Archivio mensile:febbraio 2011
How To Build A Full Studio At A Music Festival #Photography
If you’ve ever attended a crazy big music or art festival then the thought has probably crossed your mind, “I should probably photograph these interesting characters while I’m here!” While attending the annual free expression festival Burning Man in Nevada, photographer Eric Schwabel decided to build a portable photo studio to capture dramatic portraits of everyone in attendance. His setup consisted of two strip boxes, two Profoto Pro-B2 power packs, and two Profoto Pro-7 heads. Everything was shot on a Mamiya 645 AFD with a DM28 digital back. I must say, I would be a little nervous bringing this sort of gear out to the dusty desert, but then I would have been the guy who missed out on creating such a cool project!
Sony indicates all future Alpha models will include translucent mirrors
That satisfying clunk of the mirror swinging up and away, the rapid-fire clatter of DSLRs going into burst mode, could be on its last legs. Well, for Sony Alphas at least. The company has confirmed that its translucent mirror tech, most recently confirmed to be coming to the A77 and earlier shown on the A55 and A33, will be coming to the entire Alpha line. The sensor actually captures light through the mirror itself, which is just reflective enough to allow for real-time focusing even while capturing video. It’s something of a bold move in the generally stoic DSLR market, and only time will tell whether it helps to boost Sony’s street cred up to Canon and Nikon levels.
How would you change Panasonic's Lumix DFC-GF2?
We’re drowning in interchangeable lens options, but that’s far from being a bad thing. For those that finally caved and picked up Panasonic’s Lumix DFC-GF2, we’re interested to see how you’d change things if given that golden opportunity. Are you satisfied with the size, weight and design? How’s the low-light performance? Would you alter anything about the lens selection? Introduce a version that changes colors with the seasons? Go on and get creative in comments below — the GF3 needs some ideas, you know?
Preview based on a pre-production GF2
It’s been fourteen months since Panasonic announced its first compact-body ‘rangefinder-like’ Micro Four Thirds camera, in the shape of the DMC-GF1. This quickly gained a following as arguably the best ‘enthusiast’ camera of its type, with its solid feature set, fast reactions and body bristling with external controls. But since then the market has moved on and new contenders have appeared on the scene, with Sony’s NEX cameras in particular making a splash due to their impressive miniaturisation and excellent image quality. Under this new-found pressure of competition, the GF has slimmed-down and emerged with a new, sleeker look.
The DMC-GF2 is essentially a smaller, externally-simpler version of the GF1 that’s acquired many of the feature upgrades we first saw on the G2 (most notably the touch-sensitive screen) plus Full HD video. Its body is smaller in every dimension than its predecessor’s, making it very nearly as petite as the Sony NEX-5. In the process, though, it’s shed a significant number of those external controls that until now have been the hallmark of the G series – most obviously the exposure mode dial, but also the drive-mode lever that sat beneath it, along with several of the buttons on the back. This places rather greater reliance on the touchscreen for quick operation compared to the G2, and Panasonic has redesigned the interface (and the Quick Menu in particular) to facilitate this.
These changes all signal a clear repositioning of the GF series in the market. Whereas the GF1 was unashamedly a camera for enthusiast photographers, the GF2 is now aimed much more at compact camera owners looking for an upgrade. According to Panasonic the design emphasis has been on offering creative controls as opposed to just providing a simple, unintimidating camera which happens to contain a larger sensor.
Despite this, there’s still a smattering of clear updates and improvements over the previous model, and while they’re generally more evolutionary than revolutionary, this mainly reflects the maturity of the GF1 design. Most notably, the GF2 gains Full HD movie recording capability (1080i at 60fps from 30p capture) that is supported by a stereo microphone on the top plate. In spec terms, at least, this makes for the most capable interchangeable lens camera movie capability aside from the GH2 (which offers 1080i at 60fps from 60p capture). On the photographic side it inherits the G2′s ability to shoot at 2.6 fps while maintaining live view, along with its ISO 6400 maximum sensitivity, improved Auto ISO program and a dedicated iAuto button on the top plate. Meanwhile 3D fans will undoubtedly be delighted by its support for the new H-FT012 lens.
Much of the key spec, though, remains unchanged, including the stalwart (i.e. ageing) 12Mp Four Thirds sensor and the 460k dot 3″ 3:2 aspect ratio LCD. The hot shoe and associated EVF port is still present and correct, alongside the little pop-up flash, and thankfully Panasonic hasn’t been tempted to discard the clickable thumbwheel that operates the primary exposure controls. However the pared-down body design inevitably means the camera is powered by a new, slightly smaller battery.
One slightly unexpected marketing change is that the GF2 will not be bundled with the 20mm F1.7 pancake lens, but instead come with a choice of either the latest 14-42mm zoom, the diminutive 14mm F2.5 pancake, or in a twin lens kit with both. We’re a bit mystified by this decision, to be honest – yes the 14mm gives the smallest possible package, but as far as we’re concerned the stop-faster 20mm is a much more useful all-rounder. The GF2 will be available in a choice of colors depending on market (out of black, red, silver, white and pink), and for buyers of the red and black versions the 14mm lens will come with a black (as opposed to steel grey) barrel.
Compared to the competition
The trimming-down exercise Panasonic has applied to the GF2 means that it’s now one of the smallest cameras in its class. Here it is with the 14mm F2.5 lens sitting between two of its direct competitors each kitted out with their respective wideangle pancakes, the Sony NEX-5 + 16mm F2.8 and Samsung NX100 + 20mm F2.8 (the latter is much the same size as the GF1 and the Olympus E-PL1).
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| The GF2 is now one of the smallest cameras of its type, although it’s still not as tiny as the NEX-5 despite having a smaller sensor than the Sony’s APS-C chip. The key difference is in the body height, though, which reflects the GF2′s hot shoe and built-in flash: features which are missing on the NEX. |
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| Viewed from the top, the GF2 / 14mm F2.5 combo becomes, by a whisker, the slimmest of the three. |
Compared to DMC-GF1
The GF2 is, unusually for Panasonic’s recent releases, substantially different in design from its predecessor. Here it is sporting the 14mm F2.5 pancake alongside the GF1 wearing the 20mm F1.7. The sleeker, simplified design is immediately apparent.
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| From the front, what’s most obvious is the reduced size of the GF2 – indeed it’s not so much bigger than the LX5 (click here for a comparison). The loss of the mode dial (replaced by a stereo microphone on the top plate),the remolded grip and the closer integration of the hot shoe into the overall design all adds up to a cleaner, less boxy look. |
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| Top-down, we can see that the GF2 is also somewhat slimmer the the GF1; Panasonic has succeeded in trimming about 4mm from the body depth. |
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| It’s at the rear, though, that the biggest changes lie. The wealth of buttons that adorned the GF1′s back has been simplified right down, and the restyled four-way controller gives a more ‘compact-like’ appearance. The blue tinge to the GF2′s LCD screen signifies a small, but potentially welcome change – the addition of an anti-reflective coating that should aid shooting in bright sunlight. |
GF2 vs GF1 – major changes
Here’s a brief summary of the major changes between the GF2 and GF1:
- Smaller and lighter body
- LCD screen now touch-sensitive, with added anti-reflective coating
- Fewer external controls (mode dial, drive mode lever, AEL and DOF preview buttons removed)
- Completely revamped, fully-customizable Quick Menu designed for touchscreen operation
- Built-in stereo microphone
- 1080i 60fps full HD video (from 25p sensor output)
- Continuous shooting at 2.6fps with Live View
- Increased maximum sensitivity (ISO 6400)
- iAuto button on top plate
- Variable ‘Peripheral Defocus’ control in iAuto mode, with live preview
- Full support for F-FT012 3D lens
- No remote release socket
- 2nd curtain sync and flash exposure compensation no longer available
- New smaller DMW-BLD10 battery with slightly lower capacity (7.3Wh vs 9 Wh)
Specifications compared
 Panasonic GF2  |
 Panasonic GF1 |
