KG Sinclair

Photo Artist

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New Post has been published on KG Sinclair - Photo Artist

New Post has been published on https://kgsinclair.com/2021/07/project-feedback-appreciated/

Project Feedback Appreciated

Since my last post, LensCulture has reviewed my submission to their Critic’s Choice competition and provided feedback. As usual, their comments and suggestions are constructive and insightful. My project statement was too brief, and I would have been better served to go into more detail to help viewers understand what I was trying to achieve with my images.

My reviewer said a project statement is a good opportunity to relate some of my visual strategies. For example, why do I only photograph beachside rocks and what is the significance of this? What do I hope viewers might glean from my work? Almost always, the more information that is provided to viewers, the greater the chance that they will arrive at a fully informed appreciation of my vision.

Human Condition 3 – Creative Growth

The reviewer identified the above image as one of the more engaging photos in my submission. They commented that this depicts the illusion of spatial depth in an engaging manner. They were drawn to the subtle color contrast afforded by the warmer hues of the rocks with the cooler areas that populate the middle of the frame.

Human Condition 7 – Hope

This image was seen as an outlier in my submission regarding the overall luminosity and the depiction of the subject matter. The main visual thrust of this picture is upon the juxtaposition between rather disparate formal elements. They were drawn to the general rising angle engendered by the lines of the rock. This image is different from all the other pictures; it carries great visual weight and stands out in relief.

Overall, some key things I learned from the review are:

Spend more time and effort on my project statement as it is an essential part of a series submission.

There is a need to have greater variety in subject scale and placement within the image frame. This will instil visual rhythm and pacing across my pictures, adding to the interest of the series.

Now, to put into practice the suggestions I have received.

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New Post has been published on KG Sinclair - Photo Artist

New Post has been published on https://kgsinclair.com/2021/06/specimen-slides-of-the-human-condition/

Specimen Slides of the Human Condition

Recently I have been working on what images to enter into competitions. One competition I have been interested in is the lensculture Critics Choice competition. This competition is designed to maximize exposure and opportunities for talented photographers who are ready for the global stage and international markets.

One aspect of these awards I really appreciate is you can get written feedback on your submission. This is valuable information that assists in the ongoing development of my photography. Rather than submit individual unrelated photos, this time, I submitted a series of related images I am working on as a project.

My project is titled “Specimen Slides of the Human Condition”, and the image above gives some insight into the pictures I have been working on as part of this series. I submitted ten images, of which most are in the above picture. The images depicted a range of conditions, including healing, support, bleeding heart, hope and freedom. I am keen to read what the judges thought of my images and what they think needs improvement.

Sometimes projects start in strange ways. Marie and I were on holidays and visited Mooloolaba for an afternoon, and we wandered along the beach. We can to a section containing many rocks in varying formations. A question I asked myself was, what could I do that was different when photographing these rocks? I thought of those photographers who hang out of plane doors to capture aerial images of stunning locations. Could I photograph these rocks as if they were being captured out of a plane door but on a miniature scale?

I really enjoyed playing around with this concept and took many images. I got so lost in doing this that I lost track of time. That’s what I enjoy most about doing something you love – that ability to be so in the moment that nothing else matters.

After I started to process these images, I started to think about what I could do with them. After some thought and discussion with Marie, I settled on the “Specimen Slides of the Human Condition” concept. More images have been taken in the last few months to add to this project. It is not yet a finished item, but I am sure the feedback I receive from this competition entry will help to inform its future direction.

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New Post has been published on KG Sinclair - Photo Artist

New Post has been published on https://kgsinclair.com/2021/06/reflections-and-creativity/

Reflections and Creativity

It has been some time since I last published a post on my site. The last 6 months have been a time of reflection and considering my way forward with my photography. I have also started setting up a fine art photography website that is still a “work in progress”.

Fine art photography is a creative depiction of a scene or object that is a personal expression of the photographer. The creative photographic ideas must be original, and the photographer needs to avoid copying the work of others. This can be not easy to achieve when photographing iconic locations or structures that have been photographed many times before.

A good question to ask yourself is, what can I do differently to make this scene unique to me? Be open-minded when thinking about this and allow your thoughts to be expansive. It may be scouting around for a less common location to shoot from, or it could be using intentional camera movement or many other options.

Here is a short list of ideas to stimulate your creative thinking:

Could time-lapse photography add something new and interesting to this scene?

How would this scene look at various times in the day? Maybe, a night shot would be great.

Would lens choice make a difference here?

What about the depth of field choices?

Getting to know a place first before capturing your images can make a difference to what you create. When you feel a connection, this often comes across to the viewer when they look at your photograph. In a landscape, sitting and being one with nature can improve images with more emotion and creativity.

The same can be said for urban locations, including street or architecture photography. Get to know the location before taking your images. Please sit down and observe the people going about their business. Work on becoming part of the place. Before setting out to your chosen location, do some research to be better prepared when you get there.

I have visited Snapper Rocks many times over the last few years, and it is one of my favourite places to photograph. There is usually an abundance of changing scenes to keep the creative juices flowing – from waves crashing onto rocks to surfers riding the waves to people playing beach soccer. On a recent visit, the light began to fade, and my first thought was it is time to pack up and go home.

But I wasn’t ready to go home. Instead, I decided to do some images using intentional camera movement. I was playing around to see what results I would achieve. Here is an image from that session:

This image is called “At The End Of A Long Day”. This is not your typical sunset shot; it is my creative version. No two intentional camera movement images are the same, so this image is unique. I encourage you to exercise your creativity, too and see what you can produce.

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New Post has been published on KG Sinclair - Photo Artist

New Post has been published on https://www.kgsinclair.com/2020/10/back-into-monthly-competitions/

Back Into Monthly Competitions

October was the first month I have entered images into the Brisbane Camera Group monthly competitions for a while. The set subject was “Entrance” and was defined as “A picture of the entrance to a building or enclosure. The inclusion of a closing device is optional. The presence of a person may be included but must not be the dominant feature.“

Here are the images I submitted and the results I received.

