Fine art photographer Sandra Bartocha is an expert with multiple exposure techniques. For some reason, Nikon Z cameras are significantly worse for multiple exposure photography than Nikon’s DSLR cameras to the degree that Bartocha has started a petition in hopes of encouraging Nikon to address the problem.

For a long time, Nikon DSLR cameras allowed photographers to use in-camera multiple exposure mode and save the composite image as a full-resolution RAW image. Nikon Z mirrorless cameras have removed this option, forcing photographers to save the output as an 8-bit JPEG image.

“For as long as cameras have existed, photographers have been able to use multiple exposures to create creative images. The combination of imagery, the overlay of structures, the fascinating addition of different elements of the image are important tools in artistic photography. This has always been possible in both analog and digital photography with SLR cameras,” explains Bartocha in her Change.org petition.

While multiple exposure photography is admittedly a niche photography specialty, it maintains a small but enthusiastic group of supporters. Bartocha’s petition has reached nearly 630 signatures at the time of publication, with over 140 people having signed it just today.

Why Did Nikon Change the Feature for Mirrorless Cameras?

Nikon digital SLR cameras since at least the D200 allowed photographers to capture multiple exposure RAW images. That spans many APS-C and full-frame cameras with diverse image sensors. Why did Nikon remove this feature from mirrorless cameras?

PetaPixel contacted Nikon for comment and its Nikon’s official stance on the matter is as follows:

While we can’t comment on future releases, we will always consider customer feedback for development of products and features.

PetaPixel asked Nikon why the ability to capture multiple exposure photos in RAW format has been removed from Z cameras, but Nikon did directly respond.

What Can Nikon Z Cameras do for Photographers Like Bartocha?

Speaking to PetaPixel, Bartocha explains that with the Z6 and Z7 cameras, there is a workaround that allows photographers to save the output file as a 16-bit TIFF, which she says “is still not the best solution, as you constantly need the file format when shooting.” However, she adds that Nikon has removed this workaround with the Z8 and Z9.

Save for that tedious workaround, the only option photographers have when using the multiple exposure mode on Z cameras is to save the composite output image as an 8-bit JPEG file. Individual photos that comprise the composite can be saved as RAW files, which is nice, but ideally, photographers could save the output as a RAW file as was possible before.

Why Not Use Photoshop?

Many people, especially those who are not multiple-exposure artists themselves, may wonder what the problem is. Why not just Photoshop and combine RAW files?

“The argument that those single RAW files are easily combined with Photoshop isn’t so easy either,” Bartocha tells PetaPixel. “As I understand multiple exposures, two underexposed frames would be layered as negative multiply to form a correct exposure.”

“Photoshop might work for two or three files, but I don’t get how you would do 10. At least, I’m missing proof so far. Either way, I would like to spare that time in just getting the option back, which has never been a problem before,” Bartocha adds.

“The argument that images can also be combined in post-processing on the computer misses the spontaneous and creative moment that photographers around the world value when using this function. It is not about the nostalgic simulation of a function from analog times that has long since become redundant, but about the creative process at the photo location, the magic of trial and error, and the exciting momentum of coincidence that stands in contrast to the perfectly arranged composing on the computer. It is therefore about the magic of photography itself,” Bartocha explains in her petition.

This is an important point, because even if Photoshop were a perfect substitute from a functionality perspective, which Bartocha thinks it isn’t, post-processing will never be able to replicate the workflows that in-camera processing features enable. As evidenced by popular cameras with retro-inspired styling and many dials, which are arguably slower than custom function buttons for adjusting settings, photographers care about the “experience” of photography a lot, sometimes even more than the results themselves.

The multiple exposure mode in Nikon cameras allows photographers to choose between three overlay modes: add, average, lighten, and darken.

In the add mode, exposures are overlaid without modification and gain is not adjusted. In the average mode, gain is adjusted before exposures are overlaid, and the gain for each exposure is equal to one divided by the total number of exposures taken. Rounding out the modes, the camera compares pixels in each image and uses only the brightest in the lighten overlay mode. Unsurprisingly, the darken mode is the opposite — only the darkest pixels are used.

During the shooting, combinations, and creations emerge that reflect the emotion of a location or the feelings of a fleeting moment. Moods that cannot easily be reproduced on the computer. On location, the possible options can also be better assessed and further developed, which contributes significantly to the coherent final result.

Is There an Inherent Limitation in Mirrorless Cameras?

While Nikon itself did not explain why its mirrorless cameras have omitted a feature that was long available in Nikon DSLR cameras, photographers do not seem to have much by way of explanation either.

