Digital Photo Pro 20150506

Published on April 2017 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 37 | Comments: 0 | Views: 400

of 84

Content

ART LINE
BY SIGMA
Designed for exceptional
speed and clarity, the

lenses in Sigma’s Art Line

provide the level of optical
performance for the most
demanding photographers

F

or more than 50 years, Sigma has been
dedicated to continually refining their
approach to the design of superior
photographic optics. As part of that
practice, Sigma reorganized their lens offerings into
three distinct lines: Sports, Contemporary and Art. This
strategy emphasizes that each line is developed with
consideration of the unique photographic challenges
specific to the photographer and the subject.
Sigma’s Art Line currently comprises nine lenses— 30mm
F1.4 DC HSM | A, 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | A, 24mm
F1.4 DG HSM | A, 24-105mm F4 DG (OS)* HSM | A,
50mm F1.4 DG HSM | A, 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | A, 19mm
F2.8 DN | A, 30mm F2.8 DN | A, 60mm F2.8 DN | A—all
of which are designed and built to the highest standards.
In the line, there are lenses compatible with full-frame,
APS-C and Micro Four Thirds formats. Demanding
photographers, regardless of which camera system they
use, who place a high value on sharpness, contrast,
clarity and maximum control over depth of field, will find
the Sigma Art line was conceived with them in mind.

The newest addition to the Sigma Art
Line is the 24mm F1.4 DG HSM | A
for Sigma, Canon and Nikon Mounts.
A premium wide-angle lens designed
for use with full-frame cameras,
it can also be used with APS-C
sensor cameras. FLD and SLD glass
elements minimize distortion for
outstanding color and clarity.

With its fast maximum aperture of
ƒ/1.8 throughout the zoom range,
the 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | A is
the first lens of its kind. In addition
to being fast, it’s ideal for video
work with its Hyper Sonic Motor
(HSM) that provides smooth,
precise autofocus. It’s available in
Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and
Sony mounts.

Also available in the Art Line are three prime lenses
designed for use with mirrorless cameras: the 19mm F2.8
DN | A, 30mm F2.8 DN | A and the 60mm F2.8 DN | A.
Available for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount systems,
these lenses provide uncompromising image quality in wide
and standard focal lengths. All three feature Sigma’s new
linear AF motor, which moves lens elements directly without
gears for accurate and quiet autofocus, ideal for video.

www.sigmaphoto.com

Exceptional Images
Images by: Stephen W. Oachs, jessica Quintal, Nicole Sepulveda, Annie K Rowland, Scott Robert Lim, Neil Simmons

Deserve an Exceptional Presentation

Display Your Images in Their Element
Choose our Wood Prints to lend a warm, natural feel to your images, or MetalPrints infused on aluminum for a vibrant,
luminescent, modern look. Both options provide exeptional durability and image stability, for a gallery-worthy display
that will last a lifetime. Available in a wide range of sizes, perfect for anything from small displays to large installations.

Learn more at bayphoto.com/pro-products

25%
OFF
Your First Order!

*Get 25% off your first order with Bay Photo Lab! For instructions
on how to redeem this special offer, fill out the New Customer
Account Request form at bayphoto.com.

Stunning Prints
on Natural Wood or High Deﬁnition Metal

Quality. Service. Innovation.
We’re here for you!

MAY/JUNE 2015

Vol. 13 No. 3

digitalphotopro.com

Contents
Features
PORTFOLIOS

36 DAVID DOUGLAS DUNCAN’S
20TH CENTURY
Renowned photojournalist David Douglas
Duncan hopes to inﬂuence the future by
connecting dots of the past in his new
book My 20th Century
By Ashley Myers-Turner 쏜쏜
Photography By David Douglas Duncan

44 2014 BLACK & WHITE
WORLD CONTEST WINNERS
We showcase the winning photographs from
the 2014 DPP Black & White World contest

50 AIR
Vincent Laforet utilizes the crowd-funding
model to take his aerial photo series “AIR”
around the world

David Douglas Duncan

By Ashley Myers-Turner 쏜쏜
Photography By Vincent Laforet

Editor’s Note

In this issue of
Digital Photo Pro,
we feature an article by Courtney Dailey.
The Los Angeles-based photographer has
become a role model for emerging pros
for more than her ability to take photos.
Dailey is an excellent example of a photographer who never loses her cool on set,
and in the article “View From The Top,” she
gives some great advice for everyone who
works with challenging clients—and that’s
really everyone.
For a lot of young, talented photogra-

6 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

phers who have been encouraged to take
a “my way or I won’t do the job” approach,
Dailey’s advice is particularly important. She
is the Shao-lin master to the emerging photographer’s Grasshopper, encouraging the
headstrong youth to use the opponent’s
energy to create an even more potent strike.
Martial arts TV analogies aside, Dailey builds
business by ﬁnding a way to be a creative
partner even when the client doesn’t think
they want one.
The era when the photographer was
expected to rule the set with an iron ﬁst is

over. In an age of social media and blogging
platforms that enable anyone to have a voice,
the value of collaborative processes is being
seen by everyone, from the client to the talent. Of course, there has to be order and
there has to be a leader, but the job of the
leader is now to encourage feedback rather
than stiﬂing it.
In addition to Dailey’s article, we have a
number of articles around this issue’s Black
& White theme. The appeal of monochrome
never dies. After years of distilling the process
of converting color images to black-and-white

in software, many photographers are ﬁnding
value in going back to more of a longhand
method. Ming Thein is a photographer and
blogger based in Kuala Lumpur, and his
article on evaluating an image and using the
channel mixer to make the conversion will
give you new insights into what’s possible
beyond Nik Silver Efex Pro.
I’m also extremely excited to have a
proﬁle of the great photojournalist David
Douglas Duncan. At age 99, Duncan was
a witness to and part of many of the most
important events of the 20th century. DPP

Associate Editor Ashley Myers-Turner interviewed Duncan, and his anecdotes and
comments about the changing nature of
photojournalism, as well as his role in bringing
so many of the 20th century’s stories to life,
are both inspiring and thought-provoking.
As I wrap up this editorial, I want to point
you over to the DPP website. Earlier this year
we gave digitalphotopro.com a completely
new look. The responsive design lets you
enjoy the content on any device, from a large
Cinema Display down to a smartphone. In
addition to the new look, we’ve also been

adding new online-exclusive content. Have
a look at the new Hands-On Gear Reviews to
see our take on cameras, lenses and other
equipment for pros. Getting to this new look
and new content has been a long time coming, and we’re going to be adding much more
in the coming weeks and months. Please
let me know what you think and what other
content you’d like to see. You can ﬁnd me on
Twitter @DPPRobinson or you can email me
at [email protected].
—Christopher Robinson,
Publisher/Editor

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 7

EDITORIAL
CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON
Publisher/Editor
WESLEY G. PITTS
Managing Editor

MAY/JUNE 2015

Vol. 13 No. 3

MAGGIE DEVCICH
Senior Articles Editor

digitalphotopro.com

ASHLEY MYERS-TURNER
Associate Editor
MIKE STENSVOLD
Senior Editor

Contents

J. ANA FLORES, KRISTAN ASHWORTH
Copy Editors
DAVID SCHLOSS
Contributing Technical Editor

Equipment

JOHN PAUL CAPONIGRO, ROBERT HAWK,
MICHAEL GUNCHEON, WILLIAM SAWALICH
Contributing Editors

68 MONOCHROME CAPTURE
Dedicated black-and-white digital cameras can
deliver better and sharper images for those who
don’t have a need for color

JEFF SCHEWE, DOUG SPERLING
Professional Advisors

ART
KURT R. SMITH
Art Director

TECH

ERIC BECKETT
Assistant Art Director

60 MONOCHROME CONVERSION

CANDICE OTA
Graphic Designer

Instead of always taking a one-click solution, learn
how to take control over the subtle tones to create
richer, more nuanced black-and-white images

WWW.DIGITALPHOTOPRO.COM
WESLEY G. PITTS
Online Director

Text & Photography By Ming Thein

MIKE DECKER
Web Art Director

PHOTO BUSINESS

DAMIAN GREENE
Web Developer

72 VIEW FROM THE TOP

LISETTE ROSE
Web Production Associate

Energy, ﬂexibility and a fearless attitude—pro beauty
photographer Courtney Dailey shares insights on how
to keep clients coming back

IMAGING GROUP

By Kristan Ashworth
Photography By Courtney Dailey

Executive Art Director

CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON
Publisher/Editorial Director

KURT R. SMITH
MAGGIE DEVCICH
Copy Chief

EDITORIAL OFFICES
Werner Publishing Corporation
12121 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1200
Los Angeles, CA 90025-1176
(310) 820-1500

Printed in the U.S.A.

20
24

Digital Photo Pro is published by Werner Publishing Corp. Executive, editorial and
advertising ofﬁces: 12121 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1200, Los Angeles, CA 900251176, (310) 820-1500. Email us (editorial matters only) at [email protected] or visit our website at www.digitalphotopro.com Copyright © 2015 by
Werner Publishing Corp. No material may be reproduced without written permission. This publication is purchased with the understanding that information presented is from many sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility
by the publisher as to accuracy, originality or completeness. It is sold with the
understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing instruction as a substitute for appropriate training by qualiﬁed
sources. EDITORIAL SUBMISSION: Digital Photo Pro assumes no responsibility
for solicited or unsolicited contributions and materials. Submissions for review
should be limited to no more than 40 photographs. Please submit duplicates
for our review. Otherwise, insurance for such materials, in transit or in our possession, must be the responsibility of the writer or photographer. Digital Photo Pro
does not accept or agree to the conditions and stipulations printed on delivery
memos, packing slips and related correspondence as they are presented without
prior notice accompanying submission materials. Exceptions to this disclaimer
of liability on the part of Digital Photo Pro must be prearranged, executed in writing and signed by both parties prior to the shipment of materials in question.
All submissions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope
(SASE) with sufﬁcient postage to cover the cost of return. The class of mail and
insurance coverage for returns will be determined by the amount provided for on
the SASE. Writer/photographer guidelines are available on request, with the enclosure of an SASE. SUBSCRIBERS: Any obligation we owe to you, including delivery
of your magazine, is contingent upon you providing us with your correct mailing
address. If the Post Ofﬁce notiﬁes us that your magazine is undeliverable, we
have no further obligation to you unless we receive a corrected address from you
within two years of the Post Ofﬁce notiﬁcation. BACK ISSUES are available for one
year prior to the current issue. To order within U.S., send $9.00 plus $4.00 postage and handling (Canada: $9.00 plus $5.00; International: $9.00 plus $10.00)
for each issue to Back Issue Dept., Digital Photo Pro, 12121 Wilshire Blvd., Suite
1200, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1176, or go online and visit the eStore. No orders
processed without proper funds and speciﬁc issue information.
Digital Photo Pro is a registered trademark of Werner Publishing Corp. Copyright
© 2015 Werner Publishing Corp. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in
part without permission is prohibited.

To Subscribe Or For Subscription Questions:
www.digitalphotopro.com or (800) 814-2993
or email DPOcustserv@cdsfulﬁllment.com

20
8 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Member, Alliance for
Audited Media

Member

Myth:
You can’t get shallow depth of ﬁeld
with mirrorless cameras.

Image shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M1
with the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f4.0 PRO lens
by Olympus Trailblazer, Peter Baumgarten

Fact: See photo above.
The powerfully compact Olympus OM-D E-M1 delivers an amazing shallow
depth of field with its patented system of digitally designed lenses. But
don’t take our word for it, get all the details at getolympus.com/myths.

GET POWER. GET PORTABLE. GET OLYMPUS.

E-M1

ADVERTISING/SALES
Los Angeles
(310) 820-1500, Fax (310) 826-5008
SCOTT LUKSH
Eastern Advertising Sales Manager

MAY/JUNE 2015

Vol. 13 No. 3

MARK HARRIS
Senior Advertising Sales Manager

digitalphotopro.com

MICHAEL E. MCMANN
Senior Advertising Sales Manager
CLAUDIA WARREN
Assistant Advertising Sales Manager

Contents

SIOBHAN VALENTINE
Advertising Coordinator

MARKETING

76 SOLUTIONS: PREFLIGHT

BASAK PRINCE
Marketing Manager

The future of drones for professionals is becoming clearer

KENT LAM
Digital Marketing Coordinator

COLUMNS

PRODUCTION/MANUFACTURING

26 VISIONEER’S GALLERY

JESSE GARCIA
Production Director

Harmonies
Julian Lennon’s “Horizon” exhibit links photojournalism

MAGGIE DEVCICH
Editorial Production Manager
TAMMY REYES
Production Manager

and ﬁne art for a humanitarian cause
By Baldev Duggal

CONSUMER MARKETING
LIZ ENGEL
Consumer Marketing Manager
SUE C. WILBUR
Data & Analytics Manager

28 (R)EVOLUTION
Synthetic Proﬁles
Make big changes to the image at a small pixel price

TOM FERRUGGIA
Newsstand Sales Manager

By John Paul Caponigro

BUSINESS/OPERATIONS
LORIE SHUMAN
Controller
BOB DORTCH
Director Of Digital Business Development

Departments
6 EDITOR’S NOTE 12 FIRST TAKES 20 DPP IN FOCUS
32 HI-TECH STUDIO: FILM SCANNERS
82 MISINFORMATION:
CAMERA TECH

DENISE PORTER
Accounting Assistant
J. ANA FLORES
Trademark & Copyright Manager
JASON ROSENWALD
Systems Manager

WERNER PUBLISHING CORPORATION
12121 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1200
Los Angeles, CA 90025-1176
(310) 820-1500

21

To sell Digital Photo Pro at your
establishment, contact: Kable Retail Services,
(888) 999-9839
For reprint information, contact:
Advertising/Sales, (310) 820-1500
For digital editions:
zinio.com/digitalphotopro

24

For an extensive archive of back issues:
www.digitalphotopro.com
For website help:
[email protected]

24
ON THE COVER: By Karolina Wilanecka, from the
2014 DPP B&W World Contest. See page 44.
Digital Photo Pro (ISSN: 1545-8520)—Vol. 13 No. 3—is published bimonthly except monthly in November and December by Werner Publishing Corp. Executive, editorial and advertising ofﬁces: 12121 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1176, (310) 820-1500. Periodicals Postage Paid at
Los Angeles, Calif., and at additional mailing ofﬁces. Single-copy price—$6.99. Annual subscription in U.S., Possessions, APO/FPO—$24.97. Canada—$39.97; other foreign—$39.97, including postage and taxes. Payable in U.S. funds. For orders, address changes and all other customer service, phone
toll-free (800) 814-2993. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Digital Photo Pro, Box 37857, Boone, IA 50037-0857. Canada Post Publications Mail Class Agreement No. 1559788. See magazine mast for speciﬁc information on solicited and unsolicited contributions and the purchase of back issues.

10 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Let Your Creativity Break Free
Earn a Degree or Take Classes
in San Francisco or Online

Visit www.academyart.edu to learn more about total costs,
median student loan debt, potential occupations and other
information. Accredited member WSCUC, NASAD, CIDA
(BFA-IAD, MFA-IAD), CTC (California Teacher Credential).

School of Photography // Advertising / Documentary / Fashion / Fine Art / Still Life

Student Photograph by Kim Smith
School of Photography

Academy of Art University
Founded in San Francisco 1929

888.680.8691 // www.academyart.edu
Yellow Ribbon Participant

their ideas. It’s been said that advertising art directors are frustrated photographers at heart, and most pros have experienced at least one creatively inclined client who
wanted to dictate the shot to the nth degree. Dailey has a knack for taking that kind of domineering approach from a client and rechanneling it to a more collaborative
end. Ultimately, the best art directors recognize when they have a partner instead of a gloriﬁed shutter-button-pusher.

12 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Courtney Dailey

FirstTakes
In the article “View From The Top,” Los Angeles-based fashion and beauty photographer Courtney Dailey gives insight into how she works with her clients to build on

14 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

evident. Dixon brings that same energy to the set, generating an atmosphere of creativity.

Featured in the April issue of Digital Photo Pro, Dixie Dixon’s professional photography career is on the fast track. For anyone who has attended one of her seminars, the dynamic young photographer’s boundless energy is immediately

FirstTakes

Dixie Dixon

16 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

In this issue of DPP, we’re proud to show the winners of Duggal Visual Solutions’
Capture the Moment contest. DPP Editor Christopher Robinson was one of the
judges for the contest, which is Duggal’s biggest of the year. Entries were judged on
the photograph and the story that went with it.
“The glaring difference between a photograph one remembers long after viewing
and one we might sadly forget too soon depends, in part, on whether the photo tells
an engaging story. As viewers, we crave these stories, visually told. In strong photos,
a story is self-evident, and the tale it tells might also evoke an emotional response,

Kiki, only one year old,
meeting her newborn
sister in the maternity
ward corridor of the
hospital. Kiki’s eyes and
hands express a unique
moment of deep love
among sisters.

Debora S.S.
Fidelis Cunha

First Place

FirstTakes

captivating viewers even further and burning the image into memory, allowing your
audience to unfold stories of their own, all in response to your art.
“In Duggal’s Capture the Moment Contest, we invite you to submit, along with your
photo for consideration, what you consider the story behind, or inside, your art. Together,
your image and story provide a unique record of one moment of inspiration. Your story
may be abstract, concrete, internal or external—it’s up to you. Tell us your story. Capture
the moment.”
For more information, check out the Duggal Connect blog at duggal.com/connect.

