Polarizer Filters: What They Are & When They Can Be Used in Photography |  |
- Polarizer Filters: What They Are & When They Can Be Used in Photography
- Best Canon Lenses for Landscape and Wildlife Photography
- How to Create a Blizzard in a Photography Studio
| Polarizer Filters: What They Are & When They Can Be Used in Photography Posted: 16 Jun 2013 10:22 PM PDT The Benefits of Using a Polarizing FilterThere are few more important things that a nature photographer can do to improve his or her photography than becoming familiar with the use of the polarizing filter. What can a polarizing filter do? Among other things it can darken the sky, remove reflections from water, and make foliage appear less shiny. Colour saturation is also significantly enhanced. It is the only filter for use with colour film that can do all of this. What is a Polarizing Filter?It is a filter for sunlight that attempts to block out the light rays that often cause glare, while still allowing the desired light through. Designed with layers of filters that form right angles with each other, the system within the polarizing filter is generally quite effective. But, due to the way that the layers prevent some light from entering the lens, it is necessary to rotate the filter so that it allows the light you want to enter.  “Polarizing Filter Examples” captured by Aidan. Working with the FilterSince it’s necessary to visually tune or adjust a polarizing filter, some people believe that it’s not possible to use one with a rangefinder camera, but that is not the case. Some manufacturers have created ingenious solutions to this problem, but there’s also a simpler way. If you have a polarizer that has markings around the rim, simply hold the filter in front of you while pointing at the subject and note the angle of the mark. If it’s at, say, one o’clock at maximum polarization, then put the filter on the camera and turn it so that the mark is again at one o’clock when it’s on the lens. Heliopan polarizers are preferred for this reason; they have continuous numerical marks around the periphery of the filter. Another easy solution for previewing the effects of polarization is to wear polarized sunglasses. Just remember, when looking at a scene, to tilt your head from side to side to change the angle of polarization. If this is uncomfortable, you could simply take the sunglasses off and hold them in front of you as you rotate them. If you wear prescription glasses, you can order them polarized the next time you renew. The ChallengesWhile looking through your camera, be careful not to wear polarized sunglasses AND use a polarizing filter at the same time. If you used both, you would basically keep all light from entering and would more than likely see nothing as you attempt to take your shot. Thus, the solution is to use one or the other–but not both!  “Cottonball Sky” captured by Laszlo Ilyes. “Essentially straight from the camera, the unusually strange sky you see results from the use of a polarizing filter, a wide angle lens, and considerable help from mother nature,” Iyles explains. The second issue with polarizers and very wide-angle lenses is the thickness of the filter. By their nature, polarizers are thick filters because they have a double ring, the first of which mounts the filter to the lens and the second which is the rotating polarizing element. If the lens is wider than about 24mm, when used at small apertures the edge of the ring can cause vignetting at the corners of the frame. The solution is to buy a “thin” polarizer. One option is to buy a single polarizer of the largest size that you need and then to buy step-down rings to fit it to your smaller lenses. However, this is not something you should attempt in the field if there are difficult weather conditions. Knowing the solutions for these challenges will help you enjoy all the benefits that polarizing filters offer. Get ready for some spectacular photos. Have fun in the field! About the Author: Go to full article: Polarizer Filters: What They Are & When They Can Be Used in Photography |
| Best Canon Lenses for Landscape and Wildlife Photography Posted: 16 Jun 2013 01:47 PM PDT I have been a wildlife and travel photographer using Canon equipment for about 25 years now. Through the decades, I have used almost all of Canon’s cropped and full frame cameras and their EF and EF-S lenses. Spring is finally here, and many photographers are gearing up to go out to their favorite spots and start clicking up a storm. As some of you may know, my preference is to travel light on photo shoots. I generally carry zoom lenses instead of prime lenses. There is a never-ending debate on the image quality of professional prime vs. zoom lenses, but for my purposes, the difference is without a distinction. I will let the situation dictate the lens choice instead of the other way round. The following lenses are some of my recommendations, derived from years of experience out in the field on photo shoots. These are my personal opinions and will not accommodate every situation or every photographer’s needs. A great value and all around lens for travel, landscape, and wildlife photography. This lens is always on my EOS-1D X or EOS-1D Mk IV cameras when I take travel or close-up wildlife shots. It offers excellent build and image quality at a reasonable price. The focal lengths and speed are ideal for indoor and outdoor shooting conditions, although the IS offers only a two stop advantage. I would love to see Canon bring out a Series II version with the latest coatings and a four stop IS system.  “The Photographer” captured by Richard Taylor using a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS . This lens is great for wide angle landscape shots on full frame cameras like the 1Ds Mk III or EOS-5D Mk III. It also serves as a versatile travel lens on the EOS-1D Mk IV. It’s very sharp and fast and can be used indoors when flash photography is prohibited. Adding IS to this lens would be nice, but that would add additional weight. If price is a consideration, I would recommend the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L lens.  “Boarded Up” captured by Justin Jensen using a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM. This is my favorite EF-S lens and will go great with the EOS-7D camera as a general purpose lens. This is not an inexpensive lens, but the build and image quality are first rate, and the constant aperture across the zoom range is great for capturing images in low light conditions.  “CPH ZOO The Arctic Ring” captured by Stig Nygaard using a Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. With its unique focal length range, this lens is the widest fisheye zoom lens available on the market. It delivers a 180 degree diagonal angle of view images for all EOS SLR cameras with imaging formats ranging from full-frame to APS-C, and provides 180 degree circular fisheye images for full-frame EOS models. I use this lens to photograph whales and other marine animals when I am in the water. I use my EOS-1D Mk IV camera with the lens and the AquaTech underwater housing, topped with a dome lens port for maximum angle of view. On land, this super wide angle lens captures stunning nature photos and stimulate creativity.  “Southwark Cathedral” captured by Aurelien Guichard using a EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM. This is a super sharp, fast lens for close-up wildlife action, with IS providing up to four stops of correction at all focal lengths. I have used this lens for years, and the latest version is the best yet. It’s an excellent lens for close-up, low light travel, and wildlife photography. It works well with both the 1.4X and 2.0X extenders. The lens is very solidly built and stands up to heavy-duty field use.  “Dashing through the snow” captured by Dmitry Kalinin using a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. I held off on buying this lens for awhile, because the EF 70-300mm DO was such a disappointment for me. The extra reach and lighter weight (compared to the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II) of this lens comes in handy when I am photographing larger wildlife in decent light. The lens has excellent four stop IS compensation. This is another great lens for cetacean and wildlife photo shoots. The drawbacks are that extenders cannot be used on this lens, and it does not come with a tripod ring. This is a lightweight, all around wildlife lens with an excellent build quality. It uses a push-pull design to get from 100mm to 400mm. I am not a fan of this kind of setup because the lens is susceptible to dust getting inside the tube. Although not a fast lens, its versatility more than offsets the shortcomings. The lens is excellent for wildlife and whale photography. Image quality is decent with the 1.4X extender on EOS-1D bodies. Rumor has it Canon will come out with the EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS II as a replacement later this year. Read my blog post on this topic. When I am restricted to just one lens or it is impractical to change lenses in the middle of a shoot, I reach for the EF 28-300mm. This versatile 10X+ zoom lens has very good optical performance and can focus down to less than two and a half feet over the entire focal length. One can use this as an emergency macro lens, especially when used with the APS-C camera. This is a great wildlife lens, especially in Hawaii. I call this my “Maui lens’” because the Humpback whales can approach just a few feet from my Zodiac boat, and this lens will capture the image with little problem, even on APS-C cameras. The drawback is the weight: 3.7 pounds. Hand-holding this lens with a EOS-1 body can be tiring after awhile. This is another superb, hand-holdable wildlife lens. Unless speed is paramount, I prefer this lens over the EF 300mm f/2.8L II IS because it gives up a very small difference in sharpness at about half the weight and a fraction of the price. The lens works well with the 1.4X extender. In an emergency, the 2.0X extender can work as well with the EOS-1D bodies, but the image quality is not great. Excellent image quality plus mobility, makes this lens a great value. The built-in lens hood is really nice, as well.  “Malabar Crested Lark” captured by Sandeep Gangadharan using a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS. This is my favorite Canon lens for wildlife photography. Although not the sharpest in Canon’s lineup, the weight, speed, and performance combination is hard to beat for a full day’s photo shoot without a tripod. I have taken most of my bird-in-flight shots with this amazingly underrated lens. The lens performs well with the 1.4X and 2.0X extenders. When used with the 1D MK IV, I can shoot at 1000mm focal length hand-holding the combo. This gives me unmatched mobility and reach. A Series II version of this lens with the latest coatings and a four stop IS system would be most welcomed. This is my favorite super telephoto lens in Canon’s lineup when I use a tripod. I have the Series I version of this lens and have been holding off on an upgrade until the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS + 1.4X is available for comparison. The EF 500mm is one of Canon’s sharpest lenses, and it’s a great wildlife lens. When I use a full sized tripod, this lens is my choice. Sadly, the Series I lens has been discontinued and replaced by the Series II version. The new lens reduces the weight by 1.5 pounds and comes with improved optics but at a much higher price. If you already have the Series I lens, I am not recommending an upgrade unless money is no concern. Personally, I don’t find the marginal improvement to be worth the price, but if you’re looking for a super telephoto lens, this is an excellent choice. Try to purchase a lightly used Series I lens if you’d like to save. About the Author: Go to full article: Best Canon Lenses for Landscape and Wildlife Photography |
| How to Create a Blizzard in a Photography Studio Posted: 16 Jun 2013 11:19 AM PDT On location shooting can be tough. The weather can be harsh and unpredictable, the lighting changes, there are environmental dangers, and you have to lug all your equipment from your studio to your location and back again. So why not skip the field trip and create your own environment inside a studio? That’s what commercial photographer Joey L. decided to do when he needed to photograph his subjects in a blizzard (for those reading this by email, the video can be seen here): You wouldn’t think that a blizzard would be very easy to recreate, but Joey L. makes it look fairly simple. With a fake snow maker and an assistant waving a big piece of cardboard, he manages to produce a decently realistic snow storm. If you’re looking to create your own indoor environment, keep these things in mind:
 Would you have guessed this was taken in a studio? Go to full article: How to Create a Blizzard in a Photography Studio |
| You are subscribed to email updates from PictureCorrect Photography Tips To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment