It’s not a secret that food photographers use plenty of tricks to make the food look more appetizing in photos and videos. And some of those are even pretty nasty, making the food inedible. But is it always like that? And do food photographers really use all those tricks for their shoots? In this video, food photographer Scott Choucino debunks some myths of those (in)famous food photography tricks we’ve all heard of....

Camera User Settings are not something new, but if you’ve never used them before you can save a nice chunk of time moving between different setups. User Settings are a group of pre-configured groups of settings (C1, C2, C3 on Canons, U1, U2 on Nikons) that you can activate with a click of a dial. Usually, those settings are found at the setting dial (the one with S, A, M, P) so you can move between them by rotating this dial....

I am a firm believer in the power of the tripod. Tripods let you do wonderful things. You can easily composite, take long exposures, do light painting, it is just an awesome tool. When it comes to video tripods are even more essential, at least if you want to take a static shot. But tripods don’t all match. And that would have been ok, only switching from one tripod to another is not as easy as it should be....

It’s not a secret that Instagram has been prioritizing Reels over photos for quite a while now. I’ve seen many creators and artists switching to TikTok-esque short-form videos, complaining that they feel like they need to do it if they want to keep their reach. As a recent report shows, it’s not merely a feeling. Social media marketing platform Later did a thorough analysis of Instagram content to compare the reach of traditional posts between 2019 and 2022....

Since the beginning of my photography career (perhaps life in general), I have been a huge proponent of seeing how much can be accomplished with minimal cash outlay. Sure, at times this has been because of major budget restrictions, but other times it was simply my way of staging a one-man rebellion against the swirling tide of consumerism…almost like gaming the system, as it were. Like I recently told Udi Tirosh, founder of DIYPhotography, “You inspired me early in my career, and now I have become an insatiable monster of your own creation....

The Rode NTG5 short shotgun broadcast microphone came with a lot of interest and intrigue. The biggest question being “What’s with the holes?”. The NTG5 has an all-new design over Rode’s previous shotgun microphones, which Rode says helps to produce a more natural true-to-life sound. We put the NTG5 to the test to see how that claim holds up. Unboxing and first impressions The NTG5 comes as a “Location Recording Kit” which includes both the PG2-R pistol grip and the WS10 deadcat....

Rode has announced a follow up to their popular Rode Wireless GO microphone system. Not surprisingly, it’s called the Rode Wireless GO II and it offers a number of significant improvements over the original, including over 24 hours of on-board recording, improved range and a new USB audio interface that lets you plug it into computers, tablets and smartphones It comes in the same pocket-sized form factor but comes with an extra transmitter in the pack, as the new Wireless GO II supports dual channels for transmitting a pair of microphones to a single receiver....

Its release is very likely a few months off, but Canon’s upcoming 5D Mark IV is already getting a more definitive specs list. Sent in to Canon Rumors from a reliable tipster, the successor to Canon’s 5D Mark III camera looks to be quite the improvement with improved specs and details across the board. According to the unknown source, the Canon 5D Mark IV will have a 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor driven by a single DIGIC 7+ imaging processor....

Well, if this ain’t just the weirdest thing I’ve heard this year. Apparently, Samsung is teaming up with Olympus (?!?) to collaborate on the smartphone modules for future Samsung smartphone, possibly including the Fold 3. At least, according to “tipster” heyitsyogesh on Twitter and “confirmed” by Ice Universe on Weibo. The general idea doesn’t seem that crazy. After all, we’ve seen smartphone manufacturers team up with Leica, Hasselblad and Zeiss....

A couple of sites are calling this the “World’s largest SSD“, because that’s what Samsung are claiming. But, it is a little inaccurate (sort of), seeing as Seagate showed off their 60TB 3.5″ SSD in late summer 2016. But, this is the largest SSD with a 2.5″ form factor. Coming in at 30.72TB total capacity that’s a whole lot of space and a whole lot of speed. And while Seagate’s 60TB drive may be bigger, it seems it was more of a proof of concept that never actually went on sale....