“It is unclear why Nikon only saves multi-exposures as JPEGs in the mirrorless cameras. The decision to do this seems completely arbitrary,” Bartocha says.

It does seem that Nikon’s cameras are certainly powerful enough to deliver her requested feature. Nikon Professional Services in Germany, where Bartocha lives, tells her that they have no explanation either, as they believe that Nikon’s Z cameras should be capable of offering the feature.

To Canon’s credit, as Bartocha points out, some Canon EOS R-series mirrorless cameras can save multiple exposure composites as RAW files. For example, the popular Canon EOS R5 and R6 cameras can do it.

However, the Canon EOS R6 Mark II cannot. Some people speculate that it has something to do with extensive in-camera lens corrections applied in mirrorless cameras. However, if that is the case, that should have also been true of the R5 and R6.

However, to add some weight to this explanation, when using the multiple exposure feature on Canon cameras, some lenses prevent the mode from being used, according to Bartocha.

PetaPixel also reached out to Canon to comment on this story, even though the petition concerns Nikon Z cameras. Canon USA’s substantive response is as follows:

It’s true some previous cameras were able to capture multi-exposure in camera in RAW with some lens restrictions (not all lenses were supported). However, with the new models such as the EOS R6 Mark II, this feature only allows for JPEG capture. In order to support some of the EOS R6 Mark II’s improvements, this feature for multi-exposure capture in RAW could not be achieved. Canon recognizes it’s a requested feature and will continue to listen to the valuable feedback customers provide.

So, lenses do seem to be involved, but it is not clear specifically which Canon EOS R6 II feature prevents the availability of in-camera multiple exposure RAW images.

Next Steps and Hopes for the Future of Multiple Exposure Photography in the Mirrorless Age

“Multiple exposures taken in-camera are as such a very niche thing. It is primarily used by photographers as a creative tool. They want to do it in the field and the want to have a high-quality file, that allows for further adjustments, printing, etc. Many ICM photographers use it,” Bartocha says.

Again, this is not some throwaway feature, even if that is precisely how Nikon treated it in the transition to mirrorless. Bartocha says that she had heard from some photographers that they are not upgrading to a mirrorless camera because of this issue. She knows of others who have switched to Canon — although that move could backfire if future cameras go the way of the R6 II. She has also heard about people who want Nikon’s exciting Z cameras, but will not buy one because this feature is unavailable.

While these are anecdotal reports and not full-fledged surveys, they hit on something important.

It is a feature that people want, it is a feature that was previously available, and there is no obvious reason why it cannot be brought back.

As Nikon tells PetaPixel, the company listens to customer feedback. Through firmware updates, Nikon has delivered many significant improvements and new features to existing Z cameras. In some cases, the changes are vast. Perhaps this is another instance where Nikon can cater to its customers and add — or bring back, in this case — a requested feature.

Photographers interested in joining Bartocha’s cause can sign up on Change.org. It is important that people’s voices are heard and it does seem like Nikon is listening.

Image credits: All images © Sandra Bartocha

The Sixth Circuit Friday signaled that a Christian photographer’s moving from Kentucky to Florida may have stripped it of the power to decide Louisville’s appeal of an order barring it from enforcing its public accommodations law against her opposition to providing services for same-sex weddings.

The issue came to the fore during oral argument following a last-minute motion by Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government seeking to have a lawsuit by Chelsey Nelson and her photography business sent back to the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Nelson revealed that she moved out of state in a brief filed April 14, but “a publicly-available deed from Nelson’s recent sale of her Louisville residence indicates that she has moved to Tallahassee,” the motion said.

Because Nelson is now out-of-state and so distant from Louisville, she doesn’t face a credible threat that the sexual orientation provisions of the city’s public accommodations ordinance will be enforced against her, Louisville’s attorney Casey L. Hinkle told the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. That means Nelson and her business lack standing to continue with her lawsuit, the injunction issued by the lower court must be vacated, and the case must be dismissed, she said.

That Nelson no longer lives in Kentucky is something that must be considered, Hinkle said. Hinkle is with Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird LLP.

She agreed with one of the Sixth Circuit judges that remand for discovery would also be proper if the court thinks fact-finding is needed regarding Nelson’s move and her stated plans to continue pursuing opportunities to provide wedding-related services in Louisville despite her relocation. But “we submit that dismissal” is the appropriate outcome because Nelson no longer lives in Louisville, Hinkle said.

