Top Photography Schools in the US

Interested in earning a photography degree and wonder what the best photography school is in the US nowadays? We have created a list with highly rated photography schools around the States to choose from. The following institutions offer a wide range of photography programs, along with a chance to work with renowned professionals from around the world.

Photography School: Yale School of Fine Art

Location: New Haven, Connecticut

Courses:

Yale School of Fine Art offers an MFA in Photography, which is a two-year program of study focused on a broad definition of photography as a lens-based medium. Yale is a top rated institution and you should expect a tough competition. Only nine students have the change to achieve a place there every year.

Website: art.yale.edu

Yale School of Fine Arts - photography school

 

Photography School: University of California

Location: Los Angeles, California

Courses:

UCLA offers an undergraduate photo program focusing on the conjunction between photography and art. Beside photography, they encourage students to experiment with art and video installation, as well as to know about photography history and narrative studies.

Website: www.art.ucla.edu/photography

 

Photography School: School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Courses:

The Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is open to graduate and undergraduate applications. The courses they offer are eclectic and experimental, encouraging students to explore both the practice and theory of photography.

Website: www.saic.edu

Art Institute of Chicago Photography School

Photography School: Rohde Island School of Design

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Courses:

At RISD you can learn how to ‘read’ and create images by following both a Bachelor’s program and a Master’s program. Undergraduates are thought to explore the social, cultural and historical aspects of photography as a cultural medium, while graduate students develop visual and critical expertise, along with a deeper knowledge of contemporary art practices. If you are curious about what they do there, take a look at BFA student work, as well as at MFA student photographs.

Website: photo.risd.edu

 

Photography School: School of Visual Arts

Location: New York, NY

Courses:

SVA has a diverse curriculum on photography, offering no less than 111 undergraduate courses on photography, as well as a MPS in Digital Photography, and a MFA in Photography, Video and Related media. What makes this photography stand out is their mentor program for seniors with renowned professionals working in the NYC photographic art scene.

Website: www.sva.edu

school of visual arts New York - photography school

Photography School: University of Arizona School of Art

Location: Arizona, Phoenix

Courses:

UVA offers both a BFA and MFA in Studio Art with a focus on photography. Students are thought about the role of photography in contemporary culture along with being encourage to explore the boundaries of this medium and experiment with different kinds of photographic practices. The curriculum includes diverse courses, ranging from traditional black and white darkroom techniques, to video and performance.

Website: art.arizona.edu/students/programs-of-study/photography

 

 

Photography School: University of New Mexico – College of Fine Arts

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Courses:

The College of Fine Arts at UNM offers a BFA and MFA in photography with an emphasis on the creativity, innovation and interdisciplinarity. Students have the opportunity to explore multiple possibilities of lens-based imaging along with developing a critical understanding of contemporary art theory. At UNM facilities include digital classrooms, darkrooms for film processing, lighting equipment and DSLRs, among others.

Website: art.unm.edu/photography

 

Photography School: University of Washington School of Art

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Courses:

With 22 Nobel laureates, Washington University deserves to be part of our top selection of educational institutions. At the School of Art + Art History + Design, students can pursue a Photomedia undergraduate program (a BFA in digital imaging and photography) focused on a wide array of studio art and media practices. The courses are meant to provide a historical perspective on photography as a social and cultural medium, along with video and installation work. Specifically, the program offers instruction in lighting, large format digital and analog practices, and in contemporary digital image processing.

Website: art.washington.edu/art/undergraduate2/photomedia/courses

university of washington school of art exhibition space

Photography School: Drexel University

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Courses:

Drexel University is a top ranked institution offering a unique photography program combining both applied and theoretical teaching methods. Apart from photography foundation courses, students in the first year of study can benefit from internships every six months. Juniors have the chance to work in diverse types of businesses from Advertising Photography to Fashion Photography or Digital Technology.

Website: www.drexel.edu/westphal/undergraduate/PHTO

Photography School: Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Courses:

Massachusetts College of Art and Design offers a BFA Photography program focus on photography as fine art. Teachers encourage MassArt students to develop a personal, creative vision, along with technical excellence. The curriculum offers foundation courses of both film-based and digital tools. Facilities include a three-studio digital facility with large printers, scanners and workstations, analog black & white developing and printing areas, and two-large gang darkrooms. At MassArt students can work with a 20×24 Polaroid ‘Land Camera’ built by the founder of Polaroid, as well as benefiting from the support of renowned teachers and visiting professionals from around the world.

Website: www.massart.edu/academic_programs/photography

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

How to Improve Your Flower Photography

Now is the perfect season to go outdoors, explore natural beauty and improve your flower photography skills. Make sure you capture some stunning shots before spring is over. Here are some aspects to consider before planning your adventurous day out there.

1.      Find the Ideal Location

Be it a park, garden or remote areas away from the city, finding the ideal location for best flower shooting goes hand in hand with keeping an eye on the weather forecast. Ensure there’s no wind to ruin your day and have some fun along the process.

2.      Useful Equipment

Make some space in your backpack as there are plenty of things to take with you.

