The first photograph is considered to be an image produced in 1826 by the French inventor Nicéphore Niépce on a polished pewter plate covered with a petroleum derivative called bitumen of Judea. It was produced with a camera, and required an eight hour exposure in bright sunshine.
Because I lead workshops, I am often asked if a point and shoot or entry level digital camera is okay. Well, the simple answer is absolutely yes. Here is a little story to illustrate my point. Let’s say that two photographers wake up early one morning for a full day of shooting. They both want […]
Between lenses, cameras, and basic accessories, the act of making images can be expensive. In order to survive, photographers have to learn to be resourceful. But resourcefulness doesn’t necessarily mean having to cut corners. As COOPH demonstrates, even something as simple as cardboard can be used to completely transform your images: 1. Light Stenciling Most of […]
Think you can’t buy cool lenses for your mirrorless DSLR for less than a week’s paycheck? Well, think again. French photographer Mathieu Stern has found lenses that retail for less than $30 each! Each has a distinctive look and fits easily onto any mirrorless camera: The glass we use is some of our most prized real […]
It’s like walking down the aisle of history—photographic history to be precise. Tips from the Top Floor anchor Chris Marquardt gives us a peek at his private tour of the humongous George Eastman Museum Technology Vault in Rochester, NY: The museum’s technical curator, Todd Gustavson, was kind enough to show off everything right from the Daguerreotype, to […]
They say the best camera is the one you have with you—and often that’s your phone. Smartphone cameras are getting more and more sophisticated, but there are also some ways to improve your smartphone photography for free using some of these easy tips! COOPH made this video to help us come up with some fun […]
So just what is a Lensbaby? Lensbaby is actually an entire line of image modifying products based around three distinct lenses. The concept is that the three core lenses are able to bend, rotate or flex with the outcome that only selected portions of the scene will be in focus. The photographer has control over the point in the scene that is in focus and how large that area is. The three core lenses, or more accurately lens bodies, are The Muse, The Composer and The Control Freak. All three lenses mount to a camera just like the standard kit lens does. There are major differences in camera handling once a Lensbaby is on the camera. First, say goodbye to autofocus, there isn’t any.
Olympus unveils the TOUGH TG-810, a shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof and crushproof compact camera designed to capture all of your extreme adventures, no matter where you go. Whether you’re capturing close-ups of sea creatures on a scuba diving trip in the Bahamas, shooting ski stunts in crisp high-definition video (HD video) on the mountains of Colorado or hitting the skate park near your house, the Olympus TOUGH TG-810 is perfect for you. Rugged has met its match.
So what exactly is an f-stop? Well, to put it in the very simplest terms, it is the opening that lets light into your camera. And so the numbers on the f-stop relate to the size of the opening that is letting light into your camera. F-stops are measured by a scale, and this is […]
A good landscape photographer is always well prepared. Don’t leave home without these ten items. A graduated filter will allow you to even up the lighting between the sky and the ground. When the ground is covered with snow or ice, put the dark area at the bottom. At all other times, put it to the top. A polarizing filter will reduce reflections on glass or water (but not polished metal) and will make the sky bluer without affecting other colors. The effect is most pronounced at 90 degrees to the sun.
