Happy Birthday: Adobe Photoshop Turns 25

February 19, 2015

February 19th, 1990

Created in 1988 by Thomas and John Knoll, Photoshop Version 1.0 released February 19th, 1990. It quickly became the industry standard in raster graphics editing, allowing users to create and edit images interactively on a computer. At the time, digital photo retouching was not available to the average person. The going rate to hire those with high end systems for retouching was $250 - $300 per hour. Photoshop changed all that and not in a "they're taking our jobs" kind of way. It became the new medium for the art of photo manipulation. It's toolset allows alterations at the most basic level, with the ability to create incredible works of art that only can come from years of experience. It remains to this day the leader of the still image editing.

[embed]http://youtu.be/d8XXCudKdeU[/embed]

25 Years of Photoshop Industry Milestones

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1980's

1987

Thomas Knoll develops computer code to display grayscale images on monitors only able to display black and white

1988

John and Thomas Knoll pitch Adobe using “Jennifer in Paradise” image Adobe acquires initial rights to Photoshop

1989

August

The Abyss is released in theaters; first motion picture to use Photoshop.

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1990's

February

Adobe Photoshop 1.0 released

British painter David Hockney attends Photoshop Invitational and now uses Photoshop to compose paintings

1991

May

Kodak launches first DSLR camera, the DCS 100

1992

November

Photoshop 2.5 released; adds Windows version

1994

February

New York Newsday cover features manipulated photo of Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding ice skating together

1994

June

TIME Magazine prints darkened O.J. Simpson mug shot on cover

September

Photoshop 3.0 released; adds layers and features to help customers in medicine and science

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2000's

September

Photoshop 6.0 released; introduces support for vector shapes

November

Camera phone introduced by Sharp/J-Phone

December

World’s first working human organ is 3D printed

2001

September

“Helicopter Shark” (image of a great white shark leaping out of the water attacking military personnel on ladder attached to a helicopter) circulates the Internet

2002

March

Photoshop 7.0 released; includes Adobe Camera Raw

2003

October

Adobe Creative Suite released; features Shadows and Highlights as well as Lens Blur support

2004

March

Doctored image of John Kerry and Jane Fonda at a 1971 anti-war rally appears

2005

March

Altered image of slimmed-down Martha Stewart appears on cover of Newsweek upon her release from federal prison, creating the impression Stewart lost weight while serving sentence

April

Creative Suite 2 released; features Spot Healing Brush and Smart Objects

2007

February

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1 launched

April

Creative Suite 3 released with an updated UI

2008

July

The Daily Show runs “Photoshop of Horrors” segment

October

Creative Suite 4 released; introduces Adjustment panel

2009

March

Apple dubs the term “iPhoneography”

2010

April

Creative Suite 5 released; adds Content Aware Fill tool

December

Instagram launched

2012

January

Kodak files for bankruptcy

May

reative Suite 6 released; introduces Blur Gallery

2013

February

Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop comes to Metropolitan Museum of Art

May

Adobe launches Creative Cloud

December

South Park’s “That's Lisa Berger?!” airs

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2014

January

Photoshop CC adds 3D printing support

February

Surgeons implant 3D printed pelvis

April

Representative Lois Capps introduces bill in Congress that would prompt the FTC to investigate impact of digitally retouched images on society

May

Selfie” added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary

September

Francis Bitonti 3D prints shoes designed with Photoshop

Roger Federer asks fans to use Photoshop to show him where to visit in India

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Apollo 11 Camera Lost 40 Years Found in Closet

February 18, 2015 in Cameras, Lenses, Film

Apollo 11 camera lost, Carol Photo to NASM Cameraplex

Nearly 40 years after the first spaceflight that landed humans on the moon, a cloth bag packed with items from the Apollo 11 mission has been recently discovered. The discovery was made by Niel Armstrong's widow Carol Armstrong as she cleaned out a closet of their home office in Ohio. She send the following photo the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum asking if they had any interest in the items.

The most significant of the items was a 16mm Data Acquisition Camera that filmed Neil Armstrong's infamous ladder descent to the surface of the moon.

Apollo 11 camera lost, 16mm DAC Camera Apollo 11 Cameraplex

Apollo 11 camera lost Cloth Bag Found in Closet Containing Apollo 11 Items

The museum immediately recognized the bag which was used as a temporary stowage bag aboard the lunar missions. It was specially fitted with pins that locked into sockets left of the Lunar Module hatch, in front of the Commander's station.