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| Sensor | • 4/3 type MOS (‘Live MOS sensor’) • 13.06 million total pixels • 12.1 million effective pixels • RGB (Primary) color filter array |
• 4/3 type MOS (‘Live MOS sensor’) • 13.06 million total pixels • 12.1 million effective pixels • RGB (Primary) color filter array |
| Sensitivity | ISO 100-6400 in 1/3EV steps | ISO 100-3200 in 1/3 EV steps |
| Movie mode | • AVCHD : 1920 x 1080i 60fps (Approx 17 or 13 Mbps) 1280 x 720p 60fps (Approx 17 or 13 Mbps) • Motion JPEG: • Stereo sound (with adjustable rec volume) |
• AVCHD Lite: 1280 x 720p 60 fps (Approx 17 or 9 Mbps) • Motion JPEG: • Mono sound |
| LCD monitor | • 3.0″ TFT LCD monitor • Touch sensitive • 460,000 dots • Approx 100% frame coverage |
• 3.0″ TFT LCD monitor • 460,000 dots • Approx 100% frame coverage |
| Microphone | • Built-in stereo | • Built-in mono |
| Remote release | • none | • Wired remote control DMW-RSL1 (optional) |
| Dimensions | 113 x 68 x 33 mm (4.4 x 2.7 x 1.3 in) |
119 x 71 x 36 mm (4.7 x 2.8 x 1.4 in) |
| Weight (body only, no card/battery) |
265 g (9.4 oz.) | 285 g (10 oz.) |
Photo Manipulations – Get Ready to Discover the New Shapes of a Human Body #Photography
Human imagination and creativity is never static; it is a dynamic process, during which an artist absorbs all the inspiration offered to him by the Universe in order to translate real world objects and phenomena into the visual images, using the universal language of art. However, this language is constantly evolving reflecting trends, aesthetic preferences, and technological innovations, specific to a particular time period. For example, today we can see a specific form of digital art, described as photo manipulation. So, we have decided to dedicate a separate Cruzine showcase to this novel form of art and present our readers with the selection of human body photo manipulations.
The pictures below offer a new glance at the human body. Of course, all the images are conceptual and surreal, but they do reveal the boundless capabilities of artist’s imagination and technical means for photo processing. These images are filled with the true beauty of a human body in combination with the mystique character of the surreal and conceptual art. These photo manipulation pictures seem to have something in common with the works of Salvador Dali – every image consists of a great number of elements, which may look illogical and irrational if treated separately, but once all the elements are put together into an integral composition – a fantastic world appears: unreal yet attractive, rich, colorful, and wise.
Classic and Bold Traditional Comic Illustrations For Your #Inspiration
These are all amazing. from the wild west to the mummy’s tomb, to the deeps of the sea, shades of excitement courage and curves, marvelous curves. I am talking about these superb and excellent piece of comic illustrations made by Rafael Gallur. The illustrations are bold and perhaps only for mature viewers but we are not here to share any adult or bad content. We are here to share and wanna recall your memory with these traditional, old style and classic comic illustrations for your inspiration.
Great resource of vector and graphic designing, The artist here is seriously entertaining us. The old and gold quote is really matter here and the design and graphics use is extraordinary and brilliant.
Interview With Graphic Designer and Digital Artist Pedro Ferreira #Inspiration
Pedro Ferreira was born in Porto, Portugal in 1974. In 1999 he graduated in Graphic Design, ESAD – College of Arts and Design and began working as a graphic designer in a design studio. In 2000 he entered the design department of Cifial company, and since then he worked as a designer, illustrator and more recently as a digital artist.
Some of his work has won international awards and was printed in magazines of Photoshop, photo manipulation and digital art.
GoPro HD HERO, probabilmente la migliore videocamera dedicata allo sport! (video)
Se siete amanti degli sport estremi e amate immortalare le vostre “imprese”, allora questo articolo può far per voi. Nonostante non si tratti di un prodotto rilasciato negli ultimi giorni, vogliamo lo stesso parlarvi di un dispositivo che – secondo noi – vale la pena di essere almeno citato.