  • Needless to say it is essential to take your digital camera. Joking aside, you could use some macro lenses to help you achieve amazing close-up shots. Concerning the focal lengths to choose, the 90 – 105 mm ones are perfect for macro flower photography.
  • Tripods are also useful tools, helping you to control the composition of your photos, especially if what you have in mind is a long exposure flower shot. Get a sturdy one, with legs that can extend so that you can take close-to-the-ground shots.
  • I know you are a photographer and not a gardener, but you could also use some gardening tools. For best results you might need to remove distracting elements from the scene and your hands might not be enough to do that.
  • A reflector can save your flower shooting by maximizing detail and reducing contrast. If the light is extremely bright, you can position it so that it shades the flowers that are of interest for your ideas. Conversely, you can use the reflector to direct light in areas that are not exposed to the sun.

3.      Make the Sun Your Best Friend

The sun can be either your best friend or your worse enemy. Best shots can be taken early in the morning, when there is still dew on the flowers and the light will help you set a soft, glowy mood to the scenery. Close to sunset is another good time for shooting outdoors. Why not profit from the golden hour and add some drama to your flower photography? Try to play with the sun and with shadows as well by placing you’re your subject into and out of light.

sun shining flower photography

4.      Camera Setting Tips for Flower Photography

For stunning results it is desirable to use manual settings. Here’s what you should take into account:

  • Set a low ISO, ISO 100 preferable.
  • As regards White Balance, choose the Daylight option.
  • Set aperture according to how many details you want to include in your photograph. For in depth results, use a small aperture, but if you want to achieve sharp photos focused on the subject while leaving the background blurred, wide apertures are recommended.
  • You can also set your autofocus for macro photography and see how it works this way.

5.      Change Perspectives

Now that you’ve set everything, the next step is to find the ideal perspective. Is there such a perspective for flower photography? Experts say shots are best taken from the subject’s level. Most likely when you shoot flowers you need to kneel down. But why not experiment? Shoot from the ground level, try twisting your camera, shoot from above. You are free to improvise.

 close up flower photography

6.      Tell the Story of Flowers

If you enjoy the outdoors and dedicate the entire day to photo shooting, be attentive to the way flowers come to life early in the morning and capture their rhythms over the day by creating a time-lapse video. For more inspiration, check out this impressive video by Beautiful Nature HD. Storytelling is the key to a unique photo project. Inspire your viewers! Let your imagination blossom.

7.      Do Some Research

You probably wonder what research is needed for when all you want is to go out there and enjoy your nature photography shooting. But have you ever considered sending your shots to specialized magazines? Why not benefit from expert feedback? Find a magazine looking to publish flower photos, have a look at how they work and how other photographers have performed.  Don’t forget to name your photos after each species of flowers you’ve captured and try out different formats so you can be prepared for anything they might ask.

8.      Flower Portraits

Flowers will be the main characters of your project. As each of them is unique you can try to emphasize their specific features and beauty. Close-up details will make your shots spectacular. If you find tiny insects or dust, make them part of the story.

flower portrait 2

9.      Search for Ideas

Flowers are everywhere and so are photography ideas. If you are looking for inspiration, there are so many resources you can access. As we spend so much time on social media channels, simply check a few amazing flower photography boards on Pinterest while having a nice cup of coffee and get ready to enjoy a beautiful day outdoors.

10. Be Ready for Anything

Shooting outdoors can be tricky as there are so many factors you cannot control. Keep your enthusiasm high and if a sunny, warm day turns out to be a little more cloudy than expected, change the plot and make the most of what nature gives to you.

Image Source: 1,2,3

Food Photography Tips

Food photography is a flourishing photo niche giving photographers the opportunity to profitably diversify their portfolios. If you are looking for the ingredients that make the most mouth-watering photography recipe, you’ve come to the right place! Learn how to shoot and promote your photos in 10 easy steps. So, here are our food photography tips:

Step 1. Fresh or Cooked?

Selecting ingredients that best meet your food photography ideas is the first thing to consider. Be it fresh or cooked, try to avoid blandly colored ingredients or dishes.  Food photos are all about attractive shapes and appetizing colors. Once you’ve picked up the ingredients, find the perfect geometry.

Step 2. Spice it Up!

Next, you might think about adding more flavor to your food shots. Simply introduce some spices into the stage. Spices photos can be spectacular if you have the perfect eye for them. Don’t forget the basics: light, color and composition.

 food photograph featuring spices

Step 3. Less is More

One of the mistakes beginners tend to make when it comes to shooting food photography, is using too many props. The key to best food shots is using no more than three elements. Avoid a cluttered background as photographing your kitchen is not the case here. Go for fine crockery, stylish accessories like vintage tablecloths or cutlery, and fresh ingredients or spices.

Young Woman Practicing in Food photography

Step 4. Shoot in Natural Light

Just to highlight again how important lighting is for sharp results, I would say that light is for photography what water is for fish or oxygen for humans. Food photography requires a powerful lighting source, be it the sunlight or a flash. I would recommend using the first variant to get that realistic touch that tickles your appetite.

Step 5. Capture the Whole Process

Take before cooking, while cooking and after cooking shots so that you’ll have plenty of options to select from. Sometimes uncooked dishes are more eye-catching than final results.

