Photography

I love it when clients say “I know this is impossible”, says pro photographer James Musselwhite

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

James Musselwhite is a professional photographer and videographer who’s hard to pin down, at least in terms of genre. When I speak to James from his home in Portsmouth, England (his commercial studio is based nearby) he’s just returned from shooting a big professional wrestling event in London, and is still riding high on the excitement.

James’s huge passion for wrestling has followed him throughout his career and makes up part of his portrait business alongside weddings, pets, newborns and even commercial headshots.

James’ work might be varied but it’s portraiture and, more importantly, the story behind the portrait, that he loves most. His approach to gear, lighting, and client consultations is also similar – no matter the subject.

James Musselwhite

James Musselwhite has been shooting professionally since 2013 and is a photographer, mentor and speaker. Starting in a high-street portrait studio, he soon taught himself how to light people and understand exposure. Based in Portsmouth, UK, James runs his studio for newborns, family portraits and corporate headshots. He also shoots video content for events and weddings. James is passionate about pro wrestling, and well known for ongoing personal projects such as Portrait of a Wrestler, which has been ongoing since 2014.

“Working out how famous portraits have been shot is one of my favorite things to do,” he shares. “I love solving the puzzle of how subjects have been lit.”

We first spoke to James back before the pandemic. Now, having come out on the other side, he seems even more determined to push his creative and personal boundaries.

He has upgraded to mirrorless with the Canon EOS R6 and R6 Mark II, opened a bigger studio, been a featured speaker at The Photography & Video Show, and even started sharing video tutorials from his portraiture and ringside action. Let’s find out more…

A close-up portrait of a women with a red background — A regularly user of flash and coloured gels, James sets a manual white balance of around 4600K and tweaks the RAW files during post-production of his portraits (Image credit: James Musselwhite)

You shoot quite a range of subjects. Do you approach them in the same way?

I did a talk on this last year and we broke it down. The process for a wrestling portrait in terms of the commission is actually quite similar to any portrait shoot. You have your initial inquiry, then you set up a consultation where you discuss and storyboard ideas. As a photographer today, you should be looking to add value and expertise as much as possible at every step.

If a wrestler wanted us to shoot their new character, in the same way as a newborn shoot, we would sit down on a Zoom call and discuss ideas and what they want. Get them to submit ideas. Then we can provide a storyboard level and send it back to them.

The consultation process sounds important to what you do. Is it about setting expectations?

Whether it’s a newborn or wrestling shoot, consultations give you ideas and you can set boundaries. For example, if the mum shows you a picture of a skin-on-skin shot with a baby, you almost know you’ve got the authority to approach that. If you think it’s a good idea, you shouldn’t just throw it on a mum as it might be an uncomfortable experience for her.

The experience is what it’s all about, in terms of what we do as photographers. We can produce an amazing image, but if it reminds them of a bad time, they won’t necessarily like it. If you provide them with a good time, a positive time, and an empowering time, then you provide the images, and the job is already done by the time it comes down to the sales point.

I love it when clients come to me and say “I know this is impossible,” but then you find a way to make it completely possible. That’s the skill in what I do; making something a reality.

One female wrestler jumping on another in the ring — A high ISO setting is essential for fast shutter speeds to freeze movement in the ring, despite the ambient light in a venue (Image credit: James Musselwhite)

The Canon EOS R system has moved on since you last spoke to us. How did your kit change?

During the pandemic, I decided to go mirrorless. I’d flirted with mirrorless cameras from other brands just to see what they were like, but I’d always shot professionally with my Canon EOS 5D. And then I tried the EOS R6. Once I’d had the settings to replicate a DSLR, it was great. I’ve got the EOS R6 Mark II now, and the electronic viewfinder I was working with at Wembley at the weekend makes photography so easy.

I shot using the R6 Mark II with an EF lens adapter on the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM, and the facial recognition AF proved astounding. Truly. I was facing the ring from 60 meters away, behind the ring was a sea of about 3,000 people looking at me, but the autofocus software inside the camera still managed to pick out the face of the person I was tracking to be pin sharp.

A portrait of a female in a green coat looking at the camera — In James’ studio work, he wants everyone who walks in front of the lens to be seen in a way they’re happy with (Image credit: James Musselwhite)

What are your most used lenses?

I love a 70-200mm, and I’m using my old Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens with an adapter. I’m looking to see whether Canon can do something around 200-500mm because that would be a nice range, but my workhorse is the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM nowadays.

Earlier we touched on the fact you shoot a wide range of subjects. What would you like to shoot – either commercially or personally – that you haven’t yet?

I’ve got a couple of projects in mind. I walk past an allotment more or less every day, and see the people working there. It’s always the most diverse range of people. Each one has a different character. For example, one has signposts in the ground that say things like “Narnia, 500 miles this way” and has got some sort of sci-fi and fantasy background. I want to walk around the allotment with a bunch of leaflets and let people know that I’ll be back here for anyone who wants to be part of the photo project.

I think that [older] generation is actually more invested in recording memories. If I were to offer up my service at a TikTok convention, no one would care. But perhaps the older generation is more invested in “traditional” photography.

The other project I’ve got in mind (one which I’ve been waiting about six years to do now) is to photograph pantomime dames. I’ve got this idea for someone in “ugly sister” make-up, shot in a really dark, almost Fifties style, with a single light. I just think there’s something quintessentially British about that.

I don’t know if I’ll get canceled if I do it, but it’s the one project that I can see myself sitting on the sofa of the BBC Breakfast show talking about. I could see it because there are loads of little church halls around here and amateur dramatic societies, and I could definitely work away up that ladder and have a project that would represent that.

Wrestling is kind of like a subculture where it has its own language and its own understanding of why it exists. And I think pantomime is that, too.

A portrait of a female in a pink dress, looking at the camera — James loves using colored lighting gels and outfits to create a particular atmosphere (Image credit: James Musselwhite)

A portrait of a male wrestler looking at the camera — This close-up portrait of Punjabi British wrestler Hari was shot at 100mm on his zoom lens, filling the frame for intensity (Image credit: James Musselwhite)

What is the one thing you wish you had known when you started taking photos?

There’s a book I’ve got downstairs called Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self, with entries from people such as Sir Elton John and Stephen Fry. It’s a fascinating read, I love that book.

What I know now is that the anxiety doesn’t ever go away, which is a weird thing for me because you have to have a certain level of confidence to do what I do as a portrait photographer. I’ve just learned to manage that anxiety.

In terms of a serious answer, I don’t think I wish I’d known anything. No piece of advice could help you, as you’ve just got to get in there and do it. Don’t be shy about sharing your stuff, and never be afraid of asking others for help and advice.

Every negative and positive experience that you have puts you on a different journey to the next photographer, and that’s what makes you unique. So you can’t influence it, you just have to learn, adapt, and change.

A longer version of this interview originally appeared in Issue 210 of PhotoPlus magazine. Click the link below to see our latest special subscription deal!