Duggal Visual Solutions’ Capture The Moment Contest Winners

Perspectives of power

Focal length: 15mm Exposure: F/11 0.6 sec ISO400 © Ian Plant

SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD
[Model A012] for Canon, Nikon, and Sony* mount
Introducing the world’s first** fast full-frame ultra-wide-angle
zoom with image stabilization
Push your vision even wider with the new Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD
zoom — the world’s first in its class with image stabilization. The latest addition
to Tamron’s line-up of SP (Super Performance) lenses, designed for both for full
frame and crop-sensor DSLRs, is built to the highest standards, and enables
you to capture images of expansive vistas free of annoying lens aberrations thanks
to Tamron’s use of proprietary XGM eXpanded Glass Molded Aspherical lens element
technology. This bold new zoom delivers superb corner-to-corner resolution—
equal to a prime lens— at every focal length and a bright F/2.8 aperture throughout
its 15-30mm zoom range. Its rugged design features a fluorine-coated front element—
which sheds water and repels dirt—and enhanced moisture resistant construction.
Fast. Ultra-wide. Image stabilized. Powerful from any perspective.
*Sony mount without VC
**For F/2.8 ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for full-frame DSLR cameras (Source: Tamron)

www.tamron-usa.com

FirstTakes

Duggal Visual Solutions’ Capture The Moment Contest Runners Up

1

2
18 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

3

4

1) Anna Marriage
This is my daughter Eleanor. We were watching the
rehearsal of her ﬁrst ballet show. The older girls were
on ﬁrst, and she watched them in the space in front
of the stages (where the rows of seats were to be put).
She stood and started emulating their moves; she
got totally absorbed in the moment as she danced
and tried to copy what they were doing—it was
magical—and loads of the parents saw what she was
doing and went “Awww.” She later was on stage as
one of the Alice in Wonderland bunnies. It was a
proud-parent moment.
2) Eric Tkindt
In August, somebody stole my Nikon D3S, so I was
obligated to buy another (a better one, with thanks
to my lovely wife), the Nikon D4S. This camera is
much better in high ISO, so I could now take pictures
in dark places, like boxing arenas. I went for the ﬁrst
time to Ghent to see boxing, and that night the last
ﬁght was for the World Title between the Brazilian
world champion Anderson Clayton and the Belgian
opponent Sasha Yengoyan. At a certain moment, the
Brazilian was going down in the corner where I stood,
so I could take this picture with the winner in the
opposite corner. In this picture, you see everything
that is “sports,” what it means: winning, losing,
emotion. A better sports photo I will never make. I
was at the right place in the right moment.
3) Froi Rivera
One afternoon, I was working in my house in good
weather. Suddenly, the rain started to fall strongly, and
I went to the window to take a look. I saw kids outside
still playing despite the rain, so I immediately ran and
grabbed a camera. I didn’t have an umbrella, so I just
took a towel with me and went outside on my balcony.
With just the towel to cover me, I took photos of these
kids running and playing. The rain was really strong,
ﬂooding the street ankle-deep. The light was good, and
the dynamism of raindrops and the ﬂow of ﬂooding
water was also timely. I waited for the one moment,
when the kids would eventually come close to each
other, which they did! They stretched their hands and
huddled, and I immediately took this shot.

5

4) Ian Gilmour
When I arrived at the station, which is a cold and
lonely place at this time of night, I had planned to
photograph the train guard with the signal box in the
background. When I had my camera and tripod set
up, a train pulled into the station, and just as it pulled
away, a man came running up the stairs and just
missed it by seconds. The next train was in one hour.
It was a very cold and frosty evening, and I pitied this
man standing, waiting in the freezing cold. (The café
wasn’t open.) I took this shot after a few minutes and
then went home to a warm ﬁre, still thinking about
him waiting there.
5) Jessica Santiago
I took this photograph in a retirement home. That day I
went there with a group of friends to celebrate Mother’s
Day with all the elderlies who live there. This old lady
barely could speak, but she was so happy to receive
our visit. She was so happy to know that she wasn’t
forgotten there. Me and my friends just wanted to give
something else to them on Mother’s Day last year, but
they gave so much more to us.

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 19

DPP In Focus
Came ras I Dig ital Equipment I Software I Printing I Stor age I Li ght i ng

New Tools Of The Trade

Canon EOS 5DS/5DS R
Now providing an affordable alternative to a medium-format camera, Canon has developed
the EOS 5DS and 5DS R models, which offer the highest resolution of any 35mm DSLR, to
date. Both the 5DS and 5DS R use a 50.6-megapixel, full-frame CMOS sensor and Dual DIGIC
6 processor, allowing quick 5 fps continuous shooting for capturing the full sharp, detailed
50-megapixel resolution, and the 5DS R model further maximizes sharpness with a canceled
low-pass ﬁlter. Both cameras use 61-Point High-Density Reticular AF with 41 cross-type
sensors and have a sensitivity of ISO 100-6400 (12,800 extended). The cameras have a
built-in intervalometer, shoot 1080p full HD video and offer a creative Time Lapse Movie
function that automatically builds a time-lapse video from still images. While the cameras
maintain the familiar 5D body, the chassis, baseplate and tripod lug have been reinforced
for stability and to reduce camera shake. List Price: $3,699 (5DS); $3,899 (5DS R).
Contact: Canon, www.usa.canon.com.

Ultrawide-Angle Zoom Lens
Tamron continues to add to the company’s unique line of lenses for full-frame
cameras with the SP 15-30mm ƒ/2.8 Di VC USD ultrawide-angle zoom lens.
The 18 optical lens elements in 13 groups include an eXpanded Glass Molded
Aspherical element, and several Molded-Glass
Aspherical and Low Dispersion elements,
preventing geometrical distortion and
ensuring lateral color correction
throughout the zoom range. Utilizing
Vibration Compensation, the lens corrects
for slight camera shake in low light and
slow shutter speed situations. The
Ultrasonic Silent Drive maintains quiet
autofocus action with high torque and
precision. The Broad-Band Anti-Reﬂection
coating and Extended Bandwidth &
Angular-Dependency coatings reduce
ghosting and ﬂare, while the ﬂuorine coating
repels dirt and water. List Price: $1,199.
Contact: Tamron, www.tamron-usa.com.

24mm F/1.4 Art Lens
Sigma has introduced the new 24mm ƒ/1.4 DG HSM Art
lens for full-frame DSLRs (38mm when used with an
APS-C sensor). A fast, wide lens that’s versatile among
many still photography genres, it’s also useful for video
work. The nine-blade aperture provides a round bokeh.
The 15 optical elements in 11 groups include FLD and
SLD glass for minimal chromatic aberration, particularly
at the edges of the frame. An aspherical element has
been placed at the rear of the lens to improve
performance when shooting wide open by correcting
axial chromatic aberration and sagittal coma ﬂare.
Easily switch from autofocus to manual focus by rotating
the focus ring, a feature introduced by the 50mm Art
lens. The 24mm ƒ/1.4 DG HSM Art lens is compatible
with the Sigma USB dock and Mount Conversion service.
List Price: $849. Contact: Sigma, www.sigmaphoto.com.

20 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

>> check out www.digitalphotopro.com/gear/in-focus for more info

OM-D E-M5 Mark II 쏜쏜
The new OM-D E-M5 Mark II by Olympus features a redesigned 16-megapixel Live MOS Micro Four Thirds
sensor combined with a TruePic VII Processor. The camera shoots with a 1/8000 mechanical shutter
speed and 1/16000 electronic shutter speed in Silent Mode. RAW ﬁles can be shot at up to 10
fps with S-AF and 5 fps with C-AF with tracking enabled. The 81-point Fast AF offers an
expanded focus area, while the Small Target AF focuses on a small area across the entire
frame. The 5-axis image stabilization provides 5.0 steps of compensation for sharp handheld
shots as slow as a 1⁄4-sec. shutter speed. A 40-megapixel High-Resolution Shot mode employs a
pixel-shift technique using the voice coil motor IS unit to capture eight sequential images,
moving the sensor 0.5-pixel steps between each shot and then combining images (use of a
tripod is recommended). Video mode captures 1080p up to a 60p frame rate, and includes an
external audio input and a headphone jack for audio monitoring. Movie Teleconverter, time-code
settings and an external HDMI monitor connection are also supported. The camera features a
dust- and splashproof body, and when paired with some M.ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses, can be used in
the rain. The Supersonic Wave Filter uses high-frequency movement to remove dust and debris from the sensor.
The OM-D E-M5 Mark II also features a three-inch, 1.04-million-dot vari-angle touch screen and 2.36-milliondot electric viewﬁnder, plus WiFi capability. List Price: $1,099. Contact: Olympus, www.getolympus.com.

Samsung NX500 쏜쏜
Samsung has taken the core technology of the NX1 and
packaged it in a small size, producing the powerful,
yet portable NX500. The 28-megapixel, backsideilluminated APS-C sensor and DRIMeV
processor provide quick high-quality stills and
video. The BSI APS-C sensor supports 4K and
UHD video recording with a built-in HEVC codec,
which compresses ﬁle size to maximize storage
space without harming quality. The DRIMeV
processor produces accurate color reproduction
with improved noise reduction, and when paired with
the Hybrid AF system, results in 9 fps continuous shooting. The NX500 also
includes Samsung Auto Shot, which uses motion detection to predict perfect
timing for capturing an action shot. The three-inch touch-screen display has
tilt and ﬂip functionality. The NX500 has built-in WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC
capability. List Price: $799. Contact: Samsung, www.samsung.com.

쏝쏝 Macro Lens
The wide-angle Panasonic LUMIX G MACRO
30mm ƒ/2.8 ASPH MEGA O.I.S. lens
offers sharp and high-contrast image
rendering to macro enthusiasts. The 1x
life-size magniﬁcation and 4.13-inch
focusing distance provide a deep depth
of ﬁeld, while the multicoated lens
elements reduce ghosting and ﬂare.
Nine lenses in nine groups make up the
240 fps Drive AF and MEGA O.I.S. for
accurate focus and stable framing. The
durable metal mount ensures reliability
for everyday use. List Price: TBA. Contact:
Panasonic, shop.panasonic.com.

Video Travel Tripod
The Aero Travel Tripod Kit for Video by Benro is a versatile and compact
option for shooters who are constantly on the go. The S2 version supports up to
5.5 pounds and folds to a compact 18.3 inches, while the S4 version supports
up to 8.8 pounds and folds to 21.7 inches. The tripods utilize a reversible
folding leg design to maximize a mobile travel proﬁle. When extended, the legs
have three locked leg positions. The removable leg and center column can
be combined to create a monopod, when needed. The removable ﬂuid head
provides 360° panning and smooth tilting, and a bubble level. The quickrelease plate uses a safety lock. The S4 version features a removable handle
for mounting on either side of the ﬂuid head. The Aero Travel Tripods also
include quick-ﬂip leg locks, a weight hook and a carrying case. List Price:
$199 (Aero S2); $259 (Aero S4). Contact: Benro, www.benrousa.com.

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 21

DPP In Focus

DPPInFocus
Rugged RAID Hard Drive

Continually meeting the needs of the traveling photographer, LaCie has packed increased
speed, capacity and safety into the company’s mobile and durable packaging with the
Rugged RAID hard drive. The two internal hard drives have a combined 4 TB capacity
(equivalent to 60 64 GB memory cards), reducing the number of drives you need to
pack. When used in the preconﬁgured RAID 0 mode, speeds reach up to 240 MB/s.
The drive can also be switched to RAID 1 mode for built-in safety. Powered through
the integrated Thunderbolt cable, there’s no need for an external power source, and
the additional USB 3.0 connection ensures usage with Mac and PC computers. The drive is
dust- and splashproof, even during operation, and can withstand drops of up to ﬁve feet and one ton
of pressure. LaCie Private-Public software allows for full drive password protection or protection of
certain volumes with AES 256-bit encryption. List Price: $449. Contact: LaCie, www.lacie.com.

Air 1 Commander
Nissin Digital has developed the new Nissin Air
System (NAS), a 2.4 GHz wireless radio
transmission system with a 98-foot range for ﬂash
communication. Utilizing this technology, the
company has released the Nissin Di700A ﬂash with
built-in radio receiver and has announced a
summer release of the Air 1 Commander
and combined kit. The Air 1 Commander
uses eight radio channels to control
ﬂashes in TTL or manual mode. Flashes
can be controlled and divided among
three groups—A, B and C—with multiple
ﬂashes in each group. From the Air 1
Commander, you can control the Di700A zoom
head. List Price: $259 (Di700A for Canon,
Nikon or Sony); $79 (Air 1 Commander for
Canon, Nikon or Sony); $299 (Complete Kit).
Contact: Nissin, www.nissindigital.com.

Flexible Lighting
The Westcott Flex 1-Panel Kit provides a way to shape light to your
speciﬁc situation in a convenient lightweight kit. At only seven
ounces, the 10x10-inch 55W LED mat has 256 light-emitting
diodes and a moldable frame to adapt to each shooting situation.
The kit is available with a 5600K daylight mat or 3200K tungsten
mat. Each ﬂex mat is water-resistant and dimmable from 5% to
100%. Each kit includes a Flex LED panel, dimmer, power supply
and cord, X-Bracket clip mount, diffusion panel and water-resistant
extension cord. Estimated Street Price: $699. Contact:
Westcott, www.fjwestcott.com.

DaVinci Resolve Update
Blackmagic Design has improved CinemaDNG RAW image
processing and workﬂow with Avid editors with the DaVinci
Resolve 11.2 update. The free download has updated the
CinemaDNG tone curve and soft clip option for improved
colors and realistic detail when converting to a reduced color
space. New DNxHR encoding and decoding support allows for
a ﬂuid workﬂow with Avid editors by allowing high-resolution
media and sequences to move between systems, and AAF
import with timeline resolution gives accurate round-trip
support with Media Composer 8.3. Additional features
include ﬂag and marker support in ColorTrace and support
for RED SDK 5.3. List Price: Free update. Contact:
Blackmagic Design, www.blackmagicdesign.com.

22 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

>> check out www.digitalphotopro.com/gear/in-focus for more info

In Focus

New Tools Of The Trade
Glow ParaPop
Expanding the successful Glow HexaPop portable

Versatile E-Mount Lens
Sony has announced the Distagon T*
FE 35mm ƒ/1.4 ZA to their lens lineup.
The full-frame E-mount lens is a
perfect match for the a7 series, as
it’s designed speciﬁcally to pull
double-duty as a lens for still shooters
and ﬁlmmakers. The Direct Drive Super
Sonic Wave AF Motor uses piezoelectric
elements oscillating at ultrasonic
frequencies to drive focus while
remaining quiet enough for ﬁlmmaking.
The aperture ring’s tactile click steps can
be turned on for still photo use or turned off
for reduced noise during video use. The wide 9-blade
aperture provides a round bokeh and is optimal for low light
and shallow depth of ﬁeld. Zeiss brings high quality and
resolution throughout the image, and the T* coating nearly
eliminates lens ﬂare. The body is water- and dust-resistant.
List Price: $1,599. Contact: Sony, store.sony.com.

strobe line, Flashpoint has developed a softbox and
umbrella modiﬁer blend with the Glow ParaPop 28. The
12-sided, parabolic-shaped softbox has a 28-inch
diameter and 19.5-inch depth, providing a 105° light
spread with graduated subtle shadows. Made from heatresistant UV-A and UV-R diffuser material with internal silver
reﬂector fabric, it’s lightweight with reinforced support rod pockets, seams and
Velcro® closures. The speedring assembly is compatible with most brands of ﬂash
heads, monolights and speedlights. The ParaPop 28 comes with removable inner
and outer diffusers, a removable cold-shoe, angle-adjustable shoe bracket and
protective case. List Price: $229. Contact: Flashpoint (Adorama), www.adorama.com.

High-Capacity microSD
SanDisk has announced the development of the world’s current
highest-capacity microSD card. The 200 GB Ultra microSDXC
UHS-I Premium Edition card uses a new design and production
process to increase storage capacity, storing up to 20 hours
of full HD video. At the same time, the card maintains fast
transfer speeds approximating 90 MB/s, which accommodates a
transfer of 1,200 photos per minute. The card has a 10-year limited
warranty. List Price: $399. Contact: SanDisk, www.sandisk.com.

HD Metal Prints 쏜쏜
Online print service WhiteWall has combined true-color high-quality printing with long-lasting
durability in the new HD Metal Print option. Using a thermal sublimation process, the full color
spectrum and maximum resolution of each print is transferred and sealed into the metallic
surface. At 1mm thick and featherlight, the aluminum is UV-, scratch- and moisture-resistant,
making it a great print option for outdoor spaces, bathrooms or kitchens. Prints may be smooth
or brushed, and have a white or transparent primer. Sizes range from 3.5x3.5 inches to 59x39
inches, with a variety of frame options. List Price: Varies. Contact: WhiteWall, www.whitewall.com.

쏝쏝 Removable RAID
G-Technology has announced two new drives to the G-RAID line with up to 16 TB of
space. The G-RAID with Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3.0 and G-RAID with USB 3.0 provide
an all-aluminum enclosure for two removable 7200 rpm drives that can be conﬁgurable
as RAID 0, 1 or JBOD. The housing uses quiet-cooling fan technology. The G-RAID with
USB 3.0 offers transfer rates up to 400 MB/s, while the G-RAID with Thunderbolt 2 and
USB 3.0 offers transfer rates up to 440 MB/s for multistream HD, 2K and compressed 4K
video workﬂows. List Price: $599-$1,199 (G-RAID USB 3.0); $799-$1,299 (G-RAID with
Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3.0). Contact: G-Technology, www.g-technology.com.

Follow Focus 쏜쏜
The new Follow Focus MVA511FF by Manfrotto utilizes a double-sided drive, allowing gearbox
rotation for focus pulling in either direction. The 35mm friction wheel and 50-tooth drive gear can
be used with lenses that do or don’t have gear rings. The follow focus has a slide switch for hard
stops, and a marking disc can be clicked easily into place to allow for focal reference points. It
attaches to standard 15mm rods for pairing with a rig and can be mounted on either side of the lens
for both right- or left-handed operators. List Price: $599. Contact: Manfrotto, www.manfrotto.us.

