Archive for the ‘Cameras & Camcorders’ Category

Love Your Pet Day Blog Image

Happy Love Your Pet Day!

By: | Posted: 2/20/2012

There are lots of random holidays that many of us probably wouldn’t know about if it wasn’t for social media. Some are silly like Talk like a Pirate Day, some are historical like Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, but one that is near and dear to my heart is Love Your Pet Day.
I’m a big time animal lover and my dogs (left: Olive, right: Dozer, both taken with my NEX-C3) are two of my favorite things to photograph:

But I am not alone! I reached out to both the Sony Camera Club on Flickr and some of my fellow Sony coworkers to see what kind of pets they have and get some of their tips on taking photos of them.

Chili (left) and Pepper (right) belong to Matt Parnell, one of my fellow Sony team members. Taken with his NEX-3, Matt said that he tries “to take pictures from up close so I can get the nice background defocus effect, like the one of pepper as a puppy”. As for his other dog Chili, Matt says taking his photo is easy “He is ridiculously lazy so I don’t have to do much to get him to pay attention”.

Sony Camera Club member reodonnell took this stunning photo of their dog Misha using natural light (“Taken on an early morning as the sun was rising and shining through the back door.”) and their Sony A500 set to 1/40 sec. @ f:4.5, ISO 800.

When photographing animals with darker coats, it’s important to have the right settings to separate them from the background. That’s how Sony Camera Club members cj1970paj (left) and Barringtonsworld (right) got these great shots of their pets. Member cj1970paj was able to get this shot of Roobarb, his Bengal cat by taking the photo “low down with 70-210 Beercan at f4 to get good separation from the background”.

Patience and great natural light helped member Barringtonsworld get the perfect photo of Stella, a Black Labrador Retriever. “I wanted to get a picture of her with a bright coloured background and plenty of light, as she is very dark haired. We went out an hour before sunset. She was really moving fast, so I crouched down and just waited for her to come closer, and then when she faced the sunset…click….voilà! I took this picture at 1/6000sec f2.4 @ 50mm.”

Sony team member Rachelle Arcebido uses her Cyber-shot® WX5 to capture more candid shots of her dog Louis. “He loves riding in the car and I wanted to capture that passion, I think you can see it in his eyes”.

But what about our non-furry companions? Sony Camera Club Member jscotcha has a few tricks to photographing Gina, his 3 year old Harlequin Macaw. “When I try to take pictures of her she thinks the camera is “her” new toy and I get a lot of beak filling photos as she tries to grab the lens. Have to back off or distract her with nuts to get some that show her colors.” His A77 and SAL1650 with fast, silent focus also helped.

From feathers to scales, Sony Direct team member Jessica Geiszler has mastered taking awesome pictures of Radley, her Speke’s Hingeback tortoise (right) and has some tips for photographing your reptilian friends. “You have to work with what you’ve got.  To capture a yawn, wake them softly from a deep slumber, point the camera and wait; in about five minutes, he/she will start to yawn.  To capture a stroll, incentivize him with his favorite food.” Jessica also recommends a lukewarm bath to rejuvenate his colors.

Climate conditions are also a factor when dealing with reptiles. “In Radley’s situation, if the weather in his terrarium or outdoors is cooler than usual, he is less active.  This is great for portraits, but if you want to capture your tort’s energy, give them the warmth to do it – I suggest a sunny lawn or rockscape”.

Got a great tip for us or want to show off your pet? Please feel free to in the comments!

From left to right: Photos by Sony Camera Club members Kevin_Barrett, trainerKEN, Boerseuntjie, Stewart Black, Sony team member Rob Manfredo, Sony Camera Club Members Eckybay, flyfshr2009, tmfrizzell, bscemu, lastokov, flyfshr2009, and Sony team member Tom Di Nome.

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Photos by Brian Smith

Photo Tips, Tricks and Techniques from a Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographer, Brian Smith

By: | Posted: 2/18/2012

What are the nuanced techniques that seasoned photographers keep to themselves? What must have gear do they always include in their camera bag?  How do I pick a professional photographer for family portraits, weddings, etc?

If you want this kind of insight, you’ll have to make friends with a professional photographer, pay big bucks for photography classes or spend a whole lot of time surfing the web.  Either that or simply hang with us here as we catch up with Brian Smith, a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer and one of our Sony “Artisans of Imagery”  – our dedicated group of professional photographers who are passionate about Sony gear.

Brian’s gearing up for a few days at one of the biggest photography shows of the year, the Wedding and Portrait Photographer conference and trade show (WPPI), and took a few minutes to answer some questions about his craft.

Q: What are the must have tools for photographers who are stepping up and getting more serious about their photos?

