One of the most frequently asked questions I get is how I shoot long-exposure photos from the cockpit and how they end up sharp, despite flying at roughly 950kmh / 500kts through the air. I will try to answer that question in more detail, going through the process and challenges step by step. Hopefully it sheds some light (pun intended) on the techniques I use and for the pilot-photographers among us some valuable and easy-to-use tips for your next night-flight....

As yesterday’s leaked photos show, Sigma are indeed bringing us a new lens for mirrorless users. Now, though, it’s not a leak or rumour any more, though. Today, Sigma have officially announced their new 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens for mirrorless cameras. Specifically, that means Sony and Micro Four Thirds photographers – sorry Fuji shooters. Sigma boast that this is the world’s first interchangeable lens for Sony mirrorless APS-C cameras which offers a 24mm full frame equivalent field of view at such a wide aperture....

No matter how many photos people take with their phones, there’s still a lot of bad shots on there. We see them all day on Instagram and Facebook. Some of us shoot them and know we do, but we’re not sure how to get better. What can we do to help improve our shots? Well, here comes the folks at COOPH to offer some suggestions. Most of these tips, though, aren’t limited to just smartphone photography....

Design sketch for a possible backdrop stand using 1-1/2″ PVC pipe sliding inside 2″ PVC pipes to allow adjustable width plus height, or the option to hang the top pieces from the ceiling or garage door tracks. Note: Adapted from Todd Asher’s design – see here, or here for more details. Another shot with the flash-lit diffusion panel setup with reflector and homemade backdrop as shown in the diagram in the Backdrop Stand folder....

Syrp has announced their new Genie Micro. Unlike other devices that bear the Genie name, this one isn’t a pan head or slider motor. In fact, it’s not motorised at all. It’s actually a smart remote device for controlling your camera with your smartphone using the Syrp app. With it, you get an array of triggering options, including bulb ramping, stop motion and HDR bracketing. Unlike a lot of triggering devices out there, this one doesn’t just tell your camera when to fire, but actually communicates with your camera over USB to adjust settings – as if you were shooting tethered to a computer....