Collage of women cooking healthy food at home in the kitchen

Step 6. Make it Look Professional

To make your food shots look professional, you may consider using a more professional equipment beside your digital camera. Holding it still is essential that is why I recommend letting a tripod do the work for you. Also, a reflector can save you from moving around the house with the plate in search for best light sources.

Next, try out different effects and angles. Here’s what I find to be the ideal options for food photography:

  • Close-up Shooting

Surprise your viewer with close-up details. Look after crispy or juicy textures, steamy dishes and yummy crumbs. Try not to zoom in. It is better to get your camera closer for a better contrast and coloring.

  • Blurry Background

Use longer lens to get a blurrier background so that your focused subject appears more distinct.

  • Photographing with a Wide Depth of Field

Broaden the focus of your image to sharply capture a greater area.

Step 7. Make Adjustments

Not all your food photos will be magazine-like shots. Food photography is not as easy as it may appear. If you encounter shooting issues such as blurry images, or unnatural colors, play with settings until you achieve the result you want. If, for instance, the light source is not satisfying enough, you’ll need to make some manual adjustments such as increasing your shutter speed and opening your aperture more.

Step 8. Learn from the Best

Search out for the most delicious food photography projects online. Not all of us are professional food photographers. That is why learning from the best in business is not only normal, but also advisable. There are plenty of websites and books on the topic you can have a look at.

Personally, I enjoy following up the work of award-winning photographers. Penny de Los Santos is one of them. Visit her website and check out her amazing portfolio. You can also get some useful food photography tips from here.

Step 9. Search for Creative Ideas

If you want to add something special to your portfolio, think about food time-lapse videos. It is true that this kind of projects are time-consuming, but otherwise are worth trying!

Also, consider food landscapes. Sometimes it is good to capture imperfections, especially when it comes to food. As long as you are not shooting for a stylish magazine, go wild and create a moment out of messy scene.

Step 10. Promote Your Food Photography

If you have a photography blog, why not enrich it with a page on food photography? Entice your viewers with a story. Food photography is also about different cultures and the way we relate to what we eat from diverse perspectives. Write about your projects as naturally as you can. Share your experience and connect to your viewers both visually and verbally.

Best Way to Store Digital Photos Import to Your Computer

Transferring both photos and videos from your digital camera into your computer can be a hustle. But we are here to provide you with practical ideas that will spare your nerves, time, and money. Whether you use a memory card or a USB cable, here is what you need to know about the best way to store digital photos on your hard disk.

Best Way to Store Digital Photos on Your Computer

Using a Memory Card

The first thing you notice after you insert your memory card into the PC (or external memory card reader if there’s not an internal card slot) is that the card is detected, and acts like a drive. The easiest way to transfer and store your photos is by opening the folder on your card as you would do with any other folder, and then manually copy files on a folder of your choice located on your internal or external hard disk.

Import Photos with Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard

Import Photos from Memory Card with Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard

Depending on the operating system installed on your computer, there’s a built-in software which will detect your memory card and provide you with more import options. Please check the section below to find out more about it.

Using a USB cable

Using a USB cable is as easiest as using a memory card. If you are a Windows OS user, for instance, you can import photos from your digital camera or smart phone by using a software once your camera is connected to your computer. Photos imported this way will be store in My Pictures folder.

All you need to do is make sure the power of your camera is turned off before you plug the USB cable into your computer, then turn it on and follow the instructions specific to the operating system you use. Windows will recognize your camera and remember the action you take.

Here’s what you need to do:

  • For Windows XP, click on Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard
  • For Windows Vista, click Import Pictures
  • For Windows 7, click Import pictures and videos using Windows
  • For Windows 8, click Import Pictures and Videos, and then follow the prompts.
Import Photos into Your PC by Using Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard

Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard for Windows

After you select the photos you want to be transferred on your PC, label and copy them by simply dragging and dropping them on a folder you will easily find afterwards.

If you are a Mac OS user, after connecting your camera to your computer or inserting your memory card, open iPhoto from the Applications folder, enter the ‘Roll Name’ and ‘Description’ for the images you want to transfer, and then click Import.

Import Photos from Camera with iPhoto

iPhoto for Mac OS

Does this sound too easy? Let’s make things a bit more complicated and professional. If you want to play with settings and options, you can use a variety of programs and applications.

Ideas on How to Transfer, Label and Organize Your Photo Gallery

For proficient transfer and organization of digital images into your PC, I have chosen to briefly describe two digital photography software you might find useful.

  • Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

I will begin with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, which is an image optimizer developed by Adobe Systems for both Windows and Mac OS.

What Lightroom does is to import, export, create collections of photos, slideshows, and web galleries, and even retouch your images. If you are looking for an import tool that will both organize and edit your photos, this is the best choice for you.

Adobe Lightroom Import Screenshot

Import Photos with Adobe Lightroom

One of the settings I really like is creating second copies of your photos to an alternative folder of your choice. Be clever and always save them on an external hard drive. 

  • Adobe Bridge

Recommended for Photoshop users, Adobe Bridge is a media asset management app also developed by Adobe Systems. Once launched, this application helps you to get photos from your camera and has a few useful saving options.

