Photography Tips for Havana/Cuba

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After spending three weeks in Cuba I share some tips for photographing Havana, the old buildings, the American cars and the people of Cuba!

Cuba Photography DO NOTs:

  • Never photo the police in uniform
  • Don't photo all white dressed people

Don't be rude and stick your camera in people's faces.   You are visiting their home not a zoo.  

Cuba Photography DOs:

Strike up a conversation before asking if you may take a photo. 

Puebo toma una photo.

If you know a little more Spanish you could strike up a conversation with people and ask if you can see or visit their home.  As I said I was invited into multiple homes and I feel it's pretty special to be treated so generously.  Feel free to offer something in exchange. Another way to make friends is to bring gifts.  Stickers for the kids,  candy too.  Pens are highly valued by the people at the market and is a nice gesture if you spend a few minutes with a camera in their face.  And on our McKay trips a few people brought the Insta print cameras and those were a huge hit with the young and the old,  it's very nice to share the images with the people you are capturing.  Watch your step.  Holes,  poop,  slippery marble and more.

SUGGESTED CUBA PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR:

I shot for most of the trip with a full frame camera and a 50mm lens.  Great combination.https://www.instagram.com/p/BFxhtL3NMCU/?taken-by=photorectobySony a7RII with Sigma MC-11 Adapter and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART series lens.  (links go to B&H Photo for prices - Your purchase of gear through my links is part of my income and keeps me in business)If I saw an interesting person I would have my camera ready before I asked for permission.  You get a more natural look if you are ready to snap the photo right after you ask. The longer you take the less likely you are to get a genuine expression.Wide angle lenses can be fun with all of the curves of the car. Crop: Tokina 11-16 f/2.8Telephoto for sneakier street photography - Suggested 70-200 F/4

Locations for shooting.  

There is no shortage of photo ops in Havana no matter where you explore but for the most authentic Havana experience I would stay near Central ParkPrado Ave Also listed on maps as Paseo de Marti separates central Havana from the old city.  Fantastic photo opportunities on the broad Ave and central park has a great collection of old American cars for hire and photography.  If you want the less shiny American cars, just head down any back street,  they really are everywhere. https://www.instagram.com/p/BGZIkpTNMHE/?taken-by=photorectobyWander a few blocks left or right off Prado and you will quickly find the colors,  the crumbling walls and more to photograph,  really you even get that on Prado though they are trying to restore the buildings along the Avenue.  https://www.instagram.com/p/BF7P65BNMNh/?taken-by=photorectobyFountain square,  Cathedral square and arms square give you a taste of restored and historic Havana.  Obispo Avenue is a car free Avenue that runs from arms square to central park.  This is a more touristy stretch but offers lots to see and places to eat.  Again I encourage you to venture off onto the side streets,  I did this day and night and felt safe at all times. Sunrise and sunset from Malecón, Havana, Cuba(sea wall) and the fort is great for sunset and city skyline plus the Cannon shot ceremony at 9pm every night.  You pay to get in but consider paying 1 cuc more to get up on the roof which comes with a free drink,  best view of the ceremony and a good view of the city.  If you only want the city view stay down below on the fort walls.  https://www.instagram.com/p/BGEnlrctMLd/?taken-by=photorectobyMarti theater,  across from Central Park is lit beautifully at night. And the capital currently being restored will be beautiful. https://www.instagram.com/p/BGQYud7tMKC/?taken-by=photorectobyIt will be interesting to see what happens to Cuba and especially havana over the next few years as tourism increases.  McKay Photography is making plans to return, Email David Here I’m interested in Cuba next year!More photos from Cuba: Want to travel with me to some place other than Cuba? Maybe Croatia? Vietname? Iceland? More information and more locations listed at Photorec.tv/Travel. 

Instagram Winners – Wood

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Our world is made up of wood, and that's the exciting thing about having a open challenge is that it gives people room to think and be creative. Looking at it from a sense of nature, or entropy, would be one view point of the subject. While someone else could go with wood working and a project at work shot with sawdust or a finished project. Even to a handmade antique generations old that hold sentimental value. With wood this project was one to make it your own and show something of your style.There was no show this week Toby and I have picked your best photos.The weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_silhouette. To enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Friday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_silhouette.

