Infrared Photo Apps

The #INFRA app lets users easily put an infrared filter on photos taken on their smartphones.

Infrared photos are known for their unique color hues and the app helps users to get that distinct look for photos on their phones. The app could be used as an alternative to more expensive infrared cameras. Founder Kevin Veitia wanted to offer users access to infrared photo technology because of how expensive the cameras to create the same images are.

The app is aiming to help users create stunning and unique photos with the use of infrared filters. The creators of the app are currently working on multiple color infrared filters so that photos taken with the filters won't always have the same color hues. Veitia also wanted to access the vast consumer base of Instagram users to offer them new and unique filters.

Source: Infrared Photo Apps

Infrared NYC: Central Park Like You Have Never Seen It Before

All Images By Paolo Pettigiani. Used with Permission. 

"I love the majesty and the contrast of nature included in the famous Big Apple's skyscrapers, so I decided to highlight this contrast using infrared photography inviting viewers into a world unseen." Paolo Pettigiani says of his Infrared NYC series, which highlights images of Central Park in infrared/aerochrome.

Mr. Pettigiani has been working with Infrared photography for much of the last two years, mainly focusing on landscapes around his home town of Turin. Over time, he developed the idea for his Infrared NY series, eventually settling on Central Park as the location. "I wanted to show one of the most famous place in the world, as never seen before. I chose this place because I wanted to capture the unique environment of Central Park, an Island of Paradise within the city."

The resulting images, shot with a 5D Mark III and 24-70mm F/2.8 (and an assortment of Infrared filters of course), are majestic. This is Central Park like you have never seen it before, the beautiful contrast between the pink of nature and concrete jungle that surrounds it is awe inspiring.

"Central Park is the place where people go to have a break from the busy routine of the city, you can just sit there and it seems that you have entered into a new peaceful world." says Mr. Pettigiani. So take a scroll through the images below, and enter that peaceful world for yourself.

Source: Infrared NYC: Central Park Like You Have Never Seen It Before

App in development simulates trippy effects of infrared photography

One Kickstarter campaign is aiming to turn smartphone photos into snapshots that look like they're straight off a trippy science-fiction flick or Jimi Hendrix album cover. How? Digital infrared filters.

Infrared photography is a medium adapted by many for the weirdly beautiful colors it produces, but it's a rather expensive hobby to get into, given the cost of converting a sensor or adding a filter to a DSLR. This new project, #Infra, aims to change that with a simple app.

Related: Olympus's experimental image sensor shoots color and near-infraed simultaneously

The iOS app is expected to come with a set of at least six infrared filters to mimic the effect. The Kickstarter project is looking for $5,000 in funding to finalize the development of the software — and it hit 25 percent of its goal in the first 24 hours.

According to the developers, the filters mimic the look of Kodak Aerochrome film as well as other types of processed infrared images. Current samples from #Infra favor purple trees and deep blue skies. While digital filters likely won't create the results that the military used to see past camouflage, the app aims to make infrared widely accessible.

A digital camera with an infrared filter usually turns green foliage white, creating a scene that almost looks like a barren winter world. Many infrared photographers often use post processing techniques to convert the image into a landscape that looks more like it exists on a Candy Land board game than your average earthly scene.

Cost isn't the only element making infrared photography difficult today either. Even using a filter on a DSLR, cutting out the visible light spectrum leaves little light left to expose the image, so IR images shot this way are always long exposures. That makes it impossible to use IR on moving subjects. Editing a digital IR image to get that colorful look is also a technique that's not well-suited to beginners.

Developers say the app will be similar to the iPhone's native camera — except for the IR filters of course. If the group exceeds their initial goal and hits a $10,000 stretch goal, they will also work on an Android app.

Founder Kevin Veitia came up with the concept after finding out how expensive the medium was. "It seemed insane to me that such beautiful images could only be shot on very expensive expired film or by investing hundreds on a customized DSLR," he wrote. "That's when I started to look for infrared photography apps on iOS and to my surprise — there were none. At that moment, I new #Infra needed to exist."

The Kickstarter campaign, which has pledges starting at $5, aims to reach $5,000 by August 15.

Source: App in development simulates trippy effects of infrared photography

Review: Hieronymus Bosch, for Whom the Devil Was Always in the Details

Photo The technical art historian Ron Spronk analyzing "The Garden of Earthly Delights" in the documentary "Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil." Credit Rik Klein Gotink/Kino Lorber

In Pieter van Huystee's new documentary, "Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil," there is a bizarre, almost comical disconnect between the artworks assembled for a historic exhibition and the fuss surrounding its preparation. The show, which ran earlier this year at the Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch, in the southern Netherlands, commemorated the 500th anniversary of this Dutch painter's death.

Much of the film shows prim archivists equipped with the latest technology, poring over Bosch's works to determine their authenticity. His paintings, teeming with demons, creatures worthy of H. G. Wells's "The Island of Doctor Moreau" and surreal amalgams of all sorts, still strike awe. But there are only cursory efforts to interpret their imagery.

Much of the film focuses on determining which works were painted by Bosch himself or by family members who assisted him in his studio, which, after his death in 1516, continued to turn out paintings ascribed to "the workshop of H. Bosch."

