Watch video: Wonderful windmills

Landscape is a fantastic genre of photography that really allows you to take your time, grow your craft, experiment with camera settings, and get out into great outdoors.

It can be difficult to find that perfect focal point to anchor your landscape shot. Luckily in the UK, we have no shortage of windmills, so I headed out to challenge myself to take a variety of windmill landscapes, such as the stunning Horsey Windpump and its brilliant reflection. Horsey is one of the biggest windpumps in Norfolk. Type ‘windmill’ into Google Maps to find some windmills close to you.

In this project you’ll discover tips and tricks for composing your landscapes, slowing down the shutter speed, experimenting with the depth of field, and expanding the dynamic range. You’ll also see how to edit your shots to specifically target a windmill and make sure it steals the show in your landscape photos… 

1. Shutter speed

Your shutter speed determines how long the camera’s shutter stays open to expose the digital sensor to light. With fast shutter speeds, your scene will be frozen still – but slowing the shutter speed down will help to smooth out the ripples in the water and blur moving clouds for a dream‑like, painterly quality. 

Shooting at dusk or dawn, when the light levels are more gentle, will enable you to shoot longer exposures, though you can shoot for even longer with an ND (neutral-density) filter such as a 3-, 6-, 10- or even 15-stop ND.

A top tip is to set up on a tripod and use the electronic level on your Canon camera to ensure the horizon is perfectly straight: this saves you fixing it in post.

2. Compose and focus

We often have plenty of time to set up while shooting landscapes. It’s almost always worth setting up on a tripod, so you can really take your time to nail down the composition and focus. When it comes to framing up, a simple trick to improve the composition is to use the rule of thirds, applying a grid like the one here. Place your horizon on one of the lines, then your subject, like our windmill, on two of the intersecting points.

It’s also worth looking for foreground interest that you can include in your shots to add depth. Make sure you focus on the windmill so it’s pin-sharp. Use a middle aperture value like f/11 or f/16 so that the scene has a deep zone of focus, or shoot wide-open to blur the foreground.

3. Expand your dynamic range

It can be tricky to expose for landscape scenes, especially in high-contrast situations such as at sunrise or sunset. One option is to try an High Dynamic Range image, also called an HDR for short. This is where you frame up on a tripod and lock off your focus, then shoot a series of pictures in quick succession at different exposure values. You’ll then have a batch of shots, both over- and underexposed, which you can merge together in Photoshop CC to broaden the highlight and shadow detail within a single image.

Use the Auto Bracketing feature on your Canon EOS to simplify taking your group of images; then open the RAW files into Camera Raw, select them, right-click and choose Merge to HDR.

4. Targeted edits

Windmills often have a white top that may easily burn out and clip, resulting in a loss of detail. Your best bet is to shoot in the RAW format, so that you have more exposure information to play with, then bring that RAW file in Photoshop’s Camera Raw or Lightroom Classic CC. Now you can paint over the windmill with the Adjustment Brush to select it, then edit this specific part of your photo. Tick the Overlay box so that you can clearly see where you’ve painted while working with the Adjustment Brush. If the highlight detail is starting to burn out, you can reduce Exposure, Highlights and Whites. You may also want to increase settings like Clarity, Sharpness and Contrast to really help your windmill pop out from the landscape.

If you’re serious about scenery, take a look at the best cameras for landscape photography along with the best lenses for landscapes.

Not even a week ago, Alessia Glaviano – Head of Global PhotoVogue – a guest on our Spigola podcast, reminded us that it no longer matters whether you shoot with a camera or a smartphone. What matters is the intention behind the shot, not the means. We pondered deeply on this statement, and although there was initially some skepticism, we concluded that to take a true stance on the matter, we had to try it ourselves: capturing moments solely with a smartphone, but with the same attitude we would have had with a professional camera. Xiaomi provided us with the opportunity and the means.

Almost by chance, Xiaomi presented us with a challenge: to visit a distant place and attempt to capture its uniqueness using the brand-new Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G. And so began our journey, short but very intense, in Bangkok.

All the promises of this new device – which, along with four others, forms the new Redmi Note 13 Series, further enriching the brand’s Redmi Note lineup – were substantial. Starting from the battery, rechargeable to 100% in just 19 minutes with a lasting capacity of days (not hours), and of course, the camera system consisting of 3 cameras, including a main 200 MP camera, an ultra-wide-angle camera, and a macro camera.

We decided to put Xiaomi to the test in every moment spent in the Thai capital. The first stop was at the Royal Palace and the Wat Pho temple, where the goal was to capture the colors of the mosaics and decorations.

