Compact Digital Cameras (Point and Shoots)

A compact digital camera, also known as a point and shoot, is a camera with simpler capabilities than bridge and DSLR cameras.  Images and videos taken are digitally saved to an SD card put inside and can be uploaded to a computer through this card or a USB cable.  Photographs can be immediately seen and deleted after being taken on the screen of the camera.  The first portable digital cameras to be sold were not produced until the 80s, although Steven Sasson, an engineer at Kodak, created the first digital black and white camera in 1975.

A photo taken with a digital camera (my photo)

Panasonic Lumix TZ70

 (Pocket Lint)

Apart from smartphones, digital cameras are the most accessible type of camera for the general public.  They are used for capturing special occasions and celebrations, concerts (in a non-professional context) as well as videos.  They can also perform basic editing such as cropping, colour changing and filters.

Most modern digital cameras at the higher end are able to wirelessly send photographs to websites such as Facebook, although photo sharing is not as advanced as with smartphones.  Compact digital cameras are designed to be portable and easy to use for even beginners.  There are preset modes and settings such as blink detection and face focus for portraits or group photos.  They all contain automatic modes to calculate the best settings for a photograph and don't presume much knowledge of camera technology.  Although professionals will use compact digital cameras they are more like to use DSLRs or bridge cameras.

Digital cameras operate with an optical system, where light is let in through the camera diaphragm and the imager picks up the correct amount, then images are encoded and digitised, ready for immediate viewing.  Digital cameras hold batteries, which in recent years tend to be specific camera batteries with chargers instead of AAs.

Canon PowerShot A95 digital camera
(Wikipedia)

In the future digital cameras may be rendered obsolete, with the invention of Google Glass etc. perhaps foreshadowing something greater in the world of photography.  Even The Gadget Show got in on the (hypothetical) action, designing a prototype for a wearable Google Glass-style camera that you can control with your mind.

I'm not sure what I think about mind-control cameras, but I do know that I am a fan of digital cameras, especially the one I have now (which has fabulous sound quality when I video concerts).








Sources used:

Wikipedia
Wikipedia II
Wikipedia III
Pocket Lint
The Gadget Show
"Canon PowerShot A95 - front and back" by Fir0002 (composite version by Matt57) - Own work. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canon_PowerShot_A95_-_front_and_back.jpg#/media/File:Canon_PowerShot_A95_-_front_and_back.jpg

Polaroid Of Us

Polaroid cameras started as a range of polarised sunglasses in the 1920s. Edwin H. Land, the creator of Polaroid, filed a patent for a synthetic light polariser in 1928. Twenty years later he produced the first instant camera (The Land Camera) with sepia photographs, with black and white available by 1950. In 1963 the Polacolour pack allowed coloured instant photographs to be created. Nowadays Polaroid cameras and film are no longer produced by Polaroid. Instead film and refurbished cameras can be found at The Impossible Project.

A Polaroid picture (Wikipedia)

People such as Ansel Adams and Lady Gaga have been hired by Polaroid as creative consultants.  The term "Polaroid" has become synonymous with the instant photographs, even if they were not taken by a Polaroid camera.  There are also apps availble for Android and iOS devices to turn your photographs into Polaroid-style pictures.

Polaroid Model 95 Land Camera from
the 1940s-50s (Gary600playsmc)

Polaroid cameras use self-developing film to instantly develop negatives inside the camera so the photographs can be seen immediately afterwards.  Each image is the only copy as there are no negatives, so they can't be edited afterwards.  This led to people seeking to alter the printed Polaroids by drawing on them, warping them with heat or adding chemicals for an effect.

The film is loaded in film packs and works by lifting a sheet of negative up to the camera lens when the shutter is pressed.  Like a pinhole camera, the sheet is exposed to the light from the lens.  When the exposure time is done, the camera will release the film sheet so you can remove your photograph.  Because of the chemical process, the photo will not be 100% developed when it is ejected but the colours will gradually set and the picture will appear normal.

A SX-70 Polaroid Camera (timmythesuk)

Nia Lovelis taken by Miranda Miller
(Nia Lovelis)

Polaroid cameras plus scanners are cheaper to buy than digital cameras so many prefer them, especially for the aesthetic effect of putting up Polaroids.
High profile users of polaroids include Taylor Swift, who used one for her latest album cover, 1989, and the members of Hey Violet, formerly Cherri Bomb.