You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram here: Photorec.tv

And the team!Toby – Photorectoby Scott – photoscott88 Roy – RoyMcKeeIII

Toby's DUAL Winners:

I loved both of these wood trail/boardwalk shots.  @kapechick has a simple shot but the wood of the path mixed with the all the young trees around makes this a very woodsy shot.  And @adamstewart similar boardwalk shot offering us a glimpse of green hills in the distance is excellent, love the way the path leads us off to the green and blue.  Nice work!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG9jlXyjw_I/https://www.instagram.com/p/BG5UodDuT9u/

Toby's Honorable Mention:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG7W8_mN5-K/Love the wider shot here that shows wood from untouched to almost unrecognizable. Nicely composed and captured!

Roy's Winner:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG8oEhLh-t4/Technically "reclaimed" by nature this set piece by Maritza of Hobbiton is a great focus for wood.  As Toby said the place is made to be photogenic. For one it's a great trip photo while focusing on an element of the scene rather than the grand scale of it all.  As for wood It's a great draw for the eye with good composition and naturally framed by the plants.

Roy's Honorable Mentions:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG8FQOdGEqa/Wood as art in this case is a great way to show texture and a good repeating pattern. I like that Christye chose to crop in losing a bit of the face to get closure and frame out the carving. It makes for a strong photo and an interesting portrait albeit wood.https://www.instagram.com/p/BG9jlXyjw_I/?taken-by=kapechickBeing from Michigan we have trails pretty much everywhere. When you get a nice winding wood path like this it sets a scene. With the brush coming up and a leading line to the horizon it makes for a great focus for the eye to follow the trail. 

Photoshop 2016 (2015.5) Performance Updates with New Tools

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FeatureToday’s Photoshop CC 2016 update includes speed boosts and a few new tools to get the job done. Adobe’s main goal getting out this update will be speed based. Improvements were made in the installation time, brushes, fonts, and content aware fill. In the next few updates will all be focused on making the program a bit faster considering how large is has gotten. One warning though for those with plug-ins, you will have to reinstall them all. As its a full new version of Photoshop they will be erased. Preferences and presets will all be migrated over to the new version. Check out adobe’s articles on the new features!Selecting and masking part of a photoA new space and tools for making selections and masking out parts of your photos. This gives a few more options for making a smooth mask that you might otherwise have trouble getting such as hair or clothing from portraits. Crop and rotate freely with Content-Aware CropCrop and rotate as we’re used to, but now with content aware filling. Any blank space from rotating your photo or extending past the edge of the photo the software will automatically attempt to fill in. Adjust a person's facial features with Face-Aware LiquifyLiquify tools now have face recognition in them to make adjustments for portraits without as much work. Beyond turning someone into a chipmunk it should be a useful tool for adjusting portraits where needed. Match fonts from an imageWhile less of a photo tool for us this is still useful if you're working with graphic design on a project. If you’ve ever taken over a project you’ll frequently get asked to continue with a style from a previous work. Then you’ve got to identify a font by sight or using an image uploader. This does it in photoshop to use fonts similar to what you have installed and options from Adobe’s typekit online.  

The update is currently live as of now, the file is somewhat large as its a new version so it will take a fair bit of time to download.

Worlds First - Medium Format Mirrorless 50MP

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Hasselblad has announced the X1D-50c Medium Format Mirrorless Digital CameraHasselblad X1D-50c Medium Format Mirrorless Digital Camera

  • 50MP 43.8 x 32.9mm CMOS Sensor
  • 16-Bit Color, 14-Stop Dynamic Range
  • Hasselblad Natural Color Solution
  • Full HD 1080p H.264 Video at 25 fps
  • ISO 100-25600, Shooting Up to 2.3 fps
  • Central Shutter: 60 min to 1/2000 sec
  • 2.36MP XGA Electronic Viewfinder
  • 3.0" 920k-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
  • Dual SD Card Slots; XPan & Square Modes
  • Built-In Wi-Fi & GPS, USB 3.0 Type C

