When you shoot a photo with the HDR feature enabled, the iPhone will actually shoot a 3 exposure bracket and combine them to get an HDR image. Steve’s examples in the keynote showed images taken with the iPhone in difficult lighting situations: bright skies over a landscape, and portraits of a man and woman in the shade on a sunny day. The results look really nice.

Image via “Live Apple fall 2010 event coverage by Ryan Block for gdgt.

iOS 4.1 will be available next week.

Canon EOS 60D specs

In comparison to its predecessor the 50D, the new EOS 60D boosts the high end of the normal ISO range from 3200 to 6400 and jumps from 15.1 to 18 megapixels. New features include a 3″ articulating LCD screen, full HD video recording, a built-in wireless flash transmitter, SD card storage (no more CF) and advanced in-camera post processing capabilities. While the 50D was capable of shooting up to 6.3 frames per second, the 60D can only do 5.3 fps.

Some photographers across various message boards have expressed disappointment in the 60D’s specs (such as here), reasoning that what was previously a midrange line of camera bodies is now more closely related to the entry level Digital Rebel series so as to make more room for the new “high-end prosumer” 7D.

The EOS 60D will sell for $1,099 USD in late September 2010.

Four New Canon Lenses

Canon has also announced four new professional grade lenses:

• The EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM is a fisheye zoom lens with a constant f/4 aperture.
• The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM is an L version of the 70-300mm IS telephoto zoom lens, also aimed at advanced amateurs.
• Two fast professional prime telephoto lenses have gotten upgrades: the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM and the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM. Among their features are significantly reduced weight — 8% for the 300mm and a big 28% for the 400mm.

Upgraded Extenders

Rounding out this announcement are upgrades to two of Canon’s extenders: the Extender EF 1.4x III and Extender EF 2x III. Design changes have been implemented to increase image quality and autofocus.

The Nikon D3100 is an entry level camera with a 14.2 megapixel DX format CMOS sensor. Even though Nikon’s been out of the megapixel race for a long time, they decided to upgrade this camera’s predecessor’s sensor by a full 4 MP. It also has 1080p video recording, a built-in HDMI port, an expanded ISO range up to 12,800 and 11-point AF.

The AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR continues Nikon’s march into Canon’s territory of professional grade f/4 zoom lenses, which it began in February with the 16-35mm f/4.

Nikon’s also upgraded their much-loved fast portrait lens with the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G. Among the features added to this new lens are silent wave focus, Nano Crystal coat, and a whole new optical system.

Finishing off Nikon’s announcement are two super-zoom lenses: the AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR for FX cameras and the AF-S NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR for DX cameras. Both have ED glass and Vibration Reduction.

“Into the Blue” by laverrue.

“A Tint of Vancouver” by kennymatic.

“A Ship Passes Under the Brooklyn Bridge” by th.omas.

Blue Hour Site is a web application that takes a few simple inputs:

• A date
• Country/state/city

Given that information, the site will tell you when the blue hour will occur at that location, on that date. For example, today’s blue hour in New York City will last from 5:07 AM to 5:47 am & 8:13 PM to 8:52 PM.

The comments on this Reddit post discuss the technicalities of what is going on, and the level to which the damage is permanent.

Laughing Squid picked up the story from “Lasers can kill a DSLR’s image sensor” by DoobyBrain.com.

How to break your 5D in a second from Agua on Vimeo.

Adams’ advice is simple, yet incredibly profound. If you find yourself caught up in gear, software, actions, presets and other such things, it would benefit you greatly to sit back, watch this short video and take the master’s words to heart. When it comes to creative photography, none of these things matter if you have not first connected with your own vision. A good photo is not made in Photoshop, it’s not even made in the camera. It’s simply something you see with your mind, and then use photographic tools to take that image from your mind’s eye and record it on a medium which others can see.

At slower shutter speeds, camera movement introduces blur to the photograph. This movement is usually the result of the photographer’s hand or body moving slightly as they shoot a frame hand-held. If a tripod or other apparatus is not used to stabilize the camera during a long exposure, it easily picks up on the slightest movement which directly translates to a lack of sharpness.

