Monday, August 31, 2015

Camera lenses vs human eyes

There are many similarities between a camera lens and the human eye. Of course, they both have distinct features too.
Join us as we take a look at the makeup of each, their way of functioning and what makes them unique.

THE CAMERA LENS

Design
A collection of small glass parts make up a camera lens and are used to focus light onto a light-sensitive surface.
There is also an adjustable hole on the lens called the aperture, which controls just how much light can enter the lens at any one time.
All camera lenses are curved. This is to take into account light at different angles — after all, light must be directed to the camera’s focal point to capture an image.

Types
There are many different types of camera lens, ranging from simple designs to the more complex options:
• A single-element convex lens is the simplest form of a camera lens. It is designed to be thick in the middle and tapered along the ends. You can find a similar setup in a magnifying glass.
• A normal lens benefits from having a wider angle of view but items in the distance are not capable of being magnified.
• A wide-angle lens is great when you want to achieve a distorted, bulging effect with your photos. This is because the lens is more curved and its focal length is shorter — two elements that results in a greater angle of incidence.
• A telephoto lens is designed with a longer distance from the front of the lens to the focal plane and from the focal plane to the image sensor. Increased lengths mean that elements off in the distance can be focused on more accurately.
• A zoom lens comes with a zoom ring, which can be used to change focal length and the overall configuration of a lens’ elements. The result is great magnification capabilities.

How the camera lens works
This graphic by Clifton Cameras provides an easy-to-follow guide of how a camera lens works:


Want to know more? Read the full article: HERE

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Human: The Movie

HUMAN, the movie we have been working on for 3 years now will soon be launched. This is an unique project which I would like to share with you. The 3h11 cinematographic version will be launched worldwide on the 12th of september, but several other different versions of the film exist adapted to the television (France 2 for French television) and to Google/Youtube, one of our major partners. All versions are obviously accompanied by my friend Armand Amar's music.

I sincerely wish to thank the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation without whom this film could not have been made, a GoodPlanet Foundation project.


Watch the trailer: HERE

Worldwide release on the 12th of September


For more information check out our article on: All About Photo Website

Thursday, August 20, 2015

The finalists of the Prix Pictet have been chosen.

The finalists of the Prix Pictet have been chosen.

The international award named 12 photographers whose work best represents this year's theme: 'Disorder'. We chose our 5 favorite portfolios.
Check out the article: HERE

Brent Stirton

Brent Stirton
Pieter Hugo
Pieter Hugo

Sophie Ristelhueber
Sophie Ristelhueber

Alixandra Fazzina

Alixandra Fazzina

Yongliang Yang

Yongliang Yang

The Indestructible Lee Miller

Do not miss the exhibition The Indestructible Lee Miller at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale

October 4, 2015 to January 3, 2016



 This exhibition explores the life and work of the pre-eminent American photographer, Lee Miller, from several perspectives: as the favored fashion model in the 1920s for photographers such as Edward Steichen and Arnold Genthe; as the assistant, collaborator, and muse of surrealist photographer Man Ray in the 1930s; as a heralded art and fashion photographer, and as a combat photographer during World War II. Curated by Bonnie Clearwater, Director and Chief Curator, NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, the exhibition includes stunning photographs of Miller as well as examples of the inventive fashion photographs she made for British Vogue, as well as her fine art photography. The exhibition also includes her work as a war correspondent and combat photographer for Condé Nast Publications, including her photographs of the London Blitz, the liberation of Paris, and the Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps. Miller was a determined artist who overcame life's obstacles, constantly reinventing herself through her creative pursuits as circumstances demanded.







 1 E Las Olas Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, Florida - FL33301



For more information visit: All About Photo

Monday, August 17, 2015

Portfolio Reviews: A couple places to look


Want to show your work? All About photo references for you the best places to find portfolio reviews in the United States.



L'oeil de la photographie                                                                             Every weekend, The Eye of Photography dedicates itself to the portfolios of its readers. By publishing the best portfolios, the magazine enables photographers around the world to show case their photographs.

To participate, please, send to lecteurs@loeildelaphotographie.com :- A series of 12 to 15 photographs (jpg, 72dpi 1024 pixels) - A Text about the series (English and French would be appreciated)- A Short Biography - Your portrait ou self-portrait.You will be notified by email of the publication of your portfolio.
 
 
Monthly Portfolio reviews at the PRC
Monthly portfolio reviews at the PRC are one way that we find new talented photographers to invite to exhibit in NEO, Loupe, and our new Members Gallery at the PRC.Registration: To reserve your slot, please call the PRC at 617-975-0600 on the specified registration day. This opportunity is only available for PRC Members. A benefit of PRC membership is one portfolio review per year of membership. Reviews are offered on a first come, first serve basis.Preparing for your review Photographers who have already signed up for a review slot are required to send 4-6 jpg images (under 1mb each), a resume, and an artist statement to reviews@prcboston.org no later than the Monday prior to the review. The images should reflect the work that will be presented.Check out the website for specific dates
 
 
All About Photo
All About PhotoOpen to everyone, All year long!Send us your best images and you might have a chance to see your portfolio on All about photo.Please send us between 8 and 20 images and a link to your website at info@all-about-photo.com.
Due to the high demand it sometimes takes us a very long time to get back to you. Please be patient and good luck!