You obviously want to buy quality gear, but so much really comes down to paying attention to the small details such as where you shoot – picking a background that will enhance your shot and eliminating distracting elements that draw you eye away from what’s important. Try to pay attention to everything. How the subject is posed, if they could turn their hips slightly to make their shape sexier, what they are doing with their hands, if the lighting would look better on their face if they turned just a bit more toward the light. The small things make a huge difference in photographs so pay attention to them.

Q: What’s your favorite lens to use for portrait photography?

My favorite lens for portraits is Sony’s CZ 24-70/2.8. At 70mm it’s not quite as long as more traditional portrait lenses like 85, 100 or 135mm lenses which I like since it allows for a more intimate feeling on set when you can almost whisper your directions to your subject instead of SHOUTING from across the room. I use the 45-60mm range for 1/2 body portraits. For a full length portrait I may shoot anywhere between 28-50mm. I’ll shoot at 24mm if I want the shot to be more “in your face” or to include a lot of environment around the subject.

Q: How do you approach a subject if you don’t know them? Say you’re inspired by someone when you’re out and about. Is there etiquette for doing portraits of strangers?

The key in approaching anyone is being sincere. Tell them why you’d like to take their photograph. ” I love the jacket you’re wearing, could I get a photograph of you against this wall?” of “You have a really amazing face, could I take a portrait of you?” And when you don’t speak the language, smile a lot and try to look really friendly and harmless…

Q: What’s in your camera bag? What’s the one thing in there you can’t live without? Let’s say your accessory bag got lost at the airport how would you survive a photography session?  

I always hand carry my roller bag on the plane – usually with a second laptop bag that holds extra glass, hard drives or accessories. That way even if, god forbid, the lights or stands don’t make it, I always show up with my camera. The one other thing I couldn’t live without when traveling is a great pair of in-ear headphones to I drown out the airplane noise and relax with the movie or my tunes.
Q: Since you’re getting ready for WPPI, how about some tips to make things easier for brides and grooms. What should they look for when trying to finding a wedding photographer and key questions they should ask when interviewing potential wedding photographers?

Look at their website or portfolio to see if their work matches the look and feel you envision for the wedding. If you’re planning a destination wedding, look to see how good is the photographer at capturing the bride and groom in an exotic environment and making you feel like you were there. If you’re planning a big production look for a photographer who has shot big weddings and can navigate the chaos. On the other hand if you’re planning a small ceremony and really want intimate photographs of both families, you don’t want to hire Cecil deMille.

Q: How do you capture the subject’s true personality?  

You talk to them. Get a sense of who they are. Not just what they say, but how they say it. A good photographer is essentially a “5-Minute Psychologist”. You have to figure out what makes your subject tick and capture their personality.

Q: Any tips for dealing with celebrities?  

Follow all the above. Don’t recite their filmography. Instead, try to figure out what really interests them. If you do it well, they may just forget they’re on a photo shoot.
Finally, you may have seen Brian on THE X FACTOR™ earlier this year. He gave the competition finalist some photography tips for taking great photos and how to make sure to have great photos taken of them. We wanted to give you the chance to win a Sony NEX-5N. All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite photography tip for taking portraits or wedding photos.  It can be something you already know or something you learned from these tips from Brian. See the official rules below for all the contest details!  Post your comment by 5PM February 22, 2012. We’ll announce a random winner on Monday 2/27 after 9am. a photo shoot.

Brian Smith’s work can also be seen in his latest book, ART & SOUL done in partnership with The Creative Coalition and Sony. It features his portraits of celebrities paired with their hand-written thoughts about the importance of the arts and arts education: http://amzn.to/saveart. You can find Brian on his blog and on Twitter™ by Following @BrianSmithPhoto.

 

SONY WEDDING & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER SWEEPSTAKES

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY
A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING

1.             THE SWEEPSTAKES: The Sony Wedding & Portrait Photographer Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) consists of one (1) prize for a randomly selected entrant.

2.             HOW TO ENTER: To enter the Sweepstakes the entrant must post one (1) comment response including a helpful tip for portrait or wedding photography to the Sony Blog post “Tips, Tricks and Techniques from Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographer Brian Smith” at blog.sony.com between 9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, February 18, 2012 and 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, February 22, 2012 (the “Promotion Period”).  Limit one (1) entry per person.

3.             WINNERS:  One (1) winner will be selected at random from valid entries and will be announced February 27, 2012. Sony’s decisions shall be final in all matters pertaining to this Sweepstakes.

4.             PRIZES:  There will be one 1st prize. The first prize winner will receive one (1) Sony α NEX-5N camera, approximate value $499.99.  All prizes in this Sweepstakes are nontransferable and non-substitutable except that Sony may, at its sole discretion, substitute a Prize or any component thereof with one of equal or greater value.  Odds of winning prizes depends on number of eligible entries received.

5.             ELIGIBILITY: The Sweepstakes is open only to residents of the United States who are 18 years or older at time of participation. No Sony employees, or friends or family of employees, are eligible to enter or win.