Cost $8,995 - Preorder from B&H PhotoI am certain this will be a well built camera and it does nicely incorporate a few pieces of modern tech like USB 3 Type C, a viewfinder that I am sure will be gorgeous with 2.36MP and of course a medium format sensor that is capable of giving you extremely shallow depth of field and awesome light gathering capabilities. Is that all worth $9,000 plus you need lenses.  Of which there are only a few hopefully there will be adapters but in general medium format lenses are quite expensive as they need to cover a significantly larger sensor.  Let me know on Facebook - are you interested? A few more photos Hasselblad X1D-50c Hasselblad X1D-50c Medium Format Mirrorless Digital CameraHasselblad X1D-50c Medium Format Mirrorless Digital Camera

Instagram Winners - Architecture

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Trying to find beauty in buildings can be challenging at times and artful at others with the work of a good architect.  Often with buildings I like to shoot in ways that emphasize the repetition of the lines, being especially careful to line everything up nicely OR to shoot from a wild angle.  There was only the Patreon live show this week where Scott and I have picked your best photos.    Toby here - I just want to add that I had a really difficult time picking my favorites - there were a huge number of excellent photos!!

The weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_wood. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_wood.

You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram here: Photorec.tv

And the team!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIII

Scott's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BGmznyepxLW/The perspective and almost building blocks look is my favourite. Great shot!Scott's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BGogLV5Hvmn/ I really like the strong lines and perspective of this one.https://www.instagram.com/p/BGlXRX9oULm/I really like the repetition of the structure and the inside perspective.

Toby's Winner:

https://www.instagram.com/p/-KB1RwrOny/Image within the image and what is a distracting object leads you to realize there is more.

Toby's Honorable Mentions:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGovgvmN50Y/Lovely choice to shoot this slightly off center to give a better sense of the whirl leading to the dome.https://www.instagram.com/p/BGRSz2HPOTx/

 I don't love the quality of this shot and the fact that some of the end dock is cut off but I do LOVE the curve and framing AND the fact that this so nicely illustrates that architecture comes in all forms, even a dock that looks built of mostly driftwood.

The weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_wood. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_wood.

You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram here: Photorec.tv

And the team!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIII

Cuba Photography Vlog #5

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https://youtu.be/PI_NuC_tLtUThe final cuba photography vlog, we spend time exploring Trinidad Cuba waking up to a beautiful morning in our Casa Particular before heading out for a photowalk on the streets of Trinidad, Visting a sugar plantation in the los ingenios valley climb the tower at Manaca Iznaga and back to Havana to watch the ProDanza School of Ballet in Cuba rehearse and then back to Miami Florida.Travel with us and meet me- more info http://photorec.tv/travelFind and Follow me at: http://instagram.com/photorectoby/

Instagram Winners - Panning

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Going for the start of a new year of challenges we went with panning.  Panning is a good method for shooting as you can capture motion with your photo versus freezing it. With Toby on a short trip there was no live show this week but Roy and Scott have picked your best panning photos.

The weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_architecture. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_architecture.

You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram here: Photorec.tv

And the team!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIII

Scott's Winner:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFh8heHCucX/The perspective and the framing are prefect. The whole car is sharp, this is so difficult to do and you nailed it

Scott's Honorable Mentions:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYMl3ljrrE/I love the movement in the curler, a real action shot. Nicely framed too.https://www.instagram.com/p/BGQ3PSnAMHN/Great panning action here. I love the colours in this shot and shooting wider really captured the scene

Roy's Winner:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBS04fVKxP2/Planes are a great way to learn panning and how I got the technique down as well. The background balances well with the colors of the plane which is a coincidental bonus.

Roy's Honorable Mentions:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYMl3ljrrE/Using curling for a panning shot is a good way to think out of the box. Ben's managed to get the player in the photo adding a bit of context and depth to the background while keeping the subject crystal clear.https://www.instagram.com/p/BFh8heHCucX/Doing this at races is always a fun way to catch the motion and energy in the shot. I've done it at a few myself (and got yelled at in the process) which makes for a good shot that captures the thrill of the sport.