If Hinkle is right, it would side-track an appeal that was expected to clarify the reach of the US Supreme Court’s June 30 decision in a similar case involving a Christian website designer in Colorado who likewise says her faith forbids her from providing services for same-sex weddings.

A 6-3 majority said in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that the First Amendment requires allowances from public accommodations laws for businesses that engage in expressive activities like the customized websites built by 303 Creative. Public accommodation laws typically prohibit any form of discrimination.

But Nelson’s lawyer told the Sixth Circuit panel—Judges Jane Branstetter Stranch, John K. Bush, and Eric E. Murphy—that they should wait for Nelson’s answer to Louisville’s motion before kicking the case back to the district court.

“Yes, we need an opportunity to file a written response,” attorney Jonathan A. Scruggs said in response to one of the judges. The question of whether the district court properly rejected Nelson’s request for nominal damages, despite granting her an injunction against enforcement of Louisville’s ordinance is also on appeal, he said.

If Nelson is entitled to nominal damages, that would support continued standing irrespective of her move to Florida, Scruggs said. He is with the Alliance Defending Freedom, which also represented the plaintiff in 303 Creative.

Standing to sue also still exists because Nelson’s business remains incorporated in Kentucky and she continues to seek business opportunities there, Scruggs said.

“My suggestion would be for” the judges to wait for Nelson’s response to Louisville’s remand motion before deciding what comes next, he said. Public accommodation laws don’t just apply to those residing within a state, he said.

The Jefferson County attorney’s office also represents Louisville.

The case is Chelsey Nelson Photography LLC v. Louisville-Jefferson Cty., Ky., Metro Gov’t, 6th Cir., No. 22-05884, oral argument 7/28/23.

We all want to be better photographers, of course. However, how do you actually go about it? If you find yourself wondering how to set about improving your work, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer sharing loads of wisdom both on how to be better and how to enjoy the craft more. 

Coming to you from Alister Benn of Expressive Photography, this insightful video tutorial offers a range of helpful advice on how to overcome creative slumps and plateaus as a photographer. I think one of the most important things to do is to simply understand and become comfortable with the fact that creativity does not flow constantly. Creativity naturally waxes and wanes, and in times when it is not strong, it can quickly become a frustrating experience. If you are a hobbyist, it is easy enough to just ride out the troughs without pushing the issue. If you are a professional, of course, you need to be able to continue creating, which is why it is important to keep your technique sharp and have a portfolio of personal projects you can draw from when you are lacking inspiration. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Benn.

To see Paul Lundgren in action at one of the numerous local music concerts he photographs every month, you’d think the south Minneapolis native was a veteran concert photographer.

A gander at Lundgren’s local concert file leaves the impression that he’s been at it for decades. And while, in fact, he got his start shooting the likes of Flamingo, Simba, the Pistons and the Hypstrz at the dawn of the late ’70s Twin Cities punk/new wave explosion, Lundgren stopped almost as soon he started.

“I was looking at some negatives and prints, and I just got discouraged and thought, ‘These are boring. I’m just not any good at this.’ So I quit. For 30 years,” said Lundgren recently in the backyard of the home he shares with his wife of 33 years, Lori. “I just didn’t have the passion, or the fire in the belly for it. And, also, the [joke] I’ve told people is that ‘I was shooting more photographs than dope.’ But it was better for me to clean up because the only other option was dying from it, and here I am, 70.”

Several sober decades after his false start, Lundgren is one of the busiest and most valued chroniclers of the local music scene, bouncing from club to club to capture live moments several times a week.

“The first rock and roll show I shot was Iggy Pop, ’77, and I lost all the negatives, but that was the first time I had an experience of going into the darkroom and seeing a print come to life, and I always enjoyed that,” he said. “So that’s where it started.”

Seven years ago, Lundgren retired from his job as a graphic arts sales rep, where he was first introduced to photography and cameras, the quality of which he upgraded as his passion grew.

“In the ’90s when I was sobering up, I just kind of stepped away from going out and all that stuff,” he said. “And then in 2011, as a guy in search of a hobby, so to speak, I figured, ‘Well, I’ve got all these old negatives and slides. I’m gonna buy a flatbed scanner that can do black and white negatives or color slides. So I did, and I posted some on Facebook, and people liked them. So that was encouraging.

“The next year I started shooting [live shows], and I posted the photos on Facebook and people liked them. So I felt like it was a good hobby to get me out more than I was going out.

“And I think where it has ended up is that in some way, I’m part of a community. I’ve gotten to know a lot of people. When I go places whether I’m by myself or not, there’s someone I run into who enjoys my photography, and I like that.”