6.             RELEASE: By acceptance of a Prize, the winner releases Sony from and against any and all liability and claims or causes of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property with respect to all aspects of this Sweepstakes, including those arising out of participation in this Sweepstakes, any Prize related activity whether sponsored by Sony or third parties, or the acceptance or possession or use/misuse of the Prize or any component of the Prize.

7.             LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: Any entrant who attempts to interfere with the proper play of this Sweepstakes will be disqualified from participation in the Sweepstakes.  Persons found tampering with or abusing any aspect of this Sweepstakes, as solely determined by Sony, will be disqualified and may be subject to prosecution. If in the judgment of Sony, the Sweepstakes is compromised by viruses, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes beyond the control of Sony, which corrupt the administration, security, fairness or proper play of the Sweepstakes, Sony reserves the right, in its sole discretion to discontinue, modify, suspend or terminate the Sweepstakes and proceed in a manner it deems fair and reasonable, including the selection of winners from among eligible entries received prior to such discontinuation, modification, suspension or termination. Any personally identifiable information collected during an entrant’s participation in this Sweepstakes will be collected by Sony and used by Sony and its agents solely for purposes of the proper administration and fulfillment of the Sweepstakes as described in these Official Sweepstakes Rules or as stated in Sony’s Privacy Policy at http://products.sel.sony.com/SEL/legal/privacy.html. ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SONY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.  SONY MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NONINFRINGEMENT.

8.             DISPUTES: Issues concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Sweepstakes Rules shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. All disputes arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes will be resolved individually, and without resort to class action. Should there be a conflict between the laws of the State of Delaware and any other laws, the conflict will be resolved in favor of the laws of the State of Delaware. All judgments or awards shall be limited to actual incurred out-of-pocket expenses (excluding attorneys’ fees) associated with participation in this Sweepstakes and shall not include any indirect, punitive, incidental and/or consequential damages.

9.             GENERAL: By participating in the Sweepstakes, entrants agree to these Sweepstakes Rules and the decisions of Sony, which are final and binding in all matters and all respects relating to this Sweepstakes. This Sweepstakes is void where prohibited by law. Acceptance of a Prize constitutes the winner’s consent to the use of his/her name, biographical information, photograph, and/or likeness for advertising and publicity purposes as determined by Sony or its designees without further compensation, except where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Sony is not responsible for any entries that are lost, late, undelivered, or misdelivered.

10.           WINNERS LIST: For the names of the winners send your request and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Sony Wedding & Portrait Photographer Sweepstakes at 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127.

 

Sponsor:  Sony Electronics Inc., 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127.

 

These Sweepstakes Rules may not be reprinted or republished in whole or in part without the prior written permission of Sony Electronics Inc.

Copyright 2012 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Flickr Winter Challenge Blog Image

Sony Camera Club’s Winter Photo Challenge Favorites

By: | Posted: 2/15/2012

Winter is often seen as cold and dreary but it can also be breathtakingly beautiful. The Sony Camera Club’s challenge was “Winter Light”, again keeping it open to interpretation. Whether it was holiday lights, icicles glistening in the sun or amazing sunsets over frigid waterways, winter led to some spectacular photos. Our members really captured the spirit of the season. Here are the favorites, as voted by our moderators.

Photo by Kennyf9

“I was out looking for wintering bald eagles that come into our area” said Camera Club member Kennyf9. “This location is a small inlet off the Hudson River in NY that they typically congregate in. I was there a little too early, and the sunrise was beautiful, so I decided to snap a few shots right by the water. Once I was happy with those, I got back in my car, and begin to drive on to my next stop. As I was driving, the light from the sun hit my rearview mirror, and I just saw this scene with the tree.

It was bitter cold, and we had a light rain fall the previous night that almost instantly froze on top of the snow layer. This enabled the light to ‘glow’ on the snow to create a really nice effect. That was it, a quick ‘grab’ shot that I would have missed if I didn’t look behind me.”

Photo by Kai Eiselein

Member Kai Eiselein’s sunset was so striking and colorful I thought it was taken in the Caribbean. In reality, it wasn’t taken in Jamaica but rather Jamaica Bay, NY.

Kai chose this image for the challenge because it was “…different from the normal idea of winter light, which, at least in the north comes in two versions: bright and harsh, or flat and dull. The winter sunsets off of Long Island are quite often stunning.”

Photo by sonofapreacherman

Fall Photo Challenge favorite sonofapreacherman wowed us once again with his photo of a beautiful frozen waterfall. “The photo is of Smoky Hollow Falls (aka Waterdown Falls) in Waterdown, Ontario”. He chose this photo because waterfalls are one of his favorite subject to shoot. “I also like the brightness of the sunlight on the snow as well as the waterfall.”

