A change of perspective is a change in state. Jean Piaget reminds us that, “What we see changes what we know. What we know changes what we see.” The idea of equivalence in photography is richly rooted in a time when photography was beginning to discover its own nature and continues to be a powerful force for discovering our own nature, which is greater than we th … [Read more...]
Of Phones, Pixels and Photons – why a 100 mp cell phone is not a GFX 100
Samsung has just released a 108 MP phone sensor – a wild headline number that may mean little in practice. Is 108 MP in a phone valuable? Is it anything like 100+ MP in a larger camera? 50 MP? Even a good 24 MP APS-C or full-frame sensor? Or is it just sheer numerical hype? We won’t really know until we see raw files not just from this sensor, but from the sensor, lens and p … [Read more...]
Push yourself to “Shoot the light”
On our recent 3,200 kms (One direction) sojourn to South Luangwa, Zambia, we purposely planned an overnight stop-over in Kasane (North-east Botswana)Not only was it a convenient place to take some well-earned rest after 2,000 kms of driving, it was also an opportunity to enjoy an afternoon boat ride up the Chobe River, and get up close and dirty with elephants, and other random … [Read more...]
The Present State of Mirrorless: Part 1
Part 1: Overview The camera market as a whole is contracting, but mirrorless is where the new growth is occurring. As the market for “serious cameras” contracts in the face of phone photography, essentially all of the major camera manufacturers have put their efforts into the development of mirrorless bodies and their associated systems of lenses and accessories. The … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Incredible Soft-Focus Macro Photos
Do you want to capture beautiful soft-focus macro photography? You can. Because soft-focus macro photography isn’t actually that hard. It just uses a few simple tricks, which leave your photos looking abstract, dreamy and, well, gorgeous. And in this article, I’m going to share these tricks with you. Are you ready to start taking stunning soft-focus photos? Let’s dive rig … [Read more...]
The Art of Yellowstone Algae
The Art of Yellowstone Algae Yellowstone National Park is a geologic wonderland and one of the most unique places on earth. More than a third of Yellowstone Park sits within the caldera of a giant, ancient and still active volcano. I admit, I was having second thoughts just before my feet touched ground in this amazing park. All around the park - steam is being released … [Read more...]
Closer Encounters with Reuben Wu
I am almost too excited about Reuben Wu's work to get the next sentences out, so hang in there. Reuben's pan-media photographic works show an apex level of inventive excellence and in-depth exploration. There is a refined sense of tech, process, and visionary acuity, which is rare and very useful in today's daily deluge of photo imagery overload. For … [Read more...]
The Future of Mirrorless?
Two new cameras, three new lenses – what does it tell us about where we’re going? In mid-July of 2018, there were only three mirrorless systems of interest to most serious photographers. Sony full-frame, Fujifilm APS-C and Micro 4/3 all had significant followings. There were a few other systems on the fringes. Sony APS-C bodies and lenses were, and still are, an oft … [Read more...]
Secret Darkroom
You may remember Dave Gillespie from our last What’s In The Bag segment. Dave shared with us a brief history of his trusted assortment of cameras, dating back a few decades including pre-digital revolution. In his unique, affable and wild fashion, Dave now introduces us to the fringes of resurgent commercial film processing and printing, DIY style. In a l … [Read more...]
(Rediscover) Astrophotography – Next Steps
By Michael Reichmann "Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another." Plato "If this was easy anyone could do it." M. Reichmann NGC 7000 / The North American Nebula Pentax 645z with 300mm f/5.6 lens @ f/8 Vixen SXD2 mount with Starbook 10. Post processing with Nebulosity3 and Lightroom. 40 Light frames at 30 … [Read more...]
Charlotte Gibb: The Intimate Landscapes of Yosemite by Nick Taylor
https://luminous-landscape.wistia.com/medias/hy4b0fb7me After the wonderful reaction to our profile of bayou photographer Charles Martin in March, we've filmed some more short documentaries profiling landscape photographers in the environments that they love best, which we will be rolling out over the coming months. For this piece we are heading to Yosemite National Park … [Read more...]
Midnight Rainbow 5: “Eagle On Berg” By: Lee Sanders
It was a calm, sunny, early July morning in Tracy Arm Cove located between Ketchikan and Juneau in southeast Alaska. With wife Caroline at the helm, we had reached the northern apex of our 3 month cruise and had just pulled anchor to start back on our sailboat down the coast of British Columbia to our home in Seattle. Tracy Arm was one of the most beautiful places we had e … [Read more...]
A Beginner’s Guide to Composition in Macro Photography
Do you struggle to capture stunning macro compositions? Would you like to produce macro photos that are simply stunning? You’re not alone. Composition is one of the trickiest parts of macro photography to learn. It’s also one of the most important. So you’ve absolutely got to master it--if you want to create amazing macro photos. Fortunately, there are a few … [Read more...]
Above and Beyond: The Adventure Photography Of Paul Zizka
The Luminous Landscape prides itself on showcasing emerging talent and unique voices as well as recognizing established photographers making their mark in highly celebrated ways and continuing to share their vision. It is in the spirit of the later that we profile Paul Zizka. I was recently drawn closer to Paul’s work while viewing some of his astrophotography. This was a j … [Read more...]
Creating Artistic Landscape Photographs: Part 2: Along a Canyon Wall
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. Edgar Degas Along a Canyon Wall #1 1 - Introduction: projects and mini-series I regularly work on projects as well as on mini-series, the difference between the two being the time I spent working on a specific collection of images. While a project can take months or years to complete, a mini- series takes only thirty … [Read more...]
