Articles by Trailblazer
Let's address the elephant in the room: film is getting expensive.
And while it hurts to increase the price of an already costly product to our community, we want to be as transparent as possible about Kodak's film price increase, what that means for Moment operations, and how it will affect...
Autumn offers a wide range of photographic opportunities for those who love colorful but moody days. With the quickly changing scenery, colorful landscapes and shorter days, it’s not hard to understand why it’s the favorite season of so many photographers.
But how do you capture the vibrancy of...
Just because summer is drawing its last breath doesn’t mean you have to pack your camera away until the spring thaw. In addition to the upcoming autumn foliage, fall sports, and your annual covered bridge tour (What, you don’t go on one?) there are also target-rich environments for photography...
If you have considered diving into the world of art festivals, here's a little glimpse of what to expect based on personal experience. Spoiler alert, it's not an easy road to travel.
I remember my first art festival. It was in my hometown. I had applied and been accepted several months in...
I love using Capture One. Recently, I have been working with the latest release: Capture One 23 and Capture One Live. Loved by enthusiasts and professionals alike, it is feature-heavy software. In this article, I would like to share some of the hidden and little-known features of this great...
In the fast-evolving world of smartphone photography, manufacturers are constantly pushing the boundaries to offer users the best imaging capabilities. The latest trend making waves is the emergence of smartphones equipped with astonishing 200MP cameras. These devices promise to redefine mobile...
Original Article - Oct 2014, Revised 20 Jan 2023
This guide is a rewritten version of my original guide to sharpening X-Trans files from 2014 when I was using Lightroom 5 and the Fuji X-T1. Lightroom wasn’t the best application for processing Fuji Raw files, because artefacts were introduced...
Fujifilm RDPIII expired rated at 100, Hasselblad Xpan II, 30mm f5.6 asph
The world of photography is filled with unique challenges and opportunities to explore different techniques and styles. One such opportunity is the use of expired film – a medium that can add a certain unpredictability and...
Converting color images into black and white
This site (https://northlight-images.co.uk)has had lots of articles related to digital black and white photography for nearly 20 years. Back then the word digital was important, since it was new and a lot of film users (Keith included) were switching...
One of the first things I learned about in photography was about a file type known as a Raw file. Often times when someone begins in photography, he or she doesn't realize the potential of Raw files. At first I didn't see the use for raw files, they seemed to offer nothing that I truly needed...
With both Nikon and Canon switching out their DSLR markets for mirrorless platforms and offering up new lens mounts as a result, and with Sony and Fuji both developing great lenses for their platforms, a common question we get asked is about lens adapters. And lens adapters are no new thing...
I have a friend in Toronto who routinely looks to me as some sort of photography oracle, ready to provide her with photo news that hasn’t happened yet, and to provide wise counsel on any photographic procedure. Little does she know how misplaced her direction is. However, from time to time, I’m...
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of spending some time with Pablo Inirio, master darkroom printer at Magnum Photos in New York. I was thinking about that interview recently as I heard the news of Kodak’s bankruptcy and pondered the precarious status of “old media” like books, film and silver...
“There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.” Ansel Adams
Where Does Meaning in Photography Come From?
These days, thanks to the power of social media, we see a large variety of often technically brilliant images of the same locations, angled from the same perspective...
Words have meaning.
The words we use to describe ourselves will impact how others perceive what we do and the value they place on our work. Traditionally a photographer was usually known as a photographer. One might choose to be identified by a specialty… a photojournalist or a portraitist, for...
(Photo: Jim Fisher)
Digital cameras offer loads of flexibility when it comes to image processing, and most models include a few basic presets at a minimum, including black-and-white, natural, neutral, and vivid. Though the exact names might vary between manufacturers, you can likely make...
A different perspective on the typical DSLR vs mirrorless articles
NIKON D800E + 70-200mm f/4 @ 140mm, ISO 500, 1/500, f/5.6
By now, Nikon has completely switched focus from DSLRs to mirrorless with a rapidly growing set of lenses. Canon has made exactly the same transition. Except Pentax...
Canon TS-E 17mm 4.0L via Sigma MC-11 on Sony A7rII
Tilt/Shift lenses are rather exotic, they are mostly used for architecture or table top photography, and with the wide availability of post processing (correcting converging vertical lines and focus stacking) you see them very rarely nowadays...
There have always been people adapting lenses to other camera systems, but it was really the release of the Sony A7 that completely changed the game, being the first affordable fullframe mirrorless camera with a short flange focal distance, Liveview and built-in EVF.
This not only made it...
“What on earth can I possibly learn from grungy HDR images?”
I can’t read your mind but I can guess what you’re thinking! =)
I’ve had my fair share of overcooked HDR images and was deep in the HDR hole for the longest time. But I managed to pull myself out eventually. When I looked at the HDR...