Getting the perfect shot in can be challenging, especially when dealing with unpredictable elements like weather and lighting. But rarely does life gift you with perfect conditions.

Coming to you from Liam Giuliani of 7th Era, this insightful video follows him as he embarks on a street photography project documenting every street in Melbourne, Australia. Giuliani doesn’t shy away from the realities of street photography, openly acknowledging the less-than-ideal cloudy conditions on his shoot. He emphasizes that photographers won’t always have perfect lighting, and instead of making excuses, they should adapt and make the most of the available conditions.

Throughout the video, Giuliani provides valuable insights into his approach, sharing his thought process as he analyzes potential shots and reacts to his surroundings. He discusses the challenges of capturing fleeting moments, the importance of shutter speed and aperture, and the impact of using a prime lens. Parker even reveals his personal anxieties when photographing strangers, highlighting the need for practice and perseverance.

Giuliani’s commentary extends beyond technical aspects, discussing the philosophical side of street photography. He observes how mobile phones have transformed social interactions, prompting reflections on the prevalence of phone usage in public spaces. He also shares his recent focus on capturing individuals holding objects, showcasing his evolving photographic interests. These reflections add a layer of depth to the video, encouraging viewers to consider the sociological and artistic dimensions of their own work. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Giuliani. 

The 50mm focal length is among the most used across different photography genres, and by photography masters across history. But if you’re new to the 50mm lens, today’s featured video should help you get started.

In the video above, Jorge Delgado-Ureña of The Raw Society shares his insights on 50mm — its strengths and what makes it the focal length of choice for many. He also provides some tips on using the focal length to improve your photography, particularly for street and travel photography.

For example, the focal length’s closer perspective allows you to bring attention to details that viewers would likely miss with a wider focal length like 35mm or 24mm. This quality, Delgado-Ureña notes, enables photographers to approach their work in narratives. In turn, this is why 50mm lenses are often used for portraits and documentary photography.

Another benefit of the 50mm is that it produces images that look natural and free of distortion. As such, it’s considered as a “normal” lens. However, its narrower field of view will also force you to think more carefully about your composition and what you include in the frame.

Do you agree with the points that Jorge Delgado-Ureña mentioned above? What in particular inspired you to gain mastery of 50mm for narrative street and travel photography? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s start a discussion!

A good photograph can change the minds of 1,000 people!

Well, this is the motto which drives the passion of Hyderabad birder Hari K. Patibanda and even landed him the unique distinction of being the first from Telangana to win the best photograph prize in the wildlife category of an international contest which featured 4,65,000 photographs sent by about 1.74 lakh lensmen in different categories from across the world.

The fact that the 47-year-old IT professional-turned- a birder’s amazing shot of a black drongo harassing mottled wood owl, shot in Vikarabad near here last winter, earned appreciation from amongst lakhs of photographs speaks volumes of the kind of efforts and the passion with which Hari spends his leisure time in chasing these winged visitors.

“For me, birding for the last five years has been a real stress-buster. And, I make it a point to visit the birding spots, which are dwindling fast for a variety of reasons in and around Hyderabad, every week-end and enjoy watching the behavioural pattern of these birds,” said Mr. Hari in a chat with The Hindu.

“The beauty of the contest in which I won the appreciation is that those who vote don’t know who has taken the picture and the location too. In this context, it is really a great feeling to get my pic win this appreciation and it should only spur many other gifted photographers from Telangana to look far beyond and keep their interest alive and help in protecting the environment,” Mr. Hari said.

Reflecting back on the award-winning photograph, the articulate birder said it was a cloudy day and as expected the owls ventured out but were repeatedly being harassed by the drongoes which are very aggressive and don’t entertain any other winged visitors. I have shot five or six frames of this sequence and was very lucky to get this one which got the award,” said the proud birder.

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If Lensbaby made a light, and you gave it solid build quality, you’d get the Hobolite Iris. This thing is overall pretty simple to work with. There’s an on/off button that also lets you switch between brightness and color temperature. That’s it. Oh, and it feels like a 110 film camera that was built really well. While I’m usually not one to reach for an LED first, I think that the Iris can fulfill a really niche role very well. What’s that role? Small product photography for social media.