I like the look of Polaroids and I think they're very nice, but I'm not going to lie - the main reason I wanted "one of those cameras that prints out the photos straight after you take them" is because they used one on The Tweenies and I was obsessed.

Taylor Swift's album cover (Wikipedia)

Sources used:
Polaroid Corporation
Wikipedia
Wikipedia II
New Media Studies
Camarapedia
Opposing Views
"Polaroid 600 sunflower" by Mrnerd1billion Ryan Notch of www.areographers.com - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polaroid_600_sunflower.jpg#/media/File:Polaroid_600_sunflower.jpg
"Model95Side" by Gary600playsmc - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Model95Side.JPG#/media/File:Model95Side.JPG

Sports Photography + Eddie Kelly

Eddie Kelly shooting at a rally (from his facebook page)

Sports photography is the photography of people taking part in a sporting activity, for example badminton or Formula One.  Sports photographers will use cameras that have high shutter speeds to quickly capture action as well as good burst capabilities.  Much like in music photography, sports photographers have to anticipate where the action is going to happen and where they need to positions themselves for the best shots.  It requires a good level of prediction and a fair amount of familiarity with the sport.

I like that the road appears to bleed into the dust.
The muted colours help to accentuate the
white and blue of the car.
(Eddie Kelly Motorsport Photography)

Remote triggers are often used for distance shots, for example race finishes or places the photographer cannot stand, such as between rugby goalposts.  Although pictures will usually be at a high shutter speed to create a clear, defined shot, sometimes photographers will lower the shutter speed to photograph the motion e.g. of passing cars instead of the actual object.

A blurred background with clear focus is a common
characteristic of sports photography.  I really like this
photograph because the bright colours go well with the
dull colour of the dust and dirt.
(Eddie Kelly Motorsport Photography)

Eddie Kelly is a sports photographer and policeman who was brought to my attention by my dad, an avid rally fan.  As a motorsports photographer he has amassed a large collection of images from various rallies around the country and has been featured in publications such as the Daily Record.  He creates a solid range of rally photographs that use different techniques such as various degrees of blurry backgrounds.

Car in the Snowman Rally Stage 1.  This photo really
shows the speed at which the driver is going.
 (Eddie Kelly Motorsport Photography)

Snowman Rally (Eddie Kelly)

The above picture was taken at the Snowman Rally and is a very nice example of a sports photograph.  The colours are stunning and I like how the photo is divided up with the hills in the background, then the trees and fields, and finally the car and road in the foreground.  It must have been taken on a high shutter speed as you can still see the snow and dust raised by the car yet it is clear and unblurred.  The road is off-centre which makes the journey of the car from one side of the photo to the other more apparent.  I really like this photo as even though the clarity is beautiful your eye is still drawn to the car, again off-centre.

Eddie Kelly (Eddie Kelly Motorsport Photography)

I like his photographs as they encapsulate the movement and quick motion of rallying, although I'm not into sports and therefore not too enamoured of sports photography.

Sources used:

Amateur Photographer
Wikipedia
Eddie Kelly Motorsport
Eddie Kelly Motorsport Photography
EddieKelly69
Daily Record

Macro Photography + Alessandro Zocchi

A macro photograph (National Geographic)

Macro photography is the extreme close up of an object such as an insect that is magnified to a larger than life size.  Macro photographs also focus on the subject, blurring the background as they have a small depth of field.  It allows the subject to be seen in greater detail, and previously unseen textures and patterns can emerge.

The physics of macro photography (Naperville Wildcat)

It works by focusing light through the camera's lenses.  The longer the focal length of the lens, the more focused and detailed the resulting picture will be.

Most cameras come with the ability to take macro photographs, although some are capable of much more detailed and zoomed in pictures.  Lenses for DSLR cameras are available in different focal lengths, depending on the camera and how detailed you want the zoom to be.  A tripod is often necessary as the camera needs to be close to the subject, which is not conducive to a well-lit photo, so a slow shutter speed will be necessary.  Additional lighting may often be required.  Ring flashes are usually used to light the area around the subject for a better picture.  Telephoto lenses are another option, as by allowing distance between the subject and the camera, extra lighting is allowed.