Cuba Photography Vlog #4 - Cienfuegos & Trinidad

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZStH-Grv-YWe wake up in Cienfuegos and watch the town come awake before heading to Trinidad, Cuba where we stay in a Casa particular - Trinidad is a beautiful town with over 500 years of history.  I walk you through a shot and share our poor spanish communication with our host.  Watch More Photography Travel VlogsFollow me on Instagram to See my favorite Cuba PhotosSubscribe on Youtube to be notified of future travel videos

Nikon D500 Review

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D500 - The briefest review!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnZ3OeIoVLAAs I often like to do I will give you the summary of my review up front. This is now the king of APS-C cameras. There is NOTHING better- but does that mean it is the best camera for you?  Let’s discuss what I love and what I less than love about the D500.  But before we do let's mention the previous champ of APS-C - the Canon 7D Mark II. The 7DM2 was the king in this class and I loved the AF peroformance and ergonmics but even when it was released I was frustrated with lack of articulating touchscreen and wifi, I feel like Nikon looked at what was missing there and said here you go - oh and we have stuck an excellent sensor in there with files that while not noise free are certainly clean enough to deliver to clients at 12,800The D500 Offers

  • No AA filter for noticeable sharper images vs Canon 7D Mark II
  • 10 FPS
  • The BEST AF system of any APS-C camera to date
    • FAST
    • Aaccuratelyy tracks moving subjects (in low light on the dance floor IT WORKS)
    • Excellent AF customization options
    • AF Point Coverage across the frame.   
    • The little thumb joystick for moving the AF point is perfectly placed
  • 4K UHD Video Recording at 30 fps
  • Rugged articulating touchscreen
  • Wifi with smart bluetooth NFC system that once set up automatically transfers the images

In the hand this is the nicest feeling Nikon camera I have ever held.  Typically I have found the grips to be a little too narrow on Nikon cameras and with the D500 they have rounded that out nicely.  And typical of most Nikon prosumers the physical control buttons are excellent with little need to spend time in the menu - which is good because although the camera has a touchscreen you can only use it to select focus in live view and navigate playback, it does not work for menu navigation.  If you consider that a downside the only other downside I can come up with is the focus in video -Nikon still does not off dual pixel AF system like canon so we very much have that womp womp effect while it searches for focus (demonstrated in the video above)  - if you don’t need autofocus while filming you can ignore this issue.  Overall the 4K video quality is VERY good. Now lots of people made a big deal about the 2x crop factor when shooting 4k  Just go buy a slightly wider lens and you will be fine. I think many people watching this video and reading this post will be trying to figure out if they should go with the Nikon D7200, The D500 or a full frame camera like the Nikon D750.    That full frame sensor on the D750 is still going to give you slightly better results in low light, The D7200s strength is saving you $1,000 and still providing an excellent all around camera capable of shooting sports and wildlife as well as being slightly more travel friendly.  As much as I love the D500 it is more camera than most of us need and you could put that $1000 toward a nice lens or TWO that will do more for your photography than buying the more expensive body UNLESS you Really that AF system for FAST subjects - FAST action sports, birds in flight or maybe you do want to record in 4K video too.  Benefit of the D7200 vs the D500/D750

  • Smaller and Lighter - almost 1/2 lb lighter than the D500.
  • Cheaper - Buy the Nikon D7200 from B&H Photo (Body only $1046)
  • Vs the D750 you only need DX lenses which are cheaper and lighter too.

Benefits of the D750 vs the D500/D7200

  • Full frame sensor better in low light - 24MP full frame vs 20MP crop in D500 and 24MP crop in D7200
  • Lighter than the D500
  • Offers articulating screen vs the Nikon D7200
  • That full frame look (do you hate me for saying this? )
  • The best value Full Frame camera on the market (regardless of manufacturer) Buy from B&H Photo (Body only $1996.95)

Benefits of the D500 vs the D750/D7200

  • The BEST AF speed, coverage and accuracy
  • 10 FPS vs 6ish in the D750/D7200
  • No AA filter for increased detail.
  • Rugged Articulating touchscreen
  • Pro body form and function with manual control for just about everything
  • Wifi with Snapbridge for easy auto transfer of your photos
  • Vs the D750 you only need DX lenses which are cheaper and lighter too and you have additional "reach" because of the crop factor.
  • Buy the Nikon D500 from B&H Photo (body only $1996.95)

