiques on each of the photos I submit. They give a choice of submitting editorial or RF images. The former requires no property or model release, but can only be used for editorial purposes. RF photos can be used in advertising.

My stats at Dreamstime are improving as I upload more photos. More of my photos are getting accepted, too, a tough job because of Dreamstime's stringent requirements.

One thing I need to do is to offer free photos (you can do that with your rejected photos). I was hesitant at this option on Dreamstime because I thought it didn't do a photographer justice; but now I know that it increases my exposure because it provides a link to my profile on Dreamstime's free photo homepage.

I know that I'll eventually make some money from Dreamstime because the more I photograph and submit the more I learn.