Vis Gallery

Visioneer’s Gallery

Harmonies

Julian Lennon’s “Horizon” exhibit
links photojournalism and ﬁne art
for a humanitarian cause

This song by Julian Lennon, released in 2011,
serves as a poignant prelude to his recent
photography exhibit “Horizon,” at the
Emmanuel Fremin Gallery in Chelsea,
which travels worldwide thereafter. A
musician, a photographer and a philanthropist, Lennon is deeply committed to the well-being of all species and
the health of our planet, and promotes
several endeavors through his organization White Feather Foundation. I
had written about Julian Lennon back
in 2010, when we helped launch his
debut photography exhibit “Timeless”
26 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

in New York. No doubt the undercurrents of Julian’s journey in life, as the
ﬁrst son of one of the most admired and
tragically lost artists on the planet, John
Lennon, led him to a fair share of soulsearching. Combine that with a heart
full of artistic skill, poetic yearning,
empathy and compassion, and what
we have in Julian is a truly multidisciplinary artist whose connection with
the world touches sundry chords.
Born in Liverpool, England, Julian
Lennon began his artistic trajectory at
a young age, with an inherent talent for

Deborah Anderson

©2015 Julian Lennon, Hope

©2015 Julian Lennon, Reverence

“Tired of this world, all the good
that we do
Never seems to get through, it’s
a shame
We’ve pleaded for change but the
wars carry on
Whether you’re weak or strong,
don’t you know?
I can change, you can change
Everything wrong with our lives
We can change all of our lives”
—Julian Lennon

©2015 Julian Lennon, Follow

By Baldev Duggal

us to empathize with other
playing musical instruments. >> More On The Web
people’s lives.”
As an observer of life in all its You can see more of
Baldev Duggal’s Visioneer’s
Featuring exquisite porforms, Julian developed his Gallery columns on the
DPP website at
personal expression through www.digitalphotopro.com. traiture and landscape photographs, “Horizon” blurs
such mediums as music, acting
the lines between ﬁne-art photography
and documentary ﬁlmmaking. In 2007,
and photojournalism. “Reverence” is a
the door opened to yet another, photogtimeless portrait, the light in the room
raphy, as Julian captured images durperfectly illuminating the tribal group’s
ing a musical tour for his half-brother,
hardened faces. Says Lennon of the
Sean. “Timeless,” his ﬁrst photo expicture, “These are the leaders of the
hibition, staged in Manhattan in
community. NGOs and charity organiSeptember 2010, debuted Julian’s considerable talents behind the camera, as
seen in photographs of Sean Lennon,
U2 and his painterly landscapes. His
ability to immortalize moments of intimacy and introspection is perhaps best
captured in his portraits of Bono and
Princess Charlene of Monaco.
The principal goal behind Lennon’s
latest series, “Horizon,” is to marry photography with humanitarian efforts. “I
have always felt that I have observed
life in a different way than others, probably because my life has always been
very different than most,” says Julian.
His attuned worldview recently led
him to see ﬁrsthand the results of a
Charity: Water and the White Feather
Foundation initiative, bringing critically
needed clean drinking water to parts of
Africa. During these travels through
Kenya and Ethiopia, Julian captured a
wide variety of images, with the intention of inspiring viewers to learn about
unique indigenous cultures and to help
raise awareness of their plights. Its signature image, “Horizon,” juxtaposes
man and nature in a meditative solo
walk upon a majestic mountaintop. The
beauty of landscape shots like “Follow”
ﬁnd a complement in the humanity of
others, among them: “Reverence,” with
a group of tribal elders focused intently,
during a community gathering, to discuss clean water and their environment;
and “Hope,” a bright-eyed Ethiopian
child, with a wise, yet insightful vision
of life yet to come.
Empathy, says Julian Lennon, is the
bond that unites the planet. He offers,
“We are all in this together, and hopefully someday, the world will realize
that…and photography is one way to
share, learn, appreciate and experience
other cultures, which in turn, allows

zations that work with them. Here we
were with Scott Harrison of Charity:
Water, and it was reverence, indeed. The
handoff of a water well. The long white
clothes you see, the cotton wraps and
long scarves, they protect from heat and
cold of the desert. They have a natural
insulation for both. Scott was honored
with such a scarf. It is a ceremonial piece.
Water-work is the message. Awareness
is at the heart of the series.”
(Cont’d on page 79)

(R) evolution

(R)evolution

Synthetic Proﬁles

Make big changes to the image at a small pixel price
By John Paul Caponigro

How can you change the appearance of a digital
image without changing the numbers that assign
the color values? Change what those numbers mean by changing the image’s ICC
proﬁle. Using abstract or synthetic proﬁles, you can make massive changes to
an image with little to no cost, changes
that ordinarily would cause big problems using standard methods, such as
28 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

posterization and noise. It’s a practice
known to color geeks and few others.
When you’ve got a big job to do, it can
get you out of a pinch in a hurry.
In most cases, we think of using color
management to accurately match colors
when moving between different color
spaces; ICC proﬁles are used to describe
different color spaces and to make pre-

cise transformations to values moved
from one to another to maintain consistent appearances. In very rare cases,
when proﬁles are assigned to image ﬁles
without a color conversion, the appearance of the image changes; values stay
the same, but their meaning changes, so
the image looks different. So when you
use this unorthodox method of color

1)
1) Photoshop Color
Settings dialog
2) Photoshop Custom
RGB dialog

2)
adjustment, you get a change in appearance without changing the values in the
ﬁle, and this is particularly useful when
you want to pay a very small price for
making very big changes.
This is worth restating. What exactly
is the difference between assigning an
ICC proﬁle and using an ICC proﬁle
to perform a color conversion? Using
an ICC proﬁle to convert color changes
values to maintain the appearance of
an image. Assigning an ICC proﬁle
changes the recipe for colors without
changing the values in an image, so its
appearance changes.

Real Vs. Abstract
Vs. Synthetic Proﬁles
You could say there are “real” and
“abstract” proﬁles. Real proﬁles describe the color capacity of real-world
devices, like monitors and printers.
Abstract proﬁles describe theoretical
color spaces that don’t refer to speciﬁc devices, like the standard editing
spaces we use in everyday digital

imaging—sRGB, Adobe RGB (1998),
ProPhoto RGB, etc. Both real and
abstract proﬁles are designed to maintain a consistent color appearance. So
what’s a synthetic proﬁle? It’s an ICC
proﬁle that’s designed to change color
appearance or to solve a color problem.

Creating Synthetic Proﬁles
You can create synthetic ICC proﬁles
with Photoshop. Go to Edit > Color
Settings, and making sure More Options
is checked, go to Working Spaces > RGB
> Custom RGB. In the ﬁnal window
that appears, you’ll use three variables
to create a synthetic proﬁle: Gamma,
White Point and Primaries.
Gamma affects brightness and contrast. Gamma is the midtone adjustment applied to compensate for
nonlinear characteristics of capture
and display systems. It’s the slope of
the input-output curve. A slope of 1
is linear, or with no change between
input and output. Values larger than 1
make shadows darker; values less than

1 make shadows lighter. ColorMatch
RGB and ProPhoto RGB have gammas of 1.8. sRGB and Adobe RGB
(1998) have gammas of 2.2. You can set
a value as low as .75 and as high as 3.0.
Gamma is the most useful setting
of the three; it’s excellent for making industrial-strength adjustments to
exposure. It has one variable.
White Point is the color temperature
of white produced by combining red,
green and blue primaries at maximum
strength. It’s measured in Kelvin. 5000K
is the temperature of daylight (at high
noon) and the industry-standard viewing light. A higher value is cooler (bluer);
a lower value is warmer (yellower).
White Point is useful for gross color
adjustment; the results are best ﬁnetuned with other tools in Photoshop. It
has two variables.
Primaries are the chromaticities (hue
and saturation) of the red, green and blue
components that deﬁne a color space.
Each primary is speciﬁed by an x and
a y coordinate. There are nine defaults
to choose from, including Adobe RGB
(1998). If you’d like to start with values from other color spaces, including
the other standard editing spaces like
sRGB, ColorMatch RGB, Adobe RGB
(1998) and ProPhoto RGB, using the
RGB drop-down menu, specify a color
space ﬁrst; this sets the starting point.
Then pull up to Custom RGB, where
you can modify those values.
Primaries is the most complex and
difﬁcult to use of the three; it requires
a lot of experimentation. It’s capable of
making exotic color adjustments that
can’t be duplicated with other tools in
Photoshop, but it’s much harder to predict and control. It has six variables.
To make it easier to preview the
results of your explorations with synthetic proﬁles, discard the proﬁle of
the image you’re viewing. Go to Edit >
Assign Proﬁle > Don’t Color Manage
This Document. Photoshop uses the
current Color Spaces Working Spaces
settings to display ﬁles without ICC
proﬁles. If you don’t do this, you’ll have
to save a synthetic proﬁle and then take
the extra step of applying the proﬁle
to see the results, which will slow you
down considerably.
digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 29

(R)EVOLUTION
When you’re ready to save your synthetic proﬁles, use the Color Settings
RGB drop-down menu and pull up to
Save RGB. Don’t use the Save button
on the right side of the Color Settings
dialog; instead of saving an ICC proﬁle,
this saves all of the Color Settings as a
.CSF ﬁle, useful for syncing multiple
Adobe applications. When you ﬁnish
creating a synthetic proﬁle, click Cancel
in the Color Settings dialog; you don’t
want synthetic settings to become your
default RGB editing space, as they’re
used when creating new ﬁles.
If you want to archive or share synthetic proﬁles, you can copy the proﬁles
out of the folder they’re saved in. On a
Mac, proﬁles are saved with this path:
Library > Color Sync > Proﬁles.
To apply a synthetic proﬁle, go
to Edit > Assign Proﬁle. You can
see before and after appearances by
checking the Preview box on and off.

3)

4)

Exploring Your Options
Because using synthetic proﬁles is
so abstract, it’s useful to explore your
options by comparing the results of multiple proﬁles side by side. While you’re
exploring your options, at any one time,
have a minimum of two identical ﬁles
3) ProPhoto Gamma .8; 4) ProPhoto Gamma 1.8; 5) ProPhoto Gamma 3; 6) Arbitrary Primaries
open in Photoshop so you can carefully
assess the results of different proﬁles.
Make a number of synthetic proﬁles
you convert to a standard editing space;
With just a little experimentation,
based on your standard editing space. My
the few minor quantization errors assoyou’ll ﬁnd you, too, can make big
standard editing space is ProPhoto RGB,
ciated with such color conversions are
changes to your images and pay a small
with different gamma settings varying
almost always invisible to the naked eye.
price using synthetic proﬁles. Using
in 0.1 or 0.2 increments. When you save
synthetic proﬁles is color adjustment
your synthetic proﬁles, use a standard
without editing values; they change no
Fine-Tuning Your Results
naming convention to tell the differences
values, but they do change the meanWhile you’ll be able to perform the
between them, such as SYN ProPhoto
ing of those values—and thus their
lion’s share of color adjustment using
G2.2, SYN ProPhoto G2.4, etc.
appearance. Don’t believe it? Check
a synthetic proﬁle, most images will
Once you’ve applied a synthetic proyour histogram when you assign a probeneﬁt from additional ﬁne-tuning
ﬁle, should you convert the ﬁle to a stanﬁle. You won’t even see it move! It’s
through standard image-editing pracdard editing space? You don’t need to.
kind of unbelievable. Try it. See it with
tices in Photoshop.
Your synthetic proﬁle uses the standard
your own eyes. You’ll quickly become a
Am I saying that ICC proﬁles are used
ICC language and should be accurately
believer, too.
to change values so the appearance stays
DPP
read by any software that’s ICCthe same? Yes. Am I saying that a color
compliant. One advantage to
space is just a recipe for color,
John Paul Caponigro, author of Adobe
keeping it in the synthetic >> More On The Web
and that there are many differPhotoshop Master Class and the DVD
John Paul Caponigro’s
color space is that your ﬁle in-depth instructionals
ent RGB recipes? Yes, but while
series R/Evolution, is an internationally
image-processing and
will accurately inform you on
they’re
the
standards,
sRGB,
renowned ﬁne artist, an authority on digital
printing techniques are
about its creation. But if it available as an extensive ColorMatch RGB, Adobe RGB
printing, and a respected lecturer and workonline at
makes you feel better, you archive
(1998)
and
ProPhoto
RGB
are
shop leader. Get PDFs and his enews Insights
digitalphotopro.com/
won’t pay much of a price if technique/revolution.
just a few among many.
free at www.johnpaulcaponigro.com.
30 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

5)

6)

s
g
n
i
d
d
e
W
AND

2 0 1 5

EVENTS

P H O T O

C O N T E S T

Capturing milestone memories and major moments is what photography is all
about. Submit your best images of weddings and other significant life events
for your chance to win prizes and get published in Digital Photo magazine.

d p mag.com/wedding sa ndev ent s

Hi-Tech Studio

Hi-TechStudio

Film Scanners

Discover the hidden value in your ﬁlm archive when
you digitize your slides and negatives

a better job with negatives
and transparencies, but
can’t scan prints. We’ll look
at both types in a bit, but
ﬁrst, here are some general
scanner considerations.

a typical 14-bit DSLR, and way better
than the 256 tones of a JPEG image.
In practice, the number of tones will
be less, but still sufﬁcient to accurately
reproduce a transparency or negative.

Resolution

Manufacturers list the maximum
density their scanners can deliver,
which affects dynamic range. These
ﬁgures should be taken with a grain
of salt, but higher is better, and you
should look for a scanner with a Dmax
of at least 3.6. A higher Dmax means
potentially smoother gradations and
better shadow detail.

Dmax

Film scanners let you convert slides, negatives and
even prints into digital images for yourself or your
clients. They’re a great way to convert
your old ﬁlm archive into digital form.
Mastering scanning takes a while, and
if you just have a few ﬁlm images or
prints you want digitized, it’s probably
best to have a pro lab like Duggal (www.
duggal.com) do it. But if you have a lot
of images to scan, enjoy controlling the
process yourself, and have the time, a
good ﬁlm scanner is the way to go.
Film scanners are available used for
$100, but for pro-quality results, you’ll
want one of the higher-end models.
There are two basic types of scanners,
dedicated ﬁlm and ﬂatbed. The latter
operates somewhat like photocopiers,
and can do prints as well as slides and
negatives. Dedicated ﬁlm scanners do

Scanner manufacturers
provide resolution ﬁgures
for their products. The
important one is the optical (hardware) resolution;
that’s the maximum the unit can deliver
without quality-reducing interpolation.
Some scanners have different optical
resolutions, depending on the size of
the original you’re scanning: higher for
35mm, lower for 120.
More resolution (more ppi) means you
can make bigger prints without seeing
the pixels. But take into consideration
the size and quality of the original being
scanned: The scanner can’t pull out more
detail than the original image contains.

Bit Depth
Most higher-end scanners can
deliver 48-bit scans (16 bits each in red,
green and blue channels). This means,
in theory, that they can deliver up to
65,536 different shades of gray or color
tones—better than the 16,384 tones of

TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: Hasselblad Flextight X1; Epson Perfection V850 Pro Photo Scanner

32 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Proﬁling
A scanner will deliver decent results
right out of the box, but you can ﬁnetune your particular scanner by creating a custom proﬁle. Essentially,
you scan a test target containing color
patches and a grayscale, and the proﬁling software guides you through the
process. The IT8 Calibration feature in
LaserSoft’s SilverFast Ai Studio makes
this a simple two-step process (see the
“Scanning Software” section).

Format
Of course, you want a scanner that
can handle the slides, negatives and

HI-TECH STUDIO

Scanning Black-And-White
You can scan black-and-white originals in monochrome or in color. You
should try both ways with your scanner
to see which produces results you prefer. Note that color scans will be larger
(three channels vs. one), but may deliver
better results when converted to monochrome using Photoshop or a dedicated
monochrome software solution such as
Nik Silver Efex Pro (www.google.com/
nikcollection), onOne Perfect B&W 9
(www.on1.com), Alien Skin Exposure
7 (www.alienskin.com), Topaz B&W
Effects (www.topazlabs.com) or Tiffen
Dfx v4 (www.tiffensoftware.com).

Productivity
prints you want to scan. If your archives
are all 35mm, a dedicated 35mm
ﬁlm scanner is ideal. If you have
medium-format originals, you’ll want
a scanner that can handle those. If
you have 4x5 sheet ﬁlm, you’ll need a
scanner that can handle that. Scanners
that accept larger originals cost more
than scanners that don’t, so consider
your needs and budget when choosing
a unit.

Light Source
Most newer scanners use LED light
sources, which warm up quickly and
are energy-efﬁcient. Other light sources
can be good, too; the most costly scanner discussed here uses a cold-cathode
source. But if you’re choosing between
two scanners of equal price class, the
one with LEDs would likely be the
better choice.

Some scanners are easier to use than
others, and some are faster than others.
When comparing speed specs, make
sure they’re for the same parameters
(same size original, highest-quality
scan mode, etc.). As for ease of use,
check out user reports, or get a demo
at your local dealer. Some manufacturers have demo videos on their websites, which give you an idea of what’s
involved in using a given scanner.
Some scanners have batch-scanning
capabilities—they will accept a stack
of slides, or ﬁlmstrips, rather than
just individual slides or frames. Keep
in mind that you’ll probably want
to adjust scanning parameters for
each image individually for optimum
results, but if you have a lot of slides of
similar images, batch processing can be
a time-saver.

Scanning Prints
This article is about ﬁlm scanners,
although the Epson Perfection V850
Pro can scan prints, as well. A variety of
print scanners are available, too, including many that can do slides/negatives
and prints. As mentioned, dedicated
ﬁlm scanners generally can deliver better scans from slides and negatives. If
you have both a print and the negative,
you’ll get better results from scanning
the negative, as a negative holds more
information than a reﬂective print can.
If you’ve done a lot of work to make
the print—dodging, burning, toning,
etc.—you may want to scan the print.
But you can do a lot more working
from the negative digitally than traditionally in the darkroom. If in doubt,
try both ways, and see which works best
for you and that speciﬁc image.