For an artist whose visions of heaven, hell and the temptations of the flesh feel startlingly contemporary, it's amazing that so little is known about him. He was born to a family of painters in 's-Hertogenbosch, a placid city referred to by the Dutch as Den Bosch. It's a measure of Bosch's imaginative genius that the imagery in works like "The Garden of Earthly Delights" outstrips in boldness many of the extreme digital fantasies in Hollywood horror films. Reproductions of his paintings have adorned rock album covers, been parodied on "The Simpsons" and printed on silk bodices desig ned by Alexander McQueen.

Video Trailer: 'Hieronymus Bosch: Touched By The Devil'

Bosch's paintings are crammed with so much detail that, as the film shows, you have to examine them up close for their secrets to be revealed. In the scenes of archival research, art historians resemble a team of forensic detectives studying the sometimes inconclusive evidence found at a crime scene.

Bosch was not prolific. His authenticated paintings consist of around two dozen panels and triptychs. The film follows the team as its members visit museums around the world and study Bosch's works using X-rays, infrared photography and multispectrum analysis.

There is a subtext of intrigue and competition. Many of the greatest Bosch paintings, including "The Garden of Earthly Delights," are housed in Madrid at the Prado, which refused to lend this masterpiece, regarded as its Mona Lisa, for the exhibition. But another, less famous work, "The Haywain Triptych," is lent, and time is devoted to analyzing its iconography.

In the most dramatic discovery, the team travels to Kansas City, Mo., to examine a small painting at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, "The Temptation of St. Anthony," thought to be a product of the Bosch workshop. To the museum's delight, it is authenticated as an original Bosch. The institution's director, Julián Zugazagoitia, compares the finding to having your child win the Nobel Prize.

More than half of "Touched by the Devil" is devoted to the quest to authenticate Bosch works. The rest is commentary on the paintings themselves, handsomely photographed. But the film shies away from exploring Bosch's place in art history. There are no side-by-side comparisons with the 20th-century Surrealists he influenced. The movie comes alive only when the camera lingers over the actual paintings and allows their power to speak for itself.

"Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil" is not rated. It is in English, Dutch and Spanish, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes.

Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil

Continue reading the main story
Source: Review: Hieronymus Bosch, for Whom the Devil Was Always in the Details

Infrared Landscape Photos

Hungarian photographer Milán Rácmolnár wished to captured Rome in another light with his 'Rome in Infrared' series. Rácmolnár converted his old model of a Nikon D3200 into an infrared camera.

Rácmolnár wanted to use the infrared to capture the city in a different perspective, and because of this he was "able to give the series a somewhat peculiar look." The series captures various aspects of the Italian city, from tourist attractions to everyday locations. A closed merry-go-round looks otherworldly through the infrared filter, making all the bushes pink and all the detailing at the top appearing more delicate through the pink lens.

Some of the photos are more subtle with the infrared filter, such as the photos taken at the Trevi fountain and in St. Peter's Square. Rome in Infrared seems like an urban twist on Richard Mosse's infrared photo series of the Congo.

Source: Infrared Landscape Photos

Review: Hieronymus Bosch, for Whom the Devil Was Always in the Details

Photo The technical art historian Ron Spronk analyzing "The Garden of Earthly Delights" in the documentary "Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil." Credit Rik Klein Gotink/Kino Lorber

In Pieter van Huystee's new documentary, "Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil," there is a bizarre, almost comical disconnect between the artworks assembled for a historic exhibition and the fuss surrounding its preparation. The show, which ran earlier this year at the Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch, in the southern Netherlands, commemorated the 500th anniversary of this Dutch painter's death.

Much of the film shows prim archivists equipped with the latest technology, poring over Bosch's works to determine their authenticity. His paintings, teeming with demons, creatures worthy of H. G. Wells's "The Island of Doctor Moreau" and surreal amalgams of all sorts, still strike awe. But there are only cursory efforts to interpret their imagery.

Much of the film focuses on determining which works were painted by Bosch himself or by family members who assisted him in his studio, which, after his death in 1516, continued to turn out paintings ascribed to "the workshop of H. Bosch."

For an artist whose visions of heaven, hell and the temptations of the flesh feel startlingly contemporary, it's amazing that so little is known about him. He was born to a family of painters in 's-Hertogenbosch, a placid city referred to by the Dutch as Den Bosch. It's a measure of Bosch's imaginative genius that the imagery in works like "The Garden of Earthly Delights" outstrips in boldness many of the extreme digital fantasies in Hollywood horror films. Reproductions of his paintings have adorned rock album covers, been parodied on "The Simpsons" and printed on silk bodices desig ned by Alexander McQueen.

Video Trailer: 'Hieronymus Bosch: Touched By The Devil'

Bosch's paintings are crammed with so much detail that, as the film shows, you have to examine them up close for their secrets to be revealed. In the scenes of archival research, art historians resemble a team of forensic detectives studying the sometimes inconclusive evidence found at a crime scene.

Bosch was not prolific. His authenticated paintings consist of around two dozen panels and triptychs. The film follows the team as its members visit museums around the world and study Bosch's works using X-rays, infrared photography and multispectrum analysis.

There is a subtext of intrigue and competition. Many of the greatest Bosch paintings, including "The Garden of Earthly Delights," are housed in Madrid at the Prado, which refused to lend this masterpiece, regarded as its Mona Lisa, for the exhibition. But another, less famous work, "The Haywain Triptych," is lent, and time is devoted to analyzing its iconography.