Nikon DX AF-S Micro Nikkor
40mm f2.8G lens for macro
 photography - Nikon calls them micro
(Wikimedia)

Before the invention of digital cameras, macro photography was a long and complicated process, involving a lot of equipment.  Nowadays it is a simple process to take macro photographs.

W.H. Walmsey coined the term photo-macrograph in 1899 to distinguish this type of photography from photo-micrographs, which are taken through microscopes to show the magnified image of what's on the slide.

Dandelion Seeds (Nature Macrophotography)

An example of a macro photographer is nature photographer Alessandro Zocchi.  He takes pictures of animals and plants in extreme close up.  His pictures are visually stunning and strikingly focus on patterns and details that you would ordinarily miss.

Palm Leaf Detail (Nature Macrophotography)

This photo shows a palm tree leaf, which surprised me as I never would have guessed what it was (which is part of the appeal with some macro photographs).  It looks like those paper concertinas you make in class with scrap bits of paper.

The colours are really nice, and he's obviously used sufficient lighting as the shadows are really clear and the folds of the leaf are very defined.  The light seems like the sun so the photo appears very bright, contrasting with shadows.

The diagonal nature of the leaf is interesting and I like it because it shows off more of the lines and also doesn't make it as easy to guess the subject.  Zocchi's photographs, whether obvious or mysterious, are all very pleasant and are good examples of what you can do with macro photography.











Sources used:

http://digital-photography-school.com/macro-photography-for-beginners-part-1/
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips/macro-photo-tips/#/solitary-bee-macro_26208_600x450.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_photography
http://www.naturemacrophotography.com/WebGallery-Plants/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nikon_DX_AF-S_Micro_Nikkor_40mm_f2,8G.jpg
http://napervillewildcat.wikispaces.com/Macro+Photography

Wedding Photography + Robert Evans

Wedding photography captures the "Big Day" for couples, whether it's the bride's little cousins as flower girls, the newlyweds' first dance or the swan-shaped table napkins.  Wedding photographers have moved on from passing a videocamera around your relatives to having it be the "done thing" to hire a wedding photographer with a range of different wedding packages to suit all tastes and budgets.

(Wikimedia)

Wedding photographers will take pictures of the guests, the venue, the food, the ceremony etc. in order to preserve the memory of the wedding.  Traditionally the bride(s) and/or groom(s) are taken away to pose for shots together before joining the wedding guests for a group photo.  Many will then create a scrapbook or photo album of the day, or, as another option, professionally print and frame selected pictures, often including digital downloads of the pictures with the service.

 

Trent Reznor and
 Mariqueen Maandig
(Celebrity Bride Guide)

(Pixabay)

One such wedding photographer is celebrity photographer Robert Evans.  An acclaimed videographer and photographer, he holds a Sony Artisan of Imagery, which means he is recognised as one of the best in his field.  Celebrities such as Shania Twain and Ioan Gruffurd secured him for their weddings and he also photographed Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor's wedding.


He has been a photographer for over 25 years and as well as weddings, he also shoots editorials and personal celebrations.  He provides a good service and creates memorable photographs where the subjects are obviously having a good time.  His striking style sets him apart from other wedding photographers and I can see why he is one of the top wedding photographers in the world.

I think it's a nice idea to get a wedding photographer, as then you're guaranteed a special memento of the occasion.  Alternatively, if your budget won't stretch to it, you could buy cheap disposable cameras for each group of guests to record the event.  You could also give people permission to use their own phones and cameras, although you'd have to be willing to deal with interruptions and the potential of your "I do" drowned out with a tinny ringtone.

A screenshot from Robert Evans' website portfolio (Celebrity Wedding Photographer)

As you can see from the photographs above, Robert Evans varies the type of wedding photographs he takes, as well as how he edits them.  I like how close the couples appear and how nice the off-guard photographs are.  The posed photographs have nice compositions and I especially like how he included photos of the preparation, for example the lip liner being put on.  I really like the first and the last images on the second line - the first because I like how it was taken from above and how the bride disrupts the symmetry of the fountain, and the last because it's visually appealing and the reflection is a great effect.  The black and white makes it seem more contemplative and the contrast between the waves and the smooth sand is pretty.



Sources used:

Wikimedia Content - By Allan Ajifo [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Pixabay
World Photo
Celebrity Bride Guide
Robert Evans