The passion is back

After all these years, has the mild-mannered Lundgren found that fire in his belly?

“Yeah, I would say that. I don’t know, I’m just living my life and I’m at this stage now,” he said. “But there’s moments when, sometimes it’s a song someone’s playing or whatever, and I’ll feel it, where I’ve got to get out and shoot some photos and try to get that moment.

“Some of them are just a documentation, and some are, I dare say, great because they really capture a moment of someone’s energy on stage and what they’re dealing with. I like still photography, and these days everybody can shoot a video of a band. And I do that myself sometimes, but I still see the value of capturing that moment of someone on stage.

“Honestly, it’s getting me out of the house. That’s the main thing. I guess I just found something that gives me joy. Especially since I retired. And I enjoy hearing the music, too. It’s not just about the photography; when I’m at a show, I’m probably paying as much attention to shooting as I am listening, but I’m OK with that. That’s how I roll.”

In short order over the past few years, Lundgren’s photos have adorned several local music projects, including his shot of guitarist Johnny Rey on the cover of Cyn Collins’ oral history book of the Twin Cities scene, “Complicated Fun,” and he contributed several images of local luminaries to Mark Engebretson’s documentary “Jay’s Longhorn” and David Roth’s documentary “Minnesota Hardcore.”

“Those are ‘wow’ moments,” he said. “Having those positive experiences were really important to me and have kind of kept me going. I don’t aspire to be shooting for Rolling Stone or somebody like that. I like the local music scene, I like being a part of it, so I’ve just had a lot of good experiences.”

The biggest difference between Lundgren now and the version who gave up photography 30 years ago?

“I know I am good at this, I am always trying to get better, and it helps to have a captive audience on social media.”

Jim Walsh is a writer and songwriter from Minneapolis. He can be reached at jimwalsh086@gmail.com.

As a young man, photography artist Ramin Samandari went from oil country to oil country, emigrating from Iran to the Permian Basin thanks to a sponsoring relative who lived in Odessa.

After his home country had been roiled by the Islamic Revolution of the late 1970s, and with martial law declared in Samandari’s last year of high school, his family decided to send their young son away to study medicine in the United States. The plan was for Samandari to eventually return once things had settled.

Forty-five years later Samandari remains in Texas, having given up medicine to become a professional photographer, now a fixture in San Antonio art circles thanks to his ongoing series of portraits documenting the city’s artists and arts supporters.

Samandari was selected as the San Antonio Art League and Museum’s Artist of the Year for 2023 in part due to the notoriety of that series, titled San Antonio Faces of Art, and several of those portraits will be on view during his retrospective exhibition at the nonprofit museum in September.

“Ramin was selected overwhelmingly this year, which thrilled us because [he] has done so much for the arts in San Antonio,” said Lyn Belisle, San Antonio Art League and Museum board president.

Turning philosophical

Belisle was first introduced to Samandari’s work through his partner Deborah Keller-Rihn, also a photographer who affectionately called their 30-year relationship “a photographic love affair.”

Keller-Rihn said they met in part because of her admiration for his work, which she said described as emotive, richly textured and romantic, “but not in a syrupy way.”

Her favorite series is In Search of the Beloved, moody polaroid transfer prints of costumed figures in landscapes layered with quotes of the 13th-century Sufi mystic poet Rumi inscribed in Farsi. Another similar series was drawn from family photos Samandari retrieved during a trip to Iran in 2000. 

Those also incorporate Rumi verses, such as “I was a particle / you made me greater than a mountain,” a phrase that evidences Samandari’s abiding interest in going beyond the merely visual in his imagery, having named his photography studio Magical Realism Studio.

“I don’t want to show what anybody can see with their own eyes. It’s an interpretation of reality,” he explained.

Unfortunately, he explained, only two images from that series remain. The rest were lost to water damage from a leaky pipe that ruined a significant portion of his archives, including an estimated 2,500 negatives that he’d intended to print. 

Many were for a series with a title that became ironic — the Enigma series — given that the images will remain a mystery. However, he was able to salvage three dozen negatives, and one print will soon be on view in an upcoming Contemporary at Blue Star Red Dot fundraising sale.

‘A consummate photographer’

San Antonio almost lost Samandari himself when the artist had a severe heart attack in 2021. He is now diagnosed with second-stage congestive heart failure, the result of a 100% blockage and an 80% blockage in his coronary artery.

