Mish Mash Highlights: 4/11/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Apr 10, 2018 at 5:00am PDT

This week's photography news and more with the Mish Mash Highlights. Want to mount an iPhone to a 70-200? It might sound crazy but that's an option this week with a new adapter.Toby's back this week with the live show as well. It's the same material you get here, but straight from the man himself while you can talk to the PEN community in a group chat. If that sounds good sign up to PEN today at photoenthusiastnetwork.com. The live show is just a bonus to a ton of great content.

This Week at Photorec.tv

Want to travel with Toby?We've got some great new trips to sign up for:

• Return to New ZealandApril & May 2019
• Oregon Waterfalls and CoastAugust 24th-26th 2018

New for PEN, join today at Photorec.tv/PEN

• Tuesday Tips -The F Stops Here! - Getting started with controlling aperture

WPPI Panasonic Booth - Quick look at GX9 and G9 from PanasonicToby spends a few moments with the Panasonic Gx9 and G9. Talking briefly about the Canon M50 and the Panasonic Gx9

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.This Adapter Lets You Mount Any Giant Lens On Your Tiny SmartphoneWhile manual only, including aperture, check out this neat adapter that lets you shoot with a smartphone. Essentially digiscoping, shooting through a scope, you can use a large variety of lenses (Canon EF, Nikon F, and Sony E). It's a neat idea if a niche item, hit the link for a video for more!Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is a different beastA smaller micro four-thirds design almost in line with the GH5 with 4K at 60 fps. At $1200 it's an interesting choice and a bit of competition for Panasonic.Other Stories You Might Like:

• Photos of a Starry Lightsaber Duel in the World’s Largest Salt Flat
• How to Rescue an Underexposed Photo and Maintain Natural Color
• How to Stay Creative and Constantly Improve Your Work
• PolarPro Moves Into Still Camera Lens Filters with QuartzLine
• Lutify.me Cross-Platform LUTs Are Now Even Better in Lightroom and Camera Raw
• Elinchrom will skip Photokina this year, other brands may follow suit
• A Photographer got arrested for using his drone- And Says it was worth it
• ProGrade Digital Unveils World’s First 1TB CFexpress Card
• Photographer Forced to Watch His Stolen Custom-Modified Lens Sell on eBay for $65,100
• Fujifilm will discontinue ACROS 100 black & white film in October
• Patent: Canon Application for a New Tilt Screen for the Eos-M
• Photographer Turns Bullied Kids Into Avengers Superheroes
• The Crazy Shots You Can Do with a Camera Robot

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_pets3

It’s been a furry week with some nice photos! Glad to see some silly shots this week with the cold weather up here in Michigan. Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_architecture3A focus on buildings this week, try to focus on shapes and lines as a lot of it will be drawing the eye to your subject.

Toby’s Features:

Love the crop!

I agree and the taller dog’s gaze at the camera is perfect!

Just a simple tight portrait! lovely!

Roy’s Features:

I love that yawn! It's a cute shot and a really unique angle.

The pet for this challenge doesn't have to be yours, using a fast aperture works great to seperate your subject.

A bit of aww, going for that morning light

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

Sunrise crashes an aurora party

"Sunrise crashes an aurora party over the southern hemisphere," said astronaut Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) of the image he snapped from the International Space Station. Auroras are one of the many Earthly phenomena the crew of the space station observe from their perch high above the planet. The dancing lights of auroras provide spectacular views, but also capture the imagination of scientists who study incoming energy and particles from our Sun. Auroras are one effect of such energetic particles, which can speed out from the Sun both in a steady stream called the solar wind or from giant eruptions known as coronal mass ejections or CMEs. After a trip toward Earth that can last three days, the solar particles and magnetic fields cause the release of particles already trapped near Earth, which in turn trigger reactions in the upper atmosphere in which oxygen and nitrogen molecules release photons of light. The result: the Northern and Southern lights. #earth #aurora #night #day #nasa #international #space #station

A post shared by International Space Station (@iss) on Apr 11, 2018 at 10:50am PDT

Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!

Upcoming live show schedule for PEN - No show on April 18th

Mish Mash Highlights: 4/4/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Mar 31, 2018 at 5:30pm PDT

This week's photography news and more with the Mish Mash Highlights. This week Lightroom got a big update, if you haven't noticed yet go check it out. We've also got a bunch of gear in for reviews so that'll be coming out soon!Toby's back this week with the live show as well. It's the same material you get here, but straight from the man himself while you can talk to the PEN community in a group chat. If that sounds good sign up to PEN today at photoenthusiastnetwork.com. The live show is just a bonus to a ton of great content.

This Week at Photorec.tv

Want to travel with Toby?We've got some great new trips to sign up for:

• Return to New ZealandApril & May 2019
• Oregon Waterfalls and CoastAugust 24th-26th  2018

New for PEN, join today at Photorec.tv/PEN

• Tuesday Tips - Need Inspiration? Steal it!
• The Making of a Black and White Series
• PEN PPA Level Photo Critique - March

Articles Out this week!

• 5 Reasons the 40mm is Better Than the 50mm
• Spring Photography Backgrounds and Props
• Safari Review – Sony 100-400
• Gnarbox Review

Lightroom Classic CC v7.3 | April 2018 UPDATESFor those that want to get a bit more advanced with their editing Lightroom Classic now has a new color profile system and creative profiles. A big boost to editing and we should be seeing some really neat presets in the future. Along with the update there's been a few UI changes and items moved for better workflow, hopefully to get you out shooting again faster.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.

• This Camera Was Lost at Sea for 2 Years — Its Photos Just Led to Its Owner

As one of those viral stories, you can't stop this Canon G12 that managed to survive under water for two years! Al beit, thanks to an underwater housing, but with the power of social media they managed to find the owners within a couple days. This little Canon got swept 155 miles away from where it was lost in Japan to end up in Taiwan and fortunately found by school kids.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/park.lee.10/posts/1976030532434236[/embed]

 Other Stories You Might Like:

• Depth-Based Photo Editing Is Now a Thing
• CIPA Early 2018 Shows Up to 28% Fall in Camera Sales
• The Best Photography April Fools’ Jokes of 2018
• This Tour Around the Sigma Japan Factory Explains Why All Their Machinery Is Blue
• Netflix Teases With Kodachrome Movie Trailer
• VSCO Opens Up A New Studio In Oakland | Free To The Public
• This ‘Secret Code’ Shows if Your Nikon Gear is Refurbished
• Sheriff's Deputy who shot photographer won't face criminal charges
• Do YOU Look Through the Viewfinder with Your Dominant Eye?
• Services and Apps You Can Use to Work More Productively

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_dark2

Starting out I think a lot of photographers wait for that bluebird sky to take photos. So this week we flipped the script going for darker shots whether you got a bit creative or just waited for that light to fall. Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_pets3Time to let the fur fly with a pets challenge next! Go get some cute shots or your pets, or someone elses, for a nice shot this week.

Toby’s Features:

Roy’s Features:

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

Check out theis neat shot of Java, Bali, and Lombok. It almost looks like someone photoshopped a line of islands into a shot :)

From space, the sprawling Indonesian islands of Java, Bali and Lombok appear perfectly arranged. In this majestic view, captured from 250 miles above courtesy of astronaut Ricky Arnold (@Astro_Ricky) aboard the International Space Station (@iss), the impeccably aligned islands are disconnected only by tiny passages of water called straits. The Lombok Strait, which separates Bali and Lombok, is a slice of an invisible boundary called the Wallace Line. The margin, which runs between Asia and Australia, was created by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859 and was drawn to separate the wildlife of Australia from the wildlife of Southeast Asia. This study of the geographical distribution of species and ecosystems is called biogeography and was formed from the work of Wallace and other biologist and explorers. There are currently six people living on the space station. While living aboard humanity’s only permanently occupied microgravity laboratory, they will work on hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science. Credit: NASA/@Astro_Ricky #nasa #space #spacestation #crew #astronaut #spacecraft #orbit #earth #research #science #picoftheday #indonesia #bali #archipelago #java #lombok #islands

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Mar 31, 2018 at 8:11am PDT

Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!

Upcoming live show schedule for PEN - No show on April 18th

Mish Mash Highlights: 3/28/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Mar 28, 2018 at 6:43am PDT

This week's photography news and more with the Mish Mash Highlights. In the news, a leaked GoPro announcement looks like we'll be getting a $200 budget model. Then you can finally stop worrying about the dreaded Instagram shadowban hopefully with a new site that checks your posts.Toby and Steve are back with this week's live show and this is the same highlights we use so you guys get this week's rundown. If you'd rather watch then read, sign up to PEN today at photoenthusiastnetwork.com, the live show is just a bonus to a ton of great content. For everyone that are already PEN members, thank you for supporting the site!

This Week at Photorec.tv

Want to travel with Toby?We've got some great new trips to sign up for:

• Return to New ZealandApril & May 2019
• Oregon Waterfalls and CoastAugust 24th-26th  2018

• New for PEN, join today at Photorec.tv/PEN
  • Tuesday Tips - Foreground and Background Elements for Story-Telling! 
  • We tend to focus on our subject a bit too much starting out. This article from Instructor Ally McKay is a great step to think about how to layer details in your photos.
• Moment Lenses - The Filmmaker Collection
  • Toby has been a big fan of the Moment lenses and they've just announced a new collection on Kickstarter.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Leaked: GoPro to reveal entry-level 'HERO' action cam this week, will cost $200With a few leaked photos and a sales PDF it's clear GoPro is out to release a new budget HERO action camera. The problem with a new non-4K model... is it really needed? GoPro as of late has been feeling the pressure, especially with YI technology and other companies releasing more action cameras into the market. But as it stands it's a budget camera without 4K capability but price wise the HERO5 Black is at the same point with higher specs. At the moment it's $299 with a $25 gift card back at B&H and elsewhere sales have gone down to $220. This might be another shot at stemming the tide to cheaper models but it just doesn't work.Leaked Specs:

• 1080/60P & 1440/60P video
• 10 MP Stills at 10fps
• Timelapse video
• Waterproof up to 33 Feet (10m)
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Voice Control

This New Instagram Shadowban Tester Examines Your Last 10 PostsFor those using Instagram that have a low liked post, it's time to try the new and improved Instagram shadow ban tester. From trying to abuse the system with a bot or accidentally using a banned hashtag (Toby did last week) it's easy enough to fall under the dreaded Instagram Shadowban scare. I wasn't a big fan of how Tiberr's original tester worked but if you think you may be affected, or curious, this is a quick way to go see. The new site actually lists the hashtags you use and scratches out any that are on the banned list. Like the article from PetaPixel mentions if you are showing up affected just remove the bad hashtags and try not to use Instagram for a couple days.As a warning for those that don't post too frequently this only checks the last week or so. Anything past that will show a flag simply because they can't find it online.Other Stories You Might Like:

• Real Estate Photographer Taking Legal Action After Being Shot by Homeowner
• Leaked: GoPro to reveal entry-level 'HERO' action cam this week, will cost $200
• Tamron Says They Are Ready for Canon and Nikon Mirrorless
• What Should You Charge for Your Pro Photography?
• Instagram Updates | Hashtags And Profile Links In Bio & Feed Priority Options
• This New Instagram Shadowban Tester Examines Your Last 10 Posts
• Behind the Scenes for Selling Large Wall Art Using Samples
• Give Your Images the Cinematic Look in Just Two Minutes
• The camera is now the only smartphone feature that matters

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_highorlow

Some fun shots, and duck butt, for this week's High or Low challenge! Something a bit different as it pushes you out of that static standing pose shooting for something a bit more dynamic. Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_dark2Photorec.tv gone dark! With warmer weather mostly here it's time to shoot a bit later or a bit darker for some fun shots. A good one to try would be some blue hour city shots as there's just that little bit of light left that makes the city lights pop.

Toby’s Features:

I wish there was something that offered a sense of scale but the image is still a stellar shot - love the pattern of the ice and the dark water

The angle and the dress spread on the floor work well together to really draw you right to the face

Great angle on a nice clean shot of a Joshua tree with that beautiful starry sky!

Roy’s Features:

I like how being down low in this really shows the scale with that wider lens.

A hint of texture gives a nice feel for this photo with the bridge nice and soft in the background.

This is a bit neat as it’s a much higher angle that puts the focus all on your subject.

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

The Crab Nebula, a composite image using photos from the Hubble, Chandra, and Spitzer space telescopes. Using different filters the Hubble shows the purple hues while the other two telescopes shot the white and blue for this neat image.

A crab walks through time - this new composite image of the Crab Nebula uses data from our Hubble (@NASAHubble), Chandra (@chandraxray) and Spitzer space telescopes and gives new insights to this celestial object. We've learned a lot over the years about this intriguing exploded star and its pulsating core. It was one of the first objects that our Chandra X-Ray Observatory examined with its sharp X-ray vision, and it has been a frequent target of the telescope ever since. There are many reasons that the Crab Nebula is such a well-studied object. For example, it is one of a handful of cases where there is strong historical evidence for when the star exploded. Having this definitive timeline helps astronomers understand the details of the explosion and its aftermath. In the case of the Crab, observers in several countries reported the appearance of a “new star” in 1054 A.D. in the direction of the constellation Taurus. Much has been learned about the Crab in the centuries since then. Today, astronomers know that the Crab Nebula is powered by a quickly spinning, highly magnetized neutron star called a pulsar, which was formed when a massive star ran out of its nuclear fuel and collapsed. The latest image of the Crab is a composite with X-rays from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (blue and white), Hubble Space Telescope (purple) and Spitzer Space Telescope (pink). The extent of the X-rays in this image is smaller than the others because extremely energetic electrons emitting X-rays radiate away their energy more quickly than the lower-energy electrons emitting optical and infrared light. Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: NASA-JPL-Caltech #crabnebula #chandra #hubble #spitzer #telescope #astronomy #xray #nebula #space #nasa #astronomy #science #picoftheday #pictureoftheday

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Mar 16, 2018 at 11:23am PDT

Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!