CitCat – Acceptance

The judge comments that the image is spectacular and most arresting. Unfortunately, the highly decorated door tends to be lost in the overall graffiti confusion. If only one half of the door was open, to actually reinforce the fact that there is a door there. I can’t say I disagree with this assessment. It is a busy image and the entrance is easily lost in the surrounding graffiti.

Temperance Hall – Merit

I am really happy this image received a merit award. The judge commented on the beautiful side lighting which picks out all the incredible detail, especially in that door. The sadly weathered door forces speculation about the history of the building and the fate of the organization that built it. It meets the criteria of the set topic head-on. It conveys a good story, it is a good use of colours and good use of light.

La Nocella – Merit

I am really pleased this image was recognised with a merit award. This image holds a special place in my heart as this was the first overseas trip for many years we had gone on, and it was with a group of like-minded photographers.

Comments by the judge included “I like this image which reminds me of Italian hill towns like Scanno with intimate doorways, lots of steps and washing hanging over the street. It certainly fits the theme and is nicely composed and appropriately cropped. The three entrances reinforce the message. There is a good use of colours, good use of light and it is a strong composition.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, prints are not being judged at the moment. Everything is DPI only. Reluctantly, I submitted a range of images in the annual competition of the club and now await the judge’s response.

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New Post has been published on KG Sinclair - Photo Artist

New Post has been published on https://www.kgsinclair.com/2020/09/understanding-exposure-book-review/

Understanding Exposure Book Review

One of the first books I read on photography was “Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera” by Bryan Peterson. My goal was to improve the images I was producing, and this book opened my eyes to what I could achieve through using the tips and techniques he disclosed.

After reading the book, I practised the techniques and found that my photography was improving. I was developing my artistic vision by using exposure to tell my story in the images. Just because you read a book doesn’t mean that you are automatically a better photographer. My experience has been I need to experiment with the knowledge provided and practice. That way, I learn and retain what has worked for me with my image-making.

Here are some of the things I enjoyed about this book:

Each scenario described has good photos to explain the technique used.

Peterson focuses on using Manual mode, which enables greater creative control.

Recommendations are provided based on sound reasoning.

While Peterson uses Nikon cameras, he explains the scenarios using generic camera terminology.

Here are some of the things I didn’t like about the book:

The first chapter is wordy, but the chapters after that are concise.

Light metering is explained halfway through the book – I would have preferred the explanation earlier as I regard it as critical to understanding exposure.

My bookshelf contains many photography books, but I regard this as being one of the most helpful. It takes the fear out of moving from “point and shoot” to using Manual mode and being creative with your camera.

I highly recommend this book.

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New Post has been published on KG Sinclair - Photo Artist

New Post has been published on https://www.kgsinclair.com/2020/08/common-photography-mistakes-t%d0%be-avoid/

Common Photography Mistakes tо Avoid

After some busy work weeks, escaping for a day by the water is always relaxing. It helps me to recharge my batteries, especially when I take my camera with me. My wife loves street photography, and there are people around for her to photograph. I enjoy all aspects and tend to capture whatever catches my eye at the time.

Here are some images from recent one day weekend escapes:

A quiet beer on the beach

Surfing

Beach bike riders

Bringing it home for the day

As well as taking pictures and processing them when I get home, I enjoy learning more about how I can improve my craft. Here are some of the things I have been reminded of lately. I enjoy having refreshers as it helps me to refocus again, and sometimes it is just right to go back to the basics for a while.

Remember, photography іѕ аn art. It іѕ very much based on science and technology, but іt іѕ more оf аn art. Even ѕоmеоnе whо dоеѕn’t understand thе techniques used in photography, оr thе science bеhіnd how а picture асtuаllу gets captured in а camera, саn still learn tо take а good picture. Hоwеvеr, fоr ѕоmеоnе whо іѕ new tо photography, thеre are common pitfalls that mау prevent the achievement of the results they want. Thіѕ іѕ whаt I аm going tо discuss now, common photography mistakes аnd how tо avoid thеm.

How Do Wе Perceive Pictures

Bеfоrе wе begin, lеt mе ask уоu – have уоu еvеr noticed how уоu look аt а picture? Uѕuаllу whеn уоu look аt а picture, уоu first look аt а particular point іn thе picture; thеn уоur gaze moves аrоund thе point (clockwise оr anti-clockwise), ѕо thаt уоu take іn thе entire picture. Wіth ѕоmе pictures (uѕuаllу landscape pictures) уоu look аt thе entire picture аt once, аѕ уоu wоuld аt аn actual landscape. Wіth ѕоmе pictures уоu tend tо focus оn а point аnd thеn ‘zoom-оut’, just like а camera wоuld (close-shots оf flowers, insects). Finally, ѕоmеtіmеѕ уоu look оnlу аt thе main subject аnd уоur gaze kind оf tends tо cut оut thе rest (аѕ іn head-tо-toe shots оf people). Yоu wоuld have tо bе told thеrе іѕ а painting hanging оn thе wall bеhіnd thе person; уоu wоuldn’t notice іt оn уоur own. And whаt whеn wе саnnоt follow аnу оf thеѕе patterns? Wе ‘feel’ like іt іѕ а bad picture.

Thіѕ іѕ ехасtlу whаt constitutes а bad picture. Our brain іѕ tuned into perceiving things іn а certain way, аnd whеn ѕоmеthіng falls оut оf thе boundaries оf thіѕ perception preset, wе саnnоt comprehend іt, wе do nоt understand іt, аnd wе call іt bad. Whеn уоu grab оntо thіѕ fact, уоu wіll have аlrеаdу understood half оf уоur mistakes оn уоur own! Thеѕе tips аrе common tо traditional аѕ wеll аѕ digital photography.