Interesting in shooting wrestling or other sport? Check out the best cameras for sports photography and the best lenses for sports photography. If portraiture is more your thing, take a look at the best cameras for portraits and the best lenses for portraits.

Nikon Z6 III Review

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Introduction

The Z6 III is the long-awaited replacement for 2020’s Z6 II mid-range mirrorless camera, which was itself only a modest update of the original Z6 that was launched way back in 2018.

The 2024 version is an altogether different beast that represents a big step forward for Nikon’s more affordable full-frame cameras, on paper at least.

While the megapixel count remains the same as its predecessor at 24.5MP, it now boasts a world’s first “partially-stacked” sensor design which offers faster scan rates and readouts than its predecessor.

In turn, this promises to produce more detailed images with increased dynamic range and more accurate colour fidelity. In addition the wider native ISO range now runs from 100 to 64000 (expandable to 50-204800).

In conjunction with the same EXPEED 7 processor that drives the higher-end Z8 and Z9 models, the new sensor delivers a raft of improvements such as faster auto-focusing, up to 120fps burst shooting complete with Pre-Release Capture, a 4000-nit, 5670k-dot EVF that’s 33% brighter than the flagship Z9, and reduced rolling shutter distortion for fast-moving subjects.

Other key features of the Z6 III include internal 6K/60p RAW, 4K/120p and 1080/240p video, 8.0 stops of 5-axis image stabilisation, top shutter speed of 1/16,000 sec, fully articulating 2100k-dot touchscreen, weather sealing and cold resistance down to -10 C/14 F, dual CFexpress Type B and UHS-II SD memory card slots, and support for 96 megapixel images using pixel shift technology.

The Nikon Z6 III is available now priced in black at £2699 / / $2499 / €3099 body only in the UK, Europe and USA respectively. It is made in Thailand.

Read on for our in-depth Nikon Z6 III review, complete with full-size sample photos and videos for you to download and evaluate.

Ease of Use

Nikon has used pretty much the same body design for the Z6 III as the Z6 II, which doesn’t come as a great surprise in a mature market where upgrades are less frequent and more incremental.

Measuring 138.5 x 101.5 x 74 mm (5.5 x 4 x 3 in.) and weighing 760 g (1 lb. 10.9 oz.) with battery and memory card, fitted, it is a few mm wider and deeper and 45g heavier than its predecessor, mainly to accommodate the chunkier hand grip, which we think is definitely worth the trade off for the slightly better handling that it offers.

Otherwise you’d be hard-pressed to to tell the two cameras apart side-by-side, with the external control layouts being virtually identical – it’s inside the camera where the majority of the improvements have been made.

Burst shooting rates and buffer capacities have been greatly improved in this new Z6 model. The Z6 II was no slouch, offering 14fps rates and a buffer of 112 raws or 200 JPEGs. The Mark III takes things to another level, though, now being capable of shooting at 120fps (10MP DX-format JPEGs), or 60fps (24MP full-frame JPEGs), or 20fps (up to 1,000 24MP full-frame RAWs), all using the electronic shutter, or 14fps with the mechanical shutter.

In addition, the Z6 III also boasts Pre-Release Capture, a great feature that makes it easier to capture the decisive moment even when shooting at 120fps. When activated, the camera can buffer images up to 1 second before you fully depress the shutter button. Burst shooting then starts when the shutter is half-pressed and the buffer will retain up to 4 seconds’ worth of frames after fully pressing the shutter.

There is one important caveat when using this mode, which applies to all the Nikon camera that offer it to date. Pre-Release Capture is only available when shooting JPEGs, not RAW files, whereas the rival Canon EOS R6 II supports both JPEG and RAW formats for its equivalent feature.

On a more positive note, the Nikon Z6 III can shoot at 60fps at full resolution in the Pre-Release Capture mode, something that no other Nikon camera can match, including both the Z8 and Z9 (they both reduce the resolution to 19 megapixels).

Backing up the improved burst shooting and making the Z6 III much better suited to wildlife and sports photography is the revamped auto-focus system which is very similar to the one found on the flagship Z8/Z9.

The 493-point phase-detection AF system covers the full sensor area and AF calculations are conducted at up to 120fps to keep up with the fast continuous shooting speeds.

3D Tracking AF inherited from the company’s DSLR cameras helps the Z6 III to track fast-moving subjects, with the camera using a single AF point to track whatever’s underneath it while you half-press the shutter button.

It also inherits most, but not all, of the subject recognition modes that are available on the Zf, Z8 and Z9, with the notable exception of a dedicated bird detection mode which is part of the more general animal detection mode.

When paired with an F1.2 lens, the Z6 III boasts AF sensitivity that means it can auto-focus down to an incredible -10EV, even when not using the special Starlight AF shooting mode.

In terms of AF performance, the Z6 III represents a big improvement when compared with the Z6 II, getting it right a lot more frequently than that camera did and making it much easier to recommend for anybody that shoots a lot of moving subjects, such as wildlife or sport.

The in-body image stabilization system has been significantly improved with the Z6 III now offering 8.0 stops of 5-axis image stabilisation built into the camera’s body, up from 5 stops on the Z6 II, plus there’s electronic-VR for video recording. The optional Focus Point VR feature stabilises the area around the active focus point when shooting stills.

The Z6III’s video capabilities have also gained a significant upgrade in the four years since the release of the Mark II version.

The new model offers 12-bit 6K and oversampled 4K RAW (N-RAW and ProRES RAW ) recording internally up to 60fps for N-RAW and 30fps for ProRES, plus regular 4K at up to 120fps (1.5x crop) and 10x slow motion up to 240fps in Full HD.

Internal recording is also supported with 10-bit color and 4:2:2 sampling in the ProRes 422 HQ codec and 4:2:0 sampling in the H.265 codec at 5.4K 30p and 5.4K 60p.

The maximum recording time is an impressive 120 minutes, despite the absence of a cooling fan or other heat-dissipating design.

As with its predecessor, Nikon has opted for a chunky and solid design which shrinks down all the vital elements of the larger Z8/Z9 models, without it being frustratingly small to use.

The body of the Z6 III is still replete with plenty of dials and buttons which all have enough space to breathe, and we’ll go through those in more detail as we progress through this review.

It feels very well-built and has a premium-feeling textured covering around the hand-grip and rear thumb rest, which helps to both make the camera feel comfortable and secure in your hand as well as adding to the general feeling of quality.

Most of the buttons and dials are found on the right hand side of the camera, particularly those that you’re likely to use frequently. That means you can make almost all of the main changes to settings using just your right hand and conceivably even use the camera one-handed if you so wished.

Positioned on the left of the top plate, you’ll find the camera’s shooting mode dial. Here there’s all the usual manual and semi-automatic modes, (PSAM), as well as fully auto, and three slots for user-customised settings.

The latter three modes (U1-U3) come in very handy if you’re often shooting a particular type of subject, such as sports or action, and want to quickly flick to a certain group of settings that you’ve already configured.

Just underneath the mode dial on the rear of the camera, you’ll find the newly relocated burst shooting button, which has swapped places with the playback button, and the delete button.