In the most dramatic discovery, the team travels to Kansas City, Mo., to examine a small painting at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, "The Temptation of St. Anthony," thought to be a product of the Bosch workshop. To the museum's delight, it is authenticated as an original Bosch. The institution's director, Julián Zugazagoitia, compares the finding to having your child win the Nobel Prize.

More than half of "Touched by the Devil" is devoted to the quest to authenticate Bosch works. The rest is commentary on the paintings themselves, handsomely photographed. But the film shies away from exploring Bosch's place in art history. There are no side-by-side comparisons with the 20th-century Surrealists he influenced. The movie comes alive only when the camera lingers over the actual paintings and allows their power to speak for itself.

"Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil" is not rated. It is in English, Dutch and Spanish, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes.

Hieronymus Bosch: Touched by the Devil

Continue reading the main story
Source: Review: Hieronymus Bosch, for Whom the Devil Was Always in the Details

14 top tips for photographing summer

Of all the seasons of the year, summer is perhaps the hardest to photograph well. Here are our top tips for success

Ask any decent photographer to nominate his or her favourite season and chances are not a single one will mention summer. Autumn, with its fiery colours and stormy light, is probably the firm favourite, followed by the lushness of spring and the drama of winter. Summer usually ends up bottom of the pile.

Given that summer is the season when we see the most sunlight, the days are at their longest and light levels are at their highest, this may seem rather strange. While summer may seem like the perfect time of year for taking top-notch photographs, the reality is somewhat different. Harsh light, hazy weather, high contrast and black shadows are often what we get for days at a stretch. The sun is overhead for most of the day so the quality of light is poor. The landscape either looks scorched or postcard pretty and the sky characterless and bland. Sea frets roll in off the sea and cloak the coastline in grey. Towns and cities become choked with heat and pollution. We're not painting a very good picture here, are we?

However, it's not all doom and gloom. You can take great photographs in summer just like any other season – you just need to accept the conditions you're forced to work in, choose your subjects more carefully and keep an open mind. To get your creative juices flowing and keep your shutter finger busy, here's a host of summer shooting ideas.

1. Set your alarm clock

Come early summer, the days are so long that if you want to catch sunrise (at 4.30am) it's hardly worth going to bed! However, it's worth sacrificing the occasional good night's sleep because a summer dawn can be amazing. Plan where you intend to go a day or two in advance. If you're away on holiday, make the most of your chance to shoot a new location while your family are in bed. If not, re-visit an old favourite. Locations that contain water are ideal for dawn photography because the water mirrors the colours in the sky. So consider heading to the coast, or check your map for the nearest lake, loch or reservoir. Arrive at least half an hour before sunrise so you can make the twilight glow in the sky.

2. Be bold

By 8am in summer, the sun will be heading to its highest point in the sky, where it remains until at least 5pm. In clear weather, the light can be very harsh and intense, and with the sun overhead, shadows are short and dense. Such conditions aren't particularly flattering or atmopsheric, but if you like to shoot graphic images, strong sunlight is ideal. Buildings, bridges and other manmade structures look stunning on a clear summer's day against deep blue polariser sky, so head to the city and experiment with unusual viewpoints and wideangle lenses to create dynamic compositions. Look for simple, abstract details and make the most of colour contrasts such as yellow and blue or red and green.

3. Use a polariser

A polariser is a must for giving your summer shots a boost. As well as deepening a blue sky and emphasising clouds, it will also eliminate reflections, reduce glare so colour saturation is increased and lessen the effects of haze. To get the best effect on the sky, keep the sun on one side of the camera, while to get rid of reflections the angle between the reflective surface and the lens axis needs to be around 30°. Polarisers lose two stops of light, so keep an eye on those shutter speeds if you're hand-holding – on a sunny day you'll be down to 1/30sec at f/11 at ISO 100. A tripod will be handy if you need to stop the lens down, or you could increase the ISO to 200 or 400 so you can use a faster shutter speed.

4. Shoot in the shade

Summer light out in the open is harsh and unflattering, but if you step into the shade of a building or tree it's a different matter. There the light is soft, shadows are very weak and contrast is much lower. Portraits benefit greatly from being shot in the shade as you'll avoid ugly shadows being cast under noses and in eye sockets. Details and found still lifes also work much better in shade. If you're in the open and no shade is available, holding something above your subject's heads will work – a brolly, diffusing screen or sheet of card. This also works well for details and close-ups – try shooting a flower portrait in full sun, and then again with a sheet of card casting a shadow over the flower – there's no comparison.

5. Experiment with infrared

Summer's the best season for infrared photography. There's lots of lush green foliage and plant life everywhere, which reflects infrared, and you also get blue sky and fluffy white clouds, plus the harsh summer light creates high contrast and that suits infrared really well. Parks and gardens, woodland and riverside walks are ideal infrared hunting grounds. Also check out old buildings such as churches, castles, manor houses, ruins and abandoned cottages. If you don't have an infrared-modified digital camera, use an infrared transmitting filter on your lens, such as a Hoya R72 or cheaper alternatives available on Amazon and eBay.