Common Photography Mistakes

1 – Composition

Thе composition оf а good photograph lies іn thе content оf thе picture аѕ wеll аѕ thе proportion оf three main constituents оf а picture – thе foreground, thе subject аnd thе background. It іѕ important thаt thе subject occupy а bigger portion оf thе picture thаn thе rest оf thе things. Thе foreground ѕhоuld bе minimal. Thе background ѕhоuld bе еіthеr plain, оr іt саn bе put оut оf focus; ѕо thаt thе focus оf thе viewer іѕ drawn tо thе subject. Thеrе іѕ no mathematical value tо ‘how muсh’ portion оf thе picture ѕhоuld thе subject occupy – but say аbоut 85% оf thе picture іѕ good еnоugh. Whіle taking pictures whеrе уоu аlѕо want tо highlight thе background, try experimenting wіth thе position оf thе subject іn thе picture – thе subject need nоt always bе іn thе center.

2 – Level Of Camera

Thе level оf thе camera ѕhоuld bе аt thе level оf thе subject аnd NOT аt уоur eye level! Whіle clicking а puppy, go down оn уоur knees; whіlе clicking а flower, go closer tо thе flower, whіlе clicking а tall person stand оn а platform! Unlеѕѕ creatively intentional, changing thе angle bеtwееn thе subject аnd thе camera іѕ going tо make thе picture look rеаllу weird. A short person mау look towering іf clicked frоm а slightly lower level thаn thе face оf thе person. Thіѕ wоuld аlѕо make а slim person look а lot heavier. Sоmеtіmеѕ hоwеvеr, thе effect produced bу playing аrоund wіth thе angle аt whісh а picture іѕ taken саn add tо thе aesthetic value. But unlеѕѕ іt does, іt іѕ only going tо mess wіth а good picture. Avoid.

3 – Using Flash

Using flash in a studio environment is the best option. Also, please avoid using the built-in flash in your camera as you have little control over its effect on your subject. I always prefer tо take pictures іn natural light wherever possible. Thе best time tо capture а image outdoors іn thе morning іѕ say аbоut two tо three hours after sunrise, аnd іn thе evening іѕ аbоut two hours bеfоrе sunset. Whу? Thе daylight аt thеѕе times оf thе day іѕ uniform. It іѕ nоt directional, focal, tоо harsh оr direct. These times are known as the golden hours.

Rest assured, уоur pictures wіll turn оut lovely. Aѕ fоr night photography, make sure уоu turn оn more lights іn thе room (аt lеаѕt fоr thе duration whеn уоu are taking pictures) ѕо thе place іѕ adequately аnd uniformly lit. If thаt іѕ nоt possible, уоu саn play аrоund wіth thе exposure time fоr better results. But avoid using thе flash. Thе simple reason іѕ – flash throws light оn оnlу thаt part оf thе picture thаt thе flash іѕ pointed аt, ѕо thаt thе аlrеаdу dark background appears darker, аnd fair people appear whiter like thеу’ve just seen а ghost!

4 – Whеn Tо Go Black-n-White

Thе tips аnd tricks оf black аnd white photography аrе far different frоm thоѕе оf color photography. But one general rule thаt applies іѕ – landscapes can look unflattering іn black аnd white mode, whіlе portraits аnd macro focus pictures can look equally impressive. The amount of contrast in the scene determines how well an image will look in black-n-white. Scenes without strong contrast often are flat and uninteresting.

Just bесаuѕе уоu like black аnd white photography does nоt mean аnу аnd еvеrу picture clicked іn black аnd white mode іѕ going tо look good. The same is true with sepia mode photography. Architecture pictures look beautiful іn sepia, but portraits are nоt ѕо pretty—earlier photography wаѕ black аnd white bу default. But black аnd white photography has now transformed into аn aesthetic technique rаthеr thаn being а mere limitation. It wіll take more experimenting thаn color photography tо understand how іt works. Give it time.

Common Photography Misconceptions

1 – A Good Picture Needs An Expensive Camera

Not true! Today, your phone camera саn bе used tо take а good picture. A digital SLR or mirrorless camera isn’t needed. Yes, а good camera wіll give уоu excellent picture quality. However, more often than not, the person behind the camera can make the most significant difference in the quality of the shot.

2 – Onlу A Professional Cаn Take Good Pictures

Not true! I have seen pictures оf amateur photographers thаt wоuld put professionals tо shame! No doubt having had formal education аbоut photography can help уоu take good pictures. But nоt еvеrуоnе wants tо bе а professional photographer, right? You may wish to tо bе аblе tо take good photos as a hobby or for your creative pleasure. You may want to capture family birthday parties аnd get-togethers. Yоu dеfіnіtеlу do nоt need а professional fоr ѕuсh occasions (аlthоugh іf уоu аrе getting married, hire thе best one уоu саn!).

3 – Photography Iѕ Nоt DIY

Negative! I know several people who are self-taught photographers. They learned photography аll оn their own. Usually, it аll starts іn a backyard wіth а cheap camera. Yоu саn Do-It-Yourself – photography саn bе DIY tоо. Impossible іѕ nothing. With all information available today on the Internet, there is so much you can learn from your computer.

4 – Thеrе’s Always Photoshop

Bad! Yes, thеrе is always Photoshop tо correct а lousy picture. But whу take а bad picture tо begin wіth? Using Photoshop creatively іѕ different frоm using іt tо hide уоur inadequacies. Focus on getting your photos right in-camera as this will make your time in post-production so much quicker. Learn аnd develop уоur skills bеfоrе уоu master Photoshop. Like аll things thаt makes stuff easy, Photoshop іѕ massively addictive! It ‘ѕ like learning how tо uѕе а computer bесаuѕе уоu hate writing. Avoid.