After you have clicked on ‘Get Photos from Camera’ and selected the images you want to import, you can rename them before copying them into a folder on your computer. The app allows you to create subfolders and, similar to Lightroom, has advanced options that you can use to save copies of imported photos on a different location (‘Save Copies To’ checkbox on Advanced Options menu).

Adobe Bridge Screenshot

Import Photos with Adobe Bridge

Sadly, it lacks the editing functions of Lightroom, but some find it easier to use.

Storage Ideas

External Hard Drive

It is not only advisable, but also professional to have a back-up storage plan for your photographs. Using an external drive is the easiest way to ensure your data is stored properly. Play it safe and buy one!

Cloud Storage Services

The second storage option I recommend is cheaper (actually it can be free), but it requires internet connection.

What is Cloud Storage?

Cloud storage refers to data stored online in a cloud.

Cloud Storage

Cloud for Permanent Digital Storage

Advantages of using cloud storage:

  • It is accessible from any place you are, at any time as long as you are connected to the internet.
  • It is safe, providing cloud backup solutions in case a disaster happens.
  • There are completely free cloud storage services.

Top 3 Free Cloud Storage Services:

  • Dropbox is the most popular cloud storage service in the world. Easy-to-use, it offers 2 GB of free cloud storage to every user but there are ways to earn up to 16 GB of free storage if you recommend it to other users.
  • Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage and also allows you to share and edit your files.
  • Mega offers 50 GB of free cloud storage.

The disadvantage of cloud storage options is that it might not work if you are in a remote area and urgently need to find a photo as it is internet-dependent. If you are planning to shoot on a location that does not have good internet reception, go back to plan A and take your external hard disk with you.

Tips on How to Organize Your Already Transferred Photos

  • Don’t Forget Where You Saved your Photos

Well, the reason you need to be well-organized is avoid going out of your senses when you realize you want to use a photo taken three years ago and don’t remember where it’s stored.

If you are an enthusiastic photographer I imagine you have plenty of folders on your computer. Just be careful where you have saved them.

  • Choose a Memorable Folder Name

Yes, transferring photos can be a tedious thing to do and we might lose inspiration on the way. I am sure each of us at some point organized and classified photos by their date. Easy, but not so clever! Not when you have dozens of folders entitled according to shooting dates.

Try, for instance, to name your folder according to photography techniques and types, such as Landscape Photos/ Nature Photos, Portraits, or Travel Photos, Macro Photography. Also, create subfolders named after shooting locations. For example: Landscape Photos/ Himalayas.

  • Be consistent

There are many options when it comes to importing photos from our cameras, and some would like to try out as many of them as possible as to identify the one it suits his or her needs best. Once you have figured out which is the ultimate choice for you, it is advisable to set a specific routine and save time for other essential aspects like editing.

I hope this post will help you import and store photos on your computer in a more efficient way. If you have any questions or tips and want to share your ideas with us, please leave a comment.

Image sources1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Quick guide on how to shoot big sky photography

Camille-Seaman

Big sky photography – a way to give your landscape photos the shock element.

But it ain’t easy shooting the sky, and you need to acknowledge the fact that the there will be obvious contrast issues. Even more importantly, you’ll encounter a big problem in finding the best time to go on a photo shoot. This is were we come in and save the day.

What to keep in mind when embarking on a big sky photography shoot?

Besides worrying about what gear you are using, you should consider thinking about when it’s the perfect time to take a landscape photo that is encompassed by the sky. We can’t just take photos of sunny, beautiful scenery all the time – where’s the fun in making everything blissfully happy? We need to get out of our comfort zone and take a walk, with our camera of choice gripped tightly in our hand, when there’s a storm about to hit, or a slight summer shower. The most beautiful photos that I have managed to take were the ones that made me worry not about my health, because I was soaking wet, but if my camera can withstand so much downpour.

Sfortis

We need to make the landscape more exciting by adding the sky, and that means paying attention to weather reports. Can you imagine what impact a bland landscape enveloped in a sky filled with a single cell Cumulonimbus cloud can have? I’ll tell you – jaws will drop.

The land needs to play the supporting role in your big photography shoots – don’t focus on capturing the essence of the land, focus on timing it perfectly so the sky is the main star in your picture.

This doesn’t mean that you forget about the importance of the land all-together. Even though it doesn’t get the lead part, it also has to bring something to the scenery – it may not be much, but still, it needs something. You could capture a single withered tree, a blacked-out boy that plays with a basketball, even a dog that just looks straight up, maybe wondering, like all of us, what does it all mean. You need to let your creativity run amok through yourself, and not worry about failing – you will fail countless of times, but failing at something is a step into being sort of a good at it.

Big sky photography

Everyone has different preferences regarding lenses – and sometimes it really depends on the circumstance you are in – but try starting with a wide-angle zoom. I’m just stating the obvious now, but when you use a wide angle lens, you will capture more of the sky thus exaggerating the feel of impact, and you will create the illusion that clouds are rushing out at the viewer. You can play with perspective all you want, you just require time to find out what best suits your style.

Let’s talk about filters!