Mish Mash Highlights: 3/21/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Mar 19, 2018 at 6:01pm PDT

Photography news and more with this week's Mish Mash Highlights update. Toby's just touched down in Seattle after going on safari in Africa so you should be seeing more content from him soon. As for this week in news Adobe got a price bump and Lytro is being bought out for a whopping $40 million.While Toby does the Live Show for PEN this is your quick peek at what we’re doing behind the scenes. But, you can always join Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live, find out more at Photorec.tv/pen. For everyone that are already PEN members, thank you for supporting the site!

This Week at Photorec.tv

Want to travel with Toby? We've got some great new trips to sign up for:

• Return to New Zealand – April & May 2019
• Oregon Waterfalls and Coast - August 24th-26th  2018

• New for PEN, join today at Photorec.tv/PEN
  • Tuesday Tips - Posing and Relationship Family Portraits, this week focusing on how to connect your subjects for a better photo.
• Hands-on Videos at WPPI
  • Canon M50 at WPPI – Baby Steps?
  • WPPI Spider Booth

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Adobe Breaks $2Billion This Quarter | Where’s The Revenue Going?Adobe Announces Creative Cloud Price IncreaseThe big news this week is that Adobe is raising their prices at the same time of having record profits. Those with Adobe photography, student, or Acrobat plans are safe for now. Having both announcements simultaneously have annoyed some of the Adobe userbase as the cash is mainly going to investors while updates have been slim. With software like Capture One, catching up, and faster than Lightroom in areas is it time to jump to another editing software?

• Creative Cloud for Individual Single App plans will increase to $20.99 per month from $19.99 per month or $1 per month
• Creative Cloud for Individual All Apps plans will increase to $52.99 per month from $49.99 per month or $3 per month
• Creative Cloud for Teams All App plans will increase to $79.99 per month from $69.99 per month or $10 per month

Sources: Google is buying Lytro for about $40MWhen Lytro came out both Toby and I found it interesting but more of a fad. Their lightfield technology allowed you to refocus a shot in post or change depth of field, which admittedly would be handy. Now while things might not have worked out perfectly for them Google is reportedly buying them for $40 million. While their camera tech wasn't a perfect fit for the market the technology might find a new life in immersive VR. Using the camera tech to make better results for VR and capturing images for it. As Google does make Android software and the Google Pixel series of phones hopefully we'll see some of the software trickles down.Other Stories You Might Like:

• NASA Astronaut Brings 4-Year-Old Son to Spacesuit Photo Shoot
• Man Buys a $2 Million Photo of Jesse James on Ebay. For $10
• This New Instagram Shadowban Tester Examines Your Last 10 Posts
• Instagram Rolls Out Repost Feature, Sort Of
• This Photographer Got Run Over by a 2.5-Ton Truck and Bounced Back
• Breaking: in Response to Recent Deaths, Faa Halts “doors-off” Helicopter Flights Nationwide
• If This Magazine Picks Your Photo for Its Cover, YOU Pay $430
• Photo Industry Legend Chuck Westfall Dies at 66
• Scam Competition Uses Names of Photographers as 'Judges' Without Permission
• Report: Nikon pulling KeyMission inventory out of US stores

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_colorful2

Despite some snow still here in Michigan spring is coming and you guys showed the color with this weeks challenge. Nice job thinking out of the box with some neat indoor shots like crafts!Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_highorlowA composition can be one of the biggest points separating a subject from a snapshot. For the next challenge, your goal is to shoot with a bit of elevation, or get close to the ground. Changing heights can change your view from the standard eye level view to something a lot more interesting for a photo. Go try it out and good luck this week!

Roy’s Features:

Nothing says springtime color like some early blossoms.

A bit more on the creative side and certainly a colorful one at that for sure.  

A rainbow of mixed flowers certainly works for this challenge and sets a colorful scene.

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

Breathtaking images! NASA’s Juno spacecraft releases pics of Jupiter storm

Some more neat shots from the Juno spacecraft, go check out this massive storm on Jupiter.Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going! For Pen members, Toby will be back on air March 28th.

Mish Mash Highlights: 3/14/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Mar 12, 2018 at 7:30am PDT

Your photography news and more this week with the Mish Mash Highlights. This week Toby's off in Africa on safari, check out the little cute baby baboon! Then in the news, Toby released his a7III official review and it sounds like Canon and Nikon are close behind.While Toby does the Live Show for PEN this is your quick peek at what we’re doing behind the scenes. But, you can always join Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live, find out more at Photorec.tv/pen. For everyone that are already PEN members, thank you for supporting the site!

This Week at Photorec.tv

Want to travel with Toby? We've got some great new trips to sign up for:

• Return to New Zealand – April & May 2019
• Oregon Waterfalls and Coast - August 24th-26th  2018

• New for PEN, join today at Photorec.tv/PEN
  • Tuesday Tips - To go along with Steve's digital matting tutorial I've added a quick guide for making your own handwritten watermark.
• Vietnam Photography Adventures – Part Three! - A new vlog on Toby's recent tour of Vietnam with the last leg of the trip heading into Cambodia.
• Sony a7III Review – The Only Thing Entry Level Is the Price - The big review is out! - If you are thinking about going full frame or want to upgrade this is a strong option to choose for your next camera.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Did Instagram Just Bring Back Chronological Feeds?Without a big announcement from Instagram, you might have noticed your Instagram feed has changed a bit. Instagram has been testing out a new feed for some that prioritize more recent posts like the original chronological feed that sorted photos by most recent. Something you all want as our Instagram poll was nearly 100% for a change. This is getting more people to see your posts and letting you see posts from people that might have been not showing up often. It's a welcome change, likely as Instagram has been feeling a bit of pressure from Vero and Ello apps so they are trying to keep their users.Sony Exec Predicts Canon and Nikon Full-Frame Mirrorless Within a YearSo the million dollar question, with a camera like the Sony a7III now out when will Canon and Nikon catch up? At least according to Sony's General Manager Kenji Tanaka they think it will be within a year. Canon's been strongly pushing for a full frame mirrorless and market share lately so it is a big possibility that we might see something soon. Would you go for a Canon/Nikon full frame mirrorless or do you want to make the switch to Sony?Other Stories You Might Like:

• Canon Wants a 50% Marketshare
• This Video Shows the Danger of Sharing Photos of Your Favorite Location on Social Media
• Should You Raise Your Photography Pricing?
• Photojournalist faces death penalty in Egypt for covering anti-government protests
• 1923 Leica Camera Sold for $2.95 Million, Setting the New World Record
• Photographer Receiving Death Threats for Using Live Ducklings and Bunnies
• Photo Shoot Helicopter Crash in NYC’s East River Kills 5
• 'I'm Back' digital back for analog SLRs successfully returns to Kickstarter

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_silhouette2

Going a bit darker for the silhouette challenge was hopefully a bit of fun for those of you that submitted. From a technical point it's a nice way to control your exposure to get a different result, and on the artsy side something different you can do for a shoot. There are some really nice shots this week so go check them out!Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_colorful2Some color to hopefully bring in spring, it's still snowy here, unfortunately. For this challenge, it's time to put up some colorful shots! As a tip watch your histogram so you don't blow out your photo, more on that in my shooting reds article.

Roy’s Features:

A clever shot with some nice color and action!

As you can really set the mood with a silhouette this really makes for a nice peaceful scene. 

A nice way to really put the focus and set the scene for those dramatic clouds.

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

A neat shot this week with geology showing Mars's watery past.

Imprints on the surface of Mars reveal a history of flowing water. In this Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter image, old stream channels, possibly more resistant to erosion because of their composition, now stand above fan-shaped deposits, each affirming the Red Planet's complex geologic past. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona #nasa #space #mars #water #martian #surface #dark #light #science #solarsystem #planet #picoftheday #pictureoftheday

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Mar 13, 2018 at 4:30pm PDT

Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going! For Pen members, Toby will be back on air March 28th.

Mish Mash Highlights: 3/7/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Mar 7, 2018 at 5:28am PST

Toby's slowly making his way to Africa for a safari, taking a bit of a pit stop in Amsterdam for a vacation. With WPPI over this week news is a bit slower but Later.com got a big update for Instagram and Canon is ready to make a move... finally. As always this is your weekly highlights with photography news, Instagram top picks, photos from space, and more!While Toby does the Live Show for PEN this is your quick peek at what we’re doing behind the scenes. But, you can always join Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live, find out more at Photorec.tv/pen. For everyone that are already PEN members, thank you for supporting the site!

This Week at Photorec.tv

Want to travel with Toby? We've got some great new trips to sign up for:

• Return to New Zealand – April & May 2019
• Oregon Waterfalls and Coast - August 24th-26th  2018

• New for PEN, join today at Photorec.tv/PEN
  • Tuesday Tips - See as a Photographer! Tips on how to see things as a photographer for the best composition for your photos.
  • New Videos!
    • Lightroom Crop and Export for Print or Share Online, a complete guide on how to export your photos and getting them ready to print by Toby
    • The Making of a Black and White Series Part 1, this week David introduces some basics on how to start working on your photos for a great black and white photo.
• Sony a7III vs a7RIII
  • With the a7III out the big question now is should you go with it or the a7RIII. It's a battle of specs and Toby's got all the details.
• Review – Sony 12-24 f/4 and SUPER WIDE NISI Filters
  • The Sony 12-24 ultra wide gets a review after some shooting in Yellowstone plus NISI has a great filter made just to fit it.
• Back to the Serengeti
  • As Toby is soon to be in Africa this is a follow up of all the gear that made the trip and the multiple vlogs from the last tour.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Schedule Posts Automatically to Instagram with Later!Later.com, our favorite site for scheduling Instagram photos, just got a big update to post photos directly to Instagram. This means you can post photos directly from your computer without the risk of a shadow ban and schedule without having to stop later on to push it out from the later phone app. The catch for this is carousel (galleries) and videos still are not automatic, no tagging, no locations, and you need to have an Instagram business page. The locations part is unfortunate as you do get people coming in from there, but overall the benefits are great for someone busy or wanting to post at work.

Sign up today at Later.com and hit the link above for how to use the new feature

Canon is Finally Willing to Cannibalize Its DSLRs for Mirrorless: Report

Canon's latest camera releases were known to be a bit on the safe side, trying to protect their other models. As DSLR sales are dropping and mirrorless are becoming more popular Canon has finally decided to really push into the mirrorless market. Same news as usual with their previous announcement but this time suggesting models having higher end specs competing with their DSLR line. With a release of the m50, a mirrorless entry level with 4K, and pulling their pros for suggestions of whats needed the change is coming. With Sony in the lead at the moment a bit more competition is needed as Canon has been the sluggish one of the big three. Hopefully we'll see more soon including the rumored full frame mirrorless camera from Canon.Other Stories You Might Like:

A post shared by Reuben Wu (@itsreuben) on Mar 7, 2018 at 5:23am PST

• How Two Photographers Unknowingly Shot the Same Millisecond in Time
• Think Tank Photo Releases Modular Belt System V3.0
• Benjamin Von Wong Shows Us How Photography Can Change the World
• New Wireless Trigger Comes Alive With Smart Photo App Features
• A Camera in One Hour: How CPS Saved the Day and My Photo Job
• Photographer Captures Halos Above Rock Pinnacles Using Drones
• Wacom Intuos Pen Tablet (2018) for Creative Beginners and Enthusiasts
• Canadian Bride Fined $115,000 After Online Hate Campaign Against Wedding Photographer
• Photographer Spots ‘One in a Million’ Yellow Cardinal

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_Mood

Showing a bit more mood in your photos was the challenge this week and a good step for something a bit extra to a shot. Whether a person, place, or thing it's another interesting element to add to a scene.Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_silhouette2A fun technical challenge this week as you get to play with the light to try to get some nice silhouettes. This is a great challenge for using a flash or waiting for the sun to get a bit lower to really nail the silhouettes. This should be a fun challenge and you can even try a table top shoot.

Roy’s Features:

I'd say that fox is slightly loving the snow in that picture and it's a great shot that sets the mood.

A nice one by Jane, going with a black background really captures the subject without any distractions to put focus on the action and mood. 

Capturing a more candid looking moment for a great shot of the happy couple.

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

Hubble Finds Huge System of Dusty Material Enveloping the Young Star HR 4796A

The start of a planet, a 150 billion mile wide dust cloud surrounding a star

Also check out: Satellite Eye on Earth: January 2018 - in picturesPick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going! For Pen members, Toby will be back on air March 28th.

Mish Mash Highlights: 2/28/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Feb 28, 2018 at 6:45am PST

A big week for photography news, it's the end of the WPPI conference with Toby in Las Vegas to cover the event. We've got early thoughts on the new Sony a7III as well as a bevy of lenses, flashes, and more gear. As always this is your weekly highlights with photography news, Instagram top picks, photos from space, and more!While Toby does the Live Show for PEN this is your quick peek at what we’re doing behind the scenes. But, you can always join Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live, find out more at Photorec.tv/pen. For everyone that are already PEN members, thank you for supporting the site!