GoPro HD Hero è infatti una videocamera digitale adatta a tutti coloro che non possono far a meno di registrare filmati anche nelle situazioni più estreme. Si tratta di un device veramente interessante poichè vanta specifiche di tutto rispetto che gli permettono di fare cose che molte altre “colleghe” si sognano!
Daily Inspirations no. 112 #Inspirations
Where do the creative ideas come from? After hundreds or even thousands of years this question still remains open: some people believe, an idea as well as its companion inspiration is nothing but an example of some divine influence; others persuade that this is just a random product of biological brain activity; there are also people, who believe that an idea can be “planted” into the mind of a human (think about ideological weapon, propaganda, or sophisticated marketing techniques for manipulating mass consciousness)… Well, though we are not going to manipulate anyone’s mind, we still cannot help trying to plant some creative ideas into the heads of our readers: through our daily showcases of inspiring photographs, illustrations, digital paintings, and other forms of modern design-related art we want to spread the idea of artistic approach to design and show that today anyone can contribute to the further development of design, either by creating some works or by sharing his personal opinion about a particular trend, movement, or creation.
Crazy illustrations by Denis Zilber #Inspiration
Amazing illustrations by Denis Zilber, a very talented artist from Ramat Gan (Israel). We will present here a selection of some of Denis’ work and we really recommend you to check out his portfolio and his blog for further artworks and info. I hope you like the selection.
BMW Connected hitting 1 Series cars first, lets you tweet your disregard for speed limits
The BMW Connected app has been available for a few months now, following in the footsteps of Mini Connected as it sits there, and taunting you from the App Store. We knew cars supporting the feature would be coming in March, and now we know which ones will be first: BMW’s svelte little 1 Series. To enable the streaming radio and even streaming video (when the car is stationary) on the dash-mounted display you’ll need to tick the box next to a €150 (about $205) option. In your suitably equipped car you can then get your Facebook and Twitter feeds read to you and even provide automated responses using “vehicle information such as current speed, outside temperature or navigation destination.” We’re hoping the car can apply some flowery language to such hard data, like “bat out of hell” for those particularly warm days in which you’re driving at a high rate of speed from an unpleasant point of origin.
Get Inspired #058 #Inspiration
Here is another amazing selection of designs for your inspiration, enjoy!
Get Inspired #057 #Inspiration
Here is another amazing selection of designs for your inspiration, enjoy!
Get Inspired #056 #Inspiration
Here is another amazing selection of designs for your inspiration, enjoy!
Get Inspired #054 #Inspiration
Here is another amazing selection of designs for your inspiration, enjoy!
Character-Driven Narrative #Photography
These amazing photographs are taken by the photographer Ted Sabarese. His work has such rich creativity and execution. He shoots people. All kinds of people. For advertising, editorial and fine art projects. Check it out!
Awesome 3D Characters #Inspiration
From time to time we really need to updated you guys with the latest 3D works made by the awesome artists from CGSociety. It’s just amazing how creative and badass these pieces are, really worth taking a look.
These were made by various artists and I really recommend you to visit their portfolios by clicking the images. I hope you get inspired by these to make your own 3d pieces.
Antistatic E-3POD concept wins Citroen design award, job for its student creator
Who says dreaming doesn’t pay? A young designer by the name of Heikki Juvonen recently won himself a six-month job placement at Citroen’s PSA Design Centre in Paris after producing the most compelling response to the company’s Double Challenge set to students at London’s Royal College of Art. The premise was simple — put together an aesthetic for an ultra-compact urban vehicle that Citroen could call its own, and judging by the imagery above, we can all probably agree that Heikki achieved a very distinctive look with his E-3POD. We’re not yet certain how we feel about being inside the largest of the three wheels for the duration of our electrically powered journeys, but the young gent has half a year on his hands to tweak and refine his eye-catching design. We’ll be ready to test-drive the prototype as soon as Citroen becomes mad enough to build one.
