How To: Use Perspective to Make Something Small Look Huge
Burkard used a Canon 15mm f/2.8 fisheye on his EOS 20D in a custom fiberglass housing by Dale Kobetich.
Photo: Chris Burkard
You Don’t have to be a surfer to appreciate the mythos of breaking waves. And the bigger the wave, the more awestruck we are. But leave it to a surfer and photographer to capture the ocean’s power in the everyday rhythm of breakers along the California coast. Chris Burkard, a 24-year-old pro from Pismo Beach, CA, visualizes catching waves just right—and because of his background, his body senses where the camera needs to be.
In this shot, “Six Inch Perfection,” experimenting paid big dividends from a tiny curl. “People see these surf images and think it’s a monster wave that required huge efforts to get the shot,” he says. “But this was taken on an average day with mediocre light in Los Angeles at a beach break called El Porto.”
Burkard swam out using swim fins and without a surfboard, carrying his Canon EOS 20D and 15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens in an underwater housing. Noticing the waves doubling up—breaking, then breaking again on a shallow sandbar—he decided to work the barrels created on the second break.
A wave’s impact zone is the place where the lip of a breaking wave lands; just outside that zone is the ideal spot to shoot. It’s also the most dangerous, because the ocean’s current will push and pull you around—you don’t want the wave to break on top of you.
In this case, because he was in such shallow water, Burkard lay on his back with his head and body behind the breaking wave. Only his arm and camera were in the barrel of the wave. “Your hand is your eye, because you’re not looking through the viewfinder,” he says. “Having your hand at the proper angle is crucial. You’re aiming to shoot right out of the barrel, but you’re rarely able to do that.”
This little wave perfectly surrounded the camera and created a bubble effect where the water bursts apart. He shot three frames of it in high-speed continuous mode, of which this image was the second frame. Not knowing he had such a special image, he kept shooting for another couple hours.
“I never expected to get that shot,” he says. “You’ll be shooting sometimes and know a good moment has happened, but in the water you’re more disconnected. It’s so much body language—where and how you have your shoulder and forearm and hand.”
Burkard recommends experimenting. “If in your mind you’re trying to visualize something new or different, and you give it the effort, you’re either going to succeed or fail, but you’re going to learn from that,” he says. “This is one of those moments where everything came together, and it worked out great.”
In this shot, “Six Inch Perfection,” experimenting paid big dividends from a tiny curl. “People see these surf images and think it’s a monster wave that required huge efforts to get the shot,” he says. “But this was taken on an average day with mediocre light in Los Angeles at a beach break called El Porto.”
Burkard swam out using swim fins and without a surfboard, carrying his Canon EOS 20D and 15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens in an underwater housing. Noticing the waves doubling up—breaking, then breaking again on a shallow sandbar—he decided to work the barrels created on the second break.
A wave’s impact zone is the place where the lip of a breaking wave lands; just outside that zone is the ideal spot to shoot. It’s also the most dangerous, because the ocean’s current will push and pull you around—you don’t want the wave to break on top of you.
In this case, because he was in such shallow water, Burkard lay on his back with his head and body behind the breaking wave. Only his arm and camera were in the barrel of the wave. “Your hand is your eye, because you’re not looking through the viewfinder,” he says. “Having your hand at the proper angle is crucial. You’re aiming to shoot right out of the barrel, but you’re rarely able to do that.”
This little wave perfectly surrounded the camera and created a bubble effect where the water bursts apart. He shot three frames of it in high-speed continuous mode, of which this image was the second frame. Not knowing he had such a special image, he kept shooting for another couple hours.
“I never expected to get that shot,” he says. “You’ll be shooting sometimes and know a good moment has happened, but in the water you’re more disconnected. It’s so much body language—where and how you have your shoulder and forearm and hand.”
Burkard recommends experimenting. “If in your mind you’re trying to visualize something new or different, and you give it the effort, you’re either going to succeed or fail, but you’re going to learn from that,” he says. “This is one of those moments where everything came together, and it worked out great.”
Sony looks to change the world of DSLRs
'We really can change the world' says Masashi 'Tiger' Imamura, President of Personal Imaging & Sound Business Group in an exclusive interview with dpreview.com. The company will try to bring together all its technologies to produce a worthy successor to the A700, he told us in a talk that also touche
d on the future expansion of the NEX system and the company's position on 'full frame' models. 'After the merger [with Konica Minolta] our system was very similar to a traditional DSLR - very similar to Canon and Nikon. They have more heritage than us: traditional DSLRs are a mixture of optics, mechanics as well as electronics. We're coming from the AV industry so we have a lot of unique technologies we can put into our cameras. Now we have merged our resources into one place (Tokyo), we can bring our knowledge from Alpha, NEX, Cyber-Shot and camcorders.'