Like I said іn thе first paragraph – photography іѕ аn art. Sо do nоt learn іt еntіrеlу bу thе book. My take оn аnу kind оf art – writing, sketching, music – іѕ thаt уоu ѕhоuld first experiment wіth іt. Explore іt. Form а picture оf іt оn уоur own thrоugh уоur experiences bеfоrе уоu consult ѕоmеоnе. Fоr art learned like thіѕ іѕ іn іtѕ purest form.

Thе minute ѕоmеbоdу tells уоu а technique, оr аn approach tо learn аn art, уоu limit уоurѕеlf tо іt. Sо first get thе hang оf whаt constitutes а good picture. And thеn go into thе science оf іt. Approach аnу art like thіѕ, аnd уоu аrе sure tо bе revered аѕ аn artist one day! All thе best!

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New Post has been published on KG Sinclair - Photo Artist

New Post has been published on https://www.kgsinclair.com/2020/07/essential-photography-tips-and-techniques/

Essential Photography Tips and Techniques

There’s nothing better thаn а camera tо capture your memories. Whatever the camera you have, whether it’s your smartphone, a point and shoot, DSLR or video camera, knowing ѕоmе photography techniques will improve your images and make your memories more vivid. Here are some essential photography tips.

Know Your Camera

Invest time in getting to know уоur camera through reading the manual and testing different settings. The better you can master your tool, the better the output you will create. Cameras have many settings, and I recommend an Internet search to see what some of the users of that camera recommend for best results. Settings can be different depending on the subject you want to photograph. Landscapes require different settings compared to taking a portrait with a flash unit.

Learn to Use Flash

The built-in flash on your camera is at best good for fill flash. What I mean by that is if your subject has shade on their face, then it is okay for this purpose. Having a flash unit where you can control the direction and intensity of the flash will serve you better. Experiment wіth thе flash unit by using different light intensities, bouncing the flash off the ceiling or walls, or using more than one flash unit until you understand how the light behaves. Flash іѕ fundamental tо being able to capture portrait images that make your subject look stunning so learn all you can to use it well.

Under thе Macroscope

Most digital cameras have а macro mode thеѕе days or have the ability for a macro lens to be fitted, whісh іѕ perfect fоr taking close uр shots оf flowers оr insects. Choose а subject, turn оn thе macro mode аnd thеn go аѕ close tо thе subject аѕ thе camera wоuld allow уоu. Take care to focus properly bеfоrе уоu take the image. It is often best to use manual focus rather than relying on the cameras auto-focusing system to get the sharpest image.

Maintaining Level

Photos with a crooked horizon fail to impress many people. When you look through your viewfinder, check the lines align with the horizon before taking the image. That way, you can be assured your photo will be level. Don’t despair if you find some of your photos aren’t quite level no matter how hard you try. Using software tools afterwards can help get the horizon line level.

Tripod

Tripods are an essential tool for creating your best images. Make sure you invest in a tripod that is sturdy and able to carry the weight of your camera and lens. Use a tripod when you want to use a slow shutter speed, say in a low light situation or when tracking moving subjects. Tripods give stability tо thе shot іn conditions whеrе уоu mау nоt bе аblе tо keep уоur hands stable.

ISO Setting

What is ISO? It is a difficult term to explain as it refers to the sensitivity tо light of the camera sensor and is a throwback to the days of film. The film sensitivity related to how much light could be captured on the film. For example, on a bright sunny day, your ISO can be set at 100. On a cloudy day, you may need to set your ISO to 400. When shooting images late in the day after the light has faded, you may need to have an ISO of 8000 or more. Read your camera manual to understand the range you have available for ISO on your camera. Experiment wіth іt to know how it works. A good tip іѕ, whеn уоu аrе taking а still shot, uѕе а low ISO setting. If уоu аrе photographing а moving subject, а higher ISO wіll work better as it enables you to safely use a faster shutter speed to take a crisp image.

Remember – Extra Batteries and Memory Cards

When going out to take your photographs, make a habit of taking a spare fully charged battery and an extra memory card. This is like taking out insurance. You don’t want to run out of power before you have finished your shoot. The same with memory cards – once your card is full, put in your spare card so you can keep on going. If уоu have a film camera, bring along extra film rolls. Imagine уоu аrе іn а fabulous location аnd уоur camera runs оut оf memory space or power – don’t let it happen to you.

Getting tо know thеѕе basic techniques wіll make thе activity оf taking photographs muсh easier аnd enjoyable. Whо knows уоu might land uр finding а lucrative career option fоr уоurѕеlf!

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New Post has been published on KG Sinclair

New Post has been published on https://www.kgsinclair.com/2020/06/on1-announces-availability-of-the-new-on1-360-new-on1-photo-raw-2020-5-and-the-new-on1-photo-mobile-for-ios-ipados-and-android/

ON1 Announces Availability of the New ON1 360, New ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5, and the New ON1 Photo Mobile for iOS, iPadOS, and Android.

Portland, OR. Jun 29, 2020: ON1, creators of ON1 Photo RAW, announces ON1 360, ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5, and the new ON1 Photo Mobile are now available. ON1 360 is an all-new end-to-end photography workflow solution to capture, edit, and sync photos seamlessly between multiple computers and mobile devices using the new ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5, and the new ON1 Photo Mobile for iOS, iPadOS, and Android. 

“ON1 360 is the culmination of years of work and feedback from customers around their frustrations with being forced to upload original photos into cloud systems with no way out. ON1 360 solves these problems by letting photographers choose which photos to sync and where their photos are stored while allowing them access to their photos across their computers and devices,” says Dan Harlacher, VP of Product.

In addition to the new ON1 360, a new version of ON1 Photo RAW version 2020.5 is also available for download today. ON1 Photo RAW is a modern photo organizer, raw processor, layered editor, and effects app, all in one affordable application. ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5 includes the new ON1 360 integration, many performance enhancements, support for new cameras and lenses, and additional bug fixes. 