For me - If you are a general photographer including travel get the D7200.  If you want better quality in low light get the D750 and if you are photographing action, FAST action the D500 makes the most sense.  Or if you want 4K video with Nikon.I want to know which of the three you would pick and why? And what feature of the D500 is your favorite. Leave a comment below. I will be collecting the best to share in a future video.  Support our work - Buy the Nikon D500: http://bhpho.to/1Ujv6vwBuy the Nikon D7200: http://bhpho.to/1r5CS4qBuy the Nikon D750: http://bhpho.to/24mGXyh

Instagram Winners - Framing

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Going back to basics we went with Framing for this weeks challenge and your photos were great! Framing is a great tool to have for shooting as you can create a better composition and drive focus for your photo. With Toby on a McKay Live trip there was no live show this week but Roy and Scott have picked your best framing photos.

The weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_panning. The first challenge Roy worked on for photorec.tv actually. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_panning.

With Toby in Cuba you can still get guru help for this weeks challenge from his recent video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LER6RFkkj68

You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram here: Photorec.tv

And the team!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIII

Scott's Winner:https://instagram.com/p/BF7ucp5EpYS/The curve frame is unique and perfect, I love the proportion split between to two subjects. Fantastic shotScott's Honorable Mentions:https://instagram.com/p/BF43rwXizNY/I love the way the frame and the shadow isolates the subject - great environmental portrait.https://instagram.com/p/BGGjDioB6Sj/The leading lines which then leads you to a framed subject are great, nice candid shot - very well doneRoy's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BF5AosFiDX5/Shot in-front of the steps Justin would have a strong photo. Using the framing of the trees and stairs frames the bridge and draws more attention to it in a natural way.Roy's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BF43rwXizNY/Using a doorway is a great method of framing and Korey shot this perfectly. With added light dropping from the side it gives a nice fall off making the subject stand out from the background.https://www.instagram.com/p/-HcGC5nOGB/Well, on a positive note you can't say perfect timing doesn't help. Aaron's photo of this bird is a good use of a window frame to draw focus to his subject.

Random Presets with the Lightroom Preset Creator

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featuredSomething a bit different for today is a site by Allen Serhat for random Lightroom presets.

http://lrpc.allenserh.at/index.php#one

This isn't going to be anything your going to use on a day to day basis for editing. For those starting out though it'll be a nice way to learn and experiment with features that are usually skipped over by those starting out. Something simple as adjusting the tone curve can add drastically different looks to your photo without much work. Using this creator you can make a series of presets to experiment with just that. Unless you magically strike gold your going to end up with a lot of Instagram like filters but this is mainly for learning not editing. You always have the option though of fine tuning your preset and re-saving it if you hit something you like.

import

Once you've selected your choices and hit create go download your new preset. Then in Lightroom's develop module under presets you can right click and import your preset file. Then it's ready to use. Also you can right click to delete the preset when your finished with it.

IMG_7519For example with HSL you can effect colors globally. In this preset all of the red, yellows, and oranges have been turned a shade of bright red while all the other colors have been heavily muted. This is caused from red's hue being pushed to orange, orange to red, and yellow to orange. Forcing everything to turn red. While in saturation every option bar red, orange, and blue has taken a massive drop leaving the muted color scheme.

As for proper learning about Lightroom sign up to our patreon service for your one stop place to get special perks, behind the scenes postings, after show videos, access the private support group, get our Lightroom preset package, as well as our Lightroom tutorial videos. Alternatively the video and tutorial package is also available with the presets at photorec.tv/shop. 

