Photography Matters

I cannot emphasize how important it is to give your subject the place of importance in an image. It’s correct placement and the removal of any competition only makes the photo more effective.

Via Steve George

The greatest composition will produce a poor image if the lighting is wrong. Bright or dull, hard or soft, sunlit or cloudy, sunrise or midday; all these give different light qualities that need to be used in the best way to generate the best images.

Via MyPhotoSchool, Ruby, Steve George

Why do so many casual and amateur photographers shy away from taking pictures once the sun goes down? Haven't they seen the great pictures taken at night by other photographers?

Via Steve George

Recently overheard in the ICP library: A discussion on how “they” were on the subway. Imagine that!  Actual Gypsies had made it across the ocean and were now begging here. Here! In our liberal city...

Via Crowdbooks

"Here are some simple techniques for taking great shots of fireworks."

Via Las Ratnayake, Steve George

Black and white photography offers a unique perspective on many subjects. Removing colour brings out the hidden details, textures, and shapes.

Via Exit178, Steve George

Table of Contents Photography is for Anyone A reflection on whether it’s worth learning photography Read on → Why Even Buy a Camera?

Via Andrew Mendelson

I wanted to showcase a little camera comparison I used to illustrate my points on gear acquisition. We are all at fault for lusting after the latest and greatest gear available to us on the market. I know I have, but that lust comes with a price tag and a trade-off.

Having dusted off my very first DSLR (Canon D30), I put it to the test against my current Canon 1D Mark IV. In doing so, I made some startling and not-so-startling discoveries (as one could only imagine)…

Via Photo report, planetMitch

US and NATO forces continue to train the Afghan troops in advance of the handover of the country's security in 2014.

Via Philippe Gassmann

Today's guest post about shooting the Leica M Monochrome with the Noctilux M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH lens is by Rob van Keulen (flickr stream): As a digital camera specialist and product manager I get the chance now and then to play with new and exiting...

Via Philippe Gassmann

Apart from the interview, the images are truly awe-inspriing. What an eye!

Via Johann Barnard

In the Zone System developed by Ansel Adams there are 10 zones or shades from pure white to pure black.

 

If you take a close look at most exposure compensation settings; regardless if your camera is digital or 35mm, most of them only give you a plus or minus range of two f-stops. If the original setting that your camera uses (18% gray) is zone 5 and you can only expose at plus or minus two stops, that only gives you a visual range of five f-stops.

Via Steve George

Taking pictures at night gives an image a completely different feel because it captures different stories of daily life, sometimes more dramatic than the ones captured during the day.

Via Steve George

Jan Kempenaers is an Antwerp based photographer who undertook a trek through the Balkans to capture these mysterious objects.

Via Johann Barnard

The Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition winners are currently on display at the New York Hall of Science. This competition, in its ninth year, is a dynamic international photo competition which honors the world's most extraordinary microscope images and videos of biological subjects. The Olympus BioScapes exhibit will be on display through August 31st. You can see the winners and many honorable mentions on the Olympus Bioscapes web site. -- Paula Nelson

Via Philippe Gassmann

New features added to the manual Canon has updated the Canon EOS 7D manual and made it available for download.

Via planetMitch

The Japanese photographer perhaps best known for shooting at night and on the street is Daido Moriyama, so it’s appropriate that Takehiko Nakafuji studied under him. Nakafuji recently published a two-volume book of photographs of nocturnal Tokyo called Night Crawler, the first volume containing images taken in 1995 and the second images taken in 2010. The combination shows changes in both the city and the man, evoking by turns the restless excitement and raffish charm of Tokyo’s underbelly, and a lonely, sombre place.

Via Mario Pires