This Week at Photorec.tv

• Want to travel with Toby? We've got some great new trips to sign up for:
  • Return to New Zealand – April & May 2019
  • Oregon Waterfalls and Coast - August 24th-26th  2018
• New for PEN, join today at Photorec.tv/PEN
  • Tuesday Tips - Check your email! - Time for you and your photography, a life tip on getting photos when you can
  • New Video! - Photoshop - Eye Enhancement and Highlights, getting a bit more pop in eyes without going overboard
  • Option 2 PPA Level Review is live, go check your email or the site for the new Video!
• The Sony a7III – Sony’s 4k Update to Entry Level Full Frame
  • An early hands-on from Toby in Vegas, the a7III doesn't cut any corners with A TON of specs in their more entry level full frame.

Preorders are live for the Sony a7III in body only and with a 28-70mm lens

• SIGMA Announces 9 Art Lenses for Sony E-mount cameras
  • For those wanting to switch to Sony, Sigma just made the move a ton easier with a large part of their Art line now available in Sony E Mount. For those with a lot of Sigma Art lenses already remember they do offer a conversion service as well.
• Sigma & Tamron Announce Sony FE Lenses
  • Tamron is also in the Sony lens game this week with a 28-75mm f/2.8 lens. Much smaller and lighter than the Sony edition, this should be great for those traveling that need f/2.8.
• Finally: M50 Canon Camera Offers 4K Video & Several Other Sweet Features
  • While Sony is currently sweeping the news this week Canon has a new mirrorless camera out for $899. It's a bit more of a competitive model than previous generations. The M50 comes with 4K, 120p HD, vari-angle touchscreen, automatic backup and even more sweet features.
• Vietnam Photography Adventures – Part Two!
  • Toby took so much video in Vietnam! We've got part two this week hitting Halong Bay. Warning: Snakes!
• NEW SONY FLASH – F60RM with wireless
  • A new flagship flash from Sony to fill out their accessories. THe F60RM is a flash with built-in wireless that can act as a master or slave in conjunction with their previous products.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.The Canon EOS 4000D might be the cheapest DSLR ever launchedCanon introduces EOS Rebel T7 with updated 24MP sensorCanon's beginner line just got updated with the T7 and there's a new budget-friendly 4000D coming to Europe only for now. The T7 gets an upgrade to the current 24MP sensor but that's about it as Canon is trying to push their higher end models. The 4000D will be an even more streamlined version of the T7 for around $385 body only.

6 Things to Know About Vero, the App Everyone and Their Mother Is Talking AboutAs you might have heard, everywhere, there's a new hot app for photographers on the market called Vero. It's currently having growing pains while upgrading servers to fill demand it's a bit tricky to log in at the moment. Vero is like Instagram in terms of posting, but there's no pesky algorithm in your way, making it a fan of those annoyed with Facebook and Instagram's filtering posts. Billed as a social media platform for users it has no ads, paying for the service with an in-app buy now feature and eventual subscription for later users. There has been a backlash towards the app though, as it's founder has a shady past. If this sounds interesting hurry up, as only the first million subscriptions are free. You can find me at roymckeeiii and Toby at photorectoby.

Get Vero at Google Play or the Apple App Store

Hot Deal! Thanks to WPPI this week get the Canon Pixma Pro-100 Printer for just $99.99 with code BHWPPI18Other Stories You Might Like:

• The New Canon 470EX-AI Speedlite Can Automatically Turn Its Head For a Perfect Bounce Flash
• 500px Sold to Visual China Group, the “getty of China”
• Beware 500px’s (Very) ‘Flexible Pricing’
• This Is What Happens When You Give a Photographer a Spacesuit
• Sigma to Increase Price of Mount Conversion Service
• Court Injunction Insists Canon Italia Must Remove Elia Locardi's Image
• Wacom Announces the Cintiq Pro 24" Pen Display
• Buyer Orders a $6,000 Camera, Amazon Sends a Box of Rocks Instead
• How SpaceX Shoots Close-Up Footage of Launching Rockets
• Ex-Lexar execs have launched a new memory card company, here's why you should care

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_DIY

A do it yourself week with those little DIYs, photography related or not. It's nice to challenge yourself from time to time and these little projects can net you some interesting shots.Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_MoodNext week is a bit trickier as you have to capture emotion. While portraits could be key this week you can think out of the box for something such as a rainy day for feeling down and sad. Remember color can play big into this, we read into things a lot and color can be that extra little push that can make the scene.

Roy’s Features:

Bubble solution for a neat DIY! I like the blue stripe for whatever was in the background. Check out Jane's post for some tips on doing this one.

Sharp and colorful! It's certainly a neat DIY with lots of color. 

Capturing smoke takes a lot of photos but you can get some neat shots. What does this one look like to you?

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

NASA spacecraft snaps breathtaking photo of Jupiter storm

A snapshot from Juno recently released by Nasa of Jupiter's giant red dot.

Also check out: Satellite Eye on Earth: January 2018 - in picturesPick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going! For Pen members, Toby will be back on air March 28th.

The Sony a7III - Sony's 4k Update to Entry Level Full Frame

https://youtu.be/rdZaqXd6hMsSony has just announced the a7iii. A followup to their entry level full frame mirrorless a7ii.The Sony a7iii Specs:

• Redesigned 24MP Sensor

• 693 AF Points with A9s Eye-AF system (Better than a7Riii)

• 15 stop Dynamic Range

• 5 axis IBIS

• 10fps with 14 bit raw (also 14 bit raw while silent)

• 4k HDR, 6k full readout, Slog 2 & 3 and HLG

• Uses Z Battery Rated at 710 shots longest battery life of any mirrorless camera ever

• Dual SDcard slots, joystick, touchscreen, USB-C,

• Available in April for $2,000 - Preorders start Wed

Sony a7III Video

At $2,000 for the a7III you get a NEW BSI 24.2 MP sensor offering- 10 FPS (silent or mechanical shutter), 15 stops of range and 4k Video. Combine that with 425 contrast Autofocus points, 693 phase detection autofocus points, eye AF,  5-axis in-body stabilization and a redesigned body that offers a bigger grip, a focus point joystick and a touchscreen. Not to mention the longest battery life of any mirrorless camera.With a lot of tech being brought in from the a7RIII and a9 it's fast. You can capture up to 177 JPEG images, 89 compressed RAW, or 40 uncompressed RAW images before filling the buffer. As with the other models, there is a partial lockout of camera functions while the data saves to the memory card. AF is about twice as fast as the A7II and significantly improved low light capabilities. The Eye-AF system is BETTER than the a7RIII! And it's REALLY good in the A7RIII!Offering 4K video with HLG(HDR) and S-Log2 and S-Log3. The 4k file is downsampled from 6k which when working off a 24mp sensor should give excellent low light results.  Full HD at 120fps to round it out.The design mirrors the a9, a7Riii batteries with dual SD card slots, slot one is SDXC II compatible. Same battery as a9/a7riii, the NP-FZ100 battery provides 710 shots per charge, that is actually the highest rating of any mirrorless on the market battery, the a7RIII is rated at 650 shots. USB-C for fast transfer of photos and video, tethered shooting and doubling as a power supply. There is also a micro USB port.My full review from Vegas will be released soon, don't forget to follow on Instagram at @photorectoby or subscribe to Youtube to be notified of the Sony a7iii review release

Preorders start 11 am ET, Feb 28th at B&H

Sony a7III Body Only

Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera with 28-70mm Lens

Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera with 28-70mm Lens

My Sony a7III Photos from Sony Launch Event

[gallery ids="17740,17741,17742,17743,17744,17745,17746,17747,17748"]

Sample Images from Sony

[gallery ids="17715,17716,17717,17718,17719,17720,17721,17722,17723,17724,17725"]

Specs

Sony a7 III

Sony a7 II

Lens Mount

Sony E-Mount

Sony E-Mount

Camera Format

Full-Frame

Full-Frame

Pixels

24 MP: 6000 x 4000 (new BSI Sensor)

24 MP: 6000 x 4000

File Formats

Still Images: JPEG, RAWMovies: AVCHD Ver. 2.0, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, XAVC SAudio: AC3, Dolby Digital 2ch, Linear PCM (Stereo)

Still Images: JPEG, RAWMovies: AVCHD Ver. 2.0, MPEG-4, XAVC SAudio: AAC LC, Dolby Digital 2ch, Linear PCM (Stereo)

Bit Depth

14-Bit

14-Bit

Memory Card Type

SDSDHCSDXCMemory Stick Pro DuoMemory Stick PRO HG-Duo

SDXCSDHCSDMemory Stick PRO Duo (High Speed)Memory Stick PRO HG-DuoMemory Stick XC-HG Duo

Image Stabilization

Sensor-Shift, 5-Way

Sensor-Shift, 5-Way

Video Format

3840 x 2160p at 23.98, 25, 29.97 fps (100 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264)3840 x 2160p at 23.98, 25, 29.97 fps (60 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264)1920 x 1080p at 100, 120 fps (100 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264)1920 x 1080p at 100, 120 fps (60 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264)1920 x 1080p at 23.98, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94 fps (50 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264)1920 x 1080p at 50, 59.94 fps (25 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264)1920 x 1080p at 25, 29.97 fps (16 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264)1920 x 1080i at 50, 59.94 fps (24 Mb/s AVCHD via H.264)1920 x 1080i at 50, 59.94 fps (17 Mb/s AVCHD via H.264)

1920 x 1080p at 24, 30, 60 fps (50 Mb/s XAVC S)1920 x 1080p at 60 fps (28 Mb/s AVCHD)1920 x 1080i at 60 fps (24 Mb/s AVCHD)1920 x 1080i at 60 fps (17 Mb/s AVCHD)1920 x 1080p at 24 fps (24 Mb/s AVCHD)1920 x 1080p at 24 fps (17 Mb/s AVCHD)1440 x 1080 at 30 fps (12 Mb/s MP4)640 x 480 at 30 fps (3 Mb/s MP4)

Video Clip Length

Up to 29 Minutes

Up to 29 Minutes

Autofocus

Phase Detection: 693Contrast Detection: 425Automatic (A), Continuous-Servo AF (C), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus (M), Single-servo AF (S)

Phase Detection: 117Contrast Detection: 25Continuous-Servo AF (C), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus (M), Single-servo AF (S)

Viewfinder Type

Electronic, 100% Coverage

Electronic, 100% Coverage

Buffer/Continuous Shooting

Up to 10 fps at 24.2 MP for up to 89 Frames in Raw FormatUp to 10 fps at 24.2 MP for up to 177 Frames in JPEG FormatUp to 8 fps at 24.2 MP

Up to 5 fps at 24 MP for up to 50 Frames

Built-in Flash

No

No

Connectivity

HDMI D (Micro), USB 2.0 Micro-B, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, Wi-Fi

1/8″ Headphone, 1/8″ Microphone, HDMI D (Micro), Micro-USB, Multi Interface Terminal, Wi-Fi

Dimensions (W x H x D)

5.0 x 3.9 x 3.0" / 127.0 x 99.1 x 76.2 mm

5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4″ / 126.9 x 95.7 x 59.7 mm

Weight

1.4375 lb / 652 g

1.223 lb / 556 g

Mish Mash Highlights: 2/21/2018

Toby's in Yellowstone with Animals of Montana having an awesome time, if a bit snowy with the trucks going through two-foot drifts. As always this is your weekly photography news, Instagram top picks, photos from space, and more! After a story came out a couple weeks ago about a photography shoot at a craft store Michaels stores are free to shoot, up for a challenge?While Toby does the Live Show for PEN this is your quick peek at what we’re doing behind the scenes. Get this week’s news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. But you can always join Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live, find out more at Photorec.tv/pen. For everyone that are already PEN members, thank you for supporting the site!

This Week at Photorec.tv

• • Want to travel with Toby? We've got some great new trips to sign up for, get them while there are spots available! 
    • Return to New Zealand – April & May 2019
    • Oregon Waterfalls and Coast - August 24th-26th  2018
  • Pen Only - Tuesday Tips - Winter Shooting Tips
    • Condensation, batteries, and more... this week PEN is focusing on how to take care of your camera in the elements in an email that went out.
  • Vietnam Photography Adventures – Part One!
    • Views from Vietnam, part one of an awesome tour Toby recently instructed. Check out the vlog and get some travel inspiration.
  • Fujifilm X-H1 Mirrorless Camera – Serious Video Specs!
    • A new release by Fuji, the X-H1 is a X-T2 for video. Including In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) it could be a great fit for the market and some great competition for the GH5/GH5s.
  • IRIX 11mm f/4 – Affordable Ultra Wide & Rear Filters Suck
    • A great fully manual lens with good results for the price. If you are on a budget a wide angle like this or their 15mm version would be great.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Michaels: Yes, You Can Do That Portrait Challenge In Our StoresThe next viral thing is shooting portraits in a craft store full of fake flowers. Originally starting with Hobby Lobby, their chain has pushed back as it's against store policy. Michaels craft stores instead have fully adopted the idea asking people to come in and tag your photos #michaelschallenge. Just give the workers some fair warning, and tag #PRTV so we can see your shots as well!