Image stabilization technology’s goal is to enable photographers to hand-hold their cameras at slower shutter speeds than what has normally been possible while stilling getting acceptably sharp photos. Modern IS/VR usually has a 3-4 stop advantage, meaning a shot that would have otherwise required a 1/200 sec. shutter speed is now possible between 1/25 – 1/50 sec.

The photos shown here clearly demonstrate the effects of IS/VR. They were both shot at the same shutter speed of 1/6 sec with the lens at 105mm. IS was turned off for the image on the left, then enabled for the image on the right. The difference in sharpness is extreme.

The image stabilization technology found in consumer cameras falls into two main categories: optical image stabilization and digital image stabilization.

Optical Image Stabilization

Optical I.S. moves elements inside the camera/lens to counteract the movements introduced by the photographer. This IS is implemented in either the lens or the camera body.

In lens-based image stabilization, the lens has an element inside that is capable of moving. The lens detects the camera’s movement and responds by moving around the lens element to stabilize the projection of the image.

In-camera image stabilization is implemented in the form of a sensor that moves. Again, the camera detects the movements being introduced by the photographer, and moves the sensor around in response to stabilize the image.

In-camera image stabilization is used my some manufacturers because it enables I.S. on every lens in their lineup. Canon and Nikon do not put IS/VR into their camera bodies, only their lenses. This means that only certain lenses can take advantage of the technology and the feature usually corresponds to a higher price tag. An advantage, though, is that a new camera body is not required in order to take advantage of advances in IS technology.

Digital Image Stabilization

Digital image stabilization operates on the image after it has been captured. There are two kinds of digital image stabilization: one which crops and rotates the image, and other which drops exposure time and boosts exposure.

The first type of digital image stabilization slightly crops the image so that it can then be rotated around in response to the movement, stabilizing the image. You can think of this like a digital implementation of the techniques used in optical image stabilization, except it takes place after the image has been captured and shifts around pixels instead of light.

The second type of digital image stabilization plays with exposure. The camera will use a shorter exposure time in order to eliminate the blur, but this will also cause the resulting photo to be underexposed. The camera will then correct the exposure by brightening up the photo artificially. An unfortunate side effect of this method is that it increases digital noise, especially in shadow areas. You will see this for yourself if you try to push the exposure too far on one of your own photos in post production — after a certain amount, the noise and grain in the photo becomes noticeable.

IS Modes

Many cameras and lenses implement two different modes of optical image stabilization. The first mode will correct for both horizontal and vertical movements of the camera, while the second mode will only sense and correct for vertical movements. This is useful when you want to use IS while “panning” — purposely dragging the shutter while following the subject across the scene to create motion blur.

Thoughts on IS

While IS corrects for movement introduced by the photographer, it cannot counteract blur from a moving subject. The only way to freeze a moving subject is to use a fast shutter speed.

Image Stabilization / Vibration Reduction is a popular feature because while it adds a little extra cost to the equipment, it also enables many photographers to leave the tripod at home. With IS you can obtain sharp photos at shutter speeds that were not previously possible without anchoring the camera to a tripod or stationary object.

At the moment, IS is not usually found in lenses with very wide max apertures. For example, many Canon’s lineup of f/4 aperture zoom lenses have IS. A lot of f/3.5-5.6 kit lenses have IS. The technology is not, however, found in many f/2.8 zooms or fast prime lenses. You probably won’t find too many people complaining about this though*, since many photographers (legitimately) feel that IS is not a substitute for wide maximum apertures.

* Except those involved in the enteral rumor around Canon’s mythical EF 24-105 f/2.8 L IS, or perhaps the often rumored EF 24-70 f/2.8 IS.

Here is an example of a photo where the surface of the water is choppy. The photo was shot hand-held at 1/30 sec. The relatively fast shutter speed did a good job of freezing the motion of the water.

Canon EOS 5D w/ 24mm f/1.4 L @ f/1.4, 1/30 sec., ISO 1600

And now here is another shot of the NYC skyline with a smooth water texture:

Canon EOS 5D w/ 24mm f/1.4 L @ f/13, 30 sec., ISO 250

As you can see from my settings, the exposure time for this image was much longer than the first one. I set my camera on a tripod, selected a 30 second shutter speed and fired the shot. During the time that the camera was exposing, a great deal of water flowed past, creating a very smooth texture on its surface. You can try this yourself by simply setting up your camera on a tripod and using a long exposure.

