Along with today’s release of the Sony A9 firmware v5.0, Sony as also released a pair of mobile apps. Sony Imaging Edge Mobile now replaces the somewhat terrible PlayMemories app, and there’s a new Transfer & Tagging add-on for it which enables continuous FTP transfers in the background (for the Sony A9) which they claim doesn’t affect continuous camera use. The background transfer currently only seems to apply to the Sony A9, thanks to the new v5....

Luminosity masks are one of the most powerful tools available in photo editing software. But they can be a pain to create manually, and while you can create actions to make a set for you, sometimes you need a little more control and accuracy. That’s where Infinite Tools’ new Infinite Luma panel comes into play to help you create luminosity masks with ease. You get a lot of control over exactly which brightness range you’re targeting and exactly what you want to do with that range – Do you want to create a selection?...

In an accidental update today, a feature Instagram was testing made it out into the wild, and the Internet sure responded. In the space of 15 minutes, I must’ve counted 20 posts going up my Facebook feed from people wondering what the hell was up with Instagram, with a horizontal “tap-to-view” feed. Now, Instagram boss, Adam Mosseri says it was just a small test that “went broad by accident”. Looking at the feedback online, I think they’ll likely decide their test has run its course and failed....

Could this be the latest death knell for Instagram for still photographers? The social media giant Meta is reportedly testing a new feature of Instagram that makes users’ feeds full screen, in a bid to compete more directly with rival TikTok. Its desire is to “bring video more front and centre” on the platform, however, in doing so, it makes video even more of a central feature over that of its traditional still photos-based format....

A video of an Instagram model trying to shoot a video in a busy London Underground station has sparked an online debate about photo and video shoots in public places. The video shows the finished video for social media versus what it took to shoot it, with passers-by continually getting in the shot. The model is visibly getting more and more frustrated. Model and influencer Antonia Freya Lydia was trying to shoot a video of her wearing a black cocktail dress with the tube train rushing past in the background....

Earlier this year, Instagram announced that they were about to unroll a feature that would tell you how much time you spent on the app. It took six months, but the feature is finally being rolled out for the users worldwide. Back in May, the reports on Twitter appeared about the upcoming feature. Even Instagram’s former CEO Kevin Systrom confirmed that the time-tracking feature was in development, because “any time should be positive and intentional....

The parents of a young woman afflicted with a severe eating disorder are blaming Instagram in a lawsuit. Instead of blaming the content, however, they are targeting the accusations at the platform’s algorithms in an attempt to skirt around the Section 230 code. The lawsuit filed in California federal court alleges Instagram’s parent company Meta purposely crafted products to addict young users, steering one 11-year-old girl down a years-long path of physical and psychological harm....

If you’re a social media marketer, news that Instagram has finally been able to shut down Instagress, one of the most popular social media bots out there, is pretty big news. It’s no secret that the fastest way to grow a social media following is to simply follow and comment on other people’s posts – some of whom will then follow you back. I know several Instagram users who have been using Instagress for years, so in this article, I will share some thoughts on the effectiveness of Instagress and other social media bots, and tips for building an Instagram following the old fashioned way....

Irix has today officially announced their new 30mm T1.5 cine lens for Canon EF, Sony E, Arri PL, Micro Four Thirds, Canon RF, Leica L and Nikon Z mounts. Oh yeah, they’ve gone all out on the compatibility with this one. This brings the total Irix cine lens collection up to five, including the 11mm T4.3, 15mm T2.6, 45mm T1.5 and 150mm T3 macro. Irix says that the lens is designed specifically for shooting with Ultra HD 8K cinema cameras and includes three extra-low dispersion elements, 2 high reflective elements and one aspherical element....

We recently published the account of Internet “entrepreneur” Dan DaSilva who was successfully sued for $27,000 (plus $10,000 in court fees) by a photographer over copyright infringement (click here for the original article: Internet “Entrepreneur” Shocked that Copyright Owner Sued Him for Stealing their Work). While most were quick to jump on Dan in a pretty negative group pile-on, one of the more interesting allegations that Dan makes is that he is really the victim of copyright trolling....

“Done is better than perfect.” When you have a task, get it done as good as you can, learn from the process, and move on with something new. In one of his videos, Peter McKinnon talks about this approach when working on photography projects. But is this approach wrong? In this video, Jamie Windsor discusses whether “done” is really better than “perfect.” Generally speaking, making that little extra effort is what separates good (or good enough) work from great work....

But there is more to meeting my needs as a professional photographer than just having cameras with the right features and an array of lenses. So here’s why I question Fujifilm’s X-System as meeting my professional needs: Before I bought my first X-Pro2 or made any commitment to the Fuji system, I called the Fuji service center and asked if they had a professional service program like the excellent ones from Sony and Canon....

The Dutch Angle. It’s one of those things you either love or you hate, and even when you are a fan, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between an intentional act and whether the creator simply forgot to level their tripod. It’s one of those things I’ve tended to avoid, having never really seen a purpose for it in my own work. This study from Fandor, however, takes us through some of Cinema’s best scenes ranging from 5 to a full 90 degrees, showing us the angles that we probably didn’t even notice until it was pointed out to us....

After a report that Google Pixel phones were getting Night Sight timelapse, now it’s official. In Pixel 4 and later phones, you can now automatically capture a night timelapse while shooting astrophotography. This feature arrives with a few more updates, so let’s dive in and see what’s new. Pixel 4 and 5 have had the Night Sight mode, dedicated particularly to astrophotography. Until now, you were able to only capture photos, but Pixel 4 and later phones can now capture a timelapse of the night, too....

Macro photography is some of the most fun you can have with a camera. But good macro lenses can be very expensive. There are other things we can do, however, to get macro-like images with our regular lenses, though, without actually having to buy a macro lens. There are close-up filters, reversing rings and extension tubes, for example. But the latter of those three options, extension tubes, is generally thought to give the best results....

Here is an interesting story. And I do wonder what the industry thinks about this. I guess there is a trend of celebrities taking on any job they want,simply becasue they are celebrities. It is not uncommon to have celebrities turning chefs, fashion designers, actors, singers and many (MANY) other jobs. Now, Kendall Jenner (wink, wink) has turned into a professional, already hired photographer. According to Yahoo news, a recent episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, featured Jenner asking Tyga and friends to pose for her, snapping their photos, not on a smartphone, but on a Nikon camera....

Kodak has reported its financial results for Q3 2019. They have announced that their film business has grown by 21% in the last quarter over the previous year. This looks very promising for Kodak’s future in film, although they report that overall profits are down, noting a $5 million loss on revenues of $315 million. Much of Kodak’s attention has been towards its offset printing technologies and a “strategic relationship” with HuaGuang Graphics Co, in China....

Last week, leaked images revealed the looks of the upcoming Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 lens. It’s rumored to be announced this week, but thanks to a leaked flyer, we have the specs ahead of the official announcement. The Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD is an “all-in-one” zoom lens. It covers a wide focal length range, and it also has decent close-up capabilities. At 28mm, the minimum object distance is 19cm (7....

You don’t have to be new to photography to be new to studio lighting. In this video, Jeff Rojas will help you learn some of the basics fast. He discusses five essential studio lighting patterns, and knowing them will help you improve and add versatility to your studio portraits. And the best thing is – you can achieve all of them using just one light. 1. Flat lighting With flat lighting, you get a very direct form of light with not much contrast and shadows....

We’ve seen some limited edition, incredibly expensive stuff Leica launched in collaboration with various artists. But the latest one is downright weird. Teaming up with MediCom Toy Inc., we now have a Leica Bearbrick teddy bear. Yeah, you read that right. What makes it even weirder is that the toy costs like an actual Leica camera, but there’s an important differece – it doesn’t take photos. Leica first teased the collaboration on Chinese social platform Weibo, as spotted by Leica Rumors....