6. Flower power

Gardens tend to be at their most photogenic during summer, with plants and shrubs creating a riot of colour in even the modest suburban plot. Hedgerows and roadside verges also come alive with poppies, ox-eye daisies, buttercups and other vibrant blooms. For simple close-ups, 
use a close-focusing zoom or, even better, a macro lens. Your telezoom will also be ideal for shooting large drifts of flowers – the compressed perspective will make the flowers appear crowded together, while shooting at a wide aperture will allow you to isolate one single bloom from its surroundings.

7. Striking silhouettes

Place a solid object between you and a bright background and you've got the makings of a great silhouette. The object could be any simple, easily-identifiable shape such as a person, tree, boat or building and the background could be anything from a fiery sunrise or sunset, the summer sun sitting low in the sky, or shimmering highlights on water. Mix and match as you like, but the result is always an eye-catching picture.

8. The golden hour

In the hour or so before sunset, the world is bathed in golden light. The light is often much warmer than at dawn because it's scattered and diffused by the thicker atmosphere – that's why the sun often looks bigger at sunset than at sunrise – and your photos will come out warmer than you expected as the colour temperature of the light is very low. Long shadows rake across the landscape, revealing texture and form, while the sun's golden orb slowly dropping toward the horizon looks magnificent. For a sunrise or sunset, use a telephoto or telezoom lens to exaggerate the size of the sun's orb – a 200mm or, better still, a 300mm, 400mm or 500mm.

9. Night patrol

The best time to take 'night' shots is during the 'crossover' period between sunset and darkness when there's still colour in the sky, and daylight and manmade illumination is in balance. During summer this period lasts upwards of an hour so you can cover a lot more ground than at any other time of year.  The only downside is that you need to stay out later – sunset may not occur until after 10pm – but it's well worth the effort and you can always have a lie-in the next day.

10. Storm warning

Although we expect blue skies and cotton wool clouds during summer, it can also be a season of storms due to the humidity and high temperatures and this can create amazing landscape opportunities – dark skies, colourful rainbows, shafts of sunlight illuminating the landscape, bolts of lightning flashing across the sky… So keep an eye on the weather forecast and if it looks like something interesting is likely to happen, grab your camera and head out.

11. Inside job

If the light's too bland outside, why not take some interior shots instead? Churches, cathedrals and abbeys offer a welcome and cool respite from the summer heat. Many museums also allow handheld photography if you're discreet and whether they're in old buildings or ultra-modern, you'll still find some great photo opportunities.

12. Try something different

If all else fails, why not try a wacky technique that helps to overcome the fact that the light's not great? Have a go at panning the camera horizontally or vertically to produce a streaky image; create a zoomburst by zooming your lens while exposing a shot, or use an attachment like a Lensbaby to produce soft, dreamy effects.

13. Shoot shadows

Strong sunlight means strong shadows. When the sun's high they're short and dense or cast vertically down walls and doors. When the sun's low they rake across the landscape. Use a telezoom lens to fill the frame with shadow patterns and make them your primary subject, or use shadows as lead-in lines in wideangle shots.

14. By the seaside

Head to the coast on a sunny summer's day and you'll be spoiled for choice. Colourful beach huts against the blue sky, backlit deckchairs on the beach, piles of buckets and spades outside seafront shops, fairground rides on pleasure piers, boats and windsurfers on the sea… The list of subjects just goes on and on.

Source: 14 top tips for photographing summer

Boom barrier technical detail

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Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our Privacy Policy and User Agreement for details.

Source: Boom barrier technical detail

White Knight Press Releases Complete Guide Book for Sony DSC-RX10 III Digital Camera

  July 23, 2016 --

Henrico, Virginia (PRWEB) July 23, 2016

White Knight Press has just released Photographer's Guide to the Sony DSC-RX10 III, a full-color, 245-page guide book covering all features and operations of the RX10 III digital camera.

The newly published book is a complete guide to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III camera. With this book, author Alexander S. White provides users of the RX10 III with a manual covering all aspects of the camera's operation. Using a tutorial-like approach, the book shows beginning and intermediate photographers how to accomplish things with the RX10 III, and explains when and why to use the camera's many features.

The book provides details about the camera's shooting modes as well as its menu options for shooting, playback, setup, video, Wi-Fi, and special effects. The book covers all features of the RX10 III that are new for this model, including its high-quality zoom lens with an optical reach of 600mm; its Zoom Assist feature, which lets a photographer instantly pull back the zoom lens for a wide view before zooming back to a telephoto shot; and its additional controls, including a Focus Hold button on the side of the lens and a third Custom button, which is available for programming by the user.

The book includes more than 450 color photographs that illustrate the camera's controls, display screens, and menus. The images include photographs taken using the RX10 III's Scene mode, with settings optimized for subjects such as landscapes, sunsets, portraits, and action shots; and its Creative Style and Picture Effect menu options, with settings that alter the appearance of images.

The book discusses topics such as street photography and infrared photography, and explains how to use the camera's Wi-Fi features to transfer images to a smartphone or tablet, or to control the camera from such a device.

The book includes a full discussion of the video features of the RX10 III, which can shoot HD and 4K (ultra-HD) movies, with manual control of exposure and focus during recording. The book explains the camera's numerous features for professional-level videography, including Picture Profiles that allow adjustment of settings such as gamma curve, black level, knee, and detail. The book describes steps for recording 4K video to an external video recorder using the ?clean" video output from the camera's HDMI port.

