This is an in-depth review of the Nikon 45mm f/2.8D PC-E, also known as PC-E Micro Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED, a special purpose normal-angle lens designed for architecture, commercial, macro, and nature photography. “PC” stands for “Perspective Control”, but I will refer to this type of lens as “tilt-shift” in...
Photographing Scale Model Cars
“It’s not photography; you’re just playing with toys. And Photoshop.” Well, it sure does look that way. This will either invite complete ridicule or slightly less than complete ridicule but it has been such a ton of fun to do that I could in fact not care less. And now...
Comparing 5 Top Wide-Angle Astrophotography Lenses
If you want to shoot sharp photos of stars, it helps to have the right lens for the job. After all, a good lens during the day might be a dud for resolving pinpoint stars in a photo’s corners at night. Here, I’ve tested five popular wide-angle lenses for astrophotography:...
The Refining Process: How to Visualize Your Composition
I suspect that many photographers have realized their best photos frequently come after several “getting there” images - scenes where something interesting stands out, and you gradually improve upon your early attempts, creating a composition that looks more and more refined by the end. The trend has been so clear...
7 Things All Photographers Need to Know About Copyright
Did you know that you are a copyright owner? If you've taken a photograph, then under US copyright law you own the copyright to that image. Copyright law is something that affects every photographer, not just those who are in business making money from their images. With the ease of...
Star Trail Photography Tutorial
In this article, I will demonstrate how to take photos of star trails when photographing the night sky. I will explain what type of camera, lens, and other gear is critical, as well as the importance of composition during dark nights; it is very important to know how the stars...
Nikon Z7 First Impressions and Sample Photos
I'm sure you already know that we’re going to test the Nikon Z7 camera to its limits here at Photography Life. We have six orders coming our way in total, and we plan to put each copy through its paces while we travel to Jordan and Turkey throughout October. So...
The “L Mount Alliance” – A Full-Frame Storm is Coming
This year is certainly going to be marked as one of the most important ones in the camera history. With both Nikon and Canon releasing their first mirrorless camera systems a few weeks ago, we now have another major competing system, and this time from three different manufacturers: Leica, Panasonic...
Five Sigma Global Vision Lenses Announced
As part of a slew of Photokina-related announcements yesterday, Sigma has announced five new lenses. Four are for full-frame cameras, and one is compatible with Micro 4/3 and Sony E mount crop sensor cameras. The 28mm f/1.4 Art, 40mm f/1.4 Art, 70-200mm f/2.8 Sport, 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3, and 56mm f/1.4 (for...
Fuji GFX 50R Announcement
Fuji just announced their rumored (comparatively) affordable medium format mirrorless camera, the GFX 50R, a 51.4 megapixel camera with a rangefinder design, due in November 2018. The retail price is $4500, which, though not cheap, makes it the least expensive medium format digital camera ever upon launch. The GFX 50R's...