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Insights of Photography
When I was beginning photography, B&W is like a shortcut of good photos. B&W photos has certain appeals that pleases all of us. It was like one of the “effect” that looks good, because when you choose between color effects in lightroom, iphone, or even in-camera color presets, lots of time proves switching to B&W instantly make the photo stylish. When i shoot more, I begin to deconstruct why B&W photos easily make many photos looks good: – photos with unexciting colors doesn’t reveal itself as bad as it…
This article should be quite unique as far as you can find on net. The Black magic Pocket cinema Camera (BMPCC) isn’t a still camera at all. If you google it with “still photography” related keywords, you gets nothing but a few people wondering if the idea of using it as still camera is possible, and no photos of such is found. . Of course, i bought BMPCC not because i want to use it as still camera either. Using BMPCC with a vintage lens and Film Convert Pro,…
多數人只會用Smartphone作『社交拍攝，生活分享』。怎樣才可以跳出這框框? 這是我暫時在這裡最用心寫的文章，希望可以與大家分享。(我這裡的相是不是正相我不敢說，但絕對是其中一種可能性。) 探索Smartphone攝影是因為它實在太方便了，這優勢使它別樹一格，用來探索攝影實在非常有效。 問題是智能手機解像度低，沒有光學變焦，景闊限了在30 多 mm (135 equivalent)，亦沒有淺景深散境 。例如，我們不能做典型的85/1.8人像拍攝 。而這些照片通常只適合留在小的智能手機屏幕觀看，一但換上較大顯示屏時，照片也會變得很糟糕。因此，我們需要一些特別的策略，也要分析這平台上觀眾和攝影師的心理層次。 首先，我們要了解照片的大小真的有所差異: 較小的照片尺寸意味著你有較小的空間做 Contrast of scale，例如你把一個小的人的放入構圖，smartphone上你不會看到他的臉。 手機屏幕上的小尺寸也意味著構圖會變得更加突出，所以必須注重構圖，但卻不能讓構圖複雜。也不要期望用 Texture & Detail 去做照片的重心。另外，手機也意味著從觀眾得到的Attention Time Span較短，所以會傾向、也能更自由地使用誇張的顏色 Filter Effect。 然後，我們要了解智能手機的優勢： 接近35mm是街攝的焦距。操作的快速輕便是另一個關鍵。Macro距離非常近。 這組合意味著什麼？你是否發現，使用智能手機可以很容易拍到任何事情，任何困難的角度?這就是智能手機的設計原意。這意味著我們可以比用”正常相機”更隨機並靈活地拍照。這跟『snapshot』這意念有密切關係! 『snapshot』的意義在於解放傳統拍攝手法的束縛，『看到了有趣的東西，便拍攝下來』，反正smartphone質素不好、畫面不會細緻。因此，我們不會花時間在技術調整，不會在乎鏡頭，焦距，光圈，快門，ISO。自然可以專注於Creativity。 『snapshot』也是自由和主觀的東西，所以我的Snapshot不會是你的Snapshot，這也是這種照片特別之處。例如我的snapshot相對抽象和Graphic 。 老實說，當我用這種心態用iPhone攝影久了，我發現我創造了不少獨特的照片。有趣的是，這些照片是我用正常相機不會想到的。 這對我有一個啟發：正常相機有時限制了我的想像力和創作力。(其實這不是”正常相機”的問題。而是它的手感和操作有時轉移了我們創作的焦點) 甚至有一些有名的攝影師是用 iphone 拍攝的。這證明了攝影中技術只是其次，內容和美學才是最重要的。當然，我也是相機及攝影技術發燒友 ( 例如我會買A7R來”聞相” XD)，但有時 技術上的限制，其實可以是一種創意的訓練。 其實『Snapshot』和 Lomography 的理念有異曲同工之妙。它們都是主張即興和隨性的拍攝。這說中了關於攝影的智慧 : 如果你能1) 捕捉住某一時刻(Capture the moment)，2)捕捉光線和色彩，3)做出漂亮甚至特別的視覺畫面， 所有其他的事情，比如分辨率，清晰度，甚至散境，已變得次要。 上述3個元素有一個，也可以是好照片，我的方法主要是使用第二第三個元素，這是我過去兩年iphone攝影的偏好。當然這只是其中一個方法。如果分析我的照片： 我傾向於把照片處理得非常平面、刻意用Framing減去透視、立體 、和輪廓去把事物變成抽象；尋找質感、尋找Pattern、尋找Geometric Shapes、尋找不尋常的並列、減去垃圾Element、尋找荒謬、把物件的其中一部分框出來、裁剪不同的特徵來誤導觀眾。同時，我極愛方型構圖！ 另一個密切相關的方法是『冥想攝影／Contemplative photography』。到網上搜尋一下，你會發現一些有關的文章和照片是關於『用新的角度去看東西』，我之前並不知道這個術語，也沒有參考任何其他人的作品，但我覺得這個概念跟我在做的東西有點類似。只是純粹從自己『心』和『眼』出發。 對於從『心』和『眼』出發，讓我們再討論『看到了有趣的東西，所以便拍攝下來』這句說話。聽起來很顯淺，但也可以是非常難做到。想深一層，當你拿著一部正常相機的時候，有多少次是你看到有趣的東西之前已經拿起相機找東西拍？而不是先看到了有趣的東西才拍攝？因為這是兩個完全不同的拍照方式，前者是較為積極主動的，但這個方式也有一個缺陷：就是通常拍到的照片只是因為想拍，是[手(焦距,光圈,快門,ISO)->眼->心(也許會忽略)->手(取景+焦距,光圈,快門,ISO)]，而不是因為看到美麗有趣東西的反應。相反，『snapshot』的主要思路是看到有趣的東西後才拿出你的相機來，從[眼-(比較專注)>心(比較專注)->手(取景+無野調校)]是一個連續和恰當的順序，因此，通常會有更多有意思的照片而減少垃圾照片的出現。而更重要的，是訓練我們的觀察力！就我而言，iPhone的『snapshot』培養了我眼光，因為要拍出優質的『snapshot』取決於你的『心』和『眼』。 畢竟排除所有技術方面的考慮後，攝影最重要還是你對周遭事物的感覺和熱情，這個動力促使你捕捉那一瞬間的畫面: 有共嗚的氣氛、充滿戲劇性的時刻、一些特別動作、一種微妙的表情。一個純粹的色彩和構圖、光的美麗、一件愚蠢令你發笑的事、甚至是模糊了但有感覺的照片。如果你有打開你的『心』和『眼』，你會發現每天的生活中也有很多不同的微細感覺。 攝影本是自由的。我也順應工具的特性去影響我的Approach。例如我的 iphone snapshot有較少的”capture the moment” 而相對抽象和Graphic 。當我使用另一個媒體，我又會有不同的玩法。 每個人所渴望的照片是也不同。有人喜歡後制，有人不喜歡裁剪。我覺得任何事情只要你玩得夠好，都是值得尊敬。百花齊放。攝影沒有規則，沒有規範，但要有自己的獨特見解。 事實上，SmartPhone只是造就了心態思维。即使這些照片難登”大Mon之堂”，使用正常相機時也可以應用同樣的心態，啟動破格思维。這是我過去兩年SmartPhone攝影的啟發。 今年，我有新的玩法。請密切關注我的下一個iphone攝影術 ! — 我的 Instagram 文：Kwai Bun 桂濱 我的攝影博客 : www.KwaiBun.asia 關於我： Flickr | Facebook | FacebookPage | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter| Instagram | 500px | 我是一個實驗者。喜歡嘗試不同的攝影方法和研究不同的相機。 我相信透過研究每一種方法的獨特性，便能誇領域地互相啟發。甚至創造新的方法。從單反，無反，Lomography，iphone，大片幅; 從街道，STUDIO，人象，抽象 ; 後期處理，傳統菲林，暗室，閃燈。 從視覺藝術的判斷，到鏡頭的 MTF Chart。 不敢說我有很多經驗，但我試驗的種類繁多。希望可以跟大家分享。我本身是一間廣告及動畫公司的創意總監及創辦人。
Smartphone is an irreplaceable camera in its own genre. my Instagram here. Technically it’s zero weight comparing to bring any extra camera. And it’s always charged, with memory, and always with you. The instant sharing and photo effects app differentitates it from any other camera you could use. And naturally, it influence greatly the photos you will take with it. While most people use it causally for social or documentation purpose, there are some striving to make some difference out of it. Of course, even the latest…
Photos that are out of focus, under/over exposed, back-lit, too grainy, wrong color, cropped subject head, generally goes to trash and regarded as failed photos. It’s true most of the time, but have you ever find some of your above photos that is actually beautiful? I did, and over the years, I discover interesting common characteristics in those photos. And this post focus mainly on one significant type among these photos. Such photos are interesting, but our brain is fascinating!
Coming from a heavily digital background, I had some bad experience in Lomography. First is the one with 4 lens in one photo camera (Action Sampler) which i broke it the second time I used; Second is the medium format Belair which I pre-ordered with excitement, but when arrived, found the tactile extremely toy in such size, and I mistakenly thought it has a reasonably usable aperture. (it’s f8 day-light camera when I found out later) For many people, Lomography is highly overpriced for selling cheaply constructed camera…
Interesting enough, the reason I bought the Ricoh GR is primarily influenced by iphone. I beleive everyone agree that the iphone is soooo portable that basically changes all of our habbits of taking photos – its just ALWAYS AVAILABLE. It makes taking pictures a pleasure. Other “real cameras” are only meant to be carried if you intended to, say, “let’s take some photograph today” . Well, this simple fact about smartphone is important and changes everything. More on my journey on iphoneography in my other post here. The only…
There are literally hundreds of apps in smartphones offering photo color filters. I have tried several dozens of them. They varies in usability, quality, and most importantly how beautiful are the color filters. The most obvious turn-downs of color filters, is most of them aren’t designed by referencing analogue look, or are bad mimics, resulting unpleasant digital looks or even technical implementation of colors adjustment (I’m refering to apps with hardcoded filters, not apps like photoshop that offers flexibility). It’s about the artistic eyes of app developer for…
Some reviewers said the Sigma DP2M (and DP1M, DP3M) 16Mpix APS-C Foveon sensor resolving power is on par to the 40-50Mpix medium format cameras like Hassled. When i first saw full size images of Sigma DP2M, I’m just shocked. I have never seen anything like this detaility, particularly in such an ugly box design when i bought it at just around $650. (cheaper than a decent lens) Its APS-C foveon sensor, just 16 Mpix, yet captures so much more information! I think the DPxM are still behind medium formats….
This is a rather unconventional post on photography. In case anyone don’t know already: the image above is CGI (computer generated imagery). And it’s achieved in very short time by a technology I developed and patented: Quantum Human (under-construction) My main career is a businessman running a CGI animation company. I’m also a creative director. But what people don’t usually know is that I’m a programmer too and i found programming one of my biggest talent in college. This post isn’t about advertising on my technology. It’s rather a…
2 years ago i bought the Fujifilm X-Pro1 – its the first camera i feel love It’s fantastic in IQ as a non-DSLR: its X-trans sensor offers great details that feels natural and without over sharpening, accurate color balance and warm organic “fuji color”, top class high ISO performance, and great primes to go with. I was using the sharp 35mm/ f1.4 (although its excluded from DxO lab test, some reviewers regard Fuji’s primes as “Zeiss-class”). At that time, without exhaustive nor scientific comparison, my researches showed its IQ surpass…
Flickr Album here. If you are looking at mirrorless or even DSLR, superzooms may not be your target, considering its small sensor image quality, I myself included. After my Tibet trip with a Sony HX-100 superzoom, I basically feel insufficient on its image quality and decided to step up to larger sensor. However, when i think again, that zoom range in small-medium size has really some unique edge. When i view my Tibet photos again, i could safely say, if I haven’t brought the superzoom for this trip, i…
Flickr Album here. It was the old days in 2002. Everyone still use the film cameras. And my camera is the simple and good Canon EOS 300, with 24-85mm zoom. I was a photography beginner and this camera is my first camera, but since I was a flight attendant for a year, I wouldn’t want to waste my chance to take beautiful photographs. I have traveled 53 cities in 1 year. nearly 70 rolls of film. It was a great year. When i look back on my photos,…