Instagram Winners - Shiny

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This week the challenge was left to the patreon group and they chose shiny as your challenge for the week. With that you guys did a great job with finding the shiniest objects you could or being a bit creative with the idea. With Toby on a McKay Live trip there was no live show this week but Roy and Scott have picked your best shiny photos.The weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_framing. A bit of a TBT to our older non Instagram challenges on Flickr. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_framing.So as Toby is in Cuba, you can still get a bit of advice for this weeks challenge from this Think Before You Click video on framing.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAtdC8fGbjc

You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram here: Photorec.tv

And the team!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIII

Scott's Winner:[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BFyVverDJI8/[/embed]I love the angle these are shot at and the shadow cast really adds drama to the shot. Nice work!Scott's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BFpR0jAh6QI/I like the perspective of this - it popped out at me in the feedhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BF1VwjvgxYk/I like the way depth of field has been used and the clean background to highlight the subject. Nice detail too.Roy's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BFd11Q-Sc3T/Peter did a good job taking a challenge and tipping it to an advantage. Using a lake to reflect and make a back lit portrait was a good job of thinking outside the box. And with that it's a great shot that follows the rule of thirds with a balance of the subject to the sun in the background.Roy's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BFtPkgfEzX-/This photo from Bob shows you should always examine your surroundings. Not everyone that shoots takes the time to notice the small things and this is a good example of just that. It's a nice balanced shot with a shallow depth of field that puts all of the focus on the subject.

Can't get more shiny then a bit of hidden treasure per say. Greg did a great job of finding a bit of shiny booty to photograph. Going for a shallow depth of field with the large gem was a good choice as it puts the focus on the forefront. A lot of people shooting product photography try to get the whole item in crisp focus when sometimes its best to put the showstopper in focus and let the rest fade out.

Think Tank Video Workhorse Series

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Video Workhorse Lowres 

Our friends at Think Tank Photo have just released the first three in a new series of bags built specifically for professional video.  The largest of the new Video Workhorse series, the Video Workhorse 25,  holds professional camcorders or video camera rigs up to 25” (63.5cm) long and 9.1” (23cm) tall, which could include a camera body, lens, monitor, viewfinder, 4K recorder, audio recorder, medium LED lightpanel, shotgun mic, lavaliere mics, rails, follow-focus, matte-box, shoulder mount, top handle, and cables. The shoulder bag holds a Canon C-series, Sony FS700, FS5, FS7, F5 or F55, Red Epic/Scarlet, Black Magic Cinema Camera, Ursa or Ursa Mini, or a DSLR/Mirrorless rig such as the Sony a7sII, Panasonic GH4, or Canon 5DMIII.  And, as always, you receive a free gift with your order and free shipping.

Available today at Think Tank

Instagram Winners - Spring

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This week was spring, or a cheeky idea of if its not in your area at the moment for our international viewers. There were some good photos up and a few that went quite literal, in the best way.  With Toby on a McKay Live trip there was no live show this week but Roy and Scott have picked your best spring or "spring" photos.The weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_shiny. A patreon choice as Toby's off in Cuba go look for the shinies and get the best photo you can! Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_shiny.

You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram here: Photorec.tv

And the team!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIII

Scott's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BFfWDwoiDSz/I love the creative interpretation, the composition and reflection are excellent and the colours really grabbed my eye. Great work!Scott's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BFfDa7ryVrh/A great candid style shot. A moment of everyday life captured. I like the way the flowers have framed the subjecthttps://www.instagram.com/p/BFTrdsYScxl/Beautifully framed environmental portrait. The lighting is beautiful, you have eye contact and I like the way the tree over her head curves giving natural framing. Great job!Roy's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BFiHj4GDg_T/Great composition and color. Flowers follow a third of the photo then contrast with the rocky shoreline. Gives a big spring burst of color to your photo.Roy's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BFfWDwoiDSz/I told Scott someone was going to be cheeky and put up a literal spring. Justin Lai has a great tabletop photo of a slinky with a well done reflection.  Somewhat tricky of a subject lighting wise but its done quite well.https://www.instagram.com/p/BFKd_qzOgj9/I'm in Michigan and located near one of the bigger birding areas in the state. So spring for me has to be birds. Vijaya has a great shot of a sparrow with a paper thin depth of field and nailed the focus. Composition is great as compared to a lot of photos this has the room to breathe and the bird is not crammed in the shot.

Instagram Winners - Negative Space

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This week focused on using nothing to focus on something, #PRTV_negativespace. Your entries this week were awesome, you guys nailed negative space to a T.  With Toby on a McKay Live trip there was no live show this week but Roy and Scott have picked your best use of negative space.The weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_spring. Being that time of the year take a second to go outside and show us the best spring has to offer. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_spring.