Scanning Software
Each scanner comes with scanning
software, which you use to operate the
device and make scans. SilverFast Ai
Studio (now in version 8.5) is an excellent third-party scanning product that
works with many scanners, provides
more capabilities (including easy proﬁling) and is a worthwhile investment
if you’re going to get into scanning
seriously. Some scanners come with a
version of SilverFast; if it’s not Ai
Studio, there’s usually a discounted
upgrade path included. Estimated
Street Price: $299. www.silverfast.com
TOP: Paciﬁc Image PrimeFilm 120 Pro Multi-Format Scanner; ABOVE: Plustek OpticFilm 120 Film Scanner

34 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

(Cont’d on page 78)

David
Douglas
Duncan’s

th

20
CENTURY
By Ashley Myers-Turner 쏜쏜 Photography By David Douglas Duncan

36 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Renowned photojournalist David Douglas Duncan

I)

’ve been a photographer for a very, very
long time. I’m 99 now, can you imagine?”
laughs iconic photojournalist David
Douglas Duncan. “With all modesty, I’ve
had more curiosity, I think, than any
other photographer—between Picasso, War, the
Kremlin, Palestine, Saudi Arabia—and I’ve
lived longer.”

Portfolio
hopes to inﬂuence the future by connecting dots of the past in his new book My 20th Century
Duncan, also known simply by his
monogram DDD, has covered many
subjects during his career. One of his ﬁrst
sets of images came from a hotel ﬁre near
his university. Duncan noticed a guest
attempting to reenter the burning building to save a suitcase and photographed
the scene. It turned out this guest was

the infamous gangster and bank robber
John Dillinger, who was attempting to
save a suitcase of stolen cash. While these
images were lost, the moment sparked
Duncan’s passion for journalism.
From here, Duncan submitted photo
stories to newspapers and magazines
such as The Kansas City Star, LIFE and

ABOVE: In July 1946, Duncan
documented ships with thousands
of Jewish refugees and Holocaust
survivors attempting to enter
Palestine at the Port of Haifa.

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 37

BELOW: A Japanese ofﬁcer helps the U.S. Marines during
WWII Operation “Victor V.”

David
Douglas
Duncan’s

th

20
CENTURY

RIGHT: Because of Duncan’s relationship with Richard
Nixon during WWII, the photographer was asked to cover
the 1968 presidential primaries and shot Nixon’s party
acceptance speech from just below the podium.
MIDDLE RIGHT: While documenting a Berber village in the
High Atlas Mountains of Morocco during 1955, Duncan
was amazed by the culture’s gender equality, as a woman
was found innocent of adultery by the village elders.
FAR RIGHT: Prince Faisal was appointed Crown Prince in
1953, after his older brother became King of Saudi
Arabia. Faisal later ascended to the throne in 1964 and
was assassinated by his nephew in 1975.

National Geographic before enlisting in the
Marines as a combat photographer. He covered World War II, the Korean War and
the Vietnam War. Duncan covered conﬂicts
in Turkey, Africa, Eastern Europe and the
Middle East as a full-time LIFE Magazine
photographer. And he spent many years photographing his friend and neighbor Pablo
Picasso, resulting in six books about the artist.
With so much experience and 27 books
already published, it could be easy for the
99-year-old to relax, but Duncan has just published his 28th book, My 20th Century (Arcade
Publishing, 2015). While you may expect a
book with that title to move chronologically,
Duncan has deliberately avoided that structure, methodically choosing images that are
personally and historically signiﬁcant, and
connecting the dots in a visually thematic way.
Over the phone from his home in France,
Duncan enthusiastically guides me through
the pages. He directs me to a layout in the
middle of the book.
“You see exactly how the time frame isn’t
important. It’s the picture frame. That’s off
the coast of Peru in 1939, an expedition for
the American Museum of Natural History.
Guano, it’s a source of fertilizer—those
mounds in the foreground. But that’s not
the point. The point is that on these two
pages, the sky is full, full, full of thousands
and thousands of cormorants, right?” asks
Duncan, his voice full and animated.
“Okay, you go to the next page, and the
sky is full of American Marine bombers and
ﬁghters, with a traitor, a Japanese ofﬁcer in

the foreground, going in to bomb the headquarters of the Philippine Islands. So we go
from birds to planes. Visually, I hope people
understand that I’m trying to say, look, there
are two ways to see things in the air.
“You go to the next page,” he continues. “I’m on the Missouri, only two weeks
later—and I was from Missouri, Kansas
City—and the Battleship Missouri was host
battleship for the surrender in Japan.

“The subject decides for
me,” Duncan says. “It would
be ridiculous to photograph
[Picasso’s] paintings in
black-and-white. You have
to shoot them in color.”
“The next page is a year later. We’re off the
coast of Palestine. These people are the refugees from Buchenwald. And Palestine today
is a big problem. Nobody talks about the
settlements, so I think the book is a very clear
portrayal of the roots of history for the last 50,
60, 70 years. I’ve tried to connect history.”
As we move through the book, jumping
through time, we’re also jumping between
images in black-and-white versus color. I
ask Duncan if he has a preference.
“The subject decides for me,” Duncan
says. “It would be ridiculous to photograph
[Picasso’s] paintings in black-and-white.
You have to shoot them in color.”
digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 39

I can hear Duncan shufﬂing through
the book for an example. “On pages
86 and 87, there are two pictures side
by side. Here’s Picasso in an identical headdress as [Chief Ben] Stiffarm
on the right. Each would be okay, but
what’s more effective?”
Duncan moves backward two pages.
“A picture that probably is the most
effective group photograph I’ve ever shot

“It’s funny how your life
connects you to a lot of
people, that’s for sure.
Life is really just one big
river. You go down it.”
in my life. Ever. Not one woman today
has the privilege of the Berber women
up in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco
in 1955, who the men are defending,”
he says. Duncan spent time documenting the Berber culture, which is based on
tribal social structure. The image shows a
woman on trial for adultery who is then
found innocent by the village elders.

“Two pages back, I go back to the
death of Abdul Ibn Saud. The picture
is 18 princes side by side. These are the
sons of Abdul Saud. In Islam, you’re
only supposed to have four wives.
There are 18 sons, ranging from probably about 14 to maybe 60. Where are
the daughters? There are no princesses
of any age visible,” describes Duncan.
He then connects the two images.
“Here, at the same time, one woman is
visible versus many not visible at all.”
As we continue to move backward
through the book, I ask Duncan about
his war photography.
“That’s where I originally met
Richard Nixon,” says Duncan, referring to World War II. “He was in control of a little observation plane over
Bougainville. He was also supplying ammunition and food to Fijian
guerrillas on the top of the mountains
in Bougainville. I joined them for a
month, back in the Japanese lines. He
made the photograph of me coming
down out of the top of Bougainville on
the back jacket.
“It’s funny how your life connects
you to a lot of people, that’s for sure.

David
Douglas
Duncan’s

th

20
CENTURY

ABOVE: Cormorants nesting on the slopes of San Lorenzo
Island in Peru, shot by Duncan in 1939 on an expedition
for the Lerner American Museum of Natural History.
FAR LEFT: Duncan stood aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo
Bay to document the signing of the Japanese Instrument
of Surrender that ended WWII on September 2, 1945.
Duncan wrote a letter to his parents that said simply,
“Dear Mother and Dad, This is the Day! Love Dave”.
LEFT: The Khe Sanh Marines go home on February 8,
1968. This is Duncan’s last photography in Vietnam.

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 41

David
Douglas
Duncan’s

th

20
CENTURY

RIGHT: Eighteen sons of
King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud
after the death of their
father at the Royal
Palace, Jeddah, in 1953.

Duncan believes the impact of digital technology is farreaching, noting, “Everybody is a photographer now. It’s
rather difﬁcult for old professionals, but it’s wonderful for
reporting the news. Probably the most fabulous picture out
of Iraq, Abu Ghraib, at the prison, of the poor guy covered
with a black cloak, his arms out. He looked like Christ
being cruciﬁed. And a soldier shot it and sent it to his
family. That was the number-one picture out of Iraq. Not
by a pro, but by a soldier. It’s a different world!”
Life is really just one big river. You
go down it. Nixon said, ‘I’m going to
run for president. Do you want to try
to photograph it?’ We live in the south
of France, so I ﬂew to Miami Beach,
where he got the nomination.”
Duncan directs me to a page toward
the end of his book, to an image of
Nixon writing his party acceptance
speech. “He didn’t have a speech
writer,” says Duncan. “He wrote every
word himself, Nixon. And, in the
42 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

next shot, I’m right under the podium
where he’s giving the speech.”
During Duncan’s convention coverage, the head of NBC News Reuven
Frank asked if he would want to try a
ﬁve-minute television spot to show his
images and provide commentary. I ask
Duncan about the experience of working in a different type of platform.
“I forgot about that, sure! I had
an NBC program! I came right after
Huntley-Brinkley for ﬁve minutes at

7:05. They gave me total freedom to say
anything I wanted to say. And I kept
saying what I was thinking. And they
kept moving me back and back and
back,” reminisces Duncan. “But I had
a hell of a lot of fun, I should tell you!”
While the television spot didn’t
work out in the long run, Duncan’s
openness to experimentation did bring
a new format to viewers. This unrestricted spirit is what initially introduced Nikon lenses to American photographers years before. He was shown
the lens brand by a Japanese photographer while stationed in Japan and was
impressed by the quality, then replaced
all his own lenses.
“I switched in my life from a
Rolleiﬂex system to the Nikon,” notes
Duncan. “The ﬁrst page in the book,
it really shows the history of different
kinds of cameras I’ve used.”
And Duncan’s openness to new technology doesn’t stop there. “Today, I’m
not shooting the big Leicas,” he says.
“I’m shooting with a $300 camera.
Amateur. Digital. Really fantastic. I

but by a soldier. It’s a different world!”
Duncan muses about how his images
will contribute to the present day. He’s
planning to send his book to two of the
princes he befriended while shooting
in the Middle East in hopes of providing a book donation to schools in Saudi
Arabia. He has also passed the book
along to other current-day inﬂuencers.
“There was a story in The New Yorker
about Mark Zuckerberg. He ﬁnally
got religion,” Duncan jokes, referring

to Zuckerberg’s 2015 challenge to read
a new book every other week to learn
more about various cultures, histories
and technologies. “I sent him a copy of
the book. I’m optimistic. You have to
play your luck in this business.”
DPP
David Douglas Duncan donated his photographic archive and other materials to the
Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas.
Learn more about the permanent exhibit at
www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/web/ddd.

How would
you light
this?

have it on my belt all the time. It weighs
nothing, and the print is unbelievable.”
Duncan believes the impact of digital technology is far-reaching, noting,
“Everybody is a photographer now. It’s
rather difﬁcult for old professionals, but
it’s wonderful for reporting the news.
Probably the most fabulous picture out
of Iraq, Abu Ghraib, at the prison, of the
poor guy covered with a black cloak, his
arms out. He looked like Christ being
cruciﬁed. And a soldier shot it and sent
it to his family. That was the numberone picture out of Iraq. Not by a pro,

Jeremy Saffer
shares how he
got the lighting
results he wanted,
at dynalite.com.

Your creativity, our lighting.
dynalite.com 908.687-8800

jeremysaffer.com

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 43

2014
B& W

World
C O N T E S T
W I N N E R S

1st Place (Sandbox)
Photographer | Dennis Ramos
“Sandbox” is a photo montage taken during an
experiment with long exposure and off-camera ﬂash
in outdoor settings. I didn’t achieve my desired
technical composition in-camera, but looking at the
series of shots I made, I was able to put together the
elements I needed to create the concept I wanted.
Nikon D300S, Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24mm ƒ/4 (IF) DX
at 18mm, ƒ/11 at 180 sec., ISO 100

We showcase the winning photographs from the 2014 DPP Black & White World contest. Special thanks to our
44 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Portfolio
sponsors Hoodman, Lexar, LumiQuest, Manfrotto and Tamrac for enabling us to make such a successful contest.

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 45

2nd Place (Lakeishia)
Photographer | Roza Sampolinska
I was inspired by the Greek mythology of Medusa, who was a
monster, a Gorgon, generally described as having the face of
a human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair.
Gazing directly into her eyes would turn one to stone.
Nikon D700, two strobes, reﬂector

46 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

H O N O R A B L E

(Poblano)

Photographer | Bruce Bain
The inspiration for this image began with
the intent to capture an image with deep
shadows and present it as black-and-white.
As its twisted shape would help create the
desired shadows, a poblano pepper was
used as the object. The ﬁrst images were
of the whole poblano. After the original
images were taken, the pepper was to
be used for cooking and was cut. I was
intrigued by the design, form and shape
revealed. The cut pepper was suspended
in front of a black background and
sidelit. The image was converted to
black-and-white with Nik Silver Efex Pro.
Nikon D800E, Micro-NIKKOR 105mm ƒ/2.8,
Elinchrom D-Lite RX 2 strobe, Manfrotto tripod,
ƒ/8 at 1⁄25 sec., ISO 400

(Skyway II)

Photographer | Dennis Ramos
This is a two-shot panorama view
of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in
St. Petersburg, Florida.
Nikon D300S, Tokina AT-X M100 AF PRO D 100mm
ƒ/2.8 at 100mm, ƒ/11 at 120 sec., ISO 100

M E N T I O N

(Symphony Of The Ocean)

Photographer | Eduardo Fujii
I took this shot at Carmel River State Beach on
the California Central Coast, a protected beach
south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. It’s a favorite spot
among locals. The sea is usually calm, giving
someone a false sense of security. Strong
currents make these waters very dangerous. On
this day in January, wind waves also contributed
to the perilous sea. Extremely dangerous, but
incredibly beautiful, the scene left no doubt of the
mighty power of nature. I was captivated by the
vision and sound of breaking waves resonating in
harmony with my own inner sensations ﬂowing
within, just like Tchaikovsky’s symphonies.
Canon EOS 30D, Canon EF 70-200mm ƒ/2.8L

(Dream Flower)

Photographer | Julia Sable
This picture was taken on a meadow at sunset in
the Poconos—the light made this ﬂower look
almost unreal. I had my small camera with me, a
Canon G10, which did a ﬁne job in this situation.
Canon PowerShot G10, ƒ/3.2 at 1⁄60 sec., ISO 100

48 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Vincent Laforet utilizes the crowd-funding model to
take his aerial photo series “AIR” around the world
By Ashley Myers-Turner 쏜쏜 Photography By Vincent Laforet

50 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Portfolio

P)

hotographer and ﬁlmmaker
Vincent Laforet recently
found himself in a position
familiar to many professional photographers. After
shooting New York City at night
from a helicopter 7,500 feet in the air
to illustrate the power connection and
intersecting paths through the city’s
grid system for a Men’s Health magazine article about coincidence, Laforet
wanted to extend the project to other

cities, but the magazine moved on to
the next story, and Laforet no longer
had the funding support.
Instead of shelving the project until
another corporate funding deal came
through, he took the initiative to add
the “AIR” project to the multimedia story platform Storehouse.co and
watched as social media spread the
project across the Internet. A viral
success, Laforet found himself with
the opportunity to harness the public’s

interest and has turned the ﬁrst individual assignment into a crowd-funded
series through presales of a series book,
postcards and prints.
Laforet has now added Las Vegas
and San Francisco to his “AIR” series,
with more cities to follow. I recently
caught up with Laforet who told me
about the project’s inspiration and execution, and his plans moving forward.
DPP: What inspired the concept for
the “AIR” series?

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 51

Vincent Laforet: It was kind of just
one of the most amazing series of coincidences. I had been wanting to shoot
these types of images. Since I was
maybe 13 or 14 years old, looking out of
planes out of LaGuardia or LAX, you
can always see these lines of streets and
all the activity below. It’s very beautiful
for anyone watching out of the window.
And, obviously, these cameras came out
in the past year or so that shoot in very
high ISO and allow you to actually photograph this. I’ve really been waiting on
the sidelines for capture technology to

52 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

catch up to this desire of mine to shoot
through the night.
DPP: You shoot a lot of aerials...
Laforet: I used to. That was back when
I was an editorial photographer, which
is almost, at this point, ﬁve years ago. I
used to shoot a lot of aerials—National
Geographic, for almost every magazine.
But the industry has undergone a lot of
change and can’t afford to do that anymore. On average, in the past three or
four years, I’ve done one aerial assignment a year, maybe two. Now, I shot this
for Men’s Health and published it there,

and nothing really happened with it.
Then I put it on this new platform called
Storehouse, and it went absolutely crazy.
Now I’ve been getting a tremendous
amount of still photography jobs and
offers as a result of this. I was ready to
give up on photography because I make
most of my living as a commercial director. I’m working on my ﬁrst ﬁlm next
year, which is now being pushed because
of this. So it’s one of those weird things
where life has a way of telling you what
you should be doing.
DPP: How did you hear about

As both photographer and director, Vincent Laforet is
continually pushing the limits. In 2002, Laforet was a part of
The New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning team for their work
covering post-9/11 overseas events. In 2008, Laforet directed
“Reverie,” which was the ﬁrst major short ﬁlm shot using the
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and in 2010, Canon asked him to be
one of the ﬁrst ﬁlmmakers to shoot with the Canon EOS C300
cinema camera. Now a Canon Explorer of Light and Canon
Printmaker, Laforet also consults for Apple, Carl Zeiss, Adobe,
Leica, Bogen, Lexar and X-Rite. While he has been recently
focusing on commercial directing, Laforet’s ﬁrst ﬁlm has
been put on hold while he continues to work on the “AIR”
still photography series. After shooting New York City,
San Francisco and Las Vegas earlier this year, Laforet plans
on reaching London, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam,
Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo
before the year’s end.

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 53

Storehouse, and why did you choose
to use that platform as the format
for sharing this project?
Laforet: The founder of Storehouse
is Mark Kawano. I’ve known him
since I worked as a consultant for
Apple on Aperture. He used to work
on that team. And he’s been talking
to me about doing something like
Storehouse for years, so when he did it,
I was one of the ﬁrst users.
DPP: What do you think made the
images go viral on Storehouse versus
another platform?
54 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Laforet: I think it has everything to

do with social media. I read magazines
all the time online, so I think reading
habits have changed. And I think
Storehouse is a very elegant way of
showing these images beautifully.
It was really successful, and it just
went completely crazy as other media
became less relevant to people.
DPP: How was the experience of
shooting “AIR” different than the
other aerial shoots you’ve done?
Laforet: This is one of the most spectacular experiences in that there’s a

really true sense of discovery. I’ve never
seen these images shot before. We’ve
done a lot of research and we haven’t
found an instance of anyone photographing at night from that altitude,
due to the simple fact that it probably
was just not technically possible until
this year. You go up with these veteran
helicopter pilots who have been doing
this for 20 or 30 years, and they’ll tell
you, “I’ve never seen this.” That’s a
wonderful thing to hear because it’s
really hard to discover an image in
2015 that no one has shot before. So

Laforet used Storehouse.co to share
his “AIR” series. A 2014 Apple
Design Award Winner, Storehouse
has opened the platform to a
diverse worldwide community eager
to share stories through photos,
video and text. Storehouse has
speciﬁcally designed the site to
adjust to any device format for a
high-quality viewer experience.
Check out the Storehouse
community, and add your own visual
stories at Storehouse.co.