The new and free ON1 Photo Mobile app for iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices is like having a pro-grade camera app and raw processor in the palm of your hand. ON1 Photo Mobile uses the same proprietary raw processing engine developed for ON1 Photo RAW and perfectly compliments the desktop application, ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5, when synced together with ON1 360.

Key Features

One Workflow — A complete end-to-end workflow between multiple computers and mobile devices with ON1 360. ON1 360 connects ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5 on macOS and Windows computers with the new free ON1 Photo Mobile on iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices. Multiple options for syncing files, control in file storage methods, and new capabilities for managing and editing across devices no matter where photos are stored are now available in ON1 360. 

Complete Control of Your Photos — At the core of the new ON1 360 is the new cloud storage service and sync technology, which allows photographers to sync photos, metadata, and edits, as well as albums, cataloged folders, and more between each of their computers, devices, external hard drives, or even network drives. Photographers can choose which photos to sync, how they organize photos, where they store their photos, and how they back up their photos. 

New Editable Previews — Customers can choose to sync their original raw files or sync their photos using the new Editable Previews that utilize ON1’s new compressed-raw file format. This file format allows photographers to store more photos in the same amount of space without noticeable loss in image quality when processing. Photographers can view, edit, and share their photos without having to store the original photo in the cloud using these Editable Previews. The format is 75% smaller than the original raw file and maintains the same tonal and color range. They are perfect for remote editing, sharing, and even printing common sizes, without noticeable loss in quality, saving customers additional storage space and cost. 

New ON1 Photo Mobile Camera Mode — The camera mode in ON1 Photo Mobile works a lot like the camera app on your device, but with more advanced features. The new app can capture raw photos with the tonal range and details you expect from an interchangeable lens camera. The pro-level manual controls include the ability to adjust exposure, shutter speed, manual-focus, and white balance. 

New ON1 Photo Mobile Editing Controls — ON1 Photo Mobile uses the same proprietary raw processing engine developed for ON1 Photo RAW. Adjustments include Exposure, Contrast, Shadows, Midtones, Highlights, Whites, Blacks, White Balance, Noise, and Sharpening. Built-in filters will start with, black and white, adding film grain, darkening the edges with a vignette, and targeted color adjustments. ON1 Photo Mobile is available for iOS, iPadOS and Android devices and is free for anyone. 

Privacy — Privacy is most important, and with ON1 360, all photos will be kept private. ON1 will never analyze any photos using ON1 360 to build ways to market to photographers.

New Supported Cameras in ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5 — Nikon D6, Sony STL-99, Sony ZV-1

New Supported Lenses in ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5 — Apple iPhone XS, Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, Pentax-DA 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE, SAMYANG AF 85mm F1.4, SAMYANG AF 45mm F1.8, Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art 018, Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG DN | Art 019, Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports 018, Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G, Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS, Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS, Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8-2.8, Tokina AT-X 24-70mm f/2.8 PRO FX

Availability and Pricing

ON1 360 plans start out with 10x the storage amount for 20% less cost compared to competitive plans available today. ON1 360 plans include the Software and Service option as well as a Service Add-on option in both monthly and annual payment options. The Software and Service plan includes a subscription license to ON1 Photo RAW 2020, any and all software upgrades and updates, the ON1 Photo Mobile connectivity, and the 360 syncing service. The starting plan includes 200GB of storage at the low cost of $7.99 per month or $89.99 for the year. ON1 still offers Photo RAW as a perpetual-license product separate from ON1 360, for those who prefer to own their software. Customers who own Photo RAW can choose the ON1 360 Add-on and those plans start at $5.99 per month or $59.99 for the year and come with 200GB of storage. This also allows customers to upgrade to future versions of ON1 Photo RAW at a time of their choosing, and it allows them to add or cancel any ON1 360 subscription without losing access to ON1 Photo RAW.

What’s Ahead in the ON1 Roadmap

ON1 will continue developing ON1 Photo RAW for the desktop and ON1 Photo Mobile for devices. There is a detailed product roadmap for ON1 Photo Mobile already available from the ON1 website. Future plans include ON1 getting back into developing products that work within other photo editing workflows as well. There will be new integrations and plug-ins for ON1 products no matter what applications photographers are using.

“As we grow, we will continue to deliver a complete line of products for all workflows, whether it be standalone, plug-in, mobile, or video. It’s already in our plans to deliver all-new plug-ins within the year every photographer will want to use to save them time. We’ve always taken pride in that we are a group of photographers creating software applications specifically for the photographer,” says Craig Keudell, ON1 President & CEO. 

About ON1

Since 2005, ON1 has provided award-winning software to millions of photographers worldwide. We accomplish this by being different from other photo software companies. Photography is all we do, we put you the photographer first, and this means our customers have complete control over every aspect of their photography. Our software applications are designed by photographers, for photographers.

The ON1 mission is to deliver the tools photographers need to express themselves through photography. The ability to easily organize, edit, and share their photos anywhere and provide professional quality image processing, the creativity they desire, the service they deserve, and to keep photographers in control of their photography.

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ON1 Announces Availability of the New ON1 360, New ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5, and the New ON1 Photo Mobile for iOS, iPadOS, and Android.

Portland, OR. Jun 29, 2020: ON1, creators of ON1 Photo RAW, announces ON1 360, ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5, and the new ON1 Photo Mobile are now available. ON1 360 is an all-new end-to-end photography workflow solution to capture, edit, and sync photos seamlessly between multiple computers and mobile devices using the new ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5, and the new ON1 Photo Mobile for iOS, iPadOS, and Android. 

“ON1 360 is the culmination of years of work and feedback from customers around their frustrations with being forced to upload original photos into cloud systems with no way out. ON1 360 solves these problems by letting photographers choose which photos to sync and where their photos are stored while allowing them access to their photos across their computers and devices,” says Dan Harlacher, VP of Product.