You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram here: Photorec.tv

And the team!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIII

Scott's Winner:

I love the framing and simplicity of this shot.The clouds and interest and the bird has that negative space to fly into. Great shot!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFHhgoSnRjL/Scott's Honorable Mentions:I picked this because it's clever and shows a different interpretation of the original brief. Thinking outside of the box, very creative!https://www.instagram.com/p/BFPDpbgJQFS/

I love the silhouette here, the negative space draws the attention to the subject. Not just another sunset but one with real interest. Great composition.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFLtUtHknPf/Roy's Winner:Can’t get any more minimalist than this for sure. Becky’s use of the bay completely eliminates the background and with a long shutter exposure smooths out the water. Which leaves focus on this nice dead tree in the water starting at a rule of thirds point.https://www.instagram.com/p/BFMvyqbxD0N/Roy's Honorable Mentions:Using a shallow depth of field combined with an angle to isolate the grass allows negative space for the subject. This allows the child to become the main focal point as there is nothing to draw the eye away.https://www.instagram.com/p/BFQp60CrwBm/Then there’s getting low and letting the sky do the work. Christine has a good example of what a lot of new photographers have to learn. Your camera is not fixed at the height of a person and by shifting perspective this allows you to create that negative space yourself.https://www.instagram.com/p/BFP4eYAJ1_I/

Is there a corner sharpness issue with adapted Super Wide-Angle lenses on Sony A7 Bodies?

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[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxtoKmHQwOA[/embed]In the above video - Scott investigates into the reported issue of corner sharpness when using adapted super wide-angle lenses on Sony A7 series cameras.Full res - uncompressed images can be downloaded below:Sony ImagesCanon Images.All images were shot RAW (uncompressed on the Sony). No processing done whatsoever in lightroom, standard sharpening added when exporting for screen.

Instagram Winners - Nostalgia

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This week went a bit old school with #PRTV_nostalgia. Going back to your roots you guys made a good selection of old school items to follow the theme.  While it might be the last live show for awhile Toby and Scott managed to pick the best out of the best and we've got the winners below.While the Mish Mash may be out for a bit the weekly challenges are still going! You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_negativespace. Taking away or simplifying a subject's background with negative space draws the viewers eye to the subject itself. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #PRTV_negativespace.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIIIToby's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/yQLoFvDUXl/Toby's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEw5yFQSVtk/https://www.instagram.com/p/BCLZ7CZMZBw/Scott's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BE63_A7B6X4/Scott's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BE-9fVWN5yT/https://www.instagram.com/p/BE3FwmFRoXc/

Free $5 for Amazon - You Know You Want More Gear!

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ChjJEyuWkAE9cinFor those that don't mind a few steps you can get a free $5 promotional credit from Amazon for Mother's Day, or just more camera gear. Offer's good through 5/8. It's first-time users only so if you've done this type of promo before it won't work.As for how to get the $5 it's just a matter of installing a game on a android device. If you don't want to use your phone or its not a android device you can use andyroid and fake it, you'll still get the $5 (also how to use instagram on a pc/mac).

  1. Get Amazon Underground App Installer
  2. Turn off the security setting to allow apps from unknown sources. Typically for android go to settings and this is found under security.  Then remember to turn it back on when your done. Untitled-1
  3. Get your email/text for the program, download the amazon app, then open to install. If it doesn't give you the option to open the file would be found in downloads or my files typically.
  4. Open the app and install one of the promotional games:
    1. Simple Sudoku
    2. Simple Solitaire 
    3. Flow Free
    4. Fruit Ninja Academy: Math Master
    5. Elmo Loves 123's
    6. My Boo
  5. You won't immediately get a notification that it worked. But you will get an email the next day saying you've received the credit. It's good for 10 days from that point.

