Pick a key.

It's firmware update time for Nikon D5 owners but it's more than just a few bug fixes. Nikon is expanding the feature set of the D5 with update C: Ver. 1.10 by adding the following four key features:

• Increased the maximum recording time of movies, including for 4K UHD to 29 mins 59 secs.

• Addition of Flicker reduction for still images which reduces the effect of uneven lighting caused by flickering light sources like fluorescents.

• 9-point dynamic-area AF AF-area mode as an addition to current modes.

• Electronic VR for movies which can be used in conjunction with optical VR.

If you want to know more details; then head on over to the Nikon blog to read more.
in-my-viewfinder





These are exciting times for Medium format photographers as Hasselblad announce the release of their first medium format, digital, mirrorless camera; the X1D.
As it supports Nikon strobes and it is unlikely that Nikon will ever make a medium format digital camera, we thought we would share a few points about it.



Clearly the large 8272 × 6200 pixels 50MP sensor is a big (pardon the pun) draw here but up until now has resulted in bulky camera. With Hasselblad's new mirrorless design, it has brought their medium format camera down to the size of an FX format DSLR. Hasselblad have achieved this by putting the shutter inside the lens; thus allowing the camera frame to be smaller.
Form aside, you also get a huge dynamic range by virtue of the sensors size and a crazy sync speed of 6mins to 1/2000 with your Nikon flash.
The camera can shoot stills or HD video that can be viewed either by its digital view finder or touch screen as well as supports wifi and gps.

If you fancy one, you can preorder on Adorama to ensure you are one of the first to get to play with this new toy.

To read more mead on over to the Nikon blog and take a look at youtube for a cliché filled video.
in-my-viewfinder

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What is it?

Lighting a subject is an important subject and something we have talked about a lot on here but today we are going to talk about two techniques that you will have seen talked about and try to explain why they matter to you.

High Key

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"High-key lighting is a style of lighting for film, television, or photography that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene"-wiki.
In short it is flat lighting, not a straight strobe but not far off it.
By using light from all angles, traditionally left, centre and right, the subject is evenly illuminated giving a low contrast result. On the plus side it is relatively blemish free and soft but it is far from exciting.  
We can achieve the same effect with less light sources by using light boxes or similar diffusers.


The advantage to high-key lighting in cinematography is that it doesn't require adjustment for each scene so dramatically reducing set up time and reduces yet another worry for continuity. The main negative point though is that high-key lighting fails to add meaning or drama by lighting certain parts more prominently than others.
Exactly the same can be said for photography here and will be seen used in high turnover portrait work like school photographs or low cost studio work.
Another great use for it is for unpredictable situations. Some subjects might not be where you wanted them or looking the right way (back to children but let's add animals and the majority of adults here) so having light evenly everywhere will increase your chance of getting a usable image.

Low Key

"Low-key lighting often uses only one key light, optionally controlled with a fill light or a simple reflector"-wiki.
Or in other words you are down to one strobe and it is way off to one side.  This accentuates the contours of an object with one side brightly illuminated and the other cast into shadow, quite often to an extreme. A fill light or back light may be used to add some form to the shaded areas but this is usually subtle if at all so the viewer is drawn into what the photographer is trying to focus upon.

In Cinematography it tends to heighten the sense of alienation felt by the viewer. Try looking for it in films, especially older productions and stage shows.
In photography you will see low key used for expressionist and emotive photography. A big trade off of low key is that it accentuates detail at the peripheries of the lighting so can be quite harsh and verging on unflattering in some sense. Used correctly, it can be very dramatic and powerful.

Pick a side

These are just two lighting techniques and picking one of them may well not be the option at all.
You could say that 3/4 lighting fits somewhere in the middle and as it happens is the preferred go to for portraits but then again circumstances may call for you to push to high key to give yourself more flexibility or maybe low key to pump up the drama.
Try experimenting at home with a willing volunteer and see how you can change the mood of your photograph simply by moving the light around.

in-my-viewfinder