Moving over to the right-hand side of the top plate and first of all you’ve got the LCD display, which shows you all the key settings, such as aperture, battery, remaining shots, drive mode and shutter speed. It’s a great way to quickly ascertain if you have the settings you want selected, without having to turn the camera on and check the rear screen.

To the right of the screen, there’s a large unmarked dial which you can rotate with your thumb and is used to adjust different settings depending on the shooting mode you’re in – for example in shutter priority mode, it will control the shutter speed. You can also use it in conjunction with one of the other buttons – such as ISO – to make adjustments.

Toward the front of the top plate, at the top of the grip, you’ll find the Off/On switch, as well as the shutter release button. This is surrounded by a dedicated video record button, an ISO button and an exposure compensation button.

At the front/top of the hand-grip is another scrolling dial, which again controls different settings depending on the mode you’re using – for example in aperture priority mode, it adjusts the aperture setting.

The rear of the camera is where you’ll find the majority of the buttons. Starting at the top, you’ve got a display button which you can use to adjust how both the screen and the viewfinder displays – for example, you can switch off the live view feed altogether and just show settings on the rear screen, and you can switch on and off a histogram and horizon level. In the viewfinder you can toggle on the level, histogram and display around the frame.

Around the display button, there’s a switch which you can use to move between stills mode and video mode. It’s quite a stiff switch, so it’s unlikely you’d do this by accident and end up in the wrong mode.

To the right of this button/dial combination is the AF-on button, which you can customise to allow for back-button focusing if you prefer to activate AF in that way. This means that when you press the shutter release, it won’t attempt to refocus again, which is useful for focusing and recomposing, or for photographing quick moving subjects.

Underneath the AF-On button, there’s a joystick. This comes in extremely handy for moving the AF point around the frame, either while composing via the screen, or while composing via the viewfinder.

Unlike some other cameras on the market, you can’t use the touchscreen while shooting through the viewfinder, so it’s very likely you’ll be using the joystick for this purpose. You can also use the stick to move around either the quick or full menu.

You can access a quick menu by pressing the “i” button underneath the mode dial. Here you’ll find a group of settings which you’re likely to use frequently, such as Picture Control, Flash, Release mode, AF-area mode, metering, and so on. You can navigate around this menu either by using the joystick, the directional keys or by touching on the setting you want to change.

You can then use the scrolling dials to adjust the setting as required. If you find there are settings in this menu that you don’t use all that often, you can customise the “i” menu in the main menu, swapping out any settings you don’t use for ones which you do. Another way to access the quick menu is to tap the “i” displayed on the camera screen, too.

Underneath the “i” button is an unmarked four-way navigational pad, with an OK button at the centre. You can use the directional keys to move the AF point around the screen, as well as navigate around images in playback, or bring up information about said images. The OK button can be used for menu navigation, but also for functions such as resetting the AF point to the centre of the frame.

Underneath the navi-pad is a button with a magnifying glass on it, which you can use to zoom into the scene you’re photographing – it’s particularly useful for checking critical focus, especially when using manual focus.

Directly underneath it there’s a zoom out button, too. You can also use these buttons in playback to check areas of the scene. To the right of the zoom in button is the main menu button, where you’ll find a vast array of settings, those which you’re unlikely to change on quite as regular a basis as those settings found in the quick menu.

There are several pages to move through, but they are reasonably well-organised into a set of different folders, such as Playback, Photo Shooting, Movie Shooting, Custom Settings, Setup and a Retouch menu.

There’s also a “My Menu”, where you can save any menu settings which you access frequently, to save you scrolling through pages of menus to find the exact setting which you need.

You’ll find the dual memory card slots behind a door which doubles up as the rear thumb rest. There’s one slot for XQD / CFExpress, while the secondary slot accepts SD format cards. Given the smaller size of the cameras it presumably wouldn’t be possible to put two XQD shaped slots here, so it’s a good compromise to have the smaller format alongside the more rugged / faster format.

There are a number of ways you can set up the secondary slot – you can either have it as a backup slot, which makes a straight copy of the first card as you’re shooting, you can have set up as “overflow”, so it only comes into play when the first card is full, or you can set up both cards to record different formats. So, you could have the XQD card slot record raw files, and the SD card slot record JPEGs, or one could record stills, and the other movie.

Two things which have changed since the previous version are the rear LCD screen and the electronic viewfinder. The Z6 III now has a much higher-resolution 5670k-dot OLED viewfinder with a refresh rate of 60fps, plus 4000-nit brightness which is 33% brighter than the flagship Z9. Another first on a Nikon camera is the EVF’s wide (DCI-P3) colour gamut which displays more life-like colours with no colour banding.

You can set the viewfinder to switch on automatically as you lift the camera to your eye (the default setting), or you can switch it to so it’s permanently on (and the rear screen is not / displays only camera settings), or you can even set it to permanently off if you prefer.

A button on the left-hand side of the viewfinder controls all of these settings, while there’s a diopter dial on the opposite side of the finder for adjusting the focus of the viewfinder.

Also upgraded on the Mark III version of the Z6 is the rear screen. It’s still a 3.2-inch, 2.1m-dot TFT touch-sensitive screen, but has now been changed from a tilting up/down design to a more versatile fully articulating design that can be flipped out both to the side and forwards/backwards. This is much more useful for shooting selfies or recording videos to camera and makes the Z6 III appeal more to vloggers.

On the left hand side of the camera is where you’ll find all the ports housed underneath two rubber flaps, including a headphone and microphone jack, a full-size HDMI port, a remote control port and a USB-C port which you can use for charging the camera. One small improvement is that the camera’s external mic input can now be used as a line-level input for pro-quality sound.

The Z6 III retains the ability to charge the camera while it is recording stills/video, which could be useful or videographers looking to extend the recording times. Battery life from the EN‑EL15c rechargeable Li-ion battery is quoted as 390 stills using the LCD screen and 340 using the viewfinder according to CIPA standards.

A new Power Battery Pack, the MB-N14, is also available which be used for vertical shooting as well as to increase shooting time with two EN-EL15c batteries housed in the grip.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 24.5 megapixel Fine* JPEG setting, which produces an average image size of around 9Mb.

Noise

The base sensitivity of the Nikon Z6 is ISO 100 but you can go down to ISO 50 (L1.0) if you wish. At the other end of the scale, the highest native sensitivity of the Nikon Z6 is ISO 64000, but boosted settings including ISO 102400 and ISO 204800 are also available. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and RAW on the right.

JPEG

RAW

ISO 50

ISO 100

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12800

ISO 25600

ISO 51200

ISO 102400

ISO 204800

File Quality

The Nikon Z6 III has two different file options – Raw and JPEG – with three compression options available for Raw and 6 for JPEG. Here are some 100% crops which show the differences between them all, with the full image size shown in brackets.

