This Month in Photography: August 2020

Every last Sunday of the month, we bring together a collection of easy reading articles from analytical to how-to to photo-features in no particular order that did not make our regular daily coverage.

ISO Testing the Canon R5, R6, 5D Mark IV, and 1D X Mark III

Whenever Canon comes out with new cameras, one of my most important real-world tests is determining how clean the images look at higher ISOs. I am not testing this for scientific reasons, I am doing this test because I shoot in low light quite often and want the highest quality images for my clients. I also thought that you and the rest of the world might be interested in this as well.

Field Test: One Week in the Lofoten Islands with the Canon EOS R5

I was one of the lucky ones who got their hands on the Canon EOS R5 early in August of 2020. The camera arrived in the morning, just before my flight to the Lofoten Islands. Here's a summary of my experience climbing to 7 summits in 7 days with Canon's new flagship mirrorless camera.

This Free Photoshop Add-On Will Read You Jokes and Puns While You Work

Retoucher Pratik Naik and his co-workers at Infinite Tools have released a fun (and free) little side-project that you might want to get in on. It's called the "Infinite Jokes Panel" and it's a Photoshop add-on that will read you jokes, puns, and condescending statements about your photo editing abilities while you work.

This is What It’s Like Shooting NHL Games Inside a COVID ‘Bubble’

The National Hockey League (NHL) recently released a behind the scenes video that shows you what it's like being an official NHL photographer inside one of the league's COVID "bubbles." These photographers shoot as many as three games per day, and keep a grueling schedule of shooting, editing, sending off images, and then shooting some more.

Photog Breaks Down the 8 ‘Phases’ of Becoming a Photographer

The photographer's "journey" is, generally speaking, a pretty predictable thing. We all go through certain "phases" as we pick up and learn this craft—some more gracefully than others—and so, in the spirit of lighthearted candor, photographer and YouTuber Evan Ranft has decided to share his take on the 8 major phases of being a photographer.

Venus Optics Unveils 11mm f/4.5 Lens for Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras

Specialty lens maker Venus Optics has just released another interesting optic. The Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL is the world's widest rectilinear lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras that can still accept screw-on filters, offering a 126° field of view from a surprisingly small package.

TikTok Holocaust Trend is ‘Hurtful and Offensive’, Says Auschwitz Memorial

A new "Victims" or "Holocaust" or "Trauma Porn" trend has popped up on video sharing app TikTok that has prompted reactions ranging from outrage to disbelief. While the point of the trend seems to be educational, many people have called it out as offensive and tone-deaf at best, or disturbing and inhumane at worse.

How I Shoot High-End Portraits with Low-End Budgets

Over my past 7 years as a professional photographer, I have received many questions from startups and amateurs who are worried about the considerable investment they thought they had to make on cutting-edge equipment. Luckily, I am able to suggest more affordable alternatives while keeping quality as high as possible.

Android 11 Will Limit Third-Party Camera Apps to Protect User Privacy

A few weeks ago, it was discovered that Android 11 would limit third-party camera apps' access, essentially "forcing" apps to use the phone's built-in camera app even if you have a different app selected as your Default. But while the limitation might seem a bit Apple-esque, Google says it's a necessary trade-off to protect users' privacy.

Canon Unveils EOS R5 Firmware 1.1, Improves Overheating Times

Most regular consumers haven't even received their Canon EOS R5 pre-order yet, but the company has already released a major firmware update for the camera. And while Canon doesn't actually SAY it in the documentation, this update does improve both the base overheating and the recovery times.

The Conversation: The Photograph as a Time Machine

Having spent a good portion of my life standing in the dark, dodging, burning, and spotting my prints, I doubt I will ever go back to analog in any meaningful way. I saw this negative and scanned it because these are two people who I was once very close too. I don't know either of them now. As I was looking at the scan, I remembered that day. I was in love with her and he was my best friend.

DJI Unveils Foldable OM4 Smartphone Gimbal with a Magnetic Mount

After a series of leaks over the past couple of days, DJI has officially unveiled the DJI OM4: a folding 3-axis smartphone gimbal with a bunch of intelligent features and a novel "quick-snap" magnetic mounting system for your smartphone so you don't have to fiddle with clamps each time you want to use it.

Olympus Releases Free OM-D Webcam Software for Mac Users

Olympus has just announced the release of its OM-D Webcam Beta software for Mac. Almost two months after releasing the software for Windows, Mac users can now turn select OM-D cameras into ultra-high-quality webcams for livestreaming or video conferencing without using a capture card.

Ep. 338: Two New Bodies and Upgrading…or Not – and more



Episode 338 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast.
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Featured: Photographer, Carol M. Highsmith