There is not such thing as a correct exposure of the land, there are only things that work in a certain circumstance, and other things that feel just wrong using. What’s important though is to significantly differentiate between the landscape and the sky. For starters reduce the exposure of the top portion of the frame, and the easiest way for beginners, and veterans alike, is to use a Neutral Density graduated filter, and align it such that it covers the sky. By doing so, you will darken the sky, while the landscape below remains bright. Play with the Neutral Density graduated filter as you like – 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 are the most used, but let your imagination flow.

Neutral Density Grad Filter

Another trick you can try is to polarise the sky – no, you’re not getting advice from a mad scientist right now, just bare with me. It’s a polariser filter that enhances the sky thus making the clouds stand out in an ocean of blue. It’s actually pretty cool once you get a hang of it. For the best outcome be certain that the sun is at a 90 degrees to the direction your camera is pointing – if the sun is straight behind you nothing will be accomplished.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different style of frames!

You’ve done research on countless weather channels, you got your gear set up, and you just arrived at the location you are dead set to shoot, but you are missing one essential point. How big should the frame be? Should I shoot it wide, or just capture a part of the sky and a little land? From what perspective should I try shooting? Well, for starters I highly recommend using a wide angle lens so that the sky composes half of your picture, or 2 thirds of it – and balance it with a strong focal point.

Different Perspective

Once you go out on a trial run, get home and marvel at your creation, you’ll find that you completely forgot to take a meter reading. Aren’t you glad that you are reading this? Before starting to shoot do a meter reading by tilting the camera forward. By doing so you will exclude the sky entirely. Set the reading to Manual Mode, and you’ll be able to play with the land’s exposure – balance it by using the Neutral Density graduated filter.

Final tips and tricks!

  • Be careful while you use the polarise filter. At first it will look odd, and unsettling – some parts of the sky will look much darker than others, but you can solve this problem by reducing the angle’s width.
  • Experiment with different Neutral Density graduated filters. The 0.6 one is set to be the most useful of the bunch, but don’t form a routine. Use the 0.9 too – they can be bought in a set.
  • Lighting can be a pain in the buttocks, and you’ll most certainly try to use a ND grad filter, but you’ll learn it to be impractical when facing such problems. Shoot two, or more frames from the same point and then combine, and edit them in Photoshop for the best outcome.

 

With this being said, I only wish you the perfect weather, and that spark of creativity to shoot photos that you love.

 

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

 

 

TIPA Awards Winners – The Best Devices in the Photography World

There are so many reviews out there focusing on cameras, lenses, accessories and various other photography-related devices. The prevalence of these items is so great that it can seem daunting for the casual photographer to decide on something. The best way to approach a possible purchase is by reading up on reviews and doing a bit of research. But, you still need a place to start. Don’t you think? This is where we come in with this post on the TIPA Awards winners. We use the awards ceremonies to tell you the best devices in the photography world.

Today, we’ve got the winners of one of the most, if not the most, prestigious award in the photography world. The TIPA Awards are the most popular and coveted imaging and photo awards in the world. Every year, the editors from TIPA vote for the best imaging and photo products that were introduced to the market during the previous year. The voters take into consideration design and ergonomics, innovation, the use of cutting edge technology, ease-of-use and price/performance ratio. TIPA’s experienced editors vote for the best of the best and whichever product gets the most votes, gets designated as the winner. Know that the categories for the TIPA Awards are regularly updated according to the latest tech trends. Let’s take a look at the winners of the TIPA Awards 2014.

tipa awards

One more thing before we begin. You will notice that some categories will seem to repeat themselves, such as the Best Digital SLR Camera, but it’s not really the case as the categories do slightly differ.

Best Technology & Design

For this category, the Canon Dual Pixel CMOS AF came out as a clear winner.

Best Interchangeable Lens

The TIPA editors voted for the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x as being the best interchangeable lens.

Best Digital SLR Camera

Canon EOS 70D was voted as the best digital SLR camera in 2014. This camera is also a bit pricey. It costs a cool $1,000. Ouch. If you have the means, many professionals will tell you it’s worth the high entry price.

Best Digital Compact Camera

In case you were wondering which digital compact camera to buy in 2015, you can try the pricey Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II.

Best Photo Software

Adobe Photoshop, beware! DxO ViewPoint 2 was voted as the best photo software by the TIPA editors.

Best Digital Projector

The best digital projector on the market is the Epson EH-TW7200. It is a upper mid-range home cinema LCD projector that has some cool features, such as vertical and horizontal image shifting, a high contrast ration and a brightness of 2000 Lumens. It is also capable of 3D playback, which for the price of $2,800 is great!

Best Photo Printer & Consumables

Everyone knows that Epson makes great photo printers, but now TIPA gave the 2014 verdict and it appears that the Epson Expression Photo XP-950 is the best.

Best Compact System Camera

The FUJIFILM X-T1 was voted as being the best compact system camera.

Best Photo Printer & Consumables

Hahnemühle Photo Silk Baryta 310 was also voted as being the best product in the photo printer and consumables category.

Best Large Display

The LG 21:9 UltraWide 34UM95 was voted as being the best large display available on the market.

Best Accessory

Manfrotto New 190 collection

Best Lighting System

The Nissin i40 was voted best lighting system by the TIPA editors.

Best Mobile Imaging

Photosmith 3 got voted as the best mobile imaging. Have you tried it?

