This will probably be of limited interest to most of you, but we like to know how things work, not just how well they work. We thought we’d take a couple of pictures when we disassembled a ballhead in case any of you were interested. Our demonstration partner today was a Benro B1 ballhead that had a stripped tension adjustment knob, but all ballheads work basically the same way.
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Leica made its name a very long time ago by creating the first practical 35mm camera to use standard cinema 35mm film. The rest, as they say, is history. A history filled with successes and failures alike, most of the latter coming in the early 2000s when the company was having trouble moving into the digital age.
In 2013, Leica has a couple of things to celebrate. For one, its no longer in financial trouble; and for another, the company is turning 100 this year. In light of that momentous birthday, here are a couple of short videos (the first one is above) by Deutsche Welle that take a look at Leica’s past, present and future.
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The digital photography course offered by Stanford (CS 178, which we featured last year) has an awesome page filled with flash applets that can help you gain a better understanding of certain technical aspects of photography. These include understanding how various factors affect depth of field, a visual look at how phase detection autofocus works, and a simple introduction to color theory.
Flash applets on some technical aspects of photography [Stanford]
Destin of Smarter Every Day made this helpful video in which he and his daughter explain the basics of light painting and digital camera sensors using “super simple speak”.
Here’s an informative lesson on shutter sync by photographer Matthew Gore, who writes,
I made this video to provide a quick explanation of how focal-plane shutters work on SLR cameras, and why it’s important when using a flash.
We shared a similar tutorial back in February.
(via ISO 1200)
Here’s a video in which interior photographer Roger Brooks walks through how he goes about lighting, photographing, and stitching residential interior photographs.
Here’s a helpful 22-page guide by National Geographic that explains many of the basic concepts of photography, from lens types to composition. It’s a free excerpt taken from the 400-page book “National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Photography“, and is a great read for anyone just starting out.
National Geographic Photography Basics [National Geographic]
In response to the “widespread, continuing pattern of law enforcement officers ordering people to stop taking photographs or video in public places”, the American Civil Liberties Union has published a helpful article that clearly details what your rights are as a photographer in the United States.
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If you use Photoshop, you’re probably experienced with the uber-useful — and oft-abused — Clone Stamp tool, but what about the Clone Source panel that’s been around since CS 4? This brief but informative tutorial by Photoshop guru Brian Wood is a great primer for that panel, and also includes some general Photoshop tips and tricks that you might not have known.
(via John Nack)
Have you been running low on creative juices lately? Fill up again with these 29 simple ways to stay creative.
You can also check out the list of 13 tips for staying motivated in photography we shared a while back.
(via Laughing Squid)