Photo by Shaun O

Member Shaun O took this gorgeous photo at Falling Water, which is in Pennsylvania. The striking house in the photo was designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Taken with his a850, using a ZA24mm, Shaun chose this photo because “there is a hint of snow on the ground – and I liked the light, plain and simple”. This was one of my favorites. I like to think of it as what a modern home on Endor might look like.

Changing gears, our Flickr photo challenges wouldn’t happen without our dedicated moderators. They hail from different parts of the world and each is a master of their craft. One of them, Kevin Barrett is a truly gifted hobby photographer who often sets the bar high with his photos. When asked how it has been being part of the Sony Camera Club, Kevin says it’s been “a very fun experience. I think the Internet is at its best when it provides resources and promotes community. Some discussions in the club have grown into very focused resources of experiential data, and some have blossomed into lively and engaging exercises where everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. I’ve met friends here and made connections all over the world, and it’s been great fun.” The club has also helped Kevin reach out to fellow photo experts and “engage some amazing photographers that I’d have been too shy to talk to.”

You’ve seen our picks, now tell us which were your favorites!

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Bloggie Live

Get Ready for Your Close-Up, The Sony Bloggie Goes Live (Video Demo)

By: | Posted: 2/01/2012

At this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show, Sony unveiled the brand new Bloggie Live™ camera.   The camera has received rave reviews from press and bloggers, who are buzzing about  the Bloggie Live camera’s ability to let you stream video on the fly over Wi-Fi using a Qik™ account and share with your friends on Facebook®, Twitter™, your personal website — basically just about anywhere you can embed a URL.

Of course if you stopped by the Sony booth on the show floor, you had a chance to demos the new Bloggie Live camera.  But if you weren’t able to attend, no worries…our resident video blogger, Sukhjit, created a quick video demo of how this cool little camera works.

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Live Concert Bloggie

5 Quick Tips to Record Awesome Live Concert Footage

By: | Posted: 1/18/2012

 

Whether you’re at a concert every other weekend or only fork over money for tickets when U2 comes to town, you probably know how difficult it can be to record live music. Lucky for you, we recently partnered with the super-popular indie music blog (and live music recording experts), BrooklynVegan, to get exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews and private concerts of some of the best indie bands around. 

The footage we received from these Green Room Sessions were amazing and all shot exclusively on a Sony Bloggie® MP4 camera.  I reached out to Bao Nguyen, one of the videographers on the project, who was more than happy to give us tips on how to create equally awesome videos of live music ourselves:

First things first, am I even allowed to film a live concert?

Due to the popularity of affordable pocket camcorders, fans filming video footage at concerts is more popular than ever. It is not always allowed though, so use caution. Make sure to check what the venue’s rules are, or more importantly how the artist playing that night feels about it. Some venues post that information publicly near the doors – sometimes permanently and sometimes on a show to show basis (based on what the artist wants).

You may also find helpful information in the venue’s FAQs. If you don’t have that information, film at your own risk. Many artists and venues just don’t care, but occasionally you’ll be in a situation where the security guard fights their way through the crowd just to stop you, and in some cases that could even mean they delete your memory card or eject you from the venue. 

 

How do I make sure I get the clearest sound possible?

 To get the best audio at a live performance, recording near the soundboard is your best option. You want to be slightly elevated above the crowd to avoid catching any unwanted conversations, but you don’t want to block anyone else’s view.  You also want to make sure you always point the camera towards the stage.

 It’s always best to have external sound, both as a backup and usually because the quality tends to be better for an external recorder. Most of the time at concerts though, you don’t really want to lug gear around so having built-in audio in a compact video camera is sometimes the best option.

 

A lot of the video clips looked like really cool music videos, how did you capture them?

 Because of the Bloggie camera’s compact size, we were able to get some inspired angles and really get close to the musicians. This was certainly the case for our video of Street Chant where we rigged a Bloggie camera to the seat of the lead singer.

 

Any tips for us concertgoers with nosebleed seats?

 The Bloggie camera has image stabilization, which was incredibly handy for the video shoots, and is equally handy when you’re shooting video in a large crowd.  If you can, cover the light that emits from your LCD screen by cupping the camera as if they were binoculars. This helps to shade any light that may distract those around you.

Also, know that zoom can be your best friend to ensure an optimal image! 

 

Finally, what is the most important thing to remember when recording live video?

 Do not distract either the musician you are trying to document or your fellow concert goers!  Having a small camera with a manageable LCD screen is the simplest way to avoid distracting anyone. 

So, next time your favorite band is in town, arm yourself with a pocket cam and get ready to impress your friends with your newly-found live recording expertise.

In the meantime, check out the BrooklynVegan Green Room sessions to see footage of bands like We Were Promised Jetpacks, Polica, Idle Warship and more.

 

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