Introduction To Astrophotography
For those of you who are obsessive about technical details, love to tweak technology without manuals or directions, and have a very high frustration tolerance, astrophotography may be for you. My experience has shown that most photographers of the enthusiast and above level are technofiles, with a keen affinity toward precision gadgets, be it cameras...
A Revolutionary Art Medium
Photography began the long journey to its present state nearly two centuries ago. From the first known photograph taken in 1825 by French inventor Nicéphore Niépce to the current state of the art cameras comprised of many millions of transistors, the journey has been a tumultuous one with regard to photography as an art medium. It was not until the early 20th century that photographs...
Canon Pro-2000 And Pro-4000 Printers
Canon recently announced four new wide format printers as upgrades to their current fleet of professional printers. The Pro-2000 and Pro-4000 are 24 and 44 inch printers respectively, targeted at the photography and fine art markets. The "S" models of those printers trade some precision for speed, aiming squarely at the signage markets. Notable upgrades over Canon's existing...
Phase One XF 100MP
At the beginning of the year, Phase One of Denmark broke a glass ceiling by introducing a 100 megapixel medium format camera, the XF 100MP. The introductory price has been set at an eye watering $48,990, which includes a Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS lens. It is billed as the ultimate camera, and may well be the finest imaging device ever offered this side of the Defense Department. The specs...
Astrophotography – Image Processing
The digital revolution has created unprecedented possibilities for the amateur astrophotographer. Through the use of digital cameras, computerized telescope mounts, and advanced image processing, relative neophytes can capture cosmic wonders from the comfort of their backyards. Broadly speaking, astrophotography can be divided into two phases, capture and processing, just like...
The Reality Of Art
Is it real or is it photoshopped? The answer is yes. This common question regarding the "validity" of digital photographs, whether in a fine art gallery or on the cover of a tabloid magazine, clearly implies that digital image manipulation is dishonest. If it was photoshopped, it must not be real. The truth is that every online image and the vast majority of images in print are...
Lightroom RAW Processing
This video tutorial is an overview of RAW image processing using the latest iteration of Adobe Lightroom. Through example, the tutorial provides a step by step work flow for photographers who are in the process of learning Lightroom and transitioning away from depending on in camera JPEGs. The tutorial specifically addresses processing high contrast and detailed images, that are so common in landscape photography...
Vertical Panoramas
The truth is that most artworks sell because they match the ottoman, or the curtains, or fit the blank spaces on the wall. To be sure, artistic composition and technical execution come into play. But, by and large, art is purchased as decoration and needs to fit in with the surrounding decor. And there are no blank spaces on the wall more wanting of art than the tall and narrow spaces between the windows...