Being one of the most touristy places in the city, we encountered many people who, like us, were fascinated by the architecture of these sacred places. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G came to our aid in this moment as well. The smartphone is equipped with AI-based editing tools that, among other things, allow us to remove people who accidentally end up in our shots. You know those photos you see on Instagram of tourist spots always empty? Now you can have them too, effortlessly!

But a city is not only visited during the day; often, it comes to life at night, illuminated by a myriad of different lights. In our case, the lights were those of the legendary tuk-tuks, indispensable in a trip to Bangkok. In this case, the challenge was formidable: darkness, colored lights, movement. All the ingredients for a challenging shot were present.

Not content with just the shot, we continued to play with AI tools and added a bit more movement, some stars, many stars.

When traveling, we know very well that we are not only captivated by architecture, landscape, and glimpses, but we also focus on the faces we encounter on the streets. However, we often don’t have much time to photograph them, sometimes because they move, other times because we are the ones on the move. That’s exactly what happened to us in the characteristic Thai markets, first and foremost the Floating Market.

Reviewing the photos on the return flight and at home with friends was like reliving the journey once again, leaving no detail behind.

In Bangkok, on the occasion of the launch of the new Redmi Note 13 Series, the brand also introduced the brand-new Redmi Watch 4 and Redmi Buds 5 Pro. Visit Xiaomi’s website to discover all the features of these devices.

Photos shot on Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G

Color management is a critical skill that can significantly impact the final outcome of an image. Mastering this aspect of photography is especially important when dealing with colors that subtly influence a photo’s mood and tone, such as blue. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to carefully manage the blue hues in your photos to produce a more polished final product.

Coming to you from Omar Gonzalez Photography, this informative video addresses a common but often overlooked issue in color photography: the overbearing presence of blue. The narrator showcases various examples where blue, despite its natural and unobtrusive nature, can become distracting in an image. This draws attention to how even subtle elements can significantly affect a photograph’s overall impact. 

Through a series of image edits, Gonzalez demonstrates how to manipulate the blue channel in post-processing to balance the image’s color palette effectively. This technique is especially useful in scenarios where blue tones overshadow other important elements in a photograph. Even nuanced post-processing can enhance the realism and aesthetic appeal of a photograph, and the more you work on developing that eye for subtle details, the more creative control you will find you are able to take over your shots. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Gonzalez. 

My lifelong interest in photography started when I first saw my father’s holiday snaps at the tender age of eight. Over the years, I’ve tried various genres, but at the moment, I’m enjoying action photography, more specifically motorsport. 

The biggest challenge is keeping up with the racing cars or motorbikes while panning. They travel at such high speeds that I often capture half a car, or miss it completely and capture just the tarmac! 

When I won a Nikon D3300 in a photography competition, I thought I would see how it coped with action subjects. I purchased the Nikon AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR, after having read some positive reviews, and have been pleased with the results.

My best shots

All of the images here have been taken at Oulton Park in Cheshire. The circuit is a great venue for photographers wanting to capture on-track action, because it doesn’t have a great deal of high safety fencing, which allows for some unobstructed views of the circuit, such as this shot taken at Knickerbrook corner – a great spot for some exciting action. The benefit of shooting from this vantage point is that the corner is slightly higher than the spectator position and, by kneeling down, you can capture an eye-level view. The low angle gives a bit more impact to the picture. 

I used AF-C to continuously focus on the car as it approached and a fast shutter speed of 1/1,000 sec to prevent motion blur. Although my 70-300mm lens allowed me to get close enough, I still needed to crop into the image slightly to get a better composition. I also cloned out some bright red bins and some speakers, which were distractions.

Having taken a number of shots of individual cars, I wanted to capture an image that conveyed the intense competition of a race. This shot was also taken at Knickerbrook. There is always the possibility of someone coming off and, if you’re lucky, you can capture the right front wheel lifting off the ground. My settings remained fairly similar and, once again, I had to crop into the image slightly. An 80-400mm lens with a full-frame equivalent focal length of 120-600mm would have been ideal. But, for now, my 70-300mm and its full-frame equivalent 105-450mm is certainly usable enough.

For this shot, I experimented using Aperture Priority instead of my normal Shutter Priority and set an aperture of f/7.1 to achieve a greater depth of field. In order to do this, I had to increase the ISO to 800. As it was a dull day, I added a little exposure compensation to boost the exposure. In post-processing I cloned out some bits of rubber that were on the track and made a few minor adjustments to the exposure, contrast and clarity. I finished off the image with a little sharpening.