In addition to the new ON1 360, a new version of ON1 Photo RAW version 2020.5 is also available for download today. ON1 Photo RAW is a modern photo organizer, raw processor, layered editor, and effects app, all in one affordable application. ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5 includes the new ON1 360 integration, many performance enhancements, support for new cameras and lenses, and additional bug fixes. 

The new and free ON1 Photo Mobile app for iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices is like having a pro-grade camera app and raw processor in the palm of your hand. ON1 Photo Mobile uses the same proprietary raw processing engine developed for ON1 Photo RAW and perfectly compliments the desktop application, ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5, when synced together with ON1 360.

Key Features

One Workflow — A complete end-to-end workflow between multiple computers and mobile devices with ON1 360. ON1 360 connects ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5 on macOS and Windows computers with the new free ON1 Photo Mobile on iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices. Multiple options for syncing files, control in file storage methods, and new capabilities for managing and editing across devices no matter where photos are stored are now available in ON1 360. 

Complete Control of Your Photos — At the core of the new ON1 360 is the new cloud storage service and sync technology, which allows photographers to sync photos, metadata, and edits, as well as albums, cataloged folders, and more between each of their computers, devices, external hard drives, or even network drives. Photographers can choose which photos to sync, how they organize photos, where they store their photos, and how they back up their photos. 

New Editable Previews — Customers can choose to sync their original raw files or sync their photos using the new Editable Previews that utilize ON1’s new compressed-raw file format. This file format allows photographers to store more photos in the same amount of space without noticeable loss in image quality when processing. Photographers can view, edit, and share their photos without having to store the original photo in the cloud using these Editable Previews. The format is 75% smaller than the original raw file and maintains the same tonal and color range. They are perfect for remote editing, sharing, and even printing common sizes, without noticeable loss in quality, saving customers additional storage space and cost. 

New ON1 Photo Mobile Camera Mode — The camera mode in ON1 Photo Mobile works a lot like the camera app on your device, but with more advanced features. The new app can capture raw photos with the tonal range and details you expect from an interchangeable lens camera. The pro-level manual controls include the ability to adjust exposure, shutter speed, manual-focus, and white balance. 

New ON1 Photo Mobile Editing Controls — ON1 Photo Mobile uses the same proprietary raw processing engine developed for ON1 Photo RAW. Adjustments include Exposure, Contrast, Shadows, Midtones, Highlights, Whites, Blacks, White Balance, Noise, and Sharpening. Built-in filters will start with, black and white, adding film grain, darkening the edges with a vignette, and targeted color adjustments. ON1 Photo Mobile is available for iOS, iPadOS and Android devices and is free for anyone. 

Privacy — Privacy is most important, and with ON1 360, all photos will be kept private. ON1 will never analyze any photos using ON1 360 to build ways to market to photographers.

New Supported Cameras in ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5 — Nikon D6, Sony STL-99, Sony ZV-1

New Supported Lenses in ON1 Photo RAW 2020.5 — Apple iPhone XS, Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, Pentax-DA 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE, SAMYANG AF 85mm F1.4, SAMYANG AF 45mm F1.8, Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art 018, Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG DN | Art 019, Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports 018, Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G, Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS, Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS, Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8-2.8, Tokina AT-X 24-70mm f/2.8 PRO FX

Availability and Pricing

ON1 360 plans start out with 10x the storage amount for 20% less cost compared to competitive plans available today. ON1 360 plans include the Software and Service option as well as a Service Add-on option in both monthly and annual payment options. The Software and Service plan includes a subscription license to ON1 Photo RAW 2020, any and all software upgrades and updates, the ON1 Photo Mobile connectivity, and the 360 syncing service. The starting plan includes 200GB of storage at the low cost of $7.99 per month or $89.99 for the year. ON1 still offers Photo RAW as a perpetual-license product separate from ON1 360, for those who prefer to own their software. Customers who own Photo RAW can choose the ON1 360 Add-on and those plans start at $5.99 per month or $59.99 for the year and come with 200GB of storage. This also allows customers to upgrade to future versions of ON1 Photo RAW at a time of their choosing, and it allows them to add or cancel any ON1 360 subscription without losing access to ON1 Photo RAW.

What’s Ahead in the ON1 Roadmap

ON1 will continue developing ON1 Photo RAW for the desktop and ON1 Photo Mobile for devices. There is a detailed product roadmap for ON1 Photo Mobile already available from the ON1 website. Future plans include ON1 getting back into developing products that work within other photo editing workflows as well. There will be new integrations and plug-ins for ON1 products no matter what applications photographers are using.

“As we grow, we will continue to deliver a complete line of products for all workflows, whether it be standalone, plug-in, mobile, or video. It’s already in our plans to deliver all-new plug-ins within the year every photographer will want to use to save them time. We’ve always taken pride in that we are a group of photographers creating software applications specifically for the photographer,” says Craig Keudell, ON1 President & CEO. 

About ON1

Since 2005, ON1 has provided award-winning software to millions of photographers worldwide. We accomplish this by being different from other photo software companies. Photography is all we do, we put you the photographer first, and this means our customers have complete control over every aspect of their photography. Our software applications are designed by photographers, for photographers.

The ON1 mission is to deliver the tools photographers need to express themselves through photography. The ability to easily organize, edit, and share their photos anywhere and provide professional quality image processing, the creativity they desire, the service they deserve, and to keep photographers in control of their photography.

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New Post has been published on https://www.kgsinclair.com/2020/06/photography-equipment/

Photography Equipment

Photography can be one of the most expensive hobbies you can get into. Depending on your interest, you may be buying a DSLR or mirrorless camera with spare batteries, memory cards, flash units, and even extra lenses.

The most important thing to spend your money on is good quality lenses. These are long term investments and are critical to the quality of the images you will capture. Therefore, it is necessary to decide early into your photography hobby which system you will be using. Lenses are made for specific camera types, for example, Nikon lenses on a Nikon camera or Sony lenses on a Sony camera. While an adaptor can enable some lenses to work on other cameras, you always get the best quality results staying with a native combination.