Best Storage Solutions

Choosing a memory card isn’t as easy as one may think, but now that TIPA has declared the SanDisk Extreme PRO SDHC/SDXC UHS-II Memory Card the best in 2014, you might have an easier time deciding on which one to get for your beloved camera.

Best Camcorder

Wondered what is the best camcorder you can buy at the moment? Well, TIPA decided that Sony FDR-AX100 was it!

Digital Compact Cameras

The two high-end digital compact cameras on our list, the Nikon AW1 (mirrorless) and the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II are very impressive cameras indeed. If you are interested in purchasing a digital compact camera, then let’s take a quick look at the key features and specifications that these cameras possess.

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II has a 12.8 megapixel 1.5″-type CMOS sensor and a Digic 6 processor. The 24-120mm equivalent F2.0-3.9 lens with optical IS is really amazing and the dual (customizable) control rings along with the tilting 3″, 1.04M dot touchscreen LCD make the picture-taking experience a great one with the new Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II. It is capable of 5.2 fps continuous shooting and maintains same angle-of-view at 4:3 and 3:2. It has Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication abilities along with remote control via smartphone. It takes 1080/30p videos and it has an optional XGA electronic viewfinder. The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II costs $799.

The Nikon AW1 is a mirrorless waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof camera. The camera is freezeproof and could go unprotected in temperatures as low as 14F (-10C), it is waterproof down to 49 feet (15 meters) and shockproof from up to 6.6 feet (2 meters). It has a 14MP C-format (2.7x crop factor) CMOS sensor and an ISO of 100-6400. You can view all your photos on its 3-inch LCD that has a whopping 921,000 dots. The Nikon AW1 also has built-in GPS with compass, altimeter, and depth meter and an Action Control system for underwater/gloved operation. You can even do PASM shooting through the ‘Creative Mode’ menu. The camera shoots 15 fps in burst mode with continuous AF, 60 fps with single AF and it also takes full HD 1080p video. The Nikon AW1 is priced at $746.

If you have any questions about any product on this list, feel free to drop us a line in the comment section below and we would be more than happy to assist!

10 Photography Tips for Mirorrless Cameras

More and more people are choosing mirrorless cameras over digital single reflex lens cameras (DSLRs). Some do it because they are transitioning from a compact camera, others because they are too intimidated by the size and feature set of a DSLR.

Understanding your Mirrorless

y1First, in order to work your camera, you need to understand it. Mirrorless are in the Digital Compact Cameras category, which means they have tiny sensors and exchanging lenses is impossible. Being compact is one of the best attributes you can find in a MILC (mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera).

So, a MILC is like a digital SLR, only without the mirrors and all the extra features. It is also much, much smaller and lighter than a digital SLR, which means it is more versatile and chances are that you will be using it more on a daily basis, because it can easily fit in your bag. A MILC menu of controls and operation is very similar to a compact camera. But the best thing about mirrorless is that it has large sensors that help improve the image quality, giving you more accurate results.

Some people use a MILC as their only camera, other use it as an extension, while some photographers have a MILC that they take out on a daily basis, taking quick, beautiful snapshots. Either way, here are some tricks for you to make the best use of your mirrorless camera.

Mirorrless Camera Photography Tips

#1 The first tip is to invest in extra lenses. If you’ve purchased a camera with interchangeable lenses, take advantage of them. Most cameras come with the 18-35 mm zoom lens which is okay – until it isn’t. These lenses are versatile and functional, but they get in the way of achieving amazing results. For starters, you should use a wide-angle prime lens, which will help you take the most advantage of your tiny camera body. Look into the 35 mm or 50 mm prime with a maximum aperture of f/2.0 or faster. The point is, the lower the number, the better for you.

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#2 In a mirrorless camera, the light gets through the lens, without a mirror, right onto the image sensor. This means that the more light that comes through the lens, the higher the sensor and the better the picture.

#3 High-end MILC use contrast detection to adjust their autofocus, while others only have contrast-detection AF. When looking to buy a MILC, the best advice is to go for one that has focusing settings similar to DSLRs. Nobody wants their pictures to be out-of-focus.

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#4 Ideally, all MILCs have full Manual mode, Aperture and Shutter Speed. If you are a novice, you can try Program mode. The exposure will be correct, and this mode will also let you play around with Iso light sensitivity which is great for low light conditions.

#5 Canon mirrorless cameras have modes that some DSLRs don’t. Some of the features give you control over the level of background blur or adjusting the depth of fields and color richness.

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#6 For moving photos, you should place your camera on a tripod and put it on Shutter Priority mode. Set the shutter speed to 1/250 seconds. This way, you will capture most of the movement. If what you’re capturing is a really fast movement, adjust the shutter speed to 1/1250. This should be enough to freeze the moment.

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#7 When taking portraits with your MILC keep in mind that you have full control over the depth of field, so use the Aperture Priority mode as much as you can. 35mm prime (no zooming) lens or even a 50mm on a full frame camera will allow you to get the best results in photographing people. The aperture should be at around f/8, and if the distance between you and the subject is less than 6 meters, go for an aperture of f/5.6 or larger.