In three appendices, the book discusses accessories for the RX10 III, including cases, power sources, remote controls, microphones and external flash units, and includes a list of websites and other resources for further information. The book includes an appendix with ?quick tips" on how to take advantage of the camera's features in the most efficient ways possible.

This guide to the RX10 III includes a detailed index, so the reader can quickly locate information about any particular feature or aspect of the camera.

The paperback version is available now for $24.95 through Amazon.com and other online sellers. The book is also available in PDF format and in downloadable versions for the Kindle, Nook, and iPad for $9.99 each. More details are available at whiteknightpress.com.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/07/prweb13570228.htm.

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Source: White Knight Press Releases Complete Guide Book for Sony DSC-RX10 III Digital Camera

Check Out This Infrared Photo Of A Stealth Fighter

Ever wanted to see what the world's best stealth fighter looks like in infrared? Thanks to a National Police Air Service helicopter, you now can! A police helicopter in the United Kingdom took an infrared picture of the plane on the ground.

The F-22 is on display as part of the Royal International Air Tattoo, a massive air show. The stealthy fighter is designed to confuse and slip past radar, which can detect at a range far beyond visual sight. That the F-22 shows up on infrared doesn't diminish its stealth - if someone is close enough to see a Raptor that way, they can probably see it with what the military jokingly terms a "Mark I eyeball."

[via The Aviationist]

Source: Check Out This Infrared Photo Of A Stealth Fighter

Photographer’s Guide to the Sony DSC-RX10 III

White Knight Press have released their newest camera guide book, Photographer's Guide to the Sony DSC-RX10 III. This publication, by Alexander S. White, is a complete guide to the operation of the Sony RX10 III. The book covers all of the features that are new for this model, including its high-quality zoom lens with an optical reach of 600mm; its Zoom Assist feature, which lets a photographer instantly pull back the zoom lens for a wide view before zooming back to a telephoto shot; and its additional controls, including a Focus Hold button on the side of the lens and a third Custom button, which is available for programming by the user. In three appendices, the book discusses accessories for the RX10 III, including cases, power sources, remote controls, microphones and external flash units, and in cludes a list of websites and other resources for further information. The book is available now for $9.99 in ebook formats or for $24.95 in a paperback edition.

Press Release

Photographer's Guide to the Sony DSC-RX10 III, by Alexander S. White, ISBN 978-1-937986-54-4

Published July 2016 by White Knight Press

This book is a complete guide to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III camera. With this book, author Alexander S. White provides users of the RX10 III with a manual covering all aspects of the camera's operation. Using a tutorial-like approach, the book shows beginning and intermediate photographers how to accomplish things with the RX10 III, and explains when and why to use the camera's many features.

The book provides details about the camera's shooting modes as well as its menu options for shooting, playback, setup, video, Wi-Fi, and special effects. The book covers all features of the RX10 III that are new for this model, including its high-quality zoom lens with an optical reach of 600mm; its Zoom Assist feature, which lets a photographer instantly pull back the zoom lens for a wide view before zooming back to a telephoto shot; and its additional controls, including a Focus Hold button on the side of the lens and a third Custom button, which is available for programming by the user.

The book includes more than 450 color photographs that illustrate the camera's controls, display screens, and menus. The images include photographs taken using the RX10 III's Scene mode, with settings optimized for subjects such as landscapes, sunsets, portraits, and action shots; and its Creative Style and Picture Effect menu options, with settings that alter the appearance of images.

The book discusses topics such as street photography and infrared photography, and explains how to use the camera's Wi-Fi features to transfer images to a smartphone or tablet, or to control the camera from such a device.

The book includes a full discussion of the video features of the RX10 III, which can shoot HD and 4K (ultra-HD) movies, with manual control of exposure and focus during recording. The book explains the camera's numerous features for professional-level videography, including Picture Profiles that allow adjustment of settings such as gamma curve, black level, knee, and detail. The book describes steps for recording 4K video to an external video recorder using the "clean" video output from the camera's HDMI port.

In three appendices, the book discusses accessories for the RX10 III, including cases, power sources, remote controls, microphones and external flash units, and includes a list of websites and other resources for further information. The book includes an appendix with "quick tips" on how to take advantage of the camera's features in the most efficient ways possible.

This guide to the RX10 III includes a detailed index, so the reader can quickly locate information about any particular feature or aspect of the camera.

The book is available now for $9.99 in ebook formats or for $24.95 in a paperback edition. For more information, see whiteknightpress.com

Source: Photographer's Guide to the Sony DSC-RX10 III

Check Out This Infrared Photo Of A Stealth Fighter

Ever wanted to see what the world's best stealth fighter looks like in infrared? Thanks to a National Police Air Service helicopter, you now can! A police helicopter in the United Kingdom took an infrared picture of the plane on the ground.

The F-22 is on display as part of the Royal International Air Tattoo, a massive air show. The stealthy fighter is designed to confuse and slip past radar, which can detect at a range far beyond visual sight. That the F-22 shows up on infrared doesn't diminish its stealth - if someone is close enough to see a Raptor that way, they can probably see it with what the military jokingly terms a "Mark I eyeball."