Fine* JPEG (9.7Mb)

Fine JPEG (7.7Mb)

Normal* JPEG (5.8Mb)

Normal (5.4Mb)

Basic* JPEG (2.7Mb)

Basic (1.5Mb)

RAW Lossless (27.7Mb)

RAW High Efficiency* (17.4Mb)

RAW High Efficiency (11.3Mb)

Active D-lighting (ADL)

D-lighting is Nikon’s dynamic range optimisation tool that attempts to squeeze the full dynamic range of the sensor into JPEGs. Active D-lighting works “on the fly”, before the in-camera processing engine converts the raw image data into JPEGs. The available settings are Off, Low, Normal, High, Extra High 1 and Extra High 2, plus an Auto mode.

Off

Low

Normal

High

Extra High 1

Extra High 2

HDR

The Nikon Z6 III’s HDR Mode captures three different exposures and combines them into one, retaining more shadow and highlight detail, with an Auto mode, and four different strengths.

Off

Low

Normal

High

Extra High

Picture Controls

Nikon’s Picture Controls are preset combinations of sharpening, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue. All 31 different Picture Controls can be tweaked to your liking, then saved and transferred to other cameras.

Auto

Standard

Neutral

Vivid

Monochrome

Flat Monochrome

Deep Tone Monochrome

Portrait

Rich Tone Portrait

Landscape

Flat

Dream

Morning

Pop

Sunday

Somber

Dramatic

Silence

Bleached

Melancholic

Pure

Denim

Toy

Sepia

Blue

Red

Pink

Charcoal

Graphite

Binary

Carbon

Multiple Exposure

The Nikon Z6 III’s multiple exposure mode allows you to take between two and ten images and merge them into a single photo in-camera.

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon Z6 III camera, which were all taken using the 45.7 megapixel Fine* JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Nikon Z6 III enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We’ve provided some Nikon RAW (NEF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

This is a sample 6K/60p movie at the quality setting of 5376×3024 pixels at 60 frames per second.

This is a sample 4K/120p movie at the quality setting of 3840×2160 pixels at 120 frames per second.

This is a sample 4K/60p movie at the quality setting of 3840×2160 pixels at 60 frames per second.

This is a sample 4K/24p movie at the quality setting of 3840×2160 pixels at 24 frames per second.

This is a sample FHD/240p movie at the quality setting of 1920×1080 pixels at 240 frames per second.

Product Images

Conclusion

Whereas the Z6 II felt like a rather incremental upgrade of the original version that launched two years earlier, the new Mark III is much more the true successor to the 2018 debutant, taking Nikon’s mid-range mirrorless camera forwards in veritable leaps and bounds.

It’s also a more than viable alternative to the more expensive Z8 model, offering enough comparable features and performance (and even a few extra ones) in a smaller, lighter body at a lower price-point, clearly making it the better choice for a lot of users.

In our Z6 II review we commented that “it’s still not a camera that would be ideally suited to capturing fast action or moving subjects – meaning that Nikon still doesn’t have a mirrorless camera to rival its own DSLRS when it comes to this type of work. It also doesn’t have a camera which truly rivals other mirrorless manufacturers including Sony and its arch-nemesis, Canon”. Ouch!

Nikon must surely have listened to both us and other independent sources, however, as the same criticism can certainly no longer be levelled at their prosumer offering.

With a wealth of improvements to burst shooting rates and buffer size, auto-focusing speed and reliability, class-leading IBIS and the excellent electronic viewfinder, the Z6 III is eminently well-suited to capturing both stills and video of wildlife, sports and anything that moves quickly, something that couldn’t be confidently said about its predecessor.

The official price has gone up by around £$500 since the £2000 launch of the Z6 and Z6 II, bringing the Mark III directly in line with the Sony A7 IV and the Canon EOS R6 II, both of which are slightly older but still very serious rivals.

You also need to consider if really you need the Z6 III if you already have a Z6 II, or, as the latter camera is still on sale, if you’re contemplating picking one up for the first time. If budget is a big concern, you can save a hefty chunk of cash by either sticking with what you’ve already got or plumping for the previous, but not yet discontinued, model.

Overall, though, the shiny new Z6 III is a compelling all-rounder that quietly and confidently delivers 90% of the features and performance that the majority of its target audience really need – which is high praise indeed!

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	4

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Nikon Z6 III.

The EOS R5 has been the hottest full-frame camera on the block ever since Canon pre-announced it back at the start of 2020, thanks to its headline grabbing twin features of a 45 megapixel sensor and 8K video recording. We’ve seen it a few times since then, but now we can finally bring you our final Canon R5 review, complete with full-size sample photos and videos!

The EOS R6 Mark II is the successor to one of our favourite full-frame mirrorless cameras, principally adding a new 24 megapixel sensor, 40fps burst shooting and improved auto-focusing. Read our in-depth Canon EOS R6 II review now, complete with full-size sample photos and videos.

The Nikon Z6 II mirrorless camera is an evolutionary upgrade of the original Z6, principally improving the autofocusing, buffer and video and adding a second memory card slot. Is this enough to compete with its main rivals? Find out now by reading our in-depth Nikon Z6 II review, complete with full size sample photos and videos…

The Nikon Z7 II full-frame mirrorless camera is the 2020 update of the original Z7 model, principally improving the autofocusing, buffer and video and adding a second memory card slot. Are these changes enough for it to compete with its main rivals like the Sony A7R IV and the Canon EOS R5? Find out now by reading our in-depth Nikon Z7 II review, complete with full size sample photos and videos…

As the spiritual successor to the popular D850 DSLR, the new Z8 full-frame mirrorless camera could turn out to be one of the most important products that Nikon have ever released. Read our in-depth Nikon Z8 review, complete with full-size sample photos and videos, to find out more about this mirrorless marvel…

The Nikon Z9 is a professional level, full-frame mirrorless camera for photographers and videographers that features a 45 megapixel stacked BSI sensor, 8K/30p and 4K/120p video recording, 30fps burst shooting and a dual-grip design. Read our in-depth Nikon Z9 review complete with full-size sample photos and videos to find out just what this flagship camera is capable of…

Vintage, retro, heritage – Nikon are back with the Zf, a very modern 35mm full-frame digital camera housed inside a body that’s clearly been inspired by the classic FM2 SLR from the 1980s. We take an in-depth look at the Nikon Zf in our full review, complete with full-size sample photos and videos.

Finally! The new Lumix S5 II is the first ever Panasonic camera to have a phase hybrid detection AF system, answering the critics of its contrast-based DFD system. But does this powerful hybrid photo and video camera have what it takes to beat its main rivals? Find out now by reading our in-depth Panasonic Lumix S5 II review, complete with full-size sample photos and videos.

We’ve kicked off our Panasonic Lumix S9 review with sample JPEG and RAW images, product shots and more…

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Nikon Z6 III from around the web.

You don’t get something for nothing. The Z6 III is by far the most expensive Z6-series camera to date, bumping up the purchase price at launch by about 25 percent, compared with previous models.