Want more details and discover the full listing? Click HERE



Optimum Settings for the Perfect Photograph

Cameras are more and more complicated and we are tempted to play with all the buttons. But sometimes less is more or at least there are a few basic rules we should try to stick to in order to get the best images possible. In this article we have selected 10 tips that we suggest you follow to optimize your camera (and time!).




Choose the Aperture-priority mode

 

No need to change all the time the exposure mode. We recommend that you choose the Aperture Priority Auto (or A) and that you stick to it. In this configuration you choose the aperture and the camera selects automatically the appropriate shutter speed. You can play with depth of field while adjusting aperture. As a reminder, small aperture (high f numbers, like f/36) increase depth of field meaning the subjects in the background and in the foreground are in focus. If you want to focus on a specific subject and want the rest to be blurry choose a small number, the smaller the better depending on your equipment.


Auto ISO or 400

 
ISO sensitivity is the digital equivalent of film speed. The higher the ISO sensitivity, the less light is needed to take a photograph. With films, exposure is controlled by aperture and shutter speed settings only because the ISO is already chosen by your film. With Digital cameras you can choose several settings but we suggest that you stick either to Auto or 400 ISO.

Auto ISO is the easiest choice, the ISO sensitivity will be automatically adjusted by the camera. It is useful when your lightning conditions change all the time. The quality of camera's have so much improved that it can be a reasonable choice.400 ISO might be the best solution if you prefer to stay in control. 400 ISO is the film standard and covers nearly 90% of our photographic needs. You won't the see the quality difference between an image shot at 100 ISO and 400 ISO and you will still be able to play with depth and motion blur.



Want to discover all the other optimum settings for your camera?

Check out the full article on All About Photo

Photo Focus: Joakim Eskildsen


Nationality: Danish
Born: 1971

Joakim Eskildsen was born in Copenhagen in 1971 where he trained with Royal Court photographer, Mrs. Rigmor Mydtskov. In 1994, he moved to Finland to learn the craft of photographic book making with Jyrki Parantainen and Pentti Sammallahti at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, graduating with an MA degree in photography in 1998. He often collaborates on projects with writer Cia Rinne, and his publications include Nordic Signs (1995), Blue-tide (1997), iChickenMoon (1999), which was awarded Best Foreign Title of 2000 in the Photo-Eye Books & Prints Annual Awards, the portfolio al-Madina (2002), which was made in collaboration with Kristoffer Albrecht and Pentti Sammallahti, and the book The Roma Journeys (Steidl 2007), which a.o. has been awarded with the Amilcare Ponchielli Award in 2008, Deutscher Fotobuchpreis (Gold) 2009, the Otto Pankok Promotion Prize, and the David Octavius Hill-medal awarded by Deutsche Fotografsche Akademie in 2009. Joakim lives and works in Berlin.

For more information visit:  All About Photo

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Event: Wang Qingsong at Beetles+Huxley

Beetles+Huxley, one of Europe’s leading and most innovative photography galleries, is delighted to present the UK’s first retrospective of Beijing artist Wang Qingsong, who represented China in the Venice Biennale 2013. The show, comprising of 11 large-format photographic works, explores the role of spectacle in shaping reality in contemporary China and marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in London for almost 10 years.

Born at the start of the Cultural Revolution, Qingsong’s provocative, and often humorous works comment on the overwhelming social and visual changes which have taken place in his native country over the last four and a half decades. Working predominantly in the mediums of photography and film, his pieces are known for their massive scale, deep symbolism and careful staging, which can sometimes take several weeks and involve up to 300 extras. Many of the artist’s large-format photographs, which have been shown in galleries and museums across the globe, including the International Centre of Photography (NY) and the V&A (London), also attract significant attention at auction.

The globalisation of China and the explosion of consumerism are key topics in Qingsong’s oeuvre. His interest in Western art history is also a recurrent theme which blends into Chinese aesthetic motives and literary traditions contributing to this feel of staged documentary. While the staging of his photographs involves meticulous preparation, often taking place in cinema studios and requiring hundreds of extras, he considers his work to be a photojournalistic endeavor.

Home, 120x250cm, 2005

Wang Qingsong was kind enough to answer our questions despite the fact that English is not his native language:

All About Photo: When did you realize you wanted to be a photographer instead of a painter and why?

Wang Qingsong: I never wanted to be a photographer. It was because in early 1990s, there came the opening up relaunch by the former leader Deng Xiaoping who made a special research visit into South China. He decided to open up some coastal cities for economic reform experiments. After this new move, China started to stage huge transformations. Foreign corporations were introduced into mainland. Because of these new advances, I found painting was not sufficient enough to express what my eyes captured and my mind thought everyday. Therefore, I'd say that photography came to find me who was mesmerized by its mermaid lure of keeping track of everyday transformations China happens. This new form of life gives not only me but also millions of Chinese people a new way to look into the possible future which leads to today's massive popularization of selfies online.