[via The Aviationist]

Source: Check Out This Infrared Photo Of A Stealth Fighter

14 top tips for photographing summer

Of all the seasons of the year, summer is perhaps the hardest to photograph well. Here are our top tips for success

Ask any decent photographer to nominate his or her favourite season and chances are not a single one will mention summer. Autumn, with its fiery colours and stormy light, is probably the firm favourite, followed by the lushness of spring and the drama of winter. Summer usually ends up bottom of the pile.

Given that summer is the season when we see the most sunlight, the days are at their longest and light levels are at their highest, this may seem rather strange. While summer may seem like the perfect time of year for taking top-notch photographs, the reality is somewhat different. Harsh light, hazy weather, high contrast and black shadows are often what we get for days at a stretch. The sun is overhead for most of the day so the quality of light is poor. The landscape either looks scorched or postcard pretty and the sky characterless and bland. Sea frets roll in off the sea and cloak the coastline in grey. Towns and cities become choked with heat and pollution. We're not painting a very good picture here, are we?

However, it's not all doom and gloom. You can take great photographs in summer just like any other season – you just need to accept the conditions you're forced to work in, choose your subjects more carefully and keep an open mind. To get your creative juices flowing and keep your shutter finger busy, here's a host of summer shooting ideas.

1. Set your alarm clock

Come early summer, the days are so long that if you want to catch sunrise (at 4.30am) it's hardly worth going to bed! However, it's worth sacrificing the occasional good night's sleep because a summer dawn can be amazing. Plan where you intend to go a day or two in advance. If you're away on holiday, make the most of your chance to shoot a new location while your family are in bed. If not, re-visit an old favourite. Locations that contain water are ideal for dawn photography because the water mirrors the colours in the sky. So consider heading to the coast, or check your map for the nearest lake, loch or reservoir. Arrive at least half an hour before sunrise so you can make the twilight glow in the sky.

2. Be bold

By 8am in summer, the sun will be heading to its highest point in the sky, where it remains until at least 5pm. In clear weather, the light can be very harsh and intense, and with the sun overhead, shadows are short and dense. Such conditions aren't particularly flattering or atmopsheric, but if you like to shoot graphic images, strong sunlight is ideal. Buildings, bridges and other manmade structures look stunning on a clear summer's day against deep blue polariser sky, so head to the city and experiment with unusual viewpoints and wideangle lenses to create dynamic compositions. Look for simple, abstract details and make the most of colour contrasts such as yellow and blue or red and green.

3. Use a polariser

A polariser is a must for giving your summer shots a boost. As well as deepening a blue sky and emphasising clouds, it will also eliminate reflections, reduce glare so colour saturation is increased and lessen the effects of haze. To get the best effect on the sky, keep the sun on one side of the camera, while to get rid of reflections the angle between the reflective surface and the lens axis needs to be around 30°. Polarisers lose two stops of light, so keep an eye on those shutter speeds if you're hand-holding – on a sunny day you'll be down to 1/30sec at f/11 at ISO 100. A tripod will be handy if you need to stop the lens down, or you could increase the ISO to 200 or 400 so you can use a faster shutter speed.

4. Shoot in the shade

Summer light out in the open is harsh and unflattering, but if you step into the shade of a building or tree it's a different matter. There the light is soft, shadows are very weak and contrast is much lower. Portraits benefit greatly from being shot in the shade as you'll avoid ugly shadows being cast under noses and in eye sockets. Details and found still lifes also work much better in shade. If you're in the open and no shade is available, holding something above your subject's heads will work – a brolly, diffusing screen or sheet of card. This also works well for details and close-ups – try shooting a flower portrait in full sun, and then again with a sheet of card casting a shadow over the flower – there's no comparison.

5. Experiment with infrared

Summer's the best season for infrared photography. There's lots of lush green foliage and plant life everywhere, which reflects infrared, and you also get blue sky and fluffy white clouds, plus the harsh summer light creates high contrast and that suits infrared really well. Parks and gardens, woodland and riverside walks are ideal infrared hunting grounds. Also check out old buildings such as churches, castles, manor houses, ruins and abandoned cottages. If you don't have an infrared-modified digital camera, use an infrared transmitting filter on your lens, such as a Hoya R72 or cheaper alternatives available on Amazon and eBay.

6. Flower power

Gardens tend to be at their most photogenic during summer, with plants and shrubs creating a riot of colour in even the modest suburban plot. Hedgerows and roadside verges also come alive with poppies, ox-eye daisies, buttercups and other vibrant blooms. For simple close-ups, 
use a close-focusing zoom or, even better, a macro lens. Your telezoom will also be ideal for shooting large drifts of flowers – the compressed perspective will make the flowers appear crowded together, while shooting at a wide aperture will allow you to isolate one single bloom from its surroundings.

7. Striking silhouettes

Place a solid object between you and a bright background and you've got the makings of a great silhouette. The object could be any simple, easily-identifiable shape such as a person, tree, boat or building and the background could be anything from a fiery sunrise or sunset, the summer sun sitting low in the sky, or shimmering highlights on water. Mix and match as you like, but the result is always an eye-catching picture.