Many Cameras Never Made it Back to Earth

It's amazing that the Apollo 11 camera lost for 40 years, was even here on earth at all. Like any aircraft, the lunar module had very specific cargo weight limits. The 10 lbs of relics found in the bag, took up a significant amount of valuable space aboard the craft. The astronauts needed to lose weight before they could return home to account for the extra cargo of moon rocks and samples they obtained. In fact, it was common enough to leave cargo behind that there are 12 Hasselblad cameras still sitting on the surface of the moon to this day.

16mm Apollo 11 Film Camera on Display

The camera is temporarily on display at the National Air and Space Museum in New York City as part of the Outside the Spacecraft: 50 Years of Extra-Vehicular Activityexhibit.

Images from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

What Does ISO Mean? And Other Photographic Abbreviations

February 17, 2015 in Cameras, Lenses

Below you will find the answer to "What does ISO mean?" and other photographic abbreviations. They're not need-to-know but good-to-know!

ISO

ISO stands for International Organization of Standardization. In photography it refers to a unit (number) which quantifies the sensitivity of photographic film or an image capturing system. Higher ISO numbers mean a higher sensitivity to light.

Example Usage: "Set the camera to 100 ISO."

JPEG

JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Expert Group, and is a file format most commonly used for digital images. JPEG is a compression type that allows the stored amount of detail to vary resulting in smaller or larger files sizes.

Example Usage: "Send me some JPEGs of the show."

EVIL

Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens. A type of hybrid camera with the small body and style of a compact camera but with professional features of an interchangeable lens system and an electronic viewfinder (mirrorless).

Example Usage: "I must have the EVIL Sony RX100III now."

MP

Megapixel (you knew that!). A measurement of the resolution of a digital camera or image equal to one million pixels.

Example Usage: "The new Canon 5Ds has a 50MP sensor"

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display. A common type of screen used on cameras to display images and information relative to interaction with the camera.

Example Usage: "Careful not to scratch the LCD screen please."

LED

Light Emitting Diode. Often used on the rear of cameras as activity indicator lamps, such as an indication the camera is busy writing images to the card. They can also be used as a continuous video light, arranged in an array of 1 to 126 or more LEDs typically with an adjustable brightness wheel. LEDs have low power consumption and emit almost no heat.

Example Usage: "Why is my LED still blinking?"

NFC

Near Field Communication. A short range wireless connectivity technology becoming an increasingly popular feature in newer cameras. NFC enables wireless transfer of images from your camera to a phone or tablet without the use of wires or a desktop/laptop computer.

Example Usage: "Does that camera have NFC?"

SD

Secure Digital. A small removable memory card used in many cameras. Most computers have a slot for SD connectivity.

Example Usage: "Oh no, I forgot my SD card..."

SDHC

Secure Digital High Capacity. An SD card with a capacity higher than 32GB (that's Gigabytes!).

Example Usage: "You'll want the best SDHC for a Panasonic GH4"

Elements of a Great Photo: Quadrants for Composition

February 16, 2015 in Cameras

What makes a great photograph?

A once in a lifetime capture? Drama or silence? Love or war? There is no formula per se; but there is a sort of track record of successful ingredients. I would describe it as the right mixture of technical know-how, telling a story or evoking emotion, and an artistic composition that supports the two. In this article I'd like to either introduce or resurrect the principle of Quadrants for better composition. Using the principle of quadrants in your photography can help add an appealing form and function to your work, and further help tie the elements of a great photo together.

Take a look at this video by YouTube user Every Frame A Painting. His page is packed with thought provoking analysis of film form. This video will reverse engineer quadrants from their final form in a particular film, down to their most elemental functions.

What is a Quadrant?

Quadrant

A quadrant is simply an equilateral division of a frame into four equal parts, used to guide you in framing of your subject, subjects, or photographic elements.

It is similar to the more commonly known Rule of Thirds.

Rule of Thirds

Rule of thirds is a compositional technique where the frame is divided, horizontally and vertically, into three parts, using two equally spaced lines.

The compositional focus of each is slightly different. In the quadrant system the focus of the objects or subjects in your frame lie within a zone, while with the rule of thirds grid they lie on the lines and the intersections.

Some cameras have build in grid overlays (typically rule of thirds), check you camera settings for this. Try shooting either with an actual grid overlay or with a grid in mind. This will help form the story you are tying to tell. If you already have experience with this, revisit it and dig deeper. Tell a different part of the story in each area of the quadrant. Contrast the story and light of one quadrant with that of another, give your photos a new dynamic built upon the elements of a great photo.

Understanding Depth of Field: How Aperture Affects DOF

February 14, 2015 in Cameras, Lenses, Tips/Resources/Guides

The key to mastering photography is not to follow the rules but to understand them. Understanding the photographic principles that define photography is a barrier that must be broken to truly unlock…

Venus 60mm f/2.8 Super-Macro Lens

February 13, 2015 in Lenses

[embed]http://youtu.be/uSpE_JE7Uyo[/embed] An exciting new lens has recently been released from brand new lens manufacturer Venus Optics (full name: Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited). Venus Optics based in the Anhui Province in Eastern China, label themselves as "Specialists in Macro Photography" dedicated to bringing more new and revolutionary macro lenses to the market.

We target to keep launching extraordinary lenses to the market. The coming lenses with likely be a 15mm wide-angle Macro Lens. Estimated to be ready by early 2015. - from Venuslens.net/about/

VENUS 60mm f/2.8 Ultra-Macro Lens

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VENUS 60mm f/2.8 Ultra-Macro Lens Features

Magnification range from 0.1x to 2x. Easily alter the magnification ratio without installing any extension tube or teleconverter. Ideally suited for rapidly changing macro photography scenarios.
Wide magnification range also makes it extremely useful for shooting macro objects (e.g. insects) with different sizes.
Designed also for normal shooting purposes with a 60mm focal length. An all-in-one solution for normal portrait shooting as well as ultra-macro photography.
Houses with 9 elements in 7 groups patented optical structure to provide great deal of image clarity and color renderness.
The optical system consists of 2 major moving lenses groups in order to minimize the barrel distortion.
14 pieces of aperture blades form a close-to-circular aperture, capable of creating creamy shallow depth of view.
The enclosure of the lens is made of metal to strengthen its durability.
A complimentary lens pouch and filter are included in the package.
Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony Alpha and Pentax K mount are available

[tabby title="Specifications"]

VENUS 60mm f/2.8 Ultra-Macro Lens Specifications

Focal Length	60mm
Maximum Aperture	F/2.8
Minimum Aperture	F/22
Angle of View	25.3 degrees
Format Compatibility	APS-C (Both Macro and Normal shooting) Full-frame (Macro shooting only)
Lens Structure	9 elements in 7 groups
Aperture Blades	14
Min. Aperture Size	22
Min. focus distance	18.5cm
Max. Magnification Ratio	2x
Focus	Manual Focus
Filter Size	62mm
Dimensions	95 x 70mm
Weight	503 g

[tabby title="In the Box"]

Venus 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro Lens x 1
Front & Rear Lens Caps
UV Filter x 1
Lens Pouch x 1
3-yr warranty card x 1

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Nikon 60mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Micro-Nikkor Lens

Nikon 60mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Micro-Nikkor Lens | $529.95

Nikon 60mm f/2.8G Micro Lens is the Venus's current competitor. With similar specifications and build, the Nikon 60mm Micro lens will be the benchmark for comparison. You can results of their photos side by side here. Keep in mind this is straight from the Venus website not a third party test.

Best Telephoto Lens: BIG LENS SHOOTOUT

February 10, 2015 in Lenses

It's time to turn that kit 18-135mm into a paperweight and get yourself a real telephoto lens. So you ask, what is the best telephoto lens? This is an important question because a good quality telephoto lens is a significant investment and should be preceded with a lot of research. Unlike choosing your next camera bag or lens accessory, the purchase of a telephoto lens is not something most of us can afford to get wrong.

A lens with a focal length of 135mm+ is typically considered 'telephoto' range, with 300mm+ being considered super telephoto

Seasoned professional photographers first, and YouTubers second, Chelsea & Tony Northrup break it down with 4 of todays best telephoto lenses for $1,000 to $2,500 in a wintery Big Lens Shootout.

Best Telephoto Lens for Canon, Nikon, & More

[embed]http://youtu.be/lgurGidoSJs[/embed]

Make sure to tune in every Thursday at 5pm eastern standard time to Chelsea & Tony's YouTube for their hour long live show with live portfolio reviews.

Telephoto Lenses Tested

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens | $2,499.00

Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM ( S ) Lens | $1,924.67

Tamron AFA011C700 SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD Zoom Lens for Canon EF Cameras | $1,069.00

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras | $1,339.00

What is a Bridge Camera? Plus Bridge VS Superzoom

February 09, 2015 in Cameras, Lenses

Well what is a bridge camera? Do you shoot bridges with it? - Sure you can, why not. A bridge camera is a classification of cameras that fall between point and shoot cameras and Digital Singles Lens Reflex cameras also known as DSLRs. There have been nearly 100 models of bridge or bridge-like cameras released since 2008 from most all major camera manufacturers. Due to its size and features, a bridge camera gets its name acting as an intermediate bridge between hobbyist point and shoot cameras, and professional DSLRs.

