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

Reflections - Theme Photos

Five-Four-Three-Two-One More Time

Final Theme Photos - Reflections My theme is reflections, which I decided on because everyday on the bus I pass this marshy area of ground, where trees sprout from the water and create pretty reflections, particularly when it ices over (however my immune system decided to be inconvenient and I was too sick to go out when we had snow).  I did try to get photos of it more recently but although I clambered down the embankment and made my mum wait at the side of the road, I didn't have much luck.  The sky was all cloudy and the weeds were too tangled to get a good reflective picture.  I did see an abandoned fridge though, that's not a sight you see everyday.   final photo vs the original This photograph is of a magnifying mirror on the ground in the woods near my house.  I originally wanted to put several small mirrors together, but as it was getting dark the logistics of using my phone's torch with six shiny reflective surfaces were a bit of a nightmare (and really hurt my eyes, you'd think I might have learned by now).  Funnily enough, the white torchlight somehow made the picture seem really sunny, which I think makes the juxtaposition of the two colours more prominent.  I set the camer to "cloudy" mode, which was the closest it had to dark without the light trace setting. I did edit this photo.  I boosted the colour in the Windows Photo Application, which made the image slightly brighter and the reflection more defined, and applied a selective focus to the mirror to make it stand out more. - final vs original I said I wasn't going to do trees because frankly I'm sick of them, all there is around here is trees or sheep, but what do I do? I have trees in more than one of my final photographs.  I don't even know anymore. I took this photo because I saw the reflection and thought it looked really nice, then I realised that it made an arrow shape.  It's pointing towards the road, and, interestingly enough, home.  This is just off the A701 and makes for a good walk, although perhaps not when it's as muddy as it right now. I don't actually know how to work Windows 8.1 (I'm an unwilling and reluctant convert), so I don't know how to double check the photo information.  I do remember choosing the setting for bright light and altering it and the ISO to factor in the annoyingly white sky.  As for editing, I boosted it to bring all the different colours out and I increased the brightness (+10) and the contrast (+20).  I also cropped it to try to move the bank from the middle of the photograph. - This was taken maybe fifty yards before the last photo.  I like how the edges of the trees seem to frame the tree in the middle, a bit like a vignette.  Although the reflection is cluttered with weeds and leaves in the water, I feel like it provides more of a contrast with the relative clearness of the clouds.  The reflction is still recognisable and I really liked it when I saw it. I didn't edit it because I thought it was fine as it was and I didn't want to mess around with it too much. - final vs original I took this picture when I was leaving the house because I was struck by how perfectly the street was reflected in the glass of the car window.  I really like how it appears like a mirror, blocking your view of anything in the car.  It is squint because that's how it appeared on the glass.  I suppose it's kind of like a flatter fisheye lens (but I don't even know what I'm talking about).  I left the camera on auto because some of the other settings ruined the reflection and I was worried about clouds messing with the light.  The colour of the street goes well with the clouds in my opinion, and it seems as though the picture is in thirds with the sky, houses and gravel.  I cropped it to remove the window sticker but I left the reflection of my hand and the camera to show that it is a reflection - although I suppose the squint picture also shows it.  I'm not sure why the final one appears brighter because I didn't edit that on purpose, so maybe it automatically did it or something.  Spot the confused Windows 8 user. - final vs original Here I decided to drag a mirror outside and see what I could do with the reflection.  It was not as good as I expected, as the mirror was heavy and I had to climb over a fence with it so I didn't go too far, but I kind of like the effect it has.  I made sure the tree trunk wasn't directly in the middle and I tilted the mirror away from me so I wasn't in the photo.  It took a couple of tries to cancel out the bright light - seriously, when are we going to get proper weather? - but once I took the photo I reasoned I could darken it and edit the contrast a bit.  I'm fairly pleased with how this one turned out, and I like how dark I managed to get the reflection.  I increased the contrast by 25 and lowered the brightness by 20 to get the lighting down to a more "normal" level.  I then decreased the highlights by 60 to make it even more contrasting.  I quite like how the grass seems bright and artificial, especially when compared to the darkness of the trees. - I didn't use a tripod for any of the pictures because mine is very short and wouldn't have allowed me to take half of these photos.  I considered using other techniques such as macro but I didn't feel that I could take good photos with that.  I suppose all of my final photos are landscapes or still lifes and I'm not too bothered by that really.  I think they all fit in to my theme quite well. - So these are my theme photos, and overall I'm happy with them, although I did have to reject a lot of ideas because it was always too dark by the time I got home.  I think I did alright with the theme of reflections and I think I might have to try some of my ideas again in the future.  If it hadn't failed so spectaularly, I was going to include my attempt at an "infinity photo."  There's always next time I guess. - THE NOT AT ALL AMERICAN REJECTS I took so many photographs for this that I thought I'd post some of the ones I rejected.  They are unedited and are included solely for interest. The reflections on the water were really impressive. EDIT: I realised that all of these photos contain trees, I'm so embarrassed.  I want to change my theme to "Anti-Trees".