>> More On The Web

For more cutting-edge
imagery from ﬁne-art and
commercial photographers,
see the Proﬁles section of
DPP on the web at
www.digitalphotopro.com.

there’s a genuine sense of discovery.
The reaction is overwhelming and
overall very positive. I’ve gone from
planning on directing my ﬁlm next
year to putting that aside and traveling
the world to photograph as many cities as I can. I think that’s an absolutely
amazing thing.
DPP: What other cities are you planning to go to?
Laforet: Oh, you name it! We’re
going to Europe in May, so London,
Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin,
Amsterdam. And, in June, Australia

for Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong,
Shanghai and Tokyo. And, of course we’ll
be going to São Paulo, Rio, Santiago,
Dubai—you name it. We’re going to go
around the world. We have sponsors like
G-Technology, who have offered to fund
the project. And, then, we’re preselling a
book. And the beauty of that is, there’s
nothing more beautiful than having the
public fund this project. It’s one thing to go
to a corporate sponsor, that’s great, but if I
can set forth a model that other photographers can reproduce and have fans help
fund the project by prepurchasing the
book—it’s a win-win for everyone. That’s
where the Internet comes full circle. You
see a dwindling industry in terms of budget and business models; we should also see
there are new ones that are taking hold,
and this would be a classic example of
that—of someone just going on assignment, putting it on a social-media platform, and the next thing you know, it turns
into a one- or two-year-long project funded
by members of the public. And, that, to me,
is the best outcome of these new technologies and platforms.
DPP: Is there something you’re hoping
viewers take away from your images?
Laforet: I think the reason I called this
“AIR” is because it’s not something that
anyone owns. It’s something that we all
share in. It doesn’t matter how old you
are. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor you
are. We all breathe the same air. We’re
all responsible for it. And when you’re in
New York City on 5th Avenue looking up

at the skyscrapers, you seem very small
and insigniﬁcant. When you’re up in
the air looking down at the city, you
have a sense of togetherness, and the
world feels much more approachable
and much more connected. I think
people are having a visceral reaction
to that. Aerial images have a way of
showing you scale and make it much
more tangible and much more personal. In an ironic way, it makes you
feel more connected.
DPP: Do you take a different artistic
point of view to each city to capture
each place in a different way?
Laforet: I try to approach this just
as I would each assignment from The
New York Times. I try to identify what
makes each city unique and capture
that visually in the image. Every single
city—the grid, the topography, the
downtown, the height of the buildings—it’s unique. The lighting is
unique. And my challenge is to try and
capture the ethos. One of the ways to
describe it that somebody else used is
that, in many ways, the streets are like
ﬁngerprints, which I think is a really
56 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

nice way of putting it. The grid and
layout is the individual ﬁngerprint for
each city.
DPP: What gear are you using?
Laforet: I’ve been using several
bodies. A Canon EOS 5DS, the new
50-megapixel camera. I’ve been using
the 1D X because the high ISO really
sees at night. And then I’ve tried a variety of medium-format backs, Phase
One. And, more recently, I’ve used
some of the new Zeiss optics that are
speciﬁcally made to shoot wide open
and are extremely sharp—the Otus.
DPP: Is it difﬁcult using all of the
equipment while being up so high in
a helicopter?
Laforet: I have an assistant named
Mike Isler, who I’ve been working
with for a decade and who has been
doing this with me for hundreds of
hours around the world. He takes
care of all the gear behind me, does all
the lens swaps. It’s a very coordinated
team effort. He’s also a pilot and a photographer, and we have a pretty good
understanding of what to expect and
how to do this by now. It’s a well-oiled

machine. I can tell him what cameras
and lenses I need, and I can focus on
making the images.
DPP: When do you expect to have
the book ready for publishing?
Laforet: We’re expecting to have the
book published by the holidays at the
end of this year, and it’s looking right
on course. And we’re also doing other
things, like lithographs and postcards.
People are reacting very viscerally to
this and asking to have prints made.
That enables me to shoot more cities.
Obviously, the $2,000 to $2,500 per
hour for a helicopter is expensive, and
it’s not something I can fund, and it’s
not something magazines can afford to
fund. The public can afford to fund it
by buying a book, or from postcards or
a lithograph—everybody wins. I want
to go to more obscure cities, as many
cities as possible. All the money we’re
raising right now from the book presales is going into production.
DPP
Visit LaforetAIR.com and Storehouse.co/
air for more information about supporting
the “AIR” series.

ADORAMA
WANTS TO BUY
YO U R U S E D P H O T O & V I D E O G E A R

ITS WORTH MORE THAN YOU EXPECT!
Whether consumer level, professional gear or even vintage cameras, your used
equipment can easily be turned into cash or upgraded equipment.

Get a fast, free quote online at
Adorama.com/used or in our Manhattan, NY store.
Scan Here to see how easy it is to sell and trade up!

SHOP

42 W 18TH ST NYC
800.223.2500
adorama.com

RENT

PRINT

FREE 1-3 DAY SHIPPING
on most orders over $49*
*details at adorama.com/shipping

LEARN

TRADE

BLACK

2015 PHOTO CONTEST

WHITE

WORLD

Submit your best black-and-white photos
for a chance to win a prize package and get
your photo published in Digital Photo Pro!

Visit digitalphotopro.com/bww to get started
ENTRY PERIOD BEGINS MARCH 9, 2015

Monochrome
CONVERSION

Instead of always taking a one-click solution, learn how to take control over
the subtle tones to create richer, more nuanced black-and-white images
Text & Photography By Ming Thein

60 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

There’s no denying the classical appeal of blackand-white photography. Whilst a certain style of

OPENING PAGE: A scene with obvious contrast is simple enough to
convert from color to black-and-white. ABOVE AND BELOW: Often, we’re
photographing a scene with color contrast, but comparatively little
luminance contrast. In situations like these, a more labor-intensive
conversion process will result in a stronger monochrome image.

color, for example, Kodachrome of the ’80s, or
the pale washed-out negatives of the ’60s and
’70s, or Velvia of the ’90s, evokes the nostalgia
of a certain period in time, the very lack of color
has the completely opposite effect of rendering
an image timeless—even more so if there are
no obvious subject or visual cues of the era.
It’s then interesting to note that black-andwhite photography was originally a limitation,
not so much a conscious choice: There was
no chemistry for rendering color. Even then,
it wasn’t until relatively recently that accurate
color was possible—and now we’re well into
the digital age, where we have the beneﬁt of
deciding after capture how we would like to
present our images.
Perhaps this isn’t entirely accurate. Firstly,
there are cameras such as the Leica M
Monochrom and Phase One Achromatics,
which only capture luminance information and
can’t make a color image afterward. Secondly,
an image conceived, executed and presented
in either color or black-and-white always will
be more visually powerful than one that didn’t
have a clear idea from the outset. The presence or absence of color changes composition:
Different colors have different “visual weight”
and relative prominence; in monochrome, we
only have luminance information, and bigger/
brighter is always more obvious. Even so, there
are ways we can improve the presentation of an
image using modern processing. Let’s start by
demystifying two things.
Certain cameras have particular black-andwhite characteristics—partially true, but,

1

even then, only if you use JPEG. If you’re
shooting RAW, they provide different starting points—this is from a tonal response point
of view—but, ultimately, you can get a consistent look regardless of the camera, even if
some require more postprocessing work than
others. I know because I have to do this all the
time—“the images look different because I
used a different camera” isn’t a viable excuse
for a professional.
There are beneﬁts to a monochrome-only
camera. Partially true, again. The Bayer ﬁl-

2

ter and subsequent conversion is an interpolation of neighboring pixel image data to extract
color information; luminance information is
lifted from the photosite. Any sort of interpolation will reduce tonal accuracy and increase
noise because the luminance value you’ve got is
now an approximation instead of a true value.
digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 61

Original

Desaturation

Gradient Map Low-Key

Gradient Map High-Key

62 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

ABOVE: Completely different, but equally valid presentations—the very distinct mix of predawn light and sodium lighting created the original
colors (which are accurate to the real scene) and potential for tweaking tonality with the channel mixer.

However, it’s fairly easy to see that whilst
there are beneﬁts to shooting monochrome-only, you actually can convert
a color RAW ﬁle into a monochrome
one and lower the perceived amount
of noise—though not to as low a level
as a monochrome-only camera. If you
have a poor interpolation method, then
the luminance values can be affected,
too—once again, increasing the perception of pixel-level image noise in a color
image. Bottom line: Monochrome-only
will give you, yes, lower noise, and, yes,
better detail.
However, what you lose from a
monochrome camera is the ability to
control the relative luminance level of
individual color channels. Why is this
important? Suppose your color scene
has a relatively small range of background tonal values, but your subject
is a very different color. Its luminance
may be the same as the background, but
it stands out because of the difference in
color. Normally, this kind of image is a
very bad candidate for monochrome
because you’d end up with something
very ﬂat-looking. (Real-life translation: Running out and buying an M
Monochrom isn’t going to solve your
black-and-white conversion woes, but
it will give you an interesting start-

ing base—especially when it comes to
noise and dynamic range. Those of you
who don’t mind doing a bit of work,
hold on to your normal cameras. And,
in fact, most of these techniques apply
equally to the M Monochrom, too.)
The good news is, if you’re prepared to
do some work, different colors but similar luminance can be overcome for tonal
separation in monochrome. It’s still possible to separate the subject from the background; there are even a few options.
Park that thought for a moment because
we have to introduce the basics of blackand-white conversion from color ﬁrst.

Desaturation
The simplest method is to throw out
the color information, leaving luminance values only. You’re then free to
do whatever you wish to complete processing of the ﬁle. After much investigation and experimentation, this is
actually the method I use, coupled with
another trick or two. Desaturation can
be done in ACR (Saturation slider, ﬁrst
tab) or in Photoshop (Hue/Saturation
tool, then desaturate the master).

Gradient Map
Slightly more complicated is using
a gradient map. You can use the stan-

dard linear black to white transition (press D in Photoshop ﬁrst, then
add a new gradient map adjustment
layer), which gives very similar, but not
quite the same, results as desaturation.
Gradient maps with a straight gradient tend to result in a higher-contrast
image than desaturation. If you want
to experiment a bit, it’s actually possible to put intermediate control points
into the gradient and bias it toward a
high-key (mostly white, black fades
out faster) or low-key (black stays for
longer) look. What actually works here
will, of course, depend on your image,
however, so be prepared to do some
ﬁddling. The good news is, if you use
a new adjustment layer, the gradient
is easily modiﬁable without having to
redo your entire conversion.

Channel Mixer
Finally, we’ve got the channel mixer.
Best used on the RAW ﬁle in ACR, this
lets you decide how much of each individual color channel goes into making
the ﬁnal image. Note that the tool only
uses the luminance components of each
channel, and it’s additive; this means that
color (and perceptual color) information
is discarded. To make things even more
complicated, there’s a separate blackdigitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 63

ABOVE: Some images just don’t lend themselves to black-and-white conversion through luminance
adjustments. Here, the luminance values in the coat and skin tones are too close, and the image
just can’t be adjusted to create a satisfactory result.

and-white conversion adjustment layer
in Photoshop itself that effectively does
the same thing as the ACR conversion,
but it only has six channels for you to
play with instead of the eight in ACR.
In this case, more is deﬁnitely better, as it
allows for much ﬁner tonal control. It’s
very important to remember not to shift
any adjacent sliders to opposite ends,
64 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

though: If you do, there’s a very high
chance of posterization. And, don’t forget that magenta runs into red, so these
two values should also be similar. Imagine a snake: The slider positions should
be joinable with a smooth curve.
Remember the earlier conundrum of
how to isolate a different-colored, but
similarly luminous, subject from the

background? The solution to
this is, of course, the channel
mixer. You can increase the
luminance of the primary color
of your subject and decrease
that of the predominant background color, or the reverse—
thus creating visual separation
between the two elements. The
problem comes when you’ve
got a mixture of colors in both
subject and background, and
they’re shared—here, changing luminance of different
channels isn’t going to help
you. There are some images
that simply don’t work in
black-and-white.
This isn’t the entire toolkit,
of course. You’ll ﬁnd that after
this kind of conversion, things
look rather ﬂat. This is actually
a good thing because it means
you’ve got plenty of tonal and
dynamic range information
to work with; there isn’t anything clipped on either end.
Digging a bit deeper, we need
to remember that the way the
human eye perceives contrast
and separation is highly dependent on both differences in hue
and comparing immediately
adjacent areas as our eyes scan
the frame. We don’t “see” a
whole scene at once; our brains
compensate with persistence
of vision so we can experience
large areas simultaneously.
It’s not so easy to replicate
this in a still frame because of
the limits of output dynamic
range. The best thing to do is,
once again, remember that we
only need to: a) have general
global zones to give an image
some overall structure; and b)
make sure the local areas make visual
sense in isolation. Two of Photoshop’s
tools will be your best friends here: the
dodge and burn brush, and the curves
tool. A tablet is also extremely helpful
for these things, as it gives you precision
control and feathering over your brush
application. It lets you avoid hard edges
and odd abrupt transitions, and permits

National Geographic
Masters of Photography
Taught by National Geographic Photographers
Adventure

R
FE

LIM

LECTURE TITLES

TIME O
ED
F
IT

70%
off
E R BY J

Cory Richards and Stephen Alvarez
Redeﬁne Adventure
Broaden Your View
Show What No One Has Shown
Set the Scene, Get Close

6

Wildlife

E

O

RD

1.
2.
3.
4.

UN

5.
6.
7.
8.

Steve Winter and Joel Sartore
Understand the Animal
Use All the Tools
Make a Difference
Go Back, Get It Right

Landscape and Nature
9.
10.
11.
12.

Jim Richardson and Michael Yamashita
The Joys of Nature
Exploring Landscapes
Guide the Eye
Moment in Landscape

People in Their Environments
13.
14.
15.
16.

Jodi Cobb and Ira Block
Gaining Trust
Uncover the Human Condition
Build Relationships
Use the Background

Color and Light
17.
18.
19.
20.

Michael Melford and Annie Griffiths
Good, Bad, and Magic Light
Wait and Work the Shot
Compose with Color
Write with Light

Storytelling

Learn from the
Best in the World
Photography is an art. We may all take pictures—now more than ever—
but to rise above the level of a snapshot requires insight and finesse. And
the best way to learn any art form, including the art of photography, is by
watching a master artist at work.
In National Geographic Masters of Photography—24 lectures taught by
12 top National Geographic photographers—you gain unparalleled access
to the creative process of some of the world’s greatest photographers. Our
partnership with National Geographic—the gold standard of photography
for more than a century—has allowed us to bring together these worldclass experts for a visually stunning, one-of-a-kind instructional series that
will forever change the way you approach photography, whether you’re
using an expensive camera or the camera on your phone.

Offer expires 06/06/15

THEGREATCOURSES.COM/4 DPRO
1-800-832-2412

21.
22.
23.
24.

William Albert Allard and Ed Kashi
50 Years of Telling Stories
Moment, Gesture, Place
Engaging the World
Raising Awareness

National Geographic Masters of Photography
Course no. 7923 | 24 lectures (30 minutes/lecture)

SAVE $190
DVD $269.95 NOW $79.95
+$10 Shipping, Processing, and Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee

Priority Code: 110464

For 25 years, The Great Courses has brought the
world’s foremost educators to millions who want to
go deeper into the subjects that matter most. No
exams. No homework. Just a world of knowledge
available anytime, anywhere. Download or stream
to your laptop or PC, or use our free mobile apps
for iPad, iPhone, or Android. Over 500 courses
available at www.TheGreatCourses.com.

ABOVE, LEFT: In this version of the photo on the previous page, the channel mixer was combined with a virtual red ﬁlter to create a darker, more dramatic sky. ABOVE, RIGHT:
Night scenes like this are particularly good candidates for a more controlled black-and-white conversion because you want to be sure to maintain detail in the photo.

actions or a separate program, which
control the conversion—speciﬁcally,
the luminance translation of each color
channel into a luminance value—and
the tonal map of the ﬁnal ﬁle. Whilst

they’re extremely popular and used by
many “Internet street photographers”
either to save time or because they’re
unable to get their desired results from
a nuts-and-bolts conversion, I person-

B+W

EXPOSURE

highly precise editing without having
to resort to lasso masking.
At this point, it’s probably worth
talking about plug-ins and ﬁlters. The
former are either a set of Photoshop

www.schneideroptics.com

RON RICE ON SCHNEIDER B+W FILTERS

“

There was the shot I was looking for, just outside of New Orleans on the private road to an old
plantation—majestic Oaks, overgrown with Spanish moss. I set up my tripod dead center of the
quiet road, reached for my Fujifilm X-E2 and chose the XF50-140mm f2.8 OIS lens. On front of the
lens I chose a B+W filter because I know they will always be as good or better than any of my
lenses. I mounted the B+W F-Pro Mount Circular Polarizer and dialed in the sweet spot to get just
the right amount of color saturation to make the shot pop.

Fine art photographer Ron Rice
is based in Nashville, TN.

66 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

”

scene should be presented, but because
there’s a lot of ﬂexibility in how I want to
handle the conversion later to highlight
certain aspects of my subject or achieve
a certain tonal feel. Whilst all of these
techniques can be applied to JPEGs, best
results obviously will be achieved with
RAW ﬁles because more information
has been retained: You, as the artist, can
then decide how to allocate that tonality
across your available output scale. I use
the channel mixer method almost exclu-

sively because of the amount of control
possible, especially when combined with
dodging and burning (and not to mention the undo option!). If only Ansel
Adams had it so easy!
DPP
Ming Thein is a ﬁne-art/commercial photographer and author; you can ﬁnd his
blog at mingthein.com. He also teaches
workshops internationally and has a range
of postprocessing videos available, including The Monochrome Masterclass.