What is a Bridge Camera & How to Spot it

A bridge camera at a glance looks much like a DSLR. What sets is apart is that is has a smaller imaging sensor than traditional DSLRs and a non-interchangeable lens system (the lens is not removable). In fact the sensors in bridge cameras will most likely be the same types of sensors found in point and shoot style cameras. The above mentioned particulars that make up a bridge camera, and the core specifications or what cause people to love them or hate them. Whether a bridge camera is a worthwhile purchase all depends on your photographic background and what you are comparing it to.

Fujifilm S9900w "Bridge Camera" | $349.95

Canon EOS Rebel T5i "DSLR" | $749.00

Bridge Camera vs Superzoom

Superzoom cameras are cameras with a non-interchaneable lens system, where the single lens of the camera has a zoom performance that ranges from wide-angle to super telephoto. The average zoom range of superzoom cameras lie around a full frame equivalent of 28mm to 600mm, with several reaching beyond 1200mm.

Bridge cameras and superzooms are different classifications of cameras but can be easily confused as often most bridge cameras are also superzooms. Superzoom cameras often come in a point and shoot sized body, and can have very limited features with relatively low image quality - these would be solely considered a superzoom and not a bridge camera. Conversely there are a few bridge cameras such as the powerful and feature rich Sony RX10, that do not have super telephoto reach.

SONY DSC RX10 "Bridge Camera" | $998.00

What do Professional Photographers think of Bridge Cameras?

You will likely not find mass appeal to own a bridge camera among professional photographers and videographers. Interesting and promising, there is just not a huge need for one if you already have access to and knowledge of operating higher performing equipment. Still though with image quality increasing (but not sensor size), there is a slight appeal to a bridge cameras size and simplicity; and the super telephoto ranges it can provide. A common use a professional photographer or videographer my find is as a 'travel camera' or 'camera b' on a low budget video shoot where traveling light might be more important than magazine/cinema style image quality.

Pros & Cons of Bridge Camera

It's a fact for example that bridge cameras are typically larger bodied than point and shoots, whether that's a pro or a con for you depends what your looking for. Here are some other bullet points to consider, placed where they likely fall for most in this pros & cons of bridge cameras list:

PROS:

More affordable than DSLR cameras
All-in-one type camera, no need for extra lenses
Sensors equal to or larger than most point and shoot style cameras
Supertelephoto capability
Professional looking size and form factor
Viewfinder a standard feature

Cons:

Single lens, lack of expandability
Lesser imaging quality than DSLRs, no APS-C or full frame sensors
Often low-quality viewfinders
Higher minimum aperture values
Possible but likely not a substitute for a DSLR or high end Mirrorless

Good for

High quality hobbyist photography
Travel
Introductory professional video & photography work
Basic wildlife photography

Not good for

Sports photography
Low light photography
High end photography

FLASHBACK!

Olympus AZ 300 "Bridge Camera" | Release Date: 1988 | Olympus 38 – 105mm F4.5 -6 lens

Selfie Stick Bans, Trouble in South Korea, Italy, New York

February 07, 2015 in Cameras, Lenses

News of more selfie stick bans have made the front page of the "am NEW YORK" this morning, this time at select museums across the metropolitan area.

"They can't pay attention when they're taking these selfies, and we have balconies and open water that can be very dangerous."

- SREE SREENIVASAN, Chief Digital Officer Metropolitan Museum of Art

In fact, the Brooklyn Museum which allows non-flash photography has a ban on selfies all together. Other museums with some for selfie bans or selfie shunning include

The Guggenheim
Museum of Modern Art
The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
El Museo del Barrio

It seems New York museums are trying to take preemptive action to protect their art, though vocally they are spinning the bans as a safety precaution for patrons; both are probably true. If you remember last year at the Milan Art Museum, a Greco-Roman statue lost its leg as a guest attempted to sit on the statues lap to take a selfie. Granted they did "sit on the statues lap".

South Korean Government's 'Selfie Stick' Crackdown

In December of 2014 the South Korean government began cracking down on certain types of selfie sticks. It was found that the bluetooth communication on some selfie sticks used to trigger the shutter could interfere with industrial, medical, and scientific machinery. Retailers selling or importing selfie stick must have certification by the South Korean government, ensuring the selfie sticks did not exceed the standard bluetooth operating frequency of 2.4Hz.

