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Trends and Predictions for 2017

One of the key things that we feature in our anniversary issue every year are the upcoming Trends and Predictions when it comes to technology, photography and products in the coming year. And the best part is that we are able to predict them accurately as opposed to many others. So these are the things that we feel will become big in the coming years. 
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Bhavya Desai 
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Film

While I have been speaking about the emergence of film in the past few years, 2017 probably might be one of the biggest years of its comeback in recent history. A few years back it was only a few photographers that would shoot on film and in most cases also develop it themselves. But in recent times small developing pigeon hole set-ups have also sprung up which are seeing more than their share of film. Not to mention that couple of mainline manufacturers have increased their sales and production of silver halide paper. So get ready for some film action.

Augmented and Virtual reality

While augmented and virtual reality is still at a nascent stage but going by what I saw at Photokina and CES in the past year, the year 2017 will establish a firmer footing. Imaging biggies like Nikon and Panasonic launched products in 2016 focussing on AR and VR technology. But largely it will be the content that will see the biggest change with the newer products supporting the visual experience around photography.

Technology

While the development of technology is inevitable, yet there are milestones achieved which change the manner in which an industry moves. Take for instance the launch of the first iPhone. Sure there were touch phones prior to its launch, but it changed the trend of most phones featuring touchscreen in the next few years, and now practically 90% or more phones are touch screen.

I don’t think that when it comes to imaging there will be a milestone achieved in the year 2017, but the launch of products like Hasselblad X1D and the Moto Mods are a few example about where the imaging companies and the technology in the industry might be heading. This might just be the beginning of the imaging industry starting to lock horns with the technology and its future. I see more companies coming to the fore in 2017 when it comes to playing with technology, and the true future of the same will be seen in the next few years, which is when I expect a milestone breakthrough.

360 Degree Photography

While 360-degree photography in some ways is already to the fore and the content has started trickling in, I feel that in 2017 this will one of the biggest trends when it comes to content. You can already see video content with the 360 experience on platforms which is changing the way we experience content. And the true potential of that content is what I expect to gather force in the year 2017. In fact when it comes to content I think this will be one of the biggest trends of the year.

Flash Photography

When it comes to trends in shooting images then flash is going to be a big trend in the coming year. While it has been around for the longest time, earlier the efforts were made to reduce its impact to merge it into natural light. But in the year 2017 flash will be more in your face instead of taking a back seat in those shoots. Be it fashion, portrait, candid or commercial, the trend in the industry will be to make it loud and in your face. 

Photos taken in the moment

For most who might understand the sub-head might think that this is nothing but candid photography. While that might be marginally true, the year 2017 will be all about ‘being natural’. It means that pictures will be shot in the moment, capturing the action in its natural form. Yes, I did predict about candid being one of the trends in 2016 and in wedding photography it was one of the trends that swooped the industry. 

But there is a fine line between the pics shot in a natural environment and candid. Ideally candid is a genre where the subject isn’t aware of the photographer. But for natural environment, the subjects are aware of the photographer’s presence yet continue their journey. 

Social Media/POV and Perspective photography

There is no denying that fact that social media has impacted our life in many ways. And the year of 2017 will see a phenomenal rise in the manner in which pictures are shot, both professionally and personally. Naturally in some places selfies have been banned because of its nuisance value to many, but there will be a new trend that I predict that will come up in 2017, which is point-of-view photography (POV). 

Not that consumers today aren’t shooting these things. But there is stark difference between the regular pics and the ones that are shot and uploaded on social media. In many ways its for social approval and bravado. And I feel that is the style that will be a big trend in the coming year. Another big trend will be perspective photography, much like what we see on Snapchat these days where people often provide their personal take or experience to an event/occasion. 

Better technology in smartphone cameras

While this isn’t something that is going to take much predicting, it’s natural that smartphones launched in 2017 will feature better cameras. But I feel that the technology featured in smartphones cameras will get a lot better, especially since manufacturers don’t have much space to play with (literally). So while they might get feature packed, we can expect new breakthroughs in this industry for sure.        

PureNight filter cuts out light pollution for better night sky photo

Light pollution is something that every nature photographer has faced at one point in his or her life. This is an issue that requires post-processing to correct and usually is a burden for most photographers. This is where PureNight comes into play. PureNight is a glass light pollution reduction filter designed by Lonely Speck. Made of a special didymium glass, PureNight reduces the transmission of light from sodium vapor lamps, one of the most prevalent sources of light pollution on our planet. Resulting images will have truer colors and improved contrast when compared to images influenced by light pollution. This is something that astrophotographers can look forward to, if they want to save time and energy in editing images. PureNight has also,in their website published some sample images that display the amazing capabilities of the simple yet useful filter. 


According to PureNight, “These photos, as with the first samples, were exported directly from RAW with no edits other than a brightness equalisation with a 0.7EV push on the PureNight shots to compensate for the reduced brightness of the light pollution. We expect the final versions of PureNight to show roughly -0.3EV to -1EV of reduction in brightness, depending on the conditions.”

The filter requires a square filter system as the PureNight is made to fit into the popular square filter systems including: Cokin P (85mm), Lee 100mm (4-inch), and Formatt-Hitech. The PureNight filter will be available in two different sizes –  85mm and 100mm filter holders (sold separately).”Each PureNight filter is custom made to our specifications. Grinding, polishing, optical coating, engraving and packaging are all things that we need to be able to order in a large enough quantity to make PureNight reasonably affordable.” Says their crowdfunding website. The filter will be available in two sizes – 85mm for $219 (Early Bird Pricing) and 100mm square filter — $239 (Early Bird Pricing). 

Pirelli unveils its 2017 calendar shot by Peter Lindbergh

The 2017 Pirelli Calendar, created by one of the world’s top photographers, Peter Lindbergh, was presented in Paris recently. The 2017 edition, which follows on from the one by Annie Leibovitz in 2016, sees the German master become the only photographer to have been asked to produce the Pirelli Calendar for the third time. It was Peter who shot the Calendar of 1996 in the El Mirage desert in California, and the one of 2002 at the studios of Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles. In 2014, it was again Lindbergh, together with Patrick Demarchelier, who took the photographs to celebrate 50 years of the Calendar, which was first launched in 1964.
Taking into account some gaps in its publication, the Pirelli Calendar has now reached its forty-fourth edition.
The photographer explains the underlying theme of the 2017 Pirelli Calendar, “In a time when women are represented in the media and everywhere else, as ambassadors of perfection and youth, I thought it was important to remind everyone that there is a different beauty, more real and truthful and not manipulated by commercial or any other interests, a beauty which speaks about individuality, courage to be yourself and your own private sensibility…”.
Lindbergh has chosen the title “Emotional” in order to emphasise how the idea behind his photos was “to create a calendar not around perfect bodies, but on sensitivity and emotion, stripping down to the very soul of the sitters, who thus become more nude than naked.”
In order to convey his idea of natural beauty and femininity, Lindbergh has portrayed 14 internationally renowned actresses. They are Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, Helen Mirren, Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlotte Rampling, Lea Seydoux, Uma Thurman, Alicia Vikander, Kate Winslet, Robin Wright and Zhang Ziyi. He has also included Anastasia Ignatova, professor of Political Theory at MGIMO – Moscow State University of International Relations. These choices once again reveal Lindbergh’s love of the cinema which makes the Cité du Cinéma in Saint Denis, one of Europe’s most important film studios, the natural setting for the traditional gala dinner where the new calendar has been presented.
“My aim was to portray women in a different way”, says Lindbergh, “and I did it by calling in actresses who’ve played an important role in my life, getting as close as possible to them to take my photos. As an artist, I feel I’m responsible for freeing women from the idea of eternal youth and perfection. The ideal of perfect beauty promoted by society is something that simply can’t be attained.”
The photos were taken between May and June of this year in five different locations: Berlin, Los Angeles, New York, London and the beach at Le Touquet in France. The result is a calendar consisting of 40 images – with portraits and environments – made not just in the studio, but also in a number of city corners and open-air sets. We thus see the streets, fast food joints and run-down hotels in downtown Los Angeles, along with Times Square in New York, the Sophiensaele theatre in Berlin, attic roofs in New York and London and the beach at Le Touquet.

Sony launches ɑ99 II, a new flagship ɑ A-mount interchangeable lens camera

Expanding its ɑ A-mount interchangeable lens camera line, Sony India has launched a new flagship, the a99 II. A successor to the acclaimed ɑ99, the new a99 II which is said to combine the best of Sony’s latest digital imaging innovations including a new Hybrid Phase Detection AF system with exclusive Sony A-mount features such as Translucent Mirror Technology (TMT). 

According to Sony, ɑ99 II has been redesigned to allow for high resolution and continuous shooting at high frame rates. A new front-end LSI works with the image sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine, as well as a newly designed shutter unit, to enable continuous shooting at up to 12fps with AF/AE tracking, all whilst harnessing the sensor’s 42.4MP capabilities. 

They informed that the improvements to the EVF display algorithm now deliver continuous live-view shooting at up to 8 fps with AF/AE tracking with minimal display lag so that the viewing experience is essentially no different from that of an optical viewfinder. Exposure, white balance and other camera settings are displayed in real time in the viewfinder and continuous live view shooting can be set in 3 stages to match a variety of subjects: 8 fps, 6 fps and 4 fps. The back-illuminated full-frame 42.4MP Exmor R CMOS sensor has  a gapless-on-chip design and is said to allow for fast readout of large volumes of data, as well as being extremely efficient in its light gathering ability. The ɑ99 II does not have an optical low-pass filter, and has an ISO range of 100-25600, expandable to ISO 50 – 102,400.

The newly developed Phase Detection AF System is capable of ‘full-time AF’ and is the first implementation of 4D FOCUS in the full-frame ɑ series, which is said to bring a new level of AF performance to ɑ99 II users. The Hybrid Phase Detection AF System is enabled by combining a 79-point dedicated phase detection AF sensor with 399 focal plane phase detection AF points to produce a 79 hybrid cross AF point array. In addition, as there is no moving mirror, TMT enables continuous AF operation and the finder image remains unaffected during any type of shooting, including live view and movie recording. After featuring it in the ɑ7 II series of cameras, Sony has designed a new in-body 5 axis image stabilisation system for A-mount cameras which debuts for the first time in the ɑ99 II.

The ɑ99 II enables internal 4K movie recording featuring full pixel readout, without pixel binning, for ultimate high resolution video in the pro friendly XAVC-S format.  It is capable of recording high quality footage at 100Mbps for 4K recording. 

The newly launched ɑ99 II will be available in select Sony Center, Alpha flagship stores and major electronic stores across India, and will cost Rs 249,990/-
 

Fire up your creativity

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There is more to being a photographer than simply being able to handle the camera. One of the important factors required includes creativity. Being a photographer, it is important that you always think creatively. But the flow of creativity might sometimes become weak or altogether stagnant. In such times, you need to fire up your creativity in any way possible. In this article we will list some of the ways that you can light a spark to your creativity that might be rusting. We will list out some project ideas that you can undertake. 

Restrictions 


Do a project or shoot by creating random restrictions to your shooting. Some of these limits can include using only a prime lens, shooting images with negative space, ensuring there are no people or structures in the frame, using only manual mode, shooting only b/w, over or underexposing your images, spot meter only etc. You can make these rules up. Once you start shooting with a restriction, you will realise how it is not the easiest task. However, it will force you to think creatively and improve your photography. 

Shoot with a film camera 
Go back to the roots and grab a film camera and shoot a roll of film. When you start shooting with a film camera, you will realise that unlike the DSLR, you cannot simply fire the camera and click endless shots. The film camera will have a limit of images, so you will be forced to carefully analyse your shots before shooting. You will have to think of composition, camera settings, light etc. This exercise is definitely a great way to get you to think before shooting. Once you get the film processed, you will get the actual prints of your photos, and you can accordingly critique the shots. 

Shoot 10 images of a small subject 


Select one specific subject and then give yourself a number, it could be 5, 10 or 15, and shoot these many images of that same subject. This exercise will make you think about the various different ways that you could capture the same subject. Make you think of composition, angles, lighting etc. However, make sure that the small subject does not mean your whole city! 

Shoot elements in same location 


Think of different photographic elements like shape, form, pattern, texture, light, shadow, depth etc, and then go to a specific location and try to capture images that would feature these images. This little exercise will increase your observational skill, and make you think of different creative ways of shooting. 

Capture the alphabets 
This exercise is a tricky one, and there are two ways that you could do it. Go out and shoot the 26 letters from A-Z. While you can either go shoot images of things that would appear like the alphabet (for example a round manhole for the letter ‘O’, or else you can go and shoot objects or actions that start with that alphabet. If you are doing the first task, then do not shoot actual letters out there, and if you’re doing the second task, make sure you shoot images which clearly depict the action. 

Single theme 
This would probably be an easy project, but nevertheless can be very creatively fulfilling. Give yourself a single theme or a topic. This can be anything, from colourful window panes or vintage cars to street cats or babies. You are free to choose any theme you like and then you can go out and find these subjects and shoot them in an interesting way possible. You will start relating to the subject and discover much more about it. 

A day in the life 


One of our favourite photography projects to undertake is this one. Find an interesting subject; this can be a policemen, your local tea-seller, the gardener, or simply your grandmother, and then accompany them around the entire day shoot them the entire day. Your images should capture the essence of the person’s day, and give the viewer a humanistic in-depth look into the person and their daily-life. 

Middle of the day 


One of most common excuses photographers give to not go out and shoot is “it’s the middle of the day, there’s bad lighting”. With this exercise you will be forced to step out in the middle of the day in “bad lighting” and shoot images. For a week or a month, everyday, go out in the afternoon, and shoot. At the end of this exercise you will realise that you have actually learned how to click images in such lighting conditions. 

Same subject, different times of the day 


Another very creatively fulfilling exercise, shooting the same subject at different times of the day is a great exercise in lighting. The easiest way to do this is to select landmarks, or historical buildings in your city, and then shoot them at different times of the day. You can then compare the different images, and you will see how light affects subjects, and how you can tackle it using different settings. 

Self portrait 
While today selfies are very common, these are not necessarily self-portraits. Shooting a self-portrait will involve a lot of thought and planning. While you can simply put the camera on a tripod on a timer and capture yourself, that would be too easy to do. Plan a self-portrait that tells a story. A self-portrait that speaks about who you are, gives an essence of your personality.

Tips for Shooting Music Concert

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Photographing live music concerts can be very exciting. While it looks exciting, it is one of the most challenging fields in photography. Imagine your favourite artist is performing in front of you and you get the chance to click his or her photographs. However, with uncontrolled environment, uncontrolled lighting that is constantly changing. On top of that, there are hundreds and thousands of people who paid money to enjoy the event and they are not at all bothered that they are coming in your frame. Also, what equipments do you needs to shoot the music concert? In this article we are giving some basic tips on how to shoot your first music concert, and what camera settings and equipment you require to get the desired result. 

Getting started


The ideal way to get started into music concert photography is to begin with shooting in small clubs because in such venues you can easily get access to shoot the photographs without any press identity proof. So that’s why these are the best locations to experiment with your camera settings and getting used to being in front of the stage. If you have some of your friends who play in a band, you can ask them for their photo shoot to be done by you. Of course they would be more than happy to have pictures of their concerts. But the problems with such venues are the lack of light on stage. So the musicians look so horrible in such light. And because of such low light it is very difficult to get the sharp photos. So what will be the solution for this? 

Buy a fast and cheap prime lens 


Fast and prime lenses are the ideal solution for the above mentioned problem. In low light situation to get the sharper shots, using the fast and prime lens is the only solution unless your camera can support the higher ISO sensitivity without giving much noise. But as a beginner we would recommend you the 50mm F/1.8 prime lens because of its ability to shoot in low light at its lowest aperture. You can also use flash in low light situation but using direct flash can ruin the effect. 

Getting the correct exposure 


One of the major things in photography is getting the correct exposure by measuring the amount of light. And during the live music concerts there are several sets of repetitive light. You should keep in mind the correct parameters for the different lights. You should always check your histogram and check for the overexposed points to ensure that your main subject is exposed properly. One of the worst things is to get back home with a picture that looks good on your camera screen but on your computer it looks overexposed or underexposed. So we recommend you to shoot in Raw so that you can compensate for the exposure if necessary. 

Get the best results out from ISO 


Increasing the ISO can cause noise, but it is better to take a bit noisy photos sometimes than missing the action totally or taking blurry photos. You can also reduce the noise later with some image editing software. Converting photo into black and white can be a better option for noisy photos. 

Choose the ideal settings and shooting mode 


Choosing the right shooting mode depends on every individual, so you can choose whatever fits to your style. But still shooting on aperture priority mode (AV) and keeping the aperture value as low as possible (ex. F/1.8 or F/2.8 depending on your lens) will be ideal and fast. Some people also shoot in manual mode. Shoot on burst mode so that you will get variety of action shots rather than shooting on single shot. Also keep your metering mode on spot metering because the stage lighting always keeps changing and you will never know if the light will hit the artist’s face in the next second or not. Keep extra empty memory cards with you always. 

Get creative with spotlights and silhouettes 


Sometimes when it’s too dark and you are so far from the stage and you can’t use the flash also from that distance, in such situation you can wait for the spotlight to fall on the artist. You might get very interesting results with those dark images that are lit just by the spotlight. It is actually looks better than the frame where everything is lit. Also when there is lighting changing rapidly in a usually dark place, we will recommend you to try for shooting silhouettes. Choose the silhouette that is very clear so that viewer can see and understand what the subject in the frame is even if it’s without light. These kinds of photos you can shoot when there is no light on subject and the only lights are the ones behind the band or the subject. 

Composition 


Now that we have discussed all the technical issues to photograph a concert, we must not forget to discuss the composition as well. In concerts, it is not likely that every photo will be technically perfect, but you should capture the story and a good interesting composition. Sometimes it could be just a close up of an artist’s facial expression, or just the guitar, or sometimes whole band. It all depends on your artistic vision and equipment constraints. 

Conclusion 
Concert photography is fun and exciting though it is not easy at all. The key to success is a lot of practice before you go to shoot a big concert. Try various tricks to help you if you cannot take a sharp photo at first. It can be hard to look around during the concert, but keep your eyes always open and camera ready.

The wait is over: Canon has officially announced the long-awaited EOS 5D Mark IV

The wait is finally over, as Canon today announced the highly-anticipated EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera, the next generation of the popular 5D series of Canon professional DSLR cameras. Building on its celebrated legacy, the EOS 5D Mark IV is set to propel the series forward with features and enhancements targeted to please even the most discerning creative eyes.  The new power-packed camera features a 30.4 megapixel Dual Pixel Canon CMOS sensor, with the DIGIC 6+ Image Processor, delivering 4K 30P video and up to seven frames per second (fps) continuous shooting. 



Earlier this month, we had a chance to meet the Canon team to get an exclusive hands-on with a prototype of the new camera. The Canon team informed us that the new 30.4 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor in the camera allows for versatile shooting in nearly any light, with ISO range 100–32,000; expandable up to 50–102,400. The camera features 4K Motion JPEG video (DCI cinema-type 4096 x 2160) at 30p or 24p; in-camera still frame grab of 4K 8.8-Megapixel images; the multiple video options include Full HD up to 60p, and HD up to 120p.