The experience has mellowed the 63-year-old Samandari, who quit smoking and now requires rest and less of his favorite Scotch. It also makes him grateful for the upcoming retrospective exhibition of 51 artworks spanning 22 years, which includes an illustrated catalog available for sale to the public.

Former San Antonio Museum of Art curator David Rubin wrote the catalog essay, originally published by Glasstire. In the essay, Rubin covers the wide range of subjects explored by Samandari, from traditional nudes and landscapes to street photography made in his native Tehran, which Rubin credits as “[pointing] out that there is more to Iran than just the media portrayal of protests, riots, and militaristic activity.” Instead, Samandari’s photos reveal everyday scenes, such as elderly men playing chess in a city park and children sledding in copious snow.

Samandari also photographed snowy San Antonio during Winter Storm Uri of 2021. Those images caught the eye of artist and San Antonio Art League Museum member Brian St. John, who nominated Samandari for the Artist of the Year distinction. 

Among praise for Samandari’s work and presence in San Antonio, St. John said, “He’s prolific. He has a beautiful sense of composition and a wide range of thematic choices from the figure to the landscape to ‘Big Sky.’ … He’s a consummate photographer and artist.”

Too wild

When Samandari first arrived in Texas, he said “Nuke Iran” T-shirts were a common sight.

“In Odessa, it was not healthy to advertise you’re from Iran. I got really close to heavy situations several times,” Samandari said. “I tried to learn English as fast as I could, and as best as I could.” He watched movies, read books and talked to people, especially friends from outside Texas, during poker nights, eventually earning an indistinct accent.

“So when I talked to people, [they knew] I wasn’t a local — definitely I didn’t have the [Texas] accent — but they couldn’t tell I was a foreigner either,” he said.

The economic recession of the late 1980s hit West Texas hard, and Samandari relocated to take darkroom photography classes at San Antonio College. He started in photojournalism by working for the college newspaper, then worked for the San Antonio Express-News and San Antonio Light newspapers.

However, the romantic sensibilities his partner Keller-Rihn would eventually recognize were not appreciated by newspaper editors. 

His photographic work “wasn’t satisfying to me or to them,” he said. “They called it artsy fartsy.”

He was given “wild art” assignments, when photojournalists are asked to keep an eye out for interesting happenings or perspectives on their city. 

Still, his eye was too wild for the job. “I would photograph things that weren’t entirely in focus on the main subject, or introduce a slight blur into the picture. They said, ‘Look, this stuff is not for the newspaper,’” he said.

Those rejections led Samandari to take a job as a buyer for Half Price Books so he could pursue his own course, traveling occasionally back to Iran to reconnect with family and heritage, and making the images he believed in. A representative selection of the results will be on view in the two-story Victorian mansion of the San Antonio Art League and Museum from Sept. 24 through Nov. 4.

Summing up her observations of Samandari’s decades-long career, Keller-Rihn said, “He’s very disciplined and single-minded. His life purpose really is about photography. He’s completely about photography. I always admire that about him.”

Pretty much anyone who knows British basketball, knows the work of Mansoor Ahmed.

The UK-based, internationally published, freelance photographer’s primary focus is covering the sport.

During a career spanning 30-plus years, Mansoor has covered many prestigious domestic and international events including the Olympic Games. He is a veteran of 16 EuroBaskets, six World Cups and various other prestigious events around the globe. He has strong links to domestic leagues too, working for the likes of Basketball England, both the Men’s and Women’s British Basketball League and British Wheelchair Basketball in both an official and commission basis over many years.

Ahmedphotos has received commissions to produce images for individual players, clubs, leagues, publishers, sporting goods companies and photo agencies worldwide, as well as high level leagues such as the NBA, WNBA, FIBA, FIBA Europe and the EuroLeague.

A sampling of Mansoor’s clients include Nike, Adidas, And1, Sports Illustrated, ESPN and the Jordan Brand.

Mansoor, who had visions of being a pro basketball player, had trials with Manchester United back in the late 80s but couldn’t quite cut the mustard. He later remarked: “My jump shot didn’t get me into the league but my snapshot did!”

In this photo essay, Mansoor shares 10 of his favourite basketball shots from his vast collection of work and what makes them so special – part of Basketball England’s celebration South Asian Heritage Month and the figureheads in British basketball community.

All images – Mansoor Ahmed

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‘Gatorade Shower’ – Nick Nurse gets drenched after finally landing the coveted playoff title for Manchester Giants at Wembley. Love this pic of a young Nick for whom the starry lights of the NBA awaited. Who would have thought that he would one day lead an NBA team to a championship on the back of stints in foreign climes!

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