Motorized adapter to auto focus manual focus lenses - Leica & Voigtlander
TECHART PRO adapter is the world’s first autofocus adapter for manual focus camera lenses. It is able to turn your manual Leica M lens into an autofocus lens and use it with Sony A7 cameras that have Phase Detect focusing sensors.See more at http://techartpro.com
Iceland - Sept 17 - 25, 2016
Plans for the 2016 September Iceland photo tour and workshop have been finalized. Exceptional fall colors and if luck prevails, the Aurora Borealis will make this trip exceptional.From the western peninsulas of Snæfellsnes and Reykjanes to the exquisite south coast including the exquisite black sand beaches and icebergs in Jökulsárlón and surrounding areas this trip is designed for all levels of photographers. This trip is limited to a maximum 10 participants.All Iceland photo tours and workshops for the past 4 years were fully subscribed within a few days so please register as soon as possible.CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Cape Cod - after Lexi
After Friday's snow storm, Saturday's skies and a thin layer of high clouds were a good indication for photo opportunities. heading out to the Cape this next image was off Rt. 1 in Foxboro. (please click on the images for a larger rendition)
There are many great opportunities for some exceptional color in Cape Cod. This next image is an outhouse at a farm. A favorite location we always visit during my "Light of Cape Cod" workshops that I will be posting in the next few days.
Low tide coincidental with the sunset in the flats are another set of my favorite locations.
With the way the low cloud bank was forming I did not expect much of a sunset. There were some interesting cloud formations and a lovely warm glow on the horizon.
As photographers we know never to leave after the sun sets - you never know what the skies might do. Staying pays off:
Lexi comes to an end with some lovely light
After dumping 12 plus inches of heavy wet snow Lexi was done and the skies opened up briefly. Some beautiful light on the tops of the trees forced me to stop shoveling and grab my camera for a few shots. Sure was nice to take a break from shoveling.
ON1 Resize 10 now available
Portland, OR - February 1, 2016 – ON1, Inc. has announced ON1 Resize 10, the latest version of their award winning Genuine Fractals® technology. ON1 Resize 10 has also been added back in ON1 Photo 10.1, a free update for Photo 10 owners.ON1 Resize allows photographers to get the highest quality photo enlargements, using Genuine Fractals technology–patented, fractal-based interpolation algorithms—to enlarge photos without the loss of sharpness or detail. Popular features like the gallery wrap and tiling options are included, an overhaul of the user interface, and more.The Gallery Wrap feature creates extended margins for wrapping photos around wooden stretcher bars when printing to canvas. Photographers can preview the gallery wrap results in real time, allowing them to fine tune their settings speeding up the gallery wrap creation process.The Tiling Feature gives the ability to divide photos into mosaic tiles for easy printing and proofing. This feature also makes it easier to save and print individual tiles when sending files to a print service provider. It’s also easy to create canvas diptychs, triptychs or mosaics when combined with the gallery wrap feature.The sharpening methods allow photographers to sharpen small details without causing halos on larger, distinct edges. The sharpening methods can target out-of-focus photos and adapt sharpening amounts automatically to the size of image details.There are also hundreds of presets to help save time. Presets can also be modified and saved for resizing a photo, applying a specific sharpening amount and adding a gallery wrap– in one step. The ability to combine several steps and save a preset is a big benefit for workflow efficiency.Additional features include batch processing for photos of mixed size, type and orientation, presets for common printer resolutions, presets for panoramic and no-crop sizes, and film grain simulation.About ON1 Resize 10 and ON1 Photo 10ON1 Resize 10 works on both Mac OS X (10.8, 10.9, 10.10, 10.11) and Microsoft Windows (7, 8, 10). Resize 10 also works as a plug-in to Adobe Photoshop® and Lightroom CC, or as a standalone application. Version 10 supports Photoshop CC 2015, CC 2014, and CS6; Lightroom 6, 5, 4; Photoshop Elements 14, 13, 12 and 11.ON1 Photo 10 (and 10.1) is a full-featured photo editor that works either as a plug-in editor to Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom CC, or as a standalone application. ON1’s open system allows access to your photos no matter where they are stored: your computer, your network, or on cloud-based storage services. Photo 10 also supports the key online storage services, including Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft’s OneDrive. ON1 Photo 10 works on both Mac OS X (10.8, 10.9, 10.10, 10.11) and Microsoft Windows (7, 8, 10). Version 10 supports Photoshop CC 2015, CC 2014, and CS6; Lightroom 6, 5, 4; Photoshop Elements 14, 13, 12 and 11.Availability and pricingON1 Resize 10 is available immediately for download from the ON1 website, and has a price of $79.99 for the full version. A 60-day trial is also available immediately from the ON1 website.Resize 10 is also available as part of ON1 Photo 10. Photo 10 is currently available for $109.99 and $89.99 for the upgrade. You can also try ON1 Photo 10 free for 60-days.Click Below:
ON1 Effects 10 - Free Download
Portland, OR – February 3, 2016 – ON1, Inc. has announced ON1 Effects 10 FREE, a new free version of its effects app for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. Photographers will find powerful tools for adding style to their photos that can be difficult or time-consuming to create in Photoshop, Lightroom, or Photoshop Elements.ON1 Effects 10 FREE includes:The free version includes a select number of stackable effects (filters, presets, borders, and textures) from the full version of ON1 Effects 10. In all, over a hundred photo effects are included.Two of the most popular ON1 filter categories have been added in the latest release. These are the Dynamic Contrast Filter and the HDR Look Filter. New preset categories for Color Grading, Faded and Matte Looks, and Haze Reducing are also available.Effects 10 FREE includes the ON1 Perfect Brush technology. The edge detection in the Perfect Brush allows users to brush their effect(s) on specific areas of a photo.The masking tools allow users to selectively mask or paint in effects on parts of photos. Add any effect to or remove it from a specific part of a photo with a simple brush stroke. The set of masking tools are easy to use and perfect for local adjustments, such as brightness, contrast, and detail.The Filter Stack allows users to combine different effects to create and customize their own looks. Each effect can be applied to its own layer users can adjust and fine-tune.ON1’s Perfect B&W module is also integrated into Effects 10 FREE, which lets users apply the included filters—including the popular Dynamic Contrast effect—to monochrome photos.Users will have complete control over the organization of presets and preset categories (same in the full version), making it easy to customize Effects FREE.About ON1 Effects 10 FREEON1 Effects 10 FREE works on both Mac OS X (10.8, 10.9, 10.10, 10.11) and Microsoft Windows (7, 8, 10). Effects 10 FREE also works as a plug-in to Adobe Photoshop® and Lightroom CC, or as a standalone application. Version 10 supports Photoshop CC 2015, CC 2014, and CS6; Lightroom 6, 5, 4; Photoshop Elements 14, 13, 12 and 11. It also includes the Apple Photos extension. For a full version of the ON1 10 suite click below:
Wild Flowers, Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove - Spring Workshop
April 17 to 22, 2016 - Six Day 5 Night Photo WorkshopGreat Smoky Mountains National Park is a world-renowned preserve of wildflower diversity over 1,660 kinds of flowering plants are found in the park, more than in any other North American national park. In fact, the park is sometimes referred to as the “Wildflower National Park.” From the earliest hepaticas and spring-beauties in the late winter to the last asters in the late fall, blooming flowers can be found year-round in the park. Wildlife is fairly abundant in Cades Cove and we will have opportunities if lucky, to photograph bears. Landscapes, rivers, waterfalls and much more - a photographer's paradise.CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100 - 400mm F/4 - 6.3 lens
Last week at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife festival I had the opportunity to briefly try out a pre-production unit. The lens was one of the first pre-production units and a lot has changed since it's manufacture. The final units will be way better in image quality, performance and handling. With that said, I will say I was truly impressed with the way the lens performed.The Leica 100-400mm is an f/4-6.3 telephoto zoom lens that gives the equivalent of 200-800mm in 35mm equivalence.The lens has a lockable zoom pull feature, so you can pull the end of the zoom to set the zoom position, or when it is locked, you need to rotate the zoom ring to vary the focal length. The lens has Power Optical Image Stabilization, and high-speed 240fps AF drive, which makes it incredibly fast in focusing performance. It is also, splash and dust proof.A feature I found most useful was the lens collar and foot that also rotates all the lens function switches. This allows you to easily access these in any orientation, landscape or portrait.In thumbnail view, hover over the thumbnail to see the focal length and exposure details. To see a larger rendition of this slide show please click here
Yosemite, Mono Lake, Bodie
May 14 to May 22, 2016 - A 9 day 8 night photo workshop that includes air fare if traveling from NY only. All transportation in California, hotels, and site fees are included. This workshop is in partnership with AIP (Adventures in Photography) (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS)
LRTimelapse 4.5 is now available
LRTimelapse 4.5 is now available for download and brings some nice improvements!New Features in LRTimelapse 4.5
- Added Support for the new Local Dehaze in Lightroom 6.2 / CC.2 on Linear, Circular Gradients and the Paintbrush.