8. The golden hour

In the hour or so before sunset, the world is bathed in golden light. The light is often much warmer than at dawn because it's scattered and diffused by the thicker atmosphere – that's why the sun often looks bigger at sunset than at sunrise – and your photos will come out warmer than you expected as the colour temperature of the light is very low. Long shadows rake across the landscape, revealing texture and form, while the sun's golden orb slowly dropping toward the horizon looks magnificent. For a sunrise or sunset, use a telephoto or telezoom lens to exaggerate the size of the sun's orb – a 200mm or, better still, a 300mm, 400mm or 500mm.

9. Night patrol

The best time to take 'night' shots is during the 'crossover' period between sunset and darkness when there's still colour in the sky, and daylight and manmade illumination is in balance. During summer this period lasts upwards of an hour so you can cover a lot more ground than at any other time of year.  The only downside is that you need to stay out later – sunset may not occur until after 10pm – but it's well worth the effort and you can always have a lie-in the next day.

10. Storm warning

Although we expect blue skies and cotton wool clouds during summer, it can also be a season of storms due to the humidity and high temperatures and this can create amazing landscape opportunities – dark skies, colourful rainbows, shafts of sunlight illuminating the landscape, bolts of lightning flashing across the sky… So keep an eye on the weather forecast and if it looks like something interesting is likely to happen, grab your camera and head out.

11. Inside job

If the light's too bland outside, why not take some interior shots instead? Churches, cathedrals and abbeys offer a welcome and cool respite from the summer heat. Many museums also allow handheld photography if you're discreet and whether they're in old buildings or ultra-modern, you'll still find some great photo opportunities.

12. Try something different

If all else fails, why not try a wacky technique that helps to overcome the fact that the light's not great? Have a go at panning the camera horizontally or vertically to produce a streaky image; create a zoomburst by zooming your lens while exposing a shot, or use an attachment like a Lensbaby to produce soft, dreamy effects.

13. Shoot shadows

Strong sunlight means strong shadows. When the sun's high they're short and dense or cast vertically down walls and doors. When the sun's low they rake across the landscape. Use a telezoom lens to fill the frame with shadow patterns and make them your primary subject, or use shadows as lead-in lines in wideangle shots.

14. By the seaside

Head to the coast on a sunny summer's day and you'll be spoiled for choice. Colourful beach huts against the blue sky, backlit deckchairs on the beach, piles of buckets and spades outside seafront shops, fairground rides on pleasure piers, boats and windsurfers on the sea… The list of subjects just goes on and on.

Source: 14 top tips for photographing summer

Check Out This Infrared Photo Of A Stealth Fighter

Ever wanted to see what the world's best stealth fighter looks like in infrared? Thanks to a National Police Air Service helicopter, you now can! A police helicopter in the United Kingdom took an infrared picture of the plane on the ground.

The F-22 is on display as part of the Royal International Air Tattoo, a massive air show. The stealthy fighter is designed to confuse and slip past radar, which can detect at a range far beyond visual sight. That the F-22 shows up on infrared doesn't diminish its stealth - if someone is close enough to see a Raptor that way, they can probably see it with what the military jokingly terms a "Mark I eyeball."

[via The Aviationist]

Source: Check Out This Infrared Photo Of A Stealth Fighter

14 top tips for photographing summer

Of all the seasons of the year, summer is perhaps the hardest to photograph well. Here are our top tips for success

Ask any decent photographer to nominate his or her favourite season and chances are not a single one will mention summer. Autumn, with its fiery colours and stormy light, is probably the firm favourite, followed by the lushness of spring and the drama of winter. Summer usually ends up bottom of the pile.

Given that summer is the season when we see the most sunlight, the days are at their longest and light levels are at their highest, this may seem rather strange. While summer may seem like the perfect time of year for taking top-notch photographs, the reality is somewhat different. Harsh light, hazy weather, high contrast and black shadows are often what we get for days at a stretch. The sun is overhead for most of the day so the quality of light is poor. The landscape either looks scorched or postcard pretty and the sky characterless and bland. Sea frets roll in off the sea and cloak the coastline in grey. Towns and cities become choked with heat and pollution. We're not painting a very good picture here, are we?

However, it's not all doom and gloom. You can take great photographs in summer just like any other season – you just need to accept the conditions you're forced to work in, choose your subjects more carefully and keep an open mind. To get your creative juices flowing and keep your shutter finger busy, here's a host of summer shooting ideas.

1. Set your alarm clock

Come early summer, the days are so long that if you want to catch sunrise (at 4.30am) it's hardly worth going to bed! However, it's worth sacrificing the occasional good night's sleep because a summer dawn can be amazing. Plan where you intend to go a day or two in advance. If you're away on holiday, make the most of your chance to shoot a new location while your family are in bed. If not, re-visit an old favourite. Locations that contain water are ideal for dawn photography because the water mirrors the colours in the sky. So consider heading to the coast, or check your map for the nearest lake, loch or reservoir. Arrive at least half an hour before sunrise so you can make the twilight glow in the sky.

2. Be bold

By 8am in summer, the sun will be heading to its highest point in the sky, where it remains until at least 5pm. In clear weather, the light can be very harsh and intense, and with the sun overhead, shadows are short and dense. Such conditions aren't particularly flattering or atmopsheric, but if you like to shoot graphic images, strong sunlight is ideal. Buildings, bridges and other manmade structures look stunning on a clear summer's day against deep blue polariser sky, so head to the city and experiment with unusual viewpoints and wideangle lenses to create dynamic compositions. Look for simple, abstract details and make the most of colour contrasts such as yellow and blue or red and green.