Lodge Corner is another popular spot with photographers. Although it is one of the slowest corners at Oulton Park, the motorbikes still come round at incredible speeds. I find it difficult to keep track of subjects here, because a safety barrier obscures your line of sight as the racers enter the corner. With a little practice and not zooming in too far – so there’s plenty of room for the subject to move within the frame – I have been able to capture some good images here. 

My motorsport photography tips

• Make finding a suitable background your priority when you visit a race circuit. A messy, cluttered background will spoil what could otherwise be a winning shot.
• Learn how to pan with your subject. This will help you maintain accurate focus, frame a good composition and – if you’re confident enough to begin slowing the shutter speed down – add a real sense of speed.
• Be patient and practice. If you don’t get it right there’s usually another lap to follow. And don’t worry about what you’re shooting to begin with. Even a track day is an ideal opportunity to master your craft.

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Dena Rafte | Professional Headshot Photographer

Professional Headshots, Personal Branding Photography, Family Photography & More!

Rafte Photography, a leading provider of professional photography services in Houston, is thrilled to announce a significant change to its online presence.

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, January 23, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Rafte Photography, a leading provider of professional photography services in Houston, is thrilled to announce a significant change to its online presence. The company’s website will now be accessible at www.RaftePhotography.com, effective immediately.

The transition from Rafte.com to RaftePhotography.com is not just a change in domain; It marks it represents a deeper commitment to providing luxury portrait and professional branding services to clients in the Houston, Texas area. Rafte Photography has been at the forefront of capturing the essence of its clients, offering stunning results that tell their unique stories through photography.

In addition to their photography services, Rafte Photography also offers the option to turn your cherished images into exquisite Wall Art and a variety of luxurious albums, preserving your memories in the most elegant way possible.

Dena, the talented photographer behind Rafte Photography, has a remarkable ability to put people at ease and establish a genuine rapport. This special skill ensures that the photographs captured by Rafte Photography are natural, never posed or stiff, resulting in timeless and authentic images.

Rafte Photography specializes in a wide range of professional photography services, including:
– Professional Headshots
– Family Portrait Photography
– Generational Stories (e.g., Mother-Daughter Photo Shoots)
– Personal Branding Photography
– Senior Photos
– Female Photography

Their dedication to telling your story shines through in every photograph they produce. Whether it’s a corporate headshot that exudes professionalism or a family portrait that captures the love and connections between generations, Rafte Photography is committed to making you feel empowered while being photographed.

For more information about Rafte Photography and their professional photography services in Houston, please visit www.RaftePhotography.com.

About Rafte Photography:

Rafte Photography, based in Houston, Texas, specializes in luxury portrait and professional headshot photography. With a passion for capturing authentic moments and telling unique stories through photography, Rafte Photography is dedicated to making clients feel empowered while being photographed. Led by the talented photographer Dena, Rafte Photography offers a range of services, including professional headshots, family portraits, generational stories, personal branding, senior photos, and female photography.

Dena Rafte
Rafte Photography
email us here
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Understanding the habits that can propel a photography career forward is crucial in this rapidly evolving field. This helpful video features an experienced photographer discussing five such habits.

Coming to you from Laura BC, this helpful video shares five key habits that significantly contributed to her professional journey. The first habit she emphasizes is the combination of practice and perseverance. This advice is particularly important as it addresses the common issue of not using the camera enough due to busy schedules. She stresses the importance of regular practice and learning from mistakes without getting discouraged. Another habit she discusses is continuous learning. This habit is crucial, as the photography industry is dynamic, with constant advancements in techniques and technology.

She also highlights the importance of balancing learning with creating. Photographers should make it a habit to regularly use their cameras or smartphones to practice their skills. This habit ensures that you don’t get caught up in a cycle of consumption without application. Additionally, she discusses adapting to modern platforms for showcasing work and attracting clients. Her insights into using platforms like Instagram and TikTok effectively are particularly relevant in today’s digital age, where online presence significantly impacts a photographer’s visibility and success. Check out the video above for the full rundown.

Introduction

Ease of Use

The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is one of Nikon’s larger lenses in the Z series, with its size and weight being unsurprising considering the very wide maximum aperture of f/1.2.

It’s significantly larger than the much more compact 85mm f/1.8 S lens – and probably not one you’d want to consider as an “everyday” or “walk around” lens, but more for specific shooting requirements or events, such as portraits, weddings and so on.

At 1160g / 2 lb 9oz, it’s even heavier than the 50mm f/1.2 and much, much heavier than the f/1.8 version which tips the scales at a more manageable 470g.

Measuring 102.5mm x 141.5mm / 4.1in. x 5.6in. (diameter / length), again its a lot bigger than the f/1/8 lens, as you’d expect, which measures 75mm x 99mm.