Bring Hollywood Home

±8LIVI´W ER MRXERKMFPI QEKMG XLEX GSQIW JVSQ
WLSSXMRK[MXL,1--X´WEWQYGLEFSYXXI\XYVIEW
MX MW EFSYX WLETI
GSPSV 8LI WTEVOPI TYRGL ERH
IJ⇒GMIRG]SJXLI/)ZSPYXMSR/MXMWEWKSSHEW
MXKIXW±
Scott Nathan ¯Award Winning Photographer & Director

1SHIP$NIWWIKSPHIR

ally avoid them because they don’t
give you enough ﬁne control, and even
worse, everybody’s images that were
run through that ﬁlter look the same.
Photography is arguably art and very
much down to personal taste. If you’re
100% happy with the way those results
look, that’s great, and, honestly, I’m jealous of the amount of time you’ve saved
in your workﬂow. However, claiming
this is art is disingenuous; it’s like ﬁnding out Ansel Adams shot BW400CN
(a black-and-white ﬁlm designed to
be run through a C41 color-processing
machine) and developed it at the local
pharmacy—instead of Tri-X or Plus-X,
controlling his development time and
chemical composition, and then cutting precision masks to dodge and burn
portions of his subjects. You’re no more
in control of the creative process than a
diner in a restaurant controls the presentation or timing of his or her dish.
There’s a second type of ﬁlter that’s
useful, and in either form, it performs a
similar function to the channel mixer—
it either admits or cuts out light that’s of a
certain range of wavelengths. The most
common example of this is a physical
red ﬁlter that goes over the end of your
lens; the effect is dark skies because very
little of the blue spectrum passes through
the red ﬁlter and onto the recording
medium. It works with digital, too, but
you have to remember to adjust exposure accordingly, and obviously not use
it in color mode. You can also replicate
this effect digitally afterward: Add in a
new layer, make it one color, and then
select the appropriate blending mode;
then only do your black-and-white conversion. There are interesting results
obtainable through this method.
Finally, if you pull back the blackand-white conversion layer slightly—
assuming you didn’t directly apply the
conversion to the image—it’s also possible to use a color layer to create a toning effect; sepia or platinum is probably
the most common. You can even use a
graduated ﬁll layer to provide a variable
effect; this is especially useful for increasing the density of skies, for instance.
Personally, I prefer to shoot color and
then convert to black-and-white, not
because I can’t decide up front how a

Evolution
Alpha

Joker Bi-Color

www.K5600.com
digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 67

Monochrome
Capture

Dedicated black-and-white digital cameras can deliver better and sharper images
for those who don’t have a need for color

68 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

<< Leica M Monochrom
It’s a bit ironic considering the Leica cachet, but the M Monochrom is far and
away the lowest-cost monochrome digital camera available today. It’s essentially a
classic Leica M rangeﬁnder camera, but with an 18-megapixel, full-frame
(35.8x23.9mm) monochrome CCD sensor that has no RGB ﬁlter grid and no AA
ﬁlter (but it does have an IR ﬁlter to cut off wavelengths
longer than 700nm). Like all M-series Leica cameras,
the M Monochrom can use the full lineup of legendary
Leica M lenses (from 16mm to 135mm), and each
frames just as it does on a traditional 35mm Leica M
camera, thanks to the full-frame sensor. ISO range is
320-10,000 (and there’s even an auto ISO feature).
Unlike most digital cameras, the M Monochrom has a
histogram that displays the unprocessed, unmodiﬁed raw
data, rather than data for a camera-processed JPEG
image—very helpful for nailing those RAW exposures
(the camera shoots DNG RAW ﬁles, as well as JPEGs).
You can tone JPEGs in-camera. Digital aspects aside,
the M Monochrom is a Leica M camera, with quick and
easy rangeﬁnder focusing, quiet operation, and a rugged body featuring top and
base plates of machined brass and a housing manufactured from a single piece
of magnesium alloy. Dimensions are 5.5x3.1x1.5 inches, weight is 21.2 ounces
(body only). Estimated Street Price: $7,200. us.leica-camera.com

There are three basic ways to produce a monochrome (black-and-white) image with a digital camera: Shoot it that way using your
camera’s monochrome mode; convert a
color image to monochrome using your
RAW converter, Photoshop or specialized monochrome software; or shoot
with a monochrome digital camera.
Using your camera’s monochrome
mode has several advantages. You can
use the camera’s built-in ﬁlters (including the old black-and-white standbys
red, yellow and green), you can view
the image in monochrome on the LCD
monitor, and if you shoot RAW rather
than JPEG, you have the ability to process the resulting ﬁle into monochrome
or full color after the fact. The primary
drawback is that conventional digital
sensors, with their Bayer RGB ﬁlter
arrays, don’t provide optimal monochrome image quality—more on this
in a bit.
Converting a color image into monochrome in your computer offers the
advantages of lots of control—your
home computer is more powerful than
the one built into your camera, and can
handle more complex algorithms, and
specialized monochrome software such
as Nik Silver Efex Pro provides powerful conversion and ﬁnishing tools.
And you can convert any digital image,
whether it was shot recently or it’s a

scan from an old Kodachrome transparency. Photoshop’s Channel Mixer
gives you tremendous control over the
tones in the image. (See “Monochrome
Conversion” by Ming Thein in this
issue for more about using the Channel
Mixer.) The main drawback to converting a color image is the same as with
using the camera’s monochrome mode:
That color original image suffers the
effects of demosaicing.

Why Monochrome Cameras
Do It Better
Conventional image sensors consist of
a ﬁne grid of millions of pixels or photodiodes that record light in proportion to
its intensity. Each pixel can detect how
much light strikes it, but not what color
that light is. To provide color information, most manufacturers position a grid
of primary-colored ﬁlters called a Bayer
array (named after the Kodak scientist
who devised it) over the pixels, with
one primary color, red, green or blue,
covering each pixel so that each pixel
receives only light of that color. Then,
through a process known as demosaicing, the camera’s processor (if you
shoot JPEG) or your RAW converter (if
you shoot RAW) creates a full-color
image, using color data from neighboring pixels and interpolation via complex proprietary algorithms to furnish

the missing color data for each pixel.
This process works quite well—all
major-brand digital cameras except
Sigma’s use this method on amateur
as well as pro-oriented models (see the
“Sigma/Foveon” sidebar). However,
the demosaicing process does have
some drawbacks. First, a lot of light is
wasted, since the colored ﬁlters block
two-thirds of the light from reaching each pixel. Second, the demosaicing process produces aliasing—moiré,
color artifacts and the like. To combat
this, most sensors also include an antialiasing (AA) ﬁlter, or optical low-pass
ﬁlter (OLPF), which slightly blurs the
image at the pixel level to minimize
moiré. This, of course, also slightly
reduces overall image sharpness.
So when you use your camera’s
monochrome mode, or convert a color
digital image to monochrome in your
computer, you’re working from a
color image that was fabricated from
a monochrome image using colored
ﬁlters and complex image processing, and then turned back into monochrome. There must be a better way.
There is: a monochrome camera. The
sensors in monochrome digital cameras
don’t have color ﬁlter arrays because
there’s no need. Thus, they record all
the light (per the sensor’s quantum efﬁciency) that falls on each pixel; none is
lost to color ﬁlters, so sensor sensitivity
is, in effect, higher. There’s no demosaicing, and thus no color moiré and
no need for the blurring AA ﬁlter. So
images from a monochrome sensor
are inherently sharper than converted
color images, and sensitivity is higher.
Of course, the monochrome camera
can’t produce color images, so you have
to consider your needs. Monochrome
cameras are quite costly, so most photographers probably will be better off
doing monochrome with their regular
digital cameras—which can deliver
excellent monochrome images despite
the drawbacks. But for the monochrome connoisseur, the monochrome
camera is the way to go.
Note that all digital images can suffer from aliasing—when you sample
real-world scenes with a ﬁne grid
array, some aliasing (“stair-stepped”
digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 69

Illustration courtesy of Sigma

Sigma/Foveon
Sigma’s DSLRs and compact cameras with Foveon X3 image sensors don’t use
Bayer ﬁlter arrays and demosaicing. Instead, they derive color from the fact that
different light wavelengths penetrate silicon to different depths. Foveon sensors
stack three pixel layers, in effect, the top layer recording short (blue)
wavelengths, the middle layer, medium (green), and the bottom layer,
long (red) wavelengths. (It’s really more complicated than
that, especially with the latest-generation Foveon Quattro
sensors, but it’s simpler to think of it this way.) The
result is that these sensors record all three primary
colors (as well as full luminance data) at every pixel
site, no demosaicing or interpolation required—and,
thus, no AA ﬁlter required, either. The result is
sharper images than produced by Bayer sensors of
equal horizontal-by-vertical pixel count—and better
monochrome images. The Foveon
monochrome images aren’t as good as
those from dedicated monochrome sensors,
but they’re better than those from Bayer
sensors—and the Sigma cameras cost
a lot less than the monochrome digital
cameras. The Sigma SD1 Merrill DSLR
sells for around $1,999, the DP1, DP2
and DP3 Merrill compact cameras (with
built-in wide-angle, normal and short tele
lenses, respectively), for around $799,
and the new dp1, dp2 and dp3 Quattro
compacts (with wide, normal and short
tele lenses, respectively) for $999.
www.sigmaphoto.com

edges, moiré, etc.) will occur if the
pattern of the subject is the right size
and at the angle to conﬂict with the
sampling grid. The ﬁner the pixel
grid, the less likely this is to happen, so
more and more DSLRs and mirrorless
cameras today are doing away with the
AA ﬁlter as pixel counts go up. And
medium-format digital cameras have
never used AA ﬁlters. Aliasing—when
it occurs—can be corrected in post-

processing, as medium-format users
have operated from the start.

RED EPIC
Monochrome
Many still photographers may think of RED
as being only for video. However, RED’s
DSMCs (Digital Still and Motion Cameras)
can produce superb still images, as well as
feature-quality video. The EPIC Monochrome
features the RED Mysterium-X Monochrome
sensor, a 30x15mm unit that can deliver
14-megapixel still images, as well as video
up to 5K (5120x2700) at rates up to 59.94
fps. Native ISO is 2000; dynamic range is
13.5 stops (up to 18 stops with RED HDRx).
Adapters are available for PL, Canon, Nikon
and Leica lenses. RED offers two electronic
viewﬁnders and LCD monitors from 5.0
to 9.0 inches, some with touch-screen
capability. Images are saved to REDMAG
1.8-inch SSD units from 48 GB to 512 GB,
or the RED MINI-MAG 512 GB. There are
two versions of the EPIC Monochrome: the
EPIC-M is handmade in California and
carries a two-year warranty and a $25,000
price (Brain only), while the production
EPIC-X (also made in the U.S.) carries a
one-year warranty and a $20,000 price
(Brain only). The RED EPIC-M Dragon
Monochrome adds 6K (6144x3160) video,
19-megapixel stills and a 16.5-stop dynamic
range to the above features, thanks to the
Dragon-M sensor with interchangeable DSMC
Monochrome OLPF. It sells for $31,500
(Brain only). www.red.com

Monochrome Cameras
Today, there are three basic monochrome digital cameras on the market,
from Leica, Phase One and RED. They
range in price from over $7,000 to over
$40,000, and that’s their primary drawback. But in terms of monochrome
image quality, they offer the best there is.

<< Phase One IQ260 Achromatic
When DSLR users talk about full-frame, they mean 35mm full-frame: a sensor measuring
about 36x24mm, the size of a full 35mm ﬁlm frame. To medium-format users, full-frame
means the size of a full 645-format ﬁlm frame. That would be 6x4.5cm, in theory, more like
56x41.5mm in terms of actual image area. Phase One’s IQ260 Achromatic medium-format
digital back (available as a kit with the Phase One 645DF+ camera body, or with mounts to
ﬁt many popular medium-format and technical cameras) features a 60-megapixel, full-frame
medium-format monochrome CCD sensor that measures a whopping 53.7x40.3mm—more
than 2.5X the area of a full-frame 35mm DSLR sensor and 1.5X the area of the 44x33mm
sensors found in lower-end medium-format cameras. Besides the huge sensor size and 60
megapixels (and the resulting superb image quality), the back offers a 3.2-inch, 1150K-dot
touch-screen display, 13 stops of dynamic range and ISOs from 200-3200. The back is ruggedly constructed
of 100% aircraft-grade aluminum, and can be operated as an independent unit, tethered to a computer or wirelessly from an iPad
or iPhone using Phase One Capture Pilot. Besides having no Bayer ﬁlters or AA ﬁlter, the IQ260 Achromatic has no IR cutoff ﬁlter,
so it can also be used for infrared photography. Estimated Street Price: $44,495. www.phaseone.com
DPP

70 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

THE 6TH ANNUAL

David Halgrimson
2014 Second Place Winner

Steven Castro—2014 First Place Winner

Entry deadline is
June 25, 2015.

Submit photos of outdoor locations from around
the world for your chance to win a prize package and publication
of your photo in Outdoor Photographer!

Visit outdoorphotographer.com/contests

View
From
The
Top

By Kristan Ashworth 쏜쏜 Photography By Courtney Dailey

1

Energy, ﬂexibility and a fearless
attitude—pro beauty photographer
Courtney Dailey shares insights on
how to keep clients coming back

cations and brands as clients, and plenty
of experience navigating this competitive industry, we turned to Dailey for
her pro tips on how to stay on top.

Pursue New Skills That
Fit Your Business

When trying to put together a portfolio for her
makeup work while living in Detroit, Michigan,
Courtney Dailey couldn’t ﬁnd anyone
doing the New York-style beauty shots
she had in mind so, since she had a
camera and experience photographing
friends in college, she decided to shoot
them herself.
“Really quickly, my photography business began to grow uncontrollably,” she
recalls. “I was offering something that
no one else was really doing in that city.
It grew so fast that, within a year and a
half, I had to look to a bigger market.”
The perfect SoCal weather led
Dailey to Los Angeles 10 years ago.
“Things blew up,” she says, looking
back. “I’m really glad I took that risk.”
Taking risks has served this makeup
artist turned beauty photographer and
mentor well, and she’s a perfect example of how personality and professionalism (or lack thereof) can make or break
a business. With some of the top publi72 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Dailey recently had an eye-opening
experience when she lost a bid on what
could have been a life-changing job.
“The reason I didn’t get the bid was
because I don’t have a director’s reel,”
she says. “Even though I’m a photographer, because things are changing
so fast, now they want someone with
multimedia experience.”
While Dailey regularly directs photo
shoots, this was the ﬁrst time she had
ever been asked for a reel. She has
already put the wheels in motion, however, and emailed her contact at the
company, letting her know that “I’ve
scheduled six projects that I’ll be directing to build my reel,” notes Dailey, “so
next time you approach me, I’ll have
this beautiful presentation for you.”
Dailey understands that the industry
is changing quickly and that she has to
be tuned in to what’s being done in different markets. “Video is growing very
fast, so I know that’s something I need
to do, and now I’ve seen the evidence
that I have to do it. You have to feel out
what’s best for your business and what
will help you grow. I don’t think you
should do anything that’s not right for
you. If you have no interest in directing,
then say, screw it, I don’t want to do it.
But if you feel that it can help you grow
and you’re interested in it, embrace it.”

Know Your Clients And Their Markets

1

On a shoot for a skincare line for
teenagers, Dailey faced a client who
wanted ﬂashy, futuristic imagery, which
she felt didn’t ﬁt the audience. “I immediately said, listen, I think we need to
take a step back and realize who you’re
marketing to,” says Dailey. “I explained
to the client that I was happy to shoot
exactly what they wanted, but I would
also like to do a few shots that felt a little
bit younger, fresher and more airy.”
The client was still adamant about
what they wanted. “I said, that’s fantastic, but just for me, let’s take an
extra 10 minutes and put her in a different top and utilize this beautiful
background and see if you like it,”
adds Dailey. “They loved it and said it
was much more approachable.”
A similar situation occurred on a shoot
for a hair care product, where Dailey
convinced the client to reﬁne the idea
and narrow their focus to just the hair.
“I had the hairstylist comb the model’s hair out into this beautiful S curve
and I took two or three of these shots,
and the client loved it,” she recalls.
“You have to take what the clients
want with an open ear, but you have to
give them options. Sometimes clients
will look at competition and feel that’s
what they need to do. I’ve been down
this road so many times. Sometimes
they’ll think too big and you have to
show them that simplicity is stronger.”

1

2

Be Creative And Give Clients Options

2

On a shoot for Cosmopolitan,
Dailey stuck to a clean, simple look
against gray paper that she had seen used
in other layouts in similar issues. But she
had another concept that she was really
excited about and decided to go for it.
“I wanted to go with something more
exciting and colorful,” recounts Dailey.
“I kept thinking about a tropical rain
forest with jewel tones. I had my wardrobe stylist pull colorful gemstone jewelry. I bought some very tropical leaves
at a greenery ﬂorist here in L.A. So I
placed the leaves up in my backyard and
shot in bright, midday sunlight. It was a
risk, but I really had this vision. I then
presented both stories to the magazine,
and said here’s the story that feels very
similar to what your content normally
is, but here’s a variation that I think is
really strong, and they went completely
nuts over it. I thought, what’s the harm
in doing both? If they choose the gray
background, I can still take the green
74 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

background idea and sell it to a different
magazine with a totally different story.”
When it came to shooting a jar of
cream, Dailey went through about 15
different versions with the client. “This
image is version number 10,” she says.
“Everyone wanted microscopic changes

made. It was painstaking. Faces are so
organic, but products are so structured
and symmetrical. When you’re dealing
with symmetry, it’s so much more difﬁcult to make things perfect.”
Not to mention working with the
cream itself. Dailey used a pastry bag

to pipe the cream on top of the jar. But
getting the perfect swirl wasn’t as easy
as you might think.
“I think I did 10 different swirls,”
Dailey recalls. “Finally, they went
back to this one, the one I thought
they would hate; the one I just did on
a whim. After going through this, I
learned to be much more careful with
the way I move forward with my clients. I’m going to make sure that they
understand they can’t make 18,000
changes to an image. There needs to
be guidelines. I did what I felt would
work, and they ended up loving it in
the end. Sometimes clients don’t know
exactly what they want, so you just
have to give them different options.”