Sometimes Choppy is Good

I do prefer this look for water surfaces, but that is not to say the opposite effect is always bad. Just for variety, here is a shot in which I think the fast shutter speed, choppy water version works better:

    

July 4^th is approaching quickly, and many Americans will be heading out with their cameras to capture the colors that will light up the night sky. If you have never shot this event before, you should get up to speed before going out so that you are not fumbling around with settings while everyone else is enjoying the show. Totally Sweet Photos has you covered though — this article will run through techniques for photographing fireworks.

Gear for Photographing Fireworks

There are two important items I suggest you have in order to photograph fireworks (besides a camera of course):

• A tripod
• A cable release

A tripod is useful because you will using long exposures to get the light trails of the fireworks. It will be important to keep the camera as steady as possible, which is where the tripod comes into play. If you do not have a tripod and cannot afford a good one, I do not however suggest you go buy a cheap tripod for this one-time use. A cheap tripod is likely to collapse under the weight of your camera and potentially break your equipment.

A cable release helps you trigger the shutter without touching the camera. This eliminates blur in the long exposure. You can get away with using the timer, but that introduces a lot of extra work in anticipating when to set off the camera. I think using a cable release just makes these types of shots much easier.

Pick Your Vantage Point Early

Where you choose to stand plays a huge part in any photography. Choose carefully where you plan to photograph from and make sure you get there early enough to beat any crowds that may show up.

One of my favorite ways to research photography ahead of time is with Flickr. I will input keywords related to my location and check out what other people have produced there before. I will also explore the Flickr World Map to find geotagged photos at the location.

Focal Lengths for Photographing Fireworks

This is really up to you, your style, and what types of images you are looking to get. A wide angle or normal lens will allow you to get much more of the surrounding environment in the shot — useful if the fireworks will be against and interesting backdrop such as a city skyline.

Telephoto lenses can get you some really interesting, different shots. Getting in for a tight framing can allow you to get just a single burst, or perhaps a small part of a display that would work as an abstract. The hard part about using telephoto lenses to photograph fireworks is that you need to anticipate where the fireworks will burst, and a telephoto lens leaves much less room for error in this department.

Framing Up Your Shots

Your fireworks photography strategy starts with predicting where the shot will be. With your camera mounted on the tripod, compose your shot ahead of time and then wait for the fireworks to enter the frame. This requires pre-visualization (and some guesswork), which is a good thing. Your skills as a photographer will grow when you are able to anticipate and see your photos before triggering the shutter.

Flash?

Turn it off. It’s not needed.

Focusing on Fireworks

Just like we are anticipating where the fireworks will appear in the frame, I suggest you focus ahead of time in order to prevent your lens from hunting around and missing the shot. Switch to manual focus mode and turn the focus ring to infinity. Take a few test shots to make sure the scene is in focus — use the zoom in/out controls to check the smaller details for sharpness on your camera’s LCD.

Trigger Your Long Exposure

My preferred mode for photographing fireworks is Bulb mode. In bulb mode, the camera will expose for as long as the shutter button is head down. With the cable release in-hand, I will hold down the button when the fireworks enter the photo and let it go a second or two after they have burst. This enables me to expose just long enough to get the light trails, and use slightly different exposure times for each shot without having to fiddle with shutter speeds.

Bulb mode requires you to manually set the aperture and ISO. Choosing a relatively smaller aperture will make sure most of the scene is in focus, and give some leeway if your focus is a little off. Go with the lowest ISO setting you can manage in order to keep noise and grain to a minimum.

If you have never practiced this method before, it may take a few frames before you get used to bulb mode. If you get so many fireworks trails that your photo is just a mess of bright light then you are exposing for too long. Try waiting until the fireworks get a little farther into the frame before triggering the exposure, and/or let go sooner after the burst.

Change things up

With your camera mounted on the tripod, you might be tempted to leave it be and click away. Try changing up your framing every once in a while to get some variety in your shots. This will increase your rate of “keepers”.

Also make sure you review your photos in order to make sure your settings are producing the results you want, and if not, adjust accordingly. If your photos come out too dark with this Bulb method, either open up your aperture or choose a higher ISO setting. And if they’re overexposed, choose a narrower aperture and/or lower ISO setting.