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#8 Almost the same tricks apply when taking a landscape photograph, only now you aperture should be of f/9 or higher to keep things in the distance in focus. If you look to have everything in the picture as sharp as possible, set your aperture to 20 or even higher, and consider using wide-angle lens.

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#9 Shooting in low light is tricky with any sort of camera, but once you get the hang of it, you will take amazing pictures. For example, using a tripod is advisable, but if you don’t have one, you needn’t worry. Turn your camera to Shutter Priority and set the shutter speed to 1/60 a second. If you don’t own a tripod, you could use something else, such as a table, or a pile of books on a chair on which to rest the camera.

#10 Even when shooting with a MILC, you should never neglect the ISO function. This allows you to get more detail in dark rooms or during the night. Of course, you could set it on Auto Mode and let the camera choose the right ISO, but you would get better results if you did it yourself.

After all, you know best. The general rule is that the higher the ISO, the more grained the image will be. Usually, during daytime, a low ISO of 100 or 200 is advisable. In low light conditions, use an ISO of 3200, especially with a mirror lens. Some MILCs offer features that help you with the noise reduction. Read the manual first and then experiment.

Conclusion

The obvious advantage of having a mirrorless camera is that your back will never suffer again from carrying your heavy DSLR. The results are similar to professional digital SLRs which is a big plus for a mirrorless. Plus, a MILC is better for a casual photographer who wants to take pictures all day.

A serious shooter is always going to go for a DSLR, especially in a studio or out in the wild. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter which one you have, because there is absolutely no difference in image quality.

They both take excellent photos, but of course, they need you to make that happen.

DSLR Guide for Beginners: The Best Entry Level DSLR Tips

So, you’ve purchased your first DSLR camera, have you? You most likely read the manual, watched tutorials, asked your fellow photographer friends for tips. And still, you are reluctant to experiment with your new purchase. Do you find it easier to just use the Auto function? You don’t even take the camera out with you because you find it too difficult and somewhat embarrassing to fiddle around with various settings? This guide on the best entry level DSLR tips for photographers just starting out. [Read more…]

Creative Photo Ideas for Spring 2015

Here are some awesome creative photo ideas for you to try along with the necessary tips to achieve the looks and style in these photos. These are very useful for both professional photographers and amateur ones who want to have a little fun with some beautiful shots.

Shoot a daring fashion photo

Creative Photo Ideas

Seeing how winter is coming to an end, why not try to lift up everybody’s spirits by shooting a very vibrant and colorful image. This is a great technique used by Dan Comaniciu, a fashion photographer.

He says that you don’t have to make your model wear very brightly colored clothes or use a colorful backdrop, as it is quite easy to edit the whole picture in Photoshop.

Tips

Even though it’s very easy to edit the photos‘ colors in Photoshop, it helps to have the right lighting when taking the picture. The photographer used two Hensel lights along with strip soft boxes on the sides of his subject, at around 90 degree angles. This gives the subject a very special almost sculptural feel.

It’s very important to light your backdrop uniformly. Comaniciu made use of two flash lights, shot with the same levels through his soft boxes, pointed at the backdrop.

Creative Photo Ideas – Shoot Macro Photos

Creative Photo Ideas

Explore the miniature world that surrounds you. Macro photography lets you be creative and capture very beautiful images without leaving the comfort of your home.

There are a lot of subjects you can shoot by using macro photography. You may choose to go more traditional and shoot nature and flowers, or you may wish to use more abstract angles and shoot a regular object such as a spoon. Shooting water drops hitting a surface seems to work pretty well too.

There are some rules you must follow when shooting macro photography, though. To capture a great image you will need a macro lens with a ratio aspect of 1:1. However, if you don’t own something like this, you can improvise and connect an extension tube to whatever standard lens you have.

The aperture setting is one of the most important aspects when it comes to macro photography.

Because of the very close proximity in which you take your shot, the depth of field looks to be very low, even when you close the aperture.

A great technique used in macro photography is to take more shots with different exposures and different focus points and edit them all together to form a single sharp image.

Tips for the Creative Photo Ideas

You will need a tripod because you will be forced to shoot using a very narrow aperture setting.

You might want to use an additional light to make your subject look great. LED panels are a very easy and fast solution.

To end up with very sharp images make use of the Liveview feature and switch the setting of focus to manual. Make sure your focal point is very sharp before taking the shot.

Shoot people on the go

Creative Photo Ideas

Taking digital photography shots of random people on the street may seem a little challenging, but busy centers are filled with great opportunities to shoot great images of people on the go.

Photographer Adam Hinton made a trip to Tokyo to work on a personal project.

He said that his initial intention was to photograph people on the streets of Tokyo on their way to work. He wanted to make a purely esthetic project with no social commentary whatsoever. However, Adam did say after starting the project that people who are on their way to work often look focused, serious and very tired.

He shot the images by standing in the center of the busiest street in Tokyo in the morning rush. He took shots of every person who walked through a beam of light that he spotted in the crowd.

Tips

The photographer advises everyone not to be gimmicky in their approaches. You should avoid signs or humor and look at the subject aesthetically to understand what statement you’re making.

Don’t carry a lot of things with you as you will want to stay very light when shooting in a large crowd.