[embed]http://youtu.be/bw5l1yWv2XQ[/embed]

That being said - get 'em before they're banned!

$19.99

Mpow® iSnap Pro 2-In-1 Self-portrait Monopod Extendable Selfie Stick with built-in Bluetooth Remote Shutter With Adjustable Grip Holder for iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus 5s 5c 5 4s 4,Samsung Galaxy S5 S4 S3, Note 10.1 8 3 2 Moto X, Droid 2, Google Nexus 4, 5, 7, 8

More Top-Rated Selfie Sticks on Amazon

New Mirrorless Canon EOS M3 Aims to Improve Autofocus

February 06, 2015 in Cameras

With Canon's mega-announcement this morning of 9 new products including the 50 Megapixel Canon EOS 5DS & 5DS R, the Canon EOS M3 mirrorless digital camera is finally confirmed.

The Canon EOS M3 is Canon's 3rd iteration to their first and only line of mirrors interchangeable digital cameras, preceded by the EOS M in 2012, and the EOS M2 in 2013. Bad news for American 'M' fans though (myself included), as of now the EOS M3 will not be released in the Unites States. The Canon EOS M2 was also never made available in the U.S.

Many regard the original EOS M as the best one of the most 'underrated' cameras of recent years. I believe this to be true as well, not because of how amazing it is, but how decent it is compared to the bad reputation it earned itself with horribly slow autofocus speeds out-of-the-box. A firmware update came later that improved its focusing speed a bit.

One of the main marketing points of the EOS M2 was that it is faster in autofocusing, they even compared it side by side to the EOS M in one of the promo videos.

It seems Canon is still trying to shake the stigma of the M being a slow focusing camera. With the official announcement of the Canon EOS M3 this morning, one of the only videos I can find featured Amsterdam based photographer Andres de Lange complimenting the EOS M3's focusing speed in just his second line of dialogue, saying:

"I like the Canon EOS M3 because the autofocus is really quick."

I think it's interesting and promising how Canon has geared their marketing towards patching the holes in the M family, but without a worldwide release of the M3, it seems Canon may still not yet be confident in the M line.

[embed]http://youtu.be/6raSxmk3_4c[/embed]

Take a peek over at Canonwatch.com for more specs and info!

8 Videos Featuring the New Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R

February 06, 2015 in Cameras

Expect much coverage in the coming hours and days of the new Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R, 2 of the 9 new products announced by Canon today. In the meantimes here's the latest collection of Canon EOS 5DS Video (& 5DS R), packed with interesting promos, feature overviews, and sample footage for your enjoyment!

Canon EOS 5DS Video (& 5DS R)

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Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R 50.6 Megapixel Professional DSLR

SIGN UP TO PRE-ORDER WITH AMAZON NOW

For full specifications and info read the previous article HERE.

New Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R 50.6MP 'Dual DIGIC 6'

February 06, 2015 in Cameras, Lenses

Since 2010 the average Megapixels for a Canon interchangeable lens cameras had come to settle at just over 19 Megapixels, with the highest being 22MP. Today Canon smashes those statistics with the official release of the new Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R 50.6MP professional DSLR cameras. Also unveiled is the world’s widest-angle retilinearzoom lens, the new EF 11-24mm f/4L USM.

Sign Up to Pre-Order with Amazon Now | 5DS $3,699 / 5DS R $3,899

The "S" stands for sharpness presumably. Canon says the EOS 5DS and 5DS R are geared towards fine art shooters, landscape photographers, or anyone in need of getting the maximum amount of detail technically possible in a full frame DSLR.

[tabby title="Overview"]

London, UK, 6 February 2015 – Canon today transforms the EOS system with the arrival of the EOS 5DS and the EOS 5DS R – a new breed of ultra-high resolution full-frame DSLRs.

Breaking the boundaries of 35mm sensors,the new cameras offer the highest megapixels ever seen in a full frame sensor, an astonishing 50.6MP. Delivering unparalleled quality, the cameras provide an exceptional combination of resolution, responsiveness and durability, whether shooting landscapes, architecture, high fashion or portraiture, either personally or professionally. When nothing but the sharpest image is expected, the EOS 5DS R also features a low pass cancellation filter to maximise the sensor’s resolution and visible image quality.Alongside the new DSLRs, Canon also introduces the EF 11-24mm f/4L USM, the world’s widest-angle rectilinear zoom lens(1), the perfect companion for landscape and architecture photographers.

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