Read the full review »

Specifications

Lens mount

Nikon Z mount

Image sensor format

Image sensor type

CMOS

Sensor size

35.9 mm x 23.9 mm

Total pixels

26.79 million

Dust-reduction system

Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (requires NX Studio)

Effective pixels

24.5 million

Image size (pixels)

[FX (36 x 24)] selected for image area:
(L) 6048 x 4032 ( 24.4 million)
(M) 4528 x 3024 ( 13.7 million)
(S) 3024 x 2016 ( 6.1 million)
[DX (24 x 16)] selected for image area:
(L) 3984 x 2656 ( 10.6 million)
(M) 2976 x 1992 ( 5.9 million)
(S) 1984 x 1328 ( 2.6 million)
[1:1 (24 x 24)] selected for image area:
(L) 4032 x 4032 ( 16.3 million)
(M) 3024 x 3024 ( 9.1 million)
(S) 2016 x 2016 ( 4.1 million)
[16:9 (36 x 20)] selected for image area:
(L) 6048 x 3400 ( 20.6 million)
(M) 4528 x 2544 ( 11.5 million)
(S) 3024 x 1696 ( 5.1 million)

File format (image quality)

NEF (RAW): 14 bit; choose from lossless compression, high efficiency (high), and high efficiency options
JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1 : 4), normal (approx. 1 : 8), or basic (approx. 1 : 16) compression; size-priority and optimal-quality compression available
HEIF: Supports fine (approx. 1 : 4), normal (approx. 1 : 8), or basic (approx. 1 : 16) compression; size-priority and optimal-quality compression available
NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
NEF (RAW)+HEIF: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and HEIF formats

Picture Control System

Auto , Standard , Neutral , Vivid , Monochrome , Flat Monochrome , Deep Tone Monochrome , Portrait , Rich Tone Portrait , Landscape , Flat
Creative Picture Controls (Dream, Morning, Pop, Sunday, Somber, Dramatic, Silence, Bleached, Melancholic, Pure, Denim, Toy, Sepia, Blue, Red, Pink, Charcoal, Graphite, Binary, Carbon); selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for Custom Picture Controls
Note: Choice of Picture Controls is restricted to Standard, Monochrome, and Flat when HLG is selected for tone mode during still photography.

Media

CFexpress (Type B) , XQD , SD , SDHC (UHS-II compliant) , SDXC (UHS-II compliant)

Dual card slot

1 CFexpress card or XQD card and 1 Secure Digital (SD) card
Either card can be used for overflow or backup storage, for separate storage of NEF (RAW) and JPEG or HEIF pictures, or for storage of duplicate JPEG or HEIF pictures at different sizes and image qualities; pictures can be copied between cards.

File system

DCF 2.0, Exif 2.32, MPEG‑A MIAF

Viewfinder

1.27-cm/0.5-in. approx. 5760k-dot UXGA OLED electronic viewfinder with color balance and auto and 19-level manual brightness controls; high frame-rate display available

Frame coverage

Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical

Magnification

Approx. 0.8x (50 mm lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1)

Eyepoint

21 mm (-1.0 m-1; from rearmost surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens)

Diopter adjustment

-4 to +2 m-1

Eye sensor

Automatically switches between monitor and viewfinder displays

Compatible lenses

Z mount NIKKOR lenses
F mount NIKKOR lenses (mount adapter required; restrictions may apply)

Shutter type

Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane mechanical shutter; electronic front-curtain shutter; electronic shutter

Shutter speed

¹⁄₈₀₀₀ to 30 s (choose from step sizes of ¹⁄₃, ¹⁄₂, and 1 EV, extendable to 900 s in mode M), bulb, time
When using an electronic shutter, the shutter speed can be set up to ¹⁄₁₆₀₀₀ s.

Flash sync speed

Flash synchronizes with shutter at speeds of ¹⁄₂₀₀ s or slower; faster sync speeds are supported with auto FP high-speed sync
When using an electronic shutter, flash synchronizes with the shutter at speeds of ¹⁄₆₀ s or slower; and auto FP high-speed sync cannot be used.

Release mode

Single frame , continuous low-speed , continuous high-speed , continuous high-speed (extended) , high-speed frame capture + with Pre-Release Capture , Self-timer

Approximate frame advance rate

Up to 120 fps
Continuous low-speed: Approx. 1 to 7 fps
Continuous high speed: Approx. 8.1 fps (when using the electronic shutter and image quality settings other than NEF (RAW) and NEF (RAW) +: approx. 16 fps)
Continuous high speed (extended): Approx. 14 fps (with electronic shutter: Approx. 20 fps)
High-speed frame capture + (C30): Approx. 30 fps
High-speed frame capture + (C60): Approx. 60 fps
High-speed frame capture + (C120): Approx. 120 fps
Maximum frame advance rate as measured by in-house tests.

Self-timer

2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 s

Exposure Metering System

TTL metering using camera image sensor

Exposure Metering mode

Matrix metering
Center-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 12 or 8 mm circle in center of frame or weighting can be based on average of entire frame
Spot metering: Meters circle with a diameter of approximately 4 mm centered on selected focus point
Highlight-weighted metering

Exposure Range

-4 to +17 EV
Figures are for ISO 100 equivalent and f/2.0 lens at 20 °C/68 °F

Exposure Mode

AUTO: auto, P: programmed auto with flexible program, S: shutter-priority auto, A: aperture-priority auto, M: manual

Exposure compensation

-5 to +5 EV (choose from step sizes of ¹⁄₃ and ¹⁄₂ EV)

Exposure lock

Luminosity locked at detected value

ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)

ISO 100 to 64000 (choose from step sizes of ¹⁄₃ and 1 EV);
can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.7, or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.7, 1, or 1.7 EV (ISO 204800 equivalent) above ISO 64000; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Note: ISO sensitivity is limited to 400 to 64000 when HLG is selected for tone mode.

Active D-Lighting

Auto, Extra high, High, Normal, Low, and Off

Multiple exposure

Add, average, lighten, darken

Other options

HDR overlay, photo mode flicker reduction, high-frequency flicker reduction

Autofocus system

Hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF with AF assist

Detection range

-10 to +19 EV
Measured in photo mode at ISO 100 equivalent and a temperature of 20 °C/68 °F using single-servo AF (AF‑S) and a lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.2

Lens servo

Autofocus (AF):
Single-servo AF (AF-S) , continuous-servo AF (AF-C) , full-time AF (AF-F; available only in video mode); predictive focus tracking
Manual focus (M):
Electronic rangefinder can be used

Focus Point

273 focus points (single-point AF), 299 focus points (auto-area AF);
Number of focus points available in photo mode with FX selected for image area

AF-area mode

Pinpoint (available in photo mode only), single-point, dynamic-area (S, M, and L; available in photo mode only), wide-area (S, L, C1, and C2), and auto-area AF; 3D-tracking (available in photo mode only); subject-tracking AF (available in video mode only)

Focus lock

Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF/AF‑S) or by pressing the center of the sub-selector

Camera on-board VR

5-axis image sensor shift

Lens on-board VR

Lens shift (available with VR lenses)

Flash control

TTL: i‑TTL flash control; i‑TTL balanced fill-flash is used with matrix, center-weighted, and highlight-weighted metering, standard i‑TTL fill-flash with spot metering