'There has been a lot of discussion about what an Alpha DSLR should be. We've been focusing for some time on utilizing our unique technologies. The translucent mirror is one and it performs very well. We want the A700 replacement to be in line with that kind of step forward, we want it to be superior to its competitors, that's why we couldn't make it sooner,' he said. But, he assured us, the results will be worth waiting for: 'With the A33 and 55 we tried to look at the problem and get rid of some of the old hassles - the A700 successor should be like that.'
Meanwhile, the NEX concept will expand in several directions, he said: 'The concept of the NEX 3 and 5 were for people who already have a compact stills camera and want to take a step up, but see a traditional DSLR as big, heavy and hard to use. We think these models are a very good fit to those customers. But also there are customers using NEX in addition to their DSLR, so we're planning to expand NEX in a more easy way, a lighter way, but we'll also expand to make models that have more manual control and more DSLR-like capability.'
Imamura repeated the enthusiasm he expressed at Photokina for the use of legacy lenses on the NEX system: 'with lens adapters, people can combine their valued, heritage lenses with a very advanced digital body. We didn't expect that kind of usage. There are lots of interesting things we can do for those types of customer.' The wait for these models may not be too long - at a formal dinner after our interview he told the assembled journalists that: 'the successors to the NEX-3 and NEX-5 are on the horizon.'
But the company's ambition doesn't end there, he said: 'As well as the easy-to-use and DSLR capabilities, we're also thinking about the camcorder style shooters and technologies. The NEX VG10 is one example of that. The barriers between compacts, DSLRs and camcorders will merge - not necessarily in a single device but with technologies and capabilities being shared between them. Our mission is to create new markets - we don't want to make the same products as everyone else and just cannibalise each other in the existing market.'
When asked about full-frame, he said Sony was still committed: 'When we started in DSLR we said that if we have DSLRs, a full-frame camera must be there. But we are working on a lot of products and there is a limit to our engineering capacity. The time will come when I can give more detail. When we announce a full-frame camera we want it to be a big step forward - another technological development might be needed so I say to people: Please stay tuned.'
Reviews
"At a time when there is a plethora of books offering technical information for the photographer wishing to gain access to what is going on in digital photography one book stands out for the wealth of information and the simplicity with which such knowledge is transmitted. I don't think that even professionals with experience can go through this book without finding a diversity of very useful and important information. Written by Katrin Eisman, Sean Duggan and Tim Grey, this book deserves to be on your shelf right next to your computer regardless if you are a working photographer, a teacher, or an art critic (especially the latter ones, who many times do not have a clue of what they are writing about)."
"The best piece of advice I can offer to a digital photographer is "Know your camera — read the user guide!" The second best of advice is "Buy this book!" This is practical information about everything from selecting a camera to understanding the settings, metering light, building a digital darkroom, enhancing and printing images, creating a digital portfolio, archiving and storing images, and more. As you can see, this book covers all aspects of digital photography, from getting started right through the finished product. And this is no-nonsense info, the type of background necessary for the 'real world'."
"These three competent authors take readers through digital imaging from concept (Why Digital?) through color management, to the final printed image. It's true that a lot of books on the shelves cover the digital imaging waterfront nowadays. The difference with Real World Digital Photography is that the authors don't gloss over the concepts and simply rewrite 'marketing' material. Instead, they give you understandable background on all the concepts. That background makes all the difference because without it, if anything goes wrong, you are often clueless on how to resolve it. There is little chance of that happening if you read this book."
"This is the most comprehensive digital photography book we've seen. From equipment to shooting to the digital darkroom, it's packed with clearly written descriptions, tips, and techniques that will help you set up, use, and maintain the digital level best suited to your needs. Its coverage of computer photo enhancement rivals most dedicated Photoshop books. Stock photographers will find the final chapter, "Archive, Catalog, and Backup," especially useful."
-- David Arnold & Gail Rutman,
Reader Comments
"Not only did both my wife and I devour this one from cover to cover, but when one of us would put it down the other would grab it. It's a fantastic book, and a must-read for anyone who's serious about digital photography."
Real World Digital Photography arrived last week. Yvonne and I are both reading it and we want to jointly commend you on the writing. You guys are so good I actually think that I am beginning to understand some of this stuff!"
"Your section on the Histogram is the clearest and best explanation I’ve ever read, it really brings the whole point home as to how one uses and reads the intimidating histogram."
"I received a copy of the book and I must say WOW. I think you really did an incredible job and am especially impressed with Chapters 10 and 11. We will be putting this book on our must have reading list for D-65 workshops. I actually just bought a copy as a gift for someone as well!"
"I've been remiss in emailing you to thank you for the copy of Real World Digital Photography. It's another triumph -- a detailed yet approachable guide that, unlike so many books, gives equal weight to art and science."
"It's a pleasure to have such a hands-on such digital photography bible! Waiting for more books by you."
"Great book, folks. Just exactly what I needed to help make my switch from film to digital a relatively painless reality instead of the frustrating experience it was becoming. The book covers all the basics, and more, in a systematic and exceptionally well written manner. Thanks a bunch."