This is proof you don’t need an amazing location to get amazing portraits done! All photos taken inside a Michael’s store! #makeitwithmichaels #michaelschallenge #dallasphotographer

A post shared by Lexi Rodriguez (@lexirodriphotography) on Feb 19, 2018 at 9:48am PST

Sony Creates Groundbreaking Backlit CMOS Sensor with Global ShutterOne of the complaints about the Sony a7RII was that it suffered from rolling shutter. If something is moving fast enough in the frame the sensor could not keep up with the subject (the sensor scans row by row) and you'd get odd distortions in your photo with parts of the subject. Sony is trying to beat the issue by incorporating a global shutter that captures the entire image at once fixing this issue. Right now their test sensor is just 1.46MP but it's a great start for the next generation of camera sensors.Taking Apart The Sony A7rIII – In Search of Better Weather SealingInterested in the Sony A7rIII but worried about the weatherproofing? Lens Rentals has completely gutted the new camera to see what makes it tick. Check out this article for all the weatherproofing till the very last screw.Other Stories You Might Like:

• Fstoppers Reviews Opal Opacity Plugin for Lightroom
• Tamron announcement tomorrow: 70-210mm f/4 Di VC USD and 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD lenses
• Sony a7R III Weather Sealing Teardown
• This Crypto-art Rose Is the Most Valuable Virtual Art, Sold for $1 Million
• Google Removes ‘View Image’ Button from Image Search to Protect Photos
• Sigma launches its own web magazine, SEIN Online, highlighting the art of photography
• Fujifilm Sales Increased Thanks to Instant Film Cameras, Not Digital
• Millennial Travellers Paying for Proof 'They Were There' Sparks Asian Photography Boom
• Insect Photographer Seeks $2.7 Million for Copyright Violations from Pest Control Company 
• Silence at the White House
• My Worst Day Ever as a Photographer at the Olympics
• First photos taken with the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_negativespace2

Less is more, literally this week with the Negative Space challenge. You guys nailed it with some really great photos so go hit that hashtag linked above to see all the shots. Putting all that focus on your subject can really lead to a great image if you give it the room it needs with that negative space.Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_DIYEver have a DIY project you wanted to try? Now is the chance, especially with Michaels open for some neat in-store photos. Custom bokeh, vaseline for blurring, a neat backdrop, light flares, or your own DIY ... this week it's a chance to try something different.If you do hit up a Michaels use the tag #MichaelsChallenge as well!

Toby’s Features:

Love the wide mouth - the perfectly centered seagull and that flat gray.

So sharp, so perfectly blue and so close to the edge of the frame- look at all that negative space!

Little duck - big pond - love the space, the ripples- well done!

Roy’s Features:

This is great with all the focus on the bridge, you lucked out on the weather.

A great closeup and that bokeh really singles out the flower.

Lots of space using this hole as a way to peep through and simplify your shot with a bit of framing.

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

The Opportunity Rovers 5,000th Day on Mars

Sunrise on Mars: Our Opportunity rover was built to last 90 sols, or Martian days. The intrepid rover has survived to see 5,000 sols of exploration and counting. A sol lasts about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. Here we see sunrise as a new day breaks over the Red Planet on sol 4,999, Feb. 15, 2018. This view looking across Endeavour Crater was taken with Opportunity’s Panoramic Camera (Pancam), yielding this processed, approximately true-color scene. This view combines three separate exposures taken and was processed to correct for some of the oversaturation and glare, though it still includes some artifacts from pointing a camera with a dusty lens at the Sun. Opportunity has driven a little over 28.02 miles (45.1 km) since it landed in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars in January 2004. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State Univ./Texas A&M #sunrise #science #space #Mars #martian #NASA #JPL #MER #robots #omgrobots #technology #sun #opportunity #planet #newday

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Feb 17, 2018 at 8:40am PST

Also: He Took a Picture of a Supernova While Setting Up His New CameraPick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news and a live show. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going! For Pen members, Toby will be back on air March 28th.

Fujifilm X-H1 Mirrorless Camera - Serious Video Specs!

Fuji has announced the X-H1 - similar and size and shape to the much loved Fuji X-T2 series (you can see my review of the X-T2 here) this camera is aimed squarely at videographers. Yes, it can still take great photos like the X-T2 but the feature set packed inside is really all about video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AofDYo-tw8The standout features - In body stabilization 5 stops, 4k at 200Mbps with boosted dynamic range possible, internal DCI 4k and 120fps at 1080.While the body looks like a slightly larger Fuji X-T2 it has a top LCD that always remains on.Based on the quality of video I saw when I shot with the Fuji X-T2, I expect this camera to perform really well.  I hope to pair this against a Sony a6500, on paper the two are quite similar but the internal 4k log format is a benefit for Fuji shooters AND Fuji has some fantastic native lenses - Sony has a few but most video shooters choose to adapt which can be a little clunky at times.  The other competitor is the Panasonic GH5 and GH5s. Competition is good and I look forward to shooting with the X-H1 soon and making some comparisons against the competitors.One item to note- like the Fuji X-T2, the X-H1 is limited to just 15 minutes of 4k footage unless you are using the battery grip - purchased separately.  The X-H1 will be available Starting March 1st for $1899 body only and $2199 bundled with the VPB-XH1 vertical grip.

Preorder from B&H Photo

Sample Images

[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="17627,17628,17629,17630,17631,17632"]

Specifications

Camera Format

APS-C

Effective Pixels

24.3 MP

Sensor

23.5mm x 15.6mm(APS-C) X-Trans CMOS III with primary color filter.

Storage media

SD Card (-2G) / SDHC Card (-32G) / SDXC Card (-512G) UHS-I / UHS-II

File format

Still image

JPEG (Exif Ver.2.3)*2, RAW : 14bit RAW(RAF original format), RAW+JPEG

Movie

MOV (MPEG-4 AVC / H.264, Audio: Linear PCM / Stereo sound 24bit / 48KHz sampling)

Number of recorded pixels

L: (3:2) 6000 x 4000 / (16:9) 6000 x 3376 / (1:1) 4000 x 4000M: (3:2) 4240 x 2832 / (16:9) 4240 x 2384 / (1:1) 2832 x 2832S: (3:2) 3008 x 2000 / (16:9) 3008 x 1688 / (1:1) 2000 x 2000

Lens mount

FUJIFILM X mount

Sensitivity

Standard Output Sensitivity : AUTO1 / AUTO2 / AUTO3(up to ISO12800) / ISO200 to 12800(1/3 step)Extended output sensitivity : ISO100 / 125 / 160 /25600 / 51200

Exposure control

TTL 256-zone metering, Multi / Spot / Average / Center Weighted

Exposure mode

P (Program AE) / A (Aperture Priority AE) / S (Shutter Speed Priority AE) / M (Manual Exposure)

Exposure compensation

-5.0EV - +5.0EV, 1/3EV step(Movie : -2.0EV - +2.0EV)

Image Stabilizer

Mechanism

Image sensor shift mechanism with 5-axis compensation

Compensation Effect

5.5 stops (based on CIPA standard. Pitch/yaw shake only. With XF35mmF1.4 R lens mounted.

Shutter type

Focal Plane Shutter

Shutter speed

Mechanical Shutter

P mode: 4sec. to 1/8000sec. A mode: 30sec. to 1/8000sec.S/M mode: 15min. to 1/8000sec. Bulb mode: up to 60min.

Electronic Shutter

*3P mode: 4sec. to 1/32000sec. A mode: 30sec. to 1/32000sec.S/M mode: 15min. to 1/32000sec. Bulb mode: 1sec. FixedElectronic front curtain shutterP mode: 4sec. to 1/8000sec. A mode: 30sec. to 1/8000sec.S/M mode: 15min. to 1/8000sec. Bulb mode: up to 60min.Mechanical + Electronic shutterP mode: 4sec. to 1/32000sec. A mode: 30sec. to 1/32000sec.S/M mode: 15min. to 1/32000sec. Bulb mode: up to 60min.E-front + Mechanical shutterP mode: 4sec. to 1/8000sec. A mode: 30sec. to 1/8000sec.S/M mode: 15min. to 1/8000sec. Bulb mode: up to 60min.*Electronic front curtain shutter works until 1/2000sec.E-front + Mechanical + Electronic shutterP mode: 4sec. to 1/32000sec. A mode: 30sec. to 1/32000sec.S/M mode: 15min. to 1/32000sec. Bulb mode: up to 60min.*Electronic front curtain shutter works until 1/2000sec.Synchronized shutter speed for flash1/250sec. or slower

Continuous shooting

Approx. 14fps [Only electronic shutter ](JPEG: 40 frames Lossless compression RAW: 27 frames Uncompressed RAW: 23 frames)Approx. 11fps [with VPB-XH1](JPEG: 70 frames Lossless compression RAW: 28 frames Uncompressed RAW: 24frames)Approx. 8fps (JPEG: 80 frames Lossless compression RAW: 31 frames Uncompressed RAW: 26 frames)Approx. 6fps [Only electronic front curtain shutter ](JPEG: endless Lossless compression RAW: 35 frames Uncompressed RAW: 28 frames)Approx. 5fps (JPEG: endless Lossless Compression RAW: 37 frames Uncompressed RAW: 29 frames)* Recordable frames depends on recording media* Speed of continuous shooting depends on shooting environment and shooting frames

Auto bracketing

AE Bracketing (±3EV,±8/3EV,±7/3EV,±2EV, ±5/3EV, ±4/3EV, ±1EV, ±2/3EV, ±1/3EV)Filmsimulation bracketing (Any 3 types of film simulation selectable)Dynamic Range Bracketing (100%, 200%, 400%)ISO sensitivity Bracketing (±1/3EV, ±2/3EV, ±1EV)White Balance Bracketing (±1, ±2, ±3)

Focus

Mode

Single AF / Continuous AF / MF

Type

Intelligent Hybrid AF (TTL contrast AF / TTL phase detection AF)AF frame selectionSingle point AF: EVF / LCD: 13 x 7 / 25 x 13 (Changeable size of AF frame among 6 types)Zone AF: 3 x 3 / 5 x 5 / 7 x 7 from 91 areas on 13 x 7 gridWide/Tracking AF: (up to 18 area)* AF-S : Wide* AF-C : TrackingAll

White balance

Automatic Scene recognition / Custom1-3 / Color temperature selection (2500K-10000K) / Preset: Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light (Warm White), Fluorescent light (Cool White), Incandescent light, Underwater

Self-timer

10sec. / 2sec.

Interval timer shooting

Yes (Setting : Interval, Number of shots, Starting time)

Flash modes

SYNC. MODE1ST CURTAIN / 2ND CURTAIN / AUTO FP(HSS)FLASH MODETTL (FLASH AUTO / STANDARD / SLOW SYNC.) / MANUAL / COMMANDER / OFF (When EF-X8 is set)

Hot shoe

Yes (Dedicated TTL Flash compatible)

Viewfinder

0.5 inch approx. 3.69 millions dots OLED Color ViewfinderCoverage of viewing area vs. capturing area: approx. 100%Eyepoint: approx. 23mm (from the rear end of the camera’s eyepiece) Diopter adjustment: -4-+2m

-1

Magnification: 0.75x with 50mm lens (35mm equivalent) at infinity and diopter set to -1.0m

-1

Diagonal angle of view: approx. 38° (Horizontal angle of view: approx. 30° )Built-in eye sensor

LCD monitor

3.0 inch, aspect ratio 3:2, approx. 1.04 millions dots touch screen color LCD monitor(approx. 100% coverage)

Movie recording

[4K (4096 x 2160)] 24p / 23.98p 200Mbps / 100Mbps / 50Mbps up to approx. 15min.[4K (3840 x 2160)] 29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p 200Mbps / 100Mbps / 50Mbps up to approx. 15min.[Full HD (2048 x 1080)] 59.94p / 50p / 29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p 100Mbps / 50Mbps up to approx. 20min.[Full HD (1920 x 1080)] 59.94p / 50p / 29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p 100Mbps / 50Mbps up to approx. 20min.[Full HD (1920 x 1080) High speed rec.] 59.94p / 50p / 29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p 200Mbps up to approx. 6min.[HD (1280 x 720)] 59.94p / 50p / 29.97p / 25p / 24p / 23.98p 50Mbps up to approx. 30min.* For recording movies, use a card with UHS Speed Class 3 or higher.* With Vertical Power Booster Grip attached, individual movie recording time is extended up to approx. 30min. on both 4K and Full HD mode.* Although movie recording will continue without interruption when the file size reaches 4GB, subsequent footage will be recorded to a separate file which must be viewed separately.

Film Simulation mode

16 modes (PROVIA/Standard, Velvia/Vivid, ASTIA/Soft, Classic Chrome, PRO Neg.Hi, PRO Neg.Std, Black & White, Black & White+Ye Filter, Black & White+R Filter, Black & White+G Filter, Sepia, ACROS, ACROS+Ye Filter, ACROS+R Filter, ACROS+G Filter, ETERNA/Cinema)

Grain effect

STRONG, WEAK, OFF

Dynamic range setting

AUTO, 100%, 200%, 400%ISO restriction (DR100%: No limit, DR200%: ISO400 or more, DR400%: ISO800 or more)

Advanced filter

Toy camera, Miniature, Pop color, High-key, Low-key, Dynamic tone, Soft focus, Partial color (Red / Orange / Yellow / Green / Blue / Purple)

Wireless transmitter

StandardIEEE 802.11b / g / n (standard wireless protocol)EncryptionWEP / WPA / WPA2 mixed modeAccess modeInfrastructure

Bluetooth®

StandardsBluetooth Ver. 4.0 (Bluetooth low energy)Operating frequency[Center frequency]2402 - 2480MHz

Terminal

Digital interfaceUSB3.0 (High-Speed) / micro USB terminal* connectable with Remote Release RR-90 (sold separately)HDMI outputHDMI micro connector (Type D)Othersø3.5mm, stereo mini connector (Microphone) / ø2.5mm, Remote Release ConnectorHot shoe, Syncronized terninal

Power supply

NP-W126S Li-ion battery (included)Battery life for still images*4Approx. 310frams (Normal Mode) When XF35mmF1.4 R is set.Actual battery life of movie capture*4*Face detection is set to OFF4K: approx. 35 min., FULL HD: approx. 45 min.Continuance battery life of movie capture*4*Face detection is set to OFF4K: approx. 45 min., FULL HD: approx. 75 min.