Shoot your local wildlife

Creative Photo Ideas

You don’t have to travel to Africa to get great shots of wildlife and Jamie Hall proves this with his amazing photographs.

He said he wanted to shoot deer in an urban location to stand out of the crowd and he went in different parks and woods in cities where deer usually were hiding. The photographer said that you must study their movements as they are creatures of habit. After studying them you will be able to predict where the animals will go.

He said that even though deer are going in urban environments they’re still very nervy animals and you won’t be able to get too close to them. You must really be aware of the creature’s habits to get great shots of the animal.

Tips

Do some research in order to find out where your local wildlife can be found.

Jamie said that in most shots he used shutter speeds of 1/30 seconds to 3 seconds. This means that you will have to take shots of the animal while it’s standing perfectly still.

Shoot a creative abstract

Creative Photo Ideas

You won’t have to travel very far to find some amazing shapes, patterns and textures in man-made environments and natural ones.

Mark Mason shoots what he refers to as threatened things, temporary things and hopelessly out of the way objects.

He explains that the textures, colors and shapes of an object are vessels such as words in a poem that helps him explain what he feels at the moment he’s taking the shot.

The image is shot in an auto graveyard close to Route 66. He chose not to photograph the rusty cars and instead captured fascinating textures and patterns in the metal of those cars.

Tips

For the image, he used a Canon EOS-3 with 135mm f/2 lens.

He doesn’t recall the exposure he used but says he mounted the camera on a tripod so most likely he used f/5.6 because that metal was flat.

It’s very important to have great lighting when taking the shot. Mark says he was standing in the shadow of a trailer but the dirt on the metal reflected the light coming from the sun evenly.

So there you have it. This was our list of some creative photo ideas for you to try this March.

Images source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

8 Urban Photography Tips for Urban Landscape Photographers

Hong Kong Urban Photography by Thomas Birke 254534524

Many photographers do not go head first into the wild jungle of concrete urban photography in metropolitan environments have to offer, simply because there is so much information going on out there that you it is quite hard to focus on something. However, there are some brave photographers that are not afraid of the challenge so if you are among them, here are some great tips which may help you out with your urban landscape photography.

Given the fact that you either do not have a lot to work with or quite the opposite, you have too much, you need to get creative. All the rules that apply in general photography, apply for urban landscape photographers as well so make sure you know everything about focal points, exposure, ISO and light before you embark on the trip of an urban landscape photographer.

1. Avoid Areas with Billboards

When talking about urban photography, the average person immediately thinks about portrait photography. You can see these huge billboards with portraits everywhere and they take up so much space that you cannot see anything that is happening beside them. If you want to be a true urban landscape photographer, focus on the word landscape. Try finding areas where you can mix together different architecture styles, where you see buildings blending with the color of the sky or where you find buildings which simply work well together. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

2. Be Careful Gear-wise

You will most likely have to have more than one lens when going outside to take some great photographs. Choose a wide angle and a zoom lens for urban photography. The wide angle adds depth of field and is great for capturing the big picture while the longer focal length allows you to capture details.

3. Choose a Theme

It is easier to accomplish a goal if you have one from the beginning. Of course you can be spontaneous and just go out and start taking pictures but if you have a theme in mind, it is going to be easier to focus on the small things as well. When you search for something specific, you will also notice what happens around it.

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4. Find Mirrors

Many modern buildings choose reflective materials as their outside surface so why not take advantage of that? Think on those beautiful landscape photographs which show a scene reflected in water, you can have that in an urban environment as well, by using buildings instead of water.

5. Find the Best Angle

Given the fact that buildings usually have lots of lines you can work with, be careful when it comes to your shooting angle. A photograph with no sense of perspective is something you want to avoid at all cost. If possible, try taking photographs of buildings or city streets from a level that allows you to create a good looking perspective. If you want to shoot a building from bottom to top, be careful that the edge lines of your photograph are parallel with the edge lines of the building; otherwise you will end up with a distorted perspective.

Urban Photography

6. Shoot at Different Moments of the Day

You will be surprised on how urban photography of random objects, street scenes or buildings can turn out during different moments of the day. Try going out one day in the morning, capture some photographs of your favorite building, coffee shop or street. Come back and take the same photographs in the afternoon and during the night and see how light influences not only your photographs but also the subjects of your photography.

7. Use Contrasts

If you want to attract the human eye into a certain point of your photography, you need to use contrasts. This also works if you want to make a statement or make a certain idea known, through your photography. By using contrasts, you can make people see a whole new part of their city, one that they may not be even aware of. For example, if you want to attract people’s attention on how much garbage they produce daily, try capturing pictures of overfilled trash cans around your town and of people ignoring it.

If you want to see how urban environments blend it with nature, try finding the perfect angle from where you can shoot a building blending in with the sky. See how the building changes depending on the color of the sky (this works amazing with buildings with a reflective surface). There are countless of ways to make people see what you want them to see by using contrasts.

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8. Do not Focus on People

Whether it is you intention or not, if you shoot a picture of an urban landscape and it happens to have people in it, the focal point will automatically be set on the people. That it is just how the human mind works. You need to choose what exactly you want: an urban landscape blurred out by the people or simply an urban landscape photograph. An urban landscape photograph means that you will have to exclude people from it.