>> More On The Web

For more cutting-edge
imagery from ﬁne-art and
commercial photographers,
see the Proﬁles section of
DPP on the web at
www.digitalphotopro.com.

3

It was something very different. I told them that I
thought it was best that we reshoot this so it was all true
to their line. So I persuaded them to do another campaign with the same story, lighting and model as the
campaign they loved, but with their own products, and
the campaign did really, really well.”

3
3

Be True To Your Work

When a cosmetics company told Dailey that their
campaign was called “Summer in Hi-Def,” she realized she had recently shot a story that was a perfect ﬁt
for that title, but was for a different client. “They loved
the images and wanted to buy them,” Dailey recalls.
She had to turn the offer down, but not without ﬁrst
presenting a solution. “First of all, I believe in truth in
advertising. This wasn’t their product on the model.

4

Don’t Doubt Yourself

As most professional photographers
know, you’re not always going to
agree with, or have the same vision as,
your client. But some gentle nudging
can help move you in the direction that
ultimately will make both you and the
client happy. Dailey put these skills to
use when working with a cosmetics
company on a shoot for their spring/
summer line, where they envisioned
everything clean and white.

“I saw it being more free and feminine,
so I really had to package this idea,” says
Dailey. “I put together a mood board of
how I saw this image shot, and I really
had to persuade them that this was the
way to go. And, once we did get to that
point, they were comfortable moving in
that direction. One thing I’ve learned is
to not doubt your gut. This is your work;
this is your career. If you feel that the client is going in the wrong direction, it’s
best to let them know ahead of time and

4

then lead them down the right path.”
Having the conﬁdence to take risks
and showcase your diversity can lead to
repeat business—whether that’s in the
future or on the same set.
“I was working on a really large U.S.Canada campaign for this company
that I had never worked with before,”
says Dailey. “The client had actual storyboards of what they needed; it was so
literal. So, luckily, one of the hairstylists on the team was a real risk-taker.
Once we knew we had what the client
wanted, it was time to have fun: We
messed up the model’s hair and put a
fan on her, and the client loved it. I was
then able to negotiate those images for
their international campaign. So I got
a national campaign and an international campaign from the same client.
“I think it’s worth it to take that
chance,” concludes Dailey. “If the client doesn’t like it, then you have extra
images you can put aside that may
work for a different campaign down
the road.”
DPP
See more of Courtney Dailey’s work at
www.courtneydailey.com and learn about
her mentoring and workshops at www.
photobeautycoach.com.
digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 75

DPP Solutions

DPPSolutions

The future of drones for
professionals is becoming clearer
In February, the FAA issued the much anticipated
proposed rules for drones titled “The Overview
of Small UAS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.”
Prior to the notice, there was a lot of
speculation and more than a little
apprehension about how the U.S.
would handle drone usage. Short of
plain outlawing unmanned aircraft in
U.S. airspace, the biggest concern was
that the FAA would recommend that
drone operators be considered pilots
and have to attend a sort of ﬂight
school and be licensed. That didn’t
happen. In fact, most of the fears
that were circulating on the Internet
proved completely unfounded, much
to the collective relief of hobbyists and
professionals alike.
Here are some of the highlights from
the February notice:
UAS pilots will be considered
“operators”; you won’t have to go to
ﬂight school to be able to use your drone.
s%VERY MONTHS OPERATORS WILL
76 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Preﬂight

have to pass an aeronautical knowledge
test at an FAA-approved facility—this
seems to be similar to the way ﬁrearms
are licensed in some states, where buyers
must take a short written test every few
years to prove rudimentary knowledge.
s/PERATORS MUST BE VETTED BY
the TSA.
s/PERATORS MUST BE AT LEAST
years old.
s/PERATORS MUST MAKE THE DRONE
available for inspection upon request.
s/PERATORS MUST REPORT ACCIDENTS
WITHINDAYSIFTHEYRESULTININJURY
or property damage.
For the drone itself, the highlights
from the notice are:
s4HE DRONE MUST WEIGH LESS THAN
55 pounds.

TOP: A behind-the-scenes screenshot from
the Spike Jonze short, Pretty Sweet, which
was shot in one take with a drone. ABOVE:
The DJI Inspire 1 has a 4K camera built in.

sh3MALLUNMANNEDAIRCRAFTMAYNOT
operate over any persons not directly
involved in the operation.”
s6ISUALLINE
OF
SIGHTMUSTBEMAIN
tained by the operator or a visual
observer at all times.
s4HEDRONECANONLYBEmOWNDUR
ing daylight.
s4HE DRONES MAXIMUM ALTITUDE IS
TOBEFEET
All of these requirements are for
recreational usage, and some have suggested that this means any sort of
commercial usage will still require a
h3ECTION %XEMPTION v WHICH
involves plenty of convoluted governmental forms and registrations. That’s
not certain, by any means, however,
AND SOME EXPERTS ARE PREDICTING THAT

commercial requirements simply will
echo the recreational rules.
In an interview with Pro Video
Coalition’s Jeff Foster, noted drone
attorney Peter Sachs said, “There is
nothing wrong with requiring an
appropriate level of aeronautical,
meteorological and airspace knowledge. That makes sense. However,
requiring a manned pilot license to ﬂy
a three-pound plastic drone commercially is like requiring a medical license
to apply a Band-Aid. If the reported
FAA proposed regulations are actually
adopted, the United States is destined
to remain a third-world nation with
respect to drones.” (See the article at
www.provideocoalition.com/dronelaw-update-faa.)
In the ﬁnal analysis, we still have to
wait and see what the actual regulations
say. Following the February notice,
there was a 60-day period for comments
and input. Final rules and regulations
had been targeted for later in 2015, but
they could take a couple of years.
In the meantime, check out
the Small UAV Coalition (www.
smalluavcoalition.org). Their mission
statement says, “The Small UAV
Coalition advocates for law and policy
changes to permit the operation
of small unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) beyond the line-of-sight, with
varying degrees of autonomy, for
commercial, consumer, recreational
and philanthropic purposes. Our
members, including leading consumer
and technology companies such as
Airware, Amazon Prime Air, DJI,
Google[x], GoPro, Parrot, and 3DR,
believe that U.S. leadership in the
research, development, and production
of unmanned aerial vehicles will beneﬁt
consumers in all walks of life. We
believe that, working together, we will
be able to remove unnecessary policy or
regulatory hurdles that impede small
UAV development, sales, job creation,
and services.”
While there are plenty of accounts
about threatening letters and phone calls
from the FAA to commercial operators,
the future is likely to be much more
friendly for professional photographers
and videographers...we hope.
DPP

PROFESSIONALS RELY ON
THE EXPERT TEAM AT

ADORAMA PRO

Your complete resource
for professional tools,
in-depth knowledge
& production support.

42 West 18 th Street, NYC • 888.582.3900 • adorama.com

digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 77

HI-TECH STUDIO
(Cont’d from page 34)

A Selection Of Scanners
Braun FS120 Medium-Format Film
Scanner. Braun’s FS120 is a good choice

NEW!

MetalPrints

Steve Harrington

with Acrylic

for those who have both 35mm and
medium-format ﬁlm images to scan,
as it accepts 35mm slides and ﬁlmstrips
through 120/220 ﬁlms (up to 6x12 format). Its optical resolution is 3200 ppi,
Dmax is 3.6+, and bit depth is 48 (16
bits per RGB channel). The light source
is white and IR LEDs; the sensor is a
3-line CCD. Built-in technology automatically removes dust and scratches.
The unit connects to a computer via
USB 2.0 (or 1.1), and requires Mac
OS X 10.5+ with 1.8 GHz Intel Core
2 Duo or better and 1 GB of RAM, or
Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8, Intel P4 2
GHz and 1 GB of RAM. Dimensions
are 15.7x8.1x6.7 inches; weight is 11.7
pounds. Estimated Street Price: $1,995.
www.braun-phototechnik.de/en
Epson Perfection V850 Pro Photo
Scanner. The Perfection V850 Pro is a

MetalPrints can now be
ordered with Stainless
Posts and optional 1/4"
or 1/2" Acrylic over the
face of the MetalPrint.

25%
OFF
Your First Order!
*Get 25% off your first order with
Bay Photo Lab! For instructions on
how to redeem this special offer,
fill out the New Customer Account
Request form at bayphoto.com.

Learn more at
bayphoto.com/metalprints
78 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

ﬂatbed type that can handle sizes from
35mm slides through 8x10 transparencies and negatives, and prints up to
8.5x11.7 inches. It’s also the lowest-cost
unit presented here. Optical resolution
is 4800x9600 ppi (6400x9600 ppi with
Micro Step Drive technology), maximum Dmax is 4.0, and bit depth is 48
(16 bits per RGB channel). ReadyScan
LED technology provides fast scanning with no warm-up time required.
The Perfection V850 Pro connects to
a computer via USB 2.0, and requires
Mac OS X 10.6.x-10.10.x or Windows
8-8.1, 7, Vista, XP or XP Pro x64
Edition. Two sets of ﬁlm holders speed
up batch processing, and hold up to
12 mounted slides or up to 18-frame
35mm strips, one medium-format
frame up to 6x20cm and one 4x5-inch
frame. There’s also an 8x10 ﬁlm holder.
Dimensions are 19.8x12.1x6.0 inches;
weight is 14.6 pounds. Estimated Street
Price: $949. www.epson.com
Hasselblad Flextight X1. The X1 can
handle ﬁlm sizes from 35mm through
4x5 inches. Its unique design features
a vertical optical system that provides
a glass-free optical path between your
original and the lens. Flexible holders

keep the ﬁlm ﬂat. Dmax is 4.6, and bit
depth is 48 (16 bits per RGB channel).
The X1 can deliver a 6400 ppi scan from
35mm in 7.15 minutes, a 3200 ppi scan
from a 60mm original in 6.02 minutes,
and a 2040 ppi scan from a 4x5 original in 5.08 minutes. You can save a 3F
“raw” scan and open it later and make
any desired modiﬁcations, a history of
which will be embedded in the 3F ﬁle
for future reference. A cold-cathode
light source and a power supply located
outside the scanner both reduce heat.
Dimensions are 25.6x15.4x9.1 inches;
weight is 45.2 pounds. Estimated Street
Price: $13,400. hasselbladbron.com
Paciﬁc Image PrimeFilm 120 Pro
Multi-Format Scanner. The quick

PrimeFilm 120 can handle ﬁlms from
35mm through 120/220 (up to 6x12cm),
delivering 3200 ppi, 48-bit (16 per
RGB channel) scans with a Dmax of
3.6+. The light source is white and IR
LEDs, and the sensor is a 3-line RGB
CCD. Unique Magic Touch technology removes dust and scratches. The
PF 120 connects to Mac (OS 10.5+,
Intel processor) and Windows (XP/
Vista/7/8, Intel P4 2 GHz or AMD 2
GHz or better) computers via USB 2.0
(not USB 1.1-compatible). Dimensions
are 6.3x7.8x15.78 inches; weight is 12.3
pounds. Estimated Street Price: $1,399.
www.scanace.com
Plustek OpticFilm 120 Film Scanner.

The OpticFilm 120 can handle ﬁlms
from 35mm through 120/220 (6x4.5cm
through 6x12cm). Dynamic range is
4.01 (with SilverFast Multi-Exposure;
the unit comes with SilverFast Ai
Studio 8), theoretical Dmax is 4.8, and
bit depth is 48 (16 bits per RGB channel). Input (CCD) resolution is 10,600
ppi; output (lens) resolution is 5300
ppi. The light source is LED. Patentpending adjustable-pitch 120 ﬁlm holders hold the ﬁlm ﬂat, while motorized
transport speeds workﬂow. Features
include quick and simple Auto IT8
proﬁling and iSRD dust and scratch
removal. The OpticFilm 120 connects
to Mac (OS 10.5+, Intel processor) or
Windows (XP/Vista/7/8) via USB 2.0.
Dimensions are 8.3x14.7x7.4 inches;
weight is 12.6 pounds. Estimated Street
Price: $1,999. plustek.com
DPP

VISIONEER’S GALLERY
(Cont’d from page 27)

This beautiful moment of intimacy
binds us to the tribe, powerfully invoking the realization that water is the crucial element upon which our collective
survival depends. And, unlike in many
of the pictures we see from the world
of charity, there’s a feeling of pride and
dignity that exudes from the faces in
the photograph, clearly a reﬂection of
the empathy with which the photographer treats his subjects.
“I’m very much more a ﬂy on the
wall. I don’t want you to see me. I
don’t want to know you’re there. I
just want to capture,” states Lennon.
This unintrusive presence has allowed
Lennon to capture candid pictures
that we instantly connect to. Lennon
also includes some landscape photographs in the exhibit that seem to have
been created in the Daguerreotype era,
spectacular, almost otherworldly landscapes captured by him in compositions that celebrate the incredible, vast
and arid African horizon.
Our retouching, printing and mounting teams worked together to make this
exhibit the success that it was. Fine Art
Account Manager Hillary Altman at
Duggal has worked closely with Julian
for over ﬁve years now since we created
the pieces for “Timeless.” It’s thrilling
for all of us to see this remarkable artist progress as he has, bringing incredible beauty and warmth to his pictures.
All photographs in “Horizon” were
produced by our ﬁne-art digital archival printers on Duraﬂex, mounted to
1
⁄8-inch nonglare Plexi, with aluminum
backs and braces, except for “Hope,”
which was printed as a digital ﬁber
silver-gelatin print and then customframed in a black ﬂoat gallery frame.
Whether he moves through music
or photography, I look forward to the
stories that Julian Lennon has in store
for us. Judging by the work he has created thus far, what we know for sure is
that he will always connect us to what
is most real.
DPP
Visit Duggal at www.duggal.com or check
out the blog at www.duggal.com/connect
and see their newest articles.

Visit the Apple
App Store to get
your free
Digital Photo Pro
app and start
enjoying anytime,
anywhere access!
digitalphotopro.com May/June 2015 | 79

95.JSSPSMFTT4ZTUFN$BNFSB

-VNJY%.$() ,.JSSPSMFTT4ZTUFN$BNFSB

t8FBUIFS3FTJTUBOU#PEZ$POTUSVDUJPO
t6TFT'VKJGJMN9.PVOU
t*OUFMMJHFOU)ZCSJE"''PDVT1FBLJOH
t4%)$4%9$$BSE4MPU
tGQT$POUJOVPVT4IPPUJOH
t-$%t#VJMU*O8J'J
t'VMM)%Q7JEFP3FDPSEJOHBUGQT

t%$*,YBUQ
t6 )%,YBUQQ
t-JWF7JFX'JOEFS t'VMM)%VQUPQ
t)JHI4QFFE1PJOU"' t-$%
t#JUPS#JU)%.*0VUQVU
t4VQQPSUGPSQ
Q
Q
Q
t.BHOFTJVN"MMPZ
8FBUIFS4FBMFE#PEZ

#PEZ0OMZ 1"%.$()

The Professional’s Source™

www.BandH.com

&04% %4-3

420 Ninth Ave.
Corner of 34th Street

New York, N.Y. 10001

#PEZ0OMZ '695#
XJUINN-FOT '695#

Mega
Pixels

&04% %4-3

#PEZ0OMZ $"&%

,JU XJUI NN - *4 $"&%

Hands-on demos
Convenient free parking
available

4VC
CTDSJCF UP
P PVS
F $BUUBMPH
GSFF
BandH.com/catalog
212-444-6633

Mega
Pixels

54& .' -FOTFT (USA)
-
-**

&'i-w-FOTFT(USA)
64.**
**

64.

64.

64.**

*464..BDSP

64.

64..BDSP

*464.

*464.

*464.** SFBS

64.

'JTIFZF64.
64.**

64.

*464.

64.**

*464.

*464.

*464.

64.

*4**64.

*464.

*464.

Y***5FMF
Y *** 5FMF

#PEZ0OMZ $"&%9

Mega
Pixels

C ll for
Call
for Ava
Availab
Avail
ilabl
ble Rebat
b tes & Pro
Promoti
motions
tions
on Select Bodies, Lenses and Flashes!
"''MBTIFT
4#
4#
4#
4#
38JSFMFTT5XJO'MBTI
3$8JSFMFTT5XJO'MBTI4ZTUFN
%9&%*'-FOTFTGPS%JHJUBM0OMZ
'JTI&ZF
("'4

("'4.JDSP

(&%73.JDSP

("'4

("'4

("'473

("'4

("'4**

("'473

("'473

("'473**

("'4&%73

("'4

("'473

("'473

%5ZQF"'-FOTFT
%&%
%

%
XJUI)PPE
%&%1$&

("'4

%

%

%&%1$&.JDSP

-VNJY(7BSJP.JSSPSMFTT 4ZTUFN-FOTFT
'JTIFZF
"TQIFSJDBM
"TQIFSJDBM-FJDB%(4VNNJMVY
**"TQIFSJDBM
"TQIFSJDBM-FJDB%(4VNNJMVY
"TQI1PXFS0*4-FJDB%(/PDUJDSPO

"TQI.FHB0*4-FJDB%(.BDSP&MNBSJU
9"TQI
"TQI

"TQI
"TQIFSJDBM.FHB0*4
91;1PXFS0*44JMWFS
"TQIFSJDBM.FHB0*4
)%"TQIFSJDBM.FHB0*4
"TQIFSJDBM1PXFS0*4
0*4
"TQI
90*4
0*4

Page 1

Mega
Pixels

t%VBM%*(*$ *NBHF1SPDFTTPST
t&ZF-FWFM1FOUBQSJTN7JFXGJOEFS
t-$%.POJUPS t6TFT$BOPO&'-FOTFT
t%VBM$'DBSETMPUT
tY)%7JEFP$BQUVSF
t-JWF7JFX4UJMMBOE7JEFP3FDPSEJOH
t1PJOU)JHI%FOTJUZ"VUP'PDVT

C ll for
Call
for Ava
Availab
Avail
ilabl
ble Rebat
b tes & Pro
Promoti
motions
tions
on Select Bodies, Lenses and Flashes!