Dimensions

(W) 139.8mm x (H) 97.3mm x (D) 85.5mm (minimum depth 39.5mm)

Weight

Approx 673g(including battery and memory card)Approx 623g(excluding battery and memory card)

Operating Temperature

-10°C - +40°C

Operating Humidity

10 - 80% (no condensation)

Starting up period

Approx 0.4sec.* Fujifilm research

Accessories included

Li-ion battery NP-W126SBattery charger BC-W126Shoe-mount flash unit EF-X8Shoulder strapBody capStrap clipProtective coverClip attaching toolHot shoe coverVertical Power Booster Grip connector coverSync terminal coverCable protectorOwner's manual

Mish Mash Highlights: 2/14/2018

Happy Valentines Day from all of us at Photorec.tv! It's been a bit of a quick week but we've got a big release from Lightroom and a new lens from Sigma. Not to mention with the Winter Olympics in swing we've got the always popular gear stashes from Canon and Nikon.While Toby does the Live Show for PEN this is your quick peek at what we're doing behind the scenes. Get this week's news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. But you can always join Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live, find out more at Photorec.tv/pen. For everyone already PEN members, thank you for supporting the site!

This Week at Photorec.tv

• PEN Only - Tuesday Tip - Shooting After Dark
  • PEN members, your email yesterday was ideas and tips for shooting in the dark. Not everyone gets out then and it's a great time to experiment with some ideas from Toby.
• Sigma Announces 14-24mm F/2.8 Art Full-frame Lens
  • Sigma is coming out with one of the big three lenses in the lens holy trinity. If you are shopping around it's the lens to check out for wide angle lenses. We'll be eagerly waiting to review it.
• 2018 Olympics Cameras
  • Camera Porn! Go check out Canon CPS and Nikon NPS gear stashes for the Winter Olympics.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Lightroom Classic CC 7.2 Brings Speed Boost and New FeaturesLightroom finally received another speed update. While not a true speed boost that you may be thinking of, for those with higher end computers this will help a bit and especially when exporting. In terms of specs computers with multi-core CPUs and 12GB+ of RAM are getting most of the benefits from this update as this focuses more on batch processes that use a lot of resources. For those that found Lightroom slowed down while using it over a day, you might see a big speed boost there as well as they've patched some memory leak issues.The big thing to remember is that this is just a first step, from here we'll continue to see more speed updates in future releases making YOUR workflow even faster.Update Includes:

• Faster import grid loading
• Faster import and preview generation
• Faster walking through images in the Loupe View
• Faster rendering of adjustments in Develop
• Faster merge operations of HDR/Panos
• Faster export
• New catalog search features

LUTs Compatible With Capture One and Lightroom Thanks to Lutify.meFor those wanting a bit more of a cinematic feel to their photos, Lutify.me made it possible for you to get that look in Lightroom and Capture One. First off, this is not a preset, your sliders won't move as in Lightroom this change is applied to your color profile. You'll still have room to tweak your photos via the sliders. In Lightroom's Develop module if you scroll all the way to the bottom this is the setting in camera calibration, which can add a lot to the right photo.[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="17571,17572"]

Check it out at lutify.me. You can try out their free set to give this a try. To get Lightroom Luts they are available at $59.99 for 204 Luts, $19.90 a year after if you'd like more updates.

What happened to the photography industry in 2017?[embed]https://youtu.be/DhScE6GFdzI[/embed]An update on a year of photography in the industry. As a first in a decade, over 2017 manufacturers produced more cameras than 2016. A bit of a surprise to some as compact cameras were responsible for a big part of the growth. Not to mention the big push towards mirrorless with folks like Toby making the plunge to Sony and other brands. Watch this video from Lensvid for more info.Skydio R1 4K camera drone boasts game-changing autonomous techFollowing DJI's active avoidance software the new Skydio R1 boasts more advanced software that can navigate through dense woods. Using 13 cameras that work in unison with a powerful onboard system the R1 can plan out movement to avoid branches and leaves in real time to track a subject. While I am a bit more wait and see about these things after the Lily camera drone failure it is good to be seeing some competition coming after DJI's market. While this only has a limited 16 minute flight time it may at least be a proof of concept for smart drones.https://youtu.be/gsfkGlSajHQ Other Stories You Might Like:

• UPDATE: Tamron teases a new lens…is it a new 28-75mm F/2.8 FE?
• Picture of a Single Atom Wins Science Photo Contest
• Customer Stories – Photographing the SpaceX Falcon Major Launch
• Stylizing Your Work With the Use of Color
• More DJI Mavic Pro 2 rumors
• How Many Megapixels Do You Need to Print a Billboard?
• Instagram ‘Regram’ Test Lets Others Use Your Photos in Their Stories
• 4 Young Photographers Who Will Inspire and Amaze You
• RGG EDU is giving away a $300, 8+ hour beer photography course for free
• The Winning Photos of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2018

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_favoritethings

A freebie week for your favorite things, and fitting for Valentines. Something a bit different to give you guys the freedom to submit anything you wanted to try out.Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_negativespace2Giving your subject a bit of room to breathe is important for composition so this week we’re focusing on Negative Space. A good tip for this challenge is that the closer your subject is to the edge of the shot, the stronger its composition can be in terms of tension which draws focus. So go out there and get creative! 

Toby’s Features:

@angry_runner - I love this photo, they are framed nicely in this space and it's a great shot using natural framing.

@jenandrewsphoto - This is just a really nice image with the jet black background and a sweet moment.

@asifzbaig - I like this one. It's this road that works as a leading line that makes this work.

Roy’s Features:

@karlsmovingcastle - A nice bit of color and a great silhouette with these boats.

@ektull21 - It’s a neat shot and staying low to your subject is great for showing those layers (one of the three Hero angles)

@vanakatherock - And takeoff! There’s nothing like capturing a bit of history.

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Then try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

We're continuing the Starman theme from last week, with the right tech you can just barely still see the Telsa sent to space. Check out more about this feat at DIYphotography.https://youtu.be/m4r54ODsOM0Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

 That's all folks! Toby and Co will be out in Yellowstone next week so that means we'll just be having a Mish Mash Highlights article with your photography news. Don't forget to check out Toby's Instagram, @photorectoby, for some wildlife photos with Animals of Montana.

Mish Mash Highlights: 2/7/2018

Hopefully, you've had a good week, ours started great hitting 250,000 subscribers on Youtube! If you haven't yet click here to subscribe! That said, we've got a big Photos from Space this week and the DJI Mavic Pro might be getting a big upgrade.While Toby does the Live Show for PEN this is your quick peek at what we're doing behind the scenes, this week's news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. Join the Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live, you can find out more at Photorec.tv/pen.

This Week at Photorec.tv

• Want to travel with Toby? We've got some great new trips to sign up for, get them while there are spots available! 
  • Return to New Zealand – April & May 2019
  • Oregon Waterfalls and Coast - August 24th-26th  2018
• Vietnam Photography Gear – What worked, what failed!

With Toby back from Vietnam we've got a review on the new gear that made the trip. Some things worked great, he's in love with the Sony 85mm he bought, other things... not so much. Check it out for some insight on new gear for a long trip.

• PEN only Tuesday Tip -  How to Create a Panorama

As Toby and company are out traveling, a big key element is shooting panoramas with some of the sweeping landscapes they encounter. For a quick Tuesday Tip, we've got a bit on how to shoot something like this and tips for editing after the fact.

• PEN only - 5- minute Lightroom Basics 

Let's be honest for a second. Lightroom is a very big and complicated program to master. So with that, we've started doing some shorter 5 minute Lightroom basics videos to just introduce one bit at a time. Which hopefully should make it a ton easier to digest and learn.

• PEN only - Our First PPA Level Image Review for PEN members

As photographers wanted different levels of critiques it made sense for us to separate it out to a basic critique and a harder PPA level one. We've released our first five picks this week and it's a great way to learn and improve your skills.

• Mavic Air Available now! | B&H - Amazon

Last month the new DJI Mavic Air was announced and caught everyone's attention for being a major improvement over the spark. Well, the wait is over, you can hit the links above to get your hands on the new little drone!

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Olympus PEN E-PL9: A Pint-Sized Mirrorless Camera with 4K VideoA new little option coming out from Olympus, the new PEN E-PL9 is an upgrade that should work well for those traveling light. Considering it has in body image stabilization and 4k @30fps it's certainly an interesting choice against something like the G85. Check it out via Petapixel. Being the cheapest of the PEN line with a new integrated flash it's set as Olympus's option for those jumping to entry-level systems.Canon Continues Leadership of DSLR Camera Market with a Dominating Performance at the Big Game in MinnesotaFrom Canon, they still are on top in terms of sales but the big point to them was this week's Superbowl game. With a lot at stake, they had their Canon Professional services team out covering the event to support all of the professionals shooting. Certainly helpful whether they need a cleaning, a loner camera, or just a bit of tech support. Approximately 80% of the people there were shooting Canon, so they are still king of the hill for now.Rumor: DJI Mavic Pro II will sport 1-inch sensor, may arrive in MarchIt's a rumor, so take this with a grain of salt but we may be getting a Mavic Pro 2 soon. With the big hype over the Mavic Air, the big push for the new Mavic Pro will be a 1-inch sensor upgrade and a longer flight time. With competition closing the gap such as Autel it's interesting to see what may be coming soon.This Video Shows How Everyone Snaps the Same Instagram Travel PhotosA strong point that while we don't try to do it there's a lot of copying for that perfect travel photo. Hopefully this viral video is a push to think out of the box!https://vimeo.com/253334732Other Stories You Might Like:

• Canon Patent Showing Wireless Charging of Cameras
• Reckless drone video under investigation for flying directly above passenger jet
• Beauty YouTuber Uses Over $10,000 Worth of Equipment to Shoot Makeup Videos
• Photography at 40,000 Feet
• I Was a Homeless Teen Who Became an Award-Winning Wedding Photog
• How Students Restored Photos Damaged by Hurricane Harvey
• 3 Simple Ways to Use Framing and Layering in Portraits
• A Tale of Two Moons: Peter Lik’s Photographs Called Out by Science

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_text

From “Free Beer” to love, text can really be a great subject for an image or add to your subject. Even if just a bit of context that little bit can help push an image or help the viewer understand the shot.Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_favoritethingsYes, from the title we’re going with The Sound of Music this week with a few of your favorite things. Consider this a bit of a wildcard week whether it’s raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens we want those favorite things you remember when feeling sad. Something cheerful, a fond memory, family, food, a knick knack… it’s all fair this week!

Roy’s Features:

A kitchen scene with some great morning light coming in and a happy kiddo! The text really adds to this shot.

A post shared by Jane Glover (@angry_runner) on Feb 5, 2018 at 6:16am PST

Something I didn’t think of was filling in text and this crossword was a great idea by Nancy.

A post shared by NC♥ (@nancycachia) on Feb 6, 2018 at 7:37am PST

A clever sign and a nice memory, sometimes the little things like this make for a great photo.

A post shared by MRobert Photography (@mrobertphoto) on Feb 6, 2018 at 9:17am PST

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

There’s a starman waiting in the sky

If you haven't seen it yet we've got Photos from Space this week with a car... in space. SpaceX needed something to test out their groundbreaking heavy rocket and what better than Elon Musk's Telsa as a test. The spaceman actually does serve a practical purpose of testing out SpaceX's new spacesuit design and there are plenty of little easter eggs they added before launch. Check it out in the links below!https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/960992715579125760

• Out-of-This-World Photos from Falcon Heavy's Historic Debut Flight
• Link to launch | Link to orbiting earth

Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news and a live show. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going! For Pen Members go check out https://witharsenal.com from the live show.

Mish Mash Highlights: 1/31/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Jan 19, 2018 at 6:21am PST

Toby's back this week, so PEN members, you get a live show! While he was supposed to take a day off Toby and co are back at it this week, hitting the ground running. This week we've got Instagram Scheduling and hopefully a MAJOR update to Lightroom performance.While Toby does the Live Show for PEN this is your quick peek at what we're doing behind the scenes, this week's news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. Join the Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live, you can find out more at Photorec.tv/pen.

This Week at Photorec.tv

• • PEN - Image Review #2 Review Coming Soon - For those in PEN we've started up peer reviews and PPA level reviews for those wanting their photo critiqued a bit more. Our first video on the higher level PPA critiques is coming out soon.
  • How-to: Photograph the Milky Way - With summer coming it's about time for the Milky Way to make an appearance. Check out this new video by Toby on how to shoot it for the best photos possible.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Instagram to Finally Allow Users to Schedule PostsDirect posting and scheduling to Instagram is now possible. Unlike Later.com that used a middleman approach, sending a photo and text to your phone, this posts directly onto Instagram saving some time. Check it out at Hootsuite or Sprout Social, for now, other scheduling services may see the same update soon. Albeit hopefully this doesn't mean an increase in bots as well.Why Being Socially Awkward Can Make You a Better PhotographerKnowing who and how you are can help with your photo skills. Play to your strengths with this article by Fstoppers.Adobe is preparing a major Lightroom Classic performance update, and we got to try itAdobe knows their software is sluggish, with an update coming soon for computers with multiple cores and 12GB+ of RAM your soon to see an upgrade. A faster library, develop, and export all around should make your workflow a bit faster. Especially with a speedy machine.Other Stories You Might Like:

A post shared by Darcy Evans. (@darcyevansphotography) on Jan 20, 2018 at 7:44am PST

• The Canon EOS 90D is Coming Later in 2018
• This Guy Built an Ultimate Lightroom Battlestation for $6,000
• Sometimes You Get a Lens Because of the Ones You Love
• I Named These Puppies Click, Bokeh, Nikon, Sensor, Skrim, and Gobo
• Nikon sends the astrophotography-friendly D810A into a black hole
• 3 Bad Habits You Need to Break to Improve Your Photography
• Zion National Park Will Allow Tripods on Some Trails After All
• New Canon DSLR camera leaked in recent FCC filing
• Newlyweds Have Wedding Photos Taken in Front of Erupting Volcano
• Copyright Registration Law Set to Change, Could Cost Photographers Significantly More
• Tested Sony A7rIII at -10 degree Celsius in the snow on the Dolomites.
• This Photo of an Icy Niagara Falls Looks like It’s of a Different Planet
• The 13-Year-Old Award-Winning Wildlife Photographer

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_culture

Challenge was a great opportunity to try something new with Toby's trip in Vietnam. Whether you went with a bit of pop culture or something from your hometown it's a bit of life through a different lens.Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_textCapture some text, or things that look like it at least, for this week's challenge. Something a bit different but capturing words as your subject, or adding to it, can really add to a story for your photo.