Read the full interview: HERE

The exhibition: September 22 - October 24, 2015
Beetles+Huxley
3-5 Swallow Street
London W1B 4DE
020 7434 4319
www.beetlesandhuxley.com


All About Wang Qingsong

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Master Photographers: George Dambier


Courtesy Petter Feterman Gallery

In the late eighties, Georges Dambier retired to a quieter life in the countryside. He died in May, 2011.

Biography:

Nationality: French 
Born: 1925 - Died: 2011

Born in 1925, Georges Dambier first went to work for painter Paul Colin, where he learnt drawing and graphic design. Then he landed a job as assistant to Willy Rizzo, a famous portraitist photographer (Harcourt’s Studio, Paris Match). There, he discovered photography and was taught the fundamentals of this art, especially lighting.Georges Dambier was 20 when the Second World War came to an end, a moment when the social scene in Paris suddenly took off. Nightlife, subdued during the Occupation, exploded. Le BÅ“uf sur le toit, Le Lido, la Rose Rouge, Le Lorientais, Le Tabou : he frequented cabarets and jazz clubs in Saint Germain des Prés, where famous artists and celebrities organised glittering parties and balls. One night, he managed to take pictures of Rita Hayworth who had come incognito to a famous night club, Le Jimmy’s. He sold the exclusive images to France Dimanche, a daily magazine recently created by Max Corre and Pierre Lazareff, and won himself a job on the magazine as a photo-reporter. In his new post, he was sent to all over the world to cover current events. However, with his predilection for graphic design and aesthetics, his liking for refined mise-en-scene, and at the urging of many friends, such as Capucine, Suzy Parker, Jacques Fath, Bettina, Brigitte Bardot, Jean Barthet, he was lead towards fashion photography.As Georges Dambier built and perfected his craft, he was hired by Helene Lazareff, director of ELLE, the fashion magazine. She encouraged him and gave him his first assignment as a fashion photographer. Georges Dambier did not conform to the standard technique of taking fashion pictures, with models standing emotionless and seemingly indifferent to the camera. Instead, he showed models smiling, laughing and often in action. His models were surrounded by local people in a market place in Marrakech, or in a village in Corsica, or – and above all – in his beloved Paris.Most of all, it was Georges Dambier’s ability to put his subjects at ease (many of them were friends) that helped him create true, intimate and lasting images. With his delicate style, and refined technique, his work revealed a reality of great elegance. As his career blossomed, he became widely known for his ability to capture the essence of feminine chic and glamour in his images.In 1954, Robert Capa asked him to lead a fashion department at the Magnum Photo Agency. Unfortunately, Capa died a few weeks later, while covering the Indochinese war. Meanwhile, Georges Dambier set up his own studio in Paris, Rue de la Bienfaisance. As a freelance photographer, he continued to contribute to ELLE and other magazines: Vogue, Le Jardin des Modes, Marie France…He also collaborated with Françoise Giroud and Christine Collanges at L’Express. Big advertising campaigns (Synergie, Havas, Publicis), and contracts for many brands such as L’Oréal, Carita, Jacques Dessange followed.In addition to his work in advertising, Georges Dambier did portraits for record covers and posters for his great friend, the producer Eddie Barclay and Jacques Canetti. As his reputation grew, so did opportunities to meet and photograph celebrities from different worlds. He captured the faces of the most notable artists of the 60’s: Sacha Distel, Zizi Jeanmaire, Dalida, Jeanne Moreau… His impressive client list included celebrities (Cerdan, Cocteau…), singers (Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Vartan, Charles Aznavour…), actors (Alain Delon, Françoise Dorléac, Catherine Deneuve…) and many others. In 1964, Georges Dambier launched his own project: a magazine for young people, dedicated to culture and fashion: TWENTY. He hired young artists and photographers: Just Jaeckin, Jean Paul Goude, Philippe Labro, Copi, Bosc and many others who would later become famous in their own right. Twenty lasted two eventful years. In 1976, he created the magazine VSD with his old friend Maurice Siegel. Georges Dambier led the artistic side of the magazine and headed the photographic section. VSD was an instant success.

For more information visit : http://all-about-photo.com/

Monday, August 3, 2015

Magnum Photos Intensive Documentary Photography Course




© Mark Power / Magnum Photos

A unique collaboration with London College of Communication, this 21 day intensive course led by award-winning Magnum photographers, Mark Power & Stuart Franklin, and the college's expert staff, will teach you how to successfully develop a documentary photo project from start to finish. During this three-week course, students will become absorbed in the practice and history of documentary photography, and Magnum’s legacy and contemporary contribution to it. Students will produce work under the guidance of expert Magnum tutors, and will receive access to presentations from leading industry professionals and academics. A two day editing and book making workshop, directed by leading designer and publisher Stuart Smith, will help students to refine their personal vision.

Magnum & London College of Communication will equip students with the historical and contextual framework required to raise the critical thinking about documentary photography, as well as providing technical guidance and support.

When?
August 7th – 27th

Where?
London College of Communication, London


For more information email emily.graham@magnumphotos.com