The most knowledgeable
Sales Professionals

&04%Y %4-3

#PEZ0OMZ $"&%

,JUXJUINNG- $"&%

Over 70,000 square feet
of the latest gear

Mega
Pixels

t$MFBS7JFX)JHI3FTPMVUJPO-$%
t% *(*$ *NBHF1SPDFTTPS t1PJOU
)JHI%FOTJUZ"' t6TFT$BOPO&'-FOTFT
t%VBM$'
4%$BSE4MPUT t6QUP'14
t'VMM)%QBOEQ'PSNBUT
t#VJMU*O)%3BOE.VMUJQMF&YQPTVSF.PEFT

t'VMM'SBNF$.044FOTPS t-$%
t%*(*$ *NBHF1SPDFTTPS
t6TFT$BOPO&'-FOTFT
t4%4%)$4%9$$BSE4MPU
t#VJMU*O8J'JBOE(14$POOFDUJWJUZ
t'VMM)%QXJUI.BOVBM$POUSPMT
t#VJMU*O)%3BOE.VMUJQMF&YQPTVSF.PEFT

&04'MBTI4ZTUFN (USA)
&9**
&9**
&9
&935
.3&93JOHMJHIU
.5&95XJO'MBTI
&'4-FOTFTGPS%JHJUBM0OMZ(USA)
/PUDPNQBUJCMFXJUIGVMMGSBNFDBNFSBT

64..BDSP

64.

*464.

*464.

*464.

*4

*4

*464.

&'-FOTFT(USA)
64.

*464.

*464.

*464.

**

64.

.BDSP

64.

64.

64..BDSP

*464.

*464.

%0*464.

***

***64.

&04% .BSL *** %4-3

t%VBM1JYFM$.04"'XJUI-JWF7JFX
t%*(*$ *NBHF1SPDFTTPS
t4%4%)$4%9$$BSE4MPU
t6TFT$BOPO&'&'4-FOTFT
t7BSJ"OHMF5PVDITDSFFO
t#VJMU*O8JSFMFTT$POOFDUJWJUZ
t'VMM)%Q7JEFP
#PEZ0OMZ $"&%

,JUXJUINN45. $"&%

8IFO JO /FX :PSL
7JTJU PVS 4VQFS4UPSF

Mega
Pixels

.JSSPSMFTT 4ZTUFN -FOTFT
9' 3
9' 3
9'.BDSP
9'3
9'30*4
9'3
9$0*4
9'
9'3 9'30*4
9'3-.0*4
9$0*4

%5ZQF "' -FOTFT
%

%

("'4

("'4

%.JDSP

("'4&%.JDSP

("'4

%*'

("'4

("'4&%*'73.JDSP

%$%XJUI)PPE

%&%*'

%&%*'.JDSPX$BTF

("'4&%*'73**

%"'4&%*'

("'4&%*'
("'4&%73

%"'4&%*'

(&%

("'4&%*'

%*'

("'4&%73

("'4&%73

("'4&%*'73**

("'473

%XJUI$PMMBS

%73

("'4&%73**

5$&** Y
5FMFDPOWFSUFS
5$&** Y

5$&*** Y

'MBTI4ZTUFN
'-3'MBTI
'-3'MBTI
'-3'MBTI
3'3JOH'MBTI
43'3JOH4FU
5'5XJO'MBTI
45'5XJO'MBTI4FU
.;VJLP.JDSP.JSSPSMFTT-FOTFT
NNG'JTIFZF#PEZ$BQ-FOT
NNG'JTIFZF#PEZ$BQ-FOT

.BD&%

&%

1SP&%

&%&;

&;&%

**3

&%3

**&%

"''MBTI4ZTUFN
"''(;
"''(;**
%"%JHJUBM"'-FOTFT
&%"-)%-JNJUFE

&%*'

"-

"--JNJUFE

-JNJUFE

.BDSP)%-JNJUFE

&%"8

)%-JNJUFE

&%*'

4%.

&%"-*'

)%-JNJUFE

&%"-4%.

&%*'4%.
"-*'4%.

&%*'4%.

"-83

&%"- *'
%$83

&%4%.

)%-JNJUFE&%%$83

&%4%.

&%83

)%&%83

&%*'4%.

'""'-FOTFTGPSNN%JHJUBM4-3T
-JNJUFE

"-

.BDSP

-JNJUFE

-JNJUFE

%'"83.BDSP

Prices, specifications, and images are subject to change without notice. Manufacturer rebates are subject to the terms and conditions (including expiration dates) printed on the manufacturers’ rebate forms. Not responsible for typographical or illustrative errors. © 2000-2015 B & H Foto & Electronics Corp.

G G GG G GGGGG GG GGGGG G GG GG G GG G G GG G G G GG

G GGGG

GGG G GGGG GG G GGG G G G GGG G G GGG G G G G G
G GG GGG G GGG G G GG GGG GGGGG GGGG G GG G G G G G GGG G G G G G
G GG GG G GG GGGG G GG GG G G GG G G G G GG G GGGG GG GG GGG GG GG G G G
G GGGG GGGGGGGG
G G GGGG GG GG GG G G GG
G GG GGGGG G G GG GG GG GG GG
GGG G GGGG G G G GG G GGG GGGGG G G G G G GG G G G GGG G GG G G
GGG G GGGG GG GG GG G GGG G G GG G GG GGGG GGG G GGG G G G G G GGG GG GGG G G
G G GG GGG GGG 40"#

G GGGG GGGGG G GG G G GGG G G G G 40",#

Mega
Pixels

Mega
Pixels

The Professional’s Source™

Over 300,000 products,
at your leisure

G GG G 0OMZ /*%GG G G GGG G
G GGGGGGG GG G GG G G G G GG G /*% GGGG G GG G

GGG G G GGGG G

Mega
Pixels

Mega
Pixels

www.BandH.com

GGG G GGGG G

G G GG GGG GG /*%GGGG G GG G
Mega
Pixels
G GGGG GGGGG G GG G G G GG G G /*%GGG G GGG G
D610GG G GG GGG GG /*%GG GGGG
GGG GGGGG
D610 G GGGG GGG GG G G G GG G GG G G /*%GG GG G GG G

G"'-&/4&4
%$GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

C ll for
Call
Cal
for Ava
Availa
Avail
ilabl
ble Re
Rebat
b es
e

G GG G GGG GG G GGGGG GGGGGG G G GGG G G G GG G G GG G
GGGG G G G GGGG G GGG GGG GGGGG G G G GGGG G GGGGG G GG G G
GGG G G G G GGGGG G G G GGG GG G G G G G GGGGG G GGG G G G G G G G G
GGG G GGGG G GG G G G GGG GG G GGG GGG G GGG GG GGG GG G GG G G
G GG G G GG GGG GG GGGG G GG G G GGG GG G G GGG G GGG G
GGGG G GGG GGG G G G GGG G GGG GGG G GGG G G GGGG GGGGG G GG GG
GGG GGG G G GGGGGGG G GGG G G G G GGG GG
GGGG GG G GGG G G GGGGG GGG GGG G GGG G GGGGG G GG G G G
#PEZ0OMZ /*%4GGG G GGG G

G

%(GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

C = Canon N = Nikon O = Olympus
H – HSM Model with Canon, Nikon, Sigma
R – Rear Slip-in Gelatin Filter Slot

P = Pentax

S = Sigma

GGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG

SA = Sony Alpha

G G GGGGGGGGGGG

GGGGG

G GGG GGG GGG G
GG GGG GGG
G GG
G GGG GGG
G GGG GGG GGG GGG G
GG GGG GGG
G GGG
G GGG
G GGG GGG GGG GGG G
GG GGG GGG GGG
G GGG GGGGGG GGG G
G GGG GGGGGG GGG G
G GGG GGGGGG GGG G
G GGG GGGGGG GGG G
GG GGG GGG GGG
G GGG GGG GGG
G GGG GGGGGG GGG G
G GGG GGGGGG GGG G
G GGG GGG G
GG GGG GG GGGG GGG
GG GGG GG GGGGG GGG
GG GGG GGG GGG
G GGG GGG GGG GGG G
G GGG GGG GGG G
G GGG GGGGGG GGG G

GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGG

GGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGG GGGG GGGGGGGGGGG

'9
%9
%9
%9
'9
'9

G

GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
G
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG

GGGG

GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG

%J for digital & film SLR cameras GG %J**GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
N = Nikon

P = Pentax

1SJDF"GUFS3FCBUF &YQ

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGG GGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGG GGGGG GGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGG GGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGG GGGG GGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG GGGGGGG G GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGG G GGGGGGGGGGGG

GGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG

SA = Sony Alpha

GGGGG
GG GGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGGG
G
GG GGGGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGGGGGG
GG GGGGGGG
GG GGGGGG
GG GGGGG

SE = Sony E Mount

G G GGGGGGGGGGG 3FCBUF GGGGG
GG GGG GGG

GGGGGG
G GGG GGG GGG G

GGGGGG
G GGG GGG GGG G

GGGGGG
G GGG GGG GGG G

GGGGGG
G GGG

GGGGGG
G GGG GGG GGG G

GGGGGG
GG

GGGGGG
GG GGG GGG

GGGGGGGG
GG GGG GGG
GGGGGGGGGG
G GGG GGG GGG G

GGGGGG
GG GG GGGG

GGGGGG
GG GGG GGG

GGGGGG
GG GGG GGG

GGGGGGGG
G GGG

GGGGGG
G GGG

GGGGGG

5PVJU .JSSPSMFTT -FOTFT
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

&.PVOU.JSSPSMFTT-FOTFT
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
%JHJUBM-FOTFT
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGG
GGG G GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGG

es
s

4JY:FBS .BOVBM'PDVT-FOTFT
8BSSBOUZ *O4UPDLo$BMMGPS1SJDFT
GG %J ***GGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

G"'-&/4&4
C = Canon

ilila
abl
ble Re
Re

'9GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGG GGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

%J**
%J
%J**
%J**
%J**
%J**
%J***
%J**
%J
%J
%J
%J
%J

l for
for

G"'-&/4&4
%9GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

G
'MBTI4ZTUFN
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG

Mega
Pixels

GGGG G GGG GG G

G GG G G G G GGG GGGG G GGG G GGGG GGG G G G GG G GG G G
GGG G G GGG GG G GGG GGG G G G G G G GGG GG GGG GGGGG GGG G G
G GGG GGG G G GGG G G GG G GG GG GG GG G GG G GGGG GG GG GG G GG
GGG G GGGG GGG G G G GGG GG G GGG G G G GG GG GGG GGG GGG G G
GGGG GG G GGG G G GGGGG GGG GGG G GGG G GGGGG G GG G G G

G
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGG GGGGG G
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

G GG G GG G GGG GGG G G G GG GGG G GG G GG GG GG GG GG GGG G G G G GG GGGG G
GGGG G G G G G GGGG G G G GGG GG G G G G G GG GGG G GG GG G GG G G GGG G GG GG
G GG GGG GGG GG G GGGGG G G G GGG G G G GG G G G GG GGG GG GGG G G GG
GGG G GGGG GGG G G G GGG GG G GGG GGG G GG G GG GGG G G
G GG G GG GG G GGG GG GGGG GG G G G GG G G G GGG GG GG
GGG G G GGG G G G GGG G G G GGG GGG GGGGG G GGGGGG GGG G G G
GGGG GG G GGG G G GGGGG GGG GGG G GGG G GGGGG G GG G G G

with 10-30mm Lens /*+

%(
%(
%(
%$
%(
%(
%(
%(
%(
%(
%(
%(
%$
%$
%(
%$
%$
%$
%$
%$
%$
%(
%(
%(
%(

N W
NE
NEW

Body Only GG GGGG GGG GG GGGGG G 0-0.%&.

G GGG GG GG GGGGG G GG GG G GG G G GG G G G GG
GGG G G G G G GG G GGG G G GGG GG G G G G G GG
G GGGGGGG G G GGGGGGG G G G G GGGGGGG G GGG GG G GG GG GGG
GGG G G G GG GG G GGGGG G G G G G G GGG G GGGG GG GG GG G G
GGG GG GGG G G G G G G GG G GGG G G
GGG GGG G GGG G G G GGG GGG GGGGG G GGGG GG GGG G
GGG G GGGG GGG G G G GGG GG G GGG G G G GG GG GGG GGG GGG G G
GGG G G GGG G GGGG GGG GG G G GGG GG G G G GGG GGG G GGG GGG G GGG

G

GG GG G GGGG GG GGGGG G GG GG G GG G G GG G G G GG

GGG GG G G GGGG GGGGG G G GGG GG G G G G G GG GGG GG GGGG GGGG G G GG G
G GG GG G GG GGGGG G GG G G G GG G G GGG GG G GG G GGGG GG GG GG G
GGG G GGGG GGG G G G GGG GG G G
G GGGGGGGG
G G GG G GG GG GG G
GGG G G G GGGG G GGG G G G GGG GG G GGGG G GGG G
GGG GGG GG G G GGG G GGG G G G G G
GGG G G GGG G GGG G GG G G G GG G GGG G G G GGG G GGG G

Fujifilm X GGG GGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG

GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG

GGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG

800-336-7520
212-502-6324
Fax:

212-239-7770

Store & Mail Order Hours:

Sunday 10-5 • Mon.-Thurs. 9-7
Friday 9-1 EST/9-2 DST
Saturday Closed

8IFOJO/FX:PSL

7JTJUPVS4VQFS4UPSF

420 Ninth Ave.
Corner of 34th Street

New York, N.Y. 10001
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGGG
GGGGG

/JLPO .JSSPSMFTT-FOTFT
G GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGG GG GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGG G GGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGG

We Buy, Sell, and Trade

GG GG G GG GG GG GG

G

.JSSPSMFTT4ZTUFN-FOTFT
GGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG G GGG
GG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGG GGG
GGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGG GGG
GGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGG GGG
GGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGG GGG

NYC DCA Electronics Store Lic. #0906712; NYC DCA Electronics & Home Appliance Service Dealer Lic. #0907905; NYC DCA Secondhand Dealer – General Lic. #0907906

Page 2

052015

Mis information

Misinformation

Camera Tech

There is no ideal camera
As a professional photographer, you’re sure to
get the following question from friends, family,
acquaintances, friends of friends, Facebook
friends…you get the picture. The question is,
“What’s the best camera?” The simple
answer is that there is no best camera.
The right camera is the one that can do
what you need. A sports photographer
has very different requirements than
a portrait photographer. One places a
premium on a fast AF system, while the
other will sacriﬁce speed for maximum
bit depth and color ﬁdelity.
When Canon introduced the EOS
5DS and 5DS R, there was plenty of
reaction from the marketplace. If you
believe the expression that a good deal
is one that makes everyone unhappy,
Canon hit a home run with these
DSLRs. Complaints came from ﬁlmmakers who wanted more motion
features, action shooters who wanted
more speed and landscape shooters who wanted higher ISO. In fact,
Canon added two DSLRs to their EOS
5D line that complement the existing
EOS 5D Mark III beautifully.
to emphasize economy, luxury or
Sony is using a similar strategy with
performance. Continuing in this vein,
their a7 full-frame mirrorless lineup.
camera manufacturers seem to be
The a7 Mark II has moderately high
creating their lines so photographers
resolution and solid motion-capture
can identify where they want to be in
features. The a7R is a high-resolution
the overall hierarchy and then adding
model with a 36-megapixel sensor (as
other trim levels. It’s like you decide
of press time, the Great Rumor Mill
that you generally need a 5-series
that is the Internet is foreBMW and then you can
casting 50 megapixels, with
choose the 528, 535, 550 or M5.
>> More On The Web
a chance of more megapixels Go to the DPP website at
Automotive analogies aside,
coming by summer of 2015), www.digitalphotopro.com
the
simple fact is that there
to learn more about
and the a7S is a low-light cutting-edge technology
really isn’t one ideal camera
how it’s changing
and 4K motion titan. Every- and
for all possible situations and
photography.
thing is a trade-off. You can’t
styles. We don’t all have the
have the a7S’s max ISO of 409,600 on a
budget to purchase an inﬁnite number
full-frame sensor with 36 megapixels...
of cameras so we make compromises.
at least not yet.
And compromise isn’t a bad thing.
The current trend is to extend
Any device that tries to be all things
camera models horizontally. This is
to all people is likely to be good at
much like car manufacturers who
nothing. Think of a car-boat. It’s
add different trim levels to a model
probably not going to be a great car
82 | Digital Photo Pro digitalphotopro.com

Mytht:ion

Perfeicsts
Ex

and you don’t want to rely on it to ﬂoat.
(For a great “real-life” example of this,
see Top Gear, Season 8 Episode 3, when
Clarkson, Hammond and May were
challenged to modify cars to cross the
English Channel.)
For professional photographers, the
ideal camera is the one that makes the
most money for you. It could be a $400
GoPro if you’re creating crash photos
and videos for clients. Or it could be
a $40,000 medium-format camera
with a 150-megapixel back. Instead of
getting hung up on juggling the specs
in a comparison chart, choose a camera
that does the job and add others as you
encounter clients with other needs. A
lot of professionals will ﬁnd that they
might start with a Sony a7R for its
resolution, then add an a7S when they
have to work in low light or deliver
some 4K video.
DPP

The moment when you no longer
take pictures, you make them.
This is the moment we work for.

// FREEDOM
MADE BY ZEISS

Carl Zeiss SLR lenses
Set yourself free. Free of the performance limitations of other lens systems. Free of trade-offs
between sharpness and harmonious bokeh. Free of inconsistent build quality, unnecessary ﬂare
and mechanisms that focus “precisely enough.” Get to know the outstanding uniform characteristics
of the manual focus ZE and ZF.2 lenses and get back to making images that matter.

www.zeiss.com/photo/freedom

Digital Photo Pro 20150506

Comments

Content

Sponsor Documents

Recommended