Photo Mish Mash Episode 96 - Digital Nomad

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Photo Mish Mash Episode 96:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awJUA2LSP-s

Sponsors:

ADORAMAPIX! Best place to get your pictures printed – http://www.adoramapix.com/YOU! Learn more at http://photorec.tv/supportJoin us in Alaska!!! Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights Trip

Gear On The Table:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spiderholster/the-spiderlight-hand-strap

News:

http://photochirp.com/pages/useful-information/mirrorless-cameras/RM3 - Samyang Unveils Its First AF Lenses! A 50 f/1.4 and a 14 f/2.8 for Sony FEhttp://petapixel.com/2016/05/02/rapper-responds-polite-credit-request-profanity-vitriol/http://www.conservationindia.org/resources/ethicsSRG - Illford Lab Direct Black and White film processing coming to USARM3 - No More Chimping: Leica Reveals the LCD-Free Leica M-D (Typ 262)RM3 - Fuji Giving Up On the 2/3-inch Sensor, Discontinues the X30RM3 - LEE Releases Simple Exposure Guide App to Use with Their ND FiltersRM3 - HELIOPAN WILL NOW REPLACE YOUR UV AND PROTECTION FILTERS IF THEY SHATTER

Photos From Space:

SRG- 2.95 million photos of Earth

Samyang Announces 2 Auto-Focus Lenses for Sony FE Mount!

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Photocredit (http://www.syopt.com)Samyang (Also branded Rokinon, Vivitar, Bower etc) are a brand that we really like, they've been delivering optically fantastic lenses at incredible prices with one large tradeoff - they've always been manual focus.The current 14mm is our pick for "Best Budget Lens for Stars"  see our review hereNow Samyang has announced two Full Frame Sony E Mount lenses - an Ultra Wide-Angle 14mm F2.8 and a 50mm F1.4.We're very excited about these lenses, if they've managed to produce lenses that have good auto-focus on Sony bodies, with the existing high level of optical quality AND keep the prices reasonable - these are going fly off the shelves.Below is the full press release - we of course are hopign to get our hands on one to test for you.Press Release from Samyang's website"May 3rd, 2016, Seoul, Korea – The global optics brand, Samyang Optics (http://www.samyanglensglobal.com) today announced the long-awaited launch of two autofocus lenses: 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 lenses for Sony E mount Mirrorless cameras with full frame sensor size. The new 14mm and 50mm are the widest and brightest lenses in their classand offer superb quality images to photographers. This launching expands the boundaries of Samyang Optics photo lens line-up from manual focus only, to now include autofocus lenses. Optimised Optical Design as Full Frame Mirrorless Camera LensBoth 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC are specifically designed to work in harmony with full frame mirrorless cameras in Sony E mount. The flow of light is devised based on the uniqueness of the distance from glass to sensor in mirrorless cameras to create optimal performance. Along with portability of mirrorless lenses, the 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 are compatible with full frame sensors to deliver the wideness and sharpnessof image to photographers.The 67mm filter diameter brings the maximum amount of light into the lens to create the best work of light in photography. The 14mm F2.8 is the widest angle available in the market and the F1.4 of 50mm and F2.8 of 14mm apertures are by far the brightest of full frame mirrorless lenses, offeringa beautiful bokeh effect and the best quality images under various exposure conditions.Based on Samyang Optics’ exceptional optical technology, aspherical lenses have been included in both lenses to minimise aberration and unnecessary light dispersion, delivering high resolution from the centre to the corners of the image.AF Performance and Ergonomic Design Based on Class-Leading TechnologyThese new products will be the first autofocus lenses in over 40 years of Samyang’s class-leading core optics technologies. Samyang has captured the essence of world leading image technology with their manual focus lenses and reinterpreted it into autofocus lenses. Photographers now can enjoy the prime manual lens image quality and autofocus lens. These new 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 are compatible with both phase detect and contrast detect sensors to operate fast and accurate focus detection.The 67mm filter diameter is also the result of years of R&D for best handling, by adding stability to the photo-taking experience. Also the minimal and sleek design and metal-housing solidify the build quality with the internal focus system.These two new autofocus lenses from Samyang Optics will be exhibited at the Photo & Imaging 2016Show in Seoul, South Korea. The lenses will be globally available from July 2016. Further details, pricing and availability will follow.More information will be released soon onSamyang Optics official website (http://www.samyanglensglobal.com), Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/samyanglensglobal) andInstagram (http://www.instagram.com /samyanglensglobal)."