I know, photography for social media. It’s not something that I like to say myself. But if it’s not for social media, the lighting can work well enough for a restaurant’s menu — as long as the restaurant isn’t going for a Michelin Star. However, if you’re a bar owner who has a real camera or someone trading photography for free drinks, this could work well enough.

Before I got about to using the Hobolite Iris for photography, I tried it around my apartment and office with random objects. With lots of the various attachments used, I concluded that this is an absolutely phenomenal light to use with items that seem to have a bit of romance to them. I’m talking about books, cocktails, mocktails, watches, etc. Trust me, I tried it on so many random objects around my apartment. I’m positively in love with my Variegated Monstera Plant which took a starring role in a Hasselblad review I did. But this light didn’t work with that. Eventually, while listening to the latest Nora Jones album and reading some of J.R. Rogue’s poetry, I was transported to a more visually romantic time when I lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I couldn’t help but think about the boozy movie theatre, Syndicated, and their beautiful marble countertop bar. With the prism attachment engaged, the Hobolite Iris made absolute romance happen on-camera.

Using the Canon EOS R5, Samyang 85mm f1.4, and a Rigu Mist filter, I made several beautiful photos that I’d gladly be happy giving to clients. These photos channel a feeling, and not necessarily a place.

The Hobolite Iris flirts with the idea of charm, warmth, and changing into just the right attire for the occasion – though it could absolutely expand on the wardrobe. We’ll get to that later.

Playing with the various attachments was quite fun. There are various tabs that let you change the color of the light. And another attachment lets you control the intensity of the beam via the iris – which resembles an aperture. It’s really tough to explain; but to be honest, I opted to go with full-power all the time. It simply just worked better for my creative vision.

For what it’s worth, the Hobolite Iris is kind of weak compared to the lights that I shoot with. Despite that, I was still able to make it work even when shooting at ISO 400.

Make no mistake, this is the most fun I’ve ever had with an LED light.

Ultimately, my favorite accessory is the prism. It’s incredibly fun to work with. But you really need to get more accessories and mounting options. However, that’s also part of the fun. I was setting the Iris down on various mason jars in my dining room and then applying the different color tabs or even adjusting the aperture setting. Truly, I think that this would work best with little projector tabs, like with slide film. To that end, the Hobolite Iris is great if you’re not looking to use a strobe and want to use creative light modifiers that are otherwise pricy for strobes. At the same time, they desperately need more lighting modifiers like projection tabs, prisms, and other really cool, funky things.

Would I use it again? Yes, but you’d still need to pull me away from my Profoto lights for most shoots. Even though the Hobolite Iris needs more fun accessories to make it truly resplendent, they’re thus far doing an incredible job.

The Hobolite Iris Creator Kit and Standard Kit are priced at $199.00 and $99.00 respectively and are available starting May 24th at their website and through authorized retailers like Amazon.

A photographer in Georgia, USA, has been put on a one-year probation and ordered to pay restitution after backing out just hours before the ceremony on a bride’s wedding day.

Wedding and family photographer Danielle Caldwell, said that she had to back out due to sudden illness, even though she fully intended to make the wedding.

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The bride, Allison Gardner, described the situation as chaotic in a Facebook post. She allegedly asked for a refund to immediately hire another photographer but was told by Caldwell that the money had already been used to pay her rent and other bills.

This incident prompted other local people to share similar grievances about Caldwell’s unreliability, including missed appointments, failure to deliver photos and no-shows.

In the end, Gardner took legal action, and Caldwell was charged with theft by conversion. Caldwell agreed to a plea deal to serve one year of probation and pay $900 in restitution to Gardner. However, after several months, Gardner has yet to receive the payment, with Caldwell citing an extension granted by the court.

Sadly, this sort of situation happens all too often, giving wedding and portrait photographers a bad reputation. However, these things can sometimes go both ways, with photographers getting stitched up by brides in return. A solid contract and good word-of-mouth recommendations are vital if you’re looking to hire a wedding photographer.