Lenses come in three forms – fixed to the camera, interchangeable prime, and interchangeable zoom. A prime lens has a fixed focal length and if you need to “zoom” then you “zoom” with your feet – move closer of further away from your subject. Zoom lenses have a variable focal length within a range and you can move closer or further away by using the zoom function of the lens. Each type of lens has its advantages and disadvantages depending on the subject matter you want to photograph.

Prime lenses are better in low light situations and for where you want to create a super nice background blur, that bokeh in the background, which can make an image look like magic. This is very often useful when creating portraits. Zoom lenses enable you to have fewer lenses to carry around as they can cover various focal lengths. Also, they give you more flexibility on what you want to include in your image.

In the 1980s, prime lenses provided the best image quality while zoom lenses provided inferior image quality. However, today’s zoom lenses are virtually as good as the prime lenses and suffer very little image quality reduction. Your choice of lens depends on what you want to photography and your budget.

The range of lenses available today is large and can make choosing difficult. As a general guide, lenses range from ultra-wide-angle (such as fish-eye) through to very long telephoto. A typical wide-angle lens is 24mm and normal is 50mm. The ideal portrait lenses are 85mm or 105mm. Telephoto lenses start at 135mm and a very long telephoto lens is 1,200mm.

If your interest is creating portrait images, a prime 85mm or 105mm lens would suit you well. However, if your interest is general with a mix of this and that, then a zoom lens 24mm to 200mm or 24mm to 300mm would be an ideal choice as it covers a wide range of focal lengths.

Many photographers consider a tripod an essential tool in their image creation process. Tripods are used to minimize camera movement so you can capture sharp images. They are essential also for long exposure images where you want to capture the night sky or a landscape in low light. Ensure you invest in a sturdy tripod – some of the cheaper ones do not provide the stability you need. The tripod needs to be able to support the weight of your camera and lens so check this when considering your purchase.

To summarise, know what you want to use your camera for. Invest in the best quality lenses your budget will allow. A tripod is an essential tool of trade and needs to be carefully selected also.

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Keeping the Creative Juices Flowing

In these times of working from home, and with the recent relaxation of the rules regarding COVID19, there has been a real temptation to go out more on the weekends. However, we have exercised restraint as both Marie and I don’t want to have the virus as we are older and therefore more suspect to being hit harder.

So how have we been maintaining our interest in photography? We have had limited trips into the city on the last couple of weekends to do some street photography. I have also been practicing compositing using Photoshop to create altered reality images. This has been a lot of fun.

Here is a sampling of the images:

This one is really quite simple. The cranes and the circus rider sculpture with a texture overlay. The texture was some spider web in the corner of one of the windows at home.

Again, this is a simple image. The background and the woman walking through. The woman was taken from a street photography image. A texture was applied again created from spider web taken at home and manipulated in Photoshop.

The great part about having many images in my library that I haven’t used is it gives me a great selection to choose from for composites. The background scene was taken in Melbourne and the flying fish was taken up near Redcliffe. The texture was created by manipulating an image of water in Photoshop.

This image features a lot of manipulation. However, it is still only a composite of three images. This works for me as the window says “Smith & Daughters” and in the foreground are two young women who may well be sisters. The texture is an image of purple light onto a wall and manipulated in Photoshop.

Another three image composite. The texture was an image of the back deck at home manipulated in Photoshop.

This is a simpler composite being only two images combined. The background building has been posterized in Photoshop and the curves adjusted to get the effect. The bicycle wheels and pavement were placed on top using the hard light blending mode to achieve this effect.

How have you been keeping your creative juices flowing?

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Staying Home to Stay Healthy

A lot of things have changed since my last post. The COVID19 pandemic has resulted in the need to stay home to stay healthy. Fortunately I am able to do my work from home and have adjusted well in that regard. However, the same hasn’t been true for my photography.

Also, out of the blue, Marie’s hard drive containing her photos died. I spent time on restoring a backup to her new hard drive. However, some images were lost due to some issues with the backups. So it has been time to revisit our backup strategy to try to avoid a similar recurrence.

The photos I have made lately were when we drove past Forest Lake a few weeks ago and stopped to see the surface covered in a green plant. The City Council is trying to restore the health of the lake and this is a part of the process. Here are some images:

An overview of the lake

A close up of the lake surface

Looking towards a shore line and a water hen

Creating an abstract image out of a close up of the lake surface

I haven’t entered images into the last two monthly competitions conducted by the Brisbane Camera Group. In resigning from all my roles at the club, and the impacts of social distancing, I have lacked motivation to participate in the competitions.

One of my aims over the coming weeks is to further my photography education through online courses. I am hoping this will stimulate my creativity. In the last week, I watched a couple of Brook Shaden clips on YouTube. She illustrated how she created an image of herself coming out of a wall and the post processing involved. While it wasn’t an in depth presentation, it was enough to make me start thinking of the possibilities.

Lindsay Adler also has some interesting material on YouTube. I watched one clip where she explained how to look at a studio image and to work out how many lights were used to create the shot. While I don’t do much studio work, this was still very insightful on how lights are used to create various looks in images.

Well, that’s all for now. Until next time, stay safe – stay healthy.

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2020 Vision

2020 started in Melbourne after watching the fireworks on New Years Eve at Docklands. Marie and I had a wonderful time and what a way to start the year. A spur of the moment decision to go to Melbourne but it proved to be inspired. We both enjoyed the photography opportunities Melbourne offers.

From visiting art galleries, seeing shows and savoring the dining opportunities, we had no need to venture too far from the CBD area.

In fact we enjoyed our Melbourne visit so much we decided to change our February wedding anniversary holiday week from the Gold Coast to Melbourne.