Music Photography + Adam Elmakias

Music photography is taking pictures of bands and concerts.  Although some bands or concert venues stick to the "three song rule" for photographers, some bands will take their own photographer on tour with them.  Often limited press photo passes will be given out, unless it's a big show at, for example, the SSE Hydro.  Music photographers aim to create aesthetically pleasing crowd or lighting shots, or clear pictures of the band members performing.  A lot of this type of photography is based on luck, as well as where you position yourself and if you backlight the stage or not.  Photographers will generally move around the venue and take lots of shots from different perspectives, and they may leave remote control cameras around the venue as well.

usic photography is used by music magazines and websites as well as bands themselves.  Fans also practice concert photography to a certain extent, though not quite to the standard of professional photographers.  Unless you have a press pass, you are not allowed any camera better than a phone, iPod or point and shoot camera.

You Me At Six, 2013 (my photo)

Adam Elmakias is one of the most well-known music photographers in the rock community.  From Madison in Wisconsin, America, he has been taking photographs since 2006 and building a wide network of contacts.  He prefers to cultivate a relationship with bands instead of being a one-off photographer, and has known the bands he tours with for more than five years.  He works a lot with bands such as A Day To Remember, All Time Low and Of Mice And Men, but he also takes clients from other bands etc. worldwide.  I became aware of him in much the same way as Tom Barnes, through magazines and the bands interacting with him.  He's built up his brand well and has even released a DVD of photography advice, which he put up on the internet for free as he wanted everyone to have access to it before it went out of date.

All Time Low on tour (Adam Elmakias)

His live photos are great because they show how how much fun the band and crowd are having, how many people are gathered together under the lights, how intense the moment captured is.  He may rely on luck a lot of the time but his knowledge of where to go for a good photo and how to get one is A* in my opinion.

I really like concert photography, particularly at festivals, because there's so much going on and it really freezes the second in time.

Adam shooting the stage at an All Time Low concert 2015
(Adam Elmakias)

Pierce The Veil, 2012 (Adam Elmakias)

This photo he took shows the lead singer of Pierce The Veil onstage mid-concert.  The fact the photo is in black and white makes it more dramatic and draws your eyes to the centre of the picture, with the help of the beams on the ceiling.  I like that he captured the confetti and the way the singer is obviously connected to the crowd with his arm up.  It's a good photograph and expresses the feeling of standing on stage looking back at the crowd well.  I especially like how the singer's arm lines up with the beam above him.

I also like this photograph he took of A Day To Remember.  It's also in black and white, lending it a more personal feel and providing stark contrasts between the lighting and the surrounding dark.

A Day To Remember singer (Adam Elmakias)

The different shades in this are very nice and it's nice how the people in the crowd become more distinct the more you look at it.  It's a good photograph too and even when I'm not particularly a fan of the bands, I'm always impressed with the photography.  The composition of both is done very well and in this picture I like that the viewpoint is from sidestage as it shows both the singer and the fans raising their arms back to him.

Sources used:

Adam Elmakias
Adam Elmakias II
Alter The Press
Wikipedia
Elmakias Tumblr

We are here somewhere to the right of the stairs
- ATL at Glasgow (Adam Elmakias)

Portrait Photography + Tom Barnes

Portrait photography is when photographs are taken of a person or people instead of being drawn or painted.  They can be shot inside or outside, in a studio or anywhere else.  A fast shutter speed is often used to capture these images to compensate for changes in facial expression or fidgeting.  The practice of taking portraits was popularised with the invention of daguerreotypes - photographs created through a chemical process involving mercury vapour - in 1839 by Louis Daguerre.  This meant that the lower classes could afford to have a picture taken too.

A portrait by Tom Barnes

The National Portrait Gallery in London is dedicated to portraits of people of historical importance to the UK.  It houses more than 250,000 photographs.

An example of a portrait photographer is Tom Barnes, an England-based photographer who works internationally shooting bands, models, animals, and ordinary people.  He has shot for as diverse a range of clients as Rock Sound, Channel Four, Q Magazine, Drop Dead, and Roadrunner Records.  He also shoots people and things he finds interesting for himself, posting them on his website.

Self-taught while doing an urban land economics degree at university, he has been taking photographs since around the age of four.  Now, having spent over £25,000 on his camera equipment, he is a renowned portrait photographer sought out for press, editorial and advertising.  I discovered him originally through his close relationship with the band You Me At Six and by seeing his photographs in publications such as Kerrang!.  I like what he does with his surroundings and light to take engaging photographs.

 

He shot all the individual
portraits here except
for Oli Sykes. (RS194)

As a photographer, he relies heavily on artificial light over natural.  His signature style uses this lighting to create a sombre effect.  He has an impressive array of photographic techniques and methods and all of his images are engaging and interesting.

An example of Tom Barnes' work

Moreover, he uses his online presence as a way to show his equipment (including his awesome workspace he made himself!), tips and tricks etc.

With portrait photography, the subject(s) can be photographed close up or from a distance.  They are usually shot with either half the body in view or just a head shot.  Portraits are good for school photos, baby pictures, and photographs where you are trying to capture a mood or expression.

Young Guns, by Tom Barnes

This portrait of Daniel Mays is nice because all the colours tie in together, with the brown of the suit and the walls, and the similar colour of the Scrabble tiles and the windows.  I like how it was set up so it seems as if the subject has been interrupted in his game.  The way it includes around half of his 

Daniel Mays (Tom Barnes)

body as well as the surrounding area makes the photo more inclusive, like the viewer is seated opposite him.  The photo has a warm atmosphere and I really like it, along with the rest of Barnes' work.

Sources used:

Profoto

Wikipedia

Tom Barnes 

National Portrait Gallery

National Portrait Gallery II

Fabulous Noble