Roy’s Features:

A great shot by Maxence with the busy energy of a city and graffiti that makes up an area.

A common memorial for surfer culture really fits to a T for this week's challenge.

A post shared by Scott Jung (J4Photo) (@j4photog) on Jan 27, 2018 at 11:05am PST

A bit of local food fits the theme for this week, Eileen has a fitting caption “Food is very representative of a city’s culture. In order to really get to know the place and the people, you’ve got to eat the food “ ~ Emeril Lagasse.

A post shared by Eileen K (@ektull21) on Jan 31, 2018 at 6:23am PST

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

The Super Blue Blood Moon: Pictures From an Astronomical Hat TrickIf you've been following the news last night was the Super Blue Blood Moon. The New York Times put together this gallery of the world waiting, watching, and of course taking photos.Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news and a live show. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!

Mish Mash Highlights: 1/24/2018

A post shared by Toby (@photorectoby) on Jan 19, 2018 at 6:21am PST

Good Morning Vietnam! With the 12hr difference between Michigan and Vietnam Toby's just waking up for another day on tour with McKaylive. This week there's a new DJI drone, a Photoshop update, black and white challenge top picks, and more.While Toby does the Live Show via PEN when not on tour, this is your quick peek at what we're doing behind the scenes, this week's news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. Join the Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live when he gets back, you can find out more at Photorec.tv/pen.Quick Tip! As a reminder, with this cold weather try to bag your cameras before taking them inside, this helps protect it from moisture condensation.

This Week at Photorec.tv

• • PEN ONLY Tuesday Tip - Learning to Print - A basic overview to get you started printing your work.
  • DJI Mavic Air Announced - If you want to buy a drone this is the one. While a bit more expensive than the spark it's smaller and has all the features both Toby and I wanted. You get 12MP Stills and 4K video in a footprint not terribly bigger than a cell phone making it super easy to carry around. Now if I could only get Toby to buy me one?
  • Apps for Photography - We get asked quite a bit about which apps Toby uses while shooting. We've got the list here for some of the top picks, while PhotoPills is expensive it's still one of the best apps to really push your skills.
  • Sony a7RIII – 5 Awesome Features & a Few Complaints - Toby's taken the Sony a7RIII on a few trips by now since the review. He's come up with a few more thoughts that might sell you on this great small camera.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Select Subject is Here: Photoshop Now Has AI-Powered One-Click SelectionsA new update to Photoshop this week with 19.1 and the release of subject selection. Going to select>subject lets Photoshop attempt to select the subject automatically using Adobe Sensei. So far in real-world use, it's not perfect but gives you a start at a layer mask. Like always it will likely be improved in future Adobe updates.Also included in this week's update:

• Decontaminate Colors in Select and Mask now is a slider versus checkbox allowing you to control how much of the effect you get for finer control.
• Windows High-Density Monitor Support, if your using monitor scaling the controls should look a bit nicer after the update.
• Support for the Microsoft Dial
• Better SVG compatibility when copying to Adobe XD

Canon Sends Invitation to Dealers for Major Mirrorless Presentation Next MonthVia Canon Rumors so take this with a grain of salt, but it looks like Canon may be announcing a new mirrorless product to dealers and VIPs. They are keeping the entire thing very hushed but hopefully, it's a sign something is coming down the line.Preset Brewery Lets You Use Lightroom Presets in Photoshophttps://youtu.be/91mhvuIxHeQAt least for those with a Mac, Preset Brewery is a neat little program out this week that will convert a Lightroom preset into one that works in Photoshop. This gives those that want it a way to use a Lightroom preset they like in Photoshop without having to manually set all the sliders again. At the moment it only works one preset at a time for conversion but an update is coming soon. If that sounds good you can buy it now at Preset Brewery for $7.90.LibRaw, Creators of FastRawViewer, Release SonyPixelShift2DNG BetaOne of Toby's issues with the new Sony a7RIII was how it handles the new pixel shift photos. Requiring Sony software for all the work. Now thanks to LibRaw pixel shift photos can easily be converted, in batch, to Adobe DNG for easy editing in Lightroom or Photoshop. In terms of workflow, this should save a fair bit of time, if you have the new a7RIII try it out at https://www.fastrawviewer.com/SonyPixelShift2DNG.Other Stories You Might Like:

• One of the Funniest AI Photos Fails We've Ever Seen
• This Epic Action Sports Video Shows a Skier Freeriding Across the World
• Government Seizes Photographer’s Laptop, Photographers Everywhere Immediately Seem Way More Badass
• I’ve Been Sharing My Photography for Free on Unsplash for the Past 4 Years, Here’s What I Found
• Why I Rejected Your Request for Free Photos
• Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give Raw Files to Your Clients
• The Story of the World's First Digital Camera as Told By Its Inventor
• How to Use a Polariser to Remover Glare From Portraits
• Seven Tips for People Looking to Turn Their Photography Into a Career
• Our $3,000 DSLR Was Stolen in Italy and We Filmed It Happen
• How to Use CTO and CTB Gels to Change the Color of Your Background
• Video: Using a $50 lens on a $12,500 5K RED cinema camera

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_blackandwhite3

For this week's challenge, black and white let you really focus on a subject while having the option for a lot of leeway for edits. Great job this week with some amazing photos, black and white allows for a lot of variety so it's nice to see some experimenting.Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_cultureTo go along with Toby's tour in Vietnam and Cambodia next week's challenge is culture. No, that doesn't mean you have to go travel. Capture something unique to your area that's a part of your town. For in Michigan here the one I always forget is most people don't know a Michigan Coney, a type of diner, or how we use our hands as a map (Michigan is mitten-shaped). Not to mention just north of me is a little Bavaria and year-round Christmas town. So try shooting food, people, buildings, something people recognize from your area. You might get a shot of something you otherwise wouldn't have thought of before! 

Roy’s Features:

Great contrast in this shot and the little guy in the frame really makes this one.

A post shared by Husein Pistoljevic (@hpistolj) on Jan 18, 2018 at 1:55pm PST

Black and White shots are amazing at pushing contrasts, the darker scarf and background works well to frame your subject.

A post shared by Eileen K (@ektull21) on Jan 23, 2018 at 5:42am PST

A white foreground leading up to that black rock really makes for a great shot!

A post shared by Jude Nash (@cheekymonkey1975) on Jan 20, 2018 at 1:18pm PST

Rose’s Features:

Love this composition, it's so simple and effective. I love the texture that the fog adds, too.

A post shared by Jane Glover (@angry_runner) on Jan 23, 2018 at 5:50pm PST

Fantastic composition, I think that the black and white treatment adds a lot to the image.

A post shared by Justin Lai (@justlai87) on Jan 22, 2018 at 5:38pm PST

Great use of black and white with the high contrast between the left and right sides.

A post shared by Maxence Lefort (@maxencelefort) on Jan 21, 2018 at 11:37am PST

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

Rightfully named the Cartwheel Galaxy, this celestial object’s shape is a result of a violent galactic collision. A smaller galaxy has passed right through a large disk galaxy and produced shock waves that swept up gas and dust, much like ripples produced when a stone is dropped into a lake. Intense areas of star formation were sparked up, seen here in blue by our Hubble Space Telescope (@NASAHubble). The outermost ring of the galaxy, which is 1.5 times the size of our Milky Way, marks the shock wave’s leading edge. This object is one of the most dramatic examples of the small class of ring galaxies. This image is based on earlier Hubble data of the Cartwheel Galaxy that was reprocessed in 2010, bringing out more detail in the image than seen before. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA #nasa #space #hubble #spothubble #galaxy #violent #collision #galactic #universe #solarsystem #cartwheel #star #formation #beautiful #pictureoftheday #science #telescope

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Jan 23, 2018 at 11:24am PST

Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. For PEN members next week Toby and co. will be off to Vietnam so it'll just be me with the highlights. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!

Mish Mash Highlights: 1/17/2018

Toby says Hi from Vietnam! He's currently out on a McKay Live tour but we've still got the Week's photo news and more. Canon and Nikon are still eyeing that Full-Frame mirrorless market, both with stories out this week. Then it looks like Facebook wants to kill off more views on your photography page.While Toby does the Live Show via PEN when not on tour, this is your quick peek at what we're doing behind the scenes, this week's news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. Join the Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live when he gets back, you can find out more at Photorec.tv/pen.Quick Tip! As a reminder, with this cold weather try to bag your cameras before taking them inside, this helps protect it from moisture condensation.

This Week at Photorec.tv

• • PEN ONLY Tuesday Tip - Shooting for a Time-lapse - Something a bit different to get you out of just stills and a great tutorial to get you started.
  • Sony a7RIII & a9 Time Lapse Options - As Toby was doing plenty of timelapses in Yellowstone your feedback on the stories led to this quick article on how to pull it off.
  • The GH5S, Only 10MP, and Why That’s a Good Thing - While we covered it in the Mish Mash last week, a few thoughts from Toby on the new GH5S.
  • New Firmware Update for the Sony a9 – What does it mean for the a7RIII? - The a9 got some decent updates this week and maybe that means Toby's new a7RIII will be seeing a similar firmware update soon.
  • YI Camera – Cheap Mirrorless- Don’t Buy! - The camera I wish worked. The YI M1 is a tiny micro four thirds mirrorless with potential thanks to a new firmware update but it looks like in the review, it still just doesn't focus.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Canon Asking Its Pros What They Want in a Pro Mirrorless CameraVia Petapixel and Camera Rumors, the word is out that Canon is surveying professionals on the must-have features for a Full Frame Mirrorless. As they've admitted to being behind it's nice to see them taking input on a new product. While both have attempts into this market neither have taken off like Sony's line of products, something Toby has switched over to for a while with his new a7R III. With the myth of a Canon Full Frame for years, hopefully, this is a sign that they might be giving it another shot considering where they stand currently.Nikon’s Full Frame Mirrorless to Have New Z-Mount: ReportWhile it looks like Canon may be starting from step one again Nikon may be developing a new Z-mount for full frame mirrorless. While keeping the traditional Nikon F-mount would be nice it's just a lot of empty space on a mirrorless body. So if a Nikon Mirrorless takes off we might see the change of a tradition. The Nikon 1 tried something similar and lost, but there's still hope for some Sony Competition.Your Facebook Business Page Is About to Get a Lot Less TrafficWhether you think it's another money grab like some, or an attempt to fix the feed, Facebook is going to be putting more focus on people and less on pages. They've already tested an explore feature pushing pages off the main feed although this might be more of a tweak on what shows up. Either way, that means even fewer eyes on your Facebook page posts. Considering we're already getting about 1/10 in views to people liking the page this might be a large push for you to explore other options, especially if you're going pro.New DJI drone teaserComing on the 23rd we might be seeing a new drone in-between the Mavic Pro and DJI Spark.https://youtu.be/W8JWknlPPQQOther Stories You Might Like:

• Zion National Park Bans Tripods in Photo Workshops
• It's Worth Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
• Hilariously Bad Family Photos Go Viral
• How My Photo Ended Up in the New York Times Without Credit
• TV Star Asks for Free Wedding Photos in Exchange for Exposure. Oops.
• The Hasselblad H6D-400C Multi Shot Captures Monster 400MP Photos
• Keep Persevering: Why Persistence Pays Off in Photography
• CVS Bans Photoshop in Its Beauty Product Photos
• Nikon Just Introduced a $10k Storytellers’ Scholarship
• Zhiyun Announce New Crane Plus 3-axis Gimbal and Tease Mechanical Follow Focus Unit
• What to expect at Cp+ (A5xxx and Sigma ART FE ?)
• Photographer Travels to Island, Gets Stranded, Spends the Week Shooting

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_stilllife2

Setting a scene up for a still life is a great chance to try something different with this week's challenge. This challenge really focused on lighting and composition as that's the heart of still life. Nice job ladies and gents!Next Week's Challenge: #PRTV_blackandwhite3As I already posted one photo up on the @Photorec.tv Instagram this week's challenge is all about going black and white. This is a really great opportunity to focus on shapes this week or really simplify an otherwise busy shot of color.

Roy’s Features:

Nice job playing with the light in this one, it's a nice gradient falling through the photo. 

A post shared by Marion 🦊 (@peachymarion) on Dec 6, 2017 at 12:29pm PST

Drinks need more love in these challenges. I like the colorful elements set to the side that help balance the composition.

A post shared by Eileen K (@ektull21) on Jan 16, 2018 at 7:29pm PST

I think I would have liked it shot a bit closer personally but you did a great job at setting a scene. 