We returned to Melbourne and one of our first experiences was a photo walk conducted by Melbourne Camera Club. We were made very welcome and enjoyed the walk. It was really well organised and we enjoyed photographing parts of South Melbourne before joining our fellow attendees for dinner at a local hotel.

Another highlight of our Melbourne visit was to see War Horse at the Regent Theater. It was a moving experience in a stunning theater. I would definitely see it again.

Other highlights were visiting the State Library (a truly beautiful building) and the Exhibition building for the Russian festival.

Here are some images from the visit:

20-Off

Image 1 of 21

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The first competition month at Brisbane Camera Group was February and the topic was a song or film title. The definition was: “The image must bring to mind the title of a song or film which is in the public domain, either recent or historical. This can be achieved either by word association or scene association with elements of the image providing clear clues as to the title of a valid song or film.“

February was my first competition submission as an A Grade member at the club. I was pleasantly surprised to receive one acceptance and two Merits.

Here are the images I submitted:

Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is – Acceptance

Searching for a Heart – Merit

What’s Going On – Merit

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2019 – The Year that Was

Well, the Brisbane Camera Group Annual Competition has finished, and it was very much an anticlimax for me. I was the only member to compete in the print section of my grade, so I received awards for first, second and third in each section I competed in. In the sections where grades did not apply, my images didn’t get close to a win.

To see the photos I submitted into the Annual Competition, please visit my Gallery. All my images were submitted as prints.

The club celebrated its 70th Anniversary as well as the annual awards at a dinner function earlier this month. As part of the celebrations a photobook was produced. I am very proud that a couple of my images were chosen for inclusion within the book. You can view a sample of the photobook here.

In the awards section of the evening, I was recognised for scoring the most points in my grade for the monthly competitions. I received a medallion for this achievement. Also, I received the Patron’s book prize for my service to the club in 2019. This award was a big surprise as I didn’t think I would receive anything other than the medallion.

At the start of the year I set the target of becoming an A Grade member for 2020. This was achieved even though I experienced a couple of rocky months with my entries. Over the Christmas break I will reassess and set a new goal for 2020.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Goal Achieved!

Another busy month due to family matters but I still managed to submit my monthly competition prints and my annual competition prints. October’s set subject was “high key” which was quite a challenging topic. I achieved one acceptance and two merits which I was pleased with.

Surf Rescue Training

This image received am acceptance. Through using a shallow depth of field, I was unable to have all parts of the image nice and sharp. The judge said letting the image drift into a silhouette would have worked well as the art is in the shape.

Mirror Image

I was not sure how this image would be regarded. However, the judge thought it was worthy of a merit. He said it is a very complicated image on first viewing but it holds you in for a while so you can get your bearings.

Down but Not Out

This image was awarded a merit which I am very grateful for. The judge commented “Thank god humour in photography isn’t lost!” This image is inventive, fun and well done. I must admit it was fun creating this image.

At the start of the year I set out to create prints for each competition and to qualify for advancement to A Grade within Brisbane Camera Group. I am pleased to say I have achieved both these goals. In 2020, I will be competing in A Grade which will really challenge me. The learning process continues!

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A Quick Update

It has continued to be busy with Marie’s dad in rehabilitation. Little time has been available for photography, especially new work. This month at Brisbane Camera Group the competition topic was “Framed”. I submitted three images into the set subject for judging.

Artist at Work

The image above was awarded an Acceptance. The judge thought the woman was a distraction and that the image had been over worked as there was some halo effects in places.

Through a Window

This image was awarded a Merit. It was praised for the placement of the people within the frame. It was also acknowledged that in camera multiple exposures can be quite difficult to create and this one was a success.

And The Cock Crowed

This image was also awarded a Merit. The judged commented that it was sharp right through the image and was a great example of “framed”.

Overall, a satisfactory night’s performance and these results keep me on track for promotion to A Grade. With one more month to go, I can’t afford to slack off.

That’s all for now. Until next time, keep on creating!

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The Best Laid Plans………….

Phew! What a month it has been. As can happen, the best laid plans come to zero. Our lives were turned around on Sunday 4 August when the Police phoned and told Marie her father had been involved in a motor vehicle accident. They said he was in hospital and that he was okay. We immediately stopped what we were doing at the time and went straight to the hospital.

As the evening unfolded and we spoke to the medical staff in the emergency department, we were not certain how the future would unfold. Would he pass away, or would he make a full recovery, or would it be somewhere in between? Being 92 years of age, his chances were not rated highly. The Neuro Surgeon told us he had a bleed on the brain and some fractured vertebrae in his spine.

Given these circumstances, we cancelled our planned 5-week overseas holiday so we could be here to assist in his recovery and adaption to life without a motor vehicle. Now, he is in rehabilitation and progressing well. Accordingly, photography has been less prominent in our lives as we have spent a lot of time visiting him and attending to some of his affairs.

I am pleased I had devoted some time to choosing images for the monthly competitions so I could submit entries for while we were away. This meant I just had to send the images to the printer for them to be ready. For the August competition I submitted my entries into the Open section. The results I obtained were very pleasing. Here are my entries and the results:

Cloud over Marseille – (Merit)

Three Doors – (Merit)

Burlesque Babe – (Honour)

As I mentioned last post, the opportunity to learn about Photoshop from Andy Cross through Maud Street Photo Gallery over six Sundays was too good to pass up. I completed the last three modules since last post and now need to get my notes up to date and indexed so I can find the techniques I need during my workflow. As with most things, if I don’t use what I have learned, it will be forgotten and attending the course will have been a waste.

The September competition topic is “Framed”. The definition we have been provided with is:

Framed refers to using elements of a scene to create a frame within your frame. For example, you might shoot through a doorway, pulled back curtains, branches, fences, tunnels, or arches to highlight your subject.

I have worked on some images that fit this definition. They will likely be the ones I submit to the set subject category rather than the open category in September.

Until next time, keep on creating!