Flash modes

Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, off

Flash compensation

-3 to +1 EV (choose from step sizes of ¹⁄₃ and ¹⁄₂ EV)

Flash-ready indicator

Lights when optional flash unit is fully charged; flashes as underexposure warning after flash is fired at full output

Accessory shoe

ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock

Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)

i-TTL flash control, radio-controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting, optical Advanced Wireless Lighting, modeling illumination, FV lock, Color Information Communication, auto FP high-speed sync, unified flash control

White balance

Auto (3 types), natural light auto, direct sunlight, cloudy, shade, incandescent, fluorescent (3 types), flash, choose color temperature (2500 to 10,000 K), preset manual (up to 6 values can be stored), all with fine-tuning

Bracketing types

Exposure and/or flash, white balance, ADL

Other options for still photography

Vignette control, diffraction compensation, auto distortion control, skin softening, portrait impression balance, and interval-timer, focus-shift, and pixel-shift photography

Video Metering system

TTL metering using camera image sensor

Video Metering mode

Matrix, center-weighted, or highlight-weighted

Video Frame size (pixels) and frame rate

5376 x 3024 (5.4K): 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p
3840 x 2160 (4K UHD): 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p
1920 x 1080: 240p/200p/120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p
1920 x 1080 (slow-motion): 30p x4/25p x4/24p x5
Note: Actual frame rates for 240p, 200p, 120p, 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 239.76, 200, 119.88, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively.

Video Frame size (pixels) and frame rate (RAW video)

6048 x 3402: 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p
4032 x 2268: 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p
3984 x 2240: 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p
Note: Actual frame rates for 120p, 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 119.88, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively.

Video File format

NEV, MOV, MP4

Video compression

N-RAW (12 bit), Apple ProRes RAW HQ (12 bit), Apple ProRes 422 HQ (10 bit), H.265/HEVC (8 bit/10 bit), H.264/AVC (8 bit)

Audio recording format

Linear PCM (48 KHz, 24 bit, for videos recorded in NEV or MOV format) , AAC (48 KHz, 16 bit, for videos recorded in MP4 format)

Audio recording device

Built-in stereo or external microphone can be used; external audio devices can be used via line input, audio input sensitivity adjustable; attenuator, frequency response, and wind noise reduction functions

Exposure compensation

-3 to +3 EV (choose from step sizes of ¹⁄₃ and ¹⁄₂ EV)

ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)

Mode M: Manual selection (ISO 100 to 51200; choose from step sizes of ¹⁄₆, ¹⁄₃ and 1 EV); with additional options available equivalent to approximately 0.3, 0.7, 1, or 2 EV (ISO 204800 equivalent) above ISO 51200; auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 100 to Hi 2.0) available with selectable upper limit
Note: ISO sensitivity is limited to 400 to 51200 when HLG is selected for tone mode.
Note: ISO sensitivity is limited to Lo 0.3 to 2.0 and 800 to 51200 when N-Log is selected for tone mode.
Modes P, S, A: Auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 100 to Hi 2.0) with selectable upper limit
AUTO mode: Auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 100 to 51200)

Active D-Lighting

Extra high, High, Normal, Low, and Off

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Hey Street Photographers! Try Our Lightroom Presets Out!

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

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Street photographers are going to love these since they’re designed for photojournalism-style looks! With the Phoblographer’s presets, you can speed up how you work in Lightroom. You folks asked for them, and now you’ve got them! Over the years, the Phoblographer’s staffers have tested various cameras and lenses as well as film emulsions. So we decided to make Lightroom presets that look like the classic film look that you’d see in magazines. In fact, we based it off of old-school photojournalism. That’s what we named them for; and we think they’re some of the best lightroom presets that you’ll get your hands on. This article gives you visual examples of all 20 presets in our Photojournalism Presets Pack, as applied to various portraits we’ve taken over the years. And if you want, you can purchase them right here at our store.

The Phoblographer has a large database of portraits that we’ve shot over the years. So we’ve tested these presets on Canon, Nikon, Sony, Leica, Panasonic Lumix, Olympus, OM System, and Fujifilm RAW files. No matter what camera you own, you’re probably going to like these Lightroom presets.

Why Buy These Lightroom Presets

A total of 20 different presets make up our first Presets Pack. Ten of these are color-based and the remaining 10 are focused on black and white results. We developed these to ensure the results don’t overlap between presets, and keeping in mind that they are meant to help you edit with ease. Some of these are Adaptive presets, meaning they scan your photos for faces and skies and skilfully apply edit masks only to those areas. They were developed by us on Adobe Lightroom Classic and you can even adjust the intensity of the presets using the Amount slider in the Develop module

For those of you who’d like to use these presets on the go, we have good news for you. You can even upload these presets to Adobe Lightroom (formerly known as Lightroom Mobile), to be able to use them on your mobile devices.

Color Presets

Use the sliders below to see the effects of each preset on the portrait.

Black And White

These are available for purchase right now. You can buy the color or monochrome sets separately or buy both of them together at a discount. Visit our online store to buy them.

Bride Wants To Sue Her Wedding Photographer Because She Had ‘A Bad Attitude’ & Only Took 10 Good Photos

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

One of the hardest things about planning a wedding is that you don’t truly know what you’re going to get until the big day arrives. That fancy cake, delicious food, and fun-loving DJ might seem perfect when you’re shopping around, but once the final product arrives, it can be a very different story.

Such is the case of one Redditor’s wedding photographer. And her disappointment with the camerawoman’s work has turned into a full-on war and threats of litigation.

The bride wants to sue her wedding photographer because of her ‘bad attitude’ and poor photography skills.

On one hand, this is probably something wedding photographers deal with all the time. What constitutes a good or bad photograph is totally subjective, of course. Between that, all the “bridezilla” tendencies out there, and the other drama inherent to weddings, disputes with photographers seem like they’d come with the territory.

But in this case, it really sounds like there’s more than just a bridezilla at play. “Our photographer was the most expensive thing at our wedding,” the bride wrote in her Reddit post, “but she had beautiful work online.”

They had a great working relationship with the photographer during the planning stages, too. “No red flags.” But boy, did that change when the big day actually arrived.

The bride said the photographer was ‘miserable’ and only took 10 usable photos out of thousands.

“The day of, she was miserable,” the bride went on to say. She “sat down most of the evening, gave guests an attitude, and we ended up with maybe 10 nice photos out of thousands taken.”

She admitted that the quality of a photo is entirely in the eye of the beholder, but it really sounds like these photos wouldn’t pass most reasonable people’s test.

“Whether a photo is good is subjective,” she wrote, “however I have many with my eyes closed, mouth weird, unflattering angles, almost none of us together as a couple or of our children.” Isn’t that last bit kind of … the point of wedding photos?

But because of the wording of the photographer’s contract, they don’t have much recourse. “It states that her artistic preference is her own and that weather isn’t her problem (and it did rain),” she explained. “So we can’t prove that the photos are ‘bad.'”