Having said all of that, though, it still balances fairly well with full-frame cameras in the Z series – we’ve been using it with the Zf, but it would also work even better with the Z8 and Z9.

Although it will fit on the Nikon Z APS-C models, the smaller size of those cameras would make it very front-heavy and generally unwieldy to use.

Similarly to the other lenses in this line-up, build construction is very high quality, with a metal lens mount.

To attach the lens to your camera, you first need to line up the white dot around the base of the lens to the white dot on the lens mount.

Once you’ve done that, twist it to lock into place. When you want to release the lens, you need to push down the button at the side of the lens mount and twist in the opposite direction.

Like most Z mount lenses, the outward construction is fairly simple and straightforward. Towards the base you have the focal length and aperture written (85 / 1.2 S), while just next to it is a switch for moving between autofocus and manual focus. When working in autofocus, you can still manually override the focus if necessary.

A thin, ridged ring sits towards the base of the lens. This is a control ring which can be set to a few different functions via the main menu.

It will have a default option, for example adjusting aperture in aperture priority, but you can also assign it to exposure compensation or ISO sensitivity if you prefer.

You can even set it to have function whatsoever, which might be helpful if you were worried about accidentally knocking it and changing a setting.

At the centre of the lens, you have one more control that is only found on Nikon’s more expensive, premium-end Z series lenses, namely a customisable L-Fn button.

Unlike the control dial, the L-Fn button can be assigned to a far greater range of controls, including metering, switching on raw, zooming into the scene (to check for focus), playback and much more. Again, you can also have it set to “none” if you prefer.

Strangely, there’s no OLED display window on this lens, as found on the comparable 50mm f1.2 where it displays either the aperture or focusing distance.

A large ring in the centre of the lens is used for adjusting manual focus. This is ridged and has just enough give to make slight adjustments easy to do.

However, it doesn’t have hard stops at either end to help you ascertain when you’ve reached the maximum/minimum focusing limit.

If you are using manual focusing, there are some settings you can activate to make it easier. From the camera’s main menu, switching on focus peaking will help you ensure easier focus, while zooming into the scene can also ensure focusing is on point – which is especially important if you want to focus manually at very wide apertures such as f/1.2.

Focusing, if you choose to stick with autofocusing, is very quick, and very quiet, which makes it ideal for use in a wide range of situations where quiet focusing is advantageous – for example while shooting video, or in quiet places such as churches.

A very large lens hood is supplied in the box (HB-106), which you can attach to the front of the lens. To do this, you need to line up the white dot on the lens hood with the white dot at the front of the lens.

Simply then twist it to lock it into place – and do the reverse when you want to take it off. You can also turn the lens hood backwards for easier storage and transportation.

Focal Range

The Nikon Z 85mm f1.2 S lens has a single focal length. If using the lens on a full-frame camera with DX format activated, or with a DX-camera, the equivalent focal length is 127.5mm. The angle of view when shooting in FX format is 28°30’, and in the DX format, 18°50’.

Chromatic Aberrations

The Nikon Z 85mm f1.2 S lens has been designed to the highest optical standards, and as such we wouldn’t expect to find too much evidence of chromatic aberration. Usually typified as blue or purple fringing along high-contrast edges, it is often a problem with cheaper lenses.

We struggled to find any incidence of chromatic aberration appearing with this lens, even when examining images closely at 100%.

Vignetting

At the widest aperture of f1.2, there is some slight noticeable shading in the corners when photographing a white wall. This is not something which is overly noticeable with more usual subjects, and the effect lessens at f/2.0, before pretty much disappearing altogether at f/2.8.

Distortion

Pin-cushion distortion is well controlled in both the JPEG and RAW files.

Sunstars and Flare

The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is capable of creating quite nice sunstars when stopped-down to f/16, as shown below, and flare is also well controlled even when shooting directly into the sun.

Macro

The Nikon Z 85mm f1.2 S lens is not a designated close-up or macro lens, but thanks to its focal length, it’s still a good option to consider when shooting classic macro-type subjects, such as flowers. The minimum focusing distance is 0.85 m / 2.79 ft and the maximum magnification is 0.11x.

Bokeh

Bokeh is the word used to describe the out of focus area in an image. It is generally described in qualitative terms, such as creamy, smooth or pleasing.

With a very wide maximum aperture, 11 rounded diaphragm blades, and a mid-range focal length, we’d expect the bokeh from the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens to be nothing less than stellar, and it certainly does not disappoint.

Bokeh here is rounded and attractive, while also producing a natural drop-off effect from the main subject. Since feelings on bokeh can be quite subjective, we have included some examples below to help you make your own mind up.