Smartphone cameras are getting better and better, offering a range of features we could only dream of ten years ago. But despite high functionality and advanced features, one “problem” still persists: the aesthetics. The lenses are still relatively thick, creating s-called “camera bumps.” But scientists from the University of Utah have developed a new type of optical lens to solve this problem. This new type of lens is a thousand times thinner than a regular lens, and a hundred times lighter....

Russian film studio Scandinava makes insane effects that will make you think are CGI – but they’re actually all real. Using practical VFX, a robotic arm, miniature models and other gear, these artists make the real objects look like they were animated. Check out how they do it in the video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzTUFBUNKyU&feature=youtu.be Scandinava team uses a Kuka robotic arm to provide them with speed and accuracy while shooting. They use real materials to film live action and make it look like CGI....

Teeny tiny micro-sized nano-optics cameras are a relatively new development and it’s been very exciting to follow. They just keep getting smaller and better. Now, researchers at Princeton University and the University of Washington have managed to create a fully functional camera that’s as small as a grain of salt. A large grain of salt, but still, that’s mighty impressive. The “size of a grain of salt” thing has been used before, back in 2016, with respect to the lens, and array of which was placed onto a high resolution CMOS sensor....

Before the proliferation of speedlights and portable strobes over the last few years, people always asked me why I’d take flash out in the daytime. It was often difficult to formulate an answer that they’d accept. They never really “got it” unless I took them on a shoot with me so they could see first hand. This video from photographer Manny Ortiz embodies the answer in my head, though. Essentially it’s about having options....

I’m not really a big astrophotographer, the skies are just too bright around here most of the time. I’ve dabbled with it here and there, but never anything serious. Recently, though, I’ve found myself in possession of the Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens (review coming soon). With a lens this wide (field of view) and this wide (aperture), it was made for astrophotography. So I’ve been experimenting again. So, this video from YouTuber Josh Katz has come along at just the right time for me....

Risking to sound cheesy and cliché, I must say: I couldn’t live without music. It adds flavor to my everyday life and a soundtrack to most of my memories. When I go to a concert, it’s the best night out I can imagine. But, concerts in the 21st century come with a phenomenon I rant about whenever I can: smartphones. Every time I go to a concert, I feel like I’m the last of the Mohicans: someone who has come to a concert to enjoy the music, sing along, dance, cry, laugh, and clap my hands until my palms are numb....

Sigma was expected to make some big announcements during the cancelled CP+ event last month. Initially, it was suspected that it might be the company’s long-awaited L mount Foveon camera, but those hopes were soon dashed. Sigma hasn’t forgotten about their Bayer sensor L mount camera, though, the Sigma fp. A new Version 2.00 firmware update for the Sigma fp has been announced and will be released at some point during “summer 2020” (they haven’t gotten any more specific than this yet)....

If you’ve been thinking about pre-ordering a Panasonic S1 or S1R mirrorless camera but were worried about lens options, then worry no more. Sigma has today announced that 11 of their Art series prime lenses are coming to L mount, along with a pair of new MC-21 adapters allowing you to mount your Canon EF and Sigma SA mount lenses onto Sigma, Panasonic and Leica L mount bodies. Sigma MC-21 – Canon EF to L / Sigma SA to L First up, the Sigma MC-21....

It’s no surprise that smartphone cameras haven’t become the “DSLR killers” that some suggested they might. Instead, the opposite seems to have happened. Smartphones are fuelling the sales of DSLRs, at least according to the Hindustan Times. There’s little doubt that smartphones have usurped compact cameras as the “gateway drug” to photography. Many people I know, photographers or not, have completely ditched their compacts in favour of the phone they always have with them....

I’m not even 18 years old and I’m so far away from my parents. It’s the first time that I’ve gone this far. I’m two-thousand kilometres away from home, in Barcelona. I’m wandering the streets with a couple of friends, unable to concentrate on them and our conversation because I’m completely enchanted by everything I see. It feels like this huge, beautiful city is hugging me, while I smile at everyone and everything: people, buildings, trees, and cars....