3. Use a polariser

A polariser is a must for giving your summer shots a boost. As well as deepening a blue sky and emphasising clouds, it will also eliminate reflections, reduce glare so colour saturation is increased and lessen the effects of haze. To get the best effect on the sky, keep the sun on one side of the camera, while to get rid of reflections the angle between the reflective surface and the lens axis needs to be around 30°. Polarisers lose two stops of light, so keep an eye on those shutter speeds if you're hand-holding – on a sunny day you'll be down to 1/30sec at f/11 at ISO 100. A tripod will be handy if you need to stop the lens down, or you could increase the ISO to 200 or 400 so you can use a faster shutter speed.

4. Shoot in the shade

Summer light out in the open is harsh and unflattering, but if you step into the shade of a building or tree it's a different matter. There the light is soft, shadows are very weak and contrast is much lower. Portraits benefit greatly from being shot in the shade as you'll avoid ugly shadows being cast under noses and in eye sockets. Details and found still lifes also work much better in shade. If you're in the open and no shade is available, holding something above your subject's heads will work – a brolly, diffusing screen or sheet of card. This also works well for details and close-ups – try shooting a flower portrait in full sun, and then again with a sheet of card casting a shadow over the flower – there's no comparison.

5. Experiment with infrared

Summer's the best season for infrared photography. There's lots of lush green foliage and plant life everywhere, which reflects infrared, and you also get blue sky and fluffy white clouds, plus the harsh summer light creates high contrast and that suits infrared really well. Parks and gardens, woodland and riverside walks are ideal infrared hunting grounds. Also check out old buildings such as churches, castles, manor houses, ruins and abandoned cottages. If you don't have an infrared-modified digital camera, use an infrared transmitting filter on your lens, such as a Hoya R72 or cheaper alternatives available on Amazon and eBay.

6. Flower power

Gardens tend to be at their most photogenic during summer, with plants and shrubs creating a riot of colour in even the modest suburban plot. Hedgerows and roadside verges also come alive with poppies, ox-eye daisies, buttercups and other vibrant blooms. For simple close-ups, 
use a close-focusing zoom or, even better, a macro lens. Your telezoom will also be ideal for shooting large drifts of flowers – the compressed perspective will make the flowers appear crowded together, while shooting at a wide aperture will allow you to isolate one single bloom from its surroundings.

7. Striking silhouettes

Place a solid object between you and a bright background and you've got the makings of a great silhouette. The object could be any simple, easily-identifiable shape such as a person, tree, boat or building and the background could be anything from a fiery sunrise or sunset, the summer sun sitting low in the sky, or shimmering highlights on water. Mix and match as you like, but the result is always an eye-catching picture.

8. The golden hour

In the hour or so before sunset, the world is bathed in golden light. The light is often much warmer than at dawn because it's scattered and diffused by the thicker atmosphere – that's why the sun often looks bigger at sunset than at sunrise – and your photos will come out warmer than you expected as the colour temperature of the light is very low. Long shadows rake across the landscape, revealing texture and form, while the sun's golden orb slowly dropping toward the horizon looks magnificent. For a sunrise or sunset, use a telephoto or telezoom lens to exaggerate the size of the sun's orb – a 200mm or, better still, a 300mm, 400mm or 500mm.

9. Night patrol

The best time to take 'night' shots is during the 'crossover' period between sunset and darkness when there's still colour in the sky, and daylight and manmade illumination is in balance. During summer this period lasts upwards of an hour so you can cover a lot more ground than at any other time of year.  The only downside is that you need to stay out later – sunset may not occur until after 10pm – but it's well worth the effort and you can always have a lie-in the next day.

10. Storm warning

Although we expect blue skies and cotton wool clouds during summer, it can also be a season of storms due to the humidity and high temperatures and this can create amazing landscape opportunities – dark skies, colourful rainbows, shafts of sunlight illuminating the landscape, bolts of lightning flashing across the sky… So keep an eye on the weather forecast and if it looks like something interesting is likely to happen, grab your camera and head out.

11. Inside job

If the light's too bland outside, why not take some interior shots instead? Churches, cathedrals and abbeys offer a welcome and cool respite from the summer heat. Many museums also allow handheld photography if you're discreet and whether they're in old buildings or ultra-modern, you'll still find some great photo opportunities.

12. Try something different

If all else fails, why not try a wacky technique that helps to overcome the fact that the light's not great? Have a go at panning the camera horizontally or vertically to produce a streaky image; create a zoomburst by zooming your lens while exposing a shot, or use an attachment like a Lensbaby to produce soft, dreamy effects.

13. Shoot shadows

Strong sunlight means strong shadows. When the sun's high they're short and dense or cast vertically down walls and doors. When the sun's low they rake across the landscape. Use a telezoom lens to fill the frame with shadow patterns and make them your primary subject, or use shadows as lead-in lines in wideangle shots.

14. By the seaside

Head to the coast on a sunny summer's day and you'll be spoiled for choice. Colourful beach huts against the blue sky, backlit deckchairs on the beach, piles of buckets and spades outside seafront shops, fairground rides on pleasure piers, boats and windsurfers on the sea… The list of subjects just goes on and on.

Source: 14 top tips for photographing summer