They informed that the Dual Pixel CMOS AF facilitates for responsive and smooth AF during video or Live View shooting; LCD monitor has full touch-screen interface, including selection of AF area. The AF area has 61 AF points, and 41 cross-points. The AF area has also been extended, with Block at center Approx. 8.6％ vertically extended, and 24% vertically on side blocks. The camera also features the new Dual Pixel RAW format (a special version of RAW image data that contains Dual Pixel information sent from picture elements (pixels). If the image-recording quality mode is set to DPRAW, this new data format supports development of the photo through the Digital Photo Professional application), in-camera Digital Lens Optimizer during JPEG shooting and Diffraction Correction technologies. There is also inbuilt WiFi and NFC for sharing of images to compatible devices or social media sites.



“Canon’s EOS 5D series of DSLR cameras has a history of being at the forefront of still and video innovation. And today, we add to this family of cameras the EOS 5D Mark IV– the first in our 5D series to offer 4K video and built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A.. “In developing this new DSLR camera, we listened to the requests of current EOS users to create for them a modern, versatile camera designed to help them create and share beautiful still and video imagery.”

The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR is currently scheduled to be available in early September 2016 for an estimated retail price of $3,499.00 for the body only. It will also be sold as part of body-and-lens kits with the EF24-70mm f/4L lens ($4,399.00, scheduled to be available early September)  and the EF24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens ($4,599.00, scheduled to be available late October) .

In addition, Canon is also introducing two new L-series EF lenses – the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Standard Zoom Lens, with the former scheduled to be available late in October for an estimated retail price of $2,199.00, and the later scheduled to be available in late October for an estimated retail price of $1,099.00.

Canon aims to boost women employee numbers from a present 12% to 20% by 2018

Canon takes forward their legacy of commitment to the country with dedicated efforts to boost women employee, nurture them and help them grow within the system and the company reports state that they aim to boost women employee numbers from a present 12% to 20% by 2018. With strong professional and social ethos, Canon proactively indulges in policies and activities that ensure a safe, secure and inspirational workspace for women.
 
According to Canon, with dedicated efforts to support performance management, employee-management relations and resource planning, Canon HR policies offer an array of solutions. One such unique initiative, ‘Ladies Power Lunch with CEO’ is a platform where women employees are provided an opportunity to interact with the CEO of the company. Under its HR practice, women employees of Canon are motivated to engage and evolve through various company activities. One such campaign is ‘Women Empowerment’ where women from various Canon offices go to the adopted villages under their flagship initiative ‘Adopt a Village’ to interact with women and girls of the villages. Canon employees educate the village females about topics like personal hygiene, significance of sanitation, ways to judge people and situations and most importantly self-defence and safety.
 
The company also reported that to celebrate the spirit of womanhood, Canon India has planned an array of activities to acknowledge and respect the efforts of its women employees. March 8, 2016, International Woman’s Day will welcome women colleagues in the company with a motivational program in which a special session only for women employees will be conducted by a motivational speaker and a Life Coach. During the course of this program, Canon’s women employees will be encouraged to develop a positive attitude towards life. In this two hour long session, they will get the opportunity to interact with the speaker to understand and explore the methods to strike a work-life balance.
 
The company also stated in their reports that on March 13th, photography workshops will be organised across the country. The first leg will witness workshops at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, The Chancery Pavilion in Bangalore, Holiday Inn in Mumbai and The Park in Kolkata. Highlighting Canon’s commitment towards making technology accessible, particularly to women. 
 
According to Canon, comfort, security, equality, work life balance and evolvement are key aspects of Canon’s HR policies for women. Comfortable work hours, flexible timings for new mothers, transport facility for all employees, relaxed leave policies and much more stand testimony to Canon India’s efforts to promote a culture of growth and gender equality. Reportedly Canon also organizes special workshops like wellness workshop and self –defence training for is female employees on regular basis which helps them to optimize personal well-being to learn effective techniques to counter any form of abuse.The women at Canon are considered pillars of power, who enable the brand to achieve its market position. With the vision to offer the most gratifying yet productive and dynamic environment, Canon continues to support the emergence and success of women power.