- The number of threads used to generate the visual previews will now be set automatically according to the number of cores that the processor has. This will considerably speed up the generation of the visual previews on computers with more then 4 cores. If you have a Pro-License, you can even configure the number of threads to be used manually in the settings dialog (expert settings).
- The Visual Deflicker “Refine” option will now work finer in order to allow for the best deflickering in difficult situations.
- The Visual Deflicker “Refine” will not anymore redo images, that are already well deflickered. This will considerably speed up the refining process, if you have to do several passes.
- Added support for new raw formats: RWL, ERF, 3FR, DCR, KDC, MOS, X3FFixes
- When manually launching a render in original Size from original sized intermediaries, the image sizes would not be rounded to 8 pixel multiples, making the encoder sometimes fail.
- “Shift Date-Time” will now show an error if the Exif-Date/Time field is corrupt
LRTimelapse 4.5 is a free update for all users, that have a LRTimelapse 4 license. Click on the LR Time-lapse Icon to license the software now.How to upgradeTo upgrade, just download the new Version from the Download page and install. There is no need to uninstall a previous LRT4.x version before. Only if you are updating from LRT3, please uninstall the old version, before installing LRT4.
Panasonic announces LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH Power O.I.S. Lens
Press Release:Panasonic announced today at CES 2016 a new telephoto lens for its LUMIX G range of Micro Four Thirds System cameras – the LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH. Telephoto-Zoom (H-RS100400) with Power Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.).Small, light and highly durable, the latest addition to Panasonic's range of interchangeable lenses is perfectly suited for photographing birds and other wildlife in all types of environments.The lens is constructed of 20 elements in 13 groups and incorporates a number of aspherical and extra low dispersion elements to assure best quality and avoid flaring. The advanced construction of the new Telephoto-Zoom leads to highest quality standard earning the LEICA Logo for a LUMIX Lens once again.Outstanding image quality and Telephoto-Zoom performanceElegantly designed with a metallic black finish, the new 100mm-400mm LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR lens from Panasonic provides superb image rendering across the entire zoom range. The lens' 200-800mm focal length (35mm equivalent) and 0.5x Magnification capability provide highly detailed shots from distance, as well as stunning close up capability– ideal for subject matter regardless of shape and size.In order to capture steady, vibration free images across the entire zoom range, the lens also incorporates Power O.I.S. to keep unwanted shaking under control and ensure pictures look crisp and clear.The 100mm-400mm lens is also suited to a variety of photographic styles – with nine diaphragm blades providing a circular aperture to produce a smooth and beautiful bokeh.Smaller and lighter than other Telephoto-Zoom lensesWhen compared with conventional super telephoto DSLR lenses, the latest addition the LUMIX G line up offers outstanding mobility – perfect if you're travelling and don't want to pack too much. Similarly, the lens also boasts a durable, gapless construction so you no longer have to worry about unwanted dust or light rain damaging your equipment.In addition to the lens' practical size and weight, a compact, two-part tripod mount has also been incorporated to enable faster conversion between landscape and portrait orientation. While conveniently and speedily turning to the 90 degree angle, the levers for Focus Limiting, Power O.I.S. and the manual focus switch remain right at your fingertips as they do not move when you turn the lens.The lens also incorporates an integrated, hideaway hood to help you capture that perfect shot, without having to worry about sun glare.Stunning 4K video capabilityPanasonic's new LEICA Telephoto-Zoom lens is perfectly suited for 4K video recording with its construction assuring the best contrast and colors. Furthermore the Telephoto-Zoom incorporates Panasonic's high speed and precise 240 fps AF-motor. Due to the modern design, filming can also be conducted silently, so you can get up close to the subject without drawing attention.As well as high resolution video, the lens' 4K capability also enables you to take photos like never before. Panasonic's 4K Photo function – found on LUMIX G cameras including the LUMIX DMC-G7 – lets you extract an 8-megapixel still from 4K video (30fps) easily right on the camera's screen with a simple fingertip touch.Key features:
- Longest focal length for Micro Four Thirds
- Compatible with Dual Image Stabilization
- 240fps AF Drive
- Zoom ring lock
- Weather Sealing
- Integrated Quick Shifting Tripod Mount
- Integrated shift-away lens-hood
The LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR 100-400mm lens will be available at www.shop.panasonic.com and valued channel partners for $1799.99 in early April.SPECS:Focal Length: 100 - 400mm Comparable 35mm Focal Length: 200 - 800 mmAperture: Maximum: f/4 - 6.3 Minimum: f/22Angle of View: 12° - 3.1°Minimum Focus Distance: 4.27' (1.3 m)Magnification: 0.25xElements/Groups: 20/13Diaphragm Blades: 9, RoundedImage Stabilization YesTripod Collar: Yes Fixed - rotatingFilter Thread Front: 72 mmDimensions: (DxL) Approx. 3.27 x 6.75" (83 x 171.5 mm)Weight: 2.17 lb (985 g)
New York from Bayonne
This is an 8 image panorama captured on December 11, 2015. The primary objective was to capture the Statue of Liberty aligned in front of the new World Trade Center/Freedom Tower and the expanse of the NY skyline. With the haze it was difficult to get a truly sharp image but I am happy with this. Please click on the image for an expanded view.
TWiP 445 – Travel Hacks from Pro Photographers
I had the pleasure of co-hosting the very last TWiP podcast of 2015 with Frederick Van Johnson and Valérie Jardin.For most people, photographers especially, the end of the year is typically when we start traveling a little more. Whether it be for work, vacation or visiting loved ones for the holidays.The one thing that remains consistent with most of the amazing photos you see from both amateur and professional photographers is that in order to create amazing photographs, you will most certainly always need an amazing subject. And considering two of the fastest growing segments in the world of photography are Street Photography and Landscape photography… it follows that in order to get these shots you must travel to where they are.Much like commercial fishermen, they don’t just sit on shore waiting on fish to swim to them. They motor to where the fish are. And in the case of the photographer, you have to travel to where the best shots are.Professional photographers and other people who travel frequently typically have several “tricks” that they employ to make the trip easier, their luggage lighter, and to ensure they are as comfortable as possible, so they can focus on making great images.Click here for the Podcast
It's a Grey Area - TWiP Episode 441
There are lots of camera manufacturers making an abundance of gear in the market today, but the choices may be narrowing a bit. It’s been reported that Samsung is cancelling at least one camera in a few markets, but the truth seems hard to come by. Is the NX1 on the chopping block — or isn’t it?Canon is going after the grey market resellers, and while it may mean you can’t get those too-good-to-be-true deals anymore, it’s probably for the best.Leica is releasing a camera that it hopes will make waves in the professional sports photography market with what it claims is the fastest autofocus ever, and while it’s certainly expensive, it is in line with top-end Canon and Nikon bodies. But with only one lens to choose from, it has a long way to go.And finally, the Panasonic LUMIX Post Focus feature gets a little more love and a technical explanation.CLICK HERE to listen orCLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED TO THE TWiP PODCAST PAGE
Happy Thanksgiving
We would like to thank all our family, friends and clients on this 2015 Thanksgiving.With sincere gratitude,Monica & Shiv
TOPAZ - 50% off the collection