Sharpness

In order to show you how sharp the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens is, we are providing 100% crops on the following page.

Nicola Morelli reimagines the photography process from the lens of children with the new Camera for Kids concept design. It aims to transform the idea of a digital camera into a more tactile experience that activates functions through physical controls.

It is designed with the notion that kids will be functioning the camera with a shutter button activated by a water gun trigger or a crank lever used to alter the brightness and focus of the camera. Another example is pulling on a ‘TNT’ string to take timed photographs as it will shorten down to taking the shot. Due to the natural toy-like performance of the camera, it encourages a playful experience more than an intimidating one.

Image Credit: Nicola Morelli

Photo by Keifer Russell

The exhibit is on display in the Haggerty Museum of Art until May.

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“Dynamic Range: Photographs by Bill Tennessen” a photography exhibit at the Haggerty Museum of Art explores a range of themes in photography from sports, politics, Juneteenth and more. The exhibit is on display at the Haggerty Museum of Art from Jan. 19. until May 12. 2024. 

This exhibit was curated by Lynne Shumow, Curator for Academic Engagement, in collaboration with Robert Smith, Professor of history and director of The Center for Urban Research Teaching and Outreach at Marquette and Milwaukee’s Black Holocaust Museum. This exhibition is a collection of photographs taken by Milwaukee photographer Bill Tennessen. Tennessen is a graduate of Marquette’s College of Business Administration class of 1956 and worked as a photographer for the Milwaukee Community Journal.

This exhibit can be found on the second floor of The Haggerty Museum of Art. The exhibit divides the photographs into five different sections. In the first room when walking in, viewers can see photographs separated into five categories: “Community,” “Juneteenth,” “Ernest Lacy,” “Storefronts and Churches” and “The Arts.” In the second room of the exhibit, viewers can see the sections: “Sports,” “Politics” and “Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.” 

The photographs are mostly from the 80s and 90s and display a range of political figures, famous athletes, Black youth at community events and the arts around the Milwaukee community. The exhibit especially highlights the tragic death of Ernest Lacy in 1981.

In the Ernest Lacy section of the exhibit there is a plaque explaining that 22-year-old Lacy, who was suspected of rape, was killed after an altercation with Milwaukee police officers. The plaque explains that after Lacy’s death he was ruled out as a suspect after identification from the victim.

“Hopefully some of the people that come in will see some familiar faces. You see a lot of joy in the black community. You see a lot of focus on family and community. There is one section that is very difficult about Ernest Lacey who was killed in police custody which is a very challenging aspect of the exhibition. It is very important though, and brings up ideas of history repeating itself,” Shumow said.

This section of the exhibit also contains photographs from the courtroom, photographs of marches that took place in Milwaukee on Wisconsin Avenue where Lacy was killed and a photo of Lacy’s parents at the day of his service.  

Shumow explained that this exhibit took about a year and a half to complete. She said that each photograph in the exhibit has an accompanying plaque to give context for the picture and what year it was taken. 

“There were a lot of photographs to look at, so I recruited my team to go with me to Mr. Tennesen’s house a few times. We brought hundreds and hundreds of photographs back here and we broke them down into categories. I had the ultimate discretion but it was a team effort to decide which photographs to include,” Shumow said. 

Shumow also explained the unique process of how this exhibition came to fruition. Bill Tennessen’s son Charlie Tennessen came into The Haggerty Museum of Art and asked to speak to a curator. Shumow said that normally the staff at The Haggerty come up with their own ideas for exhibitions. However, Charlie Tennessen explained that his father was a graduate of Marquette and Shumow agreed to sit down with him and began to look through the photographs.

Shumow said that at first this exhibit was meant to be in companion with another exhibit the museum was already working on, which was a photography exhibit using photographs from an artist from the south. 

“It was initially planned as a smaller exhibition in companion with the bigger photography exhibition. The exhibit would have a local and national component,” Shumow said. 

Shumow and her team of staff and interns later decided to dedicate a whole exhibit to Tennessen’s photographs. Shumow explains that each photograph within the exhibit are all photographs Tennessen took and printed. Choosing which photographs to include was a hard process given that Tennessen has thousands of negatives and a large archive of photograph Shumow said. 

Shumow also said that with Black History Month coming up in February, this exhibit was intentional and the curation team at the Haggerty Museum of Art wanted to do something for Black History Month by highlighting a Black photographer in the Milwaukee community. 

Shumow said that she hopes that viewers of the exhibit will enjoy seeing pieces of Milwaukee history as well as joy in Milwaukee’s Black community. 

This story was written by Avery Darrow. She can be reached at a[email protected].