A post shared by Jane Glover (@angry_runner) on Jan 16, 2018 at 2:15pm PST

Rose’s Features:

Love the use of snow, great lighting.

A post shared by Ben Mooney (@bmooney32) on Jan 17, 2018 at 7:41am PST

Fantastic composition, love the black on black and the lighting.

A post shared by Jane Glover (@angry_runner) on Jan 16, 2018 at 6:59pm PST

Such a great choice of focus and the composition is really nice.

A post shared by Marion 🦊 (@peachymarion) on Apr 27, 2017 at 11:27am PDT

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

Big Sheets of Water Ice Lie Just Beneath the Surface of Mars

Thanks to the HiRISE camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter we get a quick glimpse of frozen ice hiding under the sands of Mars.Also check out: We may get the first-ever image of a black hole this yearPick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. For PEN members next week Toby and co. will be off to Vietnam so it'll just be me with the highlights. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!

Mish Mash Highlights: 1/10/2018

Toby will be heading off to Vietnam soon on a McKay tour but before that, we've still got a Mish Mash to do. This week in the news we've got a big announcement from Panasonic and maybe Canon realizes it's time to catch up... finally. Lots of news and more this week with CES coming after a slow time during the Holidays. For those following the live show Toby's going to cover what he'll be taking to Vietnam and he's going rather light.While Toby does the Live Show via PEN this is your quick peek at what we're doing behind the scenes, this week's news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. Otherwise, join the Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live! Photorec.tv/join

This Week at Photorec.tv

• • PEN ONLY Tuesday Tip - Creating Starbursts - A quick tutorial we put out for PEN members, controlling your settings to create nice starbursts on demand for your photos. These are lens flares that look like little stars thanks to the aperture blades in your camera.
  • Lightroom Tips – Best Practices for a New Year – New Catalog, Archive and More - My Lightroom is a bit of a mess at the moment but yours doesn't have to be! Check out Toby's video to get you going on the right track to stay organized.
  • Inrigo Camera Bag – Fully Waterproof! - A new Kickstarter, this is a great option for those of you in humid climates, traveling somewhere tropical, or shooting by the water.
  • Quick Prints on the Go! - We always push for you guys to get prints out, whats better than right after you take it? Check out some ideas for instant prints.
  • Sony 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 OSS Zoom for a6000, a6300, a6500 Cameras - This is a great little zoom announced for Sony for their APS-C line of cameras, pre-orders just started today so pick one up (if you have a Sony). 

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Panasonic GH5S: The Most Sensitive Camera in Lumix HistoryWe'll have Toby's thoughts in an article soon but the big catch this week is the new GH5S. Check it out at Petapixel, Preorders on the GH5S are live, and it's a great option for those doing video.Canon: We’re Lagging in InnovationShort Version? Canon finally admitted that their technology is falling behind. That said, it's an opportunity. After the rather held back 6DMII this is their chance for a bit of transparency. For us Canon users we're missing 4K on most lower models as a start. Not to mention mirrorless or in-body image stabilization. It might be a bit challenging seeing where Canon is going to be in five years as they keep holding back. But Sony has already eclipsed Nikon and is closing the gap. Will this be the push to right the ship?Really Right Stuff Ball Heads

• • Really Right Stuff BH-30 Ball Head Review | Amazon | B&H
  • Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head Review | Amazon | B&H

If you are looking at getting a tripod something you may not think about as much is the ball head, the main part of your tripod that your camera rotates and rests on. As for tripods we suggest picking up the MeFoto Globetrotter Classic or Globetrotter Classic Carbon Fiber (not the Air for better stability), but down the line, we also suggest upgrading the head. Over time tripod's will wear down, especially over heavy use like Toby puts them through. That allows the head to slip, making shooting a bit tricky as the camera might tilt down or to the side a bit. So over time picking up one of these extends the life of your tripod and gives it better performance as well. In this case, the BH-30 is great for a more compact setup while the BH-55 works more for a better platform but at a higher cost.Other Stories You Might Like:

• Water Torture: Nikon D850 vs Sony A7RIII, Canon 5D Mk IV & Olympus E-M1 II
• Photographers, We Are Better Than That
• Couple Sends Wedding Photographer 30-Page Critique of Their Photos
• 3 Tips for Setting Boundaries to Avoid Burnout in Photography
• Can I Be a Pro Photographer With a Low Profile on Social Media?
• Hasselblad reveals the winners of the 2018 Masters Awards
• Kodak Stock Shoots Up 300%+ Thanks to Cryptomania
• Eight Questions to Help You Define Your Brand in Photography
• WD launches two new portable SSDs designed for photographers and drone users
• GoPro exits drone market, cuts over 250 jobs, and drops price of Hero6 Black by $100
  • GoPro Entertaining Acquisition Offers...If Anyone Wants It
• Do NOT Fake It Till You Make It as a Photographer
• How to edit photos captured in harsh light to recover the most data possible
• A Complete Guide to Editing a Dramatic Portrait in Photoshop
• Eight Fun Ideas for Shooting Hilarious Portraits With Your Friends
• Man Killed While Trying to Recover His Stolen Camera from Online Seller

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_guiltypleasure

Not too many entries this week with the holiday considering but thanks to you that gave this week’s trickier challenge a shot! Next Two Week Challenge: #PRTV_stilllife2Something a bit simpler for next week and hopefully a bit warmer for those hitting those extra cold winter temps. Simply shoot a still life, which broken down is a group of objects arranged creatively. This should be great for those wanting to practice tabletop or food photography.

Roy’s Features:

Cake! Love the bokeh in the background and Happy Birthday!... Now I want cake.

A post shared by Lisa Phelan (@lisas_lens_) on Jan 6, 2018 at 6:49pm PST

This is a great example of controlling your bokeh. Using the pool balls as context we can still tell someone is lining up for a shot but the focus is all on the 9 ball.

A post shared by Eileen K (@ektull21) on Jan 9, 2018 at 5:52pm PST

Star Wars fan? Yep, that’s certainly a guilty pleasure with the rate Disney is going to put them out. Cropping the face made for a nice shot of a recognizable character.

A post shared by Justin Lai (@justlai87) on Jan 8, 2018 at 5:41pm PST

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

A couple photos thanks to Nasa this week, follow them and @iss on Instagram for some neat photos!In an enhanced shot by Nasa, we get this nice painterly look as Jupiter!

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Jan 8, 2018 at 8:01am PST

As the Michigander of the team, my State's been frozen in! While a bit common it's about seven times more frozen for this period thanks to a nor'easter storm hitting the mid to east United States. In this shot you can see the frozen Delaware Bay in the east coast between New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware .

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Jan 9, 2018 at 8:02am PST

Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. For PEN members next week Toby and co. will be off to Vietnam so it'll just be me with the highlights. If you guy's do like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!

Mish Mash Highlights: 1/3/2018

New Year and a new Mish Mash! While Toby does the Live Show via PEN this is your quick peek at what we're doing behind the scenes, this week's news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. Otherwise, join the Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live! Photorec.tv/join

This Week at Photorec.tv

• PEN ONLY Tuesday Tip - 2018 - Get Involved, Grow, Learn! - Some ideas to get you going for the new year!
• Mish Mash Highlights are a go! - We started doing these Mish Mash Highlights public again! As a reminder check out photorec.tv/MMH for each week's highlights article.
• Canon SL2 Review vs Sony a6000 Series Cameras - A new video from Toby! Check out Toby's thoughts on the Canon SL2 vs it's competition the Sony a6000.
• And finally tips for the New Year:
  • • Don’t Forget to Add or Update Your Metadata Copyright - A how-to on updating your hidden copyright information.
    • Tips for Completing a 365 Day Photography Challenge - Rose's article on challenging yourself with a photo a day.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.This Guy Made an 8×10 Large Format Video Camera (Petapixel)A DIY for that "Large Format Look". Check out Zev Hoover's frankencamera using a lens from an old large format camera to project an image then recording it with a Sony a7S. A simple design that works, albeit at 6 stops of light loss. It's a trick that uses a tilt-shift adapter to line up the image with the projection making up for the fact the camera is angled down. Check out the video to see the results!https://youtu.be/0ZixDTrQdzoInstagram will now add ‘Recommended’ posts to your feed (Techcrunch)They are at it again. In an attempt to make your Instagram more of a Mish Mash then this show Instagram is adding more to your feed. Just like with how ads have been stuck in you'll see a new "More Posts You Might Like" feature that has been their attempt to get you following more people. As with the other feed filling changes, the response has been generally negative and you can (temporarily) hide it by hitting the three dots next to hit and choosing hide. The feature has started to roll out this week so if you don't have it yet you will soon enough.Build Rapport on Your Photography Shoot With the Language of Music (Fstoppers)Want a better shoot? Check out this article by Fstoppers on matching music with your photography to built rapport. Typically, doing portraits you don't want to just throw up someone in front of a camera. You want to work with them, talk, tell a story, something to set the mood and get you working with your model. Music is a great way to do that and like they've added in this article getting a Bluetooth speaker can be cheap now. Set that up with a bit of music they like, or use their phone to play their music, and you've got some energy and common ground for a shoot... plus some awesome music.Ten New Year's Resolutions Worth Making as a Photographer (Fstoppers)It's a new year and go check out this great article by Fstoppers on things to get going on this year. Being that my background is IT and development my first thought is to go back up your photos! Other than that, they've got great tips about upgrading your website, working on your kit, and the one I personally need is to PRINT MORE. Go check it out!Other Stories You Might Like:

• A Guide to the Different Looks Various Light Modifiers Can Create in Portraiture
• Networking Tips and Resources For Photographers and Videographers
• The Importance of Infusing Your Personality Into Your Photography Business and Brand
• JOBY’s New GorillaPod Mobile Rig Has New Arms for Accessories
• A Fan Snaps a Photo of Royal Family With Iphone, Ends Up Selling It Around the World
• 5 Ways to Invest in Your Photography Over the Next 365 Days
• Emotion Versus Technical Quality, and Do You Care? Your Customers Probably Don't
• DJI Drone Collided with US Army Black Hawk Chopper and Dented Its Rotor
• How to Reboot Your Creativity With 15-minute Exercises
• Modular PITTA camera transforms into drone, action, and security cameras
• 5 Awesome Benefits Of Using A 50mm Lens

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_product2

A two-week challenge this time had you guys shooting the Holidays and New Years with some great shots! The nice thing about a shoot like this is with an open subject you've got the option from tabletop shots to cityscapes, portraits, and more.Next Two Week Challenge: #PRTV_guiltypleasure Opposite of your resolution… what’s that one thing you feel guilty about but its so good? Shoot food, drinks, your smartphone, that one expensive thing you had to have (GAS).

Toby’s Features:

A lovely holiday moment - the light on the child's face and the expression just work so well together.  

A post shared by Jane Glover (@angry_runner) on Dec 24, 2017 at 11:36pm PST

A nice street portrait of Santa in action

A post shared by Stephanie Gamba *Photographer* (@smphotos2548) on Dec 24, 2017 at 7:18am PST

It’s from last year but so was my fireworks shot :) I really like the composition here!

A post shared by Yannick (@ynickh) on Dec 31, 2016 at 8:39am PST

Roy’s Features:

While it’s a bit too late for a stock photo now I’d say it’s worth putting this one up! It's a great holiday shot with nice bokeh.

A post shared by Beau Ewen (@beauewenphotog) on Dec 25, 2017 at 11:39am PST

Getting a bit higher up made for an awesome shot changing your perspective above the roof line and a new years blast

A post shared by ᜋᜊᜒᜈ᜔ (@marvint.photo) on Dec 31, 2017 at 4:54pm PST

Babies and bokeh, a great shot for the holidays and keeping some distance from the tree worked well for some separation from the background.

A post shared by Tyler Manzella (@manfella) on Dec 22, 2017 at 3:32pm PST

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

Brilliant photos taken of Earth from space in 2017 Tired of the end of the year galleries? How about just one more with this slideshow from the ISS station! Watch the video below then check out this article from bt.com for the individual pictures with some background info on them as well. There's some great shots mostly taken on Nikons![embed]https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/947120103811776512[/embed]Also: Rare 'wolf moon' captured in breathtaking images – the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2018Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar systemPick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. For PEN members next week is a live show, after that, there is a break with just these highlights till the 31st. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!

Mish Mash Highlights: 12/28/2017

Hopefully you all had a happy holiday, got some family time, and a bit new gear. This is your photography news of the week, just in article form. If you want to see Toby's take on things live go try out the NEW Photo Enthusiast Network (PEN) for live videos, Lightroom training, and more. The live show also has a critique, our shot at microstock, Q&A, Discussion, Special PEN content, plus a few surprises!

This Week at Photorec.tv

As we're human and it's the Holidays, not a lot of content went out this week. Hopefully, your holiday was great! But we do have a few things to get through:

• B&H Deals, if you missed yesterday's post there is a bunch of hot sales covering the previous Black Friday sales and more. Check it out at photorec.tv/megadealzone.
• Your Best Photo of 2017. Our yearly tradition to showcase all your shots from our amazing fan base. Entries are over and Toby's cramming atm to get the video out soon for the new year!
• Pen Tuesday Tip - Flip it! - Special PEN content on how your eyes track an image and how to adjust a photo to make the most of it.
• New PEN Critiques - As a new bonus to PEN members beyond the live show critique we'll be starting a new informal tips critique and a harder PPA (Professional Photographers of America) level critique.
• Webinar Coming Soon - As PEN consists of a group of Instructors and not just Toby, we'll be having a live Webinar coming soon for members. Compared to the live show this will be more focused content on specific topics from different instructors and sometimes guests.