It's that time of year again! From November 25th through November 30th, get 50% off of the full Topaz Photography Collection. Whether you want to achieve stunning photo enhancements or apply artistic effects, this unique collection has you covered.With the recent addition of Topaz Texture Effects, the Photography Collection now includes 17 products for only $499.99. With the 50% discount, new users can purchase the entire collection for ONLY $249.99! The savings aren’t just for new collection purchases either. Owners of the older Topaz Collections can take advantage of the savings as well! They will just need to log in to their accounts to see their unique Collection upgrade price, then apply the code for 50% additional savings!The Coupon code is 'BLACKFRIDAY2015'CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TOPAZ STORE AND GET YOUR DISCOUNTED PRODUCTS
Macphun Creative Kit - Black Friday Sale
Get another $10 off the already reduced and awesome price of $89.Click here
Macphun - Black Friday Deal
For just $89.99 get Macphun's award-winning Creative Kit 2016 — plus some really great bonuses. All together, it's over $600 worth of software and more for only $89.99! Here is what you will get:
- Creative Kit 2016 - our latest and greatest bundle of 6 incredible photo apps for Mac photographers, perfect for correcting and enhancing all kinds of images ($384 if purchased separately)
- "Shoot to Share" - over 3 hours of professional training, including all of the RAW files (value: $100)
- Aurora HDR Gift Card - worth $10 on the purchase of our new Aurora HDR software, co-developed with Trey Ratcliff (value: $10)
- ViewBug Premium Membership - the world's best contest platform to show off your photos and win prizes (value: $84)
- Watermark Plus - complete all-in-one app for making Watermarks for your photos; includes batch processing (value: $30)
- Picture Collage Maker - app that helps create eye-catching photo collages (value: $30)
- VeprIT Resize Sense - batch processing app for resizing, cropping, renaming images and more (value: $20)
- Presets & Textures Pack - to use with Tonality CK and Intensify CK (value: $30)
Plus, late in the game, a couple more bonuses will be added just to keep things exciting! (but don't worry, all previous buyers get these too !). ALL for just $89.99!!Click on the image link above or below.
Panasonic Lumix Cameras to support "Post Focus"
NEWARK, N.J., Nov. 20, 2015 -- Panasonic LUMIX is proud to introduce a new photographic function called 'Post Focus' that allows anyone to capture multiple photos with multiple in focus points through a single release of the shutter.Post Focus leverages Panasonic's high-speed, high-precision, 49-area DFD (Depth From Defocus) auto focus technology, and leadership in 4K Photography and Video, to capture 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) images at 30 fps.The operation of Post Focus function is quite simple and easy – set the camera to Post Focus mode, and press the shutter button. The camera automatically "racks" the focus while capturing photos with varied in focus points. During playback, use the touch screen to select the in focus area desired, and save as a separate 8 megapixel photo file…all right in the camera.To assist in getting the perfect image, take advantage of Focus Peaking, 5x magnified view and fine adjustment functions, taking as much time as needed after shooting. The process can be repeated to get multiple images as many times as desired from the original photo.The Post Focus function is best for non-moving subjects, such as portraits or landscapes, and is ideal for shooting at wide apertures to create dramatic, shallow depth of field effects. Create different impressions out of a single shot by changing the highlighted subject after capturing the picture, taking the risk and anxiety out of getting that perfect picture.This capability will also assist advanced users interested in macro photography. Simply capture the scene using the same process, then use third party software to perform "focus stacking", to combine multiple frames into a single image, which has more areas in tack-sharp focus for amazing results in a fraction of the time typically needed for great macro images.The Post Focus function will be available on the DMC-GX8, DMC-G7 and DMC-FZ300 by updating to the latest FREE firmware upgrade, which will be available at GMT 1:00 a.m. on November 25, 2015 at LUMIX Global Customer Support Site: http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/index.html