"My initial impression is that I could teach a digital photography course doing full workflow from capture to Photoshop and output using only this one book."
"I am a beginner photographer, apart from point and shoot snaps. I have owned 2 other digcams (including the first Apple Quicktake!). I use Photoshop 6.0. I have bought and read many photography articles and books. Yours is absolutely wonderful! I finally understand things and hope to get better."
"I have read most of the new book and am very impressed with it. This book, combined with your photo retouching book, make for a great reference set for those wanting to greatly improve their pictures."
Enter our Facebook Monthly Photo Competition for your chance to win prizes for sharing in WPO's passion for photography. Each month we give you a different theme, ask you to take an original and inspiring photo that fits the theme, then enter it! The theme for April is 'Celebration' in conjunction with our upcoming World Photography Festival and the Royal Wedding taking place in London this April.
Photosmith Lets Your iPad Play Nicely With Adobe Lightroom
A new iPad app lets you organize photos on your iPad before sending them over to Lightroom — lightening your gearbag considerably.
Photosmith ($17.99, is an iPad app that could become a key part of your photography workflow, removing the necessity of dragging a laptop with you on location. It functions like a pared down version of Adobe Lightroom, giving you basic tools to organize and flag images, and then sync with Lightroom for hard editing.
Once you get the images on your iPad, you can tag, label, rate and filter them; set titles, IPTC and descriptions; create collections; and view EXIF data. When you're back home, you just sync the photos over WiFi or USB to Lightroom.
This means you don't have to lug a laptop with you on photographing missions, but you're still able to rate and tag images while the shoot is fresh in your mind. It's not nearly as powerful as Lightroom, obviously, but it can act as an important step in your workflow.
One of the big features in the app is its support for raw files. Just having a reliable way to browse raw files on the iPad with 100% zoom capability is already a bit of a win.
The first reviews of the app on iTunes are universally positive, and people seem very taken with it.
My hope is that the app can be jury-rigged to function with the most recent version of the That way your photos will be instantly beamed from camera to iPad without needing to even plug into the camera connection kit.
Once you get the images on your iPad, you can tag, label, rate and filter them; set titles, IPTC and descriptions; create collections; and view EXIF data. When you're back home, you just sync the photos over WiFi or USB to Lightroom.
This means you don't have to lug a laptop with you on photographing missions, but you're still able to rate and tag images while the shoot is fresh in your mind. It's not nearly as powerful as Lightroom, obviously, but it can act as an important step in your workflow.
One of the big features in the app is its support for raw files. Just having a reliable way to browse raw files on the iPad with 100% zoom capability is already a bit of a win.
The first reviews of the app on iTunes are universally positive, and people seem very taken with it.
My hope is that the app can be jury-rigged to function with the most recent version of the That way your photos will be instantly beamed from camera to iPad without needing to even plug into the camera connection kit.
Browse:
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 7–14mm f/4
Pricey
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A true ultrawide utility lens for Four Thirds shooters, this zoom delivers dust and moisture proof construction and light falloff that ís among the best in this category.
Standout Spec:
No detectable vignetting at 10mm and 14mm focal lengths. Product specifications
| Lens Type: | Zoom |
| Compatibility: | Digital Only |
| Range: | Super wide angle Wide Angle |
| Mount: | Four Thirds |
| Auto Focus: | Yes |
| Full-Time Manual Focus Override: | Yes |
| Silent AF: | No |
| Zoom: | Yes |
| Minimum Focal Length: | 7 mm |
| Maximum Focal Length: | 14 mm |
| Fastest Aperture: | f/4.0 |
| Slowest Aperture: | f/22.0 |
| IS: | No |
| Elements: | 18 | |||||
| Groups: | 12 | |||||
| Filter Size: | 0mm | |||||
| Length: | 4.7 inches | |||||
| Weight: | 27.5 ounces | |||||
| Price: | $1470.00 | |||||
| Tripod Collar: | ||||||
| Included Case: | Yes | |||||
| Macro: | No | |||||
| Tilt/Shift: | No | |||||
| Model Number: | ||||||
| SKU: |
Digital-only speedsters in the 16–55mm range are at home in the Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Tamron catalogs. All offer fast f/2.8 constant apertures and image stabilization (except for the Pentax, which puts IS in the camera). Now Sigma joins them with this 17–50mm OS ($670, street), its first high-speed, stabilized, wide-angle zoom made for APS-C bodies.
Pentax has long been known for making solid entry-level DSLRs. Its latest, the K-r ($710, street, with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens), shows a noticeable improvement over the popular K-x it replaces, and continues a newer Pentaxian trend: colorful DSLRs. It is available in red, white, and the traditional black.
Of course, with style must also come performance, and during its time in the Popular Photography Test Lab and out in the field, the K-r proved that it's got plenty of substance to back up its fashion sense.