While it's cold out try some frozen bubbles as a fun DIY. It's an older article but being that it's that time of the year and starting to get quite cold give it a shot.

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Confirmed: DxO says new Nik Collection to be released in 2018The Nik Collection is a great set of tools to boost your editing from things such as noise reduction to a great black and white conversion in Lightroom and Photoshop. It's still free, but bought out by DxO from Google, the worry being that without development it would eventually stop working. With an announcement, it looks like we've got a 2018 version coming soon, just no word on a price if any. If you're interested in the NIK collection get it now at nikcollection.dxo.com.Free Lightroom alternative Darktable is now available on WindowsLooking for a Lightroom alternative now that they've gone to subscription only? Darktable has been ported finally to Windows giving you an option on all platforms (Windows/Mac/Linux) for a free open-source lookalike. If you want to give it a try you can check it out at www.darktable.org.Get Free Unlimited Google Drive StorageFor those that don't have unlimited photo storage with Amazon Prime another great option to backup your photos now is Google Drive's unlimited storage. The catch is you have to be an active student or Alumni with a .EDU email from a school using Google for Education. That said, it's worth the five minutes to find out, you may have a new spot to backup your computer for free (bar the crippling cost of college).Other Stories You Might Like:

• The First 10 Things You Should Do With That New Camera You Received for the Holidays
• When an Email Scammer Poses as a Famous Photographer…
• Is There Really Bad Light: How to Take Awesome Travel Photos in All Lighting Conditions
• Tamron sets up 'VIP Club' for users with four or more registered lenses
• The Power of Resilience as a Photographer
• 52 Week Photography Challenge for 2018
• A happy ending: Police recover stolen limited edition Leica from The Camera Store robbery
• 5 Tips for Photographing in Harsh Midday Sunlight
• What a Lifelong Photographer Has to Say About What Makes a True Photographer
• Photographer Documenting Mother’s Mental Illness Wins TIME’s Instagram Photographer of the Year
• Imatag Uses Invisible Watermarks to Protect Your Photos

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

It's the holiday season and we've extended our weekly photo challenge on Instagram to two weeks to cover everything holiday All-AT-ONCE. That means you've got until next Wednesday (1/3) at noon to upload your holiday photos and New Years shots. Simply throw them up on Instagram with the tag #PRTV_holiday2. That does cover a lot so that means it could be portraits like Manfella's kiddos below, decorations, a New Years ball drop, yummy food, or something else you enjoy to shoot.

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

Stunning Time-Lapse of SpaceX Falcon9 Rocket LaunchMore space-related, but the story that had the news coverage this week is the SpaceX rocket launch from Vandenberg Airforce base on the 22nd. While not UFOs Jesse Watson was set up early and caught the action in this great timelapse you can check out above. A big bonus to The Photographer's Ephermeris (GET THIS APP<-) and Google Maps for nailing the location. This was shot with a Nikon D810, Sony a6500, and Sony a7S II for this great view in 1,315 images.Also: Idaho Gets First International Dark Sky Reserve in the United StatesPick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.

That's it for this week and hopefully, you guy's like the new content. For PEN members we'll be back next year (week) live so go sign up. If you guy's like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and this may be a weekly thing!

A New Lightroom and a Faster One

A Tale of Two Lightrooms. So what did we get?

The program we know as Lightroom has been rebranded/split by Adobe into two products. A fully cloud-based service and the standard desktop version (the one you're used to), now called Lightroom Classic. While Lightroom is now in the cloud, changes to either can be synced between programs. Watch the video below to learn more.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNBpWGJE5VMQuick Tip: If you are having trouble seeing the updates open the Adobe cloud program in your taskbar. Sign out of the program, then sign in to see the new updates.

A New Lightroom

A big update to the existing Lightroom web platform, we've got a cloud version of Lightroom for desktops, tablets, and phones. Image editing you want but in a simplified package that Adobe made for you to use on all your devices. This new Lightroom is a streamlined version that's simpler to use and ready for on the go work.

• Cloud Storage with Lightroom CC storing all your full-resolution photos, including RAW files, safely in the cloud (1TB of space comes with the plan, more is available).
• Adobe Sensei - No more keywording, or at least less, with a smart search using machine learning to find your photos. Want a bridge photo you took? Type in a bridge and all your bridge photos pop up, no work required.
• Sharing tools to push photos out to social media like Facebook or build a web gallery in a snap.
• Instead of a library photos will be stored in albums, think of this as collections in Lightroom Classic.

Lightroom Classic

The "New" Lightroom Classic is the same Lightroom you're used to, but with massive speed boost! After taking suggestions from users Adobe has overhauled Lightroom into a much speedier program, especially in the Develop module. (my early testing shows a significant increase in speed for some tasks while others remain fairly slow)

• Better, Faster, Stronger
  • Faster loading time
  • Faster import with "Embedded & Sidecar" option
  • Faster Smart Previews
  • Faster Switch to Develop
  • Faster Rending Images
  • Faster Scrolling images
  • Faster brush rendering
  • JUST FASTER... FINALLY

ONE NEW FEATURE

• New Edge Refinement - New quick selection masks for local adjustments using color and luminance range masking. Color masking lets you select a range of color, luminance lets you select by a certain brightness.  Watch the video above to see a demonstration of the new  masking.

Photoshop

Everything gets updates today. New easy access for LR photos, a new pen tool, tips and more:

• A new Learn panel, the first big step for those new or just starting with Photoshop with step by step tutorials for tools and basic editing. They've also included new tooltips with little images and animations to help you along.
• Lightroom photos will pull your photos from the cloud directly into Photoshop.
• Copy and paste multiple layers in one go, keeping their order and location.
• Support for 360 Degree image editing and Apple HEIF
• Curvature Pen Tool - For those that hated the pen tool, Adobe has a friendlier pen tool to get the curves you need.
• Brush updates with new management, stroke smoothing to prevent jitters, and more brushes.
• Photoshop also gained a slight performance boost. As well as Adobe improving all their algorithms for cleaner lines, better filters, upscaling, and more.

Adobe Plans

Lightroom comes in three flavors now. The regular Creative Cloud Photography Plan stays the same price but now gains 20GB of cloud storage. Existing Creative Cloud Photography Plans can switch to the new 1TB plan for more cloud storage and get $5 off for the first year.Despite the fact they promised they wouldn't,  Adobe Standalone products are gone with Lightroom 6 as the last version. This was the Lightroom software packaged separate, not requiring the monthly charge and did not include Photoshop. The current standalone software will get an update for the Nikon D850 at the end of the month with camera support updates for this year only.All-in-all it's an extensive update to existing programs, and new ones as well. The biggest improvement, being the speed boosts with Lightroom Classic people have been asking for since last year. The new Lightroom cloud system is an interesting update and we'll have to see what happens as Adobe continues to work on the platform.  

Lightroom CC plan

• Lightroom Cloud Only
• Adobe Spark
• Adobe Portfolio
• 1TB of cloud storage
• $9.99/mo

Photography plan

• Lightroom CC
• Lightroom Classic
• Photoshop CC
• Adobe Spark
• Adobe Portfolio
• 20GB of cloud storage
• $9.99/mo

Photography plan with 1TB cloud storage

• Lightroom CC
• Lightroom Classic CC
• Photoshop CC
• Adobe Spark
• Adobe Portfolio
• 1TB of cloud storage
• $19.99/mo ($14.99 for existing accounts)

Polaroid Pop: Instant Prints with a Digital Twist

The classic Polaroid photos of the past have returned with the Polaroid Pop. A 20MP digital camera with 1080P video and an instant mobile printer. Including a 3.97-inch touchscreen with the option to fix photos and use filters before printing. The ZINK printer like the Polaroid Snap uses heat to activate ink on the prints making your standard looking Polaroid in under a minute.As a bonus, it also connects via WiFi or Bluetooth to act as a mobile printer for your smartphone. If you wanted, technically using your DSLR's mobile connection you could print from your camera to this one on the go!The Polaroid Pop will be available around Christmas time in a variety of colors for $200, 10 Zink prints will be $10.

Press Release:

Polaroid Introduces the New Polaroid Pop Instant Digital Camera andPolaroid Hoop Wireless Home Camera

On Display at IFA 2017, Polaroid’s Newest Innovations Offer a Modern Take on the PolaroidInstant Digital Camera and Peace-of-Mind for Simplified Home Security

NEW YORK, August 30, 2017 – The Polaroid brand today announced the release of its newestinnovations in photo and home security taking over the holiday season - the Polaroid Popinstant digital camera and Polaroid Hoop wireless home camera. The Polaroid Pop combines asleek, modern design and digital technology with 3.5x4.25” border prints. The Polaroid Hoophome security camera stays true to the Polaroid brand DNA elements, including simplicity,elegant design and the mission to make new and exciting technologies accessible to theeveryday consumer.

“The Polaroid Pop instant digital camera and Polaroid Hoop home security camera initiallydebuted at CES 2017 to much fanfare,” said Scott W. Hardy, President and CEO of Polaroid.“We’re excited to have these products on display at IFA and showcase them to the Europeanmarket. For 80 years, Polaroid has been committed to providing consumers with the latestimaging technology that enables them to easily share their lives. The Polaroid Pop and PolaroidHoop offer modern takes on this idea for every aspect of consumers’ lives.”

Polaroid Pop Instant Digital CameraAs the all-in-one solution for capturing and sharing images on-the-go, the Polaroid Pop instantdigital camera enables users to shoot and instantly print full color photos as 3.5x4.25” Polaroidborder prints. Edit and enhance photos before printing with creative filters, digital stickers and adraw feature that gives the ability to write or draw at the bottom of the photo. The Polaroid Popquickly and easily connects to a mobile device using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, allowing users to savephotos taken with the camera as well as print photos saved on a mobile device.

The Polaroid Pop instant digital camera will have a MSRP of $199.99; a 10-pack paper will havea MSRP of $9.99. Additional features include:

● MicroSD card slot to support up to 128GB of storage● 3.97-inch touchscreen LCD for framing shots and navigating the camera’s menu● 20-megapixel CMOS sensor● Built-in dual LED flash for high quality images, image stabilization● 1080p full HD video recording capability

The Polaroid Pop instant digital camera uses the revolutionary ink-free Zero Ink® Printingtechnology developed by ZINK. The ZINK-enabled printer uses heat to activate and colorizecyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals embedded in the paper. The result is full-color, highquality, long-lasting and smudge-proof images without ink cartridges, ribbons or toner. The3.5x4.25” photo prints in just under a minute so consumers can instantly share the photo withfriends and family.

Polaroid Hoop Home Security CameraThe Polaroid Hoop home security camera offers 1080p high-definition video resolution and a140-degree lens with a wide-angle view to maximize coverage. The Polaroid Hoop is simple toset up with an easy-to-use app available for Android and iOS. The Polaroid Hoop will have aMSRP of $179.99 for the indoor camera and $199.99 for the outdoor camera.

● Stylish and Sleek - The affixed base of the Polaroid Hoop home security camera can beplaced on a shelf or table or be easily mounted to a wall or ceiling.● Indoor or Outdoor - The camera is available in two models, indoor and outdoor, with aweatherproof construction on the outdoor version to withstand the elements.● Grouping - Users can install several throughout their home and monitor and accessfootage from one app. Cameras are grouped together and labelled to easily capture andidentify events in specific areas of the home, or schedule recordings in a particular area.The primary account holder can assign, manage and share access to specific cameraswith friends and family.● Intelligent Monitoring and Alerts - The Polaroid Hoop offers advanced monitoringcapabilities that detect events and automatically alert the user via the app and pushnotifications. Users can set specific zones and only trigger an alert should anythingchange within that area of the frame. The Polaroid Hoop also leverages a proprietaryalgorithm that over time can learn to distinguish between normal daily events and thosethat occur unplanned.● Storage - When the camera detects an event, it automatically records the footage for theduration of the event and sends a push notification to the user’s smartphone to view thefile locally on an optional microSD card or store in the cloud for up to seven days for free.

The Polaroid Pop instant digital camera and Polaroid Hoop home security camera weredesigned in partnership with renowned design firm, Ammunition, the studio that was also behindthe Polaroid Zip instant photoprinter, Polaroid Snap line of instant digital cameras and PolaroidCube and Polaroid Cube+ lifestyle action cameras. Led by industrial designer Robert Brunner,Ammunition has partnered with award-winning consumer brands including Adobe, Beats by Dre,Square, Lyft and Williams-Sonoma.

Offered by C+A Global, an authorized Polaroid licensee, the Polaroid Pop instant digital cameraand Polaroid Hoop home security camera will be available at retailers throughout the UnitedStates starting in October 2017. Both products will also be on display at IFA 2017 in Berlin,Germany, September 1-6 in hall 11.1 booth #130. To learn more, please visit polaroid.com

About PolaroidPolaroid is one of the world’s most trusted, respected and recognizable brands, with a rich80-year history built primarily on Polaroid instant cameras and film. The company’s completerange of products was designed to deliver the fun, instant gratification and creative freedom forwhich the brand has long stood. Today, the Polaroid Classic Border Logo, rooted in the instantphoto sharing that Polaroid pioneered, is the mark of genuine Polaroid branded products. Formore information, visit Polaroid.com.

Polaroid, Polaroid & Pixel, Polaroid Color Spectrum, Polaroid Pop, Polaroid Hoop, PolaroidCube, Polaroid Zip, Polaroid Snap and Polaroid Classic Border Logo are trademarks of PLR IPHoldings, LLC, used under license.