When the bride left a bad review, the photographer retaliated by deleting her photos, and now she wants to sue.

Because they were left with virtually no usable photos, the couple booked another photographer to reshoot “some nice photos of us.” The bride then requested the original photographer give a partial reimbursement. “She refused,” she said.

Evgenyrychko / Shutterstock

She then did what wedding experts say should be the last resort when you find yourself in a dispute with a wedding vendor: She left “an honest Google review” explaining what happened on her wedding day. Suffice it to say, the photographer did NOT appreciate it.

“She has retaliated by deleting my entire online gallery,” the bride wrote. “In her contract, it states we have 365 days to have access and to download our gallery and we are definitely not at 365 days yet. Is this grounds to go after her for breach of contract?”

People on Reddit urged the bride to take legal action.

Several commenters suggested small claims court, which in some states covers not just monetary damages but would also compel the photographer to give back the photos (assuming she hasn’t already deleted them).

Others felt that actual legal action would likely cost more than the refund she’s seeking, and lawyers say these kinds of suits are often difficult to win for the customer. On the other hand, some felt that simply threatening legal action was likely to compel the photographer to pony up just to avoid any further drama and expense.

Baku Photography House opens exhibition dedicated to Icherisheher [PHOTOS]

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Baku Photography House has opened an exhibition for the winners
of a painting competition dedicated to the ancient Icherisheher, as
part of a series of events titled “My Icherisheher”,
Azernews reports.

The event was organized by Icherisheher State
Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration and the State Art
Academy and the Azerbaijan Artists`Union.

Chairman of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural
Reserve Administration Shahin Seyidzade, deputies of the
Azerbaijani Parliament of the 6th convocation Fazil Mustafa and
Ulviya Gamzayeva, Vice-Rectors of the Azerbaijan State Academy of
Arts, People’s Artists Salhab Mammadov and Fuad Salayev stressed
the importance of the project in promoting ancient heritage and
supporting talents .

The main goal of the competition is to show the traditions,
history and present day of Icherisheher through the eyes of
artists.

The competition, which lasted two months, featured works from
more than 300 participants. The jury included national artists
Natig Aliyev, Farhad Khalilov, Salhab Mamedov, Aydin Radjabov and
Aliyar Alimirzaev.

Of the forty selected works, seven best works were selected,
diplomas and letters of gratitude were awarded, cash prizes (1st
place – 1500 AZN, 2nd place – 1000 AZN, 3rd place – 500 AZN and 4
artists – 250 AZN as an incentive prize).

Among the winners of the competition, the first three places
were taken by Fakhriya Aliyeva (Shah`s Palace), Saida Musaeva
(Trace of the Fortress) and Nazrin Khalafova (Windy Day in
Baku).

Honorable mentions were given to Ramil Mammadov (Mosque in
Icherisheher), Nazrin Mutallifli (In Dreams), Rashad Rzayev (Cloudy
Day) and Samira Valiyeva (Night Caravan).

Then the guests got acquainted with the exhibition, which will
be open to visitors until August 10. The entrance is free.

Baku Photography House opened in 2019 in the old Zanjerli Bina
mansion with the support of the Icherisheher
Historical-Architectural Reserve.

Baku Photography House includes four exhibition halls.
Expositions are devoted to documentary, national and world
photographic art.

In addition to the regular photographic exhibitions, Baku
Photography House holds photography courses, creative evenings,
lectures, master classes and photo tours.

—-

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

Thomas Hoepker, legendary Magnum photographer, passes away peacefully aged 88

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

Thomas Hoepker, the esteemed German photographer and longtime member of Magnum Photos, has passed away peacefully at the age of 88 – announced today on Instagram via Magnum Photos.

Born in Munich, Germany, in 1936, Hoepker’s career spanned seven decades, leaving an indelible mark on the world of photojournalism and documentary photography.

Hoepker’s fascination with photography began early. Aged fourteen, his grandfather gifted him an old plate camera, igniting a passion that would shape his future. He pursued studies in art, history, and archaeology at the University of Göttingen, but his calling was always behind the lens. In 1960, before completing his studies, Hoepker was hired by Münchner Illustrierte magazine. He continued to hone his craft at Kristall until 1963 and joined Stern magazine in 1964, where he gained widespread recognition for his compelling photojournalism.

1964 was a pivotal year for Hoepker as he was invited to join the prestigious Magnum Photos agency. Magnum began distributing his archive photographs, marking the start of a long and fruitful association. By 1989, Hoepker had become a full member of Magnum, eventually serving as its president from 2003 to 2006

Hoepker and his then-wife, Eva Windmöller, were pioneers in East Berlin, becoming Stern’s first accredited correspondents. In 1976, they relocated to New York City, where Hoepker spent the majority of his professional life. He served as an art director for the American edition of Geo and later worked at Stern in Hamburg from 1987 to 1989.

German photojournalist Thomas Hoepker looks at a magnum catalogue in Berlin, 19 September 2007. Hoepker has been living in New York since 1976 where he became a full member of Magnum Photos agency in 1989. From around 2001 to 2007 Hoepker was President of Magnum Photos. Photo: Gero Breloer — Thomas Hoepker looking through proofs of the book Magnum Magnum in 2007. (Image credit: Alamy)

Over the years, Hoepker’s work has been exhibited globally, earning him numerous awards and accolades. His ability to capture the essence of the human experience made his images timeless. Among his most iconic photographs are candid shots of Muhammad Ali and a poignant image of New Yorkers in Brooklyn on September 11, 2001, chatting calmly while the Twin Towers burned in the background.

In recent years, Hoepker’s life and career were celebrated in the 2022 documentary “Dear Memories,” and he published his most recent book, “The Way It Was,” in the same year. These works offer a deep dive into his extensive career and the stories behind some of his most famous photographs.

Thomas Hoepker’s legacy is not only defined by his stunning visual storytelling but also by his ethical approach to photojournalism. His work has left a lasting impact, inspiring countless photographers and viewers alike. Hoepker’s contributions to the field of photography ensure that his memory and influence will endure for generations to come.

Thomas Hoepker died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s on July 10, 2024 in Santiago, Chile.

Tragedy strikes Teahupoo ahead of Paris 2024 games after Australian surf photographer pulled unconscious from water

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

“As soon as you think you have Mother Ocean all figured out, she will quickly humble you and remind you that you are at her mercy entirely.”

Dramatic scenes from Teahupoo yesterday afternoon after a teenage Australian surf photographer was pulled from the water unconscious in heavy eight-foot surf.

The Santa Cruz photographer Ryan Craig and local bodyboarder Angelo Fararie dragged Australian Byron Mcloughlin from the water after he floated by the pair face down.

Nineeten-year-old Mclouhglin, who was shooting the action from an inflatable bodyboard, had been sucked over the falls on an earlier set and had ended up in the lagoon. The former tour surfer Michel Bourez went in to pick him up and brought him back to the channel.

He went back into the lineup to shoot and thirty minutes later was found face down during a lull. When Mcloughlin was flipped over his lips were blue and he was foaming at the mouth.

He was rushed to hospital where he was put into an induced coma.

It isn’t the Australian’s first brush with disaster in the surf.

Two years ago, Mcloughlin describes nearly drowning at Padang Padang in Bali after a marathon six-hour shoot.

“I knew I was in trouble I still had no local knowledge of this place as it was my first time here. It was getting darker and darker and I decided to scream out for help,” he told The Inertia.

The story continues:

Two South African surfers came to his aid, paddling while he held onto their surfboard leashes. But with no fins on his feet to help with kicking and a heavy camera housing, McLoughlin felt like he was making them tow dead weight. He was tired, it was dark, and two strangers were risking their lives to make sure he wouldn’t be in danger. McLoughlin admits at this point he thought the worst might happen and he considered dropping his camera, but the group came up with another plan instead. One surfer paddled in to get help while the other waited with him. Almost an hour later they saw lights and heard whistles.

“We just waited for the tide to go back up a bit and then with quick thinking the guy decided to take my camera, give me his board to lie down on, and catch a wave in while he left his board leash on his leg,” he describes. “It was basically a tandem wave.”

He adds, “I remember panicking a lot, telling them both, we need to call for proper help — police, ambulance etc. But they kept reminding me where I was — Padang Padang — everything is on a cliff here. No one can get a boat or a jet ski down here.”

They finally made it back with a battered camera, a handful of reef cuts, and some valuable reminders for McLoughlin.

“Your mindset in that situation and your ability to stay calm and collected as the beatings and hold-downs keep coming and coming…that will determine whether or not you become a statistic or simply have a harrowing story to tell the guys later on,” he says. “As soon as you think you have Mother Ocean all figured out, she will quickly humble you and remind you that you are at her mercy entirely.”

Laowa announces CF 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift lens

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

12 July 2024

Venus Optics has announced the new Laowa CF 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift lens, the world’s first zoom lens with shift.

Equivalent to an 18-36mm lens on a full-frame camera, the APS-C only CF 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift lens is a fully manual lens and can focus as closely as 0.15 metres.

The lens supports shifts of +/- 7mm for perspective control, but it’s worth noting that its not a tilt-shift lens – it’s just a shift lens.

This means you’re able to adjust the perspective, but not manipulate the focal plane or depth of field.

Despite this, the lens should be useful for architecture and landscape photographers with its relatively wide field of view and ability to keep vertical lines straight, even when shooting at an angle.

The lens will be available for Sony E, Leica L, Canon RF, Fuji X and Nikon Z, and is made up of 15 elements in 11 groups. It has nine aperture blades and weighs 575g. It accepts 77mm screw-on filters.

Currently the lens is only available in China, but we’d expect it to arrive locally soon. It has a retail price of a fairly affordable 4,980 yuan ($1,000 AUD).

Video: How to inspect a vintage lens

Jul 12, 2024 By Admin in Photography

12 July 2024

If you’ve ever been tempted by some of that nice looking vintage glass that’s often floating around, but been unsure if it’s wise to part with your hard earned cash or not, then this useful guide from Media Division will help you identify common defects and decide whether you’re about to buy treasure or trash.

[embedded content]

The crash course video will show you how to inspect and identify different kinds of lens defects: scratches, cleaning marks, haze, separation, fungus, paint damage, radiation damage, and more, and also looks at which damage is acceptable and which you should avoid.

You can see more of Media Division’s useful videos on YouTube.

Eva Scofield: From Navy Veteran to PRCA Photographer, A True American Hero

Jul 11, 2024 By Admin in Photography

While serving in the U.S. Navy Eva Scofield was stationed in Germany in the early 90’s. Her time spent in Germany, away from working, was enjoyed by participating in the German Rodeos. She was an All-Around Cowgirl as she competed in wild horse racing, breakaway roping, rescue race, barrel racing, and she even rode a few saddle bronc horses.

Eva was born on the East Coast, however they moved when she was 9 months old and traveled around a lot when she was young. Scofield considers Sheridan, Wyoming her home where she always tends to find herself migrating back to and where she currently owns land.

Stationed in Germany for 30 years serving in the Navy, Eva would spend a lot of her time with her rodeo buddies on the German rodeo circuit. On a visit home to Sheridan once, she had a family friend teach her to rope.

She said, “I would watch the ropers miss one after another and thought, hey what is the worst that can happen, I might miss too”. After returning to Germany, she decided to give it a go and she successfully caught the second time she attempted to rope!

She remembered, “It might have not been the prettiest catch, but it meant a lot to me”.

Scofield continued to rodeo and one day decided while she was at the rodeo to take pictures of her buddies competing, as there were never any photographers in attendance. “That is where my rodeo photography started, in Germany taking shots of my Buddies”, Eva explained to me with a passion in her voice so deep I could feel it as if it were my own.

In 2002 Eva became a PRCA Official Photographer. She has shot some of the most prestigious rodeos all over the PRCA Circuit. Sheridan WYO Rodeo is definitely her favorite rodeo to shoot, and she is in attendance every year for the Mountain States Circuit Rodeo that has been a tradition since 1933, over 90 years!

Scofield was on active duty until 2015 with the Navy, yet she still used any of her downtime to travel and shoot rodeos, landscape, travel, and has even done a few weddings for family and friends. She has a passion for capturing monumental rodeo moments, as well as the many beautiful cities and landscapes the rodeo trail has led her on.

Eva Scofield Photography grew from taking pictures of “Buddies” at rodeos in Germany, to a phenomenal career for Scofield. Eva was an official National Finals Rodeo (NFR) Photographer three times and has shot rodeos from coast to coast.

Scofield currently occupies a traveling fifth wheel trailer, making her travel to rodeos in different states easier for her, along with her two dogs, two cats and her mother, who Scofield is currently spending most her time caring for. Currently she has limited the rodeos she shoots because she is caring for her mother full-time, which makes it difficult to go as hard and far as she has in the past.

Her beloved dogs serve as her service dogs for her PTSD from her experiences at the Pentagon during 9-11. Though I could not get too many details from Scofield about her duties for our country, it is clear this selfless woman dedicated a lifetime to the U.S. Navy and is a huge reason why we as Americans are free to compete, live, and worship as we see fit.

During our conversation we shared a heartfelt moment of understanding as she explained, “I do not regret slowing down traveling to take care of my mom right now, because I know once my mom is gone there will always be more rodeos to shoot, but there will be no more memories to make with my mom.”

Her words completely resonated with me, as my family is spending every moment we can together and making every day an adventurous memory, after the sudden loss of our daughter last October. We thrive to take in every moment, because we know all too well everything can change in a fraction of a second.

Rain or shine, cool or 100-degree heat, you will see this American Hero spending her days inside the rodeo arena snapping still photos of every cowgirl and cowboy that compete. No rodeo win or record-breaking ride will be missed. Not only is Scofield capturing memories for the rodeo contestants, but she is creating memories